Malacañang has extended its condolences to the
family of former Singaporean prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who died early
Monday (March 23) at the age of 91.
"As the Singaporean people mourn the passing of Lee Kuan Yew, the Filipino people join them in honoring a statesman who can justifiably be called the Founding Father of the Republic of Singapore," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a statement issued on Monday.
"The President, in joining the Filipino people in expressing the solidarity of the Philippines with Singapore at this time of mourning, extends his personal condolences to Prime Minister Lee Hsien-Loong," she added.
"Prime Minister Lee has always extended every official and personal courtesy to the President in his visits to Singapore and their official interactions in the ASEAN community."
Valte said that as prime minister and senior minister, Lee demonstrated an unswerving devotion to his country, turning it into a state that would be an exemplar of efficient, modern, and honest governance.
The development of Singapore has earned it the respect of nations and peoples, including the tens of thousands of Filipinos who work and visit the country, she said.
Because of Lee's initiatives to transform the small city-state into a modern and prosperous nation, Valte said Singaporeans can look back in the past with deep pride and a sense of accomplishment.
Lee, Singapore's founding father, died at the Singapore General Hospital, where he had been admitted for severe pneumonia since February 5. Lee would have turned 92 this September.
He left behind his sons, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 63, and Lee Hsien Yang, 57; daughter Dr. Lee Wei Ling, 60; daughters-in-law Ho Ching, 61, and Lee Suet-Fern, 56; seven grandchildren and two siblings. His wife, Madam Kwa Geok Choo, died in 2010 at the age of 89.
Lee is widely regarded as the man most instrumental in shaping Singapore. He and his People’s Action Party colleagues pushed for self-government in the 1950s, worked to merge with Malaysia in the early 1960s, and strived to secure the country’s survival after independence on August 9,1965.
He led a pioneer generation of Singaporeans to overcome a series of daunting challenges that confronted his country from rehousing squatters in affordable public housing, rebuilding the economy after the sudden pull-out of British forces and the oil shocks of the 1970s, and a major economic recession in the mid-1980s.
Lee served as Singapore's prime minister for 31 years, from 1959 to 1990. At the age of 67, he chose to hand over the premiership to Goh Chok Tong, and took on the role of senior minister, serving as guide and mentor in the Cabinet.
When Prime Minister Lee took charge in 2004, the elder Lee became Minister Mentor, spending time thinking about the long-term challenges facing Singapore. (PCOO News Release)
"As the Singaporean people mourn the passing of Lee Kuan Yew, the Filipino people join them in honoring a statesman who can justifiably be called the Founding Father of the Republic of Singapore," Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a statement issued on Monday.
"The President, in joining the Filipino people in expressing the solidarity of the Philippines with Singapore at this time of mourning, extends his personal condolences to Prime Minister Lee Hsien-Loong," she added.
"Prime Minister Lee has always extended every official and personal courtesy to the President in his visits to Singapore and their official interactions in the ASEAN community."
Valte said that as prime minister and senior minister, Lee demonstrated an unswerving devotion to his country, turning it into a state that would be an exemplar of efficient, modern, and honest governance.
The development of Singapore has earned it the respect of nations and peoples, including the tens of thousands of Filipinos who work and visit the country, she said.
Because of Lee's initiatives to transform the small city-state into a modern and prosperous nation, Valte said Singaporeans can look back in the past with deep pride and a sense of accomplishment.
Lee, Singapore's founding father, died at the Singapore General Hospital, where he had been admitted for severe pneumonia since February 5. Lee would have turned 92 this September.
He left behind his sons, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, 63, and Lee Hsien Yang, 57; daughter Dr. Lee Wei Ling, 60; daughters-in-law Ho Ching, 61, and Lee Suet-Fern, 56; seven grandchildren and two siblings. His wife, Madam Kwa Geok Choo, died in 2010 at the age of 89.
Lee is widely regarded as the man most instrumental in shaping Singapore. He and his People’s Action Party colleagues pushed for self-government in the 1950s, worked to merge with Malaysia in the early 1960s, and strived to secure the country’s survival after independence on August 9,1965.
He led a pioneer generation of Singaporeans to overcome a series of daunting challenges that confronted his country from rehousing squatters in affordable public housing, rebuilding the economy after the sudden pull-out of British forces and the oil shocks of the 1970s, and a major economic recession in the mid-1980s.
Lee served as Singapore's prime minister for 31 years, from 1959 to 1990. At the age of 67, he chose to hand over the premiership to Goh Chok Tong, and took on the role of senior minister, serving as guide and mentor in the Cabinet.
When Prime Minister Lee took charge in 2004, the elder Lee became Minister Mentor, spending time thinking about the long-term challenges facing Singapore. (PCOO News Release)
No comments:
Post a Comment