Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s hardline first prime minister and the man widely credited with its economic success, was on mechanical ventilation in intensive care, the government said on Thursday.
Lee, who turned 91 last September, was admitted to hospital on 5 February with severe pneumonia.
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“His doctors have restarted him on antibiotics and are continuing to monitor him closely,” the statement said.
Thursday’s statement came after rumours spread on social media on Wednesday night that Lee may have died.
Lee has receded from the public and political scene but his health is watched closely as he is still seen as an influential figure for the government of the current prime pinister, Lee Hsien Loong, his oldest son.
The government did not issue any statement overnight but the state-owned ChannelNewsAsia and the pro-government Straits Times newspaper published stories that the rumours were untrue.
The country’s manpower minister, Tan Chuan-Jin, posted on Facebook about the rumours. “Do continue to pray for his recovery,” he said late on Wednesday.
Lee, a Cambridge-educated lawyer, is widely credited with building Singapore into one of the world’s wealthiest nations on a per capita basis with a strong, pervasive role for the state and little patience for dissent.
He co-founded the People’s Action party, which has ruled Singapore since 1959 and led the newly born country when it separated from Malaysia in 1965.
In a book published in 2013 Lee said he felt weaker by the day and that he wanted a quick death.
NOTE: I met LKY 'one-on-one' twice in 1985 and 1989, in Singapore and Manila respectively, for interviews. He said nothing about the separation but more of hopes for our two nations to prosper together and forgetting the 'pain'. May he recover...
Lee, who turned 91 last September, was admitted to hospital on 5 February with severe pneumonia.
“His doctors have restarted him on antibiotics and are continuing to monitor him closely,” the statement said.
Thursday’s statement came after rumours spread on social media on Wednesday night that Lee may have died.
Lee has receded from the public and political scene but his health is watched closely as he is still seen as an influential figure for the government of the current prime pinister, Lee Hsien Loong, his oldest son.
The government did not issue any statement overnight but the state-owned ChannelNewsAsia and the pro-government Straits Times newspaper published stories that the rumours were untrue.
The country’s manpower minister, Tan Chuan-Jin, posted on Facebook about the rumours. “Do continue to pray for his recovery,” he said late on Wednesday.
Lee, a Cambridge-educated lawyer, is widely credited with building Singapore into one of the world’s wealthiest nations on a per capita basis with a strong, pervasive role for the state and little patience for dissent.
He co-founded the People’s Action party, which has ruled Singapore since 1959 and led the newly born country when it separated from Malaysia in 1965.
In a book published in 2013 Lee said he felt weaker by the day and that he wanted a quick death.
NOTE: I met LKY 'one-on-one' twice in 1985 and 1989, in Singapore and Manila respectively, for interviews. He said nothing about the separation but more of hopes for our two nations to prosper together and forgetting the 'pain'. May he recover...