World leaders pay rich tributes to Lee Kuan Yew

World leaders on Monday paid glowing tributes to Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew, hailing him as a visionary statesman, a “true giant of history”, who transformed the sleepy former British colony into a modern and dynamic country. US President Barack Obama said, “He was a devoted public servant and a remarkable leader... who will be remembered for generations to come as the father of modern Singapore and as a great strategists of Asian affairs.”
While UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon called him a “legendary figure in Asia”, UK PM David Cameron said, “Lee personally shaped Singapore in a way that few people have any nation.He made his country into one of the great success stories of our modern world. That Singapore is today a prosperous, secure and successful country is a monument to his decades of remarkable public service.” Even the Australian PM Tony Abott said “Our region owes much to Lee Kuan Yew.”