Countless people flocked to Singaporean embassies around the world to pay their respects to the country's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew.
I visited the consulate in Hong Kong to pay tribute to him, and there were a lot of people queuing up to sign the condolence book, including many non-Singaporeans.
Following its expulsion from Malaysia, Singapore, led by Mr Lee, became an independent country in 1965. The following decades have turned it from a third-world to first-world country. This economic miracle shocked the world. Mr Lee, with an English education background (a Cambridge graduate with a first-class honours degree in law), insisted on choosing English as Singapore's first official language. This was a very wise decision. Singapore has benefited so much from the use of English, as it connects it to the rest of the world, especially Western countries, and offers a common language for people with different ethnic and racial backgrounds. This is crucial to maintaining social harmony in a multiracial country.
The policy of public housing tenants being able to own their flats originated in Singapore. Mr Lee rightly believed ownership of properties within a country would enhance social stability. As a result, over the past few decades, the government has been determined to provide homes for its citizens at an affordable price. There has been overwhelming support for this policy in Singapore.
Despite being a small island state which had no natural resources, and facing threats from its neighbours in its early years as a nation, Mr Lee was adamant that Singapore must go its own way in order to survive. He refused to follow the ideology of Western democracy and liberalism. He was an avowed advocate of conservative political views, relying more on discipline and law and order. He was able to build the modern Singapore, which is highly disciplined, prosperous, stable and clean.
I have found his books, including his memoirs, deeply inspiring. Mr Lee, through what he accomplished for Singapore, convinced many people that there is no single universal political system which suits every place around the world. His thoughts and wisdom will continue to enlighten a lot of leaders.