Lee Kuan Yew , the founding father of Singapore and the man widely credited with molding the island nation into one of the world 's most prosperous countries , has been released from the hospital , where he was treated for an irregular heartbeat and `` stroke-like symptoms . '' The 89-year-old Lee was resting at home , according to a statement from the office of his son , Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong . Commonly referred to by his initials , LKY , the elder Lee was Singapore 's first prime minister after it gained independence from Malaysia in 1965 . His son is the third . Lee was admitted to Singapore General Hospital on Saturday after experiencing a suspected transient ischaemic attack , or a brief disruption of blood flow to a part of the brain , the statement said . A person generally has stroke-like symptoms during a TIA , but unlike a stroke , it may last only a few minutes and usually clears in less than 24 hours . A businessman at the time , Lee took over the helm of the swampy seaport of Singapore in 1959 and governed through the race riots of the 1960s . Transforming Singapore . He molded Singapore into a major transport and financial services hub , with its port becoming one of the busiest around the globe . But he also created a Singapore bound by stringent laws and regulations that dictated most , if not all , aspects of society -- including media and political freedoms , censorship and even the selling of chewing gum . He voluntarily stepped down in 1990 , the first Southeast Asian strongman to do so , and turned power over to Goh Chok Tong . Goh ran a `` kinder , gentler Singapore '' and helped dilute the perceptions of a Lee family dynasty . After 14 years in power -- steering Singapore through the 1997 financial crisis and the SARS outbreak , and reaching out to his neighbors and to the West -- 63-year-old Goh turned the office over to Lee 's son in 2004 . Enduring legacy . Even after his departure from office , the elder Lee retained his influence around the world . `` This is one of the legendary figures of Asia in the 20th and 21st centuries , '' U.S. President Barack Obama said during a meeting with Lee at the White House in October 2009 . `` He is somebody who helped to trigger the Asian economic miracle . '' The next year , Time magazine listed Lee as one of the 100 people who most affected our world . `` The mark of a great leader is to take his society from where it is to where it has never been , '' wrote former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in the magazine 's entry for Lee . `` There is no better strategic thinker in the world today . ''
Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew is resting at home , his son 's office says . Lee was treated for an irregular heartbeat and `` stroke-like symptoms '' He molded Singapore into a major financial hub . His son is the country 's third prime minister .