Lee Kuan Yew

“Whoever governs Singapore must have that iron in him. Or give it up. This is not a game of cards. This is your life and mine. I've spent a whole lifetime building this and as long as I'm in charge, nobody is going to knock it down.”

“A nation is great not by its size alone. It is the will, the cohesion, the stamina, the discipline of its people and the quality of their leaders which ensure it an honourable place in history.”

“I always tried to be correct, not politically correct.”

“What I fear is complacency. When things always become better, people tend to want more for less work.”

“At the end of the day, what have I got? A successful Singapore. What have I given up? My life.”

“We are not a literary people. We are a pragmatic people.”

“If you want to be popular, do not try to be a leader.”

“I'm very determined. If I decide that something is worth doing, then I'll put my heart and soul to it. The whole ground can be against me, but if I know it is right, I'll do it.”

“Rest on laurels? I wish I could do that. No, you rest when you're dead.”

“If you are a troublemaker, it's our job to politically destroy you.”

“Life is not just eating, drinking, television and cinema... The human mind must be creative, must be self-generating; it cannot depend on just gadgets to amuse itself.”

“You lose nothing by being polite. The answer is 'No', but please say it politely and give the reasons... People will accept it.”

“Freedom of the press, freedom of the news media, must be subordinated to the overriding needs of the integrity of Singapore, and to the primacy of purpose of an elected government.”

“I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldn’t be here today.”

“If you can't think because you can't chew, try a banana.”

“To the young and to the not-so-old, I say, look at that horizon, follow that rainbow, go ride it.”

“Even from my sick bed, even if you are going to lower me into the grave and I feel that something is going wrong, I will get up.”

“I have never been over-concerned or obsessed with opinion polls or popularity polls. I think a leader who is, is a weak leader.”