Elon Musk recently praised Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, describing him as “brilliant.” The Tesla and SpaceX CEO reposted a blog by newsletter writer George Mack, who wrote about Mr Lee’s role in developing Changi Airport.
The airport has been named the world’s best for 12 times by Skytrax, a London-based research firm.
“He was brilliant,” Mr Musk wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on July 18.
According to Business Insider, he also previously called Mr Lee a “genius” for providing air-conditioning in public service buildings to enhance productivity in Singapore’s tropical climate.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, who served as Singapore’s prime minister from 1959 to 1990 and passed away in 2015, was instrumental in shaping modern Singapore. Before Changi Airport opened in 1981, Singapore had a smaller airport, Paya Lebar.
Mr Lee envisioned a larger coastal airport that could expand through land reclamation. This led to Changi Airport, now with four terminals and a fifth under construction slated to open in 2030. In 2023, it handled 58.9 million passengers.
Under Mr Lee’s leadership, Singapore underwent a significant economic transformation.
After gaining independence from British colonial rule in 1963 and separating from Malaysia in 1965, the country faced challenges like high unemployment, overpopulation, and inadequate housing.
Mr Lee’s policies attracted foreign investment and strengthened international ties, leading to substantial economic growth. By 2023, Singapore had the highest GDP per capita in Asia and a low unemployment rate of 2%.
Public housing now accommodates 77% of the population.
Mr Lee was also recognised for attracting skilled foreign talent and drawing foreign students to the city-state. He promoted this by building a world-class public education system.
Today, the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University rank among the top universities globally, ranking higher than Cornell, Princeton, and Yale.
In 2024, Skytrax World Airport Survey ranked Singapore’s Changi airport second, outranked by Doha Hamad, who topped the list. /TISG