He might have been known for his toughness in politics; and he was said to have once invoked Niccol?? Machiavelli by declaring: "If nobody is afraid of me, I'm meaningless." But he is undeniably a giant of history, and what he created in Singapore deserves respect.

He is Lee Kuan Yew, former Singaporean prime minister, who passed away at the age of 91 on Monday. He will be remembered for what he has done for his people and the world.

He set his country on a path that has seen average incomes rise 100 times, and transformed Singapore from a sleepy British colony into a global trading and financial center, with investments across the globe, a widely respected civil service and world-class infrastructure.