It has been 25 years since a tearful Lee Kuan Yew marked the traumatic birth of his island republic by announcing that Singapore had been expelled from the two-year-old Federation of Malaysia. Singapore's 2.7 million citizens are bracing for another wrenching departure this week as Lee, 67, retires. As Lee's successor, 49-year-old Goh Chok Tong, put it, "My greatest challenge is just to maintain standards."
Under Lee's firm and steady guidance, the port has evolved into a prosperous hub of commerce. But some Singaporeans have questioned the republic's puritanical social strictures, which include a campaign against overeating in restaurants. Meanwhile, Lee...
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