The Curse of Lee Kuan Yew – politico.com, March, 2015
…since the early 2000s the cult of Lee Kuan Yew has been an unmitigated disaster in Eastern Europe, where the example set by Singapore’s unapologetic autocrat has helped to rehabilitate and legitimize authoritarianism.
Vladimir Putin is a greater admirer of Lee, whom he awarded Russia’s prestigious “Order of Honor.” In Georgia, Mikhail Saakashvili has been under Lee’s charismatic spell, passing his books around like bibles. The Ukrainian government, when ruled by Putin puppet Viktor Yanukovych, would disguise its kleptocracy by likening its governance to Singapore. Today, the cult is so widespread that even the Russian minister directing Crimea points to Lee Kuan Yew as a mentor…
NYT: Singapore, the Nation That Lee Kuan Yew Built, Questions Its Direction
Channel News Asia: Books by Lee Kuan Yew flying off the shelves in Malaysia
Earlier: Lee Kuan Yew: Death of a Giant
One year ago: Singapore: lowest crime, healthiest people, easiest place to do business