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Lee Kwan Yew: Singapore's Founding Father dies

He turned Singapore from a sleepy port into an economic powerhouse in 3 decades. But did that justify Lee's anti-democratic methods, and is there such a thing as "Asian values"?

He turned Singapore from a sleepy port into an economic powerhouse in 3 decades. But did that justify Lee Kwan Yew's allegedly anti-democratic methods? We hear from Professor Tom Plate, author of a book about Mr Lee's leadership style entitled "How to Build a Nation". We also get the views of the Nobel-prize winning Indian economist Amartya Sen, who admired Lee's economic achievements but challenged his declaration that there was such a thing as "Asian values", which did not require western standards of individual freedom. And our correspondent, Mariko Oi, looks at the specific economic legacy across the Asian region. Also in the programme, Nick Butler, associate professor at Kings College London, looks at recent assertions that solar power could begin to match the cost of fossil fuels like oil and gas in much of the rich world within a few years. And Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times reflects on a recent accident she suffered just before an important job interview. When is it right to cancel, or postpone, when you can't look your best? Do appearances really matter that much?

(Photo: Lee Kuan Yew, Credit: Michael Stroud/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

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18 minutes

Last on

Mon 23 Mar 2015 16:05GMT

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  • Mon 23 Mar 2015 08:32GMT
  • Mon 23 Mar 2015 16:05GMT

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