Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first prime minister, passed away at the age of 91 on Monday sparking a wave of social media tributes to the man widely considered the city-state's founding father.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister's Office of Singapore, Lee passed away at 3:18 on Monday. He had been admitted to the hospital for severe pneumonia in February.
His passing comes just a few months before Singapore's 50th anniversary of independence in August.
Singaporeans express appreciation
Following news of Lee's passing Singaporeans took to Twitter to express their condolences and share their appreciation for the former prime minister under the hashtag #RIPLKY.
Global leaders speak
Leaders around the world also took to social media to express their condolences and admiration for Singapore's founding father.
U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron highlighted the decades of remarkable public service that Lee gave to Singapore from his official Twitter account.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hailed Lee's unique insights on governance.
- CNBC's SeeKit Tang contributed to this article