Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee remains critically ill

Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, remains critically ill in intensive care, the prime minister’s office said on Thursday.

Seen as the founding father of modern Singapore, which he led from 1959 until 1990, the 91-year-old Lee has been in hospital with severe pneumonia since Feb. 5.

“Lee Kuan Yew remains critically ill in the ICU,” said a statement from the prime minister’s office.

The latest update on Lee’s failing health followed an incident on Wednesday night when screenshots of a website bearing the faked logo of the prime minister’s office and falsely announcing his death circulated on social media.

The prime minister’s office has since lodged a police report about the website, local media reported.

Lee, an iconic political figure in Asia, is widely credited with transforming Singapore from a sleepy British colonial outpost into a financial powerhouse with one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.

Although he has receded from the public and political scene, his health is watched closely as he is still seen as an influential figure for the current government. His son, Lee Hsien Loong, has been prime minister since 2004.