Earlier in February, Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu paid tribute to Mr Lee at the launch of the book, Lee Ek Tieng – the Green General of Lee Kuan Yew.
In a speech, Ms Fu described Mr Lee as “a leader, a pioneer, and a true architect of modern Singapore’s environmental transformation”.
“Mr Lee Ek Tieng was one of those rare individuals – a man of action, determination, and immense capability,” said Ms Grace Fu.
“Those who worked with him will attest that he was thorough, innovative, and not one to suffer fools.”
She also highlighted Mr Lee’s other contributions, such as keeping air pollution in check, upgrading Singapore’s drainage system to tackle flooding and modernising waste collection and disposal.
In a separate Facebook post on Wednesday, Ms Fu hailed Mr Lee as “one of the green heroes of Singapore during our early independence” who was instrumental in transforming the island from one filled with dirty squatters into a clean and green city”.
“In the clean-up of the Singapore River, Mr Lee led in the building of hawker centres. Street hawkers relocated to these hawker centres and could prepare their food in a hygienic environment,” said Ms Fu.
Mr Lee also led efforts to eliminate malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases in the country, and was responsible for the creation of the nation’s first Water Master Plan in 1972, which outlined the strategies for local water resources in Singapore.
“He spearheaded the development of NEWater to recycle water and supplement the population’s growing water needs. In fact, he was the person who coined its now-iconic name.” Ms Fu said.
