Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, is regarded as the founding father of modern Singapore. His dream of making Singapore a part of the Federation of Malaysia was disrupted when Singapore joined in 1963, but was expelled in 1965, due to political and racial tensions. Continuing as the Prime Minister of the new republic, he was beset with numerous problems, primarily stemming from the nation's limited natural resources. Though he adopted the policies of non-alignment and neutrality for Singapore, he did not take the country’s independence for granted. Apart from strengthening its military might, he introduced National Service (conscription) in 1967. He encouraged foreign investment, developed the necessary infrastructure, ensured racial harmony, and eliminated corruption. During his three decades as Prime Minister, Singapore achieved significant economic growth, eventually boasting one of the highest per capita incomes in East Asia, and emerged as a chief financial hub in the region. He was responsible for grooming Singaporeans into a disciplined and hardworking populace. Though widely admired, his autocratic methods, including the suppression of dissent from political opponents and the media, invited criticism.