The small, wealthy city-state of Singapore has, for the most part of the past five decades, attributed its success to one man's vision and leadership.

Lee Kuan Yew, the first leader of the People's Action Party (PAP), led his party to victory in 1959 and was instrumental in the country's rapid development.

"The PAP was Mr Lee's political platform and during his tenure as prime minister from 1959 to 1990, he made the PAP synonymous with the Singapore government and the Republic of Singapore," said Eugene Tan, an associate law professor at the Singapore Management University.

"This conflation of party, government and state underscores the pivotal role that Mr Lee played in the PAP and Singapore."

Lee's contributions to Singapore have been much-lauded, not least in 2015 as the country celebrates its 50th anniversary of independence.

The Chingay street festival paid tribute to him during the finale of its spectacular parade, playing an excerpt of a speech Lee gave in 1965 upon Singapore's separation from Malaysia.

But Lee's legacy has not been entirely positive. Critics say that his strongman style of politics suppressed civil liberties in Singapore, and that he implemented eugenicist policies - particularly in the 1980s when the government encouraged female graduates to have children while offering financial incentives to lower-income couples to undergo voluntary sterilization.

Two high-profile sweeps - Operation Coldstore in the 1960s and Operation Spectrum in the 1980s - rounded up leftists, activists, social workers and artists who were held without trial.

The government insisted the harsh measures were necessary to safeguard national security, but critics maintain that the arrests were politically motivated and aimed at crushing dissent.

Most political commentators believe that Lee's passing will not have as significant an impact as some might predict.

"His personal role has been on the decline for some time, marked especially by a more diminished role after the 2011 election," said Bridget Welsh, senior research associate at the Centre for East Asia Democratic Studies of National Taiwan University.

"It is tempting to think that Mr Lee still calls the shots behind the scenes," said Tan. "Also, one might say that the changes will be hastened when we enter a post-LKY era."

However, Tan pointed out that changes in Singapore are underway regardless of Lee's health and presence in politics.

"It's a different Singapore today from the one Mr Lee Kuan Yew governed between 1959 and 1990," Tan said.

Erosion of climate of fear

Singaporeans' rapid adoption of internet and smartphone technology has brought major changes in political discourse.

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, coupled with the growth of alternative media sites, have helped to erode the climate of fear, leading to citizens demanding more accountability and transparency from political leaders.

"As far as politics in Singapore is concerned, changes have already been taking place. This is not because of the PAP's relaxation of its hold on power but rather the inexorable shift towards a more open society due to the new media," Singapore Democratic Party secretary-general Chee Soon Juan said.

Current leaders of the PAP have had to make adjustments, adopting social media and holding public consultations on policy issues. But evolving methods of communication and engagement might not yet have led to radical policy changes.

For most sitting legislators, Lee's personality and ideas still loom large.

"Mr Lee's effect on the decision-making process, whether in the PAP or the cabinet, is more nuanced than the conventional thinking of his direct intervention or ruling through the current PM," Tan said.

"It's about the deep influence of Mr Lee on the younger and less-experienced leaders, and there is deference accorded to Mr Lee's point of view as well."

- dpa