New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid his tributes to former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on the occasion of the latter's 100th birth anniversary.

PM Modi said Lee’s leadership played a key role in Singapore's transformation.

“My tributes to the great Lee Kuan Yew on the special occasion of his 100th birth anniversary. His visionary leadership played a key role in Singapore's transformation. His foresight and relentless pursuit of excellence are a testament to his personal greatness. His work continues to inspire leaders worldwide,” PM Modi tweeted on Saturday.

Yew was Singapore’s prime minister from 1959 to 1990 and during his rule, Singapore became the most-prosperous country in Southeast Asia.

Born into a Chinese family established in Singapore since the 19th century, Yew's main aim was to retain Singapore’s national identity. He understood that the country needed a strong economy to survive as an independent country. He died on March 23, 2015 at the age of 91.

During the recently concluded G20 Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and discussed bilateral relations between the two nations.

"Lovely to interact with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong," Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Earlier this year, India and Singapore linked their respective online payment systems, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India and PayNow of Singapore, for seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries.

The virtual launch function was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

The linkage of these two payment systems of both countries would enable residents of both countries to the faster and more cost-efficient transfer of cross-border remittances.

People in both countries will be able to send money in real-time via QR-code-based or simply by entering mobile numbers linked to the bank account.

This collaboration will also help the Indian diaspora in Singapore, especially migrant workers and students through instantaneous and low-cost transfer of money from Singapore to India and vice-versa.