What’s in Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s birthchart (Bazi) that reflects his success?

Updated: 4 August 2023

Credits: Photo©2004 Tara Sosrowardoyo

Singapore and her people have come a long way since independence. In celebration of our nation’s 58th National Day, let’s commemorate our first Prime Minister, the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) who led his cabinet of Ministers to oversee the transformation of Singapore into a developed country in just one generation! 

Using Bazi, we shall delve into Mr. Lee’s birth chart, and determine if the stars really play a part in aiding Mr. Lee to be the formidable leader he was, ultimately putting Singapore on the world map. Read on!

What is Bazi? 

Bazi, also known as the Eight Characters or Four Pillars of Destiny, is a form of Chinese astrology that looks into the unique set of characteristics surrounding the date and hour of one’s birth, which can then be interpreted into life situations.

Bazi of Mr. Lee

Mr. Lee was born in Singapore on 16 September 1923. Using his date of birth, we generated his Bazi chart using Way Fengshui’s free Bazi tool. 

People born on Ren Chen (壬辰) day are believed to have the life formation of ‘Water Dragon’ [壬骑龙背格]. Depending on the other stars in one’s chart, one with such a life formation may enjoy great status or wealth – possibly resembling the Dragon that represents power and transformation. From Mr. Lee’s Bazi chart, the month and year pillars show strong Metal element influence, which further strengthens his Day Master (Water element). It is no wonder that he was able to go against all odds to lead Singapore to independence and beyond.

Strong Water element: Intelligent, frank, cautious

People with a strong Water element are generally intelligent, frank and they tend to have very good memory. They always think twice before they act. That definitely sounds like LKY! 

A point to note: Water people live a life full of ups and downs. Sometimes, they find themselves in dangerous situations but they always keep faith. This reminded us of Mr Lee’s narrow escape from Sook Ching, an exercise to punish the Chinese in Singapore for supporting China’s war effort against the Japanese during World War 2. As an earnest learner, he had a relentless drive to constantly make self-improvements and he actually learned how to use the computer at age 70!

There are two types of Water, namely flowing and still. People of flowing water are active, aggressive, restless, impatient and busy while people of still water are calm, silent, tranquil and peaceful. No prizes for guessing which Water our former Prime Minister was.

Bazi revealed: Innate qualities for success

The strong water element in Mr. Lee’s Bazi, is further strengthened by the year pillar Hai [亥], akin to the sea as shown in the chart. This also strengthens the attributes of the Water element mentioned earlier; i.e. intelligence, determined, active, etc.

Dominant, decisive and determined 

“I am nobody’s stooge. I am not here to play somebody else’s game. I have a few million people’s lives to account for. And Singapore will survive.” — Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, August 26, 1965, in one of his first press conferences after independence.

In addition to wisdom and vision, the strong fighting spirit of Mr. Lee and his faith to ensure Singapore and her people survive was crucial for the successful development of Singapore. The Water element also denotes flexibility and creativity. The combined unique traits of our leader and his charisma made it possible for us to do the impossible.

Credits: Pexels.com

Back in 1969, Mr. Lee asked the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Public Utilities Board (PUB) to draw up a plan to clean up Singapore’s waterways and curb further pollution. Nobody believed that the dirty and smelly Singapore River could be transformed! Yet, from 1977 to 1987, there was a multi-agency effort to clean up the Singapore River and we eventually succeeded in having a clean Singapore River. Today, Singapore is a world leader in water sustainability.

Read how Mr. Lee’s policy saved the “Carp” of Singapore!

People with a strong Water element can be very stubborn but when applied in the right manner, as in the case of Mr. Lee and his dedication to our country; it worked out well. In addition, his strong determination was likely strengthened by the presence of the Imposing Authority [七杀] in his Bazi chart.

Reflected in the day pillar is the Imposing Authority [七杀], sometimes known by the literal translation: Seven Killings. This star is an authoritative star that reflects a dominant nature and strong fighting spirit. 

Pure love, foresight and wisdom 

The Primary Resource [正印] star in the month pillar is often represented as a Mother’s love – very giving and generous, without asking for anything in return. People with this star in their chart have the innate qualities of foresight, wisdom, kindness and a drive to do one’s best. 

Mr. Lee’s love for our nation and people was indisputable and he once said, “Even from my sickbed, even if you are going to lower me into the grave and I feel that something is going wrong, I will get up. Those who believe that after I have left the government as prime minister, I will go into a permanent retirement really should have their heads examined.” 

In return, he was well-respected and loved by the people of Singapore and beyond. On the day of his funeral procession back in 2015, the crowds braved heavy rain to bid a final goodbye to our beloved leader. Some believed that the heavy rain was a sign of the heavens crying for him. 

Fame and recognition 

In Chinese metaphysics, having an ideal name that corresponds with one’s Bazi chart can help one to strengthen the positive influence while diminishing negative effects. While Mr. Lee’s chart lack Bing [丙] a Fire element that will correspond with the Water element to form the ‘Sun shining on rivers and lakes” [日照江湖格] formation, his name contains the character ‘光’, which is equivalent to brightness and the shining daylight sun. People with such life formation can easily gain fame and recognition. 

Needless to say, Mr. Lee was known around the world for his contribution to Singapore and beyond. At his passing, the world paid tribute to him and he was described as one of the “greatest” leaders of our times, a “lion among leaders” and an “inspiration” to Asia and beyond.

Bazi is an ancient Chinese metaphysics practice that can be applied to all aspects of life, including situations and events, as depicted in the analysis of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s Bazi above, as well as Singapore’s.

With Bazi Life Analysis from Way Fengshui, you can gain insight into your inner self that will help you unlock your true potential and make the best choices and succeed in life.