But the birthday boy was Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who turned 75 yesterday.

The 1,200 guests were a veritable Who's Who of Singapore, including Cabinet Ministers past like Mr Lim Kim San who organised the bash, and his colleagues, Mr Othman Wok and Mr E. W. Barker, Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and his Cabinet today, former civil servants such as Mr Sim Kee Boon and Mr Andrew Chew, businessmen and professionals.

Nor was the ordinary worker forgotten.

The birthday celebration launched Mr Lee's memoirs, which has raised $2 million that will go towards funding education and training awards for workers and students. The money came from more than 200 donors, who had each given $10,000 for a gilt-edged, autographed copy. They received their prized book from Mr Lee personally last night.

One donor, businessman Peter Yeo, said he felt it was an honour to be able to take part in Mr Lee's birthday celebrations. "He has run the country like a family, making many sacrifices and contributing to the nation," he said.

The gift for Mr Lee was special too: A six-metre-long, one-metre-high mural painted by 23 artists, aged six to 76, with Mr Lee in the middle, surrounded by the Singapore cityscape.

Retired teacher G. K. Paul, 76, spent two evenings a week for three months to help paint the picture. He did not mind the long bus journey from his Serangoon North home to the People's Association headquarters in Kallang.

He said: "I was in Bukit Panjang in 1959 to welcome Mr Lee when he made his first constituency visit there. I made a speech then. I feel privileged to take part in his birthday gift today."

Little Koo Chee Sheng whispered that he was 5-1/2 years old and liked painting, but did not know whom the painting was for. His favourite colour? "Red," he said.

 Nine-year-old Tay Jiun Lin knew the painting was for "Senior Minister" and was proud to have painted in a gorilla, figures representing the four races, and four children going to school. His favourite colour? The other colour on the Singapore national flag -- white.

Interior designer Shefee Sajari, 42, was honoured to take part in the project. "I was a teenager during the racial riots of the 60s. I feel very proud to have grown up in a meritocratic system."

Guests drank a toast to Mr Lee's "long life, good health and happiness."

And Mr Lee, who said the final achievement of his generation was to have put in place a team of able succesors under Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, replied with his toast:

"To PM Goh and his team, to express our confidence that the present and future generations of Singaporeans, both leaders and people, will, when challenged, display those qualities of fortitude and resourefulness that have made Singapore what it is today."