"It is a story that has to be told and I am glad he has done it," she says. For years, friends and acquaintances had been asking them when Mr Lee would write his memoirs.

"We brushed them aside. He could not do it while he was Prime Minister. When he stepped down as PM, I hoped there would be a selection of his speeches, perhaps strung together with some narrative or explanation," she reveals.

In 1993, some of his speeches were translated into Chinese and published by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). This was followed a year later by a pictorial biography, also by SPH.

Last year, another book, Lee Kuan Yew: The Man and His Ideas, also by SPH, was launched.

It was Mr Lee's old friend and colleague, Mr Lim Kim San, SPH executive chairman, who convinced him that he should write his memoirs since the young would read it.

When Mr Lee told his wife about Mr Lim's suggestion, her response was unequivocal: "I was all for it and gave him my full support and encouragement."

A first-person account of his life, she thought, would have more impact and authority than an "authorised biography", which would be dismissed as a puff for Mr Lee. She adds: "Once the records were available from the British and other archives, he was able to get their point of view and give a more balanced account.

"It was fascinating and at times amusing to read the reports the diplomats were sending back to London, Canberra, Washington and Wellington."