Schooling The Man

I had always assumed that a big part of Chairman Lee's success was spelled "C-I-A" and it turns out that this is true, but in an interesting way, at least according to this Person on the Internet:

Apparently, a CIA agent had been caught [in 1961] trying to purchase information from Singapore intelligence officials. He then offered Lee $3.3 million for personal and political use if the failed affair was kept under wraps.  

Thinking more about the future of his country, Lee refused, and asked instead for $33 million in formal economic-development aid for Singapore. 

Lee brought this up publicly in 1965, and the U.S. denied all.

Angered by the denials, Lee escorted reporters into his office and whipped out files stamped with "top secret" and produced a letter of apology written by Secretary of State Dean Rusk — dated Apr 15, 1961, during the Kennedy Administration — where he apologized for the espionage attempt [which occurred under Eisenhower] and indicated plans to discipline the offending intelligence agents.  

You do not fuck with Chairman Lee.

(link)