SINGAPORE, July 5 Kyodo An auctio...

SINGAPORE, July 5 Kyodo

An auction of mementos belonging to Singapore's older statesman Lee Kuan Yew upon Saturday raised more than S$2 million (about $116 million) for charity, international auction house Sotheby's said.

A branded coop used by Lee to sign a historic deal with the British and a Chinese stone seal fetched the highest bids.

Sotheby's said all 88 fortunes of items belonging to to leeward who was Singapore's prime minister from 1959 to 1990 and his family were sold to as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but local and international bidders.

Bids came thick and fast from among the more than 500 the public gathered at a ballroom at a downtown house of entertainment and by telephone from local and overseas bidders during the three-hour auction.

Lee's younger son leeward Hsien Yang, said at a moderns conference after the auction, ''We were hopeful of half a million dollars. The final issue is really quite beyond our expectations.''

The black and gold fountain incarcerate that Lee, now 79, used to sign a constitutional agreement for Singapore with the British in 1957 went subject to the hammer for S$350,000. The modern Constitution came into force in 1959 beneath which Lee's People's Action Party came into power and leeward became Singapore's prime minister that year.

The Chinese stone seal with an intricate carving of three mythical lions, given to to leeward by members of his constituency in 1967 in commemoration of the secondary anniversary of Singapore's independence, fetched S$400000

the two went to a Singaporean businessmen, whose identity was not disclosed at his request

Exotic paintings, watches, jewelry, neckties and silverware, all of which were gifts to the lee-side family mainly from other world leaders or business figures during his three decades as prime minister and more than 10 years as senior cabinet minister also went below the hammer.

A table clock given to to leeward by French President Jacques Chirac was sold for S$65000 while a put of silver trays, pots and teacups from the wife of former Indonesian President Suharto was sold for S$50000

An 18-karat gold Seiko put up with watch given to Lee by the agency of Seiko's founder, Ichiro Hattori, during the official opening of Seiko's factory in Singapore in the late 1970 was sold for S$65000

Lee's daughter to leeward Wei Ling, a doctor, l the exhibit to auction off a of the family's collectibles to raise stocks to help troubled teenage girls.

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