According to my history books when I was young , it was SANG NILA UTAMA, who arrived at Temasek & founded the Kingdom of SINGAPURA in 1299....Sir Stampfoot Raffles, claimed SINGAPURA for the crown of England so that the Dutch could not get a hand on it.
Neither Lee Kuan Yew or Sir Stamfoot Raffles founded Singapore.....they both just took occupation...
Singapore previously belonged to the Johor-Riau Sultanate before Raffles came and took occupation for the British.