You may call him a linguist but he really doesnt speak hakka altho he was born one. Yoou shld read TJS George's book Lee kuan Yew's Singapore.
He calls him an english-educated Chinese but also says he never commanded real respect or trust from the Chinese-educated Chinese or the English-educated ones. The people who really hated him were those from MCA.
The Chinese-educated hated him for what he did to Chinese culture and the language and Chinese education since Nantah. He disappoints the English-educated by constantly showing what he can do or undo to the British parliamentary system and democratic values. Nothing he does is without a political or personal agenda - even learning mandarin or casting himself as a Chinese Hakka with a 3000 year civilisation.
Wrote TJS George:
"KY's parents raised the children on the pattern of the 'Kings' Chinese', a community of Chinese in Penang who had been under the British Crown for one and a half centuries, had largely lost contact with China and had developed their own style of living.They were considered particularly loyal to Britain and id in fact express specific patriotism to the Crown. In his childhood, on festive occasions KY was decked out in traditional Chinese costume - brocade jacket, mandarin cap. he was sent to a small Chinese kindergarten near the Lee home.
Otherwise, little LKY, which means Light that shines, rarely came in contact with Chinese customs and Chinese society. his present command of the Chinese language is that of a man who learnt it as an adult."
He is quite the linguist. His family besides pernanakan malay spoke a version of hokkein closer to the Penangnites version though a hakka. He is actually more inclined towards the Chinese culture than the English contrary to popular belief and had forced his parents not to give his youngest brother an anglicised name. However politics drives his agenda.
Their links to the Indonesian relatives are very strong and many of them used to stay with hte family.