Rumourscirculating that former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew has died is not true, said the city-state Minister for Manpower, Tan Chuan-Jin in his Facebook, yesterday.

"Rumoursare circulatingwildly. Many of you have messaged to ask about Mr Lee Kuan Yew's condition. Do continue to pray for his recovery," he said.

Local television channel, Channel NewsAsia earlier had reported that it had checked with the authorities that therumourswere untrue.

In a statement on Saturday, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said Lee was admitted to Singapore General Hospital on Feb 5, 2015 for severe pneumonia.

The statement said his condition hadstabilisedand he remains on mechanical ventilation in the ICU. He is conscious and lightly sedated.

Lee, 91, is Singapore's first prime minister (1959 to 1990) and is regarded as the longest serving prime minister in the world.