SUVA, March 23-- Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama has sent a message of condolence to his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong over the death of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's founding father and former prime minister, the Fijian government said on Monday.

Bainimarama paid tribute to Lee Kuan Yew's vision and commitment to building Singapore into "a nation now envied across the globe," according to Fiji's Department of Information.

"Truly, he has passed on satisfied in the fact that he has made Singapore meritocratic, corruption-free and equal for all races, a legacy that no doubt you will pass on," Bainimarama said in his message, underscoring that the Fijian government and people share with Singapore "these moments of grief and sorrow."

After battling severe pneumonia for nearly one and a half months, Lee Kuan Yew passed away early Monday. He was 91.