Former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew attended an annual Chinese New Year party for grassroots leaders at the Istana on Sunday evening.

The Chinese New Year garden party was hosted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Cabinet ministers.

It was the elder Mr Lee's first public appearance since he attended two days of Parliament sittings last month.

Last Tuesday, Mr Lee, 90, was due to speak at an annual Chinese New Year dinner in his Tanjong Pagar GRC but could not attend due to ill health.

He was at that time in the Singapore General Hospital with a fever and a bad cough caused by an infection and was advised by his doctors to avoid public appearances.