The Albatross File: Was Singapore kicked out by Malaysia, or did we seek Separation?”
The main contours of the story of Separation have long been well known. Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Malaysian Prime Minister then, recounted some of it in his 1977 memoirs, Looking Back. More information emerged as British, Australian and New Zealand diplomatic cables and reports of that period were declassified from the early 1990s onwards. Mr Lee Kuan […]
Singapore’s First Polder at Pulau Tekong Adds 800 Hectares of Land
Singapore has reclaimed about 800 hectares of land – the size of about two Toa Payoh towns – at the north-western tip of Pulau Tekong, the HDB announced in a joint statement with the PUB. The reclaimed land will be used for military training purposes. This will free up space on the mainland for other […]
President Tharman Calls for a “We First” Society to Strengthen Mutual Respect And Our Shared National Identity
Speaking at the opening of the 15th Parliament, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam urged Singaporeans to put the collective before self and build a “We First” society rooted in everyday acts of care and solidarity. He stressed that unity cannot be achieved by belief alone, but must be lived out in daily actions. Singapore can only stand […]
Full transcript of PM Lawrence Wong’s National Day Message (2025)
This year, Singapore celebrates 60 years of independence. Here’s the full transcript of PM Lawrence Wong’s National Day Message as we celebrate SG60. My fellow Singaporeans SG60 Sixty years ago, Singapore became “forever a sovereign democratic and independent nation,” as you just heard Mr Lee Kuan Yew declare in the Proclamation of Singapore. We didn’t […]
Our Multiracial Experiment : First National Day Rally Speech by Lee Kuan Yew, 1966
Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s first-ever National Day Rally speech at the National Theatre on Aug 8, 1966: This time last year, my colleagues and I had already made a fateful decision on your and our behalf. In the nature of the circumstances, there was no time for consultations – we could not find out what […]
Rainwater Harvesting and Rooftop Gardens: Singapore’s Green Urban Future
In a land-scarce city like Singapore, every square metre counts. As the city-state continues to urbanise, it faces dual challenges: water sustainability and rising urban temperatures. One elegant solution gaining traction across both public and private developments is the integration of rooftop gardens with rainwater harvesting systems. These green rooftops not only help to collect […]
New Underground Pumping Station Boosts Flood Protection for Jalan Besar and Little India
National water agency PUB has completed the Syed Alwi Pumping Station (SAPS), a key addition to Singapore’s flood protection infrastructure aimed at safeguarding the low-lying Jalan Besar and Little India areas. Located beside Rochor Canal along Syed Alwi Road, the fully automated facility is designed to collect and divert stormwater into an underground tank before […]
From Coexistence to Connection: Rethinking Integration with Migrant Workers
How can we help migrant workers to integrate better? How can we move fro m co-existence to connection? Yesterday, as I went about my usual day, I noticed a few things. While walking through Tampines, I passed by some foreign workers fixing the pedestrian lights. They were focused on their task. Later, at the bus […]
Singapore Government plans far ahead to help our people and economy adjust to challenges
Fiscal policy in Singapore is characterised by a strong long-term orientation. The Singapore Government plans far ahead to prepare for longer-term challenges such as ageing and climate change. This enables them to intervene effectively upstream, thereby avoiding the more costly interventions downstream. It also enables them to help our society and economy adjust to challenges. […]
We review policies and reset mindsets and attitudes to meet evolving needs: Lawrence Wong
From the start, the PAP has stood for a fair and just society for all, where every Singaporean, regardless of race, language or religion, deserves a fair shot in life, and is able to realise their fullest potential. These convictions, PM Wong said, underpin the core pillars of the system the PAP has built in […]