The Singapore Straits is among the most geographically strategic sites in the maritime world. Ships sailing between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean had to, and still have to, sail around the southern coast of Singapore. Over the centuries, control over ...
On 6 February 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles, Temenggong Abdu’r Rahman and Sultan Husain Shah (also spelt as Hussein Shah) of Johor signed a treaty that gave the British East India Company (EIC) the right to set up a trading post in Singapore. In exchange, Sultan Husain ...
In the midst of World War I, on 15 February 1915, the Right Wing (Rajput) of the 5th Light Infantry (Indian Army) which was stationed in Singapore, revolted, killing more than 40 British officers, British residents and local civilians. The mutiny was originally ...
On 2 April 1949, the Municipal Commission election was held to elect 18 of the 27 members of the Municipal Commission. This election was the result of the enactment of the Municipal Elections Ordinance in 1948. The 1949 Municipal Commission election was a political ...
On 2 April 1955, a general election was held to elect 25 out of 32 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Singapore. The landmark election was the first time a majority of legislators was elected by popular ballot rather than appointed by colonial authorities. The ...
On 30 May 1959, a General Election was held to elect 51 members for the Legislative Assembly. A total of 194 candidates from more than 10 political parties contested for the seats. In the end, the People’s Action Party (PAP), led by Lee Kuan Yew, was voted into ...
On 12 June 2018, Singapore hosted a historic meeting between the United States President Donald Trump and leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Chairman Kim Jong Un. Both leaders discussed denuclearisation and how to ease military tensions. ...
The Parliament of Singapore passed the Administration of Muslim Law Bill on 17 August 1966. The resultant Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966 (AMLA), which came into operation almost two years later on 1 July 1968, provides for a centralised system of administration ...
In the early 1980s, the murders of two young children, Agnes Ng Siew Heok and Ghazali bin Marzuki, led to investigations that resulted in the capture of one of Singapore’s most notorious murderers: Adrian Lim, his wife Catherine Tan Mui Choo, and his mistress Hoe ...
An Advance Medical Directive (AMD) is a legal document signed by a person, in advance, to indicate that he/she does not wish to have any extraordinary life-sustaining treatment to prolong his/her life in the event he/she becomes terminally ill and unconscious, ...
The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), previously known as the National Science and Technology Board until January 2002, is Singapore’s driver of scientific research. A statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), A*STAR aims ...
Agnes Joaquim (Ashkhen Hovakimian) (b. 7 April 1854, Singapore–d. 2 July 1899, Singapore), a second-generation Singapore resident of Persian Armenian descent, is best known for successfully cross-breeding Vanda teres with Vanda hookeriana to create a new orchid ...
Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar (Dr) (b. 13 August 1940, Singapore–), better known as Ahmad Mattar, is a former academic and People’s Action Party (PAP) politician. As the minister-in-charge of muslim affairs, Ahmad spearheaded the formation of the Mendaki Foundation ...
Alexandra Hospital officially opened in July 1940 as the British Military Hospital to provide medical facilities for British military personnel stationed in Singapore. During the Battle of Singapore in February 1942, many of the hospital’s staff and patients were ...
From 1959 up till the early 1960s, Singapore's then Ministry of Culture (now known as the Ministry of Communications and Information) organised a series of free, open-air cultural concerts with a strong multi-racial theme. Known as Aneka Ragam Ra'ayat, or “People's ...
Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hua Kwan Hospital is a community hospital established in June 1993 to serve the rehabilitative needs of the community, particularly the elderly. Providing mainly rehabilitation and geriatric care, the hospital is home to Singapore’s first acupuncture ...
The Anti-Catholic riots were the culmination of a series of disputes between members of the Chinese immigrant community who had converted to Roman Catholicism and those who had not. The disturbance began on 15 February 1851, when members of various Chinese secret ...
The Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) was launched on 2 June 1975. Designed to reduce traffic congestion in the Central Business District (CBD), the key concept underlying the ALS was that a special supplementary licence had to be obtained at a cost if a motorist wanted ...
Formal art and music education programmes in Singapore were established by the British colonial government in the 1920s and ’30s respectively. Private Chinese-medium schools also offered art education through courses run by professional artists. After Singapore ...
The Asian financial crisis started in Thailand with the collapse of the Thai baht in July 1997. What began as a currency crisis soon affected the wider economy and spread quickly to the rest of the region, leading to economic downturns in several countries. Singapore ...
Established in 1985, the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) is a Singapore non-governmental organisation (NGO) concerned with issues of women’s rights and gender quality. AWARE seeks to eliminate gender-based barriers through research, advocacy, ...
Barisan Sosialis, a now defunct political party, was formed in 1961 by left-wing members of the People's Action Party (PAP), who were expelled from the Party. It became the main opposition party in self-governing Singapore. However, following Singapore's independence ...
The Bedok planning area – as delineated in 1994 by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) – is bounded by Siglap Canal, Marine Parade Road, Still Road, Jalan Eunos, Eunos Link and Airport Road to the west, the Paya Lebar Airport boundary to the north and the Bedok ...
Bilingualism has been the cornerstone of Singapore’s language policy since the People’s Action Party (PAP) was elected to power in 1959. The policy entails an emphasis on using English and the mother tongue languages, particularly that of the three main ethnic ...
The Bionix infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is an armoured troop carrier of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Developed locally, it entered operational service in the SAF in 1999. Its two main purposes are the ferrying of troops to key battlefield positions, and ...
An emergency blood collection service was started in Singapore in 1939 as war loomed in the Pacific. By 1941, there were thousands of blood donors registered. The Singapore Blood Transfusion Service (SBTS), however, was formed only in June 1946 after the Japanese ...
The Born to Read, Read to Bond programme aimed to promote reading from young and deepen family ties by increasing parent-child bonding. The programme, introduced by the National Library Board on 27 November 2001, was designed for newly born children to children ...
The convict jail at Bras Basah was established in response to the increasing number of convicts who were transported to Singapore from other places such as India and Hong Kong when Singapore was a penal colony in the early 19th century.
On 18 July 1967, Britain announced its plans to withdraw its troops from Singapore by the mid-1970s. Six months later, the deadline was brought forward to 1971. The sudden pull-out of British forces presented serious problems to Singapore’s defence and economic ...
Cabinet 2001 was announced by Goh Chok Tong, then prime minister of Singapore, on 17 November 2001. The swearing-in ceremony was held on 23 November 2001 in the presence of S. R. Nathan, then president of Singapore, at the State Room in The Istana. It was the last ...
The Casino Control Act was enacted in 2006 to regulate the operations and gaming in casinos in preparation for the opening of the Integrated Resorts (IRs). It establishes and makes provision for the Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore (CRA) to administer and ...
The Censorship Review Committee (CRC) is a government-appointed committee that reviews and makes recommendations regarding Singapore’s censorship policies. First convened in 1991, the committee was to be formed once every decade. However, the government decided ...
The Central Provident Fund (CPF) is a key component of Singapore’s social security structure. It is a compulsory save-as-you-earn scheme that enables working Singapore citizens and Permanent Residents to set aside a percentage of their monthly gross salary for ...
Chan Sek Keong (b. 1937, November 6, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia–) is a trained lawyer who has held several key appointments in Singapore’s judiciary and civil service. He has served variously as independent Singapore’s first Judicial Commissioner, third Attorney-General ...
Changi General Hospital (CGH), located in Simei, serves the residents living in eastern and northeastern Singapore. Pitched as the first purpose-built regional hospital, CGH was formed through an amalgamation of Changi Hospital and the former Toa Payoh Hospital ...
Completed in 1936, Changi Prison (historically also referred to as “Changi Gaol/Jail”) was the last prison built by the British colonial government. It is known for being an internment camp during the Second World War. The original premises were demolished to make ...
A ban on the sale, import and manufacture of chewing gum in Singapore took effect on 3 January 1992, four days after the ban was announced in The Straits Times. The ban encompassed all substances made from the “gum base of vegetable or synthetic origin”, such as ...
Chia Keng Prison was a medium-security prison located on Yio Chu Kang Road. It housed prisoners who were serving their second stage of detention under the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act.
The chief justice of Singapore presides over the judiciary – a system of courts that upholds the law and ensures justice is accessible to all. Besides being responsible for the overall functioning of the Singapore judiciary, he or she plays a role in numerous appointments ...
The China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP) project was launched in 1994 to develop a model industrial township within the city of Suzhou in China’s Jiangsu province. The first flagship joint project between the two governments, a key feature of the SIP involves ...
The Chinese Post Office Riots of 15 December 1876 were a series of violent protests by the local Chinese community to demolish a new post office established by the colonial government to handle letters and remittances sent to China. The perpetrators of the riots ...
Chua Sian Chin (b. 26 November 1933, Malacca–d. 26 February 2014, Singapore) was a former cabinet member and one of Singapore’s pioneer generation of leaders. A lawyer by training, Chua entered politics in 1968 after he was elected a People’s Action Party (PAP) ...
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport. Set up on 1 September 1984, the mission of this statutory board is to develop Singapore into an international aviation hub. The board’s responsibilities include ...
The Clean Air Act was passed by parliament on 2 December 1971. It was Singapore’s earliest attempt to control industrial pollution just as the country was industrialising rapidly. As early as 1967, the pace of industrialisation in Singapore had prompted the World ...
The clean-up of Singapore River and Kallang Basin took place largely between 1977 and 1987. Besides the physical cleaning of the heavily polluted rivers, the massive exercise also involved the removal of various sources of pollution, the provision of proper sewage ...
Co-curricular activities (CCAs) are a core component of the holistic education received by youths in Singapore. CCAs inculcate values and develop competencies, and at the same time foster social integration and deepen students’ sense of belonging and responsibility ...
The communal riots of 1964 refer to two separate series of race riots involving clashes between Malays and Chinese that occurred in Singapore when it was part of the Federation of Malaysia. The first series of riots started on 21 July during a Muslim procession ...
The Communicable Disease Centre is the national centre for the management of communicable and infectious diseases. It is also one of Singapore’s oldest hospitals. It began in 1907 as a quarantine camp for patients with infectious diseases. Between 1907 and 1931, ...
The Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), also known as the Malayan Communist Party, was a political party active in Singapore, the Federation of Malaya and later Malaysia. It was founded in 1930 and dissolved in 1989.
Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) is the oldest Catholic girls’ school in Singapore. Founded in 1854 by the French sisters of the Congregation of the Holy Infant Jesus, the school was established at the corner of Bras Basah Road and Victoria Street (present ...
The first Cooling-off Day was implemented for Singapore’s general election in 2011. No campaigning activities are allowed on Cooling-off Day, which is designated as the day before polling day to give voters time to think rationally and reflect on the issues that ...
The Corrective Work Order (CWO), which came into effect on 1 November 1992, is an amendment to the anti-littering law. It was a punitive measure that requires the offender to clean up the community instead of paying a fine. The first CWOs were performed on 21 February ...
The Credit Bureau Singapore (CBS) is a private company owned by the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) and DBIC Holdings, a unit of information management company Dun & Bradstreet. It was set up in 2002 as a financial risk management tool for banks to assess ...
On 8 August 2011, local daily freesheet Today published a news feature that mentioned a dispute between a migrant family from China and a Singaporean Indian family over the smell of curry emanating from the latter’s home. Following the publication of the news article, ...
The Dalhousie Obelisk commemorates the visit of then governor-general of India (1848–1856), the Marquis of Dalhousie, James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, to Singapore between 17 and 19 February 1850. Singapore, as part of the Straits Settlements, was administered under ...
The islandwide dental health campaign was launched in February 1969 as part of the Ministry of Health’s efforts to inculcate good dental hygiene habits from young. Led by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, the programme comprised ...
The Development Bank of Singapore Ltd (DBS) was established on 16 July 1968 as a public limited company to take over the industrial financing responsibilities of the Economic Development Board (EDB) and began operations on 1 September 1968. Its main function upon ...
Development guide plans (DGPs) are detailed short- to medium-term land-use plans completed between 1993 and 1998 as part of a comprehensive review of the Master Plan 1985. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), the national land-use planning agency, divided Singapore ...
The Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme was introduced in 2004 by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to cultivate a flexible and broad-based education system in Singapore that looked beyond grades. The scheme gives education institutions, such as secondary schools ...
Mathematics education in Singapore gained international recognition with successive good results in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS). Singapore-based mathematics textbooks are used in countries as diverse as the United States and ...
Established in 1993, the Edusave scheme aims to provide Singaporean students with a holistic education. The scheme maximises learning opportunities for Singaporeans by providing schools and students with financial assistance to develop resources and fund enrichment ...
Elected presidency was legislated in Singapore in 1991 to help safeguard Singapore’s national reserves and ensure the integrity of the public service. The powers of an elected president was first exercised by the incumbent president, Wee Kim Wee. Singapore’s first ...
The Parliamentary Elections (Election Advertising) Regulations is an official set of legislated rules and guidelines that regulates the use of posters and banners, as well as online advertising platforms, during the periods of political campaigning in the General ...
The Environmental Public Health Act became law on 2 January 1969. The act was aimed at setting up a standard code to govern health-related matters in public cleansing services, markets, hawkers, food establishments and the general environment. It also integrated ...
E-voting is a method of voting via electronic means. Under the e-voting system, polling stations would be equipped with e-voting machines which are also known as Direct-Recording Electronic voting systems (DRE). The voter is required to touch the icon next to the ...
Faber House, a 12-storey office building along Orchard Road, was the site of two explosions in the mid-1980s. The first – and largest – explosion occurred on 17 March 1985 and the second on 21 December 1986, both Sundays. No one was injured. The building is owned ...
The Factories Ordinance, 1958 (Ord. 41 of 1958), was a piece of legislation that sought to set minimum standards for the health, safety and welfare of workers in factories. In 1960, factory workers numbered about 120,000 and made up one-quarter of Singapore’s total ...
The Federation of Malaysia was formed following the merger of the Federation of Malaya, Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak on 16 September 1963. Then Prime Minister of Malaya Tunku Abdul Rahman was initially resistant to the idea of Singapore joining Malaysia. ...
The Restricted (Artistic) or R(A) category was introduced by the government on 15 September 1991 to raise the age of admission to restricted films to 21 years. Only films with artistic merit were allowed such a rating and they could only be screened in the city ...
Singapore’s first Crime Prevention Week was held from 15 to 21 March 1954. Organised by the Singapore Police Force, this first crime prevention week initiated a working partnership between the police force and the public in the task of fighting and preventing crime. ...
Singapore’s national reserves, or net assets, are a vital strategic resource for the country, and are therefore strictly protected by the Constitution. Specifically, the Constitution safeguards the portion deemed to be “past reserves” – reserves that were not accumulated ...
The first kidney, or renal, transplant in Singapore was successfully performed on 8 July 1970 at the Outram Road General Hospital (later renamed Singapore General Hospital). Doreen Tan, née Khit Siew Gin, who was 29 years old then, received the organ from a 20-year-old ...
On 19 November 2000, Singapore’s first lung transplant operation on 54-year-old Thanvanthri N. Veerappan was performed. The team of lung transplant surgeons included two directors of Singapore’s heart-lung programme, Drs S. Sivathasan and Tong Ming Chuan, as well ...
Officially opened on 24 December 1987 by then Second Deputy Prime Minister Ong Teng Cheong, Singapore’s first satellite self-dialysis centre is located in the Toa Payoh housing estate. Called the Singapore Airlines-NKF Dialysis Centre, it was a major initiative ...
The first sex reassignment surgery in Singapore was successfully performed on 30 July 1971 at the Kandang Kerbau Hospital (now known as the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital). The operation involved a 24-year-old man and was the first procedure of its kind carried ...
The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) are a series of ongoing defence agreements between Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. First signed in 1971, the underlying rationale for the arrangements was that the defence of Singapore ...
Flor Contemplacion (b. 1953 - d. 17 March 1995, Singapore) was a Filipino domestic worker convicted of murdering another Filipino domestic worker, 34-year-old Della Maga, and Nicholas Huang, the four-year-old son of Maga’s employer. The murders took place in May ...
Fong Swee Suan (Dr) (b. 27 October 1931, Senggarang, Batu Pahat, Johor, Malaya–4 February 2017, Singapore) was a trade unionist who was active in the Singapore labour scene during the 1950s and 1960s. He is often associated with Lim Chin Siong, a fellow trade union ...
The former Thong Chai Medical Institution is also known as the old Thong Chai Building. Located at 50 Eu Tong Sen Street (formerly 3 Wayang Street), it was gazetted as a national monument on 28 June 1973. It was one of the first eight buildings in Singapore to ...
From 1879 to 1901, Fort Tanjong Katong stood on the eastern side of Singapore, adjacent to Katong Beach on what is now Meyer Road and Fort Road. It lent its name to Fort Road, which led to the base of the fort. Built by the British colonial government, Fort Tanjong ...
Sir Frank Athelstane Swettenham (b. 28 March 1850, Derbyshire, England–d. 14 June 1946, London, England) became Governor of the Straits Settlements on 17 February 1901 and remained in this post until 1904. He was the only governor to have spent his entire civil ...
Franklin Charles Gimson (Sir) (b. 10 September 1890, Barrow-upon-Soar, Leicestershire, England–d. 13 February 1975, Yorkshire, England) was Singapore's first postwar governor and commander-in-chief from 1946 to 1952. He was often associated with the rehabilitation ...
Gan Eng Seng School is one of the oldest schools in Singapore and the first free school to be founded and supported by a Chinese benefactor in the Straits Settlements. First established as the Anglo-Chinese Free School in 1885 and later renamed Gan Eng Seng School ...
The General Certificate of Education (GCE) was introduced in 1951 in the United Kingdom. In Singapore, GCE examinations have been conducted annually as part of the country’s national examination system since the 1970s. Held for the first time in 1971, the Singapore-Cambridge ...
George Edwin Bogaars (b. 25 October 1926 Singapore - d. 6 April 1992, Singapore), prominent Dutch-Eurasian, was the first head of independent Singapore's civil service from 1968 to 1975. During his civil service career, he helped set up a new intelligence unit ...
The Gifted Education Programme (GEP) is an enrichment programme designed to nurture intellectually gifted students to their fullest potential. It was introduced in 1984 by the Ministry of Education (MOE) as part of reforms to create an education system that caters ...
Goh Chok Tong (b. 20 May 1941, Singapore–) was Singapore’s second prime minister (PM), serving in the office from 28 November 1990 to 11 August 2004. Goh first entered politics as a People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate in the 1976 general election. He was elected ...
The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation (originally GSIC, now known as GIC) is a private investment company wholly owned by the Government of Singapore. Incorporated on 22 May 1981 under the Companies Act, GIC was set up as the government’s principal ...
A group representation constituency (GRC) is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore that is represented by a team of multiracial candidates. The other type of electoral division is the single-member constituency (SMC), which is represented by ...
Gurkhas have their roots in Nepal. Reputed for their fearless military prowess and loyalty, the Gurkhas in Southeast Asia were initially brought to Singapore as special soldiers on the payroll of the British Army. Today, the Gurkha Contingent is a unit in the Singapore ...
Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD) is an infectious disease caused by intestinal viruses, the most common being the Coxsackie virus Enterovirus 71. The symptoms of HFMD include fever, sore throat and runny nose, rash on the hands, feet and buttocks, mouth ulcers, lack ...
The sovereignty of Christmas Island was transferred from Singapore (then a Crown colony of the United Kingdom) to the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 October 1958 under the Transfer to Australia Order in Council, 1958. At the close of the day on 30 September, the ...
On 23 November 1955, the administrative responsibility for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands was transferred from the Colony of Singapore to the Commonwealth of Australia. The Cocos Islands had been part of the Straits Settlements until 1946 when the latter was dissolved, ...
The Heritage Tree Scheme is an initiative by the National Parks Board (NParks) to promote the conservation of mature trees in Singapore.
Singapore Airlines flight SQ 117 was hijacked on 26 March 1991 shortly after it took off from Kuala Lumpur. The hijackers were four passengers who claimed to be members of the Pakistan People’s Party. The plane landed at Changi Airport at 10.24 pm. Commandos ...
Since 1948, general elections have been held to elect representatives to Singapore’s legislature. The first election was held in 1948 to elect six unofficial members to the 22-seat Legislative Council. The electorate was, however, limited to British subjects. Over ...
Completed in April 1941, the HMS Prince of Wales was sunk off the coast of Kuantan, Malaya, on 10 December 1941 by the Japanese. The ship was also nicknamed “HMS Unsinkable” because she was dressed with the most advanced protective armour of the time. The Prince ...
The HMS Repulse was a battle cruiser built in 1916 and rehauled between 1936 and 1939. It was sunk off the coast of Kuantan, Malaya, on 10 December 1941 soon after arriving in Singapore as part of the British Eastern Fleet with the HMS Prince of Wales as the flagship. ...
Ho See Beng (b. 5 February 1918, Fujian, China–d. 5 December 2008, Singapore) served as a labour union leader and member of parliament during Singapore’s formative years. A vanguard in the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), Ho’s humble background and intimate ...
Dismissed workers of the Hock Lee Amalgamated Bus Company went on strike from 25 April 1955. Joined by supporters and Chinese middle school students, these strikers picketed the bus depot and disrupted bus services. Police were called in to disperse the crowds ...
The Hokkien-Teochew Riots, also known as the Great Riots of 1854 or the Five Catties of Rice Riots, began on 5 May 1854. The riots stemmed from conflicts between the Hokkien and Teochew communities in Singapore. It was also suggested that secret societies were ...
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is the national public housing authority of Singapore. It was formed in February 1960, shortly after Singapore attained self-government, to alleviate the severe housing shortage at the time. Through the years, the emphasis ...
Howe Yoon Chong (b. July 1923, China–d. 21 August 2007, Singapore) was the first chief executive officer (CEO) of the Housing and Development Board (HDB) when it was established in 1960 and head of the civil service from 1975 to 1979. After a civil service career ...
The Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) provides an opt-out organ donation system that allows for the removal of kidneys, livers, hearts and corneas from Singapore citizens and permanent residents who have died, for the sole purpose of transplantation. Administered ...
Ida Mabel Murray Simmons (b. 1881 or 1888, unknown–d. 7 January 1958, Stirling, Scotland) was a public health matron who transformed maternal and infant health care standards in Singapore. She improved facilities and services in rural areas, and educated families ...
The Independent Schools Scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Education in 1987 to give selected leading schools greater autonomy in the management of its own affairs, such as staff recruitment and salaries, curriculum, textbooks, school programmes, pupil admission ...
The landmark India-Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) is India’s first-ever such agreement and the first between Singapore and a South Asian country. It came into effect on 1 August 2005. The first review of the pact was concluded on ...
The Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation, or Konfrontasi, lasted from 1963 to 1966. The conflict was an intermittent war waged by Indonesia to oppose the formation and existence of the Federation of Malaysia. It was marked by a breakdown in political, economic and ...
The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act, 1968, was a piece of legislation that sought to define clearly the management rights of employers over employees through changes to the Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1960. The act was passed along with the Employment ...
The Industrial Relations Ordinance, 1960, was a piece of legislation that sought to regulate relations between employers and employees in Singapore at a time when the country was embarking on an economic makeover following the institution of self-government in ...
H1N1 was first detected in the United States in April 2009. This virus was a unique combination of influenza virus genes never previously identified in either animals or people. The virus genes were a combination of genes most closely related to North American ...
The Institute of Mental Health is the only government mental hospital in Singapore. It was relocated to its present campus – a modern complex off Hougang Street 51 – in April 1993. The site is near the old Woodbridge Hospital off Jalan Woodbridge, which has since ...
The Internal Security Act (ISA) is a law that enables the government to swiftly act against what it deems to be threats to national security by employing various measures. The law is carried out by the Internal Security Department (ISD), a body under the purview ...
James Walter Davy Ambrose (b. 1909, Penang, Malaya–d. 28 October 1992, Singapore), an ethnic Indian, was a high court judge in the Singapore legal system. Between 1936 and 1958, he held various portfolios in the legal and judicial services of Malaya, including ...
In October 2001, some Singapore members of a regional Islamic militant group known as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), meaning “Islamic Community”, began planning a bomb attack on specific targets in Singapore. The bombings were scheduled for execution in either December ...
Johns Hopkins Medicine is a renowned American medical enterprise that combines research, teaching and medical services. In 1998, Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Singapore National Science and Technology Board (NSTB) established Johns Hopkins Singapore (JHS), which ...
Built in the late 1930s, the Johore Battery was the main artillery battery of the British coastal artillery defence network on the northeastern coast of Singapore. It was located on Cosford Road in Changi, off Upper Changi Road North.
The Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) was set up on 1 June 1968 under the Jurong Town Corporation Act to take over from the Economic Development Board (EDB) as Singapore's principal developer and manager of industrial estates and their related facilities. On 15 November ...
In June 2005, Chinese national Liu Hong Mei was killed by her supervisor and lover, Leong Siew Chor, who subsequently chopped up the body up into seven parts. After the murder, Liu’s body parts and belongings were dumped at various places – in the Kallang River, ...
Constructed in 1862 by the Singapore Gas Company, Kallang Gasworks was the first site dedicated to the manufacture of gas from coal for street lighting. In 1901, this function was taken over by the Municipal Commissioners, and gas production was expanded for industrial ...
Khoo Oon Teik (Dr) (b. 30 March 1921, Penang, Malaysia–5 March 2012, Singapore) was a doctor and the founder of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in Singapore. Called the “Father of nephrology in Singapore”, he established the first renal dialysis unit, as well ...
Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) is a public hospital located in Yishun and managed by Alexandra Health. The 3.4-hectare, 550-bed hospital cost an estimated S$700 million to build, and was opened in phases from March 2010. KTPH is part of a planned healthcare hub ...
The King Edward VII College of Medicine was established in 1905 as the Straits and Federated Malay States Government Medical School. It was renamed King Edward VII Medical School in 1912, and then King Edward VII College of Medicine in 1921. In 1982, the College ...
The KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital has a history that stretches back to 1858 as the fifth general hospital established since Stamford Raffles set up a trading post in Singapore in 1819. The hospital officially became a maternity hospital on 1 October 1924. ...
On 12 March 1927, a clash in the Kreta Ayer neighbourhood between police and Kuomintang (KMT) supporters revealed the strength of leftist influence on the local Chinese population. A memorial service to mark Sun Yat Sen’s death was followed by a procession of Chinese, ...
In 1902, the Legislative Council appointed a commission to study and report on the system of English education in the Straits Settlements, especially pertaining to secondary and technical education. The resultant Report of the Commission of Enquiry into the System ...
The Labour Front (LF), now a defunct political party, was an offshoot of the Singapore Labour Party. It was formed in 1955 to contest the watershed election for the Legislative Assembly that year. Although the party emerged victorious in the election, the Labour ...
On 31 January 1974, four men armed with submachine guns and explosives attacked the Shell Oil Refinery on Pulau Bukom Besar, an island south of mainland Singapore. After they failed to blow up the oil tanks, the group – dubbed the “Bukom bombers” by the newspapers ...
The Land Acquisition Act was introduced on 17 June 1967 to provide the government with the legal framework to acquire private land compulsorily at market prices. The key objective of the act was to make land available readily and cheaply for the housing, commercial ...
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport in Singapore. First established in September 1995, it is responsible for planning, operating and maintaining Singapore’s land transport infrastructure and systems.
The Employment Act came into effect on 15 August 1968, and it standardised and regulated the terms and conditions of employment for all employees regardless of whether they were workmen, clerks or shop assistants. The act also abolished certain discriminatory practices, ...
Sir Laurence Nunns Guillemard (b. 1862 – d. 1951, London, England) was the only Governor of the Straits Settlements who had no previous experience as head of any other colony in the British Empire. His governorship was associated with several notable building projects ...
Lee Kong Chian (Dr) (b. 18 October 1893, Nan’an, Quanzhou, Fujian, China–d. 2 June 1967, Singapore), also known as Geok Kun, was a philanthropist and multi-millionaire businessman who made his mark in the rubber trade and later the pineapple, coconut oil and sawmill ...
Lee Kuan Yew (b. 16 September 1923, Singapore–d. 23 March 2015, Singapore) was the first prime minister of Singapore and held this post from 1959 to 1990. He oversaw its transformation from a developing ex-colony into one of Asia’s most stable and prosperous countries ...
Lee Yock Suan (b. 30 September 1946, Singapore–) is a former cabinet minister and member of parliament (MP). He served as MP for the Cheng San single-member constituency (SMC) from 1980 to 1988 followed by Cheng San group representation constituency (GRC) from ...
Lim Boon Keng (Dr) (林文庆; Lin Wenqing) (b. 18 October 1869, Singapore–d. 1 January 1957, Singapore) was an eminent figure of the Straits Chinese community. Trained as a medical doctor, Lim was also a public intellectual and writer who championed Confucianism and ...
Lim Chin Siong (b. 28 February 1933, Singapore–d. 5 February 1996, Singapore) was an influential trade union leader and a prominent left-wing political figure in Singapore. As a founding member of the People’s Action Party (PAP), Lim was elected as the assemblyman ...
Lim Chong Yah (b. 1932, Malacca, Malaysia–) is an eminent economist and academic best known for serving as chairman of the National Wages Council for 29 years. Lim is professor emeritus at both the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University, ...
Lim Hock Siew (Dr) (b. 21 February 1931, Singapore–d. 4 June 2012, Singapore) was a medical doctor, politician and political detainee. A founding member of the People’s Action Party (PAP), he later joined the Barisan Sosialis (Malay for “Socialist Front”) and was ...
Singapore’s lion’s head symbol was launched in 1986 as an alternative national symbol. The logo is in solid red against a white background – the colours of the national flag. The lion symbolises courage, strength and excellence, while the five partings of the lion’s ...
A riot that lasted about two hours erupted in Little India on Sunday, 8 December 2013, following a fatal traffic accident that had occurred along Race Course Road. Some 300 rioters took part in the unrest, which was the worst case of public violence in Singapore ...
On 2 April 2004, Chia Teck Leng was sentenced to 42 years in jail in the largest case of commercial fraud in Singapore, to date. The jail term is also the longest ever meted out for a commercial crime. Chia was a finance manager at Asia Pacific Breweries when he ...
A bomb exploded in the MacDonald House building situated along Orchard Road on 10 March 1965 at 3.07 pm. The explosion claimed the lives of three people and injured at least 33 others. The bombing had been carried out as part of Indonesian’s Confrontation (also ...
Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah, located at 30 Victoria Lane, is Singapore’s premier Islamic institution of learning. Of international repute, the school boasts an illustrious alumni including key Muslim leaders in Singapore and Southeast Asia.
The word madrasah is Arabic for “school”. In Singapore, a madrasah refers to an Islamic religious school. Local madrasahs offer a dual-education system that combines secular and religious learning. As at 2017, there are six fulltime madrasahs in Singapore registered ...
The Maintenance of Parents Act provides for Singapore residents aged 60 years old and above who are unable to subsist on their own, to claim maintenance from their children who are capable of supporting him but are not doing so. Parents can sue their children for ...
The Maintenance of Religious Harmony Bill was passed by Parliament in November 1990 with the aim of maintaining religious harmony and ensuring that religion is not exploited for any political or subversive purposes in Singapore. The Act also provides for the establishment ...
The Malay Regiment was an all-Malay military force formed at Port Dickson, Malaya, on 1 March 1933 under the command of British officers. Also known as Askar Melayu in Malay, the regiment is best remembered for its soldiers’ display of bravery and loyalty in the ...
Man Fut Tong Nursing Home, located at 20 Woodlands Street 82, is a home for the elderly and aged sick. It was founded in 1969 by the Venerable Shi Chin Yam (Ho Yuen Hoe), the abbess of Lin Chee Cheng Sia Temple. Venerable Shi had approached the government for help ...
The Maria Hertogh riots were a severe outbreak of violence that took place in Singapore between 11 and 13 December 1950 over the custody lawsuit of Maria Hertogh. The riots left 18 dead and 173 injured, as well as a reported 72 vehicles burnt, 119 vehicles damaged, ...
Marina Reservoir was officially opened on 31 October 2008. It was created with the completion of Marina Barrage, a low-level dam built across Marina Channel to separate the water in Marina Basin from the seawater. Managed by the Public Utilities Board (PUB), it ...
The Marine Fisheries Research Department (MFRD) was established in 1969. It was located at the Changi Fisheries Complex at Changi Point before it moved to its current premises in the Lim Chu Kang Agri-Bio Park in 1999.
In May 1987, the Ministry of Home Affairs arrested 16 people under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for their involvement in a “Marxist conspiracy”. They were detained without trial for between one month and three years. Tan Wah Piow, a former University of Singapore ...
In 1955, Singapore was granted partial internal self-government under the Rendel Constitution. The Legislative Assembly election held in April that year saw the formation of the Labour Front-Alliance government with David Marshall as the first chief minister of ...
On 16 September 1963, Singapore merged with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo (present-day Sabah) to form the Federation of Malaysia. Since its exclusion from the Malayan Union in 1946, seeking a union with Malaya had been Singapore’s projected ...
The Merlion is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Regarded as a Singapore icon, the Merlion was designed in 1964 for the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB; now known as the Singapore Tourism Board) and functioned as its logo ...
Located at 11 Blackmore Drive, the Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) was founded by Sophia Blackmore on 15 August 1887. It was the first educational institution for girls established in Singapore by the Methodists. Its earlier names were Tamil Girls’ School (1887), ...
Metta Home for the Disabled, at Woodlands Street 31, was officially opened on 21 April 2001. The home is managed by the Metta Welfare Association, a charity organisation which runs other homes for the less fortunate and the elderly.
Michael Peter Fay (b. 30 May 1975, St. Louis, Missouri, United States–), then an American teenager living in Singapore, stirred up a media storm after he was sentenced to six strokes of the cane in March 1994 for vandalising 18 cars over a ten-day period in September ...
The Ministry of Education (MOE) was established in 1955 by the then newly elected Labour Front government headed by David Marshall. Chew Swee Kee was appointed the first minister for education. Since then, MOE has been actively implementing and formulating education ...
Nanyang Girls' High School was founded in 1917 by the Singapore branch of the Chinese United League (Tong Menghui; 中国同盟会) in an effort to promote Chinese education among local Chinese women. The school was originally known as the Singapore Nanyang Girls’ School ...
Nanyang University was the first university outside of China catering to high school graduates from the Chinese stream. After five years of construction, it was officially opened on 30 March 1958, two years after the start of its first classes. The setting up of ...
On 27 June 1964, 52 students were arrested in a massive pre-dawn crackdown at Nanyang University, on grounds of their involvement in "communist subversive activities". It was the last of a series of anti-communist actions conducted by the Federal government in ...
The National AIDS Control Programme is an action plan for protecting against and preventing the spread of HIV infection and AIDS in the country. It was formulated by the Advisory Committee on AIDS formed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in 1985, soon after the first ...
The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) is responsible for the collection and management of records pertaining to the nation’s political, social and economic history. Apart from public records, it also identifies and collects records of historical significance ...
The national coat of arms, also known as the state crest, symbolises Singapore as a self-governing and independent state. Like the national flag, the state crest was designed by a committee headed by then Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye. Singapore’s state crest ...
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) was appointed by the government in August 2005 as part of Singapore's national framework to address the issue of problem gambling. Its functions include raising public awareness of problem gambling. It also has the ...
The annual National Day Awards (NDA) is a means of recognising various forms of merit and service to the nation. At the NDA investiture ceremony, Singaporeans and non-Singaporeans are honoured for their excellent contributions to the civil or military service, ...
The Singapore government has commissioned national songs since the 1980s. The early songs featured strong nationalistic themes and resembled advertising jingles. Since then, national songs have taken on a pop sensibility and become a showcase for local musical ...
The National Institute of Education (NIE) is Singapore’s only teacher training institution. In addition to engaging in initial teacher preparation, the NIE also provides continuing education and life-long learning to teachers, and conducts extensive, cutting-edge ...
National Junior College (NJC) was opened in 1969 as Singapore’s first junior college. It moved to its current location on Hillcrest Road in July 1995. Originally situated at Linden Drive, NJC is the first specialised government school to be established for the ...
The National Library Board (NLB) is a statutory board established on 1 September 1995. It currently manages the National Library, a network of public libraries, the National Archives of Singapore (NAS), as well as a digital library that encompasses a range of electronic ...
National Loyalty Week was held between 3 and 10 December 1959 to encourage a sense of loyalty among the diverse citizens of the new state of Singapore. It saw the inauguration of key national symbols including the state flag, the national anthem, the state crest ...
Awareness of good diet and nutrition has been an ongoing theme in the government's drive to impart a healthy lifestyle among Singaporeans. Various national nutrition programmes have been launched since the 1970s in the wake of increased illnesses that arise from ...
The finalised version of the national pledge was largely drafted by then Minister for Foreign Affairs S. Rajaratnam in February 1966 as a way to promote national loyalty and consciousness among citizens following Singapore's separation from Malaysia on 9 August ...
Singapore’s national reserves are the net assets (assets minus liabilities) of the country. Being a small nation lacking in natural resources and relying heavily on external trade, Singapore requires ample reserves as its security net to ensure a stable currency ...
Singapore’s earliest attempt to introduce compulsory conscription was in 1952. The endeavour was unsuccessful as it was vigorously resisted by Chinese middle school students and their parents, who did not see the need to support the British colonial government’s ...
National service (NS) was introduced in post-independence Singapore when the National Service (Amendment) Act came into effect on 17 March 1967. Then Defence Minister Goh Keng Swee justified the government’s decision to introduce compulsory conscription of male ...
The Singapore government introduced national service (NS) in 1967 to develop and maintain a credible defence force manned by Singapore’s citizens, given the withdrawal of British military forces from the city-state by the 1970s. Since then, all male Singapore citizens ...
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) was established on 6 September 1961, with Mahmud Awang as the pro-tem chairman and C. V. Devan Nair its first secretary-general. The labour movement initially represented only a minority of unionised workers. Its membership, ...
Established in 1985, National University Hospital (NUH) is a tertiary hospital and a major referral centre for a comprehensive range of medical, surgical and dental conditions. It also serves as the main teaching hospital for the National University of Singapore ...
The National University of Singapore (NUS) was officially established on 8 August 1980 through the merger of Nanyang University and the University of Singapore. However, the university’s origins can be traced to the founding of a medical school in 1905. NUS has ...
The New Singapore Shares is a scheme introduced in 2001 by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong as a means of sharing Singapore’s wealth with the people and to help less well-off Singaporeans tide over the economic downturn during that period. The S$2.7-billion scheme ...
NEWater refers to the high-grade reclaimed water that has been purified with advanced membrane and ultraviolet technologies. Having passed more than 150,000 scientific tests, and satisfying the World Health Organisation's requirements for safe drinking water, NEWater ...
In March 1999, an abattoir worker in Singapore fell victim to what was initially thought to be the Japanese encephalitis (JE) virus but was subsequently verified as a yet unnamed Hendra-like virus (later known as the Nipah virus).
The Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) scheme was introduced in 1990 to allow for the appointment of non-elected members of Parliament (MPs) to provide alternative nonpartisan views in the House. NMPs are shortlisted by a Special Select Committee of Parliament ...
The Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) scheme was introduced in 1984 to ensure that there would always be a minimum number of opposition members represented in parliament. Under the scheme, the losing opposition candidates with the highest percentage ...
NorthLight School, located at 151 Towner Road, aims to provide an engaging education for youth while preparing them for lifelong learning and employability. Established in 2007, NorthLight is a specialised school for students who have difficulties keeping up with ...
Nurses’ Day was originally celebrated as Nurses’ Week from 1965 before becoming Nurses’ Day in the 1980s. Nurses’ Day is a day set aside to honour and recognise the contribution of nurses to Singapore. It is usually marked with celebrations for nurses, which include ...
There appears to have been a military medical presence at Changi ever since construction of the base began with the first medical officer arriving in 1928 to assist with anti-malarial drainage work. The hospital for the base was moved from Barracks Hill to Roberts ...
one-north is a 200-hectare (2 sq km) development in Buona Vista planned and developed by JTC Corporation. It combines educational institutes, residences and recreational amenities with research facilities to create a “work-live-play-learn” environment. The development ...
Ong Pang Boon (b. 28 March 1929, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya–) was a politician and a prominent member of the People’s Action Party (PAP). He was appointed the minister for home affairs in the first cabinet of Singapore following the party’s victory in the 1959 Legislative ...
The Open University Degree Programme (OUDP) was administered by the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) in a five-year tie-up with the British Open University. The partnership started in 1992, when SIM was invited by the Ministry of Education to run the Open ...
The Opium Treatment Centre opened in February 1955 on St. John’s Island for the treatment and rehabilitation of opium addicts. The centre was the colonial government’s first attempt at treating addicts; prior to this, opium addicts were charged in court and sent ...
One of Singapore’s earliest prisons was located at the foot of Pearl’s Hill in Outram. The original civil jail at the site was built in 1847 by Charles Edward Faber; in 1882, a new prison complex was built around the old civil jail by J. F. A. McNair. Originally ...
Outram Road School, now known as Outram Secondary School, was officially opened on 26 February 1906 by then Governor John Anderson. As one of the first English schools built by the colonial government, it has a rich history, dating to even before their official ...
Pearl’s Hill School, formerly known as the Singapore Chinese Branch School, was established in 1881. It was one of the first government English elementary schools set up by the British colonial government. It became known as Pearl’s Hill School in 1913. The school ...
In 2007, the government reviewed the Penal Code and introduced the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill which proposed significant changes to the law. The topic that caught much attention involved section 377 which prohibited oral and anal sex between consenting adults. ...
Established on 21 November 1954, the People’s Action Party (PAP) has been the ruling political party in Singapore since the city-state became an independent nation in 1965. During the early years of independence, national survival and nation-building were the foremost ...
The People’s Action Party (PAP) was established on 21 November 1954 with the primary objective of striving for Singapore’s independence from British rule. The political party was first led by Lee Kuan Yew as its secretary-general, with Toh Chin Chye as its founding ...
The People’s Association (PA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) that was established on 1 July 1960 through the People’s Association Ordinance. Officially, the PA was formed to achieve two objectives: first, to develop ...
The premiership of Lee Kuan Yew, which lasted over three decades from 5 June 1959 to 28 November 1990, was a dynamic period that saw the transformation of Singapore into one of Asia’s most stable and prosperous countries. Lee identified the five components of successful ...
The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is a national examination held annually for pupils at the end of their primary school education. Introduced in 1960, the PSLE has undergone many modifications over the years. In the 1960s and ’70s, changes to the PSLE ...
In 2009, the Ministry of Education (MOE) supported the implementation of the Programme for Active Learning (PAL), which sought to achieve a holistic primary education that went beyond providing pupils with content knowledge to equip them with the skills and values ...
Public housing in Singapore may be said to have begun with the formal establishment of the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) in 1927 by the colonial government to provide low-cost housing in addition to improvement works. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) ...
The Public Service Division (PSD) was established under the Ministry of Finance (MOF) on 3 January 1983 to serve as the central body dealing with matters relating to personnel management and career development in the civil service. These matters had previously ...
Punggol is situated in the northeast of Singapore, bordered by the Tampines Expressway, Sungei Punggol, Strait of Johor, Serangoon Harbour and Sungei Serangoon. The Punggol planning area as outlined by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) of Singapore also includes ...
The Queen’s Scholarship was an annual education scheme introduced by the colonial government in 1885 to enable promising students in Singapore and Malaya to enrol at a British university. It was the colony’s most prestigious academic prize until it was replaced ...
Racial Harmony Day is an annual event held on 21 July to commemorate the communal riots of 1964 and teach students the importance of maintaining racial and religious harmony in Singapore’s multicultural and multi-ethnic society. It was launched in 1997 as part ...
Raffles College was set up in 1928 at 469 Bukit Timah Road as a college for higher education in the arts and sciences. Its formation was the result of a scheme to commemorate the centenary of the founding of Singapore by Stamford Raffles (Sir). In 1949, Raffles ...
Jointly owned by Raffles Medical Group and Pidemco Land, Raffles Hospital was officially opened on 16 March 2002 as the second largest private general hospital in Singapore. The hospital has made news for some of its pioneering surgeries on Siamese twins.
Raffles Institution is one of the oldest schools in Singapore, with a history that stretches back to 1819 when Stamford Raffles proposed the establishment of a premier learning institution. The foundation stone of the building was laid on 5 June 1823, marking the ...
Established in 1976, Raffles Medical Group is one of Singapore’s largest private integrated healthcare providers. It operates a network of medical and dental facilities throughout the island, and provides specialised medical services such as evacuation and repatriation. ...
The referendum on merger with the Federation of Malaysia, also known as the Singapore National Referendum, was held on 1 September 1962. The idea for a referendum to be held was championed by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of the People’s Action Party (PAP). ...
The Singapore government started regulating the use of fireworks in 1968 when the practice of lighting celebratory fireworks became a serious public safety issue. Despite the introduction of new regulation banning the use of certain types of fireworks, the problem ...
Religious Knowledge (RK) was introduced as a compulsory programme at the upper secondary levels in schools from 1984 to 1989. It replaced the Civics and Current Affairs programme in the school curriculum. The aim of the programme was to inculcate moral values in ...
Ren Ci Community Hospital (RCCH) is one of the healthcare facilities under the voluntary welfare organisation, Ren Ci. The 15-storey hospital began operations in December 2008 and was officially declared opened on 11 January 2010. It provides rehabilitative and ...
The Rendel Commission was appointed by Governor John Nicoll (Sir) in July 1953 to undertake a comprehensive review of the constitution of the Singapore colony. Initially known as the Constitutional Commission, it later took on the name of its chairman, George Rendel ...
The Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Vocational and Technical Education laid the foundation for the development of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in Singapore.
Shunmugam Jayakumar (b. 12 August 1939, Singapore–), better known as S. Jayakumar, is a former Singapore politician and diplomat. Trained as a lawyer, Jayakumar entered politics in 1980 as a People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate and held several key ministerial ...
Said Zahari (b. 18 May 1928, Singapore–d. 12 April 2016, Malaysia) was a writer, journalist and former political detainee. After working as a journalist and editor at the Utusan Melayu newspaper in the 1950s, he entered politics in the 1960s. Said was arrested ...
Sang Nila Utama Secondary School, formerly located at Upper Aljunied Road, was the first Malay-medium secondary school established in Singapore and the third secondary school built after Singapore achieved self-government in 1959. The school was officially opened ...
Rankings of secondary schools and junior colleges (JCs) based on academic performance were first published by The Straits Times in 1992. The ranking was sanctioned by the Ministry of Education (MOE), and the key objective was to help parents and students make informed ...
The Singapore Science Centre opened its doors to the public on 10 December 1977, more than two decades after such a science centre was first envisaged. Built at the cost of S$20 million, the Science Centre was set up to promote interest and learning in science ...
Sepoys were Indian soldiers employed within European military garrisons to provide the much-needed manpower for the defence of European colonies in Asia. The term "sepoy" is derived from the Persian word sipahi, which had been translated into the Urdu and Hindi ...
The severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, is caused by a novel coronavirus, which became known as the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). It is a highly contagious and potentially fatal respiratory disease that is spread mainly through the respiratory secretions ...
The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Singapore began in February 2003 when a young woman who had been infected while holidaying abroad returned to Singapore. She set off a series of transmissions that spread the SARS virus to 238 people, ...
Sexuality education refers to the process of acquiring knowledge and skills, as well as forming attitudes, beliefs and values with regard to human sexuality. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has implemented a holistic and secular sexuality education curriculum in ...
The Shared Values are five national values of Singapore. They were formalised by the government on 15 January 1991 to forge a national identity in the face of a changing society with evolving values. The Shared Values were formulated according to the nation’s multicultural ...
Shenton Thomas Whitelegge Thomas (Sir) (b. 10 October 1879, London, England–d. 15 January 1962, London, England), more popularly known as Sir Shenton Thomas, was the last Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner of the Federated ...
The Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association (SATA) was a charity organisation established to detect, treat and eradicate tuberculosis in Singapore. It was officially registered on 23 August 1947. Following the decline in tuberculosis cases over the years, SATA ...
The first Armed Forces Day was celebrated on 1 July 1969 with a grand parade and march-past at the Jalan Besar Stadium presided over by then Minister for the Interior and Defence Lim Kim San. Public outreach activities such as camp “open houses”, exhibitions, selling ...
The Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (SAFTI) was the training institute for officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Officially opened on 18 June 1966, it was located at Pasir Laba Road, which is bounded by Upper ...
The Singapore Broadcasting Authority (SBA) was set up on 1 October 1994 with the passing of the Singapore Broadcasting Authority Act 1994 (now known as Broadcasting Act). Established as a statutory board under the former Ministry of Information and the Arts (currently ...
Singapore Chinese Girls’ School (SCGS) is an independent school comprising primary and secondary levels. Established in 1899 on Hill Street, it is the first Chinese girls’ school founded in Singapore. During its early history, the school provided education in English ...
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is a uniformed organisation that provides emergency services to the nation both during peacetime and under crisis. It serves not only as a fire-fighting authority, but also provides first-aid and rescue services, and acts ...
The Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) is a coalition of political parties in Singapore, officially registered on 28 June 2001. At the time of its formation, the alliance comprised the Singapore People’s Party (SPP), National Solidarity Party (NSP), Singapore ...
The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is a political party founded by Chiam See Tong in 1980. The party is currently led by chairman Paul Tambyah and secretary-general Chee Soon Juan.
Singapore’s first firefighters formed a brigade in 1869, which was officially recognised as the Singapore Fire Brigade in 1888. The current firefighting force is known as the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
Located at Outram Road, the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) established in 1821, is Singapore’s first general hospital and oldest medical institution. It had humble beginnings as a wooden shed built in the cantonment for troops situated near Bras Basah Road and ...
The Singapore Green Plan (SGP) is Singapore's first environmental blueprint. Released in 1992 by the then Ministry of the Environment (now known as the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources or MEWR), its objective is to ensure that Singapore could develop ...
Formally established in 1927, the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) was initially tasked with improving the infrastructure of Singapore. This involved work such as drawing up general improvement plans, condemning insanitary buildings and constructing back lanes. ...
The Singapore Indian Education Trust (SIET) is an Indian community trust fund that supports the education of local Indians, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. It was set up in 1967 with trade unionist Govindasamy Kandasamy as one of ...
The Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) was founded on 28 November 1964 to train first-class managers for the Singapore economy. Today, SIM comprises three distinct arms: SIM Global Education, SIM Professional Development and SIM University.
Founded in 1837, the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (SICC) was originally established to defend the interests of Singapore businesses against an unsupportive East India Company administration. Today, the SICC has evolved into a multinational organisation, ...
Singapore became the 117th member state of the United Nations (UN) on 21 September 1965. This was an important milestone for the country as membership in the UN conferred international recognition of Singapore as a sovereign and independent state. On the occasion, ...
The Singapore Labour Party (SLP) was inaugurated on 1 September 1948. It was fronted largely by English-speaking Indians who underwent the British education system, were exposed to publications on British politics and involved in labour unions. The SLP met with ...
The Singapore Management University (SMU) was established on 12 January 2000 as the first American-style and also the first publicly funded autonomous university in Singapore. It focuses on the areas of management, business and economics. Currently, SMU has over ...
Established on 27 October 1954, Singapore Polytechnic (SP) was Singapore’s first polytechnic. Initially concerned with producing skilled technicians to support the nation’s move toward industrialisation, SP has since evolved to meet changing manpower needs as Singapore’s ...
The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) is a government agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Headquartered at 407 Upper Changi Road North, it administers 14 institutions in Singapore. In addition to ensuring the secure custody of inmates, the prison service works ...
The Singapore Progressive Party (SPP) was a nationalistic party formed on 25 August 1947 to contest in the Legislative Council election in 1948. The conservative SPP stood for gradual change and was willing to work with the British to introduce steady constitutional ...
The Singapore Sports School is a specialised independent school under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. It was officially opened on 2 April 2004 by Goh Chok Tong, then prime minister of Singapore. The school offers youths an integrated ...
Recognising the importance of family planning to national development, the government organised Singapore’s first national family planning campaign in 1960. The campaign aimed to raise public awareness on the need for family planning and the disadvantages of having ...
On 6 July 1990, a team of doctors at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), led by Dr Tong Ming Chuan, performed the first heart transplant in Singapore. The donor heart was from Ong Soon, a 41-year-old construction worker, who died in an industrial accident. The ...
Singapore’s first liver transplant was successfully performed on 25-year-old Surinder Kaur on 29 September 1990. The transplant was performed by a team of four surgeons and two anesthetists from the National University Hospital (NUH). The team was led by Susan ...
It was the practice in British Commonwealth countries to conduct a census of population at the beginning of each decade. However, the onset of World War II in 1939 had meant the cancellation of the 1941 census in Malaya and Singapore. As part of the post-war reconstruction, ...
The first television station in Singapore, Television Singapura, was launched on 15 February 1963. It merged with Radio Singapura to form Radio and Television Singapore (RTS) following Singapore’s independence on 9 August 1965. On 1 February 1980, RTS was corporatised ...
Ang Mo Kio West, East and South are Singapore’s first town councils. They were set up on 1 September 1986 as a pilot project for the town council concept. The town council concept was put forward by members of parliament (MPs) Lim Boon Heng, S. Chandra Das and ...
The Singapore national anthem, Majulah Singapura, was composed in 1958 by Zubir Said, a prolific songwriter, as the official song of the City Council of Singapore. After Singapore became a self-governing state under British rule on 3 June 1959, the song was shortened ...
In 1959, a new state flag was created to represent Singapore shortly after it became a self-governing state under British rule. Developed by a committee led by then Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye, the flag was unveiled on 3 December 1959, the day when Singapore’s ...
After six years of negotiations between Singapore and Malaysian officials over a new agreement on water and gas supplies, Singapore’s then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and his Malaysian counterpart, Mahathir Mohamad, finally signed a memorandum of understanding ...
Singapore and Malaysia have signed four water agreements regarding the supply of water from across the Causeway. The first signed in 1927 is no longer in force. Water imported from Malaysia under the other three agreements – signed in 1961, 1962 and 1990 – meets ...
Between 1959 and 1965, Singapore’s head of state was known as the Yang di-Pertuan Negara (Malay for “Head of State”).The post was created to replace the governor as head of state when Singapore attained self-governing status under British rule. When Singapore became ...
Singlish is an informal, colloquial form of English that is used in Singapore. Linguists refer to it as Singapore Colloquial English or Singapore English. The use of Singlish has been the subject of much debate since the 1970s, when it first became an observable ...
Launched in 2007, the Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city (TEC) is the second flagship government-to-government project between Singapore and China following the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park which started in 1994. Developed from scratch on 30 sq km of non-arable ...
Oehlers, Sir George Edward Noel (b.1 April 1908, Singapore - d.27 October 1968, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), better known as Geno Oehlers, was the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore. Oehlers was in several significant civic posts such as Municipal ...
The six-digit postal code system was introduced in Singapore in 1995. It was adopted by Singapore Post (SingPost) with the aim of facilitating the automation of mail processing, in particular the mail-sorting system.
The Slim 10 saga in 2002 involved a number of people who were diagnosed with adverse health effects after consuming weight-loss pills that contained prohibited ingredients. Among them were two women who suffered liver failure. They were logistics manager Selvarani ...
On 26 November 2012, 171 bus drivers from public-transport service provider SMRT Corporation Limited (SMRT) refused to go to work, and 88 were absent from work the next day. It was the first strike in Singapore since the Hydril strike in 1986. The protestors, ...
Sophia Blackmore (b. 18 October 1857, Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia–d. 3 July 1945, Australia) was the first woman missionary sent by the Methodist Women's Foreign Missionary Society to work in Singapore. During her stay in Singapore from 1887 to 1928, she ...
The South Seas Society, Singapore (南洋学会; Nanyang Xuehui) is a non-profit scholarly society dedicated to Southeast Asian studies. Founded in 1940, it is the first academic society set up by overseas Chinese based in Southeast Asia focusing on this field. The society ...
The Speak Good English Movement (SGEM) was launched on 29 April 2000 by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong to “encourage Singaporeans to speak grammatically correct English that is universally understood”. The movement was introduced as a response to the growing ...
Set up in Hong Lim Park on 1 September 2000, Speakers’ Corner is Singapore’s first and only outdoor venue where its citizens are permitted to give public speeches without the Public Entertainment Licence. In 2004, activities exempted from licensing requirements ...
The Special Assistance Plan (SAP) was introduced in 1979 as a long-term scheme to preserve the best Chinese-stream schools so as to develop effectively bilingual students who were inculcated with traditional Chinese values. Nine Chinese-stream secondary schools ...
Education for children (of typical school-going ages) with disabilities is managed by voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs). The National Council for Social Services (NCSS) is the primary overseer with its Programme Evaluation System, while the Ministry of Education ...
St Margaret’s School is the oldest girls’ school in Singapore. It was founded in 1842 by Maria Dyer of the London Missionary Society, who had sought to provide a home and education for young girls who would otherwise be sold to rich families as domestic servants. ...
The Staff Training Institute was set up in 1971 by the government for the training of civil servants in order to enhance the efficiency of the public sector. The establishment of the institute marked an important milestone in the training of civil servants in ...
Stanley Toft Stewart (b. 13 June 1910, Penang–d. 9 February 1992, Singapore) was a long-serving public official in Malaya and Singapore who achieved many “firsts”. At the peak of his career, Stewart was the head of Singapore’s civil service, and after serving as ...
The Singapore judiciary system consists of two tiers: the Supreme Court and the State Courts (known as Subordinate Courts until 2014). Located at 1 Havelock Square, the State Courts consist of the District Courts, Magistrates’ Courts, Family Courts and various ...
The Straits Settlements, comprising Penang, Malacca and Singapore, was an administrative unit of the East India Company (1826–1867) and later the British Colonial Office (1867–1946). It was formed in 1826 as a presidency under the administration of the East India ...
The Straits Settlements Association was founded in London by a group of ex-Straits Settlements residents on 31 January 1868. The association, which mainly comprised members from the mercantile community, aimed to safeguard the commercial and political interests ...
Before switching fully to electricity in 1956, Singapore’s street lights were powered by gas from the Kallang Gasworks.
The Swiss consulate in Singapore was established on 6 March 1917 as a response to the difficulties faced by Swiss businesses during World War I. It was headed by honorary consuls until 1960 when the first career Swiss consul was sent to Singapore. The consulate ...
Established in 1844, Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) is one of the oldest hospitals in Singapore. It was set up with the help of a generous donation by a wealthy philanthropist, Tan Tock Seng. First erected on Pearl’s Hill, the hospital moved to Balestier Plain, ...
The Singapore Armed Forces’ tank landing ships, or landing ships, tank (LSTs) in military nomenclature, are often described as the workhorses of the army. This is because they are transport ships capable of carrying tanks, helicopters as well as troops and their ...
Tay Eng Soon (Dr) (b. 20 January 1940, Singapore–d. 5 August 1993, Singapore), was an academic specialising in nuclear energy who served in the Ministry of Education for over 12 years. He entered into politics in 1980 when he was elected unopposed as a People’s ...
The Ministry of Education (MOE) launched the “Teach Less, Learn More” (TLLM) initiative in 2005 to improve the quality of teaching and enhance student learning in Singapore. TLLM built on the “Thinking School, Learning Nation” vision, which had been introduced ...
Established on 1 March 1950, the Teachers’ Training College (TTC) was Singapore’s first permanent, fulltime training college for English-medium primary school teachers. Training classes for Chinese-medium teachers were subsequently started at the college in 1955, ...
For much of the early 19th to mid-20th century, technical and vocational education in Singapore was underdeveloped due to the nature of the economy and the colonial government’s noninterference in education. Technical and vocational education gained importance ...
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an international organisation founded by Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines. Its objective is to promote economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the Southeast Asian ...
The Boys’ Brigade (BB) is the first youth uniformed group in the world. Founded in Scotland in 1883, it is a Christian organisation that seeks to nurture boys into responsible Christian men instilled with values such as obedience, reverence and discipline. The ...
The Chinese Protectorate was established in the Straits Settlements in 1877 to address matters concerning the Chinese community. Its main functions included establishing a pool of civil servants conversant in the Chinese language, managing newly arrived coolie ...
Launched by then prime minister Goh Chok Tong at the National Stadium on 3 October 1993, the Great Singapore Workout is a fitness routine that formed part of the month-long National Healthy Lifestyle Programme. The workout is a specially designed low-impact aerobic ...
The Legislative Council was one of the predecessors to today’s Parliament of Singapore. Established in 1867, its core function was to enact laws for Singapore. It was replaced in 1955 by the Legislative Assembly.
The Next Lap is a plan for Singapore’s long-term development. It includes ideas and proposals to make Singapore a nation of distinction. The term has also been used to refer to the period of time when Goh Chok Tong took over the premiership from Lee Kuan Yew in ...
The “Thinking Schools, Learning Nation” (TSLN) vision was launched by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in June 1997. It aims to encourage young Singaporeans to perceive education as a life-long process as well as to develop creative thinking skills and a lifelong ...
Thio Chan Bee (b. 5 April 1904, Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia–d. 13 December 1978, location unknown) was an educationist and politician. He was the first Asian principal of the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS), serving in the position from 1952 to 1960. His political career ...
On 20 June 1966, tenants moved into the first blocks of flats in the new Toa Payoh satellite township. The Toa Payoh tenants were renting 840 one-room units in four blocks of flats at a monthly rental of $30. In October that year, the first 720 flats were sold ...
Launched in 1984, the Total Defence concept involves the participation of every Singaporean in the collective effort of building a strong, secure and cohesive nation that is ready to deal with any crisis. It is a concept that takes into account the small size of ...
The two-child policy was a population control measure introduced by the Singapore government during the 1970s to encourage couples to have no more than two children. It was part of the second Five-Year National Family Planning Programme (1972–75) that was unveiled ...
The Umar Pulavar Tamil School (UPTS) was founded by the Singapore Kadayanallur Muslim League (SKML) in 1946. It became known as the Umar Pulavar Tamil High School (UPTHS) in 1960, and was the first and only Tamil-medium high school in Singapore.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is Singapore’s national land-use planning and conservation authority. It was formed in 1974, though it has its roots in the Urban Renewal Department set up by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in the 1960s. Its mission ...
Papilionanthe Miss Joaquim, commonly referred to as Vanda Miss Joaquim, is the first recorded orchid hybrid from Singapore, created in the early 1890s. On 15 April 1981, the Agnes variety of the Vanda Miss Joaquim was launched as Singapore’s national flower. The ...
In Singapore, vernacular education refers to education conducted in the native languages of the main resident communities, namely Malay, Chinese and Tamil. From the early 19th to the mid-20th centuries, formal vernacular education was started by philanthropists, ...
Founded as an English class for a handful of Malay students in 1876, Victoria School has produced many notable alumni over the years, including poet Edwin Thumboo and three of Singapore’s former presidents: Yusof Ishak, C. V. Devan Nair and S. R. Nathan.
The Vigilante Corps (VC) was originally a network of volunteers set up by the government in April 1964 to guard key installations and protect crowded public areas against terrorist attacks by Indonesian saboteurs during the Indonesian–Malaysian Confrontation (1963–66). ...
The Vocational and Industrial Training Board (VITB) was formed on 1 April 1979 with the merger of the Industrial Training Board (ITB) and the Adult Education Board (AEB). The functions of the latter two statutory boards in the areas of vocational and industrial ...
The Volunteer Special Constabulary (VSC) was formed in October 1946 to complement the Singapore Police Force. The VSC officers have the same powers and duties as regular police officers in various land divisions or specialised units such as Airport Police, Police ...
On 8 December 1953, the colonial government in Singapore issued a white paper titled Chinese Schools Bilingual Education and Increased Aid. The white paper proposed the introduction of bilingual education in Chinese schools in exchange for increased financial aid ...
William Fitzjames Oldham, Bishop (b. 15 December, 1854, Bangalore, South India – d. 27 March, 1937, Pasadena, California, United States) was the founder and bishop of the Methodist Church in Malaya. He is also remembered for having founded the Anglo-Chinese School, ...
Wong Kan Seng (b. 8 September 1946, Singapore–) is a former People’s Action Party (PAP) cabinet minister. During his political career, he has held various key positions in the Singapore government, including Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and ...
On 29 December 1869, then Governor Harry Ord appointed a select committee chaired by Colonel R. Woolley to look into the state of education in the Straits Settlements, which comprised Singapore, Melaka and Penang. The resultant “Report of the Select Committee of ...
The Workers’ Party (WP) was formed on 3 November 1957 by David Saul Marshall, with the inauguration held at the Hokkien Association Hall on Telok Ayer Street. The founding executive committee of the party comprised 20 trade unionists and 10 non-unionists. The party’s ...