Lee Chin Koon (b. 1903, Semarang, Indonesia – d. 12 October 1997, Singapore) was a storekeeper and depot manager for the Shell Oil Company, and father of Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
Benedict Hon Sui Sen (b. 16 April 1916, Balik Pulau, Penang–d. 14 October 1983, Singapore), widely known as Hon Sui Sen, was the first chairman of the Economic Development Board (EDB; 1961–68), and the first chairman and president of the Development Bank of Singapore ...
Balaji Sadasivan (Dr) (b. 11 July 1955–d. 27 September 2010) was a former senior minister of state for foreign affairs and a member of parliament for the Ang Mo Kio group representation constituency (GRC). As Singapore’s first and only US board-certified neurosurgeon, ...
Yong Nyuk Lin (b. 24 June 1918, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaya–d. 29 June 2012, Singapore) was the minister for education in the first cabinet of the People’s Action Party. He later took on the health and communications portfolios. In these capacities, he increased ...
On 9 August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state. The separation was the result of deep political and economic differences between the ruling parties of Singapore and Malaysia. Even before the proclamation of the ...
In August 1978, then Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee was tasked to lead a study team to identify problems in Singapore’s education system and propose solutions. The government had felt that a thorough review was crucial to align the education system with the ...
Sri Temasek is a 19th-century bungalow designated as the prime minister’s official residence. It was formerly the residence of the colonial secretary. While the house has been unoccupied since 1959, it was used regularly for meetings and official social events ...
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 Sports Hub at Kallang is a 35-hectare (350,000 sq m) integrated sports, entertainment and lifestyle hub where sporting or entertainment events are held. Construction of the Sports Hub began in September 2010 and cost S$1.33 billion. Operations commenced ...
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 Road Courtesy Campaign launched by then Deputy Prime Minister Toh Chin Chye on 10 September 1966 is the first national campaign to try and instil more awareness of road safety in all road users. It marked the start of a sustained effort in Singapore to bring ...
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 ...
The Speak Mandarin Campaign was launched on 7 September 1979 by the then prime minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew. The campaign was initially started to simplify the language environment, improve communication among Chinese Singaporeans from the various dialect ...
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 ...
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 Istana is the official residence of the president of Singapore. Spanning over 40 ha, it is located along Orchard Road, Singapore’s prime shopping district. The present structure was designed and built by John Frederick Adolphus McNair in 1869, and originally ...
The Woodlands Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line connecting Choa Chu Kang to Yishun was constructed in the early 1990s. Built at a cost of $1.2 billion, the 16-km long line was officially opened on 10 February 1996 by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. Also known as ...