The festival Vesakhi (or Baisakhi) typically falls on 13 April annually, or the first day of the Sikh calendar. Instituted by the 10th Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the festival commemorates the occasion in which five brave Sikhs offered themselves as a sacrifice ...

In many Indian Hindu families today, traditions and customs still play an important role in life. Indian weddings, for instance, consist of many traditional customs and ceremonies that the bride, bridegroom and their families have to go through before and on the ...

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 ...

To the Malays, a birth is regarded as a gift bestowed by God. They believe that a child brings blessings and sustenance to the family. Babies are deemed pure, like a piece of white cloth, and parents play an important role in nurturing the child. At birth, the ...

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, ...

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 ...

The Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) is an umbrella body of Chinese clan associations in Singapore. The Federation was registered on 9 December 1985 and formally inaugurated on 27 January 1986. It was founded by seven clan associations, ...

Seet Ai Mee (Dr) (b. 31 March 1943, Singapore–) was Singapore’s first female Cabinet minister. She assumed the position in July 1991 when she was appointed Acting Minister for Community Development in a cabinet reshuffle. Seet is also known for her contributions ...

The Republic of Singapore Yacht Club (RSYC) is a maritime recreational society and club for yachting enthusiasts. It was established in 1826, and is the oldest recreational or social club of any theme in Singapore. It is also the first yacht club in Asia. It was ...

Lim Peng Siang (b. 1872, Fujian, China–d. 1944, Singapore) was a Chinese merchant who made significant contributions to Singapore’s economic and social developments in the early 1900s. He was a prominent leader of the Chinese community and held key positions in ...

One of Singapore’s most prominent social clubs, Tanglin Club was founded in 1865 to cater to the social and recreational needs of the British. Up until the 1960s, club members were predominantly British.

At the heart of the civic and cultural district of Singapore is the Padang, a large open field in front of the former City Hall and Supreme Court buildings (presently home to the National Gallery Singapore). The Padang, which means field or open ground in Malay, ...

Royston Tan (b. 5 October 1976, Singapore–) is an award-winning Singaporean film-maker who is hailed as one of the most promising talents in the local film-making industry. Most of Tan’s works focus on social issues and seek to challenge the boundaries of societal ...

The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) of Singapore is located at 1 Orchard Road. Founded on the same Christian principles as its parent in Britain, the YMCA was officially established in Singapore on 30 June 1903. In its early years, the organisation was ...

William Henry Macleod Read, K.C.N.L., C.M.G., affectionately known as WH, (b. 7 February 1819, Scotland–d. 10 May 1909, England) was an established businessman and an active contributor to political and social interests during the almost 46 years of his life in ...

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 ...

Funeral rituals form an important part of Chinese social life. The Chinese undertake these rituals partly out of filial piety, and partly out of the belief that there is a continued relationship between the living and dead. Although traditional rituals have gradually ...

For the Chinese, the family is regarded as the primary unit of society. A birth within the family therefore holds special significance for the community, and is associated with a number of rituals. Although traditional birth observances have largely given way to ...

Checha Davies, also known as Mrs. E. V. Davis (b. 1898, Kerala, India–d. 2 September 1979, Singapore), was a social worker, women’s activist and community volunteer. She was prominent in various organisations, including the trailblazing Singapore Council of Women ...

The Parsis (or Parsees) are descendants of Zoroastrian Persians who settled in India in the 10th century. They first arrived in Singapore in the 19th century. As of 2017, an estimated 350 Parsis live in Singapore. Parsi Road and Parsi Cemetery are named after ...