INDEPENDENCE DAY
In August 1965, Singapore separated from the
Federation of Malaysia, and the then-secretar y-
general of Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Par ty
(PAP), Lee Kuan Yew – who is on our cover – was
named the nation’s first prime minister. He famously
wept in a telecast after the separation, expressing
his anxiety at the split. However, he would go on to
fashion the burgeoning island state into the power ful
nation it is today! Singapore is now one of the
four “Asian Tigers” or “Asian Dragons” boasting a
highly developed economy. In 1965, Singapore also
became a member of the United Nations.
RAISING VOICES
Yusof Ishak was elected as the first president,
taking of fice on December 22, 1965. You might
recognise him – he is the handsome face on
your Singapore dollar bills. What you may not
know – given that the 1,000SGD note is not
easily available – is that the national anthem is
featured in tiny text on the back of this banknote.
So, if you have trouble remembering the national
anthem, you could angle in for 1,000SGD pocket
money to help you remember (that’s definitely
wishful thinking!) Just make sure you also fetch a
magnif ying glass. Majulah Singapura is Malay for
“Onward Singapore”. The national anthem was
composed by Zubir Said in 1958.MAJULAH SINGAPURAZUB
IR^ S
AID
Image © Flickr
No.46 Issue 499