A Letter of Gratitude to Singapore and Our Pioneers

60 years ago, a dream was set in motion - not of comfort, but of courage. And in that courageous dream, birthed a nation carved from resilience.

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Dear Singapore,

From kampungs to skyscrapers, shipyards to digital innovation, your journey has been one of constant transformation.

Generations found hope where there was hardship, purpose where there was poverty, and a sense of belonging where life was once just about survival. Each step forward was a tribute to the pioneer spirit immigrants, labourers, and dreamers who built more than just infrastructure; they built identity, unity, and a place we could all call home.

Many of these pioneers came from far and wide. The Malays, indigenous to the region, had long called this island home. The Chinese arrived from southern China places like Fujian and Guangdong-seeking better lives amid hardship. Indians came from Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Sri Lanka, contributing as traders, labourers, and administrators.

And the Eurasians, of mixed European and Asian descent, brought with them a rich blend of cultures from Malacca, Goa, and beyond. Though they came from different lands, they were united by a shared spirit to make a life, to build a future, and to find belonging on this island.

They may have arrived speaking different languages, bearing different customs, but together - they spoke the language of resilience. And it is this beautiful mosaic of cultures that gave Singapore its strength, its colour, and its soul.

My father was one of them.

He arrived on your shores in 1946, just after the Japanese Occupation had ended - a time when Singapore was still healing from the wounds of war and bracing for an uncertain future. He came, like countless others, with calloused hands and quiet resolve - not to build a dream, but simply to survive each day. He found work where he could, sent what little he had home, and never imagined he was laying the bricks of a nation.