SG60: A Nation Forged in Resolve

Singapore Celebrates 60 Years of Independence

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Singapore stands at a remarkable milestone this year. It is SG60 – sixty years since the Republic of Singapore took its first bold step into sovereignty, emerging from the uncertainty of political separation, and beginning an epic journey of nation-building against tremendous odds. To understand the significance of SG60, one must go back to the very beginning – to a moment when Singapore, a tiny island without natural resources, became an independent state almost by accident, rather than design. What followed was not just survival, but an unprecedented transformation – one built on grit, vision, sacrifice and collective will. Let us now recall the journey our tiny nation took to become what it is today.

THE BIRTH OF A NATION

Singapore's journey to nationhood was dramatic, emotionally fraught and filled with existential doubt. On 9 August 1965, Singapore was expelled from Malaysia after just two years of a tumultuous merger. The idea of forming a common nation under the Malaysian Federation had been born out of mutual interests – economic integration, political strength and historical ties. But deep fissures soon emerged. Tensions between the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in Singapore and the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in Malaysia were exacerbated by conflicting visions of governance, economics and racial equality.

The PAP, led by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, promoted the idea of a “Malaysian Malaysia” – a society where all citizens, regardless of race, had equal rights. This clashed with UMNO’s policies that prioritised Malay political primacy under the banner of bumiputera (“sons of the soil”) privileges. The resulting political friction led to a breakdown in cooperation and ultimately to race riots in Singapore in July and September of 1964. The spectre of communal violence shook the young federation and left scars in the social fabric that would take decades to heal.