Remembering Singapore's Founding Generation

Asst Prof Tan Kheng Boon Eugene asked the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what are the Government's plans, as an integral part of the nation-building efforts, to honour and remember the contributions of the core group of Singapore's founding generation.

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I agree with Asst Prof Tan that remembering our founding generation and their achievements will strengthen our sense of national identity and give us firm bearings as we chart our course as a nation. This is integral to our nation-building efforts.

We are a young nation and, to move forward, we have to know our roots and where we came from. That means informing and engaging the present generation of Singaporeans, as well as generations to come, on the contributions of the founding generation.

In this respect, the National Heritage Board (NHB), National Archives of Singapore (NAS), and the National Library Board (NLB) have put in place several initiatives to remember and celebrate the people that have been prominent in our birth as a nation. These initiatives come in various forms: the permanent exhibitions on Singapore History at the National Museum and NHB's Heritage Institutions, which feature important historical figures, including our founding fathers; travelling exhibitions, heritage events, trails and markers, publications, videos and documentaries, and other educational programmes, many done in collaboration with MOE and our schools, to educate younger generations on the contributions of our founding generation.

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In recent years, in particular, we have stepped up our commemoration efforts. In 2007 and 2009, NAS curated "10 Years That Shaped a Nation: 1965-1975" and "The Second Decade – Nation Building In Progress: 1975-1985", which collectively feature Singapore's 20 years of growth after independence. In particular, the exhibition, "10 Years That Shaped a Nation", done in collaboration with the NLB, highlighted some of the important contributions made by members of the First Cabinet to the Republic.

More recently, a special exhibition, called "45-65: Liberation, Unres… a New Nation" was launched in July this year at the National Museum of Singapore. This latest initiative also includes coverage on some of our founding fathers during the post-war and pre-independence years, and captured the determined struggle for de-colonisation and self-rule. The exhibition will run until January next year, and the NHB plans to travel this exhibition to other venues to reach out to a wider audience. An associated publication by the NAS is also being written and will be launched in 2013.

The NHB will continue to work with various Government agencies, MOE, NLB and NAS, and other partners to develop meaningful initiatives to raise awareness, educate and honour the contributions of Singapore's founding fathers and leaders. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth welcomes ideas and initiatives on how we can pay tribute to our pioneers, and how we can further engage our younger generation in this important aspect of our national heritage.

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