After less than two years, political and economic differences between Singapore and Malaysia led to Singapore’s separation from the Federation. The Proclamation of Singapore was drafted by then-Minister for Law E.W. Barker and signed by then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on 9 August 1965. Singapore was now an independent and sovereign state.

At 10am on 9 August 1965, Radio Singapore announced Singapore’s separation from Malaysia. The broadcasts featured a radio announcer reading the Proclamation of Singapore declaring the island’s independence. Unfortunately, no original English broadcast of the Proclamation is known to exist today. In 2012, a recording of the Proclamation of Singapore was made by former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. It aired on 9 August 2015, the 50th anniversary...

In this iconic television broadcast, then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew fielded questions from the press on Singapore’s separation from Malaysia. The hour-long press conference aired on Television Singapura at 4.30pm on 9 August 1965. During the broadcast, Mr Lee broke down and called the signing of the separation agreement a “moment of anguish”. However, he assured Singaporeans that there was nothing to worry about, urging them instead to remain..

Having gained independence, Singapore’s application to join the United Nations (UN) as a Member State was unanimously supported by the UN Security Council in September 1965. Watch highlights from the 20th General Assembly of the UN, where Singapore officially became its 117th Member State.

The maintenance of racial and religious harmony was one of the Government’s priorities following Singapore’s separation from Malaysia. A Constitutional Commission chaired by then-Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin was appointed to make recommendations for protecting the rights and interests of racial and religious minorities in the Constitution. As a result of the commission’s report, the Presidential Council (later renamed the Presidential Council...

On 9 August 1966, Singapore celebrated its first year of independence with a grand parade at the Padang. This broadcast captures the highlights from the Republic’s very first National Day Parade.

National Service (NS) was introduced in 1967 to develop a credible citizen defence force, especially in anticipation of the withdrawal of British forces from Singapore by the 1970s. This 1984 documentary looks at the policies and practices of NS. Comparisons are made with the colonial government’s attempt to introduce NS in the 1950s, and the introduction of NS by the post-independence government in 1967. The programme highlights the differences

Singapore’s first currency series was released in 1967 following Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore’s decision to issue separate currencies. The Malaya and British Borneo dollar, which continued to be used in the immediate aftermath of Singapore’s separation from Malaysia, was replaced with the “Orchid Series” notes. The series was characterised by a spray of orchids on the front of each note, and scenes of Singapore on the back. This 1967 news...

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was formed on 8 August 1967 with five founding member states: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. This 1977 documentary recounts the association's founding and the progress made by its member states in the 10 years following the signing of the ASEAN Declaration in Bangkok, Thailand.

Singapore hosted the 7th Southeast Asian Peninsular (SEAP) Games from 1 to 8 September 1973. It was the first major sporting event held at the National Stadium, which had officially opened less than two months earlier in July 1973. During the opening ceremony, 50,000 spectators watched as then-President Benjamin Sheares opened the event, and sprinter C. Kunalan completed the final lap of the torch relay before lighting the Games cauldron.