Singapore’s Founders’ Memorial construction begins, opening set for 2028

SINGAPORE: Construction has officially commenced for the Founders’ Memorial, dedicated to Singapore’s pioneers and their exemplified values. The institution is scheduled to open its doors in 2028.

The ground-breaking ceremony took place in Bay East Garden on Wednesday (5 June), officiated by Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The date holds significance, as it marks 5 June 1959, when the first Cabinet of self-governing Singapore was sworn into office.

The National Heritage Board (NHB) announced that the memorial, located in Gardens by the Bay’s Bay East Garden, will offer visitors an “integrated gallery and gardens experience.”

Comprising two two-storey buildings connected by a common basement, the memorial will feature a viewing gallery overlooking Singapore’s city skyline, exhibition galleries, and multi-purpose rooms for workshops and programs.

NHB elaborated that multiple paths extending from the memorial into the larger Bay East Garden will provide visitors with an immersive experience.

The design of the memorial itself symbolizes the nation-building journey undertaken by Singapore’s founding generation and its leaders, according to NHB.

SM Lee: “Our nation-building journey deserves to be commemorated and remembered”

Speaking after the groundbreaking ceremony for the Founders’ Memorial, Mr Lee emphasized the importance of commemorating and remembering Singapore’s journey as a nation.

While Singapore boasts several memorials marking significant historical events, such as the Kranji War Memorial and the Civilian War Memorial, there isn’t one dedicated to narrating its transformation into the nation it is today.

SM Lee highlighted the need to bring to life the ideals and spirit that propelled its founding leaders.

“Now, almost 60 years after Separation, and 80 years after World War II, the time has come for us to build one.”

Mr Lee touched on the contributions of Singapore’s founding leaders.

Reflecting on the contributions of Singapore’s founding leaders, Mr Lee emphasized their role in not only steering the nation through crises and economic growth but also in establishing fundamental values and ideals. These include democracy, justice, equality, meritocracy, excellence, and an unwavering commitment to clean governance.

Addressing the issue of racial harmony, Mr Lee elucidated that the founding leaders were resolute in ensuring equal opportunities for all races in Singapore.

“Having had such recent bitter experience of being a racial minority, the founding leaders resolved never to place independent Singapore’s majority race, language, and culture above others, and never to allow our minority communities to be disadvantaged and marginalised.”

“Secondly, while Singapore was a Chinese majority and Malay minority society, all our neighbours were Malay majority and Chinese minority societies. Racial politics in Singapore would have made our position in Southeast Asia untenable.”

Moreover, Mr Lee underscored the founding leaders’ unwavering belief in and commitment to multiracialism, which they deemed essential for the well-being of all citizens. They envisioned a Singapore where diversity was not just accepted but celebrated, a vision that remains integral to the nation’s identity.

“Not many countries successfully shifted from the ‘independence struggle to nation building, from rousing revolutionary mobilization to the patient slog of improving people’s lives. Singapore did,” he added.

Highlighting the transformative journey led by Singapore’s founding leaders, Mr Lee underscored their remarkable achievement in propelling the nation from a third-world status to a first-world one.

Acknowledging the challenges and tough decisions faced, especially in the initial decade, Mr. Lee noted that while the founding leaders weren’t infallible, they made pivotal decisions that propelled Singapore’s success.

From these shared experiences of trials and triumphs emerged a distinct Singaporean identity and a cohesive national ethos characterized by openness, resilience, unity in adversity, and boldness in aspirations, according to Mr Lee.

The memorial, Mr Lee affirmed, will pay homage to Singapore’s founding leaders and its nation-building odyssey.

It will spotlight key figures from the nation’s formative years, notably from the 1950s to the 1970s, including Singapore’s founding father late Lee Kuan Yew and his core team, alongside other influential leaders from various sectors.

SM Lee said, “It will tell the story of how they overcame the odds to build a strong, united, and independent Singapore; how they led the people of Singapore through successive battles first against colonialism, then communism, and finally communalism; and how they then built a nation based on the values and ideals embodied in the pledge, launching us on the journey that has led to the Singapore that we see today.”

“I hope this Founders’ Memorial will become a space where Singaporeans reflect on our ongoing nation-building journey; appreciate our precious inheritance from the founding generation; and resolve to continue building a harmonious and successful Singapore, based on our foundational values and ideals, for generations to come.”