2019 Edition

INTRODUCTION

50 years ago, our Founding Fathers strived for political stability and economic growth among a diverse racial and religious population.
With grit and tenacity, the Singapore dream was born. Together we built this nation.
What are our hopes and goals for the future?

WHY SG75?

We recently celebrated our nation’s golden jubilee. It is an opportune time to look ahead and envisage what the next 25 years will be like for Singapore.
Hence, SG75!

UNENDING QUEST FOR NATIONHOOD

The late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew reminded us that “We are a nation in the making. Will we make it? Am I certain we will get there? No, I cannot say that. Something can go wrong and we’ll fall apart. It is the business of your generation and the generation that succeeds you to understand that vulnerability, that fragility of our society and keep it in cohesion” (Straits Times, 22 January 2011, at the launch of the book ‘Hard Truths to Keep Singapore Going’).

We continue to ask: How do we continue to build a harmoniously integrated society and stand in solidarity for justice and equality.

SG75: OUR SINGAPORE COMPETITION

The key objectives of the competition are to:

• Capture the forward-looking spirit of our Founding Fathers

• Envision our Singapore in SG75

• Focus on our roles in Singapore’s continuing development

• Showcase how these can be achieved through the theme of sustainability in 2019

THEME FOR 2019

Sustainability: Land & Development – The 200 years story of Singapore and Beyond

With an area of 721.5 km², home to over 5.6 million, Singapore has had a keen focus on sustainability in its land use and development. Our founding fathers recognised that it was critical to house the nation, making it a priority that Singaporeans own their homes. Mr Lee Kuan Yew was quoted as saying in an online report that “This was the plan which we had from the very beginning, to give everybody a home at cost or below cost and as development takes place, everybody gets a lift, all boats rise as the tide rises.”

Urban development in Singapore has evolved to one of the most sophisticated as we developed as a nation. It did not stop at housing. Provision to be a garden city, have independent sources of food and water, a flourishing city, airport and port hubs; these were among the few pillars of our ecosystem which has made Singapore our home. 

Who would have thought 200 years ago when Raffles landed in this island that it would become what it is today. As we celebrate our bicentennial and look forward to how much more we can be in SG75, the words from Mr Lee Kuan Yew in 2011 succiently summarises our ethos, “I have spent my life, so much of it, building up this country. There’s nothing more that I need to do. At the end of the day, what have I got? A successful Singapore ...”