Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore, tells how the city-state grew from independence to today’s thriving Republic, and expresses the people’s gratitude for Commonwealth support.
The 50th year of Singapore’s independence, or SG50, begins on 9 August 2015. SG50 is a major milestone for us. It is a time for Singaporeans to pay tribute to our pioneering generation, and celebrate how this little red dot and its people overcame long odds to realise what Singapore is today – a vibrant, modern, multicultural and multi-religious, clean and green city-state.
When Singapore became independent in 1965, we were a tiny third-world country, facing significant social problems, with neither natural resources nor a hinterland. Unemployment was 10 per cent. Few observers gave us much chance of success…
*Statistics correct at time of original publication of Ministers Reference Book Commonwealth 2015.
Lee Hsien Loong
Prime Minister of Singapore
