SINGAPORE - Former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew paid a visit on Wednesday to The Battle For Merger exhibition at the National Library, which showcases 12 radio talks he gave in 1961 to convince Singaporeans of the need for merger with Malaya.

During his visit, Mr Lee praised the team who had put up the exhibition for their "thorough research" and for "presenting this key period for today's audience", said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Mr Teo posted a picture of Mr Lee's visit on Facebook on Thursday morning, adding that "winning the struggle against the communists paved the way for modern non- communist Singapore".

The exhibition is in conjunction with the reprint of The Battle For Merger book, which compiles Mr Lee's radio talks for a younger generation of Singaporeans. Mr Lee's talks had exposed the communist threat in Singapore in the 1960s and the goal of the communists to capture power in the country.

The talks worked: in the 1962 referendum on merger, 71 per cent of Singaporeans voted in favour of union with Malaya.

Apart from displaying a copy of The Battle For Merger reprint, the National Library exhibition also showcases old documents such as original notes and minutes of meetings penned by communist-linked personalities like Lim Chin Siong, as well as video accounts from Singaporeans who heard the broadcasts in 1961.

Booths are also set up for present-day visitors to listen to the recordings of the radio talks.