Open for booking: SG60 exhibition to showcase artefacts related to separation from Malaysia for first time

SINGAPORE – On Aug 10, 1965, Singaporeans woke up to newspaper headlines that Singapore had been turfed out of Malaysia, and henceforth would be an independent country.

Alongside then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s teary-eyed “moment of anguish” press conference from the day earlier, the city state’s separation from Malaysia has long been seen as something akin to an ejection.

Over the years, however, a more nuanced picture of Singapore’s birth has emerged, such as in Mr Lee’s 1998 memoirs The Singapore Story, and a 2007 biography of former deputy prime minister Goh Keng Swee.

These accounts had relied on oral histories of Singaporean leaders and secret papers documenting separation negotiations that have not been made public – until now.

The newly declassified documents – Cabinet papers and handwritten notes compiled by Dr Goh and known as the Albatross File – are the subject of a permanent exhibition that opens on Dec 8 at the National Library Building in Victoria Street.

Those keen to visit the exhibition can now book their tickets online at

https://thealbatrossfile.nlb.gov.sg

While admission is free, entry to the exhibition will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

Jointly developed by the National Library Board (NLB) and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, it was created by the team behind SG60’s

Heart&Soul Experience

and the 2019 Bicentennial Experience.

The exhibition is billed as an introspective journey through one of the Republic’s most critical periods, and consists of four interactive sections.

One section, titled Records, lets visitors listen to the voices of political leaders through their oral history interviews and examine official documents and handwritten notes, including declassified Albatross File documents. This section offers intimate insights into the anxieties and convictions of key players involved.

Another section, Room, presents a dramatised retelling of key moments in the lead-up to separation, combining archival footage and oral history interviews with cinematic re-enactments to recreate what unfolded behind closed doors.

The exhibition’s centrepiece, Atlas, features a countdown of the pivotal months, days and hours before separation from Malaysia. A dramatic installation called the Spacetime Clock allows visitors to trace the movements of key figures as events rapidly unfolded.

The final section, Chatbook, uses a generative artificial intelligence-powered chat service to let visitors deepen their understanding of the period.

The exhibition is meant to be the capstone event for Singapore’s 60th birthday, and is based on the book The Albatross File: Inside Separation, which will be launched at the opening of the exhibition.

Spanning more than 500 pages, the book provides an in-depth analysis of the situation, and features 23 newly declassified documents, such as Cabinet papers between 1964 and 1965, secret Cabinet memos and Dr Goh’s handwritten notes from meetings with Malaysian leaders.

NLB chief executive Melissa Tam said that part of the board’s goal is to share more of Singapore’s stories with everyone.

“Through the National Archives of Singapore’s hard work in collecting and preserving the Albatross File and other historical recounts, and in close partnership with various partners including media partners, we are able to present this exhibition as an SG60 gift to the nation,” she said.

“We hope the exhibition and book will allow Singaporeans to develop a richer understanding of the tumultuous journey our forefathers underwent during this difficult time in our nation’s history.”

The exhibition is recommended for visitors aged 10 and above, and will take around an hour to experience.

Digital guides will be available in all four official languages.