Light show caps event celebrating Istana's 150 years

Scenes from the past and present lit up the Istana's facade last night in a light show that told the story of the building's 150-year history.

The show was a highlight of the Istana 150 Commemorative Event, the first time the building has been opened to the public at night.

Over 2,000 people were at the open house, the finale of a year-long commemoration of the Istana's 150th anniversary, hosted by President Halimah Yacob and her husband, Mr Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee.

Madam Halimah expressed her delight that many Singaporeans were able to join in, saying: "Many shared with me that they especially enjoyed the light show, as it was a rare opportunity to see the Istana all lighted up at night.

"I thank Singaporeans for their warm support of the series of commemorative events and activities held over the past year. I hope that they managed to learn more about the history and heritage of the Istana, and in that process better appreciate our Singapore story."

Visitors were treated to performances by local talents including Clement Chow, Rahimah Rahim, Tay Kewei and Nick Zavior, as well as the Singapore Symphony Orchestra.

As night fell, the light show told the story of the Istana's history and heritage over the years. Completed in 1869, Government House, as it was then known, served as the official residence of colonial governors. In 1959, when Singapore gained self-rule, it was renamed Istana Negara Singapura. The name was shortened to its present form when Singapore became independent in 1965. It is now the official residence of the President.

Ms Aryati Inamat, 49, an assistant marketing support manager, said the show was "so interesting, from the beginning to the end". "It shows how Singapore went through the years, and how we transformed to become what we are today."

Teacher Ben Yuan, 35, who was with his family, said the event made the Istana much more accessible. "You can see the building on Google Earth, but you can't see how spacious the grounds are from outside," he added.

A series of commemorative events has been held this year, including the launch of children's books, cookies, and a roving exhibition. More than 90,000 people have also visited the Istana over the past five open houses - a 30 per cent increase from the average annual visitorship from previous years, said the President's Office.

Tickets for yesterday's event were fully snapped up within six hours of their release on Sept 13. Also at the event were Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, Senior Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, as well as Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

Former president Tony Tan and his wife Mary were also present, as were Puan Noor Aishah, the wife of first president Yusof Ishak, and Mrs Urmila Nathan, the wife of former president S R Nathan.

Last Friday, President Halimah also organised a special preview of the light show for beneficiaries of the President's Challenge. One of them was Madam Wan Petom Haris, 52, whose artwork of the Istana now features on souvenir bookmarks and magnets.

She had painted the building as she imagined it would look in the four seasons: "I wanted to show that no matter what, the building is tough and can stand strong."

Other commemorative souvenirs, including medallions and Istana models made with Lego bricks, have also been launched, with proceeds going to charity through the President's Challenge.

A three-part series of Web videos which features the people who work at the Istana, produced in collaboration with The Straits Times, was released in July. SingPost will be issuing the Istana 150th anniversary stamp set tomorrow.