Being the fanboy I was of Dr Goh Keng Swee, I visited the Albatross File exhibition soon after it was inaugurated. I’m really thankful for SM Lee’s efforts to get it declassified and made public. After 60 years of nationhood, it is great to let out this ‘secret’ that our founding fathers kept about our separation from Malaysia. The truths revealed explains in part why Singapore had gone through a referendum to become part of the Malaysia Federation but could become an independent sovereign city state without any democratic process. Even Lee Kuan Yew described it as a bloodless coup. It was actually pretty much a coup, but of course, it was politically expedient for all at that point to describe Singapore as having been ejected from Malaysia.
The storytelling through the exhibition was great and it enabled me to digest a fair bit of content within a short time and appreciate the story line pieced together by Susan Sim and her team. It was a great work though given the somewhat sensitivity of the topic, there is very little doubt there had to be a lot of checks for political sensitivity and alignment to the historical narrative of Singapore.
I think this exhibition does a lot to prepare the public for the eventual launch of the founders’ memorial in 2028. For me personally, it was never really a question of whether it makes sense for our country to spend money on building the founders’ memorial, but more about how we can ensure that the generations that follow can remember and appreciate the miracle that is Singapore. This exceptionalism cannot be reduced to a single person or a particular set of circumstances. And many more stories need to be told, not just in history textbooks but passed down within families, between generations and across communities.
Our founding fathers were brilliant politicians and strategists, not just operators who kept the city-state running and punching above its weight. It would be dangerous to think there is nothing too hard for us now; or to throw up our arms in despair because of the difficulties of the conditions we are subject to globally, especially now.
I eventually bought the book which I’m looking forward to dive into.