Singapore Born: A Nation Expelled into Independence
Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman informed Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew on August 7, 1965, that Singapore was being expelled from the Malaysian federation. Two days later, on August 9, Singapore became an independent nation against its own will. Lee Kuan Yew wept during the press conference. The tiny island of 1.9 million people, with no natural resources, no military, and no hinterland for food production, seemed destined for failure. Instead, Lee's government pursued aggressive industrialization, mandatory savings, public housing, and English-language education. Within three decades, Singapore's per capita GDP surpassed Britain's. The country that was thrown out of a federation became one of the wealthiest nations on Earth.
August 9, 1965
61 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on August 9
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