SG Matters

19/12/2025

Remember, each one has different strengths and every pathway offers opportunities to grow, contribute and succeed.

As we awaited the secondary school posting results today, remember that each of us has different strengths and every pathway offers opportunities to grow, contribute and succeed. The SAF keeps Singapore safe because of the diverse talents of our service personnel, who come together to serve a common purpose.

What matters most is the heart and resilience you bring to the path ahead. Step forward with confidence and continue to grow. ✨

19/12/2025

The Albatross File was created, named, and kept by Dr Goh Keng Swee. The albatross was Malaysia. Dr Goh felt that Malaysia had become an albatross around Singapore’s neck. He was alluding to Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”. Those of you who are old enough like me may have studied it at O-Levels.

For a period the file was lost, before being found in a MINDEF storeroom in the early 1980s. It was discovered by Dr Tan Kay Chee, a MINDEF officer who was then interviewing Dr Goh and some of our founding leaders for an oral history project on the political history of Singapore.

Dr Goh relied on the file in his own oral history interviews, and read into the record several of the documents in the file.

The public first learnt of the existence of the file in 1996, after Dr Goh mentioned it in an interview with Dr Melanie Chew for her book Leaders of Singapore.

The Albatross File gives a vivid sense of what happened – a dramatic, blow-by-blow record of how Singapore came to separate from Malaysia.

There are incisive Cabinet papers setting out the fundamental issues at stake, analysing the strategic choices facing the different actors, and describing the state of political play after merger with Malaysia.

There are specific proposals on how Singapore might achieve a looser federation within Malaysia. There are succinct records of conversations with Malaysian leaders, and British and Australian diplomats. And there are the meticulous handwritten notes by Dr Goh of his meetings with Tun Razak and other Malaysian Ministers to negotiate the Separation Agreement.

When I was Prime Minister, I decided that the Albatross File should be declassified and published.

Together with the file, I also decided to publish relevant extracts from the oral histories of key participants involved in Separation, to bring together and put on the public record a full documented account of this seminal event in our independence journey.

- Excerpt from SM Lee Hsien Loong's speech at the Launch of the Albatross File Book and Exhibition.

19/12/2025

Our fencers are shining so brightly at the SEA Games. 👏👏😎😍💪💯🇸🇬

19/12/2025

People seem not to realise that the position of the Leader of the Opposition is by designation and not by mandate.

That is to say, the Office of the Leader of the Opposition (LO) is not an elected office. Voters elect Members of Parliament; they do not elect a Leader of the Opposition.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. The Office was created by former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

This is a position that comes with additional privileges which include higher remuneration (around $32k a month or $385,000 a year), extra staff support, and access to confidential briefings—beyond those of an ordinary MP.

It is 𝐚 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭!

The privileges are given on the basis that the LO will 𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐮𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, and contribute constructively to national governance.

In other words, the role is not a right. Neither is it automatic or conferred by voters. It is a privilege.

18/12/2025

Good morning, Singapore! ❤️🇸🇬❤️

18/12/2025

The Workers’ Party’s response - limited to a short statement that “internal processes are taking place” - ONLY CAME AFTER Minister Indranee Rajah stated that Parliament would consider an appropriate response to Pritam Singh’s conviction.

This is NOT the conduct of a party committed to accountability.

Transparency was not offered voluntarily. It was extracted, driven by external pressure rather than a sense of responsibility to Singaporeans.

That said, the PAP is being overly generous to the Workers’ Party, giving them notice in advance that Parliament will be debating an appropriate response to Pritam Singh’s conviction.

By doing so, the PAP gives the WP time to prepare, coordinate, and manage its messaging.

A more effective approach would be to let the WP continue believing that the government will refrain from action due to the political cost involved.

Caught unprepared, WP MPs would then be forced to respond instinctively when the issue is raised in Parliament. This will reveal their genuine views on the conviction.

Such a debate would allow Singaporeans to see whatever internal inconsistencies there may be, personal discomfort if any, and the true extent of their political judgment. All these - without the benefit of rehearsed talking points.

But now, we know that's not going to happen.

18/12/2025

Gardens by the Bay is a great place to spend Christmas with your family and friends. 😍

18/12/2025

Will the WP adhere to their Constitution or will there be exceptions made at all costs that render it ineffective?

18/12/2025

Speaking out against identity politics or improper conduct carries a political cost for the PAP.

Each time such behaviour is called out, a glance at social media reveals the predictable reaction: accusations that the PAP is “bullying” or conspiring to eliminate the opposition, regardless of the substance of the issue.

That is precisely why it would be far more expedient, politically, for the PAP to look the other way and pretend that everything is fine.

But as PM Wong has said, doing so would come at a cost to Singapore — to the values we uphold, the standards we expect, and ultimately, our future.

Quote from PM Wong's speech at the PAP Convention 2025:

If the PAP only cared about short-term political expediency, it would have
been far easier for us to keep quiet and leave such matters unsaid.

Because each time we call out bad behaviour, there will be some naysayers that will accuse the PAP of being over-bearing or accuse us of
bullying.

𝐒𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞𝐬;
𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲. 𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐝𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧, 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞.

18/12/2025

Our fencers shone in day 1 with a clean sweep of Golds. 🇸🇬🇸🇬👍👍💯😎

17/12/2025

Welcome home! ❤️