In commemoration of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s 100th birth anniversary, the National Museum of Singapore has commissioned a new short film, LKY100: The Life and Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew (1923–2015), by local filmmaker Royston Tan that honours Singapore’s founding prime minister and his enduring contribution to the country.
The film, which runs approximately 5 minutes, will be presented in the concluding section of the museum’s Singapore History Gallery and featured in a digital trail. It features the late Mr Lee sharing a special message created from a collage of key speeches across his storied career.
The film poignantly depicts Mr Lee’s speeches over the years in tandem with the nation’s transformation into the modern and metropolitan city that it is today.
The selection of speeches has been taken primarily from Mr Lee’s National Day Rally speeches, which include:
* Speeches delivered in English, Malay, Mandarin and Hokkien, highlighting the importance of multiculturalism to Mr Lee
* The first televised National Day Rally in 1971 where Mr Lee spoke about how well Singapore had fared and its remarkable transformation against the odds.
Director and local filmmaker Royston Tan noted, “Mr Lee Kuan Yew is fondly remembered as a charismatic speaker, and I wanted to capture his essence as a strong leader through the medium of his speeches. It is an honour to pay tribute to a historic leader like Mr Lee with this film, and I hope that it serves as a nostalgic and inspiring narrative for both the older and younger generations to continue creating a better future for our nation.”
As part of the National Museum’s National Day Celebrations, snippets of the film will be adapted into the museum’s National Day façade light-up for all to enjoy from 21 July to 9 August 2023, 7.30pm to 12 midnight.
Digital trail chronicling Mr Lee’s life and legacy
This new film complements a digital trail within the National Museum that presents Mr Lee’s legacy, the values he embodied in his life and career, and how his ideas and actions shaped the path of our nation.
Spanning the post-war Singapore section of the museum’s Singapore History Gallery and the Semangat yang Baru: Forging a New Singapore Spirit exhibition, this augmented on-site experience was launched earlier in April and presents the historical and contemporary significance of Mr Lee as a political figure, with key artefacts and multimedia pieces touching upon his life and values in relation to Singapore’s journey.
Registration for the digital trail can be done via personal mobile devices by scanning a QR code at the Singapore History Gallery at level 1, or at the Semangat yang Baru exhibition gallery, which is a pilot exhibition of the Founders’ Memorial at the basement level of the National Museum.
Upon completing the trail, visitors can redeem a gift from the vending machine at the Singapore History Gallery exit at Level 1. The gift is inspired by Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s iconic red box.
Chung May Khuen, Director of the National Museum of Singapore, added, “Mr Lee’s significant contributions and leadership in transforming Singapore into a modern and vibrant city is deeply intertwined with our nation’s history. Through this special film and the accompanying trail, we hope to encourage Singaporeans young and old to come together to explore, revisit, and be inspired by Mr Lee’s legacy that we can continue building upon for generations to come, and in navigating the challenges ahead.”
Details on LKY100 film screening
LKY100: The Life and Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew (1923–2015) runs until 31 December 2023 and is free for Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents.
For more information, please refer to: go.gov.sg/nmslky100 or the National Museum’s Facebook and Instagram pages.
