Experience Key Moments in Singapore’s Journey to Independence

Feel History at The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified, an SG60 Capstone Exhibition, which opens from 8 Dec 2025 at the National Library Building

Singapore, 7 December 2025 - Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong today launched the SG60 capstone exhibition, The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified, and the book, The Albatross File: Inside Separation. More than 200 guests attended the launch event at the National Library Building, including families of our founding leaders, former Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament, and civil servants who were involved in the Separation talks and recordkeeping of The Albatross File.

2. The event was also attended by Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Digital Development and Information; Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information; Mdm Rahayu Mahzam, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information; and other Cabinet Ministers.

From Merger to Separation

3. Jointly developed by NLB and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI), the new permanent exhibition invites visitors to experience our nation’s journey from merger to separation. The exhibition is based on the 488-page book that features two critical historical introductions and previously unreleased excerpts from the oral history interviews with Singapore’s key founding leaders, including the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Dr Goh Keng Swee. The book also features 23 newly declassified documents from the original Albatross file, including Cabinet Papers from 1964 and 1965, and Dr Goh’s handwritten notes of his discussion with Malaysian leaders, offering rare insight into the challenges and ideals that shaped the creation of contemporary Singapore. Please refer to Annex A for more details about the book.

4. Visitors to the exhibition can relive history through first-person narratives from our founding leaders and get up close with thoughtfully curated artefacts from The Albatross File, including original handwritten notes and oral histories from Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Dr Goh Keng Swee. Other highlights at the exhibition include an interactive wall that brings visitors through a countdown of the pivotal months, days and hours leading up to Separation, and a cinematic retelling of the key moments using archival footage and oral history interviews. Through the four interactive sections – Atlas, Room, Records, and ChatBook – visitors can look forward to an introspective and emotional experience, while gaining a more nuanced understanding and appreciation of Singapore’s journey to independence. Refer to Annex B for more details about the exhibition.

5. Fuller versions of the oral histories of select key players involved in Singapore’s Separation will also be made available for listening via a satellite installation located at the lobby of the National Library Building and a listening booth in the Central Library at B1 from 7 Dec 2025.

Book your free tickets today

6. Ticket bookings for The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified are open and can be reserved at https://go.gov.sg/albatrosstickets. Admission is free, and access to the ticketed experience is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The experience will take approximately 60–90 minutes and is recommended for visitors aged 10 and above.

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