Albatross File exhibition to add display that sheds light on drafting of the National Pledge

SINGAPORE – A new display will be added to The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified exhibition, shedding light on the thinking behind the drafting of the National Pledge.

In a release on July 24, the National Library Board (NLB) said that the new display comprises two letters between Singapore’s first Minister for Foreign Affairs, S. Rajaratnam, and then-Education Minister Ong Pang Boon, on the drafting of the National Pledge.

One of the letters contains Rajaratnam’s draft of the National Pledge, which introduced the idea of forgetting differences of race, language and religion, and working together to build a democratic and equal society for the happiness and progress of the nation.

The permanent exhibition is jointly developed by NLB and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, with the addition coinciding with the 60th anniversary of the National Pledge.

The letters will be on display from Aug 1 till Dec 31, with tickets to the exhibition available at https://thealbatrossfile.nlb.gov.sg/.

The exhibition will also remain open on Aug 9 – National Day – from 10am to 9pm.

Ahead of the new display being available, the National Archives of Singapore has also curated archival broadcasts, photographs, documents, and oral history accounts, to give the public more context on the origins and development of the National Pledge.

These can be viewed at https://go.gov.sg/pledge60.

NLB chief executive officer Melissa Tam said in a statement that the new additions offers fresh insights into the drafting of the National Pledge.

She added: “We hope more Singaporeans will visit the exhibition, and the online showcase, during the National Day celebrations to discover these stories and reflect on the values that continue to unite us today.”