I was really surprised when I came across this video on YouTube as it showed the historical moment when Singapore’s founding father, then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew crying on national television. The reason? Because Singapore was just rejected from Malaysia by their first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Singapore declared independence from Britain unilaterally in August 1963, before joining the Federation of Malaysia in September along with Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak as the result of the 1962 Merger Referendum of Singapore. Unfortunately Singapore was forced to leave the Malaysian federation two years after heated ideological conflict between Singapore’s PAP government and the federal government in Kuala Lumpur. Singapore officially gained sovereignty on 9 August 1965, which became our National Day. Yusof bin Ishak was sworn in as President, and Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of the Republic of Singapore.
Video of LKY Harry Lee Kuan Yew (李光耀) Crying on National Television After Singapore was Forced to Leave Malaysia
Quite a touching moment, and embarrassingly, this is the first time that me, a Singaporean, watched the historical moment.
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Well if that never happened, Singapore will end up just like Sabah or Sarawak. Majority of the west Malaysian are thinking we live in a jungle here in Sabah. I remember my friends who went there to study at west Malaysia, were asked if they know what maggie mee(A local brand that produce Instant Noodle) is.
Then again lucky Singapore, look at you guys now. One of the top advance country in the world
fact is malaya/malasia/abdul rahman kinda played LKY and singapore out… we were part of malaya for a while.. and then they dumped us like a hot turd… found it quite sad you never saw this footage before… i thought the fact LKY had such a huge burden to bear and cried on national tv was very well known… btw sometimes dicovery runs the 3 part special on history of singapore… very informative/entertaining…
As a Malaysian, I also think that luckily Singapore has left Malaya that time. Singapore now is much stronger and advanced than his neighbor!
Yes Tony… why don’t you apply for Singapore PR… get your ass off Malaysia..
I don’t know why, but I was taught in the school that Singapore is the one who dumped Malaysia.
But Singapore is lucky, seriously. I hope Sarawak were dumped by them too! Sigh.
He cried for various reasons. If Sg fails as a state – he will be blamed for the failure and decline. He knew the deal when he join MY – what its abt and the politics and means to gain full independence from the Brits.SG financially and economically slightly better than MY at that time like Brunei, hence see no need for a “merger”. Only God and LKY know why he cries