Year 1963
Fly Via Viscount to KL
Wednesday, 2nd December 1959
Malayan Airways started Viscount Service between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The new Viscount airplane can carry up to 44 passengers and fly at the speed of 300 miles per hours. The journey from Singapore to KL takes less than half and hour. The Viscount was a British made medium-range turboprop airliner.
Farewell Sir William Goode
Monday, 30th November 1959
The three services, Soldiers, Airmen and Sailors, staged a farewell parade for Sir William Goode (the Yang di-Pertuan Negara) at the Royal Naval Air Station at Sembawang. The parade marks the end of an era in Singapore Colonial history.
cleaning the city
Monday, 23rd November 1959
Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew today led a mass drive to spring-clean the city for National Loyalty Week, and also to time with the official installation of Singapore’s Yang di-Pertuan Negara on December 3. Three other Ministers also joined thousands of volunteers on the first day of the one-week giant campaign known as Gerakkan Pembersehan Bandar Raya Singapura. He said the government aimed to make Singapore as one of the cleanest and healthiest cities in Asia.
Oily Man in East Coast
Monday, 16th November 1959
An “oily man” (Orang Minyak) scare gripped residents of Frankel Estate here. shortly after a young girl reported that she was attacked in a playground off Changi Road by a young man wearing only swimming trunks. Several passers-by answered the girl’s cries for help and chased her attacker up to a steep cliff. The fugitive escaped the police dragnet. All womenfolk in the estate remained behind bolted doors as armed police searched for the girl’s attacker who was said to be smeared with oil. Malay legend has it that the “oily man” possesses evil supernatural powers and preys on women.
amnesty offer to secret society gangsters
Saturday, 17th October 1959
The Singapore Government announced a general amnesty offer to all Singapore secret society gangsters, giving them a chance to decide within 16 days to reform or be wiped out. The offer held good for around a fortnight. After that, a relentless campaign would be launched by the police, who had been given more powers under the new “beat the gang” laws recently passed by the Legislative Assembly.
Pulau Sudong given a face-lift
Sunday, 30th August 1959
Five hundred volunteers today braved rain and a choppy sea to give Pulau Sudong a face-lift. It was part of the Ministry of National Development’s project to improve living conditions on the Southern Islands. The Minister for National Development, Mr Ong Eng Guan, led the volunteers who were from the National Cohesiveness Corps and oil companies from the neighbouring islands. Fallen tree trunks and rubbish heaps in the small kampongs were carried off to a dumping ground. The graveyard was fenced off, buildings were painted and a derelict hut, used as a medical clinic, was renovated. Pulau Sudong was originally filled with mangrove trees and swamp. It made the headlines when geologists raised the alarm that the island was sinking. The islanders, however, were unwilling to move to nearby Pulau Pawai but they did not heed his warning and stayed firm on Pulau Sudong.
Eight detainees to be released
Tuesday, 2nd June 1959
Governor Goode announces the eight detainees will be released two days later are freed from Changi prison, breaking the impasse and averting a constitutional crisis. Six of the released including hardliner Lim Chin Siong, signed a statement that they support the PAP leadership's non-communist road.
Lee Kuan Yew to form the Government
Monday, 1st June 1959
Singapore Governor Sir William Goode asks Mr Lee Kuan Yew to form the Government. Mr Lee repeats his party's condition: The British to release eight detained associates. They are: Lim Chin Siong, Fong Swee Suan, Devan Nair, S.Woodhull, J.Puthucheary, Chan Chiaw Thor, Chan Chong Kin and Chen Say Jame.
Singapore Constitution Exposition 1959
Saturday, 31st January 1959
The Singapore Constitution Exposition (SCE) 1959 at Kallang Park (abandon runway of Old Kallang Airport) was organised by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to celebrate the full internal self-government to Singapore. The SCE was described as a spectacular exhibition on an eighty hectare ground and the most outstanding celebration of its kind ever to be staged in this part of the world. The Exposition represents a cross-section of races, cultures, goods, goods, costumes and ways of living into view the daily life in Singapore of racial harmony and tolerance.
Secondary Schools Entrance Examination Paper Leaked
Thursday, 6th November 1958
About 15,000 students who sat for the English secondary schools entrance examination here this week would have to take a new exam because of a leakage. Rumours of leakages and sale of papers for prices, variously fixed at $50 and $100 each, reached the Ministry of Education, before the examination started. It was on the second day of the exam that the Ministry became convinced there had been a leakage. The police were called in to investigate the leakage. Preliminary findings from the Education Ministry suggested there was leakage in all the subjects.
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