Singapore at 61: Building on Shared Values and Enduring Friendship

This year, Singapore celebrates 61 years of independence. 2026 also marks the 60th anniversary of the launch of Singapore’s Pledge, which is recited by Singaporeans on the 9th of August at our annual National Day Parade and other celebratory events throughout the country to commemorate our founding and purpose as a nation and people. The Pledge is taught in our schools and recited by our schoolchildren and by our national servicemen when they serve their mandatory military service. Written by our first Foreign Minister, Mr. S Rajaratnam, the Pledge calls on Singaporeans to commit ourselves as “one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society, based on justice and equality, to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation”.

The pledge entrenches the enduring four core values of Singapore: multiculturalism, ensuring no single group defines Singapore; democracy, guaranteeing citizens a voice through regular elections; justice, applying the rule of law equally regardless of rank or wealth; and equality, fulfilling founding Prime Minister’s words when he announced separation from Malaysia - “This is not a Malay nation; this is not a Chinese nation’ this is not an Indian nation. Everyone will have his place, equal: language, culture and religion.” Multiculturalism, democracy, justice and equality have held Singapore and its people together, through difficult times such as Covid-19 and will serve as a critical bond in an increasingly turbulent global environment.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

As we celebrate our nationhood, we thank our international partners, including Bangladesh, with whom we will mark 55 years of diplomatic relations in 2027. Singapore was the first Southeast Asian nation to establish diplomatic ties with Bangladesh in February 1972. Over the decades, our friendship has deepened. In 2025, trade in goods between our nations totalled SGD $3.9 billion, making Bangladesh Singapore’s second-largest trading partner in South Asia, alongside over SGD $3 billion in foreign direct investment in 2024.

Singaporean firms Sembcorp, PSA International, Surbana Jurong and Singapore Airlines have a firm presence in Bangladesh’s economy and are interested in expanding further. Singapore can also partner with Bangladesh in the digital economy, urban planning, infrastructure projects and healthcare.

At the people-to-people level, the ties are longstanding and predate our independence. Many Bangladeshis have lived and worked in Singapore since the Colonial times, helping to build Singapore and adding to our multicultural pot. More recently, some 2,200 Bangladeshi officials have come to Singapore to engage in the Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) on courses and seminars from finance and public administration to sustainable development, and aviation. The interaction between our citizens cannot be overemphasised – it builds mutual understanding and with understanding respect.

Singapore’s High Commission in Dhaka was upgraded from a Consulate in October 2023. This reflects the development and growth in our ties. Following the upgrade, our mutual engagement has increased from government and political parties to culture and academia. Last year the High Commission, as part of our 60th independence year celebrations, held a series of events, including a donation of 60 books to the Bangladesh National Library, a movie screening at North South University featuring two Singaporean films, cooking classes on Singapore cuisine held at the Bangladesh National Hotel and Tourism Training Institute and a children’s charity event with Action Aid Bangladesh.

This year, we have added a consular networking and information sharing reception, an alumni gathering for SCP participants and a Singapore-Bangladesh art exhibition co-organised with the Art Bangla Foundation.

We continue to value our warm friendship with Bangladesh and will work to foster even closer relations and ties not only between us but also on the global stage.

Even as we celebrate, we must keep a close eye on the increasing ructions geopolitically. In times like this, Singapore needs the cohesion afforded and made possible by multiculturalism, democracy, justice and equality more than ever. These four values not only bind but are the building blocks for wisdom. The pledge crafted by S Rajaratnam remains as relevant as ever for Singapore.