1968 in Singapore

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← 1967 1966 1965 1968 in Singapore → 1969 1970 1971
Decades:	1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s
See also:	Other events of 1968 Timeline of Singaporean history

The following lists events that happened during 1968 in Singapore.

Incumbents

• President: Yusof Ishak
• Prime Minister: Lee Kuan Yew

Events

January

• 17 January – Britain announces its intention to withdraw its armed forces from Singapore by 1971. ^[1]
• 30 January – The Ellenborough Market is destroyed in a fire, causing S$253,000 in damages and affecting about 1000 hawkers and stall-holders. The market is demolished a few years later. ^[2]

April

• 13 April – The PAP wins the 1968 General Election.

May

• 1 May – The Hindu Endowments Board is formed. ^[3]
• 23 May – Singapore Pools is formed as a state-owned lottery firm to combat triads and illegal syndicates. ^[4]

June

• 1 June – Jurong Town Corporation is formed to develop Singapore's industries, taking over this role from the Economic Development Board. ^[5]
• 7 June – Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) is established as a think-tank to research on trends and politics in Southeast Asia and beyond.

July

• 1 July – The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (known as MUIS) is established. ^[6]

September

• 1 September -
  • The Development Bank of Singapore (now DBS) commences operations. ^[7]
  • Keppel Shipyard is established to take over PSA's ship-repair and shipbuilding services. ^[8]
  • The Singapore Air Defence Command is formed.
• 17 September – The first A&W store opens at MSA Building, making it Singapore's first fast food restaurant. This went on until 2003, when A&W decided to leave Singapore. ^[9] It made a return in 2019 to Jewel Changi Airport.

October

• 1 October – The Keep Singapore Clean campaign is launched. ^[10]
• 17 October – The two marines were hanged for their roles in the MacDonald House bombing.

November

• 5 November – Intraco Ltd is formed to promote Singapore goods overseas. ^[11]

December

• 17 December – Sembawang Shipyard was handed back to Singapore. ^[12]
• 30 December – Neptune Orient Lines is formed as Singapore's national shipping line. ^[13]

Births

• 10 January – Zoe Tay, actress.
• 8 June – Teo Ser Luck, former politician.
• 16 June – Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, politician.
• 8 July – Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information.
• 14 July – Michael Palmer, 6th Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore.
• 8 August – Ng Chee Meng, Former Minister in Prime Minister's Office.
• 10 August – Kumar, comedian. ^[14]
• 16 October – Mark Lee, comedian.
• 27 December – Lim Wee Kiak, politician and ophthalmologist.

Dates unknown

• Lau Siew Mei, writer. ^[15]
• Benjamin Pwee, politician, business development strategist and consultant.

Deaths

• 19 July – Emily Sadka, historian (b. 1920). ^[16]
• 9 August – Lee Poh Neo, daughter of famous Straits Chinese businessman and philanthropist Lee Choon Guan (b. 1901). ^[17]
• 7 October – Goh Tong Liang, former legislative assemblyman for Bukit Panjang Constituency (b. 1894). ^[18]
• 27 October – Sir George Oehlers, 1st Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore (b. 1908). ^[19]
• 2 November – Richard Lim Chuan Hoe, barrister and former Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore (b. 1904). ^[20]
• 7 November – A. J. Braga, 1st Minister for Health and legislative assemblyman for Katong Constituency (b. 1900). ^[21]
• 6 December – Lim Keng Lian, Hokkien tea merchant and community leader (b. 1893). ^[22]

References

1. "All out by 1971". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
2. "Ellenborough Market". NLB. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
3. "Hindu Endowments Board lends a helping hand". Asiaone. Tabla!. 24 April 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
4. "Awards & Milestones". Singapore Pools. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
5. "Jurong Town Corporation is established". NLB. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
6. "Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura". NLB. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
7. "Establishment of the Development Bank of Singapore". NLB. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
8. "Keppel Shipyard is incorporated". NLB. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
9. "Online project highlights key days of our lives". The New Paper. 24 December 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
10. "Keep Singapore Clean campaign". NLB. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
11. "Intraco Ltd. is incorporated". NLB. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
12. "Ceremony for Transfer of HM Dockyard Singapore to Singapore Government". NAS. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
13. "Neptune Orient Lines is incorporated". NLB. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
14. "Kumar". NLB. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
15. "Lau Siew Mei". NLB. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
16. Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985
17. "Search result from newspaper.sg". NewspaperSG. 9 August 1968.
18. "Search result from newspaper.sg". NewspaperSG. 8 October 1968.
19. "Sir George dies". NewspaperSG. 28 October 1968. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
20. "Singapore War Crimes Trials". www.singaporewarcrimestrials.com. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
21. "EX-MINISTER BRAGA DIES". NewspaperSG. 7 November 1968. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
22. "DSpace". scholarbank.nus.edu.sg. Retrieved 11 January 2025.