Delve Into Singapore's Landmark Laws That Shaped Our Nation

Three of Singapore’s landmark laws – the Citizenship Ordinance, the Women’s Charter, the Employment Act – now feature in new NLB exhibition

Singapore, 4 July 2024 – About seven decades ago, the identity and legal status of Singapore citizens did not exist, wives in Singapore were not treated as equal partners in marriage, and Singapore’s archaic employment laws were unsuited for a modern industrial economy. But all this changed with the introduction of three laws which will be featured in a refreshed exhibition by the National Library Board (NLB).

Opening to the public tomorrow (5 July 2024), the “Laws of Our Land: Foundations of a New Nation” exhibition puts a spotlight on the Citizenship Ordinance, the Women’s Charter, and the Employment Act. Through the 37 artefacts on display and new interactive features that will allow visitors to engage with characters such as a girl servant also known as mui tsai and a citizen voter in the 1959 general elections, visitors will learn about the historical circumstances that led to the passing of these laws.

The 37 artefacts are from the collections of the National Archives of Singapore (NAS), the National Library (NL) and partner institutions¹, and includes the Supreme Court’s copies of these laws with original signatures of the Head of State. Visitors can also look forward to other digital elements in the exhibition, including interactive games, a digital rack of union magazines, and video screenings of key moments in Singapore’s journey to nationhood.

The exhibition is located at the former Chief Justice’s Chamber and Office in the Supreme Court Wing of National Gallery Singapore, the same historic space that housed NLB’s previous exhibition, “Law of the Land: Highlights of Singapore's Constitutional Documents” which explored the history of Singapore’s constitutional development from a British settlement to a sovereign republic. The space was offered to NLB by National Gallery Singapore and hosted the exhibition from October 2016 to January 2024. NLB is pleased to continue this partnership with National Gallery Singapore to present the refreshed exhibition, “Laws of Our Land: Foundations of a New Nation”.

NLB’s Chief Executive Officer Ng Cher Pong said: “As the key memory institution in Singapore, NLB aims to make history, including on the nation’s landmark laws, accessible to the wider public through this exhibition. This is in line with our LAB25 (Libraries and Archives Blueprint 2025) goal to be Singapore’s Storyteller, to bring more areas of our history to light and to inspire more to be storytellers too.”

Admission to the exhibition is free for all visitors. National Gallery Singapore is open daily from 10am to 7pm. Please visit https://www.nationalgallery.sg/admissions for more information. Visitors can also participate in guided tours of the exhibition.