From Sojourners to Citizens – A Journey of Belonging

Speech by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, for the Launch of the SCCCI Roving Exhibition "Sojourners to Citizens: The Citizenship Journey" on 7 April 2025

1. This morning, we are gathered to launch the exhibition "Sojourners to Citizens: The Citizenship Journey”. It honours a pivotal chapter in our rich history.
2. Singapore is 60 this year, and in our short history, we have seen many milestones, and this represents one of the first of those many milestones.

A Glimpse of 1957

3. But first, allow me to take you back to November 1st, 1957. Outside this building, a very anxious crowd awaits. In their hands, they hold application forms – they probably filled it up very carefully. Many are in fact also dressed in their best attire for this special occasion – you can see the photographs in the exhibitions later on.
4. As the doors to 47 Hill Street open, they enter – some go in alone, others with their family members. When they emerge, their outward appearance looks the same, but inside, something has changed, quite fundamentally.
5. This is because November 1st marked the first day of Operation Franchise – the implementation of the Singapore Citizenship Ordinance.
6. For these men and women, and their families, queuing and waiting for their turn, they entered the building as sojourners and strangers. But when they left, they left as citizens of Singapore.
7. The origins of that day trace back to the early 20th century. Singapore was a bustling entrepôt. Migrants arrived from various parts of Asia, with dreams of a better future.
8. They worked hard, they toiled in plantations, they built businesses, and overall as a group, they contributed immensely to the economic and cultural prosperity of our island.
9. Yet, despite this dedication and commitment to Singapore, they remained stateless, without the rights and recognition that come with citizenship.
10. The Singapore Citizenship Ordinance fundamentally changed that by creating a legal status of ‘Singapore Citizen’, distinct from ethnic or colonial identities.
11. And it also established clear criteria that allowed long-term residents— those who had lived here for at least 8 years — to become citizens.

SCCCI's Pivotal Role

12. The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry played a crucial role in this very historic turning point. They tirelessly lobbied the British colonial government. They pushed for citizenship to be extended to Chinese migrants who had sunk their roots here and made Singapore their home.
13. This very building where we are now today became the epicentre of that mass registration, supported by various clans and associations.
14. Night after night, day after day, in late 1957, it was filled with individuals who came forward, having waited many years, some even decades, for the chance to belong. To belong to Singapore, to become a citizen of Singapore.
15. But beyond just integrating the Chinese community, the Chamber’s efforts promoted the principle that being Singaporean should be an active choice and commitment available to all, regardless of race, language, or religion.
16. This set the stage for Singapore to emerge as an independent, multicultural nation. Nearly a decade later, in 1965, the National Registration Act allowed almost a million people to register and receive their pink ICs.
17. Because of the precedent set by the 1957 ordinance, they did so not as British subjects or as Malaysians, but exclusively as citizens of Singapore.

SCCCI’s Contributions Today

18. Today, the Chamber has continued to contribute immensely to Singapore’s development. Via initiatives like GlobalConnect@SCCCI, it serves as a bridge for businesses in Singapore and China, opening the door for local enterprises to expand into new markets.
19. Through scholarships, it also supports outstanding students of all races to pursue their aspirations and meet their potential.
20. And it continues to promote the vibrancy of our special Singapore Chinese culture, by organising shared experiences, such as the annual River Hongbao festivities.
21. Today’s exhibition also demonstrates the parallels between the stories of our pioneers, and the experiences of immigrants in Singapore today.
22. For many of us, it is a reminder that our forefathers were once newcomers too. Just like them, immigrants today continue to enhance and enrich our society. They contribute to our economy, they strengthen our community.
23. Some may even choose to become citizens themselves, making a journey of their own from sojourner to Singaporean.

The Significance of Citizenship

24. That transformative moment back in 1957 reminds us that citizenship is more than just about filing some papers and gaining some permits. With citizenship, our first citizens gained not just rights — they gained a sense of identity and a stake in this land, that we call Singapore.
25. Beyond benefits, citizenship also comes with responsibilities to care for other Singaporeans, and to contribute to our shared future.
26. And indeed in 1957, our first citizens made that choice – to pledge ourselves as one united people, defined not by differences, but by a set of shared values of boldness, of multiculturalism, of resilience, and openness.
27. As Singaporeans today, all of us, we inherit that choice: to step up, and to shape the future of Singapore and the future of Singaporeans tomorrow.
28. This year, we celebrate SG60 — six decades of independence built on the efforts and sacrifices of all who came before us.
29. But to me, SG60 is more than a celebration, more than a milestone. It is an opportunity for every Singaporean to reflect on where we have been, how far we have come, what our forefathers built for us, and to renew our belief in the kind of future we want to build.
30. Earlier on, Mr Kho, President of SCCCI, said (in his speech) – how do we honour the legacy of our forefathers who have come before us, built the foundations for us we enjoy today.
31. I think we can honour that legacy by asking ourselves how do we make the next sixty years, the next 100 years, 200 years, even better for Singaporeans as they have done for us. And if we keep thinking like this, to think of improving Singapore at each step, generation after generation, then I think Singapore will continue to prosper and thrive in a new age.
32. Coming back to today’s exhibition, it has a focus on the struggle for citizenship – quite rightly so. It is a part of our national reflection. It is part of how we are defined today.
33. It reminds us of the legacy of our forefathers – the challenges they faced, the choices that they made, and their contributions to nation-building.
34. As the saying goes, “前事不忘, 后事之师” – by remembering our past, we gain wisdom for the future. We look back to learn the lessons to guide us as we navigate the coming years.
35. That is why we are launching Project Citizens – The First Million – an initiative under the Founders’ Memorial. Like ‘Sojourners to Citizens’, Project Citizens will include pop-up exhibitions, which will travel around the island, capturing the stories of Singapore’s founding generation.
36. SG60 initiatives like these aim to inspire a new generation of Singaporeans to learn, to raise awareness, to experience for themselves, and to share in the spirit of our pioneers. I encourage all of you to bring your family, your friends to experience them firsthand.

Conclusion

37. To conclude, please allow me to say a few words in Mandarin:
38. 高泉庆会长，总商会的理事们，各位来宾。大家早上好。
39. 非常荣幸受邀请主持今天这非常有意义的开幕礼。
40. 除了感谢总商会举办“落地生根：公民权之旅”展览，我也必须表扬总商会在过去 的六十年，在我国的社会发展扮演的重要角色和显著的贡献。
41. 展览对我们社会有重大的意义。
42. 每当我们回顾新加坡的建国历程，都会加深我们的国家认同感。
43. 先辈的付出为我们打造了国家的基础，我们要传承他们的精神，为新加坡的未来发 展努力。
44. As I conclude this morning, it is my real pleasure and honour, on behalf of everyone here, to declare this exhibition open.
45. May you find inspiration in these halls as you look at the photographs, read about the history, and learn about how Singapore has come to be. I think when we look at our past, we understand the struggles and the sacrifices that our forefathers have made for us to be here today. We will more deeply appreciate the role that we have and responsibilities that we shoulder to pass it on and look after it carefully, and to make Singapore even brighter for tomorrow’s generation.
46. May we continue the work of our pioneers to build a better Singapore.
47. Thank you.