One of Singapore’s most foremost visionaries, S. Rajaratnam (1915-2006), the ‘Ideas Man’, was best known for bringing visions to reality. A founding member of the People’s Action Party, Singapore’s first Minister for Culture and the first Minister for Foreign Affairs, he took office during a tumultuous period in Singapore’s history. He once declared that his contributions were ‘abstract’. These contributions, such as shaping a national identity and putting Singapore on the world map, continue to exert concrete influence in Singapore today. Bringing together materials from various agencies, this exhibition aims to provide a clearer glimpse into a monumental figure.

This exhibition is organised by the National Library of Singapore in conjunction with the launch of The Singapore Lion: A Biography of S. Rajaratnam by Member of Parliament (Tampines GRC), Irene Ng, and with the strong support from Singapore Press Holdings Limited, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, National Archives of Singapore, National Museum of Singapore and MediaCorp Pte Ltd.