SG50
50 Years of Singapore Pride
EVENTS IN 1995-2004
1995
Under One Roof is aired into
Singaporean living rooms
Under One Roof was Singapore's first English sitcom. It is about the life of a Chinese family and their Malay and Indian neighbours, reflecting the ethnic diversity of Singapore. A total of 125 episodes were aired. It has been exported to many countries including Australia and has even been dubbed into French.
1996
The Singapore Art
Museum opens
The Singapore Art Museum opened on the 20th of January 1996. The museum was formerly the campus of St. Joseph's Institution. Restoration works on the building took more that two years at the cost of S$30 million. It was the host of the 2011 Singapore Biennale.
1997
MI 185 crashes
SilkAir Flight MI 185 crashed into the Musi River near Palembang, Indonesia, killing 104. No complete remains were found as the plane disintegrated upon crashing. US investigators showed that the pilot attempted suicide, while Indonesian investigations blamed a faulty wing part.
1998
Money No Enough opens
Money No Enough is a film by actor-director Jack Neo. It revolves around three friends who run into financial difficulties when they start a car polishing business together. The filmed earned S$5.8 million, making it the highest-grossing Singaporean film until 2012.
1999
SR Nathan becomes Singapore's
new President
SR Nathan became Singapore's second electod President in 1999. He was elected unopposed despite a poll by the Straits Times showing 80% of Singaporeans wanting a contest. He served two terms in office. He was also one of the government officials who accompanied the Laju hijackers in 1974 to the Middle East
2000
SQ 6 crashes on takeoff
On 31 October 2000, at 2317 Taipei time, Singapore Airlines SQ 6 crashed upon takeoff after striking construction equipment parked on the runway. The pilots were unaware of the equipment. The plane split into a few large pieces. Out of the 159 passengers, 83 died.
2001
15 terrorists are arrested for
a bomb plot
In 2001, the Internal Security Department arrested members of Jemaah Islamiyah, a jihadi organisation, on grounds that they wanted to attack embassies in Singapore. The masterminds confessed that they wanted to attack US Navy personnel at Yishun MRT. One of the members of JI was Mas Selamat.
2002
The Esplanade opens
The Esplanade was originally a suggestion of President Ong Teng Cheong in the late-1980s, but it was revisited in the mid-1990s. The Esplanade was completed in February 2001 and officially opened on 12 October 2002. It is one of the biggest art centres in South-East Asia.
2003
SARS Outbreak
2004
Nicoll Highway Collapse
On 20 April 2004, Nicoll Highway collapsed due to tunnelling works for the Circle Line. There was a 30m hole left at the former site of the highway. Four people were killed and three were injured. One of the victims was never found.