PRESS RELEASE

LAUNCH OF SINGAPORE PHILATELIC MUSEUM’S “THE SINGAPORE JOURNEY: 50 YEARS THROUGH STAMPS” EXHIBITION AND SINGAPORE POST’S “50 STAMPS FOR 50 YEARS" COMMEMORATIVE FOLDER IN CELEBRATION OF SINGAPORE’S GOLDEN JUBILEE (SG50)

Singapore, 20 July 2015 – Singapore Philatelic Museum (SPM) celebrates Singapore’s

Golden Jubilee with the launch of a special exhibition titled, "The Singapore Journey: 50 Years

Through Stamps", that will be held from 21 July 2015 to 31 July 2016. Singapore Post

(SingPost), as the national postal services provider and sponsor of this exhibition, also

launches a limited edition "50 Stamps for 50 Years" Commemorative Folder in celebration of

SG50.

The "Singapore Journey: 50 Years Through Stamps" exhibition traces the birth of Singapore

as an independent nation in 1965, the challenges that it faced in areas such as public housing,

industrialisation, defence and racial harmony; its achievements like the ‘City in a Garden’

concept and its world-class maritime and aviation hubs; as well as the development of sports,

culture and the arts, that has bound the nation.

The exhibition is unique in several ways:

It is the largest showcase of Singapore stamps and other philatelic artefacts to be put

together by the museum – over 240 philatelic items (stamps, first day covers, slogan

cancellation covers, numismatic covers, postcards and presentation packs).

Visitors will, for the first time, be able to view the original artworks behind 66 of the

stamps that had been issued by Singapore.

Rare items from the Singapore’s Philatelic Archival Collection will be on display,

including:

o The original artwork of the first stamp to be issued by the Republic, in 1966.

o A 4”x 5” large format positive sheet film of Singapore’s first National Day

Parade in 1966. The image is featured on the 1967 National Day stamp issue.

The transparency will be displayed in the form of a lightbox and will be

accompanied by the original soundtrack and commentary of the 1966 National

Day Parade.

o A printing plate of the 1999 stamp that features the first President of Singapore,

Inche Yusof bin Ishak. The plate was engraved by Swedish master engraver,

Czeslaw Slania. The late Slania is reputed to be the most prolific of all stamp-

engravers, with over 1,000 stamps to his name.

Rare items from SPM’s Collection including:

o A First Day Cover dated 9 August 1969, bearing the “150th Anniversary of the

Founding of Singapore” stamp issue, that was addressed to then Prime

Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, at the Prime Minister’s Office.

o A printing error (missing perforations) of the 1991 “National Monuments Series”

mint sheet of stamps featuring the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque.

o A 1982 First Day Cover of the “15th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting” stamp series

that was autographed by the Foreign Ministers of the then five-member ASEAN

(comprising Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand).

The cover was donated by Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore’s Ambassador-at-

Large.

The exhibition has several interactive multimedia features that were designed by a team of

students from the School of Interactive & Digital Media, Nanyang Polytechnic. One such

unique feature enables visitors to bring home a ‘stamp’ which they can download onto their

mobile phones from a ‘vending machine’.

Ms Tresnawati Prihadi, General Manager, SPM, says, “This exhibition is our museum’s way of

sharing Singapore’s journey over the past 50 years with Singaporeans and foreign visitors

alike. Our storytelling is done through stamps. Though small in size, they speak volumes of

stories from yesteryears, and our shared history and heritage. We hope the exhibits on display

will bring back fond memories for many, and further inspire us to continue to do our best for

our nation, just as the generations before us have done to make Singapore what she is today.”

SingPost’s "50 Stamps for 50 Years" Commemorative Folder

At the exhibition, SingPost will also be launching a limited edition “50 Stamps for 50 Years”

Commemorative Folder. The folder comprises a MyStamp sheet of 50 specially-selected

stamps from "The Singapore Journey: 50 Years Through Stamps" exhibition.

Mr Woo Keng Leong, Senior Executive Vice President and Head of Postal Services at

SingPost, added, "This is a very special commemorative folder as it tells the Singapore Story

over the past 50 years in stamps succinctly and beautifully. The folder is one of the highlights

of SingPost's celebration of SG50. It also commemorates our strong and long partnership with

SPM."

The “50 Stamps for 50 Years" Commemorative Folder will be available for sale at all Post

Offices from 21 July 2015, at a special price of $53.50 until 30 September 2015 (Usual price

$88).

Let’s Paint Singapore @ South West

The museum is also partnering the South West Community Development Council (South West

CDC) to reproduce some of the stamps from “The Singapore Journey: 50 Years Through

Stamps” exhibition, as part of Let’s Paint Singapore @ South West project, a SG50

community project. The mural painting will be located at the HDB blocks in the Boon Lay

Division of the West Coast GRC. The CDC will be inviting members of the community, artists,

government and private organisations, volunteers and residents, to paint the mural. The

mural will be unveiled on 26 July 2015 by Mr Lawrence Wong (Minister for Culture,

Community and Youth & Second Minister for Ministry of Communications and Information),

and Ms Low Yen Ling (Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Social and Family Development &

Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and Mayor, South West District) at the void deck of

Block 667B Jurong West Street 65.

Please refer to the attached fact sheet on “The Singapore Journey: 50 Years Through Stamps”

exhibition and “50 Stamps for 50 Years” Commemorative Folder for more information.

Details of The Singapore Journey: 50 Years Through Stamps

Venue: Singapore Philatelic Museum

23-B Coleman Street, Singapore 179807

Date: 21 July 2015 – 31 July 2016

Opening hours: Monday (1.00pm - 7.00pm);

Tuesday - Sunday (9.30am - 7.00pm)

Admission charge: Admission to the exhibition is free. Usual museum admission charges

apply.

Free admission for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents

Adult $6

Child (3 – 12 years) $4

Tel: 63373888

Website: www.spm.org.sg

Acknowledgements

Singapore Philatelic Museum would like to thank the following individuals and organisations

for supporting the exhibition.

Sponsors

Major Sponsor - Singapore Post Limited

Singapore Press Holdings Limited

Partners

Nanyang Polytechnic, School of Interactive & Digital Media

Singapore Post Limited

- End –

ABOUT SINGAPORE PHILATELIC MUSEUM Singapore Philatelic Museum showcases Singapore’s philatelic heritage and postal artefacts since the Straits Settlements era. Throughout the year, the museum organises changing exhibitions that feature rare collections of world-class philatelists, and contemporary collections that explore heritage and cultures of Singapore and beyond. The museum also hosts a range of educational activities including guided tours, camps, talks and workshops. The mission of the Singapore Philatelic Museum is to stimulate interest in philately. The museum is a fully-owned subsidiary of National Heritage Board. It has Institution of Public Character (IPC) Status from 14 July 2012 to 13 July 2015. ABOUT SINGAPORE POST LIMITED Singapore Post (SingPost) is the leading provider of mail, logistics and ecommerce solutions in Singapore and the Asia Pacific region, with operations in more than 10 countries. As Singapore’s national postal service provider, SingPost offers trusted communications through domestic and international postal services as well as end-to-end integrated mail solutions covering letter shopping, delivery and mailroom management, among others. For over 150 years, SingPost has been delivering a trusted and reliable service to customers and businesses in Singapore. As part of its transformation, SingPost has been steadily expanding beyond Singapore, leveraging its regional platform Quantium Solutions and other subsidiaries and partners. With its regional network and infrastructure, SingPost offers fully integrated ecommerce logistics solutions covering the four areas of freight, customs & regulations management, warehousing & fulfilment, last mile delivery & returns, as well as ecommerce web services, to its customers.

SingPost was listed on the Main Board of the Singapore Exchange in 2003 and is a constituent stock of various main global benchmark indices - FTSE All-World Index Series, FTSE All-World Minimum Variance Index, FTSE All-World High Dividend Yield Index, FTSE RAFI Index Series, FTSE Global Infrastructure Index Series and FTSE ST Index Series. It has a strong credit rating of ’A/Stable/NR’ by Standard & Poor’s. SingPost won the World Mail Award for Retail Customer Access in 2015, ecommerce, 2014 and People Management, 2013. SingPost also gained international acclaim when it was bestowed the Service Provider of the Year award by Postal Technology International in 2014 and 2012. SingPost is the only company to win to the Universal Postal Union’s EMS Cooperative award for its Speedpost courier service every year since 2001.

FACT SHEET THE SINGAPORE JOURNEY: 50 YEARS THROUGH STAMPS Venue: Singapore Philatelic Museum

23-B Coleman Street, Singapore 179807 Date: 21 July 2015 – 31 July 2016 Opening hours: Monday (1.00pm - 7.00pm);

Tuesday - Sunday (9.30am - 7.00pm) Admission charge: Free admission for Singaporeans and Permanent Residents

Adult $6 Child (3 – 12 years) $4

Tel: 63373888 Website: www.spm.org.sg Singapore stamps document the growth of the nation, archiving trials, tribulations, achievements and aspirations. Journey through 50 years of our nation’s progress with specially selected stamps, philatelic materials and rarely seen original stamp artworks. Let these remarkable treasures tell you the story of Singapore in a way only they can. Highlights of the exhibition are:

The original artwork of the first stamp to be issued by Republic, in 1966

A printing plate of the 1999 stamp that features the first President of Singapore, Inche Yusof

bin Ishak. The plate was engraved by Swedish master engraver, Czeslaw Slania. The late

Slania is reputed to be the most prolific of all stamp-engravers, with over 1,000 stamps to his

name.

Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection

A First Day Cover dated 9 August 1969, bearing the “150th Anniversary of the Founding of Singapore” stamp issue, that was addressed to then Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, at the Prime Minister Office

A printing error (missing perforations) of the 1991 “National Monuments Series” mint sheet of stamps featuring the Abdul Gaffoor Mosque.

A 1982 First Day Cover of the “15th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting” stamp series that was autographed by the Foreign Ministers of the then five- member ASEAN. The cover was donated by Prof. Tommy Koh, Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large

School Programmes World of Stamps Do you know that every stamp tells a story? Young children will learn about Singapore’s heritage, culture, and significant events captured on stamps. Level: K1 – K2 Duration: 1 hour Charge: $7.00 per person The Singapore Story This National Education directed programme teaches pupils about Singapore’s history, heritage and culture that have been captured on stamps. It shows pupils the importance of remembering the past, and how the past has shaped the present. Level: Pri 3 – Pri 6 Duration: 2 hours Charge: $7.00 per person Singapore In Stamps This programme takes students through the beginnings of postage stamps and extraordinary printing materials used in creating unusual stamps. Students will learn about significant events and milestones in Singapore’s history that are captured on stamps. Level: Sec 1 – Sec 4 Duration: 2 hours Charge: $7.00 per person Teachers can contact Lily Samuel, Senior Manager, Education & Programmes at Tel: 6513 7347 (DID); 6337 3888 or Email: Lily_Samuel@nhb.gov.sg for details and bookings. Public Programmes Stamp designing activities During museum open house days, families and children will be able to design a ‘stamp’. An optional activity includes having the design as part of a MyStamp. (Charges apply at $22.50 per MyStamp sheet). Check www.spm.org.sg for dates and details.

FACT SHEET “50 STAMPS FOR 50 YEARS" COMMEMORATIVE FOLDER Cover

Inner Page with MyStamp Sheet

Price: S$88 Special Price: S$53.50 (Valid till 30th Sept 2015)