Celebrating 100 years of connections through the Causeway

Speech by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, at the launch of “The Causeway: A Century of Connections” on 28 June 2024

1. Good afternoon and thank you for joining us at the National Heritage Board’s travelling exhibition The Causeway: A Century of Connections. 
2. Selamat Petang Dato’ Onn Hafiz. Thank you very much for joining us today. I am very privileged and honoured that you and your team have come to grace today’s exhibition. This is also a very significant occasion to celebrate not just the Causeway, but also our shared convictions and shared histories. 
3. Exactly 100 years ago on 28 June 1924, it was opened by the Governor of the Straits Settlements Sir Laurence Guillemard and Sultan Ibrahim of Johor.
4. Today, the Causeway is not just one of the busiest land border crossings in the world. It has since become a very significant and monumental part of Singapore and Malaysia’s built history. 
5. But perhaps even more important than just a land crossing, it is a reminder of the profound shared connections that bind our countries together. 
   
   A Connection of Kinship and Friendship 
   
6.  The Causeway is symbolic of the kinship and friendship between our two countries. Amidst the ebbs and flows of the Straits of Johor, the Causeway has been a constant current, witnessing numerous people to people interactions over the years.
7. We hear of everyday stories. We all have our own special memories of the Causeway. Everyday stories of men and women who use the Causeway to commute to work and back home again. Of students who cross the Causeway daily for another day of school, another day of learning. And of course, not to forget, the joyous reunions of family and friends during festivities like Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, or Deepavali.
8. Beyond a pathway for vehicles, the Causeway has given us a pathway towards kinship and friendship, where the hearts of our people beat together, and where we come to realise that in many ways on both sides of the Causeway, we are more similar than different.
   
   A Connection of Shared History 
9.  The Causeway has witnessed momentous events in our histories. It was first built when Singapore was part of the Straits Settlements, and it was an engineering marvel of its, time linking us and the Malay Peninsula.
10. Then at the time, like a bridge over troubled waters, the Causeway was blown up by the British as part of their retreat during World War II. It was subsequently reconnected with a smaller girder bridge that saw it through the tumultuous period of the Japanese Occupation.
11. After the war, the Causeway mirrored the rapid growth of both our countries. It had to be widened several times. At that time, it was single-laned. It is now widened to facilitate flows so that we do not have too much of a Causeway jam.
    
    A Connection of Growth and Development 
12.  The Causeway is a key linkway that connects us through all these years of growth and development of both our countries. From the early days when Malaya was a key exporter of commodities such as tin and rubber, and when Singapore was a key trading post.
13. Today, the Causeway is a conduit of trade and commerce, enabling the cross-border exchanges of people, goods, investments, and of goodwill. It has also laid the firm foundation for upcoming projects such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, bringing our two countries even closer together.
    
    The Causeway: A Century of Connections
14.  Indeed, the Causeway has become a symbol of the innumerable connections and deep abiding ties that bind Singapore and Malaysia. And it is now fitting for us to celebrate, appreciate and reflect on all the Causeway has borne witness to over the last 100 years.
15. The travelling exhibition, with its unique design reminiscent of the old immigration checkpoints and booths, uncovers some of these tales. In doing so, it illustrates how personal and prolific our connections are. 
16. Woven together, the stories depicted paint a picture of the evolution of the Causeway, with photos from the archives of both Malaysian and Singaporean institutions. Together, they narrate the journey of the Causeway. They show us how its fate continues to be inextricably intertwined with Singaporeans and Malaysians.
17. I’m happy to share that the exhibition will later travel to other parts of Singapore, sharing with more Singaporeans the role the Causeway plays in telling both our nations’ shared history and ties.
    
    Conclusion
18.  As we look forward to the 60th anniversary of Singapore and Malaysia’s diplomatic relations next year, let us first treasure the 100 years of connections that were forged with the construction of the Causeway. These are all very treasured memories and the Causeway milestone is a timely reminder and a very significant one.
19. Let me once again thank Dato’ for taking the time to join us today. Your presence here is very meaningful and truly special to myself and my colleagues in Singapore.
20. May the Causeway continue to embody the spirit of friendship and partnership that defines our bilateral ties and relations, and to offer shared opportunities and for future generations of Singaporeans and Malaysians to build shared memories, and further the legacy of the Causeway that is symbolic of our strong enduring relationship.
21. Thank you.