CNA Special - The Albatross File (Part 2): How the separation happened

CNA Special

Singapore’s sudden independence on Aug 9,1965 shocked the nation - but Dr Goh Keng Swee’s “Albatross File” shows the split had been taking shape for months. Newly released oral history interviews with key figures, including Singapore’s first Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew, give an intimate look on what unfolded behind the scenes.

Producers Peh Yuxin and Clarisse Goh speak with the Ministry of Digital Development and Information Senior Adviser Janadas Devan to trace the political pressures and turning points that led to separation - all to tackle the big question: Was Singapore pushed out, or did it choose to leave?

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CNA Special - Bangkok’s Loneliest Gorilla: Final destination (Part 3)

A celebrity-backed campaign to free Bua Noi from her zoo in Bangkok has drawn global attention but the path forward is far from clear. In this final episode, CNA Correspondent Jack Board examines a difficult question: will freeing a long-captive gorilla offer her a better life, or will it expose her to new risks to her survival?

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CNA Special - Bangkok’s Loneliest Gorilla: Global wildlife trafficking (Part 2)

In this episode, CNA Correspondent Jack Board traces the global wildlife trafficking networks that move endangered animals across borders, often with little oversight. From Central Africa to enclosures in Asia and the Middle East, he examines the high profits and enduring demand driving the trade.

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CNA Special - Bangkok’s Loneliest Gorilla: A mall for a home (Part 1)

High above Bangkok, Thailand, a gorilla has spent nearly 40 years enclosed in zoo on roof of a shopping mall. Once a popular attraction, Bua Noi now lives a life peppered by the occasional tourist visit. CNA Correspondent Jack Board explores a decades-long battle over whether the primate should be left in her concrete home or set free back to the wild.

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CNA Special - Kwa Geok Choo: Shelter in the storm of separation

Singapore’s split from Malaysia is often told as a political story of a short-lived union. But in the background was another, quieter partnership - between Singapore’s founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and his wife, Kwa Geok Choo. What role did the famously private Mdm Kwa play? In this special standalone episode, we hear her for the first time in her own words, through recently released oral history tapes.Credit: From the oral history interview of Kwa Geok Choo (Accession No 000118, Track No 32), oral history interview of Devan Nair (Accession Number 000049, Track 25) and oral history of Lee Kuan Yew (Accession Number 000080, Track 82), Oral History Centre, National Archives of Singapore.The Albatross File: Singapore’s Independence Declassified is a permanent exhibition at Level 10 of the National Library Building. Admission is free but visitors have to make a booking at https://thealbatrossfile.nlb.gov.sg/

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