The Old Ford Factory, formerly the assembly plant of the Ford Motor Company of Malaya, was also the actual site of the surrender of Singapore by the British Forces to the Japanese Imperial Army on 15 February 1942. First opened on 16 February 2006, it housed a permanent exhibition on the events and lives of people surrounding the Japanese Occupation.
The gallery is currently closed for renovations and will re-open on 15 February 2017. It will feature a revised exhibition storyline with a more holistic picture of the Japanese Occupation through the diverse experiences, perspectives and stories of various communities. There will also be a new focus on the legacies of war and its lasting impact on the people of Singapore, including the beginnings of nationhood. The exhibition will showcase items from the collections of National Archives of Singapore and National Library, such as emotive oral history accounts, archival records and documents, thereby creating greater awareness and appreciation of Singapore’s history and heritage, as well as the importance of national defence.
Click here to view the initiative.