Singapore
"Majulah Singapura" (Onward Singapore)

Words by: Zubir Said
Music by: Zubir Said
Adopted: 1965

The National Anthem was written in the wake of nationalism during 1956-57. Its composer and author, Zubir Said, had written it on the basis of two words, "Majulah Singapura" or "Onward Singapore" (the national motto). The patriotic song was first performed on December 3, 1959, at the installation of the new head of state and the introduction of the state (later national) flag. The anthem was used as a state song within Malaysia, of which it was a part, and was adopted as a national anthem in 1965 upon independence.

In 2000, the anthem underwent a slight change in that the official arrangement was made more solemn and inspiring. The new version, arranged by Phoon Yew Tien, had its debut at the Victoria Concert Hal in November of that year and was officially unveiled in January, 2001.

Although Singapore has four official languages (Malay, English, Mandarin Chinese, and Tamil), the anthem is only to be sung in the original Malay lyrics, not any translation. (As such, the English translation is presented here, as on other anthem pages, as a guide for reader comprehension only.)