'Battleship' telegram put in LKY exhibition

This article is more than 12 months old

Apr 10, 2015 06:00 am

New speeches and personal items, including the "battleship" telegram, will be added to an exhibition on Mr Lee Kuan Yew from today, the National Museum of Singapore said yesterday.

They will be showcased at the ongoing In Memoriam: Lee Kuan Yew exhibition at the National Museum of Singapore.

Mr Lee had sent the telegram with the cryptic message 'ARRIVING TODAY BATTLESHIP' on Sept 26, 1958, to his family while he was in Sibu, Sarawak.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong came across the old telegram when he was going through the late Mr Lee's items.

In a Facebook post on April 6, PM Lee said no one knew what the telegram meant until his father returned home to explain that he wanted to have steam boat for dinner, but used the word "battleship" instead of two words "steam boat" to save telegram word costs.

The exhibition is open from 10am to 8pm from Sunday to Thursday, and from 10am to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. It runs until May 24, and admission is free.