The national anthem of Singapore, "Majulah Singapura" (meaning "Onward Singapore"), is a musical expression of Singapore's identity as a nation¹. It was composed in 1958 by the late Encik Zubir Said¹². The anthem echoes the enduring hope and spirit of Singaporeans for progress¹⁴.

The song was originally written as an official song for the City Council of Singapore to commemorate the newly renovated Victoria Theatre¹. It was first played by the Singapore Chamber Ensemble and performed again on 3 December 1959 as Singapore's National Anthem¹.

The lyrics had to be simple and understandable for all the races in Singapore¹. In 1959, when Singapore was searching for an anthem, Dr Toh Chin Chye expressed interest in Encik Zubir Said’s composition, but requested the composer to make some changes¹. The anthem had to be brief, to the point, and easy to remember and sing¹. Dr Toh also wanted the anthem to be in Malay, as this is the indigenous language of the region¹.

In response to Dr Toh's feedback, Encik Zubir Said made adjustments to shorten the lyrics of the original City Council song and tweaked its melody to create the National Anthem that we sing today¹.

On 19 January 2001, a re-orchestrated version of "Majulah Singapura" was launched to make the anthem more accessible to all Singaporeans¹. It was re-arranged by local composer and Cultural Medallion winner, Mr Phoon Yew Tien, in the musical key of F¹. This arrangement was chosen as it was deemed "grander and more inspiring" and has remained the official version of the Anthem ever since¹.

In 2019, to commemorate the National Symbols’ 60th anniversary, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) re-recorded the Anthem¹. It retained Encik Zubir Said’s original lyrics and Mr Phoon Yew Tien’s arrangement, recognising the Anthem’s enduring and unifying qualities¹. The updated recording is of a higher quality, allowing Singaporeans to better appreciate the nuances of the music arrangement, especially in larger venues and modern sound systems¹.

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