among the colonial institutions that Singapore inherited with independence on 9 August 1965 wasthe Raffle Museum , establish in 1849. it move to its present building with its iconic dome (now a gazetted historic building in 1887 and became a repository of colonial knowledge of the natural history , ethnography and archaeology of the Malay world especially the peninsula. But the people action Party government had other more pressing priority for Singapore's economic,political and security survival in 1965 than deciding on the future of and old colonial museum. it was only in 1984, with Singapore survival assured, that the government stared to reflect with confidence on Singapore past in a major exhibition on 25 years of nationhood since 1959. Concurrently, the old ruffle Museum , now renamed the national museum , started installed the new series on exhibits tracing Singapore's journey to nationhood.