President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has congratulated the Government and people of the Republic of Singapore on the auspicious occasion commemorating the 51^st Independence Anniversary, also known as its National Day, of that country.

The National Day of Singapore is celebrated each year on August 9 to commemorate the day in 1965 when Singapore gained independence from Malaysia and Yusof bin Ishak sworn in as its first President.

Singapore declared independence from Britain in August 1963. It joined the Federation of Malaysia in September 1963 after the 1962 Merger Referendum of Singapore. Singapore left the federation two years later and gained its own sovereignty.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, in her message to the President of the Republic of Singapore, His Excellency Mr. Tony Tan Keng Yam, President Sirleaf extended warmest congratulations on behalf of the Government and people of Liberia, and in her own name, to the Government and people of Singapore on the occasion of the celebration of Singapore’s 51^st Independence Anniversary.

The Liberian leader further stressed that as the people of Singapore commemorate this joyous and historic occasion, she looks forward to strengthening the excellent bilateral cooperation existing between the two countries in short-term trainings through the Singapore Cooperation Program.

She also prayed that the Almighty God will endow President Tony Tan Keng Yam with abundant wisdom and strength as he leads his compatriots to greater prosperity.