Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong urged Singaporeans on Sunday to remain united and vigilant, recalling the country's fall to Japanese forces in World War II as a stark reminder that the nation must always defend itself "in today's divided and dangerous world."

In a Facebook post marking Total Defence Day, Wong said that February 15 also commemorates the day Singapore fell to invading Japan in 1942, ushering in what he described as a "dark chapter."

That experience, he said, left Singapore with a "hard but enduring lesson": no one else will defend the country, and its security depends on the collective will and resolve of its people.

Wong emphasized that although Singapore is small, its strength lies in unity and determination, urging citizens to stand together to protect their home and way of life for future generations.

During World War II, Japanese forces invaded Singapore after advancing down the Malay Peninsula, compelling British troops to surrender in February 1942. The subsequent Japanese occupation lasted more than three years and remains among the most traumatic periods in Singapore's history.

(Cover: A handout photo from Singapore's Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) shows Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong speaking at Goodwood Park Hotel in Singapore on November 7, 2025. /VCG)