Although countless sets of bones are already buried under the podium, it is most probable that they might represent only a fraction of the civilian victims massacred whose number might be 5 or 10 times greater. No one can list all our multi-racial compatriots who were killed in the massacre. They deserve to be posthumously honoured as loyal, brave, virtuous and righteous men who have sacrificed their lives long before the independence of Singapore and should thus be enshrined in the spiritual foundation of the country. This Memorial stands to prove that the people of Singapore were able to hold their own together in adversity and it also signifies their ever-readiness to share the common prosperity of the country in future. Let this Memorial echo the voice of the people of Singapore.
War is evil.
Peace is sacred. The big and the strong nations want to live, so do the small and weak ones. The big and strong ones who oppress the small and weak ones will never escape condemnation and punishment on the final judgement of history. However, the best policy is to redress grievances amicably and not to generate enmity. The people of Singapore are always with the peoples of the world, including the people of Japan, who are peace-loving and who oppose aggression, imperialism and colonialism.