Ministry of Interior and Defence

The Ministry of Interior and Defence of Singapore was set up in 1965, with Dr. Goh Keng Swee as the first Minister. The Ministry was responsible for both internal and external security, controlling both the Police Force and the Armed Forces.

As the differences between the police and armed forces became more defined, the Ministry was eventually split into the current Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home Affairs in 1970.

A legacy of the Ministry can be found in vehicle registration plates bearing "MID", belonging to the present day Singapore Armed Forces.