The following lists events that happened during 1971 in Singapore. Incumbents President: Yeoh Ghim Seng (Acting) (23 November 1970 to 2 January), Benjamin Henry Sheares (starting 2 January) Prime Minister: Lee Kuan Yew Events January 1 January – The Monetary Authority of Singapore was established to regulate the financial sector and as Singapore's central bank. 2 January – Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares becomes the second President of Singapore. 3 January – Jurong Bird Park opens to the public. 14–22 January - Singapore hosts the 18th Conference of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. 29 January – The Preservation of Monuments Board was established to identify and safeguard buildings of great historical value and recommend as national monuments. February 1 February – The National Sports Promotion Board is formed to promote and develop sports in Singapore. March 15 March – The Staff Training Institute (now the Civil Service College) is established to train civil servants. April 15–16 April - Singapore, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand sign the Five Power Defence Arrangements. The agreement comes into effect on 1 November the same year. 23 April - The Shangri-La Hotel Singapore is opened. The first Concept Plan is unveiled, which proposes a 'Ring Plan'. July 14 July – The Jurong Drive-in Cinema is opened as Singapore's first and only open-air drive-in cinema. The cinema operated for 15 years until its closure on 30 September 1985. 30 July – Singapore's first sex reassignment surgery is performed on a 24-year-old who becomes a woman after the surgery, led by Dr S. S. Ratnam. The surgery is declared a success. October 23 October – The Sentosa Satellite Earth Station is officially launched, making it Singapore's first Satellite Earth Station. 31 October – The last British military forces withdraws from Singapore. November 2 November – The Central Narcotics Bureau is set up to tackle the problem of drugs in Singapore. 7 November – The first Tree Planting Day is launched by Dr Goh Keng Swee in Mount Faber. December 1 December – The Singapore Traction Company ceases operations. 2 December – The Clean Air Act is passed to deal with pollution caused by early industrialisation. 29 December – The Gold Bars Triple Murders saw a gold merchant and his two employees robbed and killed by a group of 10 men. Seven of the 10 men were sentenced to death for the crime; the remaining three