The Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum at the National University of Singapore is a leading biodiversity research and education centre in Asia. The Museum has its roots in the Raffles Library and Museum which was started in 1874 and currently houses over a million specimens, mostly from Southeast Asia. By virtue of Singapore’s position in the Straits Settlements and later as a British Crown Colony, the Museum has been at the centre of zoological research in the region for over a century. The Museum has retained its very close research links with other biodiversity research centres in the region and continues to actively explore, describe and document the rich plant and animal life of Southeast Asia and nearby areas. To celebrate these partnerships, the museum is launching an inaugural virtual exhibition entitled ‘ASEANA obscura’ which features the lesser-known but equally important animals of the ASEAN region (Association of Southeast Asian Nations).