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Definitive leadership strategy for fixing the American economy, drawn from Gallup’s unmatched global polling and written by the company’s chairman.
Singapore (From Third World to First): The Singapore Story - 1965-2000
Singapore: A Biography
Lee Kuan Yew: The Unofficial Biography
Lonely Planet Pocket Singapore (Travel Guide)
Singapore is a country which is small in
demographical area and wide in its economic status, in South East Asia. It is a
country blend with a variety of cultures as there are individuals from
countries like Malaysia, Chinese, Indian and Europe.
The most
important places to visit in Los Angeles are: Universal Studios Singapore,
Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Underwater World, Dolphin Lagoon, Jurong Bird
Park, Singapore Flyer, Segway, Tiger Sky tower, Cineblast, Singapore Discovery
and Centre & Army museum.
This video offers a lot of tips to help you plan the perfect vacation. If you want to save time and money, the most important Singapore travel tip is to compare prices before booking a hotel room or a flight.
About Singapore
This video offers a lot of tips to help you plan the perfect vacation. If you want to save time and money, the most important Singapore travel tip is to compare prices before booking a hotel room or a flight.
About Singapore
The city of Singapore is built around its harbour. Singapore is the busiest port in Southeast Asia. The city's tall buildings form an impressive skyline overlooking the harbour.
Chinese people form the majority of Singapore's population. Some Chinese people make colourful figures to celebrate the seventh-month festival.
The navy patrols in coastal waters and the South China
Sea. Its ships include missile-armed gun boats.
The Parliament building houses Singapore's legislature,
which has 81 members…
The navy patrols in coastal waters and the South China
Sea. Its ships include missile-armed gun boats.
Singapore's
Supreme Court consists of the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Court of
Criminal Appeal, and the Court of Criminal Appeal.
Deaf children attend special classes. Singapore has a highly developed social welfare
system for handicapped children.
Buddhist temples
serve
Singapore's Buddhists, most of whom belong to the Mahayana school of Buddhism.
The oldest Hindu temple in Singapore is Sri Mariamman Temple. It
is located on South Bridge Road.
A Chinese opera is staged in the Tiger Balm Gardens. Arts and
cultural festivals are encouraged by Singapore's Ministry of Community
Development, and other groups.
Singapore's port is the busiest in Southeast Asia. Small craft crowd the harbour, which
is visited each year by more than 30,000 vessels.
Older housing includes shophouses, which people use both as
residences and business quarters.
New public housing is provided by the Housing and Development Board. The Bishan West
Estate is strikingly modern.
The Clifford Centre is a waterfront development in Singapore.
Orchard Road is a beautiful street lined by fine buildings
in the central Singapore business district
Water pipelines from Malaysia carry water to Singapore.
Singapore is made up of one large island and 50 smaller
ones. Most of the land lies near sea level. About half of the land area is
built upon, but another 40 per cent is given over to open spaces such as parks.
Singapore's harbour, with its busy container port, dominates
Singapore's economy. It handles goods or raw materials from most of the
countries in the world, and operates both day and night.
Singapore's container port operates as fast at night as in the
daytime. The Taujong Pagar Terminal can unload and load a ship in less than
nine hours.
Container handling equipment is controlled by an advanced computerized
handling system.
Orchids grow in a commercial nursery at Mandai. Singapore
nurseries export orchids to Australia, Europe, Japan, and the United States.
Electronic products, including many types of telecommunications equipment, are manufactured
in Singapore.
Electrical products manufactured in Singapore form a major part of the country's exports.
The Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system has two lines and 42 stations, 15
of them underground. Each six-car electric train carries up to passengers.
Tiger Balm
Gardens have long been popular with tourists, who
admire the statues that depict Chinese myths and legends.
Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of modern Singapore, is commemorated by a statue on the site of
his 1819 landing on the bank of the Singapore River.
A Fragment
of the Singapore Stone, an
ancient monolith, is preserved in the National Museum.
Traditional
Malay houses are
raised on stilts above the water and connected by wooden walkways.
Singapore in 1835 was
visited by sailing ships, such as this East Indiaman, a merchant vessel
of the British East India Company.
European
settlement expanded in
the 183ffs, as Singapore city grew rapidly. The British built a Protestant
church, shown here in a print made in 1837.
The Padang in 1851 was
a meeting place for Europeans. They walked, played games, or listened to the
band.
Singapore waterfront in 1861 was
the scene of great activity. Singapore had 82,000 people and was becoming busier.
Singapore River in the early 1900's was
crammed with small boats.
Bullock
carts were used in
the early 1900's to carry goods handled by the growing port of Singapore.
Japanese
troops marched
through the streets of Singapore city, after their invasion and swift victory
in 1942.
Lee Kuan
Yew, seen here
addressing banquet guests in London, led Singapore to independence and
prosperity.
Important dates in Singapore
1819 Modern
Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles.
1822 Raffles
planned a new town.
1827 Serangoon
Road is built—the first road across Singapore island.
1830 Straits
Settlements, including Singapore, was put under control of British
administration in Bengal, India.
1859 Fort
Canning was built. The first ship repair dock was built by Captain William
Cloughton.
1867 Straits
Settlements became a British crown colony.
1869 The Suez
Canal was opened. In the next ten years, Singapore's shipping trade increased
by four times.
1877 William
Pickering was appointed protector of the Chinese.
1914 Johor was
the last Malay state to come under British control.
1923 A road
causeway linked Singapore with Johor Bahru in the Malay states.
1942 The
Japanese captured Singapore.
1946 Singapore
became a separate crown colony.
1959 Singapore
became self-governing, though Britain retained control of defence and foreign
affairs.
1963 Singapore
joined the Federation of Malaysia.
1965 Singapore
became a fully independent member of the Commonwealth of Nations.
1971 The last UK
troops left Singapore. Singapore joined a new defensive alliance with
Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.
Education. About
90 per cent of the people of Singapore can read and write. This is one of the highest
literacy rates in Southeast Asia. Children attend school from the age of 6,
and many continue until 16. Primary education is free for six years for all
children who are citizens of Singapore. Besides English, children also learn
one other official language. About 50 per cent are literate in two to three
languages. Colleges of higher education include the National University of
Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University, and several polytechnics.
Clothing. Singapore's
ethnic groups create a variety of cultures within the country. Most people wear
Western style clothing, but some Indians and Malays prefer their traditional
dress.
Food. Restaurants
in Singapore offer a variety of Chinese, Indian, and Malay dishes. Western
foods are also available, including American-style fast foods. The
larger hotels and restaurants also serve a variety of international foods
including Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese.
Culture. Art,
music, and theatre reflect the cultures of the various groups. Cultural events include
Chinese operas, Indian dancing, and Malay dramas. Performances by the
Singapore Symphony Orchestra are also popular. A festival of arts staged every
two years attracts international groups and artists to Singapore.
Singapore is a small island country in Southeast Asia.
It lies at the southern tip of the Malay
Peninsula where the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean meet. Singapore is
about 140 kilometres north of the equator. Singapore has an area of 639.1
square kilometres. It consists of a large island and more than 50 smaller
islands. The large island, which is also called Singapore, covers an area of
573 square kilometres. It is 42 kilometres long and 23 kilometres across at its
widest point. About half of the smaller islands of Singapore are uninhabited.
Some of the islands have been developed for recreation and tourism.
Singapore is a city-state (see
City-state). Almost all of Singapore is urbanized— that is, covered by
buildings or city facilities such as parks. Singapore is a crowded and bustling
centre of manufacturing, trade, and finance.
The main business and administrative
section of the city is on the main island. There are many modern buildings
which tower above the warehouses and docks of the port. Singapore is Southeast
Asia's main port, and the busiest port in the world in terms of shipping
tonnage. Singapore is one of the most prosperous countries in Asia. Its people
enjoy high standards of health, education, housing, transportation, and
telecommunications.
Government
Singapore is a republic. An 81-member,
one-house Parliament makes the country's laws. A prime minister and a cabinet
carry out the operations of government. A president serves as head of state.
The president has some controls over government finances and makes key civil
service appointments. Since 1993, the president has been directly elected by
the people to serve a six-year term. Elections are held every five years to
choose members of Parliament (MPs). Every citizen over 21 years of age can
vote. The president appoints as prime minister the MP who commands the
confidence of the majority of other members.
The government has a major role in
Singapore's economy. There are many official bodies which ensure the smooth
development of the economy. The government decides what benefits, such as
holidays and sick pay, must be provided for workers. A national pension or
provident fund provides social security. Employees and employers contribute
monthly to a central social security fund, managed by the government.
Political parties. Singapore's largest political party is the People's Action Party (PAP).
It came to power in 1959. From 1968 to 1981, the PAP held all the seats in
Parliament. Since 1981, it has held almost all the seats. There are more than
20 other registered political parties. In the 1988 elections, only 4 out of the
81 seats went to members of opposition parties. From September 1992, 6 new
Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) were appointed as opposition members.
Courts. The Supreme Court and lower courts, including district and magistrate's
courts, administer justice. The president, on the advice of the prime minister,
appoints eight judges to the Supreme Court.
Armed services. Singapore has about 55,000 people in its army, navy, and air force. A
further 200,000 people serve as reserves. Men aged 18 and over must serve from
2 to 2j years in the armed forces.
International relations. Singapore belongs to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
which also includes Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and
Thailand. See Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
People
Singapore is one of the world's most
densely populated countries. For the total population, see the Singapore
in brief table with this article. At the end of the 1980's, the population
was growing at 1.9 per cent a year. In the 1940's and 1950's, the birth rate
was over 4 per cent a year, one of the highest in the world. A birth control
campaign begun in the 1960's was so effective that the birth rate fell below
replacement level. The government now encourages families to have more than
two children if they can afford it. People below 15 years of age formed 23 per
cent of the population by 1990.
Most of Singapore's people are the
descendants of migrants who came from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India in
the 1800’s and early 1900’s. More than 75 per cent of the population are
Chinese. Malays make up about 15 per cent, and Indians 7 per cent. The rest are
mainly Eurasian. There are four official languages: English, Chinese
(Mandarin), Malay, and Tamil. Malay is the national language. English is the
language used in government and the main language used in schools and
colleges. Newspapers, and radio and television broadcasts, are in each of the
four official languages.
Religion. Singapore has no official religion. The country's constitution
guarantees freedom of religion. The main religions practised are Islam, mainly
by Malays; Buddhism and Taoism, mainly by Chinese; Hinduism and Sikhism,
mainly by Indians; and Christianity, mainly by Chinese, Indians, and Eurasians.
Festivals of each religious group are observed as public holidays.
Education. About 90 per cent of the people of Singapore can read and write. This
is one of the highest literacy rates in Southeast Asia. Children attend school
from the age of 6, and many continue until 16. Primary education is free for
six years for all children who are citizens of Singapore. Besides English,
children also learn one other official language. About 50 per cent are literate
in two to three languages. Colleges of higher education include the National
University of Singapore, the Nanyang Technological University, and several
polytechnics.
Clothing. Singapore's ethnic groups create a variety of cultures within the
country. Most people wear Western style clothing, but some Indians and Malays
prefer their traditional dress.
Food. Restaurants in Singapore offer a variety of Chinese, Indian, and Malay
dishes. Western foods are also available, including American-style fast foods.
The larger hotels and restaurants also serve a variety of international
foods including Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese.
Culture. Art, music, and theatre reflect the cultures of the various groups.
Cultural events include Chinese operas, Indian dancing, and Malay dramas.
Performances by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra are also popular. A festival
of arts staged every two years attracts international groups and artists to
Singapore.
City
The city of Singapore lies on the southern
coast of Singapore island. More than 90 per cent of the country's people live
in the city. The city is built around its harbour. Singapore is the world's
busiest port in terms of tonnage. Warehouses and concrete docks line the port.
Singapore is a free port— that is, goods can be unloaded, stored, and
reshipped without payment of import duties. In the crowded commercial district,
modern skyscrapers tower over traditional Chinese shops. Singapore's oldest
buildings date from the 1800's. One example is the National Museum.
Like many other cities with a colonial
history, Singapore developed around its harbour. The British began the
development of Singapore's port in the early 1800's. Immigrants settled around
the port area. Colonial planners allocated a separate section of the city to
each of the major ethnic groups.
Housing. In Chinatown and in other ethnic sections, people built shophouses.
These buildings, usually two storeys high, were built on long narrow plots of
land. The ground floor was used for business purposes—the shop—and the upper
floor as living space—the house. From this comes the name -"shophouse."
The shop had a narrow front opening onto the street. The rest of the building
stretched back as much as 65 metres, and was used for storage. Many shophouses
can still be seen.
During the late 1800's and 1900's, Singapore's
trade expanded. More and more migrants arrived in the country. Many of these
new settlers crowded into the central area. People added extra rooms on top of
or on either side of existing shophouses. They divided up their living space
into tiny cubicles. In this way, a building designed for one family became home
to as many as seven families. This overcrowding caused public health and
sanitation problems.
People in rural districts traditionally
lived in kampongs (small villages). At one time, they lived in wooden
houses with roofs of palm thatch, called attap. Later roofs were made of
zinc metal sheets instead of thatch. Many of these country people made a living
in market gardening or fishing.
By the late 1940's, overcrowding in the
central area had spilled over into surrounding districts. Singapore had one of
the world's worst slum problems. Squatter settlements sprang up around the city
centre. Wealthy residents moved out of the city centre and built new homes in
outlying districts. There was no low-cost public housing for poorer residents.
In 1960, the Singapore government set up
the Housing and Development Board to provide low-cost public housing for
people resettled from slum squatter housing in the central area of the city.
The new homes were in high-rise estates, designed on the
"neighbourhood" concept, like the new towns built in some European
countries in the 1950's. Each neighbourhood housed from 1,000 to 5,000
families. Each of these estates had its own schools, markets, shops, and
playgrounds. These estates were within about 30 minutes' commuting distance of
the main employment zones within the central area of the city.
Singapore has continued to build high-rise
public housing, at costs below the market price of private homes. The later new
towns have better facilities. Flats are constructed to higher standards and
with better materials. Estates are served by public transportation, through
buses and the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) rail system. Many estates have light
industries close by. Almost 87 per cent of Singapore's citizens live in public
housing estates or new towns, located in every part of the island.
Central Singapore was redeveloped as a
commercial centre as slums were cleared. The central area is known locally as
the Golden Shoe. The port area, with its warehouses and docks, is
nearby. The main shopping and hotel district is in a separate section. Tail
office buildings, shopping complexes, and luxury apartments are found
throughout the central area. Cultural activities such as drama, ballet, and
concerts are held frequently within the city. The traditional wayang
theatre is also popular (see Wayang).
Conservation. Singapore has designated older traditional areas and buildings as
conservation sites. These sites are protected in some cases from redevelopment.
The colonial heart of the city, including the Raffles Hotel,
Chinatown, Little India, and the Malay
district known as the Kampong Glam has been preserved.
Recreation. With most of its population living in high-density high-rise housing,
there is a big demand for open space for recreation in Singapore. The main
recreational areas are along the northeast, east, and west coasts. All public
housing estates have open spaces, sports facilities, and parks. There are small
open spaces all over the city.
Industrial areas. Many major industries have moved to jurong, a large industrial estate on
the southwestern coast. There are smaller industrial estates, and research and
office parks in suburban areas around Singapore.
Land
Most of the land of the islands of
Singapore lies near sea level. The highest point, Bukit Timah Hill, is only 177
metres above sea level. Almost 50 per cent of the total land area is built
upon. About 40 per cent is made up of open spaces such as parks, quarries,
military bases, inland waters, and unused land. Only 2 per cent of Singapore's
land area is given over to farming. Many local farmers are adopting
high-technology methods, such as hydroponics—growing plants in chemical
solutions without soil—to boost food production.
Igneous rock is found in the hilly central
and north- central region. Sedimentary rocks are found in the west and south.
There are sand and gravel deposits in the flatter eastern region. More recent
layers of rocks lie over all three of these ancient rock types.
Plants and animals. Vegetation in Singapore has been altered by human settlement.
Rainforests once covered most of the main island. But most of the forest was
cut down as Singapore grew into a prosperous British trading settlement. Trees
were removed first to make way for crops such as nutmeg, cloves, and pepper,
and
gambier, a tropical plant used to make dye. Later, rubber and coconut plantations
were established.
Large wild animals such as tigers, wild
boar, mousedeer, and anteaters that used to roam Singapore's forests are no
longer found. Small mammals include monkeys, squirrels, and civet cats. Birds
and reptiles, including monitor lizards, pythons, and cobras, are also common.
Climate. Singapore is near the equator, and has a hot, moist climate. The average
annual temperature is about 27°C. However, sea breezes cool the country so day
temperatures seldom rise above 31°C. Rainfall averages about 2,400 millimetres
a year. The monsoons control the seasons (see Monsoon). The wettest months are
from November to March, when the northeast monsoon is blowing. The dry season
is from June to October during the southeast monsoon. Thunderstorms are common
in the months between the monsoons.
Although rainfall is plentiful, Singapore
is not able to supply enough water to meet all its demands. The country buys
water from the state of Johor in Malaysia to supplement stocks in its own
reservoirs. Water supplies are tested daily.
Economy
Singapore has a highly developed economy.
Before the 1960's, the country was essentially a trading nation. Since then, it
has developed a more varied economy. It I has become an important financial,
trade, and transpor- I tation centre. Tourism is also important. The country's
| annual income per capita (per person] is one of the highest in Asia.
The people of Singapore enjoy a high standard of living and welfare services.
There is one doctor for every 837 people, and one government hospital bed for
every 269 people.
Singapore has few natural resources. Its
main resource is its people. Unemployment is low, about 2 per cent. About 28
per cent of employed people in Singapore work in manufacturing; about 23 per
cent in commerce; 22 per cent in community, social, and personal services; and
10 per cent in transport, storage, and communications.
Trade. Since Singapore was founded as a trading station in the 1800's, its
economy has been based on trade.
It has a natural, deepwater harbour. It is
situated in a strategic location on major trade routes between East and West.
Singapore practises free trade. It is an entrepot port, serving as a
centre for the import and reexport of goods. It is also a warehousing and
distribution centre for the Asian and Pacific regions.
In terms of shipping tonnage, Singapore's
port is the busiest in the world. Singapore's main trading partners are the
European Union, ]apan, Malaysia, and the United States. Singapore imports a
wide range of goods, including electronic and electrical goods, foodstuffs,
iron and steel, petroleum, plastics, and rubber. Singapore exports, or
re-exports, clothing, electronic components, petroleum products, rubber, and
telecommunications equipment.
Manufacturing. Singapore is also a major manufacturing centre. Its factories produce
chemicals, clothing and textiles, electrical and electronic equipment, household
appliances, machinery, optical and scientific apparatus, and rubber and
plastic products. It is also a major centre for food processing, petroleum
refining, and shipbuilding and repairing.
Since the early 1960's, industrialization
has proceeded rapidly. Singapore set up the Economic Development Board in 1961
to promote industry as the key to economic growth. The Jurong industrial
estate was opened in the western part of the island. It and some 20 other industrial
estates are run by the Jurong Town Corporation, set up in 1968.
In the beginning, the industrial programme
focused
on labour-intensive manufacturing to help
solve unemployment problems in the early 1960's. After this programme
succeeded, Singapore moved into higher-skill industries, and since the 1980rs
has concentrated on high-technology industries.
Agriculture has a minor role in Singapore's economy. Most farming is intensive, and
uses the latest technology. Farmers produce poultry and eggs, and fruit and
vegetables for the local market. Orchids are grown for export. Pig farming is
being phased out because of the environmental damage caused by the waste from
pig farms. Sea fish farming along the coastal waters of Singapore is increasing
in importance. Aquarium fish are also produced for export.
Tourism is a major industry. About 5.5 million tourists arrive in Singapore each
year-more than the country's population. Tourists come mainly from Japan, Australia,
Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Singapore
Tourist Promotion Board was set up in 1954. The country has a wide range of hotels,
with many major international hotel chains having branches there. Tourism is
the country's third largest earner of foreign exchange.
Transportation and communication. Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), which began working in
1987, offers a fast and efficient local
railway service. Two lines cross the city centre linking 42 stations. The
system spans nearly 70 kilometres and can handle up to 800,000 passengers a
day. Buses also provide valuable transport for city workers. A causeway linking
Singapore Island to the nearby tourist island of Sentosa opened in December
1992.
Singapore's roads are crowded because of
the large number of cars. Drivers must pay a fee to enter the city during peak
periods on weekdays. This system is called the area licensing scheme and
has helped reduce traffic congestion at busy periods.
Singapore also has well developed
transportation links with other countries. A railway links Singapore with
Malaysia. Changi International Airport, at the eastern end of the island, is
the nation's chief airport and one of the most modern airports in the world.
About 50 airlines provide flights to more than 100 cities in over 50 countries
around the world. Seletar Airport, which like Changi Airport is managed by the
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, is used for charter and training
flights.
There is one television set for every five
people. The country has one telephone for every two people. It is an important
telecommunication centre.
People have lived on what is now Singapore
island since prehistoric times. From about the A.D. lOffs to the 1200's, the
present-day city of Singapore was known as Temasek, or sea town.
The name Singapore, which means Hon city in Sanskrit, has been
used for the island and the city since the 1200's. The name was probably given
because of the many tigers, mistakenly called lions, that inhabited the island.
During the 1200's and 1300's, Singapore harbour served as a trading centre.
A Chinese trader, Wang Da Yuan, wrote an
account of his visit to the island in 1349. Fie found a settlement of Malays
and Chinese on terraced hillsides protected by a defensive wall. The wall
protected the people from pirates and also from attacks by Javanese from the
kingdom of Majapahit, which sought to control Temasek.
Early trading peoples from Melaka and
Johor, both in Malaysia, used Temasek as a base. The Orang Laut, or "sea
people," were a fishing group who lived in houseboats near river mouths
on the island. In the 1300fs, Temasek was destroyed by Majapahit
forces (see Majapahit). Temasek
then lost its importance as a trading centre and fell into obscurity.
In 1823, ancient ruins were recorded by
the British official John Crawford. Fie described the ruins of buildings on Bukit
Larangan (the Forbidden Hill), which was named Fort Canning Hill by the
British. In 1928, gold ornaments dating from the 1300's or earlier were found.
The so-called Singapore Stone, containing about 50 lines of undeciphered
writing in the Kawi language, was
blown up in 1845 during building work, but
a few fragments were saved. A piece is preserved in the National Museum of
Singapore.
The arrival of Raffles. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles, an official of the British East India
Company, arrived to set up a trading post. At this time, the Dutch controlled
the trade routes with China and the East Indies. Raffles sought a base in the
south of the Malay Peninsula, to attract trade and so break Dutch control.
Raffles and his assistant, Major William
Farquhar, landed at Singapore on Jan. 29,1819. They met the local Malay chief,
Temenggong Abdul Rahman. This chief told them that the island belonged to the
sultan of Johor, Tengku Abdul Rahman, who was under the control of the Dutch.
Raffles decided to make another prince, the elder brother of Abdul Rahman,
sultan in his place. This prince, Tengu Flussein, was the rightful heir to the
throne. Fie travelled in secret to Singapore and was recognized as sultan of
Johor by the British. A treaty was signed allowing the British to build a
settlement on Singapore island.
Singapore was an instant success. It
became a centre of free trade for the region. Traders from China, India, and
Indonesia came to the new settlement. It became what Raffles had hoped for, the
"emporium (marketplace) of the East." Bugis traders from
Celebes (Sulawesi, in Indonesia) collected goods such as spices, birds' nests,
gold dust, elephants' tusks, rhinoceros' horns, and tin, and took them to
Singapore once a year to barter (exchange) for manufactured goods. Chinese
traders brought silk, tea, and porcelain from south China. Chinese traders
also settled in Singapore.
The town plan. By 1821, the original small population of Malay, Chinese, and Orang
Laut inhabitants had grown to 5,000. By 1824, the population had reached
11,000. Among the immigrants who settled in Singapore were Arabs, Armenians,
Chinese, Europeans, Indians, and Malays. Chinese junks and large sailing ships
from Europe began to call at Singapore. In the riverside settlement, the
people lived in rough huts and houses, and there was much violence and
disorder.
In 1822 Raffles returned for a third and
last visit to Singapore. He drew up a town plan. Each community was given a kampong,
or village section, of its own. There was a Chinese kampong, an Indian (Chulia)
kampong, a Bugis kampong, a Malay kampong, and kampongs for all other
communities. The European Town was close to the government area on the west
bank of the river. The sultan had a palace in his own compound, with a mosque
nearby. Each kampong had its own traditional trades. This historical division
lives on in modern street names such as Bencoolen Street, Chulia Street, Carpenter
Street, and Teochew Street.
Growth of trade. The old port on the Singapore River was soon too small for Singapore's
booming trade. In the 1840's, the New Harbour, renamed Keppel Harbour in 1900,
was established along the west coast.
Trade continued to grow and the importance
of the port of Singapore increased after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.
The canal shortened the sea voyage from London to Singapore from about 20,000
kilometres to about 12,000 kilometres. Steamships using the Suez Canal could
travel from London to Singapore in about 50 days. Singapore became the most
important port in Southeast Asia for ships trading between Europe and Asia. New
products such as tin and rubber from the Malayan mainland gave the port a
further boost. Facilities at the New Harbour included dry docks, a coaling
station, and warehouses.
The growth in trade and population
prompted the British East India Company to acquire all rights to Singapore. In
1824, the temenggong (ruler) and the sultan signed away their
sovereignty over the island to the British. Two years later, Singapore was
united with Penang and Melaka to form the Presidency of the Straits Settlements.
It was ruled from India. In 1867, Singapore became a British crown colony,
ruled from London.
Piracy and crime. Singapore's trade attracted pirates from the Sulu archipelago and
Mindanao, both in the Philippines. Some pirates even attacked ships in Singapore's
port and then traded their loot openly in town. In 1832 and 1833, some Chinese
merchants sent armed boats to patrol outside the harbour. In 1835, the British
despatched two steamships to destroy the pirates. In the 1850's there were more
attacks by pirates, this time from China.
Violence was also widespread in the town.
The small police force could not deal with the problems of murder, theft, and
Chinese secret societies. In the 1840's, a full-time police chief was
appointed. By the late 1800's the police force had about 600 officers—still an
inadequate number. The Chinese secret societies were a source of lawlessness
and riots until they were made illegal in 1890. However, they continued to be
a menace until the outbreak of World War II in 1939.
Partly to deal with the Chinese secret
societies, the British established the Chinese Protectorate in Singapore in
1877. William Pickering, the first British official to speak several Chinese
dialects, was appointed the first Protector. He was able to persuade Chinese
secret society leaders to accept him as a mediator in their disputes.
Treatment of immigrants. Pickering also tackled the ill-treatment of free-passage immigrants by
the "coo- lie-agents." Poor immigrants from China would register with
a coolie-agent in China for a free passage to Singapore. The coolie-agent and
the junk captain would pack as many immigrants as, they could into the small
ship. Thousands of immigrants died during the voyages because of overcrowding,
hunger, and thirst. The ill- treatment continued when the immigrants landed in
Singapore. They lived in overcrowded lodging houses and were kept as prisoners
until they were "bought" by employers. They had to work without pay
for many months to pay off their passage, and were given only food and lodging.
After the establishment of the Chinese Protectorate, officials controlled the
coolie-trade.
Immigration from India was done by the
indenture system. Immigrants were recruited by an agent in India. They were
required to sign a contract to work for the same employers for five years for a
fixed wage. Often they were paid low wages and worked in poor conditions.
A fairer "kangany" system came
into use from the 1870's. A senior worker in Singapore was given money by his
employer to recruit labourers from his village in India. This system did away
with the abuses of the indenture system. Nevertheless, Indian nationalists complained
that poor Indian villagers were never given a true picture of the hard work
under harsh conditions that awaited them. The system declined during the slump
in trade known as the Great Depression of 1929 to 1932, and was abolished in
1938. Indians continued to emigrate to Singapore. After World War II
(1939-1945), Indian immigrants included merchants and professional people.
Malays did not migrate to Singapore in
such large numbers as the Chinese or Indians. For this reason, they were soon
outnumbered. The original Malay community was divided into followers of the
temenggong and followers of the sultan. Each group was given a separate location.
The Orang Laut people mixed with the Malay population. Immigrants in the 1800's
came mainly from mainland Malaya, Sumatra, Java, the islands of Bawaen,
Celebes, and Riau. Political unrest in the Malay Archipelago and the
restrictive Dutch rule in Indonesia encouraged Malays to migrate to Singapore.
Immigrants' contributions. The immigrants of the 180ffs went to Singapore with the aim of seeking
their fortune and then returning home. The British made no provisions for the
growing Asian population. Local community leaders set up religious buildings,
schools, and hospitals. Narayana Pillay, a Hindu who had arrived with Raffles,
established the first Sri Mariamman Temple in 1827. In 1844, a rich merchant,
Tan Tock Seng, paid for the first pauper hospital to help the local people.
Today it is a leading general hospital. Another merchant, Tan Kim Seng, gave
funds to the government to bring fresh water to Chinatown. This was never done,
so the money was used to construct a fountain bearing his name. The Melaka boat
owner, Hajjah Fatimah, was the first woman to build a mosque. This Islamic
place of worship, constructed in the 1840's, bears her name and still stands
today.
Educational development. Raffles encouraged the construction of the first school, The
Institution, in 1823.
It was renamed Raffles Institution in
1868. Private philanthropists and missionaries set up schools for the various
ethnic groups. Toward the end of the 1800's, the government established
British and Malay schools. Chinese schools continued to be built and supported
by the Chinese communities until the 1900's, when they were offered
government grants.
At first, few parents thought it was
necessary to educate their daughters. Nor was every boy sent to school. Poor
parents kept their children at home to help them in their work. Later, wealthy
people sent their children to British schools, so they could learn the English
language. Chinese schools taught Chinese culture and traditions, and
therefore were the choice of China-born parents. Very few Malay or Tamil
schools were built.
The education system in colonial Singapore
separated the different groups in the Asian population. The
British-educated people had better jobs
and enjoyed a higher status in society. The rest, particularly the large
numbers of Chinese-educated people, ended up as labourers or poorly paid
teachers. This division of society had an impact on the politics of modern
Singapore.
Economic development. Singapore's economy grew rapidly in the 1800's. The big business houses
were dominated by Europeans with connections in Europe, China, and the Malay
Archipelago. Among the well-known ones were the houses of Jardine and Guthrie.
The Asian firms were not as big, but they played an important role as
middlemen, buying from the Europeans and distributing goods to traders from
China and the Malay Archipelago. Tan Kim Seng and Company was a leading Chinese
business in the 1800's. There were also Indian, Arab, and Malay merchants.
The close economic links with mainland
Malaya formed the mainstay of Singapore's flourishing trade. British rule had
brought law and order to Malaya. Between 1874 and 1914, all the states in
Malaya came under British rule.
The tin and rubber industries of Malaya
gave Singapore's economy a great boost. Tin smelting became Singapore's first
industry. Tin ore was transported by rail and smelted at Pulau Brani, an island
off Singapore. Tin ingots were exported from Singapore's port, and were one of
Singapore's major exports. Another major export was sheet rubber. By the early
1900rs, nearly 70 per cent of Malaya's foreign trade passed through
Singapore.
By 1903, Singapore was the world's seventh
largest port in tonnage of shipping. To modernize the port, the government took
it over in 1905. Within the next ten years the Singapore Harbour Board had
constructed two large docks, one of which was the second largest in the world. Entrepot
trade, in which cargo was transferred from one ship to another within the
port, continued to be Singapore's chief earner until the 1950s.
The 1920's and 1930's. As the economy continued to grow in the 1920's, an unprecedented number
of immigrants entered Singapore. Most were from south China. This immigration
trend was reversed when trade slumped during the economic depression of the
1930's.
The government sent thousands of people
back to India and south China, and reduced immigration numbers. Only women were
allowed in without any restrictions. A unique group of single women came as labourers
from Sam-Sui in Guangdong, south China. In their distinctive red headgear and
navy blue samfoo (tunic and trousers) they could be seen on construction
sites doing heavy manual labour. Other women worked as domestic servants. Most
Indian women moved to mainland Malaya to work in the rubber estates.
New leaders emerged. The entrepreneur, Tan
Kah Kee, stood out among the philanthropists. He helped found schools in
Singapore. Lim Boon Keng, a doctor, led a Confucianist movement in Singapore
and encouraged his fellow Chinese to learn and study their own language and
culture. Mohammed Eunos, known as "the father of Malay journalism,"
used his pen to help politicize the Malays.
Most people still looked to their own
homelands for political inspiration. In the 1930's, the Japanese invasion of
China resulted in a boycott of Japanese goods in Singapore and the raising of
money for an aid fund. Many young Chinese returned to China to fight the
Japanese.
World War II and the Japanese occupation (1942- 1945) had a great effect on the
people of Singapore. The naval base, with its huge dry dock opened in 1938, was
a symbol of British imperial power. But it was no defence against a land
invasion. The British defenders of the island surrendered after 70 days. For
Britain, the fall of Singapore was a catastrophe. The Japanese destroyed the
myth of white superiority. In Singapore, they instituted a reign of terror and
executed people who had
helped the Allies against the Japanese.
Life was hard for everyone in Singapore, especially the Chinese.
Post-war political changes in India and
China also affected Singapore. India became independent in 1947 and China
became Communist in 1949. These changes forced Singaporeans of Indian and
Chinese origin to look upon Singapore as their permanent home.
Toward independence. In 1946, Singapore was separated from Malaya and became a crown colony.
The return of the British after the war did not bring immediate improvement.
Food shortages and soaring inflation added to people's misery. Communists who
had fought against the Japanese became more strident in their demands for
workers' rights. Strikes were common. Chinese-educated people saw themselves as
disadvantaged. Without speaking English, they could not join the civil service
or the private sector. Higher education was not available to Chinese until Tan
Lark Sye, a merchant, helped found a Chinese University. The Communists were
very successful in recruiting students. Student sit- ins and boycotts of
examinations, often involving clashes with the police, drew attention to their
cause.
As the colonial government moved towards
the introduction of democracy, political parties were formed.
The British-educated people formed their
own parties and sought to keep things as they were. They ignored the views of
the Chinese-educated majority. The Chinese party fought for issues such as
Chinese education and citizenship for those born in China.
Only one party in Singapore sought to
bring the Chinese-educated people into mainstream politics. This was the
People's Action Party (PAP). It was led by Lee Kuan Yew, a lawyer, who
joined the Communists to fight colonialism (see Lee Kuan Yew). In
1954, he was a founder of the People's Action Party (PAP). Singapore set up its
first legislative assembly in 1955.
All political parties worked for
independence within a union with Malaya. Malaya became independent in 1957. In
1959, Singapore became independent, with Lee Kuan Yew as prime minister. The
United Kingdom retained control of defence and foreign affairs. Its economy depended
on entrepot trade with Malaya, and few people believed Singapore could exist
alone.
Malaya viewed Singapore's left-wing PAP
with suspicion. Eventually, there was a break between Lee Kuan Yew and his
Communist partners in the PAP, and the Communists grew in strength. This
prompted Malaya's prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, to announce the formation
of Malaysia, a federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak.
Federation. Malaysia came into being on Sept. 16, 1963. However, the union was not a
happy one. The expected economic benefits did not materialize. Singapore's
efforts to industrialize to solve its unemployment problems were hampered by
the federal government's tight control. Relations worsened as Singapore's
leaders tried to break into the Malayan political arena, the preserve of
Malays. Racial riots broke out in Singapore in 1964.
When relations did not improve, the
Malaysian prime minister asked Singapore to leave the federation. On Aug. 9, 1965,
Singapore became independent.
Independence. When the first Singapore parliament met in December 1965, the opposition
benches were empty. They had boycotted the opening, claiming that the
independence was "spurious." Opposition members resigned their seats,
and two fled Singapore to avoid arrest. There was no opposition in Singapore
until 1981, when one opposition member was elected.
The new government of Singapore drew up
ambitious plans for the survival of the new nation. Education was encouraged
to forge a common national identity from Singapore's mixture of peoples. The
school curriculum was geared to meet the needs of new manufacturing industries.
National service was begun, and a new housing programme set up.
From the 1960's, industry began to replace
the traditional entrepot trade as Singapore's chief income- earner. Health and
social services were improved. In 1971 the last UK military forces were
withdrawn from Singapore. Singapore's economy continued to grow. By the 1980's,
it had become one of the most stable and prosperous nations in Asia.
In 1990, Lee Kuan Yew retired as prime
minister. He was succeeded by Jhe deputy prime minister Coh Chok Tong. Lee
remained head of the People's Action Part) and became a senior minister in
Goh's Cabinet.
In 1993, Ong Teng Cheong became the first
directly elected president of Singapore. He had previously held office as
deputy prime minister.
Related articles
Biographies
Aljunied Syed Omar bin Ali, Aw Boon Haw,
Choo Hoey, Hajjah Fatimah, Goh Chok Tong, Goh Choo San, Alexander Guthrie, Hon
Sui Sen, Lee Kuan Yew, Lim Bo Seng, Lim Boon Keng, Loke Wan Tho, David Marshall,
Mohammed Eunos bin Abdullah, William Pickering, Nariana Pillay,
Sir Stamford Raffles, Sang Nila Utama, Seah Eu Chin, Seow Yit Kin, Runme Shaw, Benjamin
Henry Sheares, Tan Kah Kee, Tan Tock Seng, Edwin Thumboo, Whampoa, Yusof bin
Ishak, and Zubir Said
Other related articles
Commonwealth of Nations, Indonesia, Malaysia, History of the United Kingdom, and Wayang.
Outline
Government
Political parties, Courts, Armed services, and International relations
People
Religion, Education, Clothing, Food, and Culture.
City
Housing, Conservation, Recreation, and Industrial Area
Land
Plants and animals, and Climate
Economy
Trade, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Tourism, and Transportation and communication
History
Questions
Why is Singapore important for world
trade?
Where did the ancestors of today's
Singaporeans come from?
What is a shophouse?
How did Singapore get its name?
Who were the Orang Laut?
Why did Raffles choose Singapore as a
trading post?
Which army invaded Singapore during World
War II?
In what year did Singapore become
independent from the Federation of Malaysia?
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