History

The Singapore Cricket Club members pose for a photo in 1910 (Photo Courtesy of the Singapore History Museum) FORUM: Discuss Singapore with other visitors here Singapore has come a long way from a backwater trading post to the international city it is today Although there are references in Chinese documents to Pu-luo-chung, or “Island at the End of a Peninsula" as far back as the 3rd century BC, in a fascinating meld of fact and fiction, the popular account of Singapore’s beginnings is that the little island of Temasek was discovered in the 13th century by Sang Nila Utama, a Sumatran prince who was sailing through the Straits of Melaka (now called Malacca). As he was exploring the island, he saw an animal which challenged him with fiery golden eyes. His advisors told him was a singa, Sanskrit for lion; inspired by the animal’s strength and boldness and seeing the animal as a good omen, he called the island Singapura, or "Lion City". Singapura later developed into a modest fishing village but its prominent position along the developing trade routes between China and India promised that it would not go unnoticed for long. In 1786, the British established a trading post in Penang, a decade later, they had captured Malacca from the Dutch. A trading station at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula began in earnest in 1818 approved by India’s Governor General, Lord Hastings. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles of the East India Company arrived, intervened and strengthened the British presence in the Straits by negotiating treaties with the Sultan of Johore so that one year later, the colony that Raffles, the Lieutenant Governor of Bencoolen had named Singapore was generating tremendous revenue for the Company. The purpose of his securing Singapore was to facilitate the Company’s trade along the Straits of Melaka, taking advantage of its naturally deep harbour. Raffles had early identified that Singapore offered safe anchorage and declared it a free port without levying taxes on trade. The new port grew rapidly and the enclaves, town infrastructures and communities drawn up by Raffles as part of his long term vision of urban development remain today. Under Raffles’ watch, Singapore grew into a flourishing trading post along the East India Company’s route through Asia, and gradually also became a formidable military presence. After returning to the East one last time for a six month tenure in 1822, Raffles later died in London. In honour of Sir Stamford's role in Singapore’s successful growth, many eponymous institutions and buildings have been founded, such as Raffles Hotel, Raffles Girls’ School and Raffles Institution. In 1824, the Anglo Dutch Treaty was signed paving the way for the Straits Settlements – Singapore, Malacca and Penang collectively – two years later. Singapore became the administrative centre and by 1862, the population had reached 80,792 compared to under 1000 people in 1819. The multicultural mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian and Europeans from various walks of life and labour formed the basis of the Singapore’s modern multicultural makeup also reflected in the prevailing cityscape and architecture. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, Singapore’s success as a major port connecting key trading routes between Europe and East Asia was assured. And the city continued to grow apace becoming the oil supply centre for the Far East by the turn of the century. However, with the outbreak of World War II, Singapore’s history took a dramatic turn. The Japanese bombed Singapore in December of 1941 and by February of the new year, the British guardians had been swiftly overrun by the invading Japanese forces. Renaming Singapore, Syonan-To (“Light of the South”) the Japanese occupation ensued as a tyrannical regime until the surrender to the British in 1945. But the people were no longer willing to submit to foreign rule. Political change for the island was heralded when the People’s Action Party, formed in 1955 and led by the visionary Cambridge-educated lawyer Lee Kuan Yew was elected into office in 1959, beginning Singapore’s self-government. In 1963 Singapore united with Malaya (now Malaysia), but tensions soon arose and a mutual agreement was reached in 1965 whereupon Singapore was declared an independent nation. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew built Singapore’s government on strict social order and the careful quashing of post-War corruption and steering the nation towards common goals. With a group of dedicated and honest leaders at the helm, Singapore quickly developed into a thriving economy. Despite being one of the world’s smallest nations, the Lion City’s rate of growth has surpassed that of many developed nations, taking it from fishing village to global hub in under half a century. In 1990, Prime Minister Lee passed on the post to Goh Chok Tong who in turn passed the position on to Lee’s son, Lee Hsien Loong, in 2004. Despite the devastating effects of the Southeast Asian’s economic downturn in the late 1990s, Singapore is well on its way to a full recovery, both economically and socially.