The history of Singapore and the records of how Singapore was formed are shrouded in time, but a Chinese record from the 3rd century refers to it as the island at the end of a peninsula in Malay. Later the city was called Temasek or the city of the sea and during the 14th century it gained the name of Singapore and there is an ancient legend behind it.
Origin and foundation of Singapore: Once upon a time
Singapore is believed to have been founded by a Sumatran prince when he landed on the island and saw an auspicious lion. Assuming it was a good omen, he founded a city there and named it Singapore, which translates as “the city of the lion”. There is no recorded record of this legend but it has been told for centuries. However, Singapore was then a small trading port with a small population until European settlement. It was a small Malay fishing village, whose main inhabitants were only several hundred indigenous Orang Laut.
The history of Singapore and the records of how Singapore was formed are shrouded in time, but a Chinese record from the 3rd century refers to it as the island at the end of a peninsula in Malay. Later the city was called Temasek or the city of the sea and during the 14th century it gained the name of Singapore and there is an ancient legend behind it.
Rise of Modern Singapore: Raffles Effect
Modern Singapore was founded in late 1818 when Lord Hastings, the British Governor-General of India, appointed Sir Raffles to establish a trading station at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. When he landed on the island of Singapore after surveying the nearby islands, he discovered swamps and jungles with very little population, which made him realize that it could be transformed into a useful port. Within a short time, Singapore emerged as a major center for British trade and military forces.
British Takeover
Singapore was British East India’s third acquisition in Malay after Penang and Malacca and they established a new trading post in Singapore which showed rapid growth. People from Europe, India, China, and Malaysia came to work and live here. The population increased in Singapore and in 1867 it became a crown colony under British rule instead of the East India Company. Many great buildings were built during this period and the Suez Canal was also established.
World War II and the End of Colonialism
In January 1942, the Japanese conquered Malaysia and quickly gained air and naval superiority in the area. By the end of January, they had completely captured the peninsula and crossed the Johor Strait on February 8, 1942, to invade Singapore as well.
The British had no choice but to hand over the island and they did so within a week. Singapore remained in Japanese hands until September 1945. The Japanese were tyrants and executed thousands of Chinese Singaporeans. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared it the worst disaster and biggest capitulation in British history. Singapore faced massive unemployment, staggering economic growth, inadequate housing, labor strikes, social unrest, and shrinking infrastructure. However, after 3 years, the Japanese surrendered and the British reoccupied Singapore.
Postwar Period
On August 15, 1945, the Japanese surrendered to the British, but Singapore remained in a brief state of violence, disorder, looting, and revenge killings. British troops returned to Singapore, received the official surrender of the Japanese forces, and formed an administration to rule the island. However, the island’s population still suffered from problems with water and electricity supplies, telephone services, and the loss of port facilities in the Port of Singapore. Much of the country’s infrastructure was lost and there was also a massive food shortage, leading to increased malnutrition, disease, and death. Crime and violence persisted.
Rising commodity prices and unemployment led to a series of rebel strikes which in turn led to stoppages in transportation and other services. The economy began to improve in late 1947, but it would still take years to stabilize the economy as it was before the war. The British had lost the confidence of the Singaporeans because they were unable to defend the country. This led to a state of political awakening among the local population and there was an increase in the number of anti-colonial groups and parties propounding myriad nationalist slogans fighting for ‘Merdeka’ or independence in the Malay language.
Independence of Singapore
It was in 1945 that Singapore seceded from Malaysia, the Straits Settlements were dissolved and Singapore moved towards independence. In 1954, the People’s Action Party was formed and rapidly pushed forward Singapore’s politics to the point that a new constitution was introduced in 1955. In 1959, Singapore became a self-governing state under British rule and People’s Action Party leader Lee Kuan Yew became Prime Minister.
In August 1963, Singapore declared its independence from British rule and joined the federation of Malaysia along with Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak. However, after ideological conflicts between the federation and the main political party in Singapore’s government, the People’s Action Party (PAP), Singapore left the federation in 1965 and officially gained sovereignty on August 9 of the same year. Singapore became fully independent and Yusof Bin Ishak was sworn in as its first president, while Lee Kuan Yew continued as prime minister.
The merger with Malaysia was not successful. Singapore left Malaysia and became an independent and sovereign democratic nation on August 9, 1965. Even today, Singapore retains remnants of its multicultural, colonial, and wartime past in the form of monuments, museums, and memorials.
Singapore Today
Apart from the ultra-industrialized society that is Singapore, it is also thriving in the tourism industry which attracts millions of tourists every year. The port of Singapore has overtaken the ports of Hong Kong and Rotterdam and is the busiest transshipment port in the world today. The nation’s culinary and medical tourism industries have grown remarkably over the years and have become quite marketable, thanks to advanced medical technology and a mosaic of cultural heritage.
Aside from significant growth in the banking sector and the biotech industry, Singapore is today also the 15th largest trading partner of the United States. The effectiveness of the initially proposed economic business model is commendable.
