Singapore, introduction to Asia
Singapore, introduction to Asia
To understand Singapore you need to realize that it is the
extension of one man's intelligence, dream and drive. And that
man is Lee Kuan Yew, the original prime minister of the Republic
of Singapore. Yes, it is true he was aided in his task by the
people of Singapore. It is interesting to ponder on what would
have happened to Singapore if Lee Kuan Yew, one of the
remarkable men of his century, had not been present.
Lee Kuan Yew is a nonya. That is he can claim both Malay and
Chinese heritage. He was born in 1923 and was prime minister of
Singapore from 1959 to 1990. And during his rule, as a simple
statement of fact, Singapore went from being something of a
backwater to becoming the most prosperous nation in Southeast
Asia.
Lee Kuan Yew went to Cambridge University where he got a double
starred first which is not something that is given out with the
rations. He became a lawyer and was admitted to the English bar
but returned to Singapore to work, as a committed socialist,
with the unions.
In 1963 Lee took Singapore into the newly created Federation of
Malaysia.
This created all sorts of problems. In Singapore 75 percent of
the members of the PAP were Chinese and there was much tension
between Chinese and Malays. There was communal rioting in
Singapore and in 1965 Lee Kuan Yew was told by his Malaysian
colleagues in the federal government that Singapore must leave
the federation.
Singapore had to secede and it then became a sovereign state
with Lee Kuan Yew as its first prime minister.
It is fair to say that in return for a mildly authoritarian
style of government that sometimes infringed on civil liberties
Lee Kuan Yew brought Singapore honest and efficient
administration and spectacular prosperity.
Lee Kuan Yew resigned the office of prime minister in November
1990. It is, perhaps, sad that such a great man who did not
believe in inherited power has appointed his children in just
such a manner. Does not affect the tourist. Possibly affects the
future of Singapore. Singapore is not a big place. It sits at
the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula 137 km north of the
Equator. The main part is Singapore Island and there are also
about 60 very small islands.
The main island is connected to Peninsular Malaysia by a road
and rail causeway which bridges the Johor Strait.
Singapore does not depend on tourism for a living. It is the
largest port in Southeast Asia and one of the busiest in the
world.
Singapore is not just a small island. It is also a very flat
island. Most of it is less than 15m above sea level and its
highest point is Timah Hill which soars to 162m.
Climate
Singapore is near the equator and in the monsoon region. The
average monthly temperature varies from about 27 degrees C in
June to 25 degrees C in January and the difference is not
noticeable. The wettest time of the year is November-March and
the period with the least amount is May to September. Not that
it makes very much difference. Rain falls somewhere on the
island every day of the year. Which is why it is very green. Do
not let the rain worry you. In the constant warm temperature you
very quickly dry out.
There is not much left of the original Singapore. There is a
fragment of evergreen rain forest preserved around catchment
areas and some mangrove vegetation survives in the Kranji area
on the northwest side of the island but otherwise it is all
cultivated in one way or another.
The city is in the south of the island but, in truth, most of
the island of Singapore has now been built up and over.
At one time it looked as though every old building in Singapore
would be knocked down and replaced with a new and shining
skyscraper. Eventually the penny dropped and the government
decided that refurbishing rather than demolishing the
once-common Chinese shop-house would not be a bad idea. And
keeping the Raffles hotel (just changed hands) operating in its
old premises but with a new style was part of the campaign.
Nevertheless the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has changed
forever the face of Singapore and has housed a staggering
four-fifths of the population high-rise HDB flats located in
housing estates and new towns.
Language
About three quarters of the population of Singapore is Chinese
with Malays next and Indians the third.
But it does not break down as easily as that. Nearly half of the
Chinese originate from Fukien province and speak Amoy; a third
is from Swatow and speaks Teochew and most of the rest are
Cantonese. That is three different dialects which are not
understandable by all although, of course, written Chinese is a
unifying force.
The Malays are pretty much one group although some of them speak
Indonesian dialects which although very similar to Malay have
some vocabulary differences. The Indians are the biggest mixture
of them all. The majority are Tamils but there are also
Malayalis and Sikhs as well as Pakistanis and Sinhalese.
There are four official languages - English, Mandarin Chinese,
Malay, and Tamil. And there is a fifth which although not
recognized officially, is distinct enough to be the subject of
several learned papers. This is Singaporean which is Singapore's
very own version of the English language.
It contains words and grammatical from all the languages of
Singapore. Therefore "Must be, lah" is an affirmative
declaration while, "What to do now, lah?" is an expression of
helplessness in the face of fate. It is a lovely and expressive
language based totally on English.
If you speak English you will never have language problems in
Singapore.
Singapore is a singularly pleasant place to visit. It is the
ideal destination for someone making their first foray into Asia.
The chances of your being robbed in Singapore are pretty close
to nil. And if you are, the local constabulary will move heaven
and earth to fang the wretched miscreant and return your goods.
The roads are spotlessly clean - drop a bus ticket and you will
very probably be fined. The road crossings are safe - go
jaywalking and once again your wallet will be lightened. The
roadside food stalls are the cleanest in the world. No one gets
gippy tummy in Singapore. The developers are something else
again. Sadly, like developers all over the world their motto is
'nothing exceeds like excess'. Almost everything that was old
and worthwhile and interesting came under the wrecker's ball.
Singapore eventually saw the folly of this and you can still
find parts of the old Singapore.
The Tourist Promotion Board maintains a flood, a deluge, an
inundation of brochures telling of the wonders of the city
state. But it bridles madly at the sign of any criticism.
Despite this nonsense Singapore is a most attractive place to
visit - for one reason. The people. Singaporeans are joyous,
intelligent, friendly. In the restaurants you are served with
pleasure.
Singapore need never run a politeness campaign. Its people are
the politest and the warmest in Asia. Partially this has
something to do with the racial mix. Within Singapore, Malays,
Chinese of several varieties, Tamils and Europeans get on in the
most amazing racial harmony.
This harmony spills over to the visitor.
In Singapore, I promise you, the people positively love having
you as an honored guest.
Pretty much all of the attractions in Singapore are man-made and
of relatively recent origin. It is astounding that on this flat
little island so much has been created to keep the visitor
entertained. What are the main attractions of Singapore? This is
my list. Yours will almost certainly be very different. Food.
You can eat yourself silly with 100 different cuisines and still
not have scratched the surface in Singapore. My own view, formed
after spending a lifetime in the area, is that the food in
Singapore