Time and history are relative in Singapore.
The city-state turned 50 in 2015, a Golden Jubilee celebrated with great ceremony and enthusiasm, all branded with merchandise, exhibitions and concerts. Just four years later, in 2019, Singapore will also become 200 years old, commemorating the bicentennial of its “founding.”
Sir Stamford Raffles, a British colonial official, arrived in Singapore on January 29, 1819, where he established a British settlement by treaty. He has since been widely described as the “founder” of modern Singapore.
Statues of the statesman stand near the Singapore River in the island’s civic district, and multiple institutions and businesses—from schools to hotels—bear his name.
“Sir Stamford Raffles’ landing in 1819 was a key turning point. Raffles set Singapore on a different trajectory, which brought us to where we are today,” said Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during his New Year address on the final day of 2017.
Lee announced government plans to commemorate the bicentennial in the same speech, sparking skepticism and speculation over his motivations.
Some noted his People’s Action Party (PAP) resoundingly won re-election soon after the feel-good SG50 celebrations and wonder if snap polls could follow in the colonial bicentennial’s celebratory wake. But the announcement also triggered a more critical discussion of Singapore’s relationship with its British colonial past.
When elaborating on the commemoration, the Singapore Bicentennial Office (SBO) and its advisory panel were quick to assure Singaporeans that the celebration would avoid glorifying colonialism by taking a more complex and nuanced view of the era.
The Straits Times reported Gene Tan, the SBO’s executive director, vowing that the event’s activities would take into account less savory aspects of the colonial era, including its “squalor and segregation.”
An office representative told Asia Times that the bicentennial commemoration would not focus only on the British, but would be “engaging… different communities to piece together the story of this shared journey through history.”
While other former British colonies have engaged in fierce discussions over the injustice and immorality of colonial rule—with some even seeking reparations from Britain—Singapore has long looked at British colonialism as benign and even beneficial.
The “Singapore Story”—an establishment narrative of Singapore’s development—begins with Raffles’ landing on an island with an extremely small population at the time. Those numbers quickly grew after Britain negotiated a treaty allowing for it to establish a trading port on the island.
“Had Raffles not landed, Singapore might not have become a unique spot in Southeast Asia, quite different from the islands in the archipelago around us, or the states in the Malayan Peninsula,” premier Lee said in his New Year speech. “But because of Raffles, Singapore became a British colony, a free port, and a modern city.”
Critical analysts and historians view that history somewhat differently.
“For one [Lee’s narrative] frames Singapore as being terra nullius; the scene is set up and ready for Raffles to stride in, without acknowledging the complex politics of Johor-Riau, and by extension this perpetuates a false notion of Singaporean exceptionalism – that we are separate from the history and politics of the region,” said Faris Joraimi, a student at Yale-NUS College who researches classical Malay literature and history.
Other critics say Singapore’s rose-tinted view of its former domination has led to some unfortunately tone-deaf references to empire and domination. In 2016, the National Gallery of Singapore was forced to make changes to its fundraising gala after its original theme—“The Empire Ball”— triggered an outcry.
A marketing campaign launched by the Singapore Tourist Board in October last year to promote the Singapore Tourism Awards features Raffles and Major General William Farquhar, Singapore’s first resident and colonial administrator, as a jovial, bumbling pair in search of enjoyment as “Singapore’s First Tourists.”
“Just like how historical seafaring explorers like Raffles were guided by the stars in their expedition, Singaporeans and visitors can also be guided by the stars of the Singapore Tourism Awards when seeking out the best tourism experiences,” the Singapore Tourism Board tweeted.
Raffles, of course, was not a “historical seafaring explorer”, but a representative of a company specifically established to seek trade and profit through colonization.
Prior to founding Singapore, Raffles was part of a successful military expedition against the French and Dutch in Java, Indonesia, that saw him appointed as Lieutenant Governor, a role he leveraged to subjugate several local Javanese princes during a brief period of British colonial rule.
The Singapore Tourism Board’s perspective is indicative of a questionable grasp of Raffles the man and the island-state’s colonial history. Oxford University historian Thum Ping Tjin, however, points out that there are also political motivations for the soft narrative.
“Fundamentally, the [PAP] governs Singapore in the same way that the colonial power did, via [similar] structures, mechanisms and values,” Thum wrote in email response to questions from Asia Times. “In order to intellectually [and] emotionally justify this, it has to then celebrate our colonial past as a positive one.”
Thum wrote that involves sweeping “a lot of the horrors of our past under the carpet,” namely colonial rule’s dispossession of native people, the fact that the port thrived due to the opium trade and slavery, and that British governors routinely used torture and oppression to maintain control.
Several laws passed by the British colonial government to control the native population remain on the books today. Earlier this month, the government proposed – for the 14th time – an extension of the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act, legislation introduced by the British in the 1950s that allows for detention without trial and originally intended as a temporary measure.
With the continuation of colonial structures, attitudes and many repressive laws under 58 years of uninterrupted PAP nanny state rule, Oxford historian Thum argues “that the people of Singapore have never enjoyed sovereignty over ourselves” – hardly a cause for celebration.
1819 was also the year Singapore’s last Sultan (S. Hussein Shah) came into power – a piece of history that is worth looking at.
The Singaporean position is understandable. The fact of the matter is: Without the British, there would not have been a Singaporean republic. The real and present dilemma for Singapore is the same as the one faced by the Australians. That is how to negotiate between a declining superpower they feel beholden to and a rising economic superpower to which their properity depends. So far, they’ve not been very shrewd, so good luck.
Two wrongs don’t make it right. Seems Hokeys (your term) learned well from the colonial terrorism Europeans faced and began to authorize murdering and colonizing in the 1400’s. Look up Doctrine of Discovery authorizing this extermination of non-Christian over 500 years ago and join in the outrage against all colonialism as you imply we should by asking others to acknowledge invasions of Europe.
I don’t not see traumatic legacies of Genghis Khan in Europe today, but one does not need to look far to notice the on-going impact of Honkey’s rape and plundering all over the world. Native people in the Americas are still trying to recover from genocide and colonialism.
Selective historical amnesia. Colonialism? the Western Powers are "Johnny cum latelys" to colonialism! Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan … The Turks, from Turkmenistan occupied eastern Europe from the 15th to early 20th centuries. Ethnically cleaned Anatolia from Greeks and Armenians. Etnically cleansed Northern Cypress of its Christsian s in 1967! Hey, where did the high cheekbones in Russians come form? Who viciously bombarded Vienna’s women and children in in the 17th cntury?
Some of us Honkeys know and remember our history; no thanks to the obseqou academics infesting our culture!
es
James Greaves
The Malay, Indian, Chinese…..you mean.
Philip Richer Your thieving ancestors had caused much of the world problems even now by robbing genociding and raping the weaks. Now time has changed, the west is in decline without much to rob while the East and China is rising to its former glory without resort to bullying and stealing like your ancestors did to so many countries around the globe from Asia to Africa and South America killing and decimating innocent people who lived in peace. Yet you are proud of this evils and deeds your ancestors brought to the world . Sore loser is you and those think like you without conscience and repentance. Britania has long sinked to the bottom of the ocean. Nothing can save the queen and all her cohorts.
John Chang the simple fact is, that whilst your ancestors were content to squat at home, chasing the dragon and binding feet, mine were sailing the globe establishing trade hubs and commerce, bringing light to where once before, there was only darkness.
Asia resolutely lost any technological edge it once had over western civilization during the second half of the last millennia, and suffered the consequences. Don’t be a sore loser
its a shame… personally I feel lky was a british installation to keep some level of control, but like all dictators he got worse with age, yeah, he’s "smarter" than most, but he was still a devil that in the end installed all his "friends" and relatives in positions of power, extrodinary family? I think not
The Chinese have a point to laud the English, despite all their sins. At least they gave Chinese freedom by breaking the backs of moribund regressive colonialist Kaliphate Islam of Malaysia types.
Indeed a cause to celebrate.
James Greaves Of course those daring self righteous Anglo thieves and robbers would steal and invade Singapore in broad daylight for their own coffer only and brought it back to London as it had done the world over for 200 years. Thieving England was not intentionally building Singapore, but just stealing whatever to make herself fat while suppressed and exploited the locals for her own greed. Thieving England didnt last long for what she did anyway. See how she is in great decline now and will be to oblivion for her evil deeds and crimes in time to come! Repent and learn from the evil past! No one can save the Queen otherwise!
we need a nuclear-free Southeast Asia, but still no guarantee in light of Daniel Ellsberg’s disturbing new book "The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner" https://www.democracynow.org/2017/12/6/doomsday_machine_daniel_ellsberg_reveals_he http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2017/12/the_doomsday_machine_daniel_ellsberg_s_sobering_new_memoir_about_life_as.html
From 1830 to 1867 Singapore was part of the Bengal Presidency, one of the 3 Presidencies that made up Colonial India.
https://www.facebook.com/jess.c.hill.35/videos/10212916106871401/
What matters most will be the present. The past is a learning experience for both parties. Most importantly forgiveness leaps in but not forgotten. The way is to move forward with nil vengence of the past.
ever the comprador, quite a contrast with Shashi Tharoor (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OB5ykS-_-CI )
Except that if the Brits had not done the pionering work those hardworking, entrprenurel Chinese and Indians could never have established themselves there.
We should be grateful to the British for keeping the Communists at bay from Commie China. Otherwise today we would all have become Commie lackyes. Whereby our whole island would have ended up as a ‘prostitute den’, with prostitutes from Commie China. Today without communism in Singapore, we only have the invasion of commie China prostitutes in Geylang and other areas. These China prostitues even tried to invade the heartlands but were not successful.Because of our strict laws.
It is a wonderful reminder to the Communist Chinese leadership that we still believe in responsible Democracy and we still take pains to celebrate our Colonial past with sincere gratitude. To our British ally, who passed on the values of Democracy. Today we have our own form of responsible Democracy, all because of the BRitish. These days Communist China with their expansionist ideas, pushing their weight down SEA, got to be reminded again and again that we are an independent nation. Any form of bullying will not be tolerated from the Commies. As we always have the British and other Democratic allies coming to our aid.
Singapore is built by the hardwork and intelligence of the local Chinese, Indians and Malays. There is nothing to praise about the short lived colonial side of Singapore by this Anglophile.
Kirsten Han,
You have done the best you could balancing the different views or opinions and then juxtapositioning yourself so as to appear as objective and impartial as you can.
But the truth is that history should be told warts and all – like the moon – Singapore’s colonial history as a British Oriental trading outpost of a trade entreport as well as its post Colonial City State history since independence have a dark side.
Obviously you tempt fate if you were to write about the dark side of history of Singapore as a City State. But surely, you have more room to manoeuvre in relation to the Colonial dark side?
At the minimum, the British treated the Chinese, Indians etc no better than inferior beings, to be exploited and to be made subservient, no better than ‘dogs’!
Then put yourself in good standing with the incumbent authorities for what it is worth by describing how LKY went over to Mother England and came dux at Law at Cambridge. Showed the Brits that Chinese are not fools or morons!
Many Singaporeans just can’t help being lackeys of Western powers, these days mainly represented by the United States. The hosting of American military assets, and the provisioning of Singaporean intelligence to their counterparts in the US, mean that should a shooting war starts between China and the US, don’t blame the Chinese for lobbing a few bombs onto the city state!