Understanding Singapore

1
Understanding Singapore
2
Agenda

• History
• People
• Languages and religions
• Impact

3
History
4
History

• Early history
• written records sketchy (first written records in
  the 14th century)\dominated by legends
• E.g. Malay prince saw Lion -gt named the place
  previously known as Temasek Singapore (Lion-City)
• fishing, gambier planting, trade, piracy
• Colonialism
• 1819 landing of Raffles
• took advantage of tensions in Johor Sultanate -gt
  acquired use of Singapore for annual payment
• 1824 British East India Company bought Singapore

5
History

• colonial outpost, successful entreport, important
  rubber and tin exporter
• adaptation of British legal and political system
• 1942-45 Japanese occupation
• Brutal regime
• Return of the British after World War 2
• evolving desire for independence
• only rely on themselves to defend the city

6
History

• Postwar climate of poverty, unemployment, lack
  of ideological direction
• strong communist movement
• political and racial struggles
• 1957 partial autonomy
• inner policy
• freely elected parliament
• 1959 PAP won the elections Lee Kuan Yew became
  prime-minister

7
History

• 1963 full independence as part of the Federation
  of Malaysia
• 1965 booted out of the federation

8
Post independence Problems\Solutions
9

• Singapore today is a leading center of commerce
  and industry
• Prerequisites
• Political stability (stable and reliable
  environment for investors)
• government that keeps it s promises
• growth accompanied by social improvements
  (housing, medical care)
• fast industrialisation (Jurong)
• support of exports -gt focus on
  labour intense industries job creation
• free trade
• encourage foreign investments

10
Post Independence

• building up infrastructure
• education
• English as official language (supports
  communication)
• shift to service sector (finance, RD) and to
  promising technologies like IT and Biotech
• cooperation with neighbours (growth triangle
  Batam, Johor outsourcing of labour intense
  industries)

11
People
12
People an overview

• Made up of 4 main races
• Chinese
• Malay
• Indian
• Others
• Migrants from places along the shipping routes

13
People Chinese

• Includes Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hainanese,
  Hakka, Chinese Peranakan
• Some were already living on the island in 1819
• Mainly descendants from the coastal area of
  southeast China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangzhou,
  Hainan provinces)
• Mainly as merchants, planters, goldsmiths,
  carpenters, coolie and rickshaw-pullers

14
People Malay

• Includes Malay, Javanese, Baweanese, Bugis
• Arrived from the Malay Peninsula and Riau- Lingga
  islands (Malay), Java, Celebes and Borneo
  (Bugis), Bawean Island and various parts of
  Sumatra
• Mainly fishermen, traders, sailors,
  boat-builders, policemen

15
People Indian

• Includes Tamils, Malayalis, Punjabis (mostly
  Sikh), Gujaratis
• Mostly came from Tamil Nadu state, Jaffna,
  Punjab, Gujerat, Coromandel and Malabar coasts of
  Southern India
• Some were prisoners brought from detention center
  in Bencoolen, which was handed to the Dutch
• Usually were milkmen (North Indians), Money
  changers, moneylenders (Chettiars), policemen and
  watchmen (Sikhs), shopkeepers

16
People Peranakan

• Descendants of migrants intermarried with local
  Malays
• Most Chinese and Indian migrants were men and
  they had to intermarry with the local non-Muslim
  Malays
• Mostly Chinese Peranakans, others are Indian
  Peranakans and Eurasians

17
People Peranakan

• Usually speak Baba Malay and English, culture
  includes strong Malay elements
• Indian and Chinese Peranakans closely resembles
  each other except religion
• Indians Peranakans usually Hindus and Chinese
  were Taoists/Buddhists

18
People Peranakan

• Most Chinese Peranakans converted to Christianity
  during British rule
• Chinese Peranakans usually acted as middlemen
  between British and non-English speaking traders
• Peranakans usually considered non-Chinese by
  China-born Chinese

19
Languages and Religions
20
Languages

• National Language of Singapore is Bahasa Melayu
  (Malay)
• A standardised form of all the malay dialects
  being spoken at that time

21
Languages

• 4 official languages
• Bahasa Melayu (National language)
• English (civil language)
• Tamil
• Mandarin (Chinese)

22
Religions

• 9 official religions
• Hinduism
• Judaism
• Buddhism
• Bahai Faith
• Zoroastrianism

• 6. Taoism
• 7. Christianity
• 8. Islam
• 9. Sikhism

23
Unlawful Religions

• Generally banned because they promote dissent and
  hostility to the government
• E.g., Jehovah Witnesses faith do not salute the
  flag nor serve national service

24
Hinduism

• Belief that true happiness lies in unification
  with the supreme Lord
• Practice the principal of non-violence and
  tolerance (Ahimsa)
• Belief in the accumulation of karma and
  reincarnation
• Worships a pantheon of deities which are all
  incarnations of the supreme Lord

25
Sikhism

• Founded by Guru Nanak
• Stresses the unity, truth and creativity of a
  personal God, and urges union through meditation
  and surrender to his will.
• Do not partake in idol worship. Gods and
  goddesses are non-entities.
• Males are required to wear turbans as soon as
  they are able

26
5 Ks

• A Sikh must always wear the 5Ks
• Keshas unshorn hair, help him maintain his
  saintly God-given form and his living in harmony
  with nature. A pledge of dedication to his Guru.
• Kangha a comb to keep his hair neat and tidy,
  marking his cleanliness and tidiness
• Kara steel bangle mostly worn on the right hand
  to remind a Sikh to refrain from misdeeds and
  wrong actions

27
5 Ks

• Kachha his underwear denotes his chastity and
  self-restraint over harmful passions and desires
• Kirpan a dagger to defend himself and the
  oppressed. A symbol of courage

28
Islam

• Prophet Muhammad was chosen to deliver the
  universal edition of the word of God
• Revelations from God are collected in the Quran

29
5 Pillars of Faith

• Faith Belief that there is no god but Allah and
  the Prophet Muhammad is his messenger
• Prayer Salat to be performed 5 times a day in
  the direction of Mecca
• Zakat Belief that all things belong to Allah
  and should be spread
• Fast Practice of fasting from sunrise to
  sundown during Ramadan
• Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca to perform the holy
  rites

30
Zoroastrianism

• Originated from Iran in 12th century B.C.
• Fire temples built and consecrated for prayers
  and sacred ceremonies
• Fire in the inner sanctum kept burning as symbol
  of god
• Three basic tenets
• Good thoughts
• Good Words
• Good Deeds

31
Buddhism

• Founded by Siddhattaha Gotama
• Buddha means Awakened or Enlightened One
• Four truths
• Noble truth of Dukkha (suffering)
• Noble truth of Cause of Dukkha
• Noble truth of End of Dukkha
• Noble truth of Path leading to cessation of
  Dukkha (Noble Eightfold Path)

32
Taoism

• A set of teachings to cultivate innate goodness
  in everyone
• Honors Lao Zi as the Venerable Lord (Tai Shang
  Lao Jun)
• Believes that universe is controlled by a set of
  laws known as Tao
• By knowing and understanding oneself, one can
  attain a state of being and harmony

33
Bahai

• Bahai means a follower of Bahaullah, founder
  of the faith
• He is regarded as the most recent in a line of
  Prophets including Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster,
  Buddha, Christ and Muhammad
• Essential message is one of unity

34
Bahai

• Fundamental principles
• Giving equal opportunities, rights and privileges
  to men and women
• Recognizing that true religion is in harmony with
  reason and the pursuit of scientific knowledge
• Establishing a world federation based on
  collective security and justice for all
• Enforcing compulsory universal education

35
Confucianism

• Not considered a religion but a philosophy of how
  life should be lived
• Draws comparisons with Immanuel Kant
• It was adopted in the Han dynasty as the official
  moral and political doctrine of the state
• In essence, do unto others, what you would others
  do unto you

36
Religion in Nation Building

• Religions do not play a very strong role in
  nation building
• Government adopted a Confucian approach to
  governance
• Rule by moral example rather than force
• Emphasis placed on certain Confucian teachings
• E.g. filial piety and the Parents Maintenance Act

37
Gaining Future Competitive Advantage

• Education
• Trying to nurture private education sector to
  make it important part of economy
• Bio Sciences
• Take advantage of opportunities that technology
  offers
• Setting up infrastructure and community for R and
  D

38
Gaining Future Competitive Advantage

• Healthcare
• Positioning as healthcare hub for region
• Entrepreneurship
• Encouraging home-grown enterprises
• Reviewing procedure for starting business
• Encouraging entrepreneurial (creative/out-of-the-b
  ox) thinking from school