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Dinning out in Clark
Quay against the picturesque skyline of modern day Singapore
A building in
Emerald Hill 'takes you back' to Singapore's colonial past instantly
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The potpourri of
colorful festivals celebrated through out the year in this 'Garden City'
of Asia . . . bears testimony to its rich cultural heritage . . is
probably what endears this tiny nation to the world.
. .Singapore on a
platter |
Singapore
SURPRISING SINGAPORE, MODERN IN
EVERY WAY, YET THIS FORMER STRAITS SETTLEMENT'S
CULINARY HERITAGE IS
RICHLY REFLECTED IN ITS CUISINE
DESPITE BEING KNOWN BY
MANY NAMES IN THE PAST, ONE CANNOT DESCRIBE SINGAPORE WITHOUT SOME
REFERENCE TO ITS NORTHERN NEIGHBOR, YET THERE EXIST SUFFICIENT
THREADS TO WEAVE A TAPESTRY OF CULTURE AND CUISINE THAT IS DISTINCTLY
SINGAPORE.
A Chinese account of the third century refers to Singapore as
Puluozhong,
translating the Malay words Pulau Ujong, that is "island at the end"
of the peninsula.
The Javanese Nagarakretagama of 1365 identified
a settlement called Temasek, meaning "Water Town", on Singapore island.
A Chinese trader Wang Dayuan, who visited Singapore around 1330 referred
to this settlement as Danmaxi, in reporting that there were also some Chinese
found on the island.
The Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals has the most colorful and vivid account
of how Singapore got its present name. As the story goes, Sang Nila Utama
(or Sri Tri Buana as he was more popularly known), ruler of Palembang
(in present day Indonesia), landed at Temasek one day while seeking shelter
from a storm. Sighting an animal he took to be a lion, he decided to establish
a settlement which he named Singapura, i.e. "Lion City". The
island became commonly known as Singapura by the end of the 14th century.
During the 14th century, Singapore was caught in the struggles between
Siam (now Thailand) and the Java-based Majapahit Empire for control over
the Malay Peninsula.
According to the Sejarah Melayu, Singapore was defeated in one Majapahit
attack. Later, a prince of Palembang, Iskandar Shah, also known as Parameswara,
killed the local chieftain and installed himself as the island's new ruler.
But shortly after, he was driven out, either by the Siamese or by the
Javanese forces of the Majapahit Empire. He fled north to Muar in the
Malay Peninsula, where he founded the Malacca Sultanate. Singapore remained
an important part of the Malacca Sultanate; it was the fief of the admirals
(laksamanas), including the famous Hang Tuah.
By the early 19th century, Singapore
was under the rule of the Sultan of Johor, who was based in the Riau-Lingga
archipelago. One of his senior ministers, the Temenggong, administered
Johor and Singapura.
When the British East India Company founded their settlement in early
1819, through an agreement with Sultan Hussein Shah and the Temenggong,
Singapore had around 1,000 indigenous inhabitants, consisting of Malays
as well as the orang laut, (sea nomads). These people were clustered
around the Singapore River, Kallang River, Telok Blangah, and along the
Johor Straits. There were also some
Chinese traders and gambier planters in the interior.
Singapore joined Malaysia in 1963,
but withdrew two years later and became independent. It subsequently
became one of the world's most prosperous countries, with strong
international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest) and
with per capita GDP equal to that of the leading nations of Western Europe
ECONOMY
Singapore, a highly developed and successful free-market economy, enjoys a remarkably open and corruption-free environment, stable prices, and one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world. The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in electronics and manufacturing, and was hard hit in 2001 by the global recession and the slump in the technology sector. In 2001, GDP contracted by 2.2%. The economy is expected to recover in 2002 in response to improvements in the US economy, and GDP growth for 2002 is projected to be 3% to 4%. In the longer term the government hopes to establish a new growth path that will be less vulnerable to the external business cycle than the current export-led model, but is unlikely to abandon efforts to establish Singapore as Southeast Asia's financial and high-tech hub.
The four official languages of Singapore include Mandarin, English,
Malay and Tamil. Although Singapore is a country of immigrants,
its people possess a distinct and proud identity.
The government has worked assiduously since independence to foster
a national identity.
One step was to establish four national languages -Mandarin, Malay,
Tamil, and English, the preferred medium for business and politics.
Singapore's main religions are Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Hinduism
and Christianity. Buddhists represent about 54 percent of the population.
Islam, the national faith of Malaysia and Indonesia, also has a
significant presence, as do Hinduism and Christianity.
Without an official religion, the government's stated philosophy
is based on the social and moral codes of Confucianism.
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