visit information (singapore) - singapore port guide

POPULATION

Singapore has a population of some 4.5 million (Feb 2008) people, consisting of 75 % Chinese, 15 % Malay, 8 % Indian and 2 % others (i.e. of Dutch or Portuguese extraction). Singapore also has a very large expatriate community of foreign workers, which includes up to 40,000 Australians who live and work in Singapore in a variety of professions.

HISTORY

By the 7th century, Temasek, as Singapore was then known, was the trading centre of Sumatra’s ancient Srivijayan Empire. In the 13th century, the town was renamed Singapura, meaning ‘Lion City’, after Sang Nila Utama, Prince of Pelambang, reported seeing an animal ‘very swift and beautiful’ during his visit to the island. The animal was more than likely a tiger, which inhabited Singapore until wiped out by hunting in the early 1900s.

During the 14th century, Singapura became the centre of a fierce struggle between Java, Siam and the Chinese. Eventually, the city was abandoned by the fighting factions. The buildings were quickly reclaimed by the jungle and Singapura remained virtually hidden until the early 1800s.

Singapore was resettled in 1811 by 100 Malays, led by their local chief, the Temmenggong. Eight years later, in 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles, from the British East India Company, landed on the banks of the Singapore River and decided that the area would be the ideal site for a British trading base. For 120 years, Singapore boomed, with Raffle’s vision of a free port becoming a reality. In 1867, the island became a Crown Colony of the British Empire. The island also became a major military base with a large number of troops based here, supported by coastal artillery, airfields and a Naval Dockyard built at Sembawang during the 1920s and 1930s.

All this came to an end on 8 December 1941 when the Japanese invaded Malaya and pushed relentlessly south. Despite fierce resistance by Australian, British and Indian troops and the destruction of the causeway between Singapore and Johor Bahru, the Japanese invaded Singapore on 8 February 1942. A week later, the Allied forces in Singapore surrendered to the Japanese and 85,000 Allied troops (including 22,000 Australians, mainly from the 8th Division) became Prisoners of War. The Japanese controlled Singapore for the next three and half years, which was a period of harshness for the local population and Prisoners of War alike. The Second World War came to an end in September 1945 and the Japanese were expelled from Singapore. Singapore once again became a Crown Colony of the British Empire.

Independence was achieved in 1959, with Lee Kuan Yew being sworn in as the country’s first Prime Minister. While an independent state, substantial British, Australian and New Zealand forces were stationed in Singapore to prevent Communist aggression, which had been prominent in the region during the Malayan Emergency (1948-60) and to counter the rise of Indonesia (Confrontation 1963-66). These troops remained in Singapore well into the early 1970s with the last, the New Zealanders, not leaving until 1989.

In 1963, Singapore became part of the political and economic alliance formed between the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo (now Sabah). This alliance, proposed by the Malayan Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, became Malaysia. However, in 1965 Singapore was expelled from the Malaysian Federation and became an independent nation, the Republic of Singapore, with a Presidential Head of State.

LANGUAGE

English, Malay, Chinese (Mandarin and Hokkien) and Tamil are all widely spoken. While English is the language of administration and business, visitors should be prepared for a language barrier when dealing with some Singaporeans. Many Singaporeans have adapted a new language called ‘Singlish’ – a unique combination of English and the other languages that are spoken.

CLIMATE AND GEOGRAPHY

Singapore Island is situated off the southern tip of the Malaya Peninsula from which it is separated by the narrow Johor Straits (crossed by the road and rail causeway in the north and a second link road bridge in the west). The island is approximately 40 km from west to east and 22 km from north to south. The highest point above sea level is approximately 195 metres. Singapore is 130 km (75 nautical miles) north of the equator and is in time zone GMT (+8 Hotel). The climate is very hot and humid all year round with an average maximum temperature of 32 degrees (with temperatures varying from 24 to 38 degrees). There is no ‘cool’ season at all. Sunrise is at approx 0630 and sunset at 1900 all year round.

The annual rainfall is in excess of 250 cm, which may fall in light showers but more often comes in torrential downpours, frequently accompanied by violent thunderstorms with some spectacular lightning. The winds blow from the north or northeast from October to April and from the southwest from May to September. The ever present humidity has an adverse effect on such things as electrical equipment, timber products, books and people (at times).

TRADITIONS AND RELIGIONS

Due to its cultural diversity, Singapore has a rich religious community. Key religious festivals include:

1. Chinese New Year – linked to the lunar calendar; generally in January and February;
2. Ramadan - associated with the Muslim faith and a month of fasting between dawn and dusk, which ends with Hari Raya Puasa in late November
   (celebration of the end of fasting);
3. Hari Raya Haji – again, associated with the Muslim faith and the period when pilgrimages to Mecca are made;
4. Easter and Christmas – traditional Christian activities celebrated widely in Singapore;
5. Deepavali – A Hindu festival in October or November celebrating the defeat of the demon king by Lord Krishna
   (often known as the festival of lights because of the displays of lights and oil lamps in the city);
6. Thaipusam – another Hindu festival in January often involving deeply religious Hindu’s piercing their bodies to atone for past sins; and
7. Vesak Day – day of celebration for the birth, life and death of Lord Buddha.

CURRENCY

The basic unit of currency is the Singaporean Dollar (made up of 100 Cents). Units of currency are cents (1, 5, 10, 20, and 50) and dollars (1 dollar coin and notes 2, 5, 10, 50 and 100). Higher denomination notes are available but rarely seen. The exchange rate in Feb 08 was AUD$1 = SG$1.30.

MEDIA

English language TV, newspapers and magazines are readily available in Singapore. The main newspaper is the Straits Times. By Australian standards, the local Singaporean media is very ‘tame’ and will rarely depict the Government in anything other than a favourable light.