Singapore is 55 years of age today. We have been blessed since our inception in 1965 by a great leader and statesman Mr. Lee Kwan Yew that with each year after his passing, I am more and more awestruck at his contribution to raise this little backwater of an island in the midst of (then) unfriendly neighbours and having to fight numerous battles on the economic, social and political front it is something of a miracle that we have this unlikely metropolis which I proudly call my home.
Let us reflect on this fact on Singapore's birthday. I am grateful for having a giant of a man who led Singapore for the better part of 30 years as Prime Minister then taking the back seat as Senior Minister, and finally Minister Mentor in his final days. He was a brilliant statesman, leader extraordinaire, loving husband and super salesman of the country. True, he had to enact the Internal Security Act during Operation Coldstore, but the greater good of Singapore has been achieved in barely 30 years. We are now a first world country with one of the highest GDP per capita, freest economy where business is concerned, clean, green and a place where the world expects Singaporeans to stand up and be counted upon. He and his wonderful team achieved this starting in mid 1960s for a poor island struggling after the Second World War with no hinterland, little farmland, no rare earth resources, no water.
Malaysia had decided to 'kick out' this island at the south by an immediate amendment of the Constitution, fearing the rise of Communist enclaves, and racial disharmony amongst many other issue. In the late 50s and early 60s, Singapore was subject to the Hock Lee Bus Riots, the racial riots, the Konfrantasi between the then Malaya and Indonesia, the Chinese Middle School protests and the worrying rise of the Plen (plenitentiary) who had started the Malayan Communist Party and was eyeing on radicalising Singapore's young urban poor.
In 1967, the British decided to pull out all of their bases, Naval and whatever land forces they had. Poverty was rife, gangsters and triads were plentiful and people were left after the 2nd World War with no jobs, lack of security, sanitation and a bleak future.
Only through the amazing vision and steely willpower of a great man, a no nonsense taskmaster and his desire to pull this unlikely nation by its bootstraps from the Third World to First World did Singapore 'make it'.
My salute to you, sir.
Singapore - The origins of the name ?
I am also struck that the name Singa Pura is taken from a Sanscrit word and Singa meaning 'lion'. Historically and from wildlife records from hundreds of years ago, there have never been sightings of any Lions in the Lion City. According to folklore, (again it is all heresay and handed down stories which Man is very good at altering to his exaggeration to make the story more 'tall' and awe inspiring), the Majapahit ruler Sang Nila Utama came to this island one day to hunt, and lo and behold, the saw the Lion when he landed, hence the name Singa in the Singa Pore name. The jungles of South East Asia only record Tiger sightings and Lions domain or sanctuary is the Savannah in Africa. Strange isn't it ?
An unlikely formed country with an even more unlikely origin for a name, with a brilliant leader statesman all at the same time. The odds of that happening is probably less than one in a million years.
I prefer the more accurate Temasek from the Indonesian language whereby the meaning is the Land surrounded by the Lakes. This is much more apt.
Happy 55th Temasek Island
The first 2 Acts have come and gone -
Now comes the Hard Part......
