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Written accounts of the early
history of Singapore are sketchy
and the names used to refer to the country are
varied. In the third century, a Chinese account
gave reference to Singapore as Pu-luo-chung, or
"island at the end of a peninsula".
In 1320, however, the Mongol court sent a mission
to a place called Long Yamen (Dragon's Tooth Strait)
to get elephants.
This probably referred to Keppel Harbour. A visitor
from China, Wang Dayuan, who came around 1330,
called the main settlement Pancur (spring), and
reported that there were Chinese already living
here. One of the earliest references to Singapore
as Temasek, or Sea Town, was found in the Javanese
Nagarakretagama' of 1365.
The name was also mentioned in a Vietnamese source
at around the same time. By the end of the 14th
century, the Sanskrit name, Singapura (Lion City),
became commonly used.
At that time, 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 (Malay Annals),
Singapore was defeated in one Majapahit attack,
but Iskandar Shah, or Parameswara, a prince of
Palembang, later killed the local chieftain and
installed himself as the island's new ruler.
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.
Coming of Age
A massive industrialization program was launched
with the extension of the Jurong industrial estate
and the creation of smaller estates in Kallang
Park, Tanjong Rhu, Redhill, Tiong Bahru and Tanglin
Halt. The Employment Act and the Industrial Relations
(Amendment) Act were passed in 1968 to promote
industrial peace and discipline among the workforce.
The Economic Development Board was reorganized
in 1968 and the Jurong Town Corporation and the
Development Bank of Singapore were set up in the
same year In 1970, the Monetary Authority of Singapore
was established to formulate and implement Singapore's
monetary policies.
In 1979, after the shock of two oil crises, the
Government started a program of economic restructuring.
This was achieved by modifying education policies,
expanding technology and computer education, offering
financial incentives to industrial enterprises
and launching a productivity campaign.
Public housing was given top priority. New towns
sprang up and Housing and Development Board apartments
were sold at a low cost. To encourage home ownership,
Singaporeans were allowed to use their Central
Provident Fund savings to pay for these apartments.
With the British Government's sudden decision
in 1967 to withdraw its armed forces from Singapore
by the end of 1971, Singapore set out to build
up its own defence forces. The Singapore Armed
Forces Training Institute was established in 1966
and compulsory national service was introduced
in 1967. A Singapore Air Defense Command and a
Singapore Maritime Command were set up in 1969.
In August 1967, Singapore joined Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines and Thailand to form the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations.
Singapore entered the 1970s as a politically stable
state with a high rate of economic growth. The
one-party Parliament that emerged from the 1968
general election became the pattern, with the
PAP winning all seats in 1972,1976 and 1980. In
the 1984 and 1991 general elections, the PAP won
all but two and four seats respectively.
On 28 November 1990, a new chapter opened in Singapore's
modern history Goh Chok Tong became the second
Prime Minster of Singapore when he took over the
office from Lee Kuan Yew who resigned after having
been Prime Minster since 1959.
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