Tikumu's letter

Press, 12 August 1980, Page 14

Tikumu's letter

Dear Readers, ? Last Saturday was Independence Day in Singapore, the fifteenth anniversary of a decision to separate from the then recently-formed Federation of Malaysia, and to stand alone after 140 years of British rule, three years of Japanese occupation and two uneasy years as part of a federation which included Malaya and two parts of North Borneo. Events in Singapore are of interest in New Zealand because, the two countries have been linked in the. past, and continue to have common interests in' trade and defence. On. a world map Singapore is not much larger thaii a dot at the foot of the Malay Peninsula. It is so small that on a clear day you can see the whole island in a bird’s-eye view from an aeroplane. Yet more than two million people live within its coastlines. Singapore is almost without natural resources but it is surrounded by countries which have them in abundance — ton, rubber, coconut, rice, jute, spices, coffee, timber and oil. And Singapore has a sheltered deep-water harbour. For these two reasons it is an important trading centre. It was an Englishman who first recognised the potential of Singapore as a trading post He was Thomas Stamford Raffles, assistant secretary to the Governor of Penang, and well-known for his knowledge of Malaya and its people. Raffles wanted to find a new site where free trade

could be carried out under the British flag, and he believed Singapore was the answer. With this idea in mind Raffles visited Singapore in 1819. There were about 100 small huts near the river mouth and some 30 families living in boats a short distance inland. Within a week he signed an agreement with two rulers and gained permission to set up a trad-

ing post in return for payment of 8000 Spanish silver dollars. 7 Five years later Raffles’ successors signed a new treaty; in which Singapore Island/became a British possession at a price of 60,000 Spanish silver dollars. Free trade attracted immigrants of many races — Chinese, Indians, Indonesians, Malayans and others. Gradually Singapore came to be the

great international market place of South-East Asia. For the next century Singapore continued to grow in size and importance until 1942, when British rule was violently interrupted by the Japanese occupation after the surrender of the British forces. Singaporeans have many reasons for celebrating Independence Day. One is the fact that they are Singaporeans, whether Chinese, Malayan, Indian, . European or Eurasian. As a nation they work together with a united purpose, although each' group , holds to its, own language,CUSTOMS AND RELIGION. . -

The news ? media cater for the different- lang-, uages. Ten newspapers are published daily — two in English, four in Chinese, three in Indian, and one in Malay. Television pro? grammes are transmitted in the four languages. Like most parents the world over, Singaporeans value education for their children. The system provides schooling for i all> children from the age of six to 14 years. To cope with the numbers, sessions are held; the school buildings are used by one; set of teachers and children in the mornings, and by another in the afternoons. Pupils are required to learn a second language, usually English. The dream of Singapore’s founder, Sir Stamford Raffles, was that it should become a “great commercial emporium.” It must have exceeded his wildest dreams. Tikumu