The Straits of Singapore lies between Singapore and the Riau Archipelago, Indonesia, and links the Straits of Malacca to the South China Sea. It is approximately 113 km long and 5 to 12 km wide, although its narrowest navigable width is 2.9 km. It is on the shipping ...

Located 5.5 km southwest of mainland Singapore, the offshore island of Pulau Bukom (also spelt “Bukum”) houses an integrated oil and petrochemicals site with manufacturing facilities for fuels, lubricant base oils and specialty chemicals. It was known as Pulau ...

Leung Kai Fook Medical Company (Pte) Ltd is the maker of Axe Brand Universal Oil (also known as Axe Brand Medicated Oil), a popular brand of medicated oil recognised by its logo, which features an arm holding an axe. Axe Brand Medicated Oil is colourless, and contains ...

The Hainanese chicken rice is a dish that consists of succulent poached white chicken cut into bite-size pieces and served on fragrant rice with some light soy sauce. The dish is topped with sprigs of coriander leaf and sesame oil, and accompanied by a garlic-chilli ...

Choo Keng Kwang (b. 3 June 1931, Singapore–d. 14 December 2019, Singapore), a first-generation Singaporean artist, was well-known for his oil paintings of landscape, animals and nature. A former school principal of Sin Hua School, Choo later headed the Art Education ...

Tay Bak Koi (b. 1939, Singapore–d. 12 December 2003, Singapore) was an artist renowned for his portrayals of fishing villages, kampung (village) scenes and urban landscapes. He specialised in oil and watercolour. Tay's works have been exhibited extensively in Singapore ...

The explosion and fire on board Greek oil tanker S. T. Spyros on 12 October 1978 was described as Singapore’s “worst post-war disaster in terms of lives lost”. Seventy-six people died and 69 others were injured in the accident.

Behn, Meyer & Co. was established in Singapore on 1 November 1840 as a partnership between two Germans, Theodor August Behn and Valentin Lorenz Meyer. In its initial years, the firm traded in tropical produce such as coconut oil, pepper, camphor and rattan, but ...

On 29 January 1983, seven people died when the Sentosa cable cars they were aboard plunged into the sea after the derrick of an oil-drilling vessel, Eniwetok, struck the cableway when it was unberthing from the wharf nearby. It was the first fatal accident since ...

The Asian financial crisis started in Thailand with the collapse of the Thai baht in July 1997. What began as a currency crisis soon affected the wider economy and spread quickly to the rest of the region, leading to economic downturns in several countries. Singapore ...

On 31 January 1974, four men armed with submachine guns and explosives attacked the Shell Oil Refinery on Pulau Bukom Besar, an island south of mainland Singapore. After they failed to blow up the oil tanks, the group – dubbed the “Bukom bombers” by the newspapers ...

Pulau Busing is an offshore island south of Singapore, near Pulau Bukom. It had a land area of 2.5 ha before reclamation. Heavily industrialised, the island is home to oil and chemical storage facilities, at least one marine offshore terminal, and a fuel oil refinery. ...

Leo Hee Tong (b. 1 August 1940, Singapore–) is a second-generation Singapore artist. He has participated in many solo and group exhibitions, and has received many awards including four Dr Tan Tsze Chor Art Awards by the Singapore Art Society as well as nine Distinction ...

Tan Choh Tee (b. 1942, Guangdong, China–) is a prominent artist known for his impressionist-style oil paintings depicting still life as well as landscapes from a bygone era in Singapore’s history. For his contributions to the local arts scene, Tan was awarded the ...

Lee Hock Moh (b. 1947, Singapore–) is a Singaporean artist whose detailed and vibrant orchid paintings have won him accolades both locally and internationally. Trained in traditional Chinese ink and Western oil painting, Lee is considered a second-generation artist ...

Lee Man Fong (b. 1913, Guangdong, China–d. 1988, Jakarta, Indonesia) was a prominent artist based in Indonesia and Singapore. Primarily working with oil paintings, Lee was associated with the Nanyang style, which blends Chinese techniques and subjects with Western ...

Ho Kah Leong (b. 21 September 1937, Singapore -) a Cantonese, who established his name as both a politician and an artist. The former Member of Parliament of Jurong Constituency also served as Parliamentary Secretary in various ministries. He is an acclaimed amateur ...

Chua Mia Tee (b. 25 November 1931, Shantou, Guangdong, China–) is one of Singapore’s foremost realist painters. He is best known for his oil paintings that depict Singapore’s vanishing traditional urban landscape. He is also a much sought-after portrait artist ...

Liu Kang (b. 1 April 1911, Yongchun, Fujian, China–d. 1 June 2004, Singapore), also known as Liu Kai, was a pioneer oil painter who was key in establishing a local style in Singapore’s visual arts. As a renowned artist, Liu Kang not only produced a wide portfolio ...

Lee Chin Koon (b. 1903, Semarang, Indonesia – d. 12 October 1997, Singapore) was a storekeeper and depot manager for the Shell Oil Company, and father of Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.