• Portuguese trade empire in Asia

      The arrival of Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in India in 1498 meant that the Portuguese were the first Europeans to discover a direct sea route to Asia via the Cape of Good Hope and, subsequently, Southeast Asia. Their main motive in seeking out the maritime ...

    • Ministry of Trade and Industry

      The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) encourages economic growth and creates employment so that Singaporeans can lead better lives. Its strategies are based on a free-market system and outward-oriented economic policies.

    • China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (CSFTA)

      The China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (CSFTA) marks Singapore as the first Asian country to have a comprehensive bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China. This is a major milestone in Singapore’s relationship with China since diplomatic ties were officially ...

    • Bugis trade

      The opening of Singapore as a British free port in 1819 attracted trade from the Bugis, a group of seafarers from the southern Celebes (today’s Indonesian island of Sulawesi). Travelling on their distinctive boats known as prahus, they brought with them specialised ...

    • China trade

      Southeast Asia’s trade with China had taken place long before the Portuguese captured Melaka in 1511, paving the way for Western imperialism in the Malay archipelago. Trade with China was known as “Nanhai trade”, with nanhai referring to “southern seas”, an area ...

    • The Quarantine Ordinance of 1868

      Quarantine was formally introduced as a public health control measure in Singapore in 1868. It was an important method of disease control before the widespread adoption of vaccination and antimicrobial therapy. As a cosmopolitan port settlement, Singapore was particularly ...

    • Extension of library services (1953–1995)

      In support of Singapore’s educational and cultural development, part-time branch libraries were started by the Raffles Library in the 1950s, with the first of these set up at Upper Serangoon in 1953. Stocked with books for juniors and adults, such as dictionaries, ...

    • Opium and its history in Singapore

      Opium (Papaver somniferum) contributed significantly to the general trade in Singapore’s pioneering years. Encouraged by the British colonial government, it reaped great profit from opium licenses. However, many Chinese coolies succumbed to this vice as an escape ...

    • Battle of Opium Hill

      The battle of Opium Hill took place on 14 February 1942 during the Japanese invasion of Singapore. Part of the wider battle for Pasir Panjang, the battle of Opium Hill is remembered for the heroic last stand of 2nd Lieutenant Adnan Saidi and the soldiers from C ...

    • Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations

      The Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) is an umbrella body of Chinese clan associations in Singapore. The Federation was registered on 9 December 1985 and formally inaugurated on 27 January 1986. It was founded by seven clan associations, ...

    • Tuberculosis in Singapore

      Tuberculosis, commonly known as TB, is an infectious disease caused by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacterium. It spreads from person to person via airborne respiratory droplets from an infected person, and primarily affects the lungs. In the 19th century, Singapore’s ...

    • Singapore Chinese Physicians’ Association

      The Singapore Chinese Physicians’ Association was founded in 1946 after World War II. Formerly known as the Singapore Chinese Medical Society, it is one of the largest traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) organisations in Singapore. It was established to provide ...

    • Parsi Community

      The Parsis (or Parsees) are descendants of Zoroastrian Persians who settled in India in the 10th century. They first arrived in Singapore in the 19th century. As of 2017, an estimated 350 Parsis live in Singapore. Parsi Road and Parsi Cemetery are named after ...

    • Ridzwan Dzafir

      Ridzwan bin Haji Dzafir (b. 27 March 1927, Singapore–d. 28 September 2011, Singapore), commonly referred to as Ridzwan Dzafir, was a civil servant best known for his extensive experience in trade promotion and negotiations. As director-general of the Trade Development ...

    • Collapse of Barings

      Founded in 1762, Barings was the oldest merchant bank in Britain before its collapse in 1995. The 233-year-old bank was brought down single-handedly by its employee, Nicholas William Leeson, better known as Nick Leeson, a derivatives trader. After landing the bank ...

    • Chinese seal carvers

      Chinese seal carvers are traditional craftsmen who make Chinese seals by carving characters and designs onto the base of blocks of stone, wood, ivory, jade and other solid material. Seal carving was a lucrative trade in the past as seals were used in Chinese business ...

    • Ruth Wong

      Ruth Wong Hie King (b. 10 June 1918, Singapore–d. 1 February 1982, Singapore) is widely regarded as a pioneer educator who transformed teacher training in Singapore. Wong was the first female principal of the Teachers’ Training College (TTC) and the founding director ...

    • Bugis community

      The Bugis were among the first groups of people to arrive in Singapore after the British established a trading settlement on the island in 1819. Many of the early Bugis settlers came as maritime traders and made significant contributions to the development of Singapore ...

    • Major oil spills in the Straits of Singapore

      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 ...

    • Battle of Bukit Timah

      The battle of Bukit Timah (10–12 February 1942) took place during the Japanese invasion of Singapore. On the night of 10 February, two divisions of the Imperial Japanese Army attacked Bukit Timah, capturing the area in the early hours of 11 February. A subsequent ...

       

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