Story and pictures by Kevin Lee

This story was first published at the MyStory portal, an initiative by the Public Education Division of the National Heritage Board.

I allowed Sang Nila Utama safe passage to Singapore after he yielded his crown as tribute. At that time, the island was called “Temasik”, but he renamed it “Singapura” or Lion City, even though there wasn’t a city there when he landed.

For centuries, I’ve supported life on this little island. For instance, the Orang Laut such as the Orang Biduanda Kallang and the Orang Selat fished in my waters.

When the British came, they came by sea. The attraction wasn’t just what could be grown on land, but what could be shipped by sea and traded on land. The island’s population grew rapidly after Stamford Raffles stepped on the shore in 1819. Immigrants came by the shipload, not just from Britain, but also from India, China and other lands nearby.

The biggest trouble Singapore has ever known came by sea too. In December 1941, an army from another island landed on several beaches, such as the one off Kota Bahru in the Malay Peninsula, north of Singapore.

Somewhere along this beach near Kota Bahru in Peninsula Malaysia, the Japanese landed and trooped south towards Singapore

From their beach heads, the Japanese army moved south to the Johor Straits, and crossed it to land in Singapore at Kranji, then pushed inland.

The Johor Straits, seen from Johor, with Kranji in the background

The British surrendered in a place that is about as far as one could get from the sea – in a factory at Bukit Timah. The days that followed were the worst of times ever. I know, because many of Singapore’s civilians were shot in my waters off Changi and Punggol beaches. The Japanese called the island “Syonanto” or “Light of the South”. The light from the Land of the Rising Sun cast long, dark shadows.

When the Japanese surrendered on an American ship in 1945 in the waters of Tokyo Bay, things were never the same again. Malaya soon declared its independence from the British Empire in 1957. Singapore followed by attaining self-government in 1959 and merged politically with Malaysia in 1963. In 1965, the island became independent, relying even more on the access provided by the seas.

I supported Singapore’s economy through entrepot trade. Even when the island became a land of factories, many goods were shipped by sea. As Singapore diversified from manufacturing into services, I continued to remain relevant for business, with the many telecommunication cables submerged beneath my waves

Since independence, Singapore has celebrated its birthday mostly near me – at the Padang near the Singapore River, and at the National Stadium near the Kallang Basin. In 2007, for the first time ever, the parade was held on water, at Marina Bay.

Marina Bay, the site of Singapore’s 2007 National Day celebration

While the story of how Singapura got its name is a legend, the history of Singapore is my story. I, the waters off Singapore, have seen history ebb and flow. Will the nation continue to be on solid ground? Much depends on those who live on its shores, but I will continue to be there for the island.

The writer enjoys journeys to wide open spaces and into the past by bicycle. He rides around Singapore occasionally to “paint with light”, photographing scenes that may shed light on bits of the island’s past. This way, he can relive in future memories of the past even when what has been photographed has disappeared. After all, when things are gone, all we have left are memories which may dim with time – and photographs.

References

Cornelius-Takahama V (2000). Sang Nila Utama. Retrieved 9 Aug 07 from http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_93_2005-01-26.html

Government of Singapore (undated). World War II & Military Sites. Retrieved 9 Aug 07 from http://www.livelife.ecitizen.gov.sg/culture/heritage/worldwar2_detail.asp?plc_id=13

Hwang J (2001). Orang Laut. Retrieved 9 Aug 07 from http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_551_2005-01-09.html

Miles R (2005). Syonanto (Singapore) 1942 – 1945. Retrieved 14 Aug 07 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/71/a4405871.shtml

Siew A (2006). So Much Riding on Fragile Undersea Cables. Retrieved 9 Aug 07 from http://business.asiaone.com/Business/SME+Central/Talking+point/Story/A1Story20070519-3406.html

Singapore Press Holdings (1998). Road to Independence. Retrieved 9 Aug 07 from http://ourstory.asia1.com.sg/merger/merger.html

The Changi Museum (undated). Chronological Events of WWII. Retrieved 9 Aug 07 from http://www.changimuseum.com/Chronicle/Chronicles%20body%20text2.htm

Wong H (undated). Tomoyuki Yamashita. Retrieved 9 Aug 07 from http://infopedia.nlb.gov.sg/articles/SIP_751_2005-01-22.html

Tags: National Day, Shedding Some Light, Singapore, Singapore Story

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