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List of Selected Articles
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The Battle of Kranji was the second stage of the World War II Battle of Singapore. On 9 February 1942 the Japanese assaulted the north-western front of the British colony of Singapore. Their primary objective was to secure a second beachhead after their successful assault at Sarimbun Beach on February 8, in order to breach the Jurong-Kranji defence line as part of their southward thrust towards the heart of Singapore City. Defending the shoreline between the Kranji River and the Johor-Singapore Causeway was the Australian 27th Brigade, led by Brigadier Duncan Maxwell, and one irregular company.
On 10 February the Japanese forces suffered their heaviest losses while moving up the Kranji River, which caused them to panic and nearly aborted the operation. However, a series of miscommunications and withdrawals by Allied forces in the ensuing battles allowed the Japanese to swiftly gain strategic footholds, which eventually led to the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. The terrain around Kranji was primarily mangrove swamps and tropical forest intersected by streams and inlets. The shoreline between the Kranji River and the Johor-Singapore Causeway, nearly four kilometers long, was defended by the Australian 27th Brigade, led by Australian Brigadier Duncan Maxwell.
Fort Pasir Panjang or Labrador Battery is located within the lush Labrador Park at the southern tip of Singapore island. It was one of the 11 coastal artillery forts built by the British in the 19th century to defend the western passageway into Keppel Harbour against piracy and foreign naval powers. During the 1942 Battle of Pasir Panjang, the fort played a supporting role but a limited one in defending the Malay Regiments against the Japanese invasion at Bukit Chandu. In 1995, the site was gazetted by the National Heritage Board as one of the 11 World War II sites in Singapore.
Labrador was named after Labrador Bay which it overlooks the deep and calm water off its shores. The Long Ya Men (龙牙门) or Dragon's Teeth Gate, two craggy granite outcrops formerly stood on each side of the entrance to the New Harbour (now Keppel Harbour) as a navigation landmark to ancient mariners. The two rock outcrops were subsequently blown up by the Straits Settlement Surveyor, John Thomson, in August 1848 to widen the entrance to the harbour.
Kent Ridge Park is a 47-hectare public park in western Singapore, between the National University of Singapore and the Singapore Science Park. Due to its undisturbed habitat and abundant plant life, it is a popular venue for bird-watchers and eco-tourists. During World War II, a hill in the park was the site of one of the last and fiercest battles fought by the Malay Regiment against the invading Japanese army, the Battle of Bukit Chandu (also known as the Battle of Pasir Panjang), 12–14 February 1942.
The park was officially opened in 1954, and was gazetted by the National Heritage Board as one of 11 World War II sites in Singapore in 1995. It is one of 300 parks managed by Singapore's National Parks Board, NParks. The area occupied by Kent Ridge Park was formerly known as Pasir Panjang Ridge, and was originally a lowland evergreen rainforest. The park's natural vegetation survives in the form of groves of Tembusu, Acacias and Dillenias. When the first settlers arrived in Singapore in the early 19th century, they grew crops such as rubber, pepper, gambier and pineapple on the ridge. During World War II, it was used as a fortress by the British in the defence of Singapore.
The Singapore Stone is a fragment of a large sandstone slab which originally stood at the mouth of the Singapore River. The slab, which is believed to date back to at least the 13th century and possibly as early as the 10th or 11th century, bore an undeciphered inscription. Recent theories suggest that the inscription is either in Old Javanese or Sanskrit. It is likely that the person who commissioned the inscription was Sumatran. The slab was blown up in 1843 to clear and widen the passageway at the river mouth to make space for a fort and the quarters of its commander.
The slab may be linked to the legendary story of the 14th-century strongman Badang, who is said to have thrown a massive stone to the mouth of the Singapore River. On Badang's death, the Rajah sent two stone pillars to be raised over his grave "at the point of the straits of Singhapura". The Stone, now displayed at the National Museum of Singapore, was designated by the museum as one of 11 "national treasures" in January 2006, and by the National Heritage Board as one of the top 12 artifacts held in the collections of its museums.
"Majulah Singapura" ("Onward Singapore") is the national anthem of Singapore. Composed by Zubir Said in 1958 as a theme song for official functions of the City Council of Singapore, the song was selected in 1959 as the island's anthem when it attained self-government. Upon full independence in 1965, "Majulah Singapura" was formally adopted as Singapore's national anthem. By law the anthem may only be sung with its original Malay lyrics, although there exist authorized translations of the lyrics of the anthem in Singapore's three other official languages: English, Mandarin and Tamil.
Originally composed in the key of G major, in 2001 the national anthem was officially relaunched in the lower key of F major as this was said to allow for a "grander and more inspiring arrangement". The national anthem is regularly performed or sung in schools and armed forces camps at ceremonies held at the beginning and/or the end of each day, during which the national flag is also raised and lowered and the national pledge is taken.
The national flag of Singapore was first adopted in 1959, the year Singapore became self-governing within the British Empire. It was reconfirmed as the national flag when the Republic gained independence on 9 August 1965. The design is a horizontal bicolour of red above white, overlaid in the canton (upper-left quadrant) by a white crescent moon facing a pentagon of five small white five-pointed stars. The elements of the flag denote a young nation on the ascendant, universal brotherhood[disambiguation needed] and equality, as well as national ideals.
The national flag of Singapore is used exclusively on or in front of buildings owned by the government, ministries, statutory boards and educational institutions on a year round basis. Initially, this flag could only be flown by individuals and non-governmental organisations during the month of August to mark Singapore's national day on 9 August, though this has since been relaxed to allow citizens to fly the flag from vehicles during national holidays and from homes at any time of the year. Vessels at sea do not, however, use the national flag as an ensign. They use a civil ensign instead.
The Sembawang Hot Spring (Chinese: 三巴旺溫泉; pinyin: sanbawan wenquan), located at Gambas Avenue between Woodlands Avenue 12 and Sembawang Road, is the only natural hot spring on the main island of Singapore. It lies in a wooded area about 100 metres (330 ft) off the main road. The spring is believed by locals to have healing properties, and its water has been bottled commercially by Fraser and Neave, under the brand name of Seletaris. Since its discovery in 1909, the spring, now on land belonging to a military air base, has gone through several changes of ownership and abortive redevelopment plans. The hot spring is less frequented nowadays but remains a popular venue for weekend visitors.
In 1909, a Chinese merchant named Seah Eng Keong, the son of Chinese pioneer Seah Liang Seah, discovered hot springs in his pineapple estate in Sembawang. The three springs were channelled into one, so that the water would be conveniently concentrated in one area. A well was built along the spring, which became popular with the villagers, who frequently sought the waters for their supposed healing powers. The spring's fame spread, resulting in the village becoming known as Kampong Ayer Panas, which means "Village of Hot Water" in Malay.
The durian (/ˈdjʊəriən, -æn/) is the fruit of trees from the genus Durio belonging to the Malvaceae, a large family which includes hibiscus, okra, cotton, mallows, and linden trees. Widely known and revered in Southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits", the fruit is distinctive for its large size, unique odour, and formidable thorn-covered husk. The fruit can grow up to 30 centimetres (12 in) long and 15 centimetres (6 in) in diameter, and typically weighs one to three kilograms (2 to 7 lb). Its shape ranges from oblong to round, the colour of its husk green to brown, and its flesh pale-yellow to red, depending on the species.
The durian is sometimes featured in the popular culture of Singapore. The durian was a nickname for the protagonist of the Singaporean TV comedy Durian King, and the oddly shaped Esplanade building in Singapore is often called "The Durian" by locals. Despite its great local popularity, the raw fruit is forbidden from some establishments such as hotels, subways and airports, including public transportation in Singapore.
Tropical Storm Vamei (international designation: 0126, JTWC designation: 32W, sometimes called Typhoon Vamei; formerly had the alternate name Tropical Storm 05B) was a Pacific tropical cyclone that formed closer to the equator than any other tropical cyclone worldwide. The last storm of the 2001 Pacific typhoon season, Vamei developed on December 26 at 1.4° N in the South China Sea. It strengthened quickly and made landfall along extreme southeastern Malaysia. Vamei rapidly dissipated over Sumatra on December 28, and the remnants eventually re-organized in the North Indian Ocean.
Though officially designated as a tropical storm, the intensity of Vamei is disputed; some agencies classify it as a typhoon, based on sustained winds of 140 km/h (85 mph) and the appearance of an eye. The storm brought flooding and landslides to eastern Malaysia, causing $3.6 million in damage (2001 USD, $4.2 million 2007 USD) and five deaths. The typhoon is named after a songbird with white feathers; contributed by Macau, the name was retired after its first and only usage.
The Mass Rapid Transit, abbreviated and referred to in local parlance as the MRT, is a heavy rail rapid transit system that constitutes the bulk of the railway network in Singapore, spanning—with the exception of the forested core and the island's rural northwest—the length and width of the city-state's main island. Singapore's heavy rail network is composed of four distinct systems. The first section of the MRT opened on 7 November 1987, and the network has since grown rapidly in accordance with Singapore's aim of developing a comprehensive rail network as the backbone of the country's public transportation system, with an average daily ridership of 3.384 million in 2019, approximately 83% of the bus network's 4.099 million in the same period.
Hwa Chong Institution (simplified Chinese: 华侨中学; traditional Chinese: 華僑中學; pinyin: Húaqíao Zhōngxúe) (HCI) is an independent school in Singapore for students aged 12 to 18 covering both secondary and pre-university levels. A Ministry of Education-designated FutureSchool, it operates under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) for bilingualism, and offers the Integrated Programme. The school's main campus in Bukit Timah covers 72 acres (29 ha), which is shared between Hwa Chong Institution, Hwa Chong International School, and the Bukit Timah campus of the Singapore University of Social Sciences. The campus is markedly larger than most schools in Singapore and the region.
Hwa Chong Institution was founded by Tan Kah Kee in March 1919 at Niven Road. It was the first Chinese institution of higher learning at that time in Southeast Asia, catering to Chinese dialect groups amongst the overseas Chinese. HCI has produced 55 President's Scholars to date, and it has been cited as a leading Oxford and Cambridge entry centre outside of the United Kingdom. The school has produced championship-winning sports teams, while some of its research and leadership development programmes have gained international accolades.
The Cabinet of Singapore forms the Government (executive branch) of Singapore together with the President of Singapore. It is led by the Prime Minister of Singapore who is the head of government. The Prime Minister is a Member of Parliament appointed by the President who selects a person that in his or her view is likely to command the confidence of a majority of the Parliament of Singapore. The other members of the Cabinet are Ministers who are Members of Parliament appointed by the President on the Prime Minister's advice. Cabinet members are prohibited from holding any office of profit and from actively engaging in any commercial enterprise. Singapore's ministers are among the best paid in the world, while the Prime Minister is the highest-paid political leader in the world.
The Cabinet generally directs and controls the Government, and has significant influence over lawmaking. Ministers may be designated by the Prime Minister to be in charge of particular ministries, or as Ministers in the Prime Minister's Office.
The Bombing of Singapore (1944–1945) was a military campaign conducted by the Allied air forces during World War II. United States Army Air Forces long-range bomber units conducted 11 air raids on Japanese-occupied Singapore between November 1944 and March 1945. The Singapore Naval Base had become the most important facility of the Imperial Japanese Navy outside the Japanese home islands. As such, most of these raids targeted the naval base and dockyard facilities on the island.
The raids had mixed results. While significant damage was inflicted on Singapore's important naval base and commercial port, some raids on these targets were not successful and other attacks on oil storage facilities on islands near Singapore were ineffective. The Allied air attacks were, however, successful in raising the morale of Singapore's civilian population. The overall number of civilian casualties from the bombings was low, though one attack rendered hundreds of people homeless and civilian workers were killed during attacks on military facilities. Only nine B-29s were shot down during this bombing campaign.
The Toa Payoh ritual murders took place in Singapore in 1981. Two children, a nine-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy was murdered, purportedly as blood sacrifices to the Hindu goddess Kali. The murders were masterminded by Adrian Lim, a self-styled medium, tricked scores of women into offering money and sexual services in exchange for cures, beauty, and good fortune. Two of the women, Tan Mui Choo and Hoe Kah Hong, became his loyal assistants. A rape charge was later filed by one of Lim's targets, and he decided to kill children to derail their investigations. The trio were arrested after the police found a trail of blood that led to their flat.
The 41-day trial was the second longest to have been held in the courts of Singapore at the time. The trio were eventually sentenced to death. These murders shocked the public in Singapore; the case was closely followed and remained prominent in the Singaporean consciousness for several years. The actions and behaviour of the three killers were studied by academics in the criminal psychology field, and the rulings set by the courts became local case studies for diminished responsibility.
Pathlight School is a special school for high-functioning autistic children, located in Ang Mo Kio, Singapore. Founded in 2004, it is run by the non-profit Autism Resource Centre, and comprises one half of the national educational provision for autistic children. Unlike most special schools in Singapore, Pathlight School uses the same academic curriculum as mainstream primary and secondary schools. Some of these academic lessons are conducted by Pathlight teachers at nearby schools due to a lack of facilities. The school also coaches students in social and life skills and prepares them for employment, in an autism friendly environment.
Pathlight School is run by the Autism Resource Centre, a non-profit organisation. It is headed by Denise Phua, a Singapore Member of Parliament. The school has currently more than 500 pupils enrolled, and is noted for its achievements in special education in Singapore.
The Singapore strategy was a naval defence policy of the British Empire that evolved in a series of war plans from 1919 to 1941. It aimed to deter aggression by the Empire of Japan by basing a fleet of the Royal Navy in the Far East, able to intercept and defeat a Japanese force heading south towards India or Australia. To be effective it required a well-equipped base; Singapore was chosen as the most suitable location and work continued on a naval base over the next two decades.
The Singapore strategy was the cornerstone of British Imperial defence policy in the Far East during the 1920s and 1930s. Financial, political and practical difficulties ensured that it could not be implemented. The strategy came under sustained criticism in Britain and abroad during the 1930s. The strategy ultimately led to the despatch of Force Z to Singapore and the sinking of the Prince of Wales and Repulse by Japanese air attack. The subsequent ignominious fall of Singapore was described by Winston Churchill as "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history".
I Not Stupid (Chinese: 小孩不笨; pinyin: Xiǎohái Bù Bèn; lit. 'The Children Are Not Stupid') is a Singaporean comedy film revolving around three Primary 6 pupils who are placed in the academically inferior Primary EM3 stream. The film is directed by Jack Neo, who spent over two years researching and editing the script of this film. The film was first released in Singapore on 9 February 2002, and it was subsequently released in Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong. This film was also screened at a number of film festivals, winning several awards. Critics praised the film for its humour and uniqueness, noting that it touched a raw nerve among Singaporeans.
I Not Stupid earned over S$3.8 million and is the third-highest grossing Singaporean movie. Its satirical criticism of the Singaporean education system and social attitudes in Singapore sparked public discussions and parliamentary debates that led to reforms in the education system.
Lyo and Merly were the official mascots of the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics that were held in Singapore. They represent several Olympic values and traits of Singapore. Lyo's name is the initials of "Lion of the Youth Olympics" (L.Y.O.), while Merly's name is a combination of mer, which means the sea, and the letters L and Y which stand for liveliness and youthfulness respectively. Designing the mascots took about six months, and the two mascots were officially introduced on 21 November 2009.
Before and during the Youth Olympics, Lyo and Merly appeared in school events, launches and roadshows. They also participated in pre-National Day Parade activities, were displayed at competition venues and were featured in Youth Olympics memorabilia. Male medal winners at the Games were presented with a Lyo plush toy during victory ceremonies, while the female winners received a Merly toy.
The Pedra Branca dispute was a territorial dispute between Singapore and Malaysia over several islets at the eastern entrance to the Singapore Strait, namely Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge. The dispute began in 1979 when Malaysia published a map claiming Pedra Branca. In 1989, Singapore proposed submitting the dispute to the International Court of Justice and Malaysia agreed to this in 1994.
The hearing before the ICJ was held over three weeks in November 2007. Eventually, on 23 May 2008, the Court ruled that Pedra Branca is under Singapore's sovereignty, while Middle Rocks belongs to Malaysia. It also ruled that South Ledge belongs to the state in the territorial waters of which it is located, as it is a maritime feature visible only at low tide. Malaysia and Singapore have established what they have named the Joint Technical Committee to delimit the maritime boundary in the area around Pedra Branca and Middle Rocks, and to determine the ownership of South Ledge.
The Marine Parade Community Building (Chinese: 马林百列社区综合大厦; pinyin: Mǎlín Bǎiliè shèqū zhōnghé dàshà) is a community building located in Marine Parade, Singapore. Built at a cost of S$30 million, this building was completed in January 2000, and was open to the public on 6 March 2000. It currently houses the Marine Parade Community Centre and Marine Parade Community Library, as well as a performing arts group, The Necessary Stage.
One of this building's distinguishing feature is the mural cladding called the "Texturefulness of Life". Designed by Thai architect Surachai Yeamsiri, this mural is the largest piece of installation art in Singapore. The artwork's centrepiece resembles a huge human eye plastered on a wall, making use of a variety of materials such as glass and wood. The mural was installed at a cost of S$50,000.
The North South line (NSL) is a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore, operated by SMRT. Coloured red on the rail map, the line is 45 kilometres (28 mi) long and serves 27 stations, 11 of which, between the Bishan and Marina South Pier stations, are underground. It runs from Jurong East station, located in western Singapore, to Marina South Pier station in the Central Area, via Woodlands station in northern Singapore. All the trains on the NSL run with a six-car formation.
It is the first MRT line to be built in Singapore, with the first section from Yio Chu Kang station to Toa Payoh station beginning service on 7 November 1987, followed by an extension southwards to Raffles Place station on 12 December the same year and northwards to Yishun station on 20 December 1988. After the southern extension to Marina Bay station on 4 November 1989, the North South line was formed and split from the East West line. In the 1990s, the line extended to the north and west connecting to the Branch line via Woodlands through the Woodlands line extension.