Singapore, also known as the ‘Little Red Dot’ due to its small landmass of only 250km², has shaped it’s identity as a ‘city’ that functions as a state. Despite having overcome significant challenges in her relatively short history, Singapore has formed a nationalistic and patriotic society that has been heavily shaped by its historical memories. As I discovered during our tour of Singapore’s National Museum, led by Carey Cookson from the Friends of the Museum, Singapore’s history is dominated by two significant events; the colonial occupation by the British Empire from 1819 til 1942, and the World War II occupation of the island by Imperial Japanese forces in 1942 until 1945.

While walking through the National Museum of Singapore, I found myself analysing the significant influence that British colonialism has had on the nation. The entrance building of the museum, build in 1842, features typical Anglo architecture with columns and a stained-glass dome ceiling. This style of architecture can be seen throughout the city, with new buildings being constructed following this style, despite the majority of the population comprising of Indian, Chinese and Malaysian ethnicities. The impacts of the colonial period extend far beyond the infrastructure of Singapore, with Singapore adopting the Westminster model system of government, the O and A level education systems known as the Cambridge model, and British variants of the English language in the media and official communications. Singapore also took inspiration from the English public housing model, however, unlike the British model, Singapore’s take has proven to be extremely successful, with over 80% of the country proudly living in public housing. Another little known influence from the colonial period is the land usage within the central business district (CBD). Similarly to London, the financial centre is located on one side of the Singapore river and the key Government functions are located on the other. This design model extends back to the rule by Lieutenant-Governor Sir Stamford Ruffles, who set forth orders for the urban planning of Singapore in 1822, with areas such as the Botanical Gardens, Chinatown, Kampong Glam and Bugis. This urban planning strategy is still largely followed today.

Photo: The Jackson Plan, also known as the Raffles Town Plan – 1822

Singapore has always been a nation-state under threat, whether it be the threat of kinetic conflict with neighbouring states, ideological threats such as communism or more recently, the threat of climate change. The occupation of Singapore by Imperial Japanese forces has also played a significant role in the formation of the state’s national memory, perhaps more so than the British Colonialisation. Viewing the Occupation of Singapore exhibit of the National Museum of Singapore made it evident that the events of WWII have weighted heavy on the national heart of Singapore. The exhibit and tour were both informative and interactive, with various audio, visual and lighting effects around the exhibition to enhance the illustration of the occupation and post-occupation periods.

Singaporeans have learnt since gaining their independence that they must remember their past to ensure that Singapore continues to be a prosperous, strong and independent nation. The narrative that has been carefully constructed from Singapore’s short yet eventful history fosters national unity and supports the concept that you cannot own what you cannot defend, something that was reiterated several times on the tour of the exhibition today.

“A nation is great not by its size alone. It is the will, the cohesion, the stamina, the discipline of its people and the quality of their leaders which ensure it an honourable place in history” – Mr Lee Kuan Yew, 1963

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