History Lesson Part III

At the risk of boring everyone, I'm going to do one last History post before I head into the minutae of day to day living here in Singapore. I took the trouble of taking all these pictures, so I have to show somebody! I'll be quick, I promise, and then tomorrow we'll switch gears...

No, that is not a UFO that has landed on the City Hall.  The juxtiposition of modern and classic is a common sight here in Singapore. I have no idea what the building with the round top is, probably something like a bank. I was tired by this time and didn't want to walk all the way over there to figure it out, sorry.

This is the Indian National Army Monument. "In the final months of the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, a memorial dedicated to the 'Unknown Warrior' of the Indian National Army (INA) was constructed on this site. The local INA was formed in 1942 with Japanese support. It sought to liberate India from the British and consisted mainly of prisoners-of-war from the British Indian Army. Subhas Chandra Bose, who led the INA from 1943 onwards, laid a foundation stone at the monument in July 1945. The Urdu words inscribed on the monument read: ITTEFAQ (unity), ITMAD (faith) ad KURBANI (sacrifice). When the British returned to Singapore, they demolished the memorial barely two months after it's installment."

That last sentence, to me, seems like it's trying to say somthing without really saying it.  And then so this is a memorial to a demolished memorial?  I took a look at the back of the sculpture, decided it looked like WALL-E's fingers, and moved on.

Next were another two memorials, almost right next to each other. The first is for Major General Lim Bo Seng.

"Major-General Lim Bo Seng was born on the 27th of April, 1909 in Non-An, Fukien, China. He came to Singapore at the age of 16. Since 1937 he became prominent in anti-Japanese activities. When Singapore fell in 1942 he went to Chungking and on instructions from the Chinese Government, he joined the underground resistance under the Supreme Allied Command Southeast Asia. But he was discovered and arrested by the Japanese military police on 27th March 1944. He manfully endured repeated tortures to which he ultimately succomed on 29th June 1944 at the age of 35. He died in the Batu Gajah prison a martyr to the cause of a liberated Malaya and to his loyalty to the comrades..."

And then there's this memorial, right across the path:

It's much bigger, and has a more prominant location. Let's see wht this inscription says:

"Erected by the European Chinese and native inhabitants of Singapore to commemorate the visit in the month of February 1850 of the the most noble The Marquis of Dalhouse. K.T.  Governer General of British India on which occasion he emphatically recognized the wisdom of liberating commerce from all restraints, under which enlightened policy this settlement has rapidly attained it's present rank among British possessions and with which it's future prosperity must ever be identified."

What!?  Unlike that first INA memorial, this one says someting without really saying anything.  Mr. Lim Bo Seng's memorial was much more interesting - 100 years later we're way more interested in the gory details.  Or at least willing to admit it.

And last but not least, we're finally getting to the most important guy here, and that's Mr. Stamford Raffles.

"Raffles declared the foundation of what was to become modern Singapore on 6 February, securing the transfer of control of the island to the East India Company. Much pomp and ceremony was done, and the official treaty was read aloud in languages representing all nations present, as well as the Malay and Chinese inhabitants. Hussien Shah was paid $5000 a year while the local Temenggong received $3000 a year, both massive sums at the time, equivalent to several hundred thousand dollars now. Farquhar was officially named the Resident of Singapore as Raffles was named as "Agent to the Most Noble the Governor-General with the States of Rhio, Lingin and Johor".

In 1823, Raffles drafted the first constitution for Singapore, which followed a fairly moralistic stance, outlawing gaming and slavery. A specific regulation in the constitution called for the multiethnic population of Singapore to remain as is, and there shall be no crimes based on being a race. He then went to work drafting laws, defining on exactly "what" constituted a crime. Finally, on 9 July 1823, feeling that his work on establishing Singapore was finished, he boarded a ship for home. His longest tenure in Singapore was only eight months, but he was considered the founder of Singapore nevertheless.

His plaque says:  "To the memory of Sir Stamford Raffles to whose foresight and genius Singapore owes its existance and prosperity...".  I want to be called genius on my memorial plaque.  Assuming I'll have one, of course.

After a long afternoon of walking around, David and I walked around some more, trying to decide where to eat.  There are so many restraunts here, and until we get some groceries, it's been a nightly argument on who has to pick where to go for dinner.  I suppose I've had worse problems, but I'm looking forward to digging out the cookbooks and cooking my own dinner!