Singapore General

POPULATION: 2,930, estimate).

POPULATION DENSITY: 4568.4 per sq km.

GEOGRAPHY: The island of Singapore is situated off the southern extremity of the Malay Peninsula, to which it is joined by a causeway carrying a road, railway and waterpipe. The Johor Strait between the island and the mainland is about 1km (0.8 miles) wide. The Republic of Singapore includes some 58 islets. It is a mainly flat country with low hills, the highest being Bukit Timah at 163m (545ft). In the northeast of the island large areas have been reclaimed, and much of the original jungle and swamp covering the low-lying areas has been cleared.

LANGUAGE: Chinese (Mandarin), English, Malay and Tamil. Most Singaporeans are bilingual and speak English, which is used for business and administration.

Religion: Confucian, Taoist, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Muslim.

TIME: GMT + 8.

ELECTRICITY: 220/240 volts AC, 50Hz. Plug fittings of the 3-pin square type are in use. Many hotels have 110-volt outlets.

COMMUNICATIONS: Telephone: Full IDD is available. Country code: 65. Outgoing international code: 005. Fax: There are services at many major hotels and at the Telecoms buildings in Robinson Road and Exeter Road. Telex/telegram: Telegrams can be sent from post offices, hotels, the Central Telegraph Office at 35 Robinson Road and the Comcentre near Orchard Road. Outgoing telexes can be sent from public telex booths, Telecoms service counters and at many hotels. Incoming international telexes are accepted only when replying to an outgoing telex from Singapore and when the sender is present. Post: Airmail to Europe takes up to a week. There are limited postal facilities at many hotels. Post office hours: Monday to Friday, and until 2100 on Wednesday. The airport and Orchard Point branches are open daily. Press: The local English-language newspapers are The Business Times, The Straits Times and The New Paper.

BBC World Service and Voice of America frequencies: From time to time these change. See the contents for more information.

Voice of America: MHz

History: For centuries before Sir Stamford Raffles acquired it from the Sultan of Johor in 1819, Singapore had been virtually abandoned. However, within decades of the change of ownership, in an historical echo of its role today, Singapore had become the main commercial and strategic centre for the region. In 1867, it became a British Crown Colony and housed one of Britain’s most important naval bases. This remained unchanged until 1942 when the Japanese army swept down through Malaya and occupied the colony. Three and a half years later the Japanese surrendered in Singapore and the colony resumed its previous status. With the dissolution of the British Empire, Singapore was granted internal self-government in 1958 and then, in 1963, independence as part of the Federation of Malaysia. Two years later, Singapore was expelled when Lee Kuan Yew, first elected Prime Minister in 1959 and re-elected eight times since, refused to implement a federal edict granting Malays a privileged economic position. The initial outlook was unpromising: Singapore is tiny and has no natural resources apart from a good harbour. However, Lee managed to exploit the situation to galvanise the population into building a strong, export-led manufacturing and service economy. Lee Kuan Yew and the party which he led, the People’s Action Party (PAP), have enjoyed a virtual monopoly of political power since 1972. In 1988, Lee Kuan Yew, in his eighth term in office, announced that he would not complete the term nor seek subsequent office. In October 1990, he formally handed over the premiership to a long-standing colleague, Goh Chok Tong, remaining as Senior Minister in the Prime Minister’s office and Secretary-General of the PAP. Some Singaporeans believed that Goh was merely a transitional figure between Lee Kuan Yew and his son Lee Hsien Loong, who entered politics after a glittering academic and military career then served as deputy prime minister. In November 1992, Goh was proposed and endorsed to take over the PAP Secretary-General’s post. Elections for the largely ceremonial presidency in 1993 were won by Ong Teng Cheong, coinciding with the provision to the presidency of new powers over finance and budgetary matters. Singapore’s powerful financial services industry attracted much attention during 1995 following the collapse of the merchant bank Baring’s, caused by the rogue trader Nick Leeson. Angry at the bad publicity which the Baring’s affair brought, the Singapore authorities launched a thorough investigation of Baring’s affairs in Singapore although further action was limited by the fact that most of the responsible parties were outside the country. Singapore enjoys its reputation for a firm attitude on law and order, white-collar and otherwise: miscreants, such as an American youth who vandalised a car, may face a public birching. Critics who point to the repression (such as the trial of journalists for revealing government economic statistics) and lack of political freedom in the country are firmly reminded that Singapore has achieved an orderly and prosperous society which is the envy of many. In the last decade, Singapore has taken a more active role in regional affairs, particularly through the offices of ASEAN, the former anti-communist bloc which is now adopting a more far-reaching diplomatic and economic role.

Government: The parliament is unicameral; executive power nominally rests with the president, but effectively lies with the prime minister and the Cabinet. The presidency is a largely ceremonial post whose incumbent is elected by parliament to serve a 4-year term. Parliament itself serves a 5-year term.