1. Chapter 2
Who was the founder of Singapore?
- Raffles
- Farquhar
- Crawford
Raffles
- Born on a ship in 1781
- 1st job at East India Company at 14 years
- Self-taught , know many languages
- Rose up in rank quickly
- Governor of Java – change Dutch system of government and society to be like British system
- 1st wife , Olivia , died in Java
- Performance went downhill after and was replaced
- Honoured as founding father or architect of Singapore
- Places and institutions bearing his name have good reputation
Eg. Raffles place, RGS, RI, Raffles Marina, Raffles hospital, Raffles hotel, Raffles shopping
centre
- Statues at old parliament house ( second statue , where he first landed in SG ) and in front of
Victoria concert hall ( first statue )
- Founding roles reflected in books , journals or articles
Situation in SEA
- 19th century , fierce rivalry between Dutch and British for trading opportunities, profit and
monopoly of trade routes in Asia
- Dutch controlled large part of Malay Archipelago
Eg. Java, Melaka
- Britain established trading relations with China , India and some parts of Malay Archipelago
- Dutch only allowed European traders ( including British ) to trade at Batavia ( Java )
- Dutch charged high fees and make European traders pay heavy taxes for goods sold or
bought
- Asian trading boats had to fly Dutch flag or carry Dutch permit or not allowed to trade with
port under control of Dutch
When Singapore came in …
- Early part of 19thcentury, Britain’s trade with china became very profitable. British had 2
trading settlements at Penang and Bencoolen for their ships to stopover and replenish their
supplies on their way between India and China.
- However, these two not suitable for British ships to stopover which travelling between China
and Britain.
- Bencoolen : faced Indian Ocean instead of Straits of Melaka , wrong side of Sumatra ,
located far from Malay Archipelago main trading area

2. - Penang : far north of Straits of Melaka , not useful in protecting British ships , located far
from Malay Archipelago main trading area
- Melaka occupied better position in the Straits but belonged to the Dutch
- From Melaka to Java , Dutch controlled Straits of Melaka and Sunda Straits
- Dutch can cut off valuable trade between Penang and Malay Archipelago main trading area
Because they control Straits of Melaka and Sunda Straits
- With permission from EIC , Raffles searched for a new British trading port to control Straits
of Melaka
- Singapore chosen : natural advantages , excellent harbor , good supply of drinking water ,
heart of Malay Archipelago , centre of Straits of Melaka
Problems faced
- British reach SG on 28 January 1819
- From Indiana , Raffles reached SG south coast sandy beach and found out that no Dutch
were here and Orang Lauts lived here
- There were jungle and mangrove trees.
- 29 January 1819 , Major William Farquhar and sepoy ( Indian soldier serving British /
Europeans ) rowed small boat to mouth of SG river
- One side is small Malay village , other side is large wooden house of Malay chief ,
Temenggong Abdul Rahman
- Went to find chief who is senior minister of Johor-Riau sultanate and said British want to
establish trading settlement
- Temenggong allowed but told Raffles that island is ruled by Sultan Abdul Rahman of Johor-
Riau Sultanate
- Only sultan can allow British to start settlement but sultan under control of British and will
not allow British to occupy SG
Solution
- Raffles made Tengku Hussein sultan and SG became part of Malay Peninsula ( Dutch )
- 6 February 1819 , Tengku Hussein smuggled into SG without people knowing to sign treaty
so British can trade in SG
- Sultan will be paid allowance $5000 a year and Temenggong $3000 a year
Quarrel
- Treaty gave EIC rights to establish trading settlement on South of SG and British occupy part
of SG
- Raffles called SG a child of his own or his new colony
- Dutch – saw SG as part of Malay Peninsula
- EIC – angry at Raffles for stirring up trouble
- British government – had to step in to pacify Dutch