1. How British overcame initial problems
1.1. Significance
1.2. Impact
2. Problems British faced after Singapore was founded
2.1. How British overcame these later problems
2.1.1. Law and Order
2.1.1.1. A police force was formed but it was uineffective. The government tried to improve the police force by increasing the pay of the policemen and providing proper training. Capable officials who could speak Malay and Chinese dialects were employed. In 1862, the Detective Branch was set up to look into the activities of secret societies. By the mid- 1920s, law and order had improved.
2.1.1.2. Piracy : Gunboats were sent out to to patrol the waters and fight piracy, and these boats destroyed many pirate's ships and hideouts. It was especially the steamships that were very effective in fighting piracy due to their speed against the wind. By the middle of the 19th century, piracy become less of a threat to the trade of Singapore
2.1.1.3. the Chinese Protectorate - the work of William Pickering, Protector of the Chinese
2.1.1.3.1. All Chinese Societies were to register with the CP. Pickering got the help of the Chinese community and secret society leaders
2.1.1.3.2. Pickering persuaded the Chinese community to settle their quarrels at the CP instead of going to the secret societies. this weakened the power of the society leaders.
2.1.1.3.3. The CP also controlled the coolie trade by registering the coolie-agents and lodging houses. Pickering's officers visited every coolie ship that arrived from China and inspected the coolie houses to ensure that they were treated fairly
2.1.1.3.4. The CP set up another department known as "po leung kuk" which rescued many young girls from being sold at brothels. It also provided shelter for those who were found to be poorly treated as servants
2.1.2. Social Services
2.1.2.1. Education
2.1.2.1.1. The government set up English and Malay schools and provided grants ( regular sums of money for a particular purpose such as education). (E.g, Raffles Institution)
2.1.2.1.2. Queen's scholarship was established for top secondary school students to further their studies in British universities
2.1.2.2. Health
2.1.2.2.1. In 1887, the government set up the Public Health Department to improve public health in the town.
2.1.2.2.2. Measures taken : setting up a malaria committee to supervise the infilling of mosquito-infested swamps, replacing the pail system with a modern water-carriage sewage system and clearing dirty streets and drains
2.1.2.2.3. Housing conditions were improved by reducing overcrowding among the Chinese quarters in Chinatown
2.1.2.2.4. A General Hospital, a leper camp, a lunatic asylum, and outpatient clinics were set up
2.1.2.2.5. To prevent infectious diseases from spreading, a Quarantine Law was also passed whereby passengers arriving in Singapore by sea had to be checked by a doctor to ensure that they were not suffering from any infectious disease. Those found suffering
2.2. Significance
2.2.1. With all these changes made, Singapore has progressed into the developed country today
2.3. Impact
2.3.1. The work done by the British allowed order, security and general improvements to the people's standard of living.
2.3.1.1. Many Queen's Scholars returned doctors, lawyers and teachers.
2.4. Problems :
2.4.1. maintaining law and order
2.4.1.1. problems were caused by the Chinese secret societies : gangs that caused crime and violence. These societies robbed, killed, ran opium houses, brothels, gambling dens, and other illegal activities.
2.4.1.2. the abuse of new immigrants : many immigrants were too poor to pay for their passage. Thus, they turned to coolie-agents who would pay for their passage. The credit coolies had to work off to pay off their debt and were very often ill-treated. Chinese women working at brothels were also made to repay their debts over and over again
2.4.1.3. Piracy : it was a great danger to the lives, property and trade of the merchant community in Singapore. Many trading ships were attacked by pirates and the cargos were taken away. The people were killed or taken as slaves. Many merchants kept away from Singapore due to this piracy problem
2.4.2. improving social services
2.4.2.1. Lack of education for the locals, there was a demand for people trained in English to fill up posts in the government offices and trading companies
2.4.2.2. Bad heath conditions of the people of Singapore : the death rate was very high
3. Reasons why SIngapore was selected
3.1. at Singapore, there were advantages far superior to what other islands afforded.
3.2. it occupies a central position in the Straits of Melaka and is a commanding position to protect trading ships between China and India.
3.3. it is one of the safest and extensive harbors in these seas with every facility for protecting shipping in time of war
3.4. natural resources: fresh water supply
3.5. sheltered by many smaller islands so it is safe from natural disasters and a good place for taking refuge from monsoons
4. Reasons why the British needed a third port
4.1. the british and the dutch were competing fierecly outside europe for profitand monopoly of trade routes
4.2. the dutch were the main european power of the malay archipelago, they controlled a large part of the region, including java and melaka
4.3. the dutch restricted the British and other europeans to only trade at Batavia in Java and in addition, the British traders were charged high fees for using the port and had to pay heavy taxes on goods which they sold or bought
4.4. the dutch enjoyed trade monopoly and thus became the biggest rival of the British in Southeast Asia and the British wanted to break the Dutch of their monopoly of trade
4.5. Raffles was concerned about the Dutch spreading their monopoly of trade and extending their authority over the archipelago. Thus the british decided to search for a British trading settlement south of Dutch Melaka.
4.6. British Ports - Penang and Bencoolen
4.6.1. Penang was far away from main trading area
4.6.2. Bencoolen was on the wrong side
4.7. The unsuitability of ports
4.8. to maintain its China trade
4.9. stopover
4.9.1. refuge from monsoons
4.9.2. rest
4.9.3. replenish supplies
4.9.4. refuel (coal)
5. Acquiring Singapore
5.1. Problems faced by the British
5.1.1. Although the Temenggong (malay chief) of the island was willing to give the British permission to establish a trading settlement there, only the Sultan could allow the British to start such a settlement. However, the Sultan, Tengku Abdul Rahman, was under the control of the Dutch and would not let the British occupy Singapore.
5.2. How the British overcame these problems
5.2.1. After learning that Tengku Abdul Rahman was actually the younger brother of Tengku Hussein, Raffles decided to recognise Tengku Hussein as the rightful Sultan.
5.2.2. Tengku Hussein was invited and secretly left for Singapore so that the Dutch did not suspect anything. When he met Raffles in Singapore, he agreed to be recognised by the British as Sultan.
5.2.3. Sultan Hussein and the Temenggong then signed a treaty with the British on 6 February 1819 that allowed the British to build a settlement in the southern part of Singapore. The Sultan would be paid an allowance of $5000 a year and the Temenggong, $3000 a year.