A Brief History of Singapore and Malaysia: Multiculturalism and Prosperity: The Shared History of Two Southeast Asian Tigers

by Christopher Hale

The fascinating account of two former British colonies with a shared past but vastly different identities today!

Singapore and Malaysia sit astride the sea lanes linking East with West--vital choke points in the world's commerce. Since ancient times, ports along the Silk Road of the Sea were populated by peoples from around the globe who came here to trade and live, carried by the steady flow of goods and the ever-present monsoon winds.

Author Christopher Hale recounts many fascinating histories of this region,
A Brief History of Singapore and Malaysia tells these and many other compelling stories about the people and events which have shaped these nations as they developed into modern powerhouses of international trade and tourism.

Genres: History, Asia, Nonfiction

416 pages, Paperback

Published March 21, 2023

Reviews

[Joshua Crebo]

A serviceable introduction to a fascinating historical subject. Hale isn't the best writer, but the content of the book carries one along. I'll have more to say when I make a video, and I have some more books in mind to follow this one up.

[starrycoins · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Honest history: If I want a sugar-coated SG history, I'll stay away. Greed, racism, (many) violent acts from all sides are described. The anti-colonial slant is refreshing. Also a reason why you need to preread if you want to read this with your children.

2. Narrative: Although the last few chapters have too many names/events mentioned in succession, this book is full of narrative stories. Biographies of our pioneers are cleverly weaved into this bigger story. Raffles only appeared in Chapter 8! SG was more than a fishing village and Raffles knew this very well himself 😅

3. Regional: SG history can hardly be told on its own. I have learnt so much about the history of SE Asia because the narratives are connected. What was happening in SG and Malaya is connected to a larger context of world history. This book has now intrigued me to read more about our neighbours' history.

4. Rich language: Vivid and often difficult vocabulary is used. I am glad to read this on Libby so the dictionary was at my fingertip. I also note a handful of typo errors in this edition.

5. Variety: One can always argue for more coverage on any people/event that has contributed to SG history. I appreciate that this book has given mention and credit to a variety of people from Orang Laut, pioneers, unsung heroes, to British officials and opposition leaders.

All these have convinced me that this is the closest to a living SG history book I have read!

I have attempted over the years to read some SG history books but never got further than 3 chapters. Not devaluing other titles, I think reading the right book at the right time has helped me this round.

This book is available in NLB and Libby.

[Casey McGregor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of the history of Malaysia and Singapore. Christopher Hale doesn't hold back from the dark side of Malaysia and Singapore's British colonial history even in this brief book. Hale provides a step by step on how the region became what it is without getting too intense on the detail which proves to make the content more engaging. With smooth writing and a good flow, I definitely enjoyed my time with this. I had little knowledge on Singapore and Malaysia before but now I have a good sense of their history.

[Frank Theising · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Having recently traveled to both Malaysia and Singapore for work, I wanted a good history of the region and this book absolutely scratched that itch. While the history of this region is long and varied, it is the fascinating confluence of external powers (India, China, Portugal, the Netherlands, and the British) that seemed to truly define this region and its impact on the world stage. While the author attempts to give the region greater agency, it is the legal and religious influence of India, the commercial might of China, the European scramble for control of exotic spices and narcotics, and the European (and briefly Japanese) extraction of raw materials (rubber, tin, oil) that seem to have truly defined this region for the last half a millennium. It really is only in the very recent modern history that these nations and their people have had much influence over their own destinies.

I think the author provides a very good historical account of the region, including the ancient kingdoms in Sumatra and Java that once ruled, to the era of European competition, to the current struggle to define their young nations in a globalized world. I also think he does a remarkable job at exploring how technology and geography shaped the (rather late) development of Singapore and Malaysia. The treacherous Malacca Strait and reliance on monsoon meant other regions (Sumatra, Java) emerged much earlier than Singapore and Malaya. It wasn’t until steam power, the telegraph, and the Suez Canal emerged that the development of this region really took off.

Would absolutely recommend for anyone interested in the history of these two fascinating nations. 4 Stars.

What follows are my notes on the book:

Today, both nations are very different from one another. One a wealthy, secular, multicultural, city state, the other less developed, fixated on ethnic identity and defined by religion. For two centuries (before independence), these two nations were occupied by the British Empire. Long before the British (or the Dutch or Portuguese), a thriving archipelago of thriving port cities marked the Malay Peninsula (some richer than 16th century London or Amsterdam). The British would promote a foundational myth of Singapore as a little fishing village until their arrival and promotion. This book seeks to unmask the deeper history so long masked.

Malaysia sits astride the historical boundary between two great civilizations (India and China). Before steam power, the annual monsoon dictated shipping schedules. These two factors compelled the development of entrepots where goods could be stored from one season to the next. In the summer, warm air creates a high pressure system that sucks wind and rain to the southwest. In winter, the land cools and a low pressure system builds over the Indian Ocean.

Malaysia is among the most dangerous locations for natural disasters. When Mount Tambora erupted in 1815 it led to the “year without a summer” in Europe. When Krakatoa erupted in 1883, the ensuing tsunami is estimated to have killed 40K people. During the last ice age, the sea level were some 400 feet lower than they are today which made the Indonesian archipelago a continental extension of Asia know as the Sunda Shelf. When those great ice sheets melted the rising seas created the peninsula and archipelago we know today.

Modern humans are estimated to have arrived some 50,000 years ago. Later waves of immigration (from the direction of Taiwan) brought their genes and languages (Austronesian) with them. Even today, Malaysia is only 60% ethnic Malay (with a large minority communities from a number of surrounding regions).

By the year 1000 AD, an intricate web of maritime networks (the silk road of the sea) was well established. Metals, spices, manufactured goods, raw materials, and people were traded between China, India, and Arabs. This also led to a great mixing of cultures and religions (Hinduism, Islam, etc). When a 9th century merchant ship was discovered on the sea floor off the coast of Sumatra, it contained 55K ceramic pots and bowls from China bound for Arabia. It serves as a testament to the advanced globalized economy of mass produced goods.

The British legend of Singapore (and the erasure of its history) was possible because so much of its ancient wealth was perishable (temples of wood, perishable commodities (spices, slaves), etc. The ancient kingdom of Srivijaya (Malay Peninsula and Sumatra) was even thought to be a chimera for the longest time before its existence was proven. Srivijaya paid tribute to the emperors of China in part to defend against external attackers (like the Javanese).

While gold, silk, and numerous other commodities flowed over the seas….spices dominated the maritime trading routes. Nutmeg, cloves, mace only grow on a tiny cluster of islands in the Java Sea. These tiny withered seeds, were the modern day equivalent of oil, setting off unscrupulous competition and trade wars for control of these lucrative commodities. Even before European colonialism, the kingdoms of Java, Srivijaya, and those of the Malay peninsula struggled with each other for control.

Centuries before Chinese merchant activity, India, its people, and its cultures would exert a long lasting impact on Southeast Asia. In 1025, Rajendra I launched a naval expedition against Srivijaya, leading to an infusion of Indian ideas (on law, governance, religion, etc) into the region throughout the first century. Local rulers quickly adopted these Indian legal and religious ideas because they often suited their own purposes (including the idea that rulers could become gods under Hindu and Buddhist faiths). The legal traditions also likely infused the rulers of the growing number of brash new kingdoms springing up along maritime trading networks with a sense of legitimacy.

While Indic ideas dominated the region, China would come to dominate its commerce by the end of the first millennium. They vacuumed up raw materials and then exported ceramics and other manufactured goods through the region to India, Africa, and Arabia. This economic relationship was fickle waxing and waning as Chinese dynasties rose and fell. Incalculable millions of Chinese also fled famine and war in their homeland and bring their culture and customs with them. Unlike the Indians, the Chinese were not proselytizers and had no interest in converting foreigners to Confucianism or Daoism. During the Song period (10-13th centuries), China turned seaward and aggressively embraced overseas trade (and demand of tribute). As the traders and the state profited together a new generation of ambitious merchants sailed the southern seas. However, government rules required all merchants to return home every 9 months, only a single monsoon season, which kept Chinese ships from sailing beyond the Strait of Malacca. One of the new ports that sprang up during the Song Dynasty was called Temasek (Singapore).

The Strait of Malacca was avoided by sailors for centuries, it being notoriously hazardous and known as a graveyard for ships. This in part explains why Singapore emerged so much later than Srivijaya and its Javanese rivals. Temasek is referenced in 14th century Vietnamese records. When the Portuguese conquered Malacca in 1511, they referred only to Singapura (lion city).

The Malay Annals commissioned in 1612 by the regent of Johor, extol the long line of hereditary Malay rulers (tracing their dynastic line all the way back to Alexander the Great). The annals list Sang Utama (also called Sri Tri Buana), ruler of Srivijaya, as the founder of Singapore. His first after landing on Temasek is to go hunting. He is recorded as having slain a lion (lions never lived there) and resolved to build a new city of the lion on the spot. At its peak, medieval Singapura was home to some 10K souls of rich ethnic diversity. Even before the Europeans arrived, the annals record numerous conflicts between Indian powers, Srivijaya, and Javanese kingdoms.

In the 15th century, the emergence of a unified Thai kingdom resulted in its navies dominating the Malay peninsula. The annals recall the fall of Singapura by a Javanese fleet, forcing its last ruler Iskandar Shah to flee to Malacca where he establishes his sultanate in 1414. Malacca prospered as a richly cosmopolitan state until its capture by Portugal in 1511.

When the Mongol Yuan Dynasty collapsed and the Ming Emperors rose to power the Confucian contempt for Merchants resulted in China turning its back on trade for centuries (1368-1644). As trade dried up, so did the wealth of Singapore (and countless other port cities). The rise of Malacca in the 15th Century was a direct result of the Ming Emperor. It was Ming power that released Malacca from is states as a vassal of the Thai Empire. Malacca was brought under the protection of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful state. This was allegedly sealed with Sultan marrying a daughter of the Ming emperor (though some historians have challenged the veracity of this narrative).

The islands of Java and Sumatra were studded with shrines to Hindu and Buddhist deities when Muslims from China arrived in the mid-14th century. When the Mongol empire ended, hundreds of thousands of highly educated Muslims came to China to serve as administrators. When a rebellion occurred in 1357 in China that targeted Muslims, thousands escaped by boat to Southeast Asia bringing their religion with them. This is important because when the Ming Dynasty banned trade in 1433, the descendants of these Muslim refugees now had an advantage Muslim dominated Gujerati ports that would come to dominate the flow of spices in the region. The high point in the Malay Annals is the conversion of the ruler of Malacca to Islam who then commanded all his subjects to do likewise, thus turning Malacca into an Islamic State.

On 25 July 1511, the Malay Annals record 18 Portuguese galleons entering local waters and unleashing a terrifying power of modern artillery. The Pope had blessed off on a plan for the Iberian powers (Spain and Portugal) to divide the world outside Europe. These two Catholic powers intended to wreak havoc on Muslim commercial networks in Asia. Capturing the lucrative spice trade made their plans even more appealing. The Malaccans were unable to fight back against modern artillery and their appeals to China resulted in a stern rebuke and nothing more. The Sultan fled south and his successors struggled to restore their kingdom against fresh waves of Portuguese assaults. No Malaccan allies could defeat the Portuguese, only another European power could.

Both the Dutch and the English entered the fray. Initially, the Portuguese were merely another power player among many in the region. It was the powerful European corporations that followed that truly upset the balance of power. European empires were not run by governments but giant corporations. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) was authorized to wage war and absorb the relics of the Portuguese Empire. In 1641 they seized Malacca by force and waged a series of wars against Javanese rulers, establishing a regional hub in Batavia. They initially kept the British out of the region, so the English turned to India. In its day, the British East India Company would rise to become the most powerful corporation in history, controlling half the world’s trade. Alongside them was the Dutch East India Company, founded in 1602. While joint stock companies were not new, the British East India Company was unique in that they not only held a monopoly but their charter, approved by the queen, allowed them to seize territory and raise armies.

The East India Company gained such strength from two sources: opium and information. It could take 6-10 months for information to pass between London and Bombay or Calcutta, allowing ambitious company men scope to strike out and make names for themselves. Thomas Stafford Raffles was one such man. Western history states that Raffles first landed in Singapore in 1819 and through his ingenuity turned an obscure fishing village into a great seaport and metropolis. He joined the Company at age 14 in search of wealth and power. At age 19 in 1800 he was a junior clerk in East India House in London, which gave him incredible insight into the global scale of the company’s operations. By 1797 Dutch power was waning as a result of the armies of the French Revolution capturing Amsterdam and English victories over French fleets leaving the East India Company as the dominant power in the Far East.

In this environment, Raffles went east making a name for himself as he climbed the Company ladder in a series of positions culminating in Governor-General of the Malay States. AS he prospered the Dutch fell further (Napoleon fully annexing Holland in 1810). The French flag was raised over the remaining Dutch possessions including the island of Java. In 1811, the British government approved plans for a naval expedition to expel the French from Java. Six weeks after the invasion, Java fell into British hands. Raffles was appointed new Lieutenant Governor of Java. While the Dutch were gone, he would still have to contend with Javanese rulers. He rampaged across Java, conquering one after another and imposing punitive treaties. His rivals back in London succeeded in having him transferred to an insignificant post in southern Sumatra.

Wanting revenge for his ignominious expulsion from Java, Raffles only applied himself further. After the defeat of Napoleon, the Dutch sought to reclaim their overseas possessions. While his government agreed to return some possessions like Java, Raffles acted illegally to seize the island of Singapore to provoke a dispute with the Dutch. With little to show for his time in Sumatra, he returned to Bengal in search of supporters for his plans to establish free ports in the East Indies (the Dutch were already restricting British vessels from entering their reacquired ports.

Imbalances in British trade between China and India were draining the state’s silver reserves. To fix this imbalance, the British planned to restore the trade balance by exporting vast amounts of opium from India to China. To do this they needed a British base between the two that could not be restricted by the resurgent Dutch. Not wanting to upset the new balance of power in Europe, Raffles became the perfect expendable agent. They would let him pursue his plans in Singapore and if challenged by the Dutch claim he was maverick acting on his own. He landed on the island of Singapore (population 1500) on 28 Jan 1819. He struck a deal with the local ruler Temenggong (reeling from his expulsion from Malacca after a disputed succession. Temenggong stated that the Dutch were not on the island and gave Raffles the plausible cover to take the island without provoking the Dutch. He negotiated a tri-partite treaty between the British, the Sultan, and Temenggong, exploiting their internal divisions to get what he wanted. The Dutch vociferously protested and British Singapore’s fate hung in the balance.

While Raffles began cleaning up Singapore, the British recognizing the value of the China trade, backed his move. The Dutch caved, signing a treaty in 1824 that gave the British Singapore and Malacca in exchange for the British giving up their possessions in Sumatra. The Dutch about face was likely because they did not think tiny Singapore was overvalued and not worth the fight as it did not produce anything. Not a single Malay representative took part in the treaty negotiations, even though it would have dramatic consequences (national boundaries, etc) for the region for centuries to come. 5 months later, Raffles forced another treaty on his Malay partners, giving Singapore to the East India Company and removing their right of taxation (crucial to Singapore becoming a free port).

While a minority at 9.2% of the population, Indians built modern Singapore. As Singapore overtook India as a key trade hub tens of thousands of Tamil-speaking merchants thronged to the city. While the British used “transportation” to rid their country of criminals (shipped to America or Australia) they used the same system in Bengal to bring in the slave labor they needed to perform the manual labor to build up Singapore. For many Indian convicts, Singapore was hell as they succumbed to malaria cholera, dysentery, etc as they worked in waterlogged, rat infested building sites.

Despite the Indian contribution, most people still considered it a distinctly Chinese city. The majority of Chinese who arrived were crushingly poor refugees. Chinese merchants (towkay) forged close bonds with the British which contributed to Singapore’s fantastic growth. This infusion of Chinese wealth was a godsend, allowing them to run the city on the cheap (towkays paid for new roads, bridges, and reservoirs). As the city prospered, there was mutinous talk of throwing off the rule of the East India Company. After economic collapse in India and costly war in Burma, in 1833 the government eliminated the Company’s monopoly on trade with China. After the Indian insurrection, in 1857 India was transferred from the Company to the Crown. War in China and the development of new technologies (steam engine, telegraph, Suez Canal) were about to change Singapore from a second tier port into an economic powerhouse.

The rise of Singapore as a free port controlled by Europeans was the beginning of the end for the Malay states. When Sultan Mahmud Shah III was assassinated by other Malay nobles, the unbroken line back to Alexander the Great came to an abrupt end. With no descendant, the fragility of the Malay states was left open for exploitation. Freelance British swashbuckler Sir James Brooke, exploited rivalries between the Sultan of Brunei and local Malay Barons to carve out his own fiefdom (Sarawak) in northern Borneo (later backed up by British sea power). Like Raffles before him, he returned to London in 1847 as a national hero. While the British exploited the northern half of the island, the Dutch considered the lower half of the island as an extension of their Indonesian holdings (thus the awkward border in place today).

In 1842, the Qing Emperor signed the Treaty of Nanking after losing the first Opium War. This opened Chinese ports like Shanghai to the British and ceded the island of Hong Kong to the British. Needing new refueling ports en route to China, in 1847 Brooke was appointed Governor General in Borneo. Today, Sarawak is a Malaysian state in northern Borneo. The public image of Brooke as a romantic adventurer fighting pirates and savage headhunters remains surprisingly potent.

*Book notes continued in comments

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A readily accessible 'popular' account of the history of these two countries (which weren't countries until fairly recently in the 1960s). Hale writes with enthusiasm and wit, so the book reads almost like a work of fiction, telling stories of key moments in history going back to the very earliest human migrations to the area in the Paleolithic. While this has its advantages in being an easy read, the more discerning historical scholar would find the lack of notes and supporting references (other than a general bibliography at the end) frustrating. There were some obvious factual errors, though honest mistakes or not I do not know, but these did not take away from the fine writing in general. The political wrangling and intrigues in the last few chapters could be a little bewildering to follow, and are probably more well covered in other works of modern history. What I liked was the broad sweep of history the book offered, somewhat reminiscent of a travel guide's introduction section.

[Matt Nyman · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book hoping to get a quick intro survey into the history of the two countries. And after reading it, I feel like a need to read a book hoping to get a quick intro survey into the history of the two countries.

I am a history snob, so for me things like dates, explanations, organization, and background are important. As are culture and popular mood. And an effort to explain how a place came to be, or why it was the way it was at different times. These things are largely lacking from the book.

To it's credit, the book DOES cover the big picture, I hope. But there are lots of problems with it if you take history seriously at all. This is more a pop history book slapped together for a very casual reader, and even then it suffers from serious disorganization and a lack of explanation of key ideas.

Skip it.

[Nyamuk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having already read a couple of Stamford Raffles biographies, this book didn’t add much. Almost completely centred in the East India Company developments in SEA, it missed other actors almost completely: Portuguese and Dutch are briefly mentioned and always in relationship to the British, let alone Chinese, Malays or Indians, that until late in the book appear as mere background to the story of the EIC. It’s almost funny to see the author have a chuckle when the British get it right and the Dutch wrong.
The reason I can think of for this limited account is that it may be based only in English language sources. The result, as a first contact with the history of the region may be good enough but it’s clearly not written by someone who knows the subject in depth.

[Stella Ng · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good recap of history for residents of Singapore and Malaysia, offering fresh perspectives beyond standard textbooks. The book primarily focuses on Singapore's history, with Malaysia occasionally appearing to highlight events connected to the city-state. However, it suffers from typographical errors and inconsistencies in the chronology of events. The last chapter, in particular, feels like a forced addition, hurriedly summarizing the chronology of modern Malaysia, seemingly to align with the book's title.

[Bill Perrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has a somewhat misleading title. The title suggests it is exploring both Singapore and Malaysia but it is clear the emphasis is on Singapore with the Malay peninsular coming in second. That non-peninsular section of Malaysia is relegated to a few minor references. Rather a pity.
The writing is interesting and allows the author to present his biases without coming across as a dogmatist.
Worth reading but read another history of the region as well.

[Foz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and well written. Enjoyed the chapter layout and back and forth of Malaya and Singapura historical outlooks (and the criss-crossing therein). I detected some faint economical bias of the author, but nothing to perturb ones reading for historiography of this book. 4.5/5 stars! Easy to read for Indochina history beginners.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very well written, and with the short length of Singapore's modern existence it covers a good portion of the relevant information. The author does a good job at conveying context and it is an easy read.

[Bintang Pamungkas · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book delivers its promise -- it really is a rather brief history of Singapore and Malaysia.

[CopperTopper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lacking in its treatment of developments in the wider Islamic world - quite important if you want to know how Malaysia and the Singapore Malay minority adopted the positions that they did.

[Cameron C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book minutes before arriving in Singapore. It was so thorough in its research and I learned many new things. Before reading this book, I will admit that I only ever really learned about Malacca. It moved fast, but as the title says, it is a brief history!

[Manuel Baraja · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐

Entretenida lectura en la que se recorren algunos de los principales hitos históricos que han afectado el devenir de los dos países, en ocasiones ilustrado por algunos casos que, al menos desde fuera, parecen bastante menores.

El tono, la forma de enfocar los temas y la manifiesta parcialidad que se aprecia en ocasiones (y que se supone que un historiador no debe mostrar tan claramente), queda explicado al final, en las notas del autor (que yo, sinceramente, hubiera colocado al principio, para que el lector tenga una idea de lo que va a leer), ya que ha trabajado para History Channel y similares.

Queda un tanto cojo, ya que poco o nada se habla de las zonas del país fuera de las principales, seguramente por falta de fuentes. También da a entender ciertas cosas que serían discutibles (como que parece que la llegada del Islam es lo único positivo que ha pasado en la zona en los últimos 1500 años).

En todo caso, buena lectura para aquellos a los que les cueste la lectura de libros de Historia, digamos, "serios".