Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
25
51-seat Legislativ e Assembly. I n the first
elections for this body, in 1959, the popu-
lar P AP sw ept 43 of the seats and Lee
Kuan Yew became the city-state 's first
prime minister . I t wasn 't until after his
election that it became evident that Lee 's
politics were not in line with communist
ideals.
After his election, it was Lee 's wish to
see S ingapore and M alaya unite as one
nation, but the M alayan government was
fearful of S ingapore's dominant Chinese
influence and fought to keep the city-state
out. I n 1963, ho wever, they br oke do wn
and admitted S ingapore as a member . I t
was a short-lived marriage. When the PAP
began to expand its influence thr oughout
Malaysia, as the ne w union was r enamed,
the latter became distrustful and demanded
Singapore be expelled. O n A ugust 9,
1965, S ingapore found itself an entir ely
independent countr y. Lee 's tear ful televi-
sion br oadcast announcing S ingapore's
expulsion fr om M alaysia and simultane-
ous gain of independence is one of the
most famous in S ingapore's histor y. I n
1971, the last B ritish militar y for ces left
the island.
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SINGAPORE IN POPULAR CULTURE
TOPICS
If you're having trouble finding nonfiction
topics about S ingapore in bookstor es
where y ou liv e, I suggest y ou wait until
you arriv e, then br owse local shelv es,
where you'll find tons of topics about the
country and its history, culture, arts, food,
along with local fiction. F or inter esting
and informativ e r eads that y ou can find
(or or der) thr ough y our neighborhood
bookstore, here's a good place to star t:
From Third World to First: The Singapore
Story: 1965-2000,
by Lee Kuan Yew (Har-
perCollins), details the history and policies
behind S ingapore's r emarkable economic
success, written by the man who was at the
helm.
The S ingapore S tory: M emoirs of Lee
Kuan Y ew,
b y Lee K uan Yew (P rentice
Hall). An intimate account of M inister
Mentor Lee's personal journey , this topic
will giv e insight into one of the world
winner takes you back to Singapore on the
brink of World War II to examine the last
days of the British Empire.
King R at,
b y J ames Clav ell (D ell). I n
this no vel set in S ingapore during the
Japanese Occupation, an American PO W
struggles to outwit the system in a harsh
prison camp.
Lord J im,
b y J oseph Conrad (P enguin
Classics). Written in 1900, this classic nar-
rative tells the stor y of a man's struggle to
find r edemption in a S
2
outheast Asian
post.
West from Singapore,
by Louis L'Amour
(Bantam). F ew kne w that Mr . L'Amour
was a Merchant Marine in Southeast Asia.
In this novel, he creates his brand of fasci-
nating American West stor ytelling, only
this tale takes place in the waters ar ound
pre-World War II Singapore.
Rogue T rader,
b y N ick Leeson ( Time
Warner). The subtitle says it all: “H ow I
Brought D own B arings B ank and S hook
the F inancial World,” written b y S inga-
pore's most notorious expatriate.
FILM
Few major motion pictures have been shot
in or are about Singapore. Of note is Peter
Bogdanovich's
Saint Jack
(1979), the only
American film to hav e been shot entir ely
's
most talked-about leaders.
Crossroads: A P opular History of M alay-
sia & S ingapore,
b y J im B aker ( Times
Books International). A readable history of
Singapore and M alaysia fr om a longtime
resident and expert.
The S ingapore G rip,
b y J. G. F arrell
(Knopf). A highly enjo yable work of his-
torical fiction written b y a Booker P rize
