1. Mdm Ho is right in declaring that modern Singapore began in 1819 under Sir Stamford Raffles. She did not deny the existence of this red dot on the map that existed since planet Earth began. The keyword is 'MODERN'
2. During the 11th century or even far back ANCIENT times, when Human population was small, many more adventurous sought to stake out claims on little inhabited land masses. However, the realities are that one or a society can only defend what one owns or wants. Failure to do so would ensure others whom have better talents and might will just take over.
3. In such times, the existing powerful nations were sea-faring, such as Spain, France, England and even China, seeking for RICHES and Dominance of other landmasses. By the 18th century, England - a small island nation - ruled the World, thru its religion, talents, might and democratic system of Rule of Laws, and reaped wealth far far beyond their means from the lush fertile valleys of Asia.
4. If it had not been England, it would had been Spain or France that would rule Asia, and worse, leave no system of Rule of Law, infrastructure, security, etc, etc and critically a common trade lingo used Worldwide unlike the Brits that left a legacy for the World, including even USA.
We Singaporeans may had ended up speaking French, like the Vietnamese whom had been horrifically exploited by France and abandoned after WW2.
5. Our ancient and colonial past will never be denied, as there are good and bad with such systems, and can never be hidden or re-written as based upon ancient records, archeological studies and even physical evidences such as the Hindu SriVijaya empire that ruled Indonesia from Palembang since 7th Century and empire remnants left in Bali, or the lives of the Han Chinese Ming Dynasty descendants in Malaysia.
ULTIMATELY, Singapore IS an INDEPENDENT Nation now, and we TAKE CONTROL over our own DEMOCRATIC destiny, and NOT upon the fate that other nations sought to determine for us.
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