Topic : Who really "founded" Singapore ?
In the dictionary, the word founder means a person who found or establishes. So, I think William Farquhar is the one who really "founded" Singapore.
William Farquhar establishes Singapore to become a busy town full of new settlers. A new Bristish settlement could not be built overnight. Farquuhar was the one who had start one from scratch.
I did not choose Raffles as the one who "founded" Singapore because what he did was just to sign the treaty with Sultan Hussein and the Temenggong and then he left for Bencoolen where he was appointed the Lieutenant-Governer while Farquhar was left to in charge of the Bristish settlement in Singapore. He served as Resident or the local ruler of the settlement. Farquhar was also the commander of the British and Indian troops who were left behind with him on the island.
Farquhar had a difficult job of getting the new settlement started. The new settlement had many problems which Farquhar had to solve. First, there must be enough food to keep the new settlers. So, the people of Melaka heard about it and sailed down in boats loaded with foods adn they sold at high prices. Second, Farquhar had to get people to come and trade and live in Singapore. Then with the new settlers came violence and disorder.Robbery. Fighting and murder took place very often. Last, there is also rats and centipedes so Farquhar offered money for every rats and centipede killed and he succeeded in doing that.
Therefore, I think Farquhar is the founder of Singapore.
2 comments:
What you say is actually quite true, and i totally agree with you. But still, if not for Sir Stamford Raffles signing the Anglo-Dutch treaty to make the trading settlement, William Farquhar wouldn't have the chance to establish Singapore to become so prosperous. I must say William Farquhar had use a lot of effort to make Singapore the way it is today. BUt without the treaty being signed, he may not have use all those effort.
i believe that Sir Stamford Raffles called us Singapura?No,it was Sang Nila Utama that called us Singapura so as to start our country's history.Stamford Raffles and William Farquar was actually the second and third person to create history after Sang Nila Utama.So you are not entirely wrong over there.
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