Singapore - History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Temasek

Temasek or "Sea Town" was mentioned in the Javanese Nagarakretagama of 1365. A third century Chinese account described Singapore as Pu-luo-cheng or the "island at the end of a peninsula".

Answer: Sang Nila Utama

Sang Nila Utama landed on the island after a storm and renamed it after spotting an auspicious beast identified as a lion. "Singa" means "lion" and "pura" means "city" in Malay. Hayam Wuruk was a ruler of the Majapahit empire. Iskanda Shah was a prince of Palembang. Srivijaya was an ancient Sumatran kingdom.

Answer: Iskanda Shah

Adityawarman was a Majapahit prince who was given the responsibility of ruling island of Sumatra. Radan Wijaya was the first Majapahit king. Temagi was the murdered chieftain.

Answer: Sir Stamford Raffles

Raffles signed a treaty with the Sultan of Johor on behalf of the British East India Company to establish a trading colony. Francis Light was the founder of the British colony of Penang. William Farquhar and John Crawford were, respectively, the First and Second Resident of Singapore.

Answer: The Straits Settlements

The Federated Malay States were protectorates composed of native princely states. The Malayan Union was a confederation of the Malay states and the Straits Settlements excluding Singapore formed by the
British in 1946.

Answer: India

Control of Singapore was transferred to the Colonial Office in 1867.

Answer: 1942

When the Imperial Japanese Army invaded, the ill-prepared British were defeated in 6 days and surrendered the island to General Tomoyuki Yamashita on Febuary 15, 1942. It was one of the most disastrous British defeats in World War II.

Answer: The Battle of Singapore

The Battle of Bukit Timah and Pasir Panjang occured before the Battle of Singapore. The Battle of Malaya was a conflict between British Commonwealth forces and the Japanese Imperial Army from December 8, 1941 to January 31, 1942.

Answer: The Constitutional Conference

Although it received full internal self-government, responsibility for external affairs and defence, and the ultimate right to suspend the Constitution lay in the hands of the United Kingdom government. I made up the rest of the answers.

Answer: All of these

It was proposed by the Malayan Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

Answer: 1965

August 9th to be exact. With the formation of Malaysia in 1963, Singapore became independent within the Federation of Malaysia. She was expelled two years later after heated ideological conflict between the state PAP (People's Action Party) and the Federal Kuala Lumpur government.

Answer: Yusof bin Ishak

Sheares was the second president; Nair the third and Wee the fourth. Prior to 1991, the president was the constitutional head of state, with duties similar to that of the British Monarch. The first directly elected President was Ong Teng Cheong.

Answer: Lee Kwan Yew

He served from 1959-1990. Goh Chok Tong succeeded Lee. Lee Hsien Loong, eldest son of Lee Kwan Yew, became the third prime minister in 2004.

Answer: All of these

The threat of racial tension was also curbed. His administration also created an independent national defence system centered around compulsory male military service.

Answer: The People's Action Party (PAP)

Many analysts consider Singapore more an illiberal democracy or "procedural" democracy rather than a true democracy.