Things You May Not Know About Singapore Quiz

Answer: Gum on the door sensors of the subway

All the other three reasons were brought up to the parliament for discussion as early as 1983 when the former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was still in office. However PM Lee thought these issues were not serious enough and did not take any action.

However, when the S$5 billion subway (MRT) was completed in 1987, used gum sticking on the door sensors caused a lot of disruption. Culprits were difficult to catch, and the problem resulted in the need for costly maintenance. In 1992, the then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong (who took over from PM Lee in 1990), decided to implement the ban.

Answer: Island at the end

"Pulau" in Malay means "Island", and "Ujong" means "at the end", referring to an island at the tip of a mainland. This mainland is now known as the Malaysian Peninsula, and this is the earliest known reference to what is now Singapore.

Answer: Their hair was too long

Singapore Government had this regulation from the 1960s to 1980s to curb the "hippie culture". Men with long hair were made to get it cut, or leave. This ban created some uproar in the Singapore media, and former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew even had to cancel an official trip to Malaysia in August 1970, after three young Malaysians were affected by the regulation.

The ban was lifted in the 1990s.

Answer: Not flushing the public toilet

The Restroom Association of Singapore was established in 1998 to spread the gospel of good toilet etiquette. They go round the island to check on the public toilets regularly. Anyone caught not flushing a public toilet after use can be fined up to SGD150.

Answer: Place surrounded by the sea

"Temasek" or "Temasik" is derived from a Malay word which means place surrounded by the sea. This name appeared around 1365 in the early records of Malaysian and Javanese literature. It was also recorded during the Yuan and Ming dynasties in their historical records as "Danmaxi" (Chinese pronunciation of "Tumasek").

Answer: Death from behind

Pulau Blakang Mati in Malay literally means "Island of Death from Behind" which is not the sort of name likely to attract visitors. In the early days, the Malay villagers gave the island this name as there is a hill at the back of the island. The name was officially changed to Sentosa in 1972 meaning "peace and tranquility".

Sentosa Island has many attractions namely Universal Studio and 4D Adventure Land. There is also a casino resort facility.

Answer: Harry

Mr. Lee Kuan Yew (16 September 1923-23 March 2013) and his first generation leaders were largely responsible for developing Singapore from Third World to First in one single generation. He graduated from the University of Cambridge in law and admitted to the English bar in 1950.

He became the Prime Minister in 1959, stepped down in 1990, but remained as Senior Minister and Minister-Mentor until May 2011. His eldest son, Lee Hsien Loong, became Singapore's third Prime Minister in August 2004.

Answer: Reclaimed sewage water

NEWater is made from reclaimed sewage water (toilet water) developed by Singapore's Public Utilities Board. The waste water is purified using a dual-membrane system, which is through micro filtration and reverse osmosis. The water is further cleansed and treated by ultraviolet technology. The water is suitable for drinking, but is largely used as purified water for industrial application.

Although there are seventeen reservoirs in land scare Singapore, Singapore still buy water from Johor, located on the north of Singapore. Hyflux is the leading Singapore water treatment company which capability to convert seawater to clean water for drinking, purified water for industrial usage.

Answer: Singapore Botanic Gardens

Singapore Botanic Gardens attracted about 4.4 million visitors annually. The most popular attraction is the National Orchid Garden, which houses thousands of orchid species. The garden has as many as 200 hybrid orchids. Many of them are named after famous visitors such as Nelson Mandela, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge as well as celebrities like actor Jackie Chan and Chinese actress Zhou Xun.

The orchid is Singapore's national flower.

Answer: Weightlifting

Tan Howe Liang (born 5 May 1933) won a silver medal in Weightlifting in the lightweight division. In 1958, he broke the longest standing world record at that time with the clean and jerk in the lightweight division.

For the record, as of 2016 Rio, Singapore won 1 gold (swimming), 2 silvers (weightlifting, table tennis-Women's Team in 2008) and 2 bronzes (table tennis - Women's Single and Team event in 2012).