Singapore

Introduction The former British colony of Singapore is an island republic occupying an area of 660 square kilometres at the southern tip of the Malayan peninsula. A tropical island just north of the Equator, it has a permanent population of 4.8 million with three main ethnic groups: Chinese (77%), Malay (14%), Indian (7.6%) and others (1.4%). It has a sophisticated and well-developed state capitalist mixed economy in that the state controls and owns firms comprising at least 60 per cent of the country's GDP through various government entities, companies and sovereign wealth funds. Singapore being an island with no natural resources, its economy has traditionally been dependent on entrepot trade and manufacturing of high value-added products, such as computer disk drives and wafers. It is also the busiest port in the world. Historical context Pre-colonial Singapore Singapore's history prior to the 14th century is sketchy. By the 1300s it was a trading centre of considerable importance. At various times, Singapore came under the influence of the Sumatra-based Sri Vijaya Empire (200–c 1400); the Java-based Majapahit Empire (1478–1520s) and the Malacca Sultanate (at Malacca and later at Johore and Riau). After the Portuguese burned down a Malay outpost on the island in 1617, Singapore was most probably abandoned and became a sparsely populated fishing village and pirate outpost. We know little of what law was administered in Singapore during this early period.