How old does a history have to be?
After years of putting the past behind it, Singapore is discovering and, where necessary, creating a national history
IN ORDERLY, prosperous Singapore barely half a century ago food was short and there were murderous religious riots in which 18 people died. The very idea of Singapore as a country hardly existed. Youthful activists against British colonial rule such as Lee Kuan Yew dreamed of independence as part of a union with what was then Malaya. To the chagrin of Singapore's present leaders, it seems that few young Singaporeans know any of this. That, hope their elders, is about to change.
This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “How old does a history have to be?”
From the January 24th 1998 edition
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