ABSTRACT
Singapore has been many things to different people at different times in Southeast Asia. In what was then the British Empire, Singapore was the centre of administration where the British High Commissioner resided. It was also the hub of Chinese migration and many stopped by Singapore before heading to their final destinations. Likewise, it was also the economic exchange point for businessmen in the region, as well as a centre for education for the region. For a place like British North Borneo (present-day Sabah), Singapore featured prominently throughout its more recent history. This study will examine North Borneo's ties with Singapore through four instances in which Singapore served as a centre to this extended part of the British Empire. The four were: Singapore served as a source of administration and governance; the country was a base from which Straits Chinese businessmen operated in North Borneo; it acted as a fount of Chinese intellectual and social movements and an education hub; and, finally, the island-city was a source of skilled labour in the 1950s and 1960s. This chapter argues that an examination of these relations between Singapore and North Borneo has served as a way to position Singapore as a centre of many things in different parts of Southeast Asia.
