ABSTRACT
From its strategic location at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, Singapore has had a long history as a trading port, with records going as far back as the fifth century ad. By the seventh century, Singapore was already an established port of call for vessels serving the ancient Buddhist kingdom of Srivijaya. 1 Its natural deepwater harbor provided a safe and convenient haven for ships that Stamford Raffles was quick to pounce on to expand the interest of the British Empire in 1819.
