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What part did the different What part did the different immigrant communities play in immigrant communities play in SingaporeSingapore’’s development?s development?

Chapter 3

Can you spot / identify the different races?

In this chapter, you will learn about:

Different Groups of Early Immigrants

Read your textbook page 42 and fill in the figure below with the 6 key places from which the early immigrants came.

Characteristics of Early Immigrants

Reasons for Coming to Singapore

What are some examples of push factors?

- War, natural disasters, lack of jobs

What are some examples of pull factors?

- Peace, many job opportunities

Where did the immigrants settle?

They initially settled mainly near the mouth of the Singapore River.

However, it was very disorganised and messy, so the British drew up the Singapore Town Plan in 1822.

Singapore Town Plan, 1822

Singapore Town Plan, 1822

Singapore Town Plan, 1822

Singapore Town Plan, 1822

How is this housing policy different than the housing policy

today? This housing policy stresses racial /

ethnic segregation while today’s housing

policy stresses racial / ethnic integration.

Contributions of the Early Immigrants

Read pg 47 of your textbook. What are agency houses?Companies acting as agents for companies in

England which exported British manufactured goods. They would buy these goods in bulk, repackage them and export to other places. What is this type of trade called?

Entrepot trade

Contributions of the Early Immigrants

What are coolies?Coolies provided unskilled labour, usually at docks

and construction sites.

Contributions of the Early Immigrants

Contributions of the Early Immigrants

Social Impact

Negative Social Impact

Brought diseases such as malaria, typhoid and tuberculosis

High fatality combined with lack of proper burial – led to even more diseases

High poverty – many beggars

High crime – coolie abuse, secret societies, prostitution and opium smoking

How do you think this affected Singapore?

People did not really consider it as an

attractive place to trade and live in.

Social Impact

Positive Social Impact

Provision of social services such as hospitals and schools

High philanthropic contributions to help fellow immigrants

Played a critical role in helping Singapore prosper during its early years

What were some important social institutions established by philantrophic immigrants?Paupers’ Hospital, Thong Chai Medical

Institution, St. Margaret’s School

Recap Questions

Where did the early immigrants originate from?

What was the Singapore Town Plan?

How did the different groups of immigrants contribute to Singapore?

What was the social impact of the early immigrants?