Daily Times

Singapore had long been on my list of places to visit. Even its name was enchanting, meaning the “Lion City” in the Malay language. It had originated in Sanskrit, and it made me wonder if lions had once roamed there, something that I was to find out was not true.

The modern city-state epitomised economic progress in Asia. It had taken place on an unprecedented scale under the legendary leadership of Lee Kuan Yew. He had won global acclaim for his accomplishments from Chinese President Xi and US presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton amongst others.

In the popular press, he was known simply as LKY. Among his many quotations was the pithy remark: “The Pakistanis are a hardy people with enough of the talented and well-educated to build a modern nation. But unending strife with India has drained Pakistan’s resources and stunted its potential.”

Going back in time, Singapore had acquired global significance during the Second World War as a British Fortress. It was guarded by big guns that had given it the appearance of being an impregnable fortress.

But the Japanese attacked it from the north, by way of Malaysia, and it fell without a shot being fired from the big guns. That remarkable story, comparable to the tactical surprise pulled off by Lawrence of Arabia against the Ottoman Turks in Aqaba, is narrated by Stanley Falk in “Seventy Days to Singapore.” The book reads like a thriller, and I found it very hard to put down.

Yet, one more reason to visit Singapore was that it was a “spick and span” urban area located on a beautiful tropical island. I had planned to visit Singapore for a couple of days around a business trip to Malaysia.

My flight from San Francisco arrived in Singapore on time late into the night, as planned. We did a brief morning tour of the colonial part of town, intending to see it at a more leisurely pace when we got back from Kuala Lumpur.

In the afternoon, we showed up at the Changi airport and presented ourselves to the check-in agent. He looked at my passport, flipped the pages once, then twice. And then, with a dour expression, he said to me: “There is no space for the Malaysian immigration authorities to stamp it with a visa. I can’t let you board the flight with this passport. You need to get a new one.”

Going back in time, Singapore had acquired global significance during the Second World War as a British Fortress; it was guarded by big guns that had given it the appearance of being impregnable. But the Japanese attacked it from the north, by way of Malaysia, and it fell without a shot being fired from the big guns

I pointed out to him the several blank pages in my passport, but he said they could not be used for stamping a visa. It was unclear what else one would do with the pages. So I tried another tactic. I said that the other visa pages had enough blank space for a Malaysia stamp (they tend to be small). But he said that the rules had changed, and a full blank page was now required.

I informed him that I had business meetings to attend in Malaysia in the morning and requested him to let me board, but that too, was to no avail. My goose was cooked.

I informed my client in Malaysia, and she totally empathised with me. She asked me to make the most of the situation and enjoy Singapore, adding: “Why don’t you start out by touring the Arab Street?”

And that is what we did the next day. The area was fascinating. It reminded me of the time I had spent in Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. There were plenty of restaurants, tea stands and souvenir shops. The falafel, salads and baklava, which we had for lunch, were delicious.

Walking around town, we also discovered Little India. With its temples, restaurants, shops and people dressed in Indian clothes, it could have easily have been located in the real India. We enjoyed dinner in one of the eateries.

On the days that followed, we checked out the major attractions of Singapore. The Botanic Gardens looked very English. The grounds were beautifully landscaped. There was a lake in which white swans swam gracefully. The Orchid Garden had many levels and just about every variety of orchids. As we started heading out, a light shower began to fall. We spotted a giant Monitor lizard crawling along the pathway toward the grassy area, its tongue spitting out now and then.

In the evening, we went to check out the Night Safari. It was essentially, a zoo. The event began with a group buffet-style dinner featuring cuisine from around the globe. This was followed by the main attraction, a train ride in the darkness. We marveled at the sight of a variety of animals such as Asian elephants, Malayan tigers, spotted hyenas, clouded leopards, pythons and snakes of several types, including cobras. It was fascinating to see the animals in their natural habitat at night.

The next day was devoted to colonial Singapore. We saw the Supreme Court building, a museum, a cricket ground and the army barracks. Everything was coloured white. To round off the colonial experience, we had lunch at ‘The Raffles’, in true British tradition. I was thinking of the famous writer, Somerset Maugham, who had spent so much time in Singapore when suddenly a thunderstorm descended on us. It was accompanied by a stunning display of lightening. Thankfully, it lasted for barely 15 minutes.

In the afternoon, we toured the Marina. It had a fascinating collection of shops, restaurants and spas, with the sea on one side and the river on the other. There was a giant Ferris wheel nearby, and we decided to take a spin in it. It offered sweeping views of the skyline, which reflected in the large lake created by the river. On the other side was the harbor, with a long line of ships waiting to find a berth. It was the longest marine queue I had ever seen, consistent with the status of the port as being one of the world’s biggest.

Singapore has a well-deserved reputation as a world city that is well planned and beautifully set in a tropical setting. It even uses dynamic pricing on the roads to manage congestion at peak times. It has great sights and restaurants. And it is the ultimate melting pot of races

Back on the ground, we walked toward a statue of a mythical creature, the Merlion, which appears to be a unique Singaporean concoction. It was white in colour and was spouting water like a fountain.

At night, we took a river cruise. It went past restaurants and hotels and shops. They were lit up in a variety of colours and were radiating life in its multiple dimensions. The setting evoked the canals of Venice.

At some point, the lake was lit up with a high-tech display of light beams. They seemed to be shooting at each other across the water in a myriad of colours. The show lasted for some 15 minutes and drew an instant crowd of thousands.

Singapore has a well-deserved reputation as a world city that is well planned and beautifully set in a tropical setting. It even uses dynamic pricing on the roads to manage congestion at peak times. It has great sights and restaurants. And it is the ultimate melting pot of races.

But real estate is extremely expensive. And the weather is hot and humid throughout the year.

Despite all the caveats, it is worth visiting. I have been to this place three times now and would definitely not mind giving it a go the fourth time.

The writer has toured 36 countries and can be reached at ahmadfaruqui@gmail.com.

Published in Daily Times, January 28^th 2018.