On this day, the Parliament of Malaysia voted 126–0 in favour of a constitutional amendment expelling Singapore from the Federation of Malaysia. The island was first colonised in 1819 when Sir Stamford Raffles recognised it as a natural choice for a new strategic port, perfectly positioned on the main trade route between India and China. It was not until 1963 that Singapore finally declared its independence from Britain and, less than a month later, joined the newly-formed Federation of Malaysia. However, racial, political and economic conflicts quickly led to the aforementioned expulsion of Singapore from the Federation just two years later. As a consequence, the prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, announced that Singapore had become a sovereign, independent nation. The new state became the Republic of Singapore, with Yusof bin Ishak appointed as its first President.
