Despite initial challenges, Singapore quickly blossomed into a thriving port. The announcement of its status as a free port attracted traders like the Bugis, Peranakan Chinese, and Arabs, keen on avoiding Dutch trade restrictions. From a modest initial trade value of $400,000 (Spanish dollars) and a population of about a thousand in 1819, the settlement witnessed exponential growth. By 1825, Singapore boasted a population over ten thousand and a staggering trade volume of $22 million, surpassing the established port of Penang which had a trade volume of $8.5 million.^[12]

Sir Stamford Raffles returned to Singapore in 1822 and expressed dissatisfaction with Major William Farquhar's administrative choices. Raffles disapproved of Farquhar's revenue-generating methods, which included issuing licenses for gambling and opium sales, and was particularly distressed by the ongoing slave trade.^[13] Consequently, Farquhar was dismissed and replaced by John Crawfurd. With the reins of administration in his hands, Raffles began formulating a comprehensive set of new governance policies.^[14]

Raffles introduced reforms that aimed at creating a morally upright and organized society. He abolished slavery, shut down gambling hubs, enforced a weapons ban, and levied taxes on activities he perceived as vices,^[14] including excessive drinking and opium consumption. Prioritizing the settlement's structure, he meticulously crafted the Raffles Plan of Singapore,^[12] delineating Singapore into functional and ethnic zones. This visionary urban planning is still evident today in Singapore's distinct ethnic neighborhoods and various locales.