The "tricky place" of Singapore in the history of the archipelago: to understand the history of Singapore, observe it from the sea, not from the land, Opinion News & Top Stories

A recent public lecture on Singapore's historical sources of the pre-colonial era has sparked popular interest for an ancient and unusual name for the island.

As stated in the October 10 Straits Times (Singapore has already been described as a "tricky place to stay"), the Portuguese have described Singapore as a falsa demora, the "false or delicate place to stay". The name of Lion City for which Singapore is the best known today is only an interpretation of what this name could have meant.