 The colonial government embarked on several measures to address the serious social problems facing Singapore . A Chinese Protectorate under Pickering was established in 1877 to address the needs of the Chinese community , especially in controlling the worst abuses of the coolie trade and protecting Chinese women from forced prostitution . In 1889 Governor Sir Cecil Clementi Smith banned secret societies , driving them underground . Nevertheless , many social problems persisted up through the post @-@ war era , including an acute housing shortage and poor health and living standards . In 1906 , the Tongmenghui , a revolutionary Chinese organisation dedicated to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty and led by Sun Yat @-@ sen , founded its Nanyang branch in Singapore , which served as the organisation 's headquarters in Southeast Asia . The members of the branch included Dr. Wong Hong @-@ Kui ( 黃康衢 ) , Mr. Tan Chor Lam ( 陳楚楠 , 1884 @-@ 1971 , originally a rubber manufacturer ) and Mr. Teo Eng Hock ( 張永福 , originally a rubber shoe manufacturer ) . Chan Cho @-@ Nam , Cheung Wing @-@ Fook and Chan Po @-@ Yin ( 陳步賢 , 1883 @-@ 1965 ) started the revolution @-@ related Chong Shing Chinese Daily Newspaper ( 中興日報 , 中興 meaning China revival ) , with the inaugural issue on 20 August 1907 and a daily distribution of 1000 copies . The newspaper ended in 1910 , presumably due to the revolution in 1911 . Working with other Cantonese people , Chan , Cheung and Chan opened the revolution @-@ related Kai Ming Bookstore ( 開明書報社 , 開明 meaning open wisdom ) in Singapore . For the revolution , Chan Po @-@ Yin raised over 30 @,@ 000 yuan for the purchase and shipment ( from Singapore to China ) of military equipment and for the support of the expenses of people travelling from Singapore to China for revolutionary work . The immigrant Chinese population in Singapore donated generously to Tongmenghui , which organised the 1911 Xinhai Revolution that led to the establishment of the Republic of China . 
