 World War I ( 1914 – 1918 ) did not deeply affect Singapore : the conflict did not spread to Southeast Asia . The only significant local military event during the war was a 1915 mutiny by the British Muslim Indian sepoys garrisoned in Singapore . After hearing rumors of plans to send them to fight the Ottoman Empire , the soldiers revolted , killing their officers and several British civilians before troops arriving from Johor and Burma suppressed the unrest . 
