▁to ▁cosm opol itan ▁Singapore , ▁just ▁ 4 0 ▁miles ▁away , ▁sh aped ▁the ▁political ▁climate ▁of ▁the ▁kingdom , ▁giving ▁R ia u ▁Malays ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁familiar ise ▁themselves ▁with ▁new ▁ideas ▁from ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁The ▁opening ▁of ▁S uez ▁Canal ▁meant ▁a ▁journey ▁to ▁Me cca ▁via ▁Port ▁Sa id , ▁Egypt ▁and ▁Singapore ▁could ▁take ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁fort night ; ▁thus ▁these ▁cities ▁became ▁major ▁ports ▁for ▁the ▁H aj j ▁pil gr image . ▁ ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁the ▁experience ▁and ▁intellectual ▁progress ▁att ained ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁and ▁influenced ▁by ▁the ▁Pan - I sl am ism ▁brother hood , ▁the ▁R ia u ▁Mal ay ▁intellig ents ia ▁established ▁the ▁Ro es id ij ah ▁( Cl ub ) ▁Ri ouw ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 5 . ▁The ▁association ▁was ▁born ▁as ▁a ▁literary ▁circle ▁to ▁develop ▁the ▁religious , ▁cultural ▁and ▁intellectual ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁s ultan ate , ▁but ▁as ▁it ▁m ature d , ▁it ▁changed ▁into ▁a ▁more ▁critical ▁organisation ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁address ▁the ▁fight ▁against ▁Dutch ▁rule ▁in ▁the ▁kingdom . ▁ ▁The ▁era ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁growing ▁aw aren ess ▁among ▁the ▁el ite ▁and ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁wat an ▁( hom eland ) ▁and ▁one ' s ▁duty ▁towards ▁his ▁or ▁her ▁native ▁soil . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁succeed ▁to ▁establish ▁a ▁wat an , ▁the ▁land ▁must ▁be ▁independent ▁and ▁so ver eign ,