Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant passages that answer the question.
Query: Was Singapore ever formerly occupied?
During World War 2, Singapore was conquered and occupied by the Japanese Empire from 1942 to 1945. When the war ended, Singapore reverted to British control, with increasing levels of self-government being granted, culminating in Singapore's merger with the Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963. However, social unrest and disputes between Singapore's ruling People's Action Party and Malaysia's Alliance Party resulted in Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia. Singapore became an independent republic on 9 August 1965.
The Former Singapore Badminton Hall (Abbreviation: SBH; ), formerly Singapore Badminton Stadium, is a former indoor sports hall for badminton located on Guillemard Road in Geylang, Singapore. 
The Singapore national basketball team is the national team for Singapore in basketball. It is managed by the "Basketball Association of Singapore" (BAS), formerly the Singapore Amateur Basketball Association (SABA).
The SIT was formally established by the Singapore Improvement Ordinance, 1927. The purpose of the ordinance (signed into law on 1 July 1927), was "to provide for the Improvement of the Town and Island of Singapore". The Ordinance was applied to both the town and island of Singapore except for areas occupied by the British military.
The Singapore women's national basketball team is the national basketball team of Singapore. It is managed by the "Basketball Association of Singapore" (BAS), formerly the Singapore Amateur Basketball Association (SABA).
Mandarin Orchard Singapore, formerly the Mandarin Singapore, and Meritus Mandarin Singapore managed by Meritus Hotels & Resorts, is a five-star hotel located at 333 Orchard Road in Singapore. The hotel opened in 1971, occupying a single 36-storey block. It became a landmark for the Orchard Road area when the second block, standing at 40 storeys and 152 metres high, became the tallest building in Singapore at the time of its opening in 1973.
The Singapore Zoo, formerly known as the Singapore Zoological Gardens and commonly known locally as the Mandai Zoo, occupies on the margins of Upper Seletar Reservoir within Singapore's heavily forested central catchment area. The zoo was built at a cost of $9 million granted by the government of Singapore and opened on 27 June 1973. It is operated by Wildlife Reserves Singapore, who also manage the neighbouring Night Safari, River Safari and the Jurong Bird Park. There are about 315 species of animal in the zoo, of which some 16 percent are considered to be threatened species. The zoo attracts 1.7 million visitors each year.
Workforce Singapore, formerly known as Singapore Workforce Development Agency, (Abbreviation: WSG) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Manpower of the Singapore Government.
The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA), formerly the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore, is the national professional body for accountants in Singapore. It sets out to develop, support and enhance the integrity, status and interests of the accountancy profession in Singapore.
The Chief Secretary, Singapore, known as the Colonial Secretary, Singapore, before 1955, and the Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements, before 1946, was a high ranking government civil position in colonial Singapore (the Straits Settlements before 1946) between 1867 and 1959. It was second only to the Governor of Singapore (formerly the Governor of the Straits Settlements) in the colonial government.
The Singapore Community Shield (also known as the Great Eastern Community Shield due to sponsorship reasons; formerly the Charity Shield) is the curtain-raiser to the football season in Singapore. The match is contested between the champions of the previous Singapore Premier League season and the Singapore Cup winners. In a situation when the same team wins both competition, then it is contested between the Singapore Premier League's champions and runners-up.
Make Up For Ever is sold at Sephora and Make Up For Ever boutiques worldwide, with flagship stores in Paris, New York, Montreal, Shanghai, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and other cities.
Make Up for Ever also offers full professional make-up trainings in its academies since 2002 in Paris, and expanded in New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Brussels, Helsinki and Nice.
After Nanyang University was merged with the University of Singapore, the grounds formerly occupied by Nanyang University were occupied by a similarly-named technical institute, the Nanyang Technological Institute (NTI), in 1981. In 1991, the NTI was upgraded to the status of a university as Singapore's second English-medium university and became the Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
Kingdom Breweries is a Cambodian craft beer brewery company founded in 2009. It is the largest craft brewery in Southeast Asia, serving as a backend production hub for over 30 craft brewers in Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the Philippines. It is located in Phnom Penh, Cambodia alongside the banks of the Tonlé Sap river on the north end of Cambodia's capital, and is housed in a renovated factory formerly occupied by Nestlé.
Changi Air Base or Changi Air Base (West) (Changi West Complex), formerly RAF Changi, is an airfield military airbase of the Republic of Singapore Air Force located at Changi, in the eastern tip of Singapore. Sited at two locations to the east and west of Singapore Changi Airport, it co-shares runway facilities with the civilian airport and currently occupies a third runway slated for future expansion for civilian use by Singapore Changi Airport. Together, the two airfields house 121 Squadron, 112 Squadron, No 145 Squadron, the Field Defence Squadron, the Air Logistics Squadron and the Airfield Maintenance Squadron. The air base badge carries the motto: ""Together in Excellence"".
Singapore has been sending representatives to Miss Universe contest as early as 1954. The title of the first Miss Singapore ever was won by the actress Siti Mariam Ismail or officially known as Mariani Ismail in 1951. The city-state republic has been represented at Miss Universe every year since 1966. The country had its first semi finalist when Kathie Lee Lee Beng secured the 8th position, the highest ever placement Singapore attained when the pageant was held in St. Louis in 1983. In 1987 when Singapore played host to the Miss Universe pageant, home favourite Marion Nicole Teo came in at the 9th place.
In 1953, Governor John Nicoll decided that the building should be renovated for use as a legislative chamber. Renamed Assembly House, it was declared officially open on 9 July 1954, and the existing Legislative Council had its first meeting there on 20 July. It was then occupied from 1955 by the newly formed Legislative Assembly of Singapore, and was renamed Parliament House when Singapore became fully independent in 1965. In 1988 the building's debating chamber was extensively renovated to increase the number of seats in it to 90. However, as further extensions were not feasible without causing MPs discomfort and disrupting the chamber's configuration, plans were approved in 1992 for a new Parliament building to be constructed. The present Parliament House, on a part of High Street that was renamed Parliament Place, was completed in July 1999. It was officially inaugurated on 6 September 1999 with a special sitting that began in the Old Parliament House, continued with legislators walking from the old building to the new one, and concluded in the new Parliament House. Three items from the old chamber were brought over: the Mace of Parliament, the Table of the House, and the Speaker's chair. The building formerly occupied by Parliament reopened in March 2004 as a performance venue called the Arts House at the Old Parliament, and the street it is on was renamed Old Parliament Lane.
NTUC occupies the largest office space in One Marina Boulevard. Other major tenants include Allen & Gledhill, Singapore Workforce Development Agency and Microsoft Singapore. In October 2004, Microsoft Singapore moved from its previous offices at 5 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec Tower Five to the building. It currently occupies the 22nd floor. A major F&B company, TCC, is also located there. A AXS machine is located in the basement.
The Singapore Biennale () is a contemporary art biennale in Singapore. The first Singapore Biennale operated as one of a lineup of Singapore 2006 events. Fumio Nanjo, Director of Tokyo's Mori Art Museum, has been reappointed Artistic Director of the Singapore Biennale 2008. Working with Mr Nanjo on Singapore Biennale 2008 are two curators: independent curator Joselina Cruz, formerly a curator at the Singapore Art Museum and the Lopez Museum in Manila; and Matthew Ngui, one of Singapore's leading artists in contemporary art.
Formerly known as the Singapore Writers’ Week, the Singapore Writers’ Festival started in 1986 as a component of the Singapore Festival of Arts (now known as Singapore Arts Festival) that focuses on the merit of the literary arts. It was presented outside the Festival of Arts for the first time in 1991 as recognition and awareness for literary arts in Singapore grew.  Since then, SWF has been held every two years, until 2011 when it went annual.
The Singapore CA Qualification (formerly known as Singapore Qualification Programme or Singapore QP) provides a pathway for qualification and recognition of individuals from all disciplines who aspire to be Chartered Accountants of Singapore. A Chartered Accountant of Singapore would have completed the Singapore CA Qualification, a professional development programme that equips a Chartered Accountant of Singapore with a blend of structured learning and emphasis on practical application, giving them the skills-set and technical knowledge to contribute positively and add value to the organisations they are working in.
The area occupied by Kent Ridge Park and the National University of Singapore was formerly known as Pasir Panjang Ridge, and was originally a lowland evergreen rainforest. The park's natural vegetation now consists of groves of Tembusu, Acacias and Dillenias. When the first settlers arrived in Singapore in the early 19th century, they grew crops such as rubber, pepper, gambier and pineapple on the ridge. During World War II, it was used as a fortress by the British in the defence of Singapore. Many of these plantations were either abandoned or destroyed during the Japanese Occupation (1942–1945), which allowed such crops to grow wild.
The Omni-Theatre is an observatory and large-format film theatre located at the Science Centre Singapore (formerly Singapore Science Centre) in Jurong East, Singapore.
The Chief Secretary, Singapore, known as the Colonial Secretary, Singapore, before 1955, and the Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements, before 1946, was a high ranking government civil position in colonial Singapore (the Straits Settlements before 1946) between 1867 and 1959. It was second only to the Governor of Singapore (formerly the Governor of the Straits Settlements) in the colonial government.
This popular classic was formerly known as the Singapore Derby until 1995, when Dubai-based Emirates Airlines embarked with a partnership with Singapore Turf Club, cementing Singapore’s credentials as a leading international sporting hub.