I do not agree with this statement entirely as I believe Raffles did much more than managing to get permission for forming a factory. Raffles took the main initiative to find a new British base at the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula. It was also he who had a vision for what Singapore could become in its later years. He managed to convince Lord Hastings about Singapore's advantageous location and potential to be a …showed first 75 words of 494 total…

…showed last 75 words of 494 total…play any other part in the early stages of Singapore's founding. I have come to the conclusion that Raffles was Singapore's first stepping stone. He gave Singapore an opportunity to prosper, while his assistants, Farquhar and Crawfurd made this possible through their administrative skills, hard work and perseverance. In other words, Raffles played the essential and initial role of setting Singapore it the right path. But his assistants paved the way for Singapore to prosper.