Dude, ignore these people.
HN has the weirdest bunch of computer nerds that hasn't taken a history class in their lives.
For everyone else, Singapore is important because it sits right at the end of the historical trade route of the Straits of Malacca. There is a whole wikipedia entry about it.
Thanks for the complimentary description, Mr. Knows Better.. Admittedly my source is the 2nd half of this video, but you'll need to have taken a German class to understand it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS4GyHEhNvk
For everyone else, Singapore is important because it sits right at the end of the historical trade route of the Straits of Malacca. There is a whole wikipedia entry about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Malacca