29 AUGUST 1981, Page 16

The Raffles legacy

Sir: Most people with fond Far East memories will applaud Mr Brian Inglis's warm, overdue tribute to Stamford Raffles (22 August). But, for the record, should it not be noted, arising from his statement that 'only the hotel and other reminders in Singapore keep his name alive', that the 'other reminders' include the Central Square, the Museum, the Public Library, the most prestigious College and the only statue on the island?

It is also worth remembering that the Singapore that Raffles created did not only bolster the opium trade with China. It was also the place where Ross and Castellani found the cause of and cure for malaria, which probably saved more lives than the opium traffic destroyed.

George Edinger Hatfield Broad Oak, Essex