English was introduced to Singapore by the British in 1819. The British established a port, later a colony, on the island. English had been the administrative language of the colonial government, and when Singapore gained self-government in 1959 and independence in 1965, the local government decided to keep English as the working language. It is not against the law to speak mother tongue during working hours. It is against the law to forbid people speaking their mother tongue anywhere at work as long as it does not harm the business and/or compromise safety at work.