Singapore English
The most important category of Singapore initialisms are those for government departments and public institutions. Among the earliest examples are "PUB" ("Public Utilities Board") and "HDB" ("Housing Development Board"). Abbreviations such as these were especially important in the past when most Singaporeans were not educated in English, and their use facilitated communication in the public services where the main administrative language is English. Government departments have therefore promoted the use of these initialisms, so they occur even in non-English publications. Although the younger generation of Singaporeans are now all educated in English, abbreviations remain a major characteristic of Singapore English.