Y2 History Notes (Post War) (RI)

1 Post-War Singapore (Summary) On 5 September 1945, the BMA took over the rule of Singapore from the Japanese Administration. 1) Problems inherited by BMA from Japanese war-time administration Problem #1: Food shortages and other essentials o After the war, shipping routes were disorganized, and neighbouring countries had no surplus to export o Prices of essential goods soared to ten times the pre-war level, rice soared to 30-40 times o In May 1947, rice ration was equivalent to the lowest point during Japanese Occupation Problem #2: Overcrowding and housing shortage o Singapore’s population in 1945 was 1 million, double of pre-war population, partly due to new influx of immigrants o Severe overcrowding in the cities and almost 100,000 lived as squatters or in slums o 1947 survey revealed that only one-third of the population was housed satisfactorily Problem #3: Unemployment and low wages o BMA employed 102,000 as reconstruction workers but only at pre-war wages o Many municipal employees such as firemen and harbour workers were not paid well o Locals in the administration were also paid lower than British expatriates Problem #4: Public health and welfare o Damaged infrastructure led to poor drainage and sanitation o Rampant spread of tuberculosis and other diseases o Lack of awareness on sexual health and family planning, which compounded other problems o Average household had 6 children, up to 20 children in extreme cases Problem #5: Disruption to Education o BMA quickly reopened English and Malay schools, Chinese community followed suit with Chinese schools o However, there were still too many students as there was an additional generation of overaged students who did not attend school during Japanese Occupation o Tamil and Chinese schools were still neglected o The RI campus was also being used by the military at this time 2) 1948: Rise of Local Activism Different communities in Singapore Group 1: The Chinese Community • Chinese schools continued to be neglected, overcrowded and understaffed • After the Communist victory in China, colonial government banned visitors to China from returning back to Singapore • Chinese-educated students had limited opportunities for employment and universities

2 • Fought unsuccessfully to have China-born residents to be given voting rights • Eventually took things in their own hands and raised funds for a Chinese-language university, Nanyang University • Chinese businessmen also formed their own political party to protect Chinese rights Group 2: The Indian Community • Being a minority, Indians were especially anxious about their future in Singapore • Many of them were also inspired by political developments happening back in India • Many English-educated Indian intellectuals formed the foundations of both the left- wing radical movement and the conservative movement • 8 out of 15 candidates in the 1948 election were Indian Group 3: Women