AMKSS Chpt 8 (sec 2 hist)

A NG M O K IO S ECONDARY S CHOOL S ECONDARY 2 H ISTORY C HAPTER 8 (P ART I) – S INGAPORE ’ S R OAD TO M ERGER (1959-1963) Name: _____________________________ ( ) Class: _______ Date: __________ Why did the PAP government pursue a merger with Malaya? S TEP - BY -S TEP G UIDE TO T ACKLING “E XPLAIN ” Q UESTIONS Step 1: Read the question and identify what the question is asking for Highlight/Underline/Annotate accordingly Explain why Singapore wanted merger with Malaya. Step 2: Plan out your answer • Identify the (two) main points that you will address in the question • Provide details/examples to help your reader understand what the points are about • Explain, in a step-by-step manner, how the point is relevant to the question focus (i.e. how the point leads to the outcome) □ 1 Singapore wanted merger to be able to survive economically. [Sample] (Description) What is this about? (Explanation) How will merger allow this? Singapore is a small country with no Through merger with Malaya, Singapore natural resources. It relied on trade to would be able to enjoy a common create jobs for the people and support its market with Malaya and there will no economy. However, in the 1950s, longer be tariffs on trade. This would Malaya introduced tariffs on trade with increase the amount of trade and create Singapore, which made Singapore’s more jobs in Singapore to allow goods more expensive and reduced the Singapore to survive . volume of trade. This made it hard for Singapore to survive economically. □ 2 Singapore wanted merger to gain political independence from the British. (Description) What is this about? (Explanation) How will merger allow this?

After World War II (WWII) and during the Through merger with Malaya, Singapore Cold War, Britain feared that Southeast would be part of a bigger country and Asia would fall to communism. They there will be more resources to fight were not willing to let Singapore become against the communist . This makes the British feel more assured to let go of independent unless they were sure that Singapore , allowing Singapore to Singapore would not turn communist. become independent from the British. Page |1 What was Malaya’s response towards merger? • Before 1961, Malaya did not want merger. Number of Malays Number of Chinese Malaya 3.1 million 2.3 million Malaya + Singapore 3.4 million 3.6 million • Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Raman was afraid that the large Chinese popu