Chapter 8 History notes (Merger)

Chapter8HistoryNotes(Part1:Merger) ReasonsformergerbetweenSingaporeandMalaya ReasonsProblemsfacedbySingapore ReasonsforMergingwithMalaya Economic - Singaporelackednaturalresourceslikerubberandtin,andahinterland.Itexperiencedarapidlygrowingpopulationthatwouldneedsufficientjobopportunitieseventually.- Italsofacedproblemslikeadecliningentrepottradeandgrowingunemployment.- TheMalayangovernmentimposedtradetariffsongoodsexchangedbetweenthetwocountries.- Thetradetariffsreducedprofitsearnedbycompaniesandbusinessesbecausepartoftherevenuecollectedfromthetradeactivitiesisusedtopaytaxes. - Malayawasrichinnaturalresources,soSingaporewouldbeabletoaccessthesevitalresourcesandproducegoods,thusitwouldbenefititseconomyifthemergerweretotakeplace.- SingaporeneededMalayanhinterlandtoprovideabiggercommonmarketforitsindustries,whichcouldbesetupthroughthemerger.ThemergerwouldalsoallowSingaporetonotloseoutonmoreentrepottrade.- Inthecommonmarket,goodswouldbeabletobesoldandboughtfreely,withoutthetariffbeingimposedonthemandpreventthemfrombeingtaxed.Thiswouldhelpincreasetrade,expandindustriesandcreatemorejobopportunitiesforthepeopleinSingapore,thusresolvingtheproblemofthegrowingunemployment. Political - TheBritishwereworriedaboutthecommunistsandfearedthattheywouldtakeoverSingapore,sotheywouldmostlikelynotgrantSingaporefullindependenceinordertoprotecttheirinterests. - TheSingaporegovernmentunderstoodthattheBritishwouldonlyletSingaporetogainpoliticalindependenceifitmergedwithMalaya.- TheBritishbelievedthatwhenanewfederation,whichconsistsofSingapore,Malaya,NorthBorneo(Sabah),SarawakandBruneiwasformed,therewouldbegreaterpoliticalstabilityinthoseterritoriestopreventthespreadofcommunismandsafeguardtheirinterests.

ReasonswhyMalayarefusedtomergewithSingaporebefore1961 - TheMalayanPrimeMinister,TunkuAbdulRahman,wasworriedthatthepredominantlyChinesecommunityinSingaporewouldbelesskeentoacceptaMalaySultanastheirHeadofState,useMalayastheirnationallanguageoracceptIslamastheirnationalreligion.- MalayawasnotkeentomergewithSingaporebecauseitwoulddisrupttheracialbalance,sinceifSingaporeweretomergewithMalaya,thenumberofChinesewouldbemorethanthenumberofMalaysinthenewfederation.- TunkuAbdulRahmanwasalsoworriedaboutthespreadofcommunismtoMalaya.Thepro-communistChineseinSingaporemightinfluencetheChineseinMalayaanddisruptthesecurityinMalaya. ReasonsforMalayawantingtomergewithSingaporeafter1961 Reason1:- MalayahadarepresentativeonSingapore’sInternalSecurityCouncil.- TunkuAbdulRahmanwasworriedthatifSingaporewasnotpartofthefederationwhenitbecameanindependentstate,MalayawouldloseitsreputationinthecounciltohaveasayoversecuritymattersinSingapore.- TheabsenceofboththecolonialgovernmentandtheMalayanrepresentativewouldnotbeabletocontainthethreatsinSingaporeeasily. Reason2:- TunkuAbdulRahmandidnotwantthePAPtobecontrolledbythememberswhowereinfluencedbycommunismasthosemembersmightbelesswillingtoconsideramergerontermsacceptabletoMalaya. Reason3:- IfSingaporebecameapartofMalaysia,itwouldbeeasyforthegovernmentinMalaysiatodealwiththecommunistelementsinSingapore.IfSingaporebecameanindependentcountrywithacommunistgovernment,itwouldalsoinfluenceothercountries,especiallyneighbouringcountries,toconsiderthistypeofgovernmentaswell.

HongLimby-election - OngEngGuanwasaPAPmemberwhoservedasMayorofSingapore’sCItyCouncilandrepresentedtheHongLimarea.- HewonaseatintheLegislativeAssemblyinthe1959electionandbecameMinisterforNationalDevelopment.- By1960,hestartedtohaveconflictwiththePAP.HedisagreedwiththePAP’sviewsandleftthePAPafterthat.WhenheopenlychallengedthePAPleadershipinoneoftheparty’sconferencesinJune1960,hewassuspendedasMinisterandexpelledfromtheparty.- HewasthenaskedtoresignhisseatintheLegislativeAssembly,whichthengaverisetotheHongLimby-election.- On19April1961,afterbeingexpelledfromthePAP,OngEngGuancontestedasanindependentcandidateintheHongLimby-election.HedefeatedthePAPcandidatesuccessfullybywinningalargemajorityofthevotes.- ThisdevelopmentinSingaporemadeTunkuAbdulRahmanworriedashefearedthatthesplitwithinthePAPwouldweakenthemoderatesandallowthepro-communistmemberstocontroltheparty.Thepro-communistmemberswouldthentakeoverthePAPandforcefullyturnSingaporeintoacommunistgovernment.Ifthishappened,thecommunistswoulduseSingaporeasabasetospreadcommunismtoMalaya. Agreementonproposedmerger - On27May1961,TunkuAbdulRahmanmadeaspeechtosuggestthepossibilityofamergerbetweenMalayaandSingapore.- Tosolvethepro-communistimbalancewhenmergingwithSingapore,thecreationofthenewfederationwouldincludeotherBritishcoloniessuchasNorthBorneo(Sabah),SarawakandBrunei.WiththeinclusionofotherBritishcolonies,theTunkuwouldensurethattheChinesewouldnotbethedominantethnicgroupinthenewfederation.- Singapore’sPrimeMinisterLeeKuanYewsupportedtheTunku’ssuggestion.TheydiscussedthetermsthatallowedtheformationoftheFederationofMalaysiatotakeplace.- However,thepro-communistswithinthePAPopposedthemergerastheydidnotwantthefederalgovernmentinMalaysiatoeliminatethemonceSingaporebecameindependentthroughthemerger.Asaresult,theysabotagedthePAPby

influencingthevotersandhelpedtheoppositionpartytowintheAnsonby-electionsuccessfullyin1961.ThiseventfurtherincreasedtheTunku’scommitmenttoformMalaysia.- ThebroadtermsagreedbyTunkuAbdulRahmanandPrimeMinisterLeeKuanYewon24August1961:1. SingaporewouldhaveitsownHeadofState2. Singaporecitizensare‘federalnations’insteadof‘federalcitizens’3. Singaporecouldholditsownelectionstochooseitsownstategovernment;SingaporecitizenswouldonlybeabletovoteinSingaporeelections4. SingaporewouldcollectitsownrevenueandpayKualaLumpur(KL,thecapitalofthefederation)anagreed-uponsum5. Singaporewouldhavecontroloveritsowneducationandlabourmatters,anditsowncivilservice6. ThefederalgovernmentinKualaLumpurwouldoverseeSingapore’sdefence,internalsecurityandforeignaffairs Thebattleformerger OppositionfromBarisanSosialis- ThereweresomePAPmemberswhoopposedtheproposedmerger,suchasLimChinSengandFongSweeSuan,astheyfeltthatthetermswerenotinfavourofthepeopleinSingapore.- Reasonswhytheythoughtitwasn’tfavourable:- Singaporeansweren’t‘federalcitizens’,but‘federalnationals’,whichmeantthatSingaporeansdidnothavecitizenshiprightsorprivileges.- ThismeantthatSingaporeanscouldnotfreelyenterorleavetheFederationwithoutrestriction;- Workersmightbediscriminateduponwhenapplyingforjobs;- Andbusinessmenmightbediscriminatedupon.- Singaporewouldalsohaveonly15seats,whileNorthBorneo(Sabah)andSarawakweregivenmoreseatsdespitesmallerpopulations.(Thelessertheseats=lessersay=lesserabilitytoinfluencepolicy)- ThesememberswerethenexpelledfromthePAPaftertheychallengedLeeKuanYew’sleadershipunsuccessfully.TheythenformedanewpoliticalpartynamedtheBarisanSosialisSingapura(SocialistFrontofSingapore).- InBarisanSocialis,Dr.LeeSiewChohbecametheChairmanandLimChinSongbecametheSecretary-General.

- BarisanSosialisstartedacampaigninSeptember1961toopposethemerger.Theyalsodeclaredthemergerissueinradioforumsandorganisedstudentdemonstrationsandlabourstrikes. ThePAPcampaign - ThePAPcounteractedtheoppositionfromtheBarisanSosialisbycarryingoutayear-longcampaign.- Campaign1:- PrimeMinisterLeeKuanYewgaveaseriesofradiotalkscalled“TheBattleforMerger”fromSeptember1961toOctober1961thatreachedthepeoplelivinginSingapore,Brunei,Malaya,NorthBorneoandSarawak.- TheradiotalkswereairedonMondays,WednesdaysandFridaysinthreemainlanguages,Mandarin,EnglishandMalay,indifferenttimeslots–Mandarinat645pm;Englishat730pmandMalayat9pm.Thetalkswerethenre-broadcastinTamil,HokkienandCantonese.- Campaign2:- ThePAPorganisedexhibitionstohighlightthebenefitsofamerger.- Forexample,thegovernmentsofSingaporeandotherterritoriesthatweretoformthenewfederationjointlyorganisedtheMalaysiaExhibition,whichwaspartofMalaysiaWeekinearly1962,attheVictoriaMemorialHall(present-dayVictoriaConcertHall),toshowthelivesandcultures,aswellastradeandcommerceoftheterritories.Thisexhibitionhelpedthevisitorstounderstandthecloseculturalandsocialtiesamongtheseterritories,convincingSingaporeansthatthemergerwasbeneficialtothem,makingthemvoteformergerandsupportthePAP. Referendum - ThePAPconduc