8 key dates

Question 1

1957

Answer 1

Malaya gained independence from British colonial rule

Question 2

1959-05

Answer 2

PAP won a landslide victory in the election

Question 3

1959-06

Answer 3

Lee Kuan Yew became Singapore’s first Prime Minister

Question 4

1959-04

Answer 4

Hong Lim by-election saw the defeat of the PAP candidate

Question 5

1959-05

Answer 5

Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman proposed merger of Singapore, Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah, and Brunei

Question 6

1959-07

Answer 6

Split within PAP. Some members broke off to form the Barisan Sosialis (Socialist Front) to oppose the merger

Question 7

1959-09

Answer 7

Campaign for Referendum

Question 8

1962-08

Answer 8

Cobbold Commission concluded that two-thirds of the people in Sabah and Sarawak supported the merger

Question 9

1962-09

Answer 9

Referendum was held where 71% voted in favour of merger

Question 10

1963-01

Answer 10

Start of Indonesian Konfrontasi to oppose the merger

Question 11

1963-02

Answer 11

Operation Coldstore to arrest key leaders of Barisan Sosialis

Question 12

1963-09

Answer 12

Singapore merged with Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak to form the Federation of Malaysia

Question 13

1964-04

Answer 13

Singapore took part in the federal election and won only one seat

Question 14

1965-05

Answer 14

Formation of Malaysian Solidarity Convention to campaign for ‘Malaysian Malaysia’

Question 15

1965-07

Answer 15

Outbreak of race riots in Singapore

Question 16

1965-08

Answer 16

Singapore separated from Malaysia and became independent from British rule