8 mya reactions Flashcards
1959 Initial Disinterest
Malayan Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman was initially uninterested in a merger with Singapore. Tunku feared that Singapore’s large Chinese majority might upset the racial balance in Malaya, as the combined Chinese population (3.6 million) would surpass the Malays (3.4 million). He was concerned that Singaporeans might resist Malay cultural and religious practices, and that communist influence from Singapore could spill over into Malaya.Tunku Abdul Rahman was concerned that merger would bring about racial imbalance, fearing that:
The predominantly Chinese population in Singapore would be reluctant to accept a Malay Sultan as their Head of State.
The Chinese would eventually outnumber the Malays in Malaysia.
1961 Tunku Abdul Rahman Proposed Merger
On 27 May 1961, Tunku Abdul Rahman changed his stance and proposed a merger with Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak, and Brunei. This shift was driven by fears of an independent, potentially communist-influenced Singapore that could threaten Malaya’s security. Tunku was concerned about losing influence over Singapore’s Internal Security Council and the risk of a communist takeover. Additionally, the Hong Lim by-election, where independent candidate Ong Eng Guan defeated the PAP’s candidate, indicated a growing radical element in Singapore’s politics, which heightened Malaya’s concerns.Tunku was concerned that many Chinese in Singapore had sympathies for the communists and feared that these attitudes would spread to the rest of Malaysia.
Tunku realized that merger was needed for Malaya to preserve its influence in Singapore’s Internal Security Council, which would allow it to also contain the communist threat in Singapore.The fear of growing communist influence in the Singapore government became more real after the Hong Lim by-election in April 1961, when the PAP candidate lost to a more radical ex-member of the PAP, Ong Eng Guan.
Fears were heightened after the Anson by-election, when radial members of the PAP encouraged voters to support the opposition candidate, resulting in yet another loss by the PAP candidate.
