Chapter 10 - To what extent did people's lives change after independence? [Housing, national identity, healthcare and education] Flashcards
What were the economic challenges Singapore faced as a newly independent nation-state?
Economic vulnerability:
-[Limited access to the Malaysian Hinterland]
-[Threat of unemployment]
After Singapore gained independence, Malaysia remained its main trading partner. However, without a common market market and direct access to the Malaysian hinterland, trade between the two countries was limited.
What was the impact of limited trade with Malaysia after SG’s independence?
In Malaysia:
To limit competition to its own industries, Malaysia increased tariffs on SG’s exports, thus raising their prices. This lowered the demand for Singapore-made goods in Malaysia, as Malaysia’s goods became more affordable in comparison.
In SG:
Malaysia reduced the volume of exports, such as tin and rubber, to SG. They were previously stored or processed in SG before being re-exported worldwide. This had a negative impact on SG’s entrepôt trade.
What contributed to increasing rate of unemployment in Singapore?
What did Singapore have to do in order to solve its economic problems?
-[Declining entrepôt trade (previously lifeline of Singapore’s economy) + growing competition from other ports in the region.]
Thus, the importance of entrepôt trade as a source of job creation was diminishing.
-[Closure of the British’s military bases]
These bases were a major source of employment for Singaporeans, with the livelihoods of over 40,000 people dependent on supplying goods and serves to British servicemen stationed there.
Singapore had to diversify its economy.
What did Singapore do to diversify its economy?
When was the EDB established? What did it do?
-Development of export-oriented industrialisation
-Development of infrastructure
The EDB was established in 1961. Its task was to promote industrial development in SG, for example, by attracting multinational corporations (MNCs) to set up factories here. Majority of the goods produced by these factories would be exported worldwide.
Why was Singapore so attractive to MNCs?
MNCs sought to lower costs and maximise profits. SG had lower tax rates, making it financially attractive for MNCs to set up operations in new industries here.
MNCs also wanted to operate in a safe and secure environment, which Singapore was able to provide as it had low crime rates, strengthened defence capabilities and diplomatic relations with many countries.
MNCs also desired a reliable supply of labour. SG had a large, young and growing labour force supported by trade unions that partnered the government and company bosses to achieve higher productivity and stronger economic growth.
Singapore had a sizeable amount of land set aside for the development of industrial estates equipped with adequate facilities for factories and space for future expansions, which were what MNCs wanted.
How did SG benefit from MNCs setting up operations here?
When was JTC set up? Why was JTC set up?
-Employment for thousands of people
-Valuable technical training and work experience for the local workforce, which end helped to build up local expertise that would eventually fill job vacancies previously filled by foreigners
-Greater access to modern technology to help keep SG competitive globally
-Increased exports of locally manufactured goods to overseas markets
-1968
-Plots of land was needed to be set aside for development into industrial estates. As Singapore’s grew more industrialised, the task of managing these industrial estates became more challenging. Thus, the JTC was set up to take over the task of building and managing industrial estates. This allowed the EDB to focus on attracting foreign investment.
What were some of the key industries that developed in Singapore?
By the early 1970s, unemployment was a thing of the past. In fact, there was a shortage of labour, such that foreigners had to be recruited. Singapore’s economy, which had seemed vulnerable upon independence, grew remarkably. Up until 1973, its economic growth rates, measured in terms of ____, exceeded 10% every year.
-Electronics
-Petroleum refining
-Ship building and repair
-Garments and textiles
GDP
What was the use of developing the infrastructure in Singapore?
What were some of these developments in infrastructure?
-It would help attract MNCs and other foreign investors, as well as facilitate the growth of Singapore’s manufacturing industries.
-Telecommunications
-Banking and Finance
-Public Utilities
-Air Transport
-Sea Transport
-Land Transport
[While it had taken 85 years to install the first 100,000 telephones, it took just five years from ____ to ____ to double the network size to 200,00, to boost ______ among ______ and ______.]
[____ was established in ____ to finance _____ and other development projects.]
[____ was set up in ____. It was responsible for providing _____, improving both the operating conditions of industries and people’s living conditions.]
[The government decided in _____ to replace Paya Lebar Airport with a larger airpot, as it had insufficient space for future expansion to handle more passenger and cargo traffic. Changi Airport was opened in ____.]
[____ was formed in ____ to manage _____. To cater to the ____ in cargo traffic, it set up new port facilities.]
[____ were constructed to connect _____ areas to _____. An ______ system was built to ____ the time needed to travel around the island.]
-1967,1972, connectivity, industries, households
-DBS, 1968, industrialisation
-PUB, 1963, public utilities
-1975, 1981
-PSA, 1964, port operations, rise
-Roads, industrial, housing estates, expressway, reduce
When was the oil crisis?
Oil prices jumped by almost __ times in less than ___ months.
Why did the increase in oil prices have such a significant impact on Singapore?
What measures did the government implement to help the people deal with the effects of the oil crisis?
When did Singapore recover from the oil crisis?
-1973
-4,3
-Singapore imported all its oil, which was needed for its economy to run smoothly.
-The government increases workers’ wages to help them cope with inflation.
-1976. The crisis served as a reminder that Singapore’s economy was vulnerable to external developments beyond its control.
What was the impact of the increase in global oil prices on Singapore (1973-1976)?
On the economy:
The increase in global oil prices caused an increase in petrol and electricity prices in Singapore. This resulted in an increase in the cost of producing and transporting goods, which also resulted an increase in the prices of goods. This caused a decrease in the demand for Singapore’s exports. Thus, there was a decrease in Singapore’s economic growth rate.
On the people:
The increase in global oil prices caused petrol and electricity prices in Singapore to increase as well. Hence, there was an increase in public transport fares. This, as well as the increased prices of goods, resulted in an increased cost of living.
Why did the government have to build a sense of identity among the people?
Even ______, the government had tried to build greater cohesion and a sense of belonging among the diverse population. Why was this challenging?
People in Singapore came from diverse ethnic, language, religious and economics backgrounds. Most did not feel a sense of belonging to Singapore. For the country to move forward and succeed following independence, the government had to build a sense of national identity among the people.
-Before independence
-Most people tended to only associate with those who shared their ethnicity, language or religion. Also, the education system inherited from the British was not conducive to fostering cohesion among the young. Most students went to schools where they were chiefly taught in their own [vernacular languages], while a smaller number went to English-language schools. Hence, most students had limited opportunities to interact with those from different backgrounds.
How did Singapore’s build social cohesion and sense of belonging?
When was the Citizenship Ordinance passed?
When did the National Registration Act of 1965 come into effect?
What did Singapore’s citizens’ pink identity cards entitle them to?
-Introduction of citizenship
-Creation of national symbols
-Forging of national identity in schools
-1957
-1966
-It entitled them to the rights and privileges of citizenship, such as voting, priority in receiving employment opportunities over non-citizens, and access to social services such as education and healthcare.
What was a practice that was introduced to forge national identity in schools? When was it introduced?
-Daily flag-raising and flag-lowering ceremonies, accompanied by the singing of the national and the recitation of the pledge were introduced in schools from August 1966.
How did Singapore’s address its social challenges?
Why did Singapore’s face housing challenges after independence?
When was HDB set up to take over the STI’s task of providing housing for the population?
-Providing public housing
-Strengthening the education system
-Improving public health standards
-Singapore’s experienced rapid population growth and a shortage of affordable housing in the early post-war years. Thus, many lived in unhygienic and overcrowded conditions in kampongs and shophouses, which often lacked basic facilities such as running water. Furthermore, the SIT had made little progress in meeting the growing demand for low-cost housing.
-1960 (before independence)
