Chapter 7 Part 2 Flashcards
Who was Maria Hertogh?
Maria Hertogh was a 13-year-old girl who was born to a Dutch-Eurasion Roman Catholic family but put in the care of a family friend who was Muslim. Maria was raised in the foster family as a Muslim and renamed Nadra binte Ma’arof. After the war, Maria and Aminah lived in Aminah’s hometown in Terengganu, Malaya.
Maria’s birth parents launched a legal effort to reclaim her through the Dutch authorities. Eventually, the courts awarded custody of Maria to her birth parents, and Aminah had applied to appeal against the decision. There was contention over whether Maria was given to Aminah for adoption or just to be looked after temporarily.
Why did Maria’s mother leave her in the care of the family friend?
The Japanese invasion of Java during World War II saw Maria’s father become a prisoner-of-war in 1943. Struggling alone and having just given birth to her sixth child, Maria’s mother Adeline Hunter gave Maria to the care of a family friend, Che Aminah Binte Mohamed, on 1 January 1943.
What religion was Maria converted to?
Islam
What caused the riot linked to the custody battle of Maria Hertogh?
Initially, custody of Maria was given to Che Aminah. On 2 December 1950, the courts reversed the rulings. Adeline Hertogh won the custody case, and Maria was placed temporarily in the Roman Catholic Covent of the Good Shepherd. This upset members of the Malay Muslim community.
Some newspapers sensationalized their coverage and others used the custody battle to push their own agendas or those of their backers. Their articles deliberately presented a biased selection of facts and information in order to sway the opinion of their readers and to divide the public — portraying the case as a religious issue between Christianity and Islam. Demonstrations outside the Supreme Court building, during the final ruling, grew hostile and turned into a riot, which spread outwards across the island. The three days of violence that followed left 18 dead, 173 injured with widespread destruction of property. During this period, Maria left Singapore with her birth mother to the Netherlands. Singapore was put under lockdown until law and order were restored by noon on 13 December 1950.
What can you infer about Che Aminah’s feelings regarding the decision?
Che Aminah believes that Maria was put up for adoption and was legally her adopted child that she raised for 8 years. She was very upset with the court ruling and feels that her legally adopted child was taken away from her.
Why did Che Aminah’s supporters react angrily?
Many Muslims were upset as they felt that their religion was being disrespected.
What were the 2 main reasons for the National Service Ordinance?
The post war British government felt that the responsibility of defending Singapore should be spread more evenly among the population and the emergency also increased the urgency of improving defense in Singapore.
Two main reasons for the National Service Ordinance:
1) To help defend the country against potential security threats
2) To promote national unity and strengthen social cohesion
Why was National Service unpopular among the secondary school students?
It was unpopular as many of them were old enough to qualify for national service as the war had disrupted their education. And if they were to register for national service, their studies will be disrupted a second time.
National Service was unpopular among the secondary school students because:
1) NS disrupted their education as they were required to leave school and serve in the military for a period of two years. This was a significant inconvenience for students who had plans to further their studies or pursue careers.
2) Harsh conditions that conscripts faced, such as long hours of physical training, inadequate food and living quarters, and strict discipline. The lack of freedom and strict control over their daily lives was a significant contrast to the more relaxed and carefree lifestyle of the students.
3) Its association with the ongoing communist insurgency in Malaysia and the wider region. Many students saw the conscription as a means of suppressing dissent and preserving the existing power structures, rather than serving the needs of the wider population.
What was the 2nd reason why the students were unhappy with the British?
Students felt that the British discriminated against Chinese education while favoring English-medium schools. The British provided little support to Chinese-medium schools. The students were thus unwilling to register for National Service to defend a foreign government that did not seem to give them anything in return.
How did the incident affect the Chinese students?
The incident boosted the morale and strength of the Chinese-educated students. It encouraged them to be more politically active and resulted in the formation of student groups such as the Singapore Chinese Middle School Students union.
What did the British realize after the incident?
With the unrest of the early 1950s, the British knew things had to change. They saw the locals discontent and their anti-British sentiments and recognized that the old system of government was no longer adequate. The locals had to be granted more political power.
What was the purpose of the Rendel Commission?
The Rendel Commission’s task was to find out how local people could play a more active role in the government.
The Rendel Commission was a British commission formed in 1951 to investigate the constitutional development of Singapore, with the aim of determining the territory’s progress towards self-governance.
What were the areas that the British considered to be important?
Law, finance, external affairs, external defense and internal security.
What were the 2 reasons behind why there was a greater interest in the 1955 election?
Eligible voters were automatically registered instead of having to register themselves, making it easier to vote. Those eager to press for change held discussions, and more political parties emerged as a result.
Why did a lot of Chinese speaking people support the Labour Front?
Labour Front fought to extend Singapore citizenship to China-born immigrants.
Chinese speaking people support the Labour Front because:
1) They were seen as a party that represented the working class and advocated for better working conditions and wages
2) They were seen as a party that was against British colonial rule and advocated for greater autonomy and independence for Singapore.
3) They promoted policies aimed at improving social welfare and providing assistance to the less fortunate
4) They supported policies aimed at promoting the use of Chinese as an official language
Whose support did the PAP seek to win?
It sought to win the support of workers, trade unions and students in Chinese-medium schools.
What did the campaigns of these political parties (PAP and Labour Front) focus on?
The parties campaigned hard to raise political awareness among the locals and to win their support.
Why were the Labour Front and PAP popular among the voters?
They were popular among the voters because they promised to improve workers welfare if they were elected.
They were popular because:
1) Both parties were seen as representative of the working class and advocated for better working conditions, wages, and social welfare policies
2) Both parties were also seen as anti-colonial and advocating for greater autonomy and independence from British rule
3) The Labour Front and the PAP both supported policies aimed at promoting the use of Chinese as an official language
4) Both parties were seen as promoting progressive policies aimed at improving the standard of living and quality of life for the people of Singapore
5) Both parties had charismatic leaders who were able to connect with voters and communicate their vision and policies effectively.
Why were the colonial authorities shocked at Labour Front’s win?
They were shocked as they expected the SPP to win.
They were shocked because:
1) The Labour Front was not seen as a major political force prior to the elections, and the colonial authorities were caught off guard by the party’s unexpected success.
2) They were seen as an anti-colonial party that advocated for greater autonomy and independence from British rule, which was a sentiment that the colonial authorities were not prepared for.
3) The Labour Front’s win represented a major shift in the political landscape of Singapore, and the colonial authorities were unsure of how to respond to the changing situation.
4) The colonial authorities were used to having a high degree of control over the political situation in Singapore, and the Labour Front’s win represented a loss of that control.
Why were the British authorities not willing to support David Marshall?
The governor and his British officials saw marshal as a leader only in name and did not offer him full support.
British authorities not willing to support David Marshall because, he was:
1) Against British rule and a strong advocate of independence
2) Supports socialist and leftist rule
3) Has a charismatic and confrontational leadership style
4) Suspected of having ties to communist organizations
Identify one reason why workers belonging to the Singapore Bus Workers Union (SBWU) went on strike?
One reason is that the dismissed workers went on a hunger strike as they had no pay as they had no job.
Singapore Bus Workers Union (SBWU) went on strike because:
1) Many bus workers were paid low wages and worked long hours. Workers felt that they are not fairly compensated for their work and that their wages were not keeping paces with the cost of living.
2) Bus workers were also concerned about the poor working conditions they faced on the job, including long hours, hazardous working conditions, and inadequate benefits.
3) Workers felt that SBWU was not being recognized by the employers or the government, and that their grievances were not being adequately addressed.
4) Workers were also concerned about the political repression of labor unions and workers’ rights in Singapore, which made it difficult for them to organize and advocate for their rights.
Why did the British consider the Labour Front government to be weak?
To the British, the Labour Front government seemed weak due to Marshall’s reluctance to take stronger action against those involved in the riots and his willingness to negotiate instead.
The British considered the Labour Front government in Singapore to be weak because it was primarily focused on improving working conditions and wages for its citizens, rather than strengthening its military and defense capabilities. Additionally, the Labour Front government was seen as inexperienced and lacking the political and administrative skills necessary to effectively govern the country.
What does merdeka mean?
Merdeka means “independent” or “free”
What were the 2 things that Marshall wanted greater control of?
David Marshall wanted full internal self-government for Singapore by 1957 and to have greater control over defense and external affairs.
David Marshal wanted greater control of:
1) Internal Security - local authorities should have more control over internal security matters, such as the maintenance of law and order and the handling of security threats
2) Economic Development - Marshall believed that Singapore had great potential for economic growth and development and that the local government should have more control over economic policies and initiatives in order to drive progress and prosperity
3) Political Power - the island should be allowed to develop its own political system and governance structure, free from outside interference.
4) Education - education as a critical tool for progress and sought to increase the level of control that the local government had over the education system in Singapore, including the setting of curricula and the management of schools.
Overall, David Marshall’s efforts to increase the level of control that the local government had over various aspects of Singapore’s administration helped to lay the foundation for the country’s future development as an independent, self-governing nation.
