[chpt 8] how did singapore become an independent nation? Flashcards
what role did lee kuan yew play in the merger process?
he was the first prime minister of singapore and co-founder of the PAP - he played a leading role in advocating for and negotiating the merger with malaya
how did the british factor into the merger with malaya?
the british supported the merger as they were concerned about the communist influence in southeast asia - they saw merger as a way to maintain political stability in the region
what economic challenges did singapore face before the merger?
- a lack of natural resources
- a rapidly growing population in need of jobs
- a declining entrepot trade
why did the introduction of tariffs in malaysia affect trade with singapore?
it made goods entering singapore more expensive, reducing the amount of trade between the two regions
what was the significance of establishing a common market through the merger?
it would allow goods produced in singapore and malaya to enter each other’s markets without taxes, promoting economic growth
how did cultural and historical connections play a role in the merger?
they were seen as important factors in building ties between singapore and malaysia - promoting a sense of shared identity
what were the concerns regarding racial balance in the merger?
concerns arose because singapore had a predominantly chinese population, which raised questions about their acceptance of a malay sultan as the head of state and other cultural religious issues
he was also concerned that they would spread communist sentiments to malaysia
why was it important for malaya to have a representative on singapore’s internal security council?
it allowed malaya to maintain influence over security matters in singapore and contain the communist threat
what was the significance of the hong lim by-election in the context of the merger?
it indicated the increasing divisions within the PAP > raising concerns that singapore might be used as a base to spread communist ideas in malaya
what were the four key points of the malaysia agreement signed in london?
- sg will have its own head of state
- sg will hold its own elections
- sg will control its revenue, education and labour matters
- the federal government will oversee sg’s defense and foreign relations
who were the barisan socialis?
they were radical PAP members who strongly opposed the merger due to unfavourable terms
why did the barisan socialis strongly oppose merger?
they felt that being labelled as “federal nationals”, and being given less seats in the parliament than the borneo states showed that singapore was under-represented in the malaysian parliament
how did the PAP campaign for the merger through radio talks and exhibitions?
PM lee used radio talks in several languages to reach a wide audience (malaysia, borneo, sabah, sarawak, brunei, singapore people), and exhibitions to showcase the benefits of merger (including cultural and economic aspects)
how did PAP campaign for merger?
through a series of radio talks named “the battle for merger” and exhibitions
what were the outcomes of the 1962 referendum on the merger?
71% of votes were in favour of the merger (option A) , with 26% casting blank votes > most people rejected the barisian socialis’s call for blank votes
what events led to the racial riots in singapore in july 1964?
- the speech by the secretary0general of UMNO
- utusan melayu spreading anti-PAP sentiments in their articles
- underlying tensions, mistrust against the PAP
how did the call for separation come about?
tunku felt that there were too many unresolved differences between both governments, and there was a chance of the continued disorder spreading to malaysia
why did tunku abdul rahman support separation
he believed that singapore exiting the federation would alleviate these problems
who were the key figures involved in the 1965 separation process?
lee kuan yew, tunku abdul rahman and yusof bin ishak
why did the PAP government pursue a merger with malaya? (broad terms)
for political independence, economic survival and cultural connections
what was malaya’s iniitial response to a possible merger?
malaya was initially hesitant due to the racial imbalance and the spread of communism in singapore
why did tunku change his mind aboutmerger?
he feared an independent, communist-influenced singapore and wanted to maintain influence over singapore’s internal security
what was operation coldstone?
it was a series of arrests of barisan socialis members accused of attempting to sabotage the formation of malaysia and planning an uprising in singapore
when did the federation of malaysia come into being?
16 september 1963
