how did Singapore become an independent nation Flashcards
why did the PAP government pursue a merger with malaya
- political independence
- economic survival
explain political independence
british would only grant singapore independence if it merged with malaya
what was britan scared of during the cold war
southeast asia would fall under communist control
why was britan scared that SEA would fall under communist control
- influence from communist china
- rising communist movement in nearby indonesia and vietnam
how did the british want to safeguard singapore
provide a greater political stability through the formation of a new federation
what countries were involved in the formation of a new federation
- malaya
- singapore
- north borneo
- sarawak
- brunei
explain economic survival
PAP believed singapore could not survive economically in the long term without merger
why didn’t singapore have a promising economic future
- lack natural resources
- rapidly growing population in need of jobs
- declining entrepôt trade
- malaya introduced tariffs (1950s) on goods traded with singapore
definition of tariffs
a tax imposed by the government on goods entering and leaving the country → increases the price of goods
what was the effect of tariffs
made goods entering malaya from singapore more expensive → less desirable to customers in malaya
if a common market could be established through merger_
the malaya hinterland would create a larger demand for singapores manufactored goods
definition of common market
an agreement between territories allowing goods produced in one territory to enter another without tariffs or restrictions
what was malayas response to a possible merger
- initial hesitation in malaya towards merger
- however it enventually turned around and accpeted the possibility of merger despite doubts
what was malayas initial response
- tunku abdul rahman thought merger spelt trouble
- he saw stark differences in outlook between people in singapore and malaya
what is tunku abdul rahman scared of
(merger with singapore)
- he was concerned that the chinese population in singapore might be reluctant to accept a malay sultan as their head of state, use malay as the national language or accpet islam as the state religion
- many chinese in singapore had sympathies for the communists
- such attitudes would spread to the rest of the new federation
why did tunku abdul rahman change his mind in the end
- Tunku was concerned that if singapore became an independent state, separate from the federation + without the colonial government, the threat of communism would get worse
- with a merger, Singapore might be less dangerous
- Tunku was concerned that members sympathetic to communism would take over the PAP
- signalled his change of heart speech on 27 may 1961
what are the key points of proposed merger
- singapore would have its own head of state
- singapore citizens would be given the title of federal nationals (intead of federal citizens)
- singapore would have its own elections to choose its own state government (only for singapore citizens)
- singapore would collect its own revenue and pay KL an agreed-upon sum
- singapore would have control over its education and labour matters and its own civil service
- federal government stationed in KL would oversee singapores defence, internal security and dealing with foreign governments
what was the result of the battle for merger
- opposition from barisan sosialis
- PAP campaign
- referendum
- weakening of barisan sosialis
- the formation of malaysia
