How did the people in Singapore respond to British Rule after World War II? Flashcards
What country is an example of Democracy/Capitalism? ( Textbook)
USA
What country is an example of Communism?( Textbook)
Soviet Union
When there is Democracy, who would have control in the country? ( + examples) ( Textbook)
- Free Elections
- More than one competing political party
When there is Communism, who would have control in the country? ( Dictatorship) ( Textbook)
- Only one-party ( rule)
- Only the Communist Party was allowed
What is Dictatorship?
Form of government in which a person or a small group rules with almost unlimited power
What was some external developments after the British started its rule?
- Increasing influence of communism
- Colonial rule gets weaker
What was the name of the communist party?
Malayan Communist Party (MCP)
Who would the MCP influence?
Workers and students in trade unions ( + Chinese Medium Schools)
What else did the MCP attack?
Tin mines and rubber plantations
Why did colonial rule start weakening?
There was Anti- Colonial sentiments, which made the colonial rule to weaken
How did communism start in the Soviet Union?
People felt that those whom were governing them were unfair to them
Why did they feel that it was unfair to them?
They wanted a more equal society
The Communist Dictatorship of the Soviet Union restricted what?
Political Freedom.
Can you own your own business in a Democratic country? How about in a Communist country?
Yes, you can own your own business in a Democratic country. No, you cannot own your own business in a Communist country as the government would be in charge of your business and you would have no control
What do people put first in a Democratic country?
Myself before my community.
What do people put first in a Communist country?
My community before myself.
How did the British manage to win the support of the locals? (house)
- There were many houses that were destroyed ( by war ) and a large increase in babies, thus, people were living in slums. / The British opening the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) to build more houses but it was not enough.
How did the British manage to win the support of the locals? (food)
- Due to the growing population, there was not enough food produced, and also trade was disrupted due to the war, as the rationing policy continued , more people became malnourished / The British made more affordable meals.
How did the British manage to win the support of the locals? (Economy)
- After the war, there were people who did not have jobs/ The British made it that they would have to pay less tax
- The British also cleared sunken ships and sea mines at the harbour so that ships could enter the harbour and trade could occur
When was the first election?
1948
What were they going for in the 1948 elections?
Democracy
What party took part in this election?
Singapore Progressive Party (SPP)
If the SPP won 3 out of 6 elected seats, who won the other three?
Individual Candidates.
What are Individual Candidates?
People who stands for election but does not belong in any political party.
The Riots. When the riots before?
The riots were before 1955.
What was the name of the riot? (MH)
Maria Hertogh.
Whose care was Maria Hertogh under most of the time ?
She was under Che Aminah’s care.
When she was raised under the care of Che Aminah, what was she raised as? ( but what was she born to / what religion and where were her parents from)
A Muslim. Her parents were Dutch and Catholic, which meant there was a clash or religions.
What was Maria Hertogh renamed as under Che Aminah’s Care?
She was renamed as Nadra binte Ma ‘arof.
What was the causes of the Maria Hertogh riots?
- the newspaper had sensationalised stories of Maria’s life in the convent, which turned into a religious issue between Christianity and Islam.
How did the people of different religion feel about the riots?
The Muslims felt offended as they felt as if they were not respected.
What else did the British do that was not respectful to the Muslim community?
The judge had rejected Che Aminah’s appeal and they sided with the Dutch and did NOT care about the feelings of the Muslim community.
What were some consequences of the riot? (Maria)
The supporters of the Muslim community would attack any Europeans or Eurasians in sight.
What was the impact of the riot on the people? ( NS)
- It caused the Anti-National Service riots to make Chinese Educated students more politically active and form various students groups.
What is the name of the student groups that were formed?
Singapore Chinese Middle School Students’ Union ( SCMSSU)
How did the National Service Ordinance get passed and when?
It got passed after the British government wanted the responsibility of defending Singapore to be shared evenly among the locals. It was passed in 1953.
Who needed to sign up for National Service? By when did they need to register?
All males aged 18-20. By May 1954.
What students were not willing to serve National Service?
Secondary school students from Chinese-Medium Schools as their age was old enough to register for NS.
Why did the Secondary school students not want to register for NS?
- They felt that it would disrupt their education again
- They also did not want to defend the colonial government which has been ignoring the Chinese students’ interests before the war.
What did the students do to show their unhappiness about NS?
500 students led a protest on 13 May 1954 and on 22 May, many students from Chung Cheng High School locked themselves in classrooms in protest, they even carried out a hunger strike.
Why did the peaceful protest become violent?
The riot police had come to disperse the crowd.
What did the British do in the end after the protests and riots?
They postponed the registration for NS.
