Social / political development in SG Flashcards
When was the People’s Action Party formed?
21 November 1954 by Lee Kuan Yew, an English educated middle-class professional lawyer who had returned from university education in the United Kingdom.
Who was Lim Chin Siong
In April 1955, Lim Chin Siong was elected as Assemblyman for the Bukit Timah constituency. Then 22 years old, he was and remained the youngest Assemblyman ever to be elected to office.
He worked alongside Lee Kuan Yew
What law was passed in 1957 concerning the acquisition of Singapore?
In 1957, a law was passed to make the acquisition of Singapore citizen easier. As a result, more people became eligible to vote in 1959. Voting was, for the first time, made compulsory.
Singapore’s Political Party System
- Role of PAP
- Is Singapore a one-party system?
People’s Action Party (PAP) has held power since 1959
o First-past-the-post-system
o Simple majority to form the next government
Singapore not a one-party system but one-party dominant system
o Around 28 political parties
o More active ones about 10
How many political parties are there in Singapore?
eleven
Who is Barisan Sosialis
The party was a former Singaporean left-wing political party formed on 29 Jul 1961, by left-wing members of the People’s Action Party (PAP) and led by Dr Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong.
Socialist front (Malay meaning of their name)
The party was formed when the leftist members of the PAP were dismissed by then party leader Lee Kuan Yew.
The key event leading to the breakup was the motion of confidence of the government in which many PAP assemblymen crossed party lines.
On 20 July 1961, the PAP called for an emergency Legislative Assembly meeting to debate on the motion of confidence of the Government. In the vote on the motion taken on 21 July, it won narrowly by one vote.
What is Operation Coldstore 1963
Operation Coldstore was a security operation launched in
Singapore on 2 February 1963 in which at least 111 antigovernment left-wing activists were arrested and detained, including key members of the opposition political party Barisan Sosialis. Others arrested included newspaper editors, trade unionists and university students.
The operation, authorised by the Internal Security Council which comprised representatives from the British Colonial, Malaysian Federal and Singapore governments, was touted as an antiCommunist sting.
What caused Operation Coldstore in 1963
Singapore was a self-governing state under British
rule; but was preparing for a merger with the Federation of Malaya to form the Federation of Malaysia in September 1963.
The leftists, led by Lim Chin Siong strongly opposed this merger and were challenging the government of Singapore headed by Lee Kuan Yew of the People’s Action Party (PAP) in their endeavour to establish a socialist state.
Lim’s faction broke away from the PAP in 1961 to form the Barisan Sosialis. The Singapore Trade Union Congress, the dominant trade union at the time, was also split into two factions; the left-wings formed the Singapore Association of Trade Unions (SATU), while the pro-PAP faction formed the National Trade Union Congress
(NTUC).
What were the individuals arrested during Operation Coldstore detained under?
Those arrested were detained under the Internal Security Act. They were alleged to be involved in subversive activities aiming to establish a “Communist Cuba” in Singapore
What was the impact of Operation Coldstore on Barisan Sosialis?
The Operation dealt a heavy blow to the Barisan Sosialis, just months before the 1963 general elections (PAP won 37 out of the 51 seats, the Barisan Sosialis 13).
Some claimed the events which led to the arrest of the members of the Barisan Socialist, branded as “communists”, were in fact politically motivated, and were not ideological.
What is the internal security act (ISA)
The present Act was originally enacted by the Parliament of Malaysia as the Internal Security Act 1960, and extended to Singapore on 16 September 1963 when Singapore was a state of the Federation of Malaysia.
In fact, the ISA has been used more frequently than just the 60s. In the 70s, more than 800 were arrested and 235 detained.
From December 2001 to 2013 about 89 people were arrested and 64 were detained.
It has taken fifty years before information on the number of detentions under the Internal Security Act was given in parliament. During the ‘Marxist Conspiracy’ debates in parliament, it was Chiam See Tong, then the sole opposition MP who demanded accountability for the government’s action.
What was operation spectrum in 1987?
Operation Spectrum (光谱行动), also known as the 1987 “Marxist Conspiracy”, was the code name for a covert security operation that took place in Singapore on 21 May 1987. 16 people were arrested and detained without trial under Singapore’s Internal Security Act (ISA) for their alleged involvement in “a Marxist conspiracy to subvert the existing social and political system in Singapore, using communist united front tactics, with a view to establishing a Marxist state.”
Which Malayan prime minister proposed the formation of Malaysia?
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Which countries were apart of Malaysia
Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, North Borneo
What were the main terms of the merger between Singapore and Malay
To have central-government responsibility for defence, foreign affairs and internal security, but local autonomy in education and labour.
