Unit 4: Development of Singapore as a Port City, Early 20th C to pre- World War II (1824-1942) Flashcards
How did Singapore develop under the British before World War II?
(PES)
Political Development Government
• Advisory
• Direct rule
• Straits Settlement (PMS)
• British-Centred
People
• Supporting
• Lower levels: clerks, admins
• Non-official legislative member
• Involvement in Planning Government Policies (from 1942 onwards)
• Government preferred Europeans > Asians; bias
• Legislative council’s decision over the tax on opium (rejected)
Economic Developments Government
• Facilitate
• free port & free trade policies
• Congestion of Singapore River from increased volume of trade
• Build/operate new and/or better facilities to accommodate trade increase
• Increase manpower (encouraged open immigration)
People • Complement • Providing Manpower for business (coolie agents, coolies, Indian labourers) • Setting up trading companies and Agency Houses (infrastructure) • Providing Capital for business • Support Services (middlemen, shipbuilders and sailors, construction workers, suppliers)
External Events
• Industrial Revolution (+ve)
• Opening of the Suez Canal (+ve)
Social Development Government
• Dependent on Locals
• implementing and formalising nation-wide measures
• Basic/general education and healthcare
People
• “fill in the gaps”; ‘charity-based’
• taking interventive measures to meet the needs of the people
• improved healthcare and education
Political Development
1. Role of the Government
Direct Rule by the British Government (6 pts)
• In 1826, the East India Company (EIC) combined their three possessions of Penang, Malacca and Singapore into 1 single administrative Unit known as the ‘Straits Settlements’.
• In 1858, the EIC was disbanded and the British government took control of British India. Colonies like Singapore were administered by a Governor-General who governed the Straits Settlements from India.
• In 1867, there was a transfer of government from India to London.
• which meant that the Straits Settlement (PMS) was ruled directly by the Colonial Office in London (Queen Victoria (British Queen) and her government); Executive Council and Legislative Council
• EIC established an able and just administration = allowed SG to build up its trade freely
• British India Government supported a constant drain on its finances to maintain a colony from which it gained no profit, and which hardly paid a cent in taxes (bc free port policy).
Political Development
2. Role of the People
Involvement in Planning Government Policies (ard 4 pts)
- Role of the People
Involvement in Planning Government Policies
• There were more Europeans in the government before 1924 and very few Asians; limited local representation
• Non-official members were outnumbered by the official members (only Europeans) and so could be outvoted. it was very difficult for them to persuade the government to act on their suggestions = non-official members were unhappy.
• There was pressure on the government to increase their number of non-official members – thus, it changed in 1924 when the government in London made the number of official and non-official members equal. This was important in allowing more local people to be involved in the governing of Singapore.
• At the lower levels, government departments were not only staffed by the British, but by Eurasian and Asians as well.
- Those who could communicate in English worked as clerks and office attendants.
• At higher levels, some were also nominated as Justices of the Peace. The duty of a person in this role was to serve as an unpaid magistrate or judge who would settle court cases, disputes and arguments of lesser importance to the government.
• Educated Asians could gain employment in the Civil Service, the Medical Service, and the Legal Service, but they could not gain promotion out of the lowest levels.
• With their British education, they worked in positions with Britons who were sometimes less qualified or capable than they were.
• In addition, there were dual pay scales in which Europeans received higher pay than Asians for comparable work. (Government preferred Europeans > Asians)
• Examples of non-official members whose proposed laws were passed by the legislative council include Lim Boon Keng, who successfully petitioned the Council to pass a law controlling house rents, and Eunos Abdullah, who was able to procure land for the creation of a Malay settlement area.
Political Development
2. Role of the People
Legislative Council’s Decision over the tax on Opium
Conflict between interest of Government and People
• Lim Boon Keng attempted to ban opium smoking as it had destroyed many Chinese migrants’ lives.
• Legislative Council was unwilling to ban opium as it would mean a great loss of income/revenue for the government
• Governor wanted to implement income tax to replace opium to make up for the loss of income for the government
• Many members in the Legislative Council opposed the income tax law as it would greatly reduce their incomes
• Thus, due to the fierce opposition, the income tax law was not passed = opium was not banned and government continued to obtain a large part of its income from opium until 1942.
• Effect of British policies on the lives of locals in Singapore = not always beneficial; selfish (e.g. opium causes a lot of deaths but free port increased profits)
Economic Developments
1. Role of Government
Implementing Policies that promoted Trade
(3pts, 5 subpts)
• Maintained the free port and free trade policies (from unit 3)
Congestion of Singapore River from increased volume of trade
• Government improved Singapore’s port facilities as response to growing trade traffic (bc initially SG’s port facilities did not keep up with commercial development)
• Singapore River was overcrowded and congested = built new harbour (Keppel harbour)
• installed modern machines (cranes, steam machines) = made repairs, refuelling, unloading and loading more efficient → replaced labour-intensive work, increased rate of cargo handling
Increased Manpower
• encouraged open immigration = did not restrict number of immigrants coming in = ↑labour fource = ↑human and capital resources
• Traders and workers saw Singapore as a place for them to earn a good living - a place of opportunities to be successful and prosperous.
Economic Developments
2. Role of people
Strengthening Singapore’s Capacity as a Trading Hub
i) Setting up of Trading Companies and Agency Houses (infrastructure) (2 pts, 2 examples, 3 subpts each)
i) Setting up of Trading Companies and Agency Houses (infrastructure)
• The Europeans were important in setting up business infrastructure, such as banks, shipping companies, and agency houses.
- This was because they tended to have the vast capital required to start and run such businesses.
• Examples:
- Alexander Guthrie (Guthrie and Company)
→ business infrastructure – agency house (like estate agent)
→ trading agent on behalf of British companies
→ Facilitated import and export of goods
- Aljunied family
→ patriarch = Syed Syarif Omar Bin Ali Aljunied, known for his honesty
→ profited from lucrative trade bc of SG’s status as a free port
→ His son, Syed Abu Bakar, founded SG international chamber of commerce, assisted with development of port
Economic Developments
2. Role of people
Strengthening Singapore’s Capacity as a Trading Hub
ii) Providing Capital for Business (1 example, 4subpts)
ii) Providing Capital for Business
• Example:
- Chettiars (from South India)
→ moneylenders (lending money to others who pay interest)
→ somewhat like banks – credit facilities
→ lent capital to smaller scale businesses and took risks – very important as there were very few banks and these banks only wanted to lend to bigger businesses
→ So succesful that by the 1930s they could form their own Chettiar Chamber of Commerce
Economic Developments
2. Role of people
Strengthening Singapore’s Capacity as a Trading Hub
iii) Providing Manpower for Business (3 pts, 6 subpts)
iii) Providing Manpower for Business
• Coolie agents
- recuited people from China and India and brought them to SG = provided much-needed labour for the port to function smoothly
• Coolies
- mostly from 5 dialect groups (Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka and Hainanese)
- eventually formed the majority of the labour force
- employed in almost all sectors of work
• Indian labourers
- often convicts sent by the British as part of their prison sentences
- built Singapore’s public infrastructure with coolies – supplemented work force
Economic Developments
2. Role of people
Strengthening Singapore’s Capacity as a Trading Hub
iv) Providing Support Services to the Local population (4 pts, ard 2-3subpts each)
iv) Providing Support Services to the Local population
• Middlemen
- usually Straits-born Chinese
- communication – interprets
- Conducts transactions smoothly; eased difficulty in communication (language barrier)
- Knew language and culture of Malays, work with Europeans = ideal interpreters who translated transactions for the European and Malay traders, allowing commerce to be conducted smoothly
• Shipbuilders and Sailors
- mostly Malays
- experts at servicing ships and boats that came in to trade
- Increase / promote maritime trade
• Construction Workers
- construction of buildings and businesses
- supplied raw materials necessary for building (e.g. timber and attap).
• Suppliers
- brought in food and medicine = solved need for a steady provision of daily necessities
- Chinese junks (rice, sugar, raw milk, lead, picked park, tea)
- Malay junks (spices, coffee, sugar, rice)
Economic Developments
3. External (global) events that affected Singapore
i) The Industrial Revolution (1750 - 1850) (4pts)
• Europeans were able to invent machines to produced goods cheaply in great quantities at a faster rate (major increase in efficiency)
• Raw materials (e.g. tin, cotton, coal) were needed to manufacture these goods and new markets were needed to sell their goods.
- Entrepot port (explain) = enhanced international port = enhances SG’s position in the middle of an international trade route
• Steamships were invented → many European and American steamships made Singapore their port-of-call to obtain raw materials and find markets to sell their goods
• Asians in Singapore also used steamships to transport their goods between Singapore and other ports in the region = created a demand for coal which was used to keep the engines of steamships running = Singapore in the 1850s became one of the most important coaling stations in the world because steam ships traveling the Asian sea routes would stop in Singapore to refuel.
Economic Developments
3. External (global) events that affected Singapore
ii) The Opening of the Suez Canal (1869) (4 pts)
Before Suez Canal opened → long and dangerous journey from London to Singapore: took sailing ships at least 120 days
After opening of Suez Canal → Ships using the Suez Canal route saved a great deal in distance, time and cost → shorter distance to travel, less coal needed = reduction in the cost of transporting goods between Singapore and Europe, cut travelling time by 70 days (120 days → 50 days) = merchants in Singapore could get their goods from Europe much faster than before
Reduced amount of travelling time = ↑efficiency
Social Developments
1. Role of Government
Implementing and Formalising Nation-wide Measures
i) Healthcare (5pts, 7subpts)
i) Healthcare
• 1887: Govt set up a Public Health Department to improve public health in town
• Some measures taken by the government to improve public health include:
- setting up a malaria committee to supervise the infilling of mosquito- infested swamps
- replacing the pail system with modern water-carriage sewage system
- clearing dirty streets and drains
- A General Hospital, a leper camp and a lunatic asylum was built for those who suffered from mental illness to provide some form of healthcare to the public
- outpatient clinics that were set up to serve the public
• A Quarantine Law was also passed to reduce the spread of infectious diseases such as smallpox and cholera.
- Passengers arriving in Singapore by sea had to be checked by a doctor to ensure that they were not suffering from any infectious diseases.
- Those found to be suffering from any infectious disease were quarantined in St John’s Island for some time to prevent the disease from spreading to others in Singapore.
• Attempts were also made to improve housing conditions such as reducing overcrowding among the Chinese quarters in Chinatown.
• 1927: The Government began to tackle overcrowding by forming the Singapore Improvement Trust, a body responsible to clear slums and provide alternative housing.
Social Developments
1. Role of Government
Implementing and Formalising Nation-wide Measures
ii) Education (4pts, 5subpts)
• At the turn of the 20th century, the colonial government began to change their attitude towards education for the locals in Singapore.
- This was because the government needed skilled individuals and people trained in English to fill the positions in the government offices and trading companies.
- To meet the demands, the government set up English and Malay schools, and also provided grants.
- The government also established the Queen’s Scholarship for top secondary school students to further their studies in British universities and many of the Queen’s scholars returned as doctors, lawyers, and
teachers.
• The British government also agreed to the request of Asian leaders to set up a medical school to train doctors.
- However, it was on the condition that the locals raised the funds to set up the medical college. (shows that government was selfish with its finances)
• Other institutions of higher education were also built when merchants put pressure on the government to do so.
• However, the British did not treat all schools equally. English and Malay schools received more funding than Chinese schools.
- The British believed that Chinese schools bred anti-British sentiments and the government was often seen neglecting the Chinese schools.
Social Developments
2. Role of the People
Taking interventive measures to meet the needs of the people
i) Healthcare (5 pts, 6 subpts, 1 example, ard 5 subpts)
• few medical services were provided for the general public for a long time
- only one or two government doctors who looked after sick soldiers in a military hospital (a hospital for soldiers), and a few European doctors who served mostly the Europeans and rich Asians.
• Most of the Asians were unfortunate, poor and could not afford to pay for proper medical treatment.
• Many sick and homeless beggars roamed the streets of Singapore.
- Despite the fact that Singapore was a popular growing port, the death rate in the first half of the 19th century was very high.
- Some infectious outbreaks that happened was Beri-beri, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
• Much of Singapore Town (at least until the 1860s) remained dirty, smelly and surrounded by polluted swamps.
- Roads were littered with garbage and plagued by stray dogs
- there were few if any hospitals, no fire brigade or adequate water supply
- there was no sewage system (i.e. night-soil was collected privately to be later deposited in the market gardens)
• If anything was done, it was largely through the activities of civic-minded philanthropists and in the numerous local associations.
• Example: Tan Tock Seng (1798-1850)
- best remembered and respected for his efforts to build a hospital for the poor and the sick and for his generosity and compassion
- saw Singapore as a virgin land with boundless opportunities for those who had a foresight and the willingness to work hard
- saved up money to open a shop in Boat Quay = was hardworking and thrifty and proved to be a fine businessman
- owned large tracts of prime land and properties
- He donated $5000 contribution to the construction of the Chinese Pauper Hospital in 1844
- He was an influential Chinese leader and was the first Asian to be appointed Justice of the Peace
- settled feuds and assisted new Chinese immigrants upon arrival to Singapore
Social Developments
2. Role of the People
Taking interventive measures to meet the needs of the people
ii) Education (2pts, 3subpts, 1 example, 3subpts)
• Children in the past were not so fortunate.
- Most children did not go to school at all
- schools were mostly little-equipped and attended only by boys.
- Few girls attended school because most parents thought that girls need not be educated.
• Besides Raffles’ initial push for education (founding of the Singapore Institution), the British government did not see an urgent need to provide education for the locals, and were happy to leave such matters in the hands of private organizations.
• Example: Gan Eng Seng
- Founded the Anglo-Chinese Free School (present-day Gan Eng Seng School)
- At that time, it was the only school in Singapore that taught both Chinese and English.
- Students also learnt how to write letters and to use the abacus.
