Reasons for merger
Who was the main PAP leader who championed the merger?
Lee Kuan Yew
What was one of the problems faced during the merger between the two countries?
Racial disputes and riots
Who was the Malayan Prime Minister during the time of the merger?
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Which year was the National Service introduced and why?
1967. NS aims to develop a competent defence force to protect Singapore.
What is the name of the party based in Singapore that opposed merger/the PAP?
Barisan Sosialis
For what economic reasons did Singapore want to merge with Malaya? (Summarised)
Singapore’s economic future was quite bleak, as seen from our declining trade and industrial unrest.
Why did the 1964 race riots start?
The Alliance Party’s anti-PAP campaign created tension and anger between Chinese and Malays in SG the tension turned into violence during the celebration
What did Singapore offer economically to Malaya that convinced Malaya to accept the merger?
Singapore was envisioned as the financial/commercial capital of the new federation.
How was NS received by parents and young men?
Parents were worried about their children’s safety during the training, while the enlisted men questioned themselves why they were chosen.
How much did Singapore and Malaysia agree for Singapore to pay as revenue to the Federal Government?
40% of Singapore’s income (per year)
Why did the PAP want to establish a Common Market with Malaya?
To remove taxes on imports and exports to and from Singapore such that Singapore products would not be too expensive or lose out to competition from Malaya
What were the differences in PAP and UMNO’s political approaches?
PAP adopted a non-communal political approach which aimed to represent the interest of all racial communities while UMNO adopted a communal based approach and sanctioned the policy of how Malays were to be given special privileges and rights.
How did Malaya settle the issue of racial imbalance?
Tunku suggested the creation of a new federation including other British colonies such as Sabah and Sarawak, which had sizable Malay populations.
What was Singapore’s main security challenge in 1971?
The British withdrew their military forces from Singapore, leaving us undefended and susceptible to external threats. Singapore’s troops were not sufficient to defend Singapore, as we only had about two battalions with 50 officers and about 1000 men each.
Who were the main political rivals of the PAP?
UMNO, Singapore Alliance
Why did PAP believe merger was necessary to convince the British to grant Singapore full independence?
Malaya had successfully contained the Communist insurgents in their country and could help to combat communist-incited unrest in Singapore, convincing the British that Singapore would be protected from a Communist takeover, and that she would be able to uphold her political security.
What was the Malaysian Solidarity Convention and its aims?
The Malaysian Solidarity Convention was a political alliance formed by PAP and other Malaysian parties who opposed the UMNO-MCA-MIC alliance. MSC aimed to campaign for a ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ where everyone would be treated equally regardless of their race or religion.
Why did Malaya fear a racial imbalance?
It would upset the racial balance of power in the Federation as a Chinese-majority electorate was a threat to UMNO’s political dominance in Malayan politics.
How did Singapore overcome the security challenges? (give one reason)
Option 1: Singapore built up a credible defence force, consisting of local citizens, that would deter any potential enemies from attacking. If this deterrence were to fail, then this defence force would also need to be capable of defending the nation.
Option 2: Singapore needed to use diplomacy to establish and develop strong relationships with other governments and their military powers, as this would allow Singapore to train with and learn from other militaries, and it would ensure that Singapore would have strong bffs to come to their aid in times of need.
What is a referendum?
A direct vote by people of the country to decide on a particular issue, instead of the government making the decision
Why was trade declining in Singapore in the 1950-60s?
Investment was discouraged by industrial unrest caused by communists and more countries directed their exports through their own ports instead of Singapore’s. Additionally, tariffs had been introduced for trade between Malaya and Singapore, making trade with Singapore expensive and undesirable.
What was the PAP accused of in 1964 and how did they respond?
The PAP was accused of unfairly treating the Malays in Singapore, and after the riots that were sparked by the tensions surrounding the PAP, the PAP and KL’s Alliance Party agreed to not raise any matters that were racial in nature, and agreed not to challenge each other in elections for the next two years.
Why was Malaya worried by the results of the Hong Lim by-election?
The PAP had lost in the by-election, which signified to Tunku that there was an increasing divide within the PAP and the moderates were beginning to lose their appeal. He was concerned that the pro-Communists would capture power from the moderates and then establish a communist government.
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What is a common market?
A common market is a group of countries imposing few or no duties on trade with one another and a common tariff on trade with other countries.