History SEQ PDF

Explain 2 reasons why the PAP government pursued a Merger with Malaysia The PAP’s vision included achieving independence for Singapore through merger with Malaysia. Therefore, the first reason why PAP pursued merger with Malaysia was to gain political independence from the British. The British was u...

Explain 2 reasons why the PAP government pursued a Merger with Malaysia The PAP’s vision included achieving independence for Singapore through merger with Malaysia. Therefore, the first reason why PAP pursued merger with Malaysia was to gain political independence from the British. The British was unwilling to give Singapore full independence as Singapore was under communist threat, as there were rising communist movements in Vietnam and Indonesia. Therefore, to safeguard Singapore and the Borneo territories from communist influence, the British sought a new federation, comprising Malaysia, Singapore, north Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei. The second reason being economic survival. It was believed that Singapore would not survive alone economically, so a common market had to be set up with Malaysia, where no taxes or tariffs were imposed. As the tariffs made the goods entering and leaving Singapore more expensive, it was less desirable to trade, leading to more declining trade. Therefore, the common market was an important factor which would help keep both countries’ economy going. Malaysia was very important to Singapore because it was the hinterland producing rubber and tin to keep Singapore’s economy going, the factor that made Singapore successful. Therefore, without Malaysia and this hinterland, Singapore would not survive economically. Furthermore, it was also because Singapore lacked its own natural resources, and had a rapidly growing population, so the demand for jobs was high. As the neighbouring countries gained independence, they started to direct trade through their own ports, reducing Singapore’s importance as a major trading port. Therefore, the two reasons why the PAP government pursued merger with Malaysia was because of political independence and economic survival. (Explain two reasons why Malaysia agreed to merger) Firstly, Malaysia had feared a communist-influenced country at its border. The Tunku was concerned that if Singapore gained independence, Malaysia would no longer have a representative seat on the legislative council of Singapore. This would mean that if Singapore had become communist influenced, the threat of communist influence spreading to Malaysia may be harder to contain as they would no longer have influence over security matters in Singapore. The Tunku was also concerned that if the PAP was taken over by communist-influenced members, it would be harder to make merger’s terms agreeable to Malaysia, as the communist-influenced terms might not be favourable to the Tunku. Furthermore, the Tunku thought that if Singapore was under the federal government’s control, they would have control over Singapore’s security matters and would be able to contain the communist threat if it started to get out of hand. Secondly, the threat of communism from the Hong Lim by elections. When Ong Eng guan entered the legislative assembly, he started to fall out of favour with the PAP as his visions and actions differed from the PAP. When Ong openly challenged the PAP during an election, he was expelled from political power, triggering the hong Lim by elections. Ong entered the elections as an independent candidate, and won the election by over 70%. When this happened, the Tunku was worried as it showed the increasing discord between the PAP. There were 2 main sides, or groups of the PAP. One wanted to bring gradual change through elections, and the other wanted immediate change, through forceful means if it was necessary. The Tunku was afraid that the more radical group would take over the PAP, who might lead Singapore to political independence from the British by communist means. Therefore the Tunku was worried that Singapore would start to spread the influence of having a communist government to neighbouring countries. Therefore, the Tunku agreed to merger as he wanted to have control over Singapore so that he could contain communist threats. Explain why Singapore separated from Malaysia Singapore separated from Malaysia due to the economical and political disagreements between the federal government in Malaysia and the state government in Malaysia. For economical reasons, there were 2. Firstly, the delayed set-up of the common market had upset Singapore. Furthermore, the removal of the tariffs which was planned did not happen as Malaysia wanted to protect its industries, so the common market vision did not happen. Secondly, the revenue contributions were also mixed up. Originally, it was planned that Singapore gave Malaysia only 40% of its revenue, but Malaysia demanded an increase to 60%. This was because of the defence spendings during Konfrontasi. However, Singapore felt that the 40% it was giving was already enough, so that came to an economical disagreement as well. For political reasons, there were also 2. Firstly, the political parties. Singapore’s multiracial PAP visioned to look after every race, but the federal government ended up being made of the alliance party, made of 3 communal parties which were the UMNO, MIC, and MCA. These 3 parties sought only to look after their respective races, which did not align with the PAP’s vision. Secondly, it was the treatment of the different races. Singapore’s government felt that everyone, regardless of their races, should be given equal opportunities. They also believed that the best way for the Malays to succeed was to give free education. However, the UMNO thought that the Malays should have special opportunities and privileges, like reserved job spaces for themselves in government jobs. This clashed with the PAP’s vision of equal opportunities, regardless of race. Therefore, the economical and political disagreements straining the relationship between Singaporean and Malaysian government resulted in the separation from Malaysia. Explain the events leading to the separation The SAP was formed, comprising the Singaporean branches of UMNO, SPA, MIC and MCA. The SAP sought to win more Singapore legislative assembly seats. However, they did not win one seat and lost miserably to the PAP. So the SAP focused on gaining the Malay votes in Singapore, as there was already some discontentment felt by the Malays in Singapore. Then, some UMNO leaders accused the PAP of neglecting the Malay welfare in Singapore. Anti-PAP sentiments were spread by the Malay press, accusing the PAP of treating Malays lower than the Chinese by spending more on the Chinese’s education than the Malays’. In an attempt to smooth tensions, the PAP met with the Malays and assured them that all Singaporeans had equal rights in every area. Despite this, the Malay press continued to print anti-PAP sentiments. And when the Malays gathered to celebrate prophet Muhammad’s birthday, the 1964 major riot broke out as tension had finally escalated to the tipping point. The second riot broke out not long after, triggered by the murder of a rickshaw puller. A curfew was imposed. Then the SAP broke the alliance made with the PAP which was to not contest each other in elections anymore. In response, the PAP brought up “Malaysian Malaysia”, where everyone would be treated equally regardless of race or religion. This had upset the Malays because it meant the removal of their special privileges. After the chaos, the Tunku thought that they had experienced enough, and the differences just could not be worked out. He felt that it was best for Singapore to separate from the federation, or else the disagreements would only get worse as they festered. Explain what security challenges Singapore faced in 1965 Firstly, Singapore faced the Konfrontasi threat. The president of Indonesia was against the formation of the federation, because it thought that it would give the British more control of that region. Furthermore, the president also had ambitions to unite the region, Indonesia and the federation, under his rule. Therefore, the president sabotaged and attacked. The long border bordering Malaysia and Indonesia had to be patrolled by the commonwealth and the British forces, to defend the federation. The sabotagers tried bombing areas like factories, but they were heavily guarded so they ended up sabotaging the public and causing terrorism and disturbing their lives. There were many bombing cases, as much as 42. The deadliest among these was the MacDonald house bombing at orchard road, where 33 people were injured. These were the causes of the Indonesian sabotages. As the sabotagers were arrested, it caused unhappiness among Indonesian students in Singapore, which led them to attack the Singapore embassy. The reason why Konfrontasi was a threat to Singapore was because the government was worried that the fighting a the border might spread to Singapore, destabilising Singapore which was already very young and unprepared for threats like these. Secondly, Singapore faced the communist terorrism threat. Communist movements were imminent, and there were still many communist movements that went on. One of such was the Malay communist party, the MCP. The communist carried out many acts of terrorism, including the killing of an innocent 7-year old girl at Changi, the bombing at Kallang, and the attempted assassination of the police commissioner. As the police uncovered many weapons such as pistols and grenades, they realised that this was a big security threat. Thirdly, international terrorism. The laju incident, a terrorism hijacking of the laju boat, had happened. The crew members of the boat were held hostage. The group of terrorists had also attempted to sever the oil supply from Singapore to south Vietnam. After negotiations, the terrorists agreed to release the hostages in exchange for safe passage from Singapore to Kuwait, a country in the Middle East. Fourthly, the Vietnam war. It was a large-scale fighting war, which posed a security threat to Singapore because the government was worried that the fighting might spread to Singapore and destabilise the young nation. When the Japanese occupation in Vietnam came to an end, Vietnam was very against the return of French rule. Vietnam was then divided into two independent states. North Vietnam being communist, and south Vietnam being non-communist. Singapore was afraid that the war may lead to rising communist influence and affect Singapore’s peace. As the region around Vietnam, and some other countries including the US, were against the idea of north Vietnam emerging victorious as they feared the communist rule and influence would spread to the region. Therefore, the US invested heavily in military equipment for south Vietnam, because they didn’t want north Vietnam gaining control. However, south Vietnam eventually fell to north Vietnam, bringing an end to the Vietnam war. Lastly, the British military withdrawal from Singapore. While the British acknowledged the importance of maintaining their presence in the SEA region, they also realised that it could not afford the large amounts of money and resources they were spending to defend Singapore. It needed to focus on rebuilding its economy back at home. Therefore, the British announced their military withdrawal in 1961, and completed it in 1967. This was a big challenge as not only would Singapore be practically undefended and vulnerable, the jobs the British bases generated (for workers to supply the British with products) did not help the already increasing unemployment rate. Singapore did have a local volunteer defence force, but it was nothing compared to the manpower the British had once provided. Therefore, the government needed to come up with a solution, fast, so that Singapore would be prepared and defended agianst threats. It had to provide itself with a credible defence force that would make potential enemies think twice before attacking Singapore. Explain how Singapore overcame its security challenges Singapore overcame its security challenges through deterrence and diplomacy. Through deterrence, Singapore had to establish a credible defense force, so that other countries would think twice before attacking Singapore. To accomplish this, Singapore had to make the 1954 NS conscription, which the British intended to carry out, a reality. Singapore had introduced NS in 1976, to establish a home-grown defense force, where all men aged 18 and above were conscripted to minimally 2 years of compulsory national service. This had to be done because Singapore’s local defense force was too small. Initially, there was a lot of doubt and uncertainty about NS, but the citizens eventually accepted it because they knew Singapore was genuinely facing defense and security threats. This defense force quickly grew in size, into the Singapore armed forces. The SAF could be quickly mobilised in times of need and step up to defend Singapore. Therefore, by establishing a credible defense force, it serves as a deterrence to other countries to make them think twice before attacking Singapore. Although Singapore inherited military equipment from the British, they were outdated so Singapore relied on the US and France for military equipment. But Singapore knew that they wouldn’t be able to rely on the US forever, so they established a home-grown defense industry, where local engineers and scientists made the military equipment. The chartered industries of Singapore. By establishing a home-grown defense industry, Singapore’s armed forces would be equipped with the latest technology and would no longer be reliant on other countries for military resources, reducing potential security weaknesses. Singapore also strengthened defense ties with the world. The 5 power defense force comprising of Singapore, Britain, New Zealand, Malaysia and Australia, was a group that was there to help each other in times of need. These 5 countries shared history as part of the commonwealth. These 5 countries facilitated regular combined military exercises among the 5 countries and has provided a platform for them to enhance defense cooperation. By strengthening its military cooperation, Singapore would be able to learn from other countries on how to improve its military capabilities in times of crisis. The 4 other countries are also willing to help Singapore in times of military attacks. Hence, strengthening military cooperation help to ensure singapore's safety. Secondly, Singapore used diplomacy to secure its independence. Singapore went to make mutual connections with other countries, so that they would be able to help each other in times of need. Singapore visited major countries such as China and the US, which was one of the most economically and militarily important countries in the world, with an interest in Asia. Singapore also cultivated friendships with countries which Singapore normally did not interact with too. By strengthening bilateral ties with countries, Singapore ensured that the countries would recognise Singapore as an independent nation/diplomacy. Singapore also joined international organisations such as the United Nations, and the ASEAN. These platforms recognised Singapore as an independent country. This multilateral platform provided Singapore a place to voice its opinions regarding regional decisions, and gave recognition for its independence. Without recognition, Singapore would be a target for war if some countries opposed it, like how Konfrontasi happened because Indonesia opposed the formation of the federation. The countries may claim that Singapore had no right to exist, and attack Singapore. So, Singapore went to improve connections with countries like Indonesia, whom they had tensions with. Explain why the first Merdeka talks did not succeed As David Marshall, the head of the labour force (LF), wanted immediate independence for Singapore, he decided to go to Britain to demand full internal self-governance, full control of internal defence and external affairs. He vowed that if he did not succeed, he would resign as the chief minister. When he went, he failed because the LF were not able to control the riots maintain law and order in Singapore and the communist activities effectively in Singapore, whereas the British wanted a strong reliable government to grant them full internal self-governance. Therefore, the first Merdeka talks did not succeed because the LF was incompetent as the internal government. Explain why the second Merdeka talks succeeded After the failure of David Marshall, Lim Yew Hock approached the British, but with a different idea in mind. He was willing to make a compromise. Since the British not giving Singapore full internal self-governance was because they were afraid of communist threats, Lim Yew Hock let the British control external affairs and defense, but Singapore had choice on the rest except for internal security, where the internal security council was implemented to control internal security. It was composed of officials from Britain, Malaya and some local members. Therefore, with this compromise bringing satisfaction to the British, Singapore was granted full internal self-governance. Explain how the economic challenges affected Singapore after its independence in 1965 Singapore faced economic challenges because Malaysia started imposing tariffs on Singaporean goods entering Malaysia, so that it would be less appealing to the Malaysians. This would keep the economic competition within Malaysia. Then, Singapore had limited access to Malaysia’s hinterland as Malaysia reduced its rubber and tin supply to Singapore as they started exporting their trade though their own ports, so Singapore’s importance as a tin and rubber processor decreased. Another challenge was the unemployment rate. Around 70000 of the 700000 people in the labour force, consisting of both employed and unemployed people, were jobless. Furthermore, the youths graduating from school needed a job to take on after their education. Unemployment worsened as the British military withdrawal happened, which further reduced the number of jobs available. The people used to bring and serve goods to the British servicemen stationed in the bases, so this type of job was no longer available. Additionally, the entrêpot trade which Singapore had thrived on previously was declining as the countries nearby gained independence and started exporting goods through their own ports. Therefore, the government had to diversify the economy to increase the number of jobs available. Explain how Singapore addressed the economic challenges after independence The government believed that industrialisation was the key to solving the unemployment problem. The economic development board (EDB) was established to solve the unemployment problem. The EDB’s job was to attract multinational companies (MNCs) to set up factories in Singapore, which would provide places for the people of Singapore to work at. The government initially planned for the goods produced at the MNC factories to be sold in Malaysia and Singapore, but the government soon realised that this was not practical, that they should focus on export-oriented industrialisation. These MNCs included Shell. To make Singapore a more desirable place for the MNCs to set up their factories, the EDB tasked developing the land for industrial use to the Jurong Town Company (JTC), so that the EDB could focus on attracting foreign investors. The JTC transformed the Jurong area into an industrial area for the MNCs to set up the factories. At this rate, the unemployment problem was solved. It became a thing of the past. Then, the tables had turned. The labour force became insufficient in manpower since many people successfully became employed, therefore Singapore allowed immigrant workers to work in Singapore for the MNC factories. As export-oriented industrialisation rolled out, the profits gained from exporting could be used to improve the lives of the people. Another strategy that the Singapore government adopted to address its economic challenges was to develop its infrastructure. Singapore also developed infrastructure to help attract MNCs, foreign investors and also to help develop Singapore’s manufacturing industries. For example, the Singapore Telephone Board was set up to promote connectivity between industries and households. To meet the needs of the MNCs, Singapore expanded its banking and finance industries. Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) was established in 1968 to finance industrialization. Roads were constructed to connect industrial areas to housing estates. An expressway system was built to reduce the time needed to travel around the island. By developing its infrastructure, it would help ensure more people gain jobs as these construction requires large amount of workers, allowing them to increase their level of income. This would then improve their overall standard of living as they would be able to afford and access more high quality goods and services. This will also help to ensure different industries operate smoothly and generate profits for businesses.