Sec 2 Chap 8 Merger and Separation - PDF

Chapter 8: Merger & Separation Take note: Singapore in this chapter refers to Singapore and the PAP, while Malaya refers to Malaya and Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Raman PAP: People’s Action Party UMNO: United Malays National Organisation MCA: Malaysi...

Chapter 8: Merger & Separation Take note: Singapore in this chapter refers to Singapore and the PAP, while Malaya refers to Malaya and Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Raman PAP: People’s Action Party UMNO: United Malays National Organisation MCA: Malaysian Chinese Association MIC: Malaysian Indian Congress SPA: Singapore People’s Alliance 1. Merger 1.1 What were Singapore’s and Malaya’s views towards merger? 1.1.1. Why did Singapore / PAP want to pursue merger with Malaya? Political Independence from the British After World War II (WWII) and during the Cold War, Britain feared that Southeast Asia would fall to communism. They were not willing to let Singapore become independent unless they were sure that Singapore would not turn communist. However, Singapore would be able to achieve independence from the British through merger as Singapore would be part of a bigger country There would be more resources for Singapore to fight against the communists This makes the British feel assured that Singapore would not fall to communism, hence granting independence Economical Survival Singapore is a small country with no natural resources, relying on trade to create jobs for the people and support the economy However, in the 1950s, Malaya introduced tariffs on trade with Singapore which made Singapore’s goods more expensive, reducing the volume of trade Through merger, Singapore would be able to enjoy a common market with Malaya Tariffs would be removed on Singapore products and increase the amount of trade More jobs would be created in Singapore as well to allow Singapore to survive 1.2.1. Why did Malaya oppose merger before 1961 / initially? Singapore being predominantly Chinese The Chinese population might be reluctant to accept a Malay Sultan as their Head of State, use Malay as the national language or accept Islam as the state religion. Furthermore, Tunku Abdul Raman was concerned about changes to the racial makeup in a new federation. Legend: yellow: describe, green: explain If notes are in black, explanation part to be added using main contextual/common knowledge  A merger with Singapore alone meant the combined Chinese population would outnumber the Malays This in turn would upset the racial balance of power in Malaya Might lead to a situation where Malays might end up losing their special rights and privileges with a potential Chinese-led government or a government filled with many Chinese in power. This would most certainly undermine the Malays’ position in Malaya since they would no longer be the majority race. Chinese being sympathetic towards the communists Many Chinese in Singapore either sided with the communists or were not against them. Many students and workers took part in strikes and riots which caused many problems for the British colonial government. Tunku Abdul Raman was worried that such attitudes would spread to the rest of the new federation. This is because Malaysia was strongly anti-communist. In addition, it recently came out of a tough fight against the communist during the Malayan Emergency. Furthermore, it could influence others to consider a communist government as an alternative 1.2. What made Tunku Abdul Raman change his mind and agree to merger? Hong Lim By-Election One of the members of the radical group in the PAP, Ong Eng Guan, was expelled from the party. Contesting as an independent candidate, Ong defeated the PAP’s candidate. The radical group in the PAP pushed for drastic changes and were seen to be willing to take more forceful measures to achieve their aims. With Ong’s win, it seemed to the Tunku that the moderate group was losing its influence in the PAP. This increased his fear that the radical group would gain control of the party. He was worried by the prospect of a more radical PAP that wanted to free Singapore from British colonial rule by establishing a communist government through forceful means. As a result, Singapore could be used as a base to spread communist ideas in Malaysia. Terms of merger proposed by Tunku Abdul Raman Singapore: would have its own Head of State citizens would be given the title of “federation nationals” instead of “federal citizens” could hold its own elections to choose its own state government citizens would only be able to vote in elections held in Singapore Legend: yellow: describe, green: explain If notes are in black, explanation part to be added using main contextual/common knowledge  would collect its own revenue and pay Kuala Lumpur an agreed-upon sum to cover the costs of federal services like telecommunications, defence and security would have control over its education, labour matters, and civil service The federal government would oversee Singapore’s defence, internal security and dealings with foreign governments. 1.3. Who opposed merger and what was done to counter it? 1.3.1. Who opposed merger and what did they do to demonstrate it? Opposition to merger: Barisan Sosialis + Pro-communist members in the PAP The pro-communists (radicals) knew that merger meant communist activity would be monitored and contained, and they may be arrested and put away. Some of them challenged Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership and were later expelled. Some assemblymen who had been expelled from the PAP joined other radicals to form a new party: Barisan Sosialis Singapura (Socialist Front of Singapore) ➔ Lim Chin Siong (Secretary-General of Barisan Sosialis) ➔ Fong Swee Suan ➔ Lee Siew Choh (Chairman of Barisan Sosialis) Barisan Sosialis’ opposition to merger The Barisan Sosialis felt the proposed terms were unfair and unacceptable One issue they pointed out was the status of the Singapore population within the new federation. Citizenship would not be automatically granted to Singapore citizens. Singapore citizens would only be known as “federal nationals” and could only vote in Singapore elections. Another was the allocation of seats in the federal parliament. In exchange for having more control over education and labour, Singapore would only have 15 seats while North Borneo and Sarawak were given more seats despite their smaller population. They were concerned that the under-representation of Singapore in Malaysian Parliament was a sign of its second-class status. This showed that Malaysia treated a Chinese-dominated country badly compared to the Malay-dominated country. Action Taken by Barisan Sosialis: Started a campaign to oppose the proposed merger They organised student demonstrations and labour strikes. Several party leaders also participated in radio forums to debate the issues surrounding the proposed merger. The student demonstrations and labour strikes disturbed the peace in Singapore. It stirred up emotions and put more pressure on the PAP to make a decision. Legend: yellow: describe, green: explain If notes are in black, explanation part to be added using main contextual/common knowledge 1.3.2. How was the opposition countered? The Battle for Merger In response to the opposition, the PAP embarked on a campaign called ‘The Battle for Merger’ to convince people of the need and gain support for merger. To do this, Lee Kuan Yew gave a series of radio talks and the PAP used exhibitions Lee Kuan Yew giving a series of radio talks to gain support for merger From September to October 1961, the radio talks, called The Battle for Merger, was broadcast on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. They were delivered in the three main languages on the same evening. The talks were later re-broadcast in Tamil, Hokkien and Cantonese. These radio broadcasts allowed Lee Kuan Yew’s talks to reach the people in Singapore, Brunei, Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak. They were an important feature of a keenly contested battle for the hearts and minds of the people. PAP using exhibitions to gain support for merger A notable example was the Malaysia Exhibition that was part of Malaysia Week in early 1962. It was jointly organised by the governments of the territories that were to form the new federation. The exhibition aimed to showcase the close cultural and social ties among the territories. This would expose visitors to the lives and cultures of the people, as well as the trade and commerce of the territories. Thus, they would be more respectful and have a better knowledge of their neighbour’s cultures. In addition, this helped reinforce the benefits of the proposed merger. Weakening of the Barisan Sosialis (Operation Coldstore) Key Barisan Socialis leaders and some members of the trade unions, such as Lim Chin Siong and Fong Swee Suan, were arrested. More than 100 people were detained and accused of trying to sabotage the formation of Malaysia and planning to launch an uprising in Singapore. Since key leaders of the Barisan Sosialis were arrested, the party started losing supporters. Thus, in the 21 September 1963 election, the Barisan Socialis only won 13 seats. Referendum Towards the end of the PAP campaigns, a referendum was called for to gauge the type of merger the people wanted On 16 September 1963, with 71% of the people supporting the PAP’s proposal for merger, the new nation of Malaysia came into existence. It was made up of 14 states, including Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak, each with their own state government. Legend: yellow: describe, green: explain If notes are in black, explanation part to be added using main contextual/common knowledge 1.4. What reactions were there to the formation of Malaysia in other countries? North Borneo and Sarawak: Agreed Agreed to join after findings from the Cobbold Commission, which was set up in 1962 to inquire about the views of the people of North Borneo and Sarawak towards the formation of Malaysia, indicated that two-thirds of the people in North Borneo and Sarawak wanted to join Malaysia The findings were endorsed by a United Nations Commision in 1963, which ensures that the results were not fraudulent and people genuinely wanted merger Brunei: Objected Brunei did not join the new Federation as the Sultan could not come to an agreement with the Malayan government over the economic terms of merger. Philippines: Objected The Philippines laid claim on both North Borneo and Sarawak and objected merger. The Philippines eventually broke off relations with Malaysia in 1963. Indonesia: Objected Indonesia wanted North Borneo and Sarawak to come under its influence and opposed merger. In January 1963, Indonesia launched Konfrontasi, a policy of confrontation involving armed raids in Sabah and Sarawak and bombings in Singapore. Indonesia refused to recognise Malaysia and broke off all diplomatic and trade relations with Malaysia in 1963. 2. Separation 2.1. What economic disagreements led to separation? Creation of a Common Market Through the formation of a common market, Singapore had hoped to achieve and allow Singapore’s economy to benefit. This is because there would be no tariffs, allowing businesses in Malaysia to conveniently trade with businesses in Singapore, and vice versa. However, the formation of the common market was delayed as the Central Government feared that there would be greater competition from Singapore, since goods from Singapore would no longer be taxed. Due to disagreements over the common market, the trust between Singapore’s PAP and the Federal Government in Kuala Lumpur was broken This strained relations between Singapore and the Federal Government The growing unhappiness with each other therefore contributed to separation Legend: yellow: describe, green: explain If notes are in black, explanation part to be added using main contextual/common knowledge Revenue Contribution Through the merger, Singapore and Malaysia both initially agreed that Singapore contribute 40% of its revenue to the central government as taxes. However, the Central Government then asked Singapore to contribute 60% of its revenue instead to the central government as taxes, breaking the original set of terms both parties agreed on. The increase was due to increased defence spending on Konfrontasi Singapore felt that the amount of revenue contribution it had to pay was too high and unfair Disagreements over revenue contribution worsened relationships between PAP and the Federal Government The growing unhappiness with each other therefore contributed to separation 2.2. What political disagreements led to separation? Composition of Political Parties PAP as well as Singapore’s major political parties were multiracial and sought to represent the interests of all communities However, the Federal Government was a race-based political alliance (Alliance Party) where each party looked after their own community Treatment of Races Singapore’s major political parties were multiracial and sought to represent the interests of all communities. Singapore’s government felt that everyone, regardless of race, should be given an equal opportunity to succeed. For instance, the PAP wanted free education for all to help Malays have better employment opportunities On the other hand, the federal government decided that special privileges in employment were given to the Malays with the aim of improving their economic and social position. For instance, a certain number of job vacancies were reserved for the Malays. The federal government wanted the Malays in Singapore to receive better treatment but the PAP felt that all races should be treated equally. Thus, the disagreements in the treatments of races increased tensions between the federal government and Singapore. Disagreements over Elections (Point 2.3) Upon merging, the terms originally agreed on by both Singapore and Malaysia were that the establishment of the Federation of Malaysia would allow Singapore to have control over its own state government, voted through elections, and they promised not to participate in each other’s elections. However, during the General Elections in 1963, Tunku came to Singapore to aid the Alliance party by supporting them in their campaigns to boost their support and votes. Legend: yellow: describe, green: explain If notes are in black, explanation part to be added using main contextual/common knowledge  Then, the PAP also participated in the Federal Elections in 1964 in Kuala Lumpur. Thus, they broke the original terms agreed on. As a result, tensions between Singapore and Malaysia rose, aggression also increased and there was worsening of relations. By gaining independence, Singapore hoped to gain full control over its government and have no other countries interfering and ensure locals are not treated unfairly 2.3. What key events led to separation? 1963 Singapore State Elections In 1963, the Singapore branches of the UMNO, MIC, and MCA formed the SAP to compete in the 1963 State Elections The Alliance Party in KL supported the SAP as they functioned on the that politics would be run along racial lines The SAP performed poorly and failed to win a single seat, while the PAP took only 37 of the 51 available seats PAP was upset with the Federal Government for participating in the State Elections UMNO was troubled by its losses to the PAP in Malay populated areas and vowed to compete again in the following elections 1964 Federal Elections As a result of the Singapore Alliance's participation in the 1963 elections, PAP likewise sent a team to compete in the Federal Elections in 1964. During the campaign, the PAP promised that they would not work along racial lines, promising to close the gap between the rich and the poor by providing equal opportunities and necessary education to all. The PAP's rallies drew increasingly larger crowds, a yardstick for the popularity of the party. Those who turned up at the rallies were also incensed by the criticism of the special privileges granted to the Malays. This made UMNO worried that PAP's idea of multi-racialism was spreading quickly Although the PAP only won 1 out of 103 seats, their participation in the election angered the Central Government Stirring of racial rivalries The Utusan Melayu, a Malay newspaper, started writing biased reports about the PAP government not caring for the Malay community. One example of such biased reporting is the resettlement of Malay families for the development of the Crawford, Kampong Glam, Rochor areas. The paper claimed that over 3000 Malay families had to be moved when in truth only 200 Malay families were affected. Another example is Syed Ja'afar Albar, the secretary-general of UMNO, making an anti-PAP speech with incendiary comments about how the Malay community was Legend: yellow: describe, green: explain If notes are in black, explanation part to be added using main contextual/common knowledge  mistreated. This took place on 12 July 1964 when he came down to Singapore for a UNMO-organised Malay Convention UMNO started an anti-PAP campaign in Singapore as they were threatened by PAP's rise in popularity in the Federation Syed Ja’afar Albar’s speech also increased racial tensions This worsened relations between the federal government and Singapore. 1964 Racial Riots Prophet Mohammed's birthday celebration at the Padang on 21 July 1964 turned into a riot between the Malay and Chinese An islandwide curfew had to be imposed as the fighting had spread throughout the island. 23 people died and 454 people were injured during the fight After only 6 weeks of relative calm, another racial riot broke out in September 1964 this time, 13 people died and 108 others were injured. The island wide curfew was imposed again to stop the fighting The race riots highlighted how high the racial tensions were in Singapore then, and how devastating the racial tensions can be. The racial riots also created fear and suspicion between the Chinese and the Malays. Furthermore, it caused greater political tensions between the PAP and federal government. The riots showed that the merger only caused more fighting between the 2 sides. Moreover, if Singapore remained merged with Malaysia, more disorder could spread throughout the Federation.. 1965 Malaysian Solidarity Convention After the tensions cooled, the Alliance Party in Kuala Lumpur and the PAP agreed not to raise any matters that were racial in nature in their campaigns Both sides also agreed not to challenge each other in their respective elections for the next two years. However, barely a month later, the SAP announced their intentions to challenge the PAP in the 1967 elections In response, the PAP and 4 other political parties in Malaysia formed the Malaysian Solidarity Convention on 9 May 1965 to promote the building of a "Malaysian Malaysia" and not a "Malay Malaysia" This upset the Alliance leaders and tensions between KL and Singapore rose to an all time high. With racial tensions increasingly rising, Tunku decided that it would be best for all if Singapore left Malaysia Separation On 6 August 1965, the leaders of Singapore were informed of Tunku's decision. The following day, the leaders of both sides came to a separation agreement. On 9 August 1965, Lee Kuan Yew announced the separation and independence of Singapore Legend: yellow: describe, green: explain If notes are in black, explanation part to be added using main contextual/common knowledge Summary Singapore had mixed responses towards merger. The PAP managed to overcome the opposition to merger and all was well initially. However, the tensions and relations worsened over time due to reasons such as economic and racial disagreements. Eventually, Singapore separated from Malaysia and left the Malayan Federation, becoming an independent nation. Legend: yellow: describe, green: explain If notes are in black, explanation part to be added using main contextual/common knowledge