Separationof Singaporefrom Malaysia

Chapter 9Part 2

Topics for this chapter

4problems faced

during the merger

1963 Singapore Election

1964 Federal Election

1964 Race Riots

Malaya Solidarity

Convention

5reasons

for separation between

Singapore and Malaya

Disagreement over Common Market

Different Treatment of Races

“Malaysian Malaysia” Campaign

Different Political Ideology

Political Rivalry between PAP and Alliance Party

Singapore Politics1. Multiracial2. Meritocracy

• A system based on rewarding based on a person’s talent and ability

BackgroundMalaysia Politics1. Communal Politics 2. Bumiputera Policy• Special rights and privileges is

given to a certain race or group.

Form Alliance Party.

UMNO(United Malays

National Organisation)

MCA(Malaysian Chinese

Association)

MIC(Malaysian Indian

Congress)

Malays/Bumiputra Chinese Indians

Alliance Party backed Singapore Alliance Party.(a Malaysian political party in Singapore)

MalaysiaPolitics

1963 Singapore Elections

1

1963 Singapore Election

Singapore Alliance PartyA political party(Singapore branches of UMNO, MCA and MIC under Malaysia’s political parties)

Who was involved?

Aim of Singapore Alliance PartyTo win seats in the Singapore Legislative Assembly.

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • September

1963

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • September

1963

Wha

t hap

pene

d?

• Singapore Alliance Party decided to challengePAP in the Singapore elections of 1963.

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • September

1963

Wha

t hap

pene

d?

• Singapore Alliance Party decided to challengePAP in the Singapore elections of 1963.

Res

ults

of

elec

tions

: • Singapore Alliance Party did not win any seat in the election, not even in areas where there were more Malays.

UMNO became unhappybecause it meant that they were unpopular in Singapore.

Alliance Party vowed to re-organise Singapore Alliance Party to defeat PAP in next election.

Such comments affected the relationship between UMNO and PAP in a negative manner.

Consequences

1964 Federal Elections(in Malaya)

2

Who was involved?

1. Alliance Party 2. PAP

(wished to establish itself as a Malaysian political party)

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • April 1964

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • April 1964

Wha

t hap

pene

d?

• PAP participated in the 1964 Federal elections of Malaysia.

• Their political campaigns attracted large crowds.

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • April 1964

Wha

t hap

pene

d?

• PAP participated in the 1964 Federal elections of Malaysia.

• Their political campaigns attracted large crowds.

Res

ults

of

Ele

ctio

ns • PAP won only 1 seat.

• The Alliance party won 89 out of 104 seats.

Consequences

Even though they won, Alliance Party was very upset with PAP even though PAP did not win.

They felt politicallythreatened.

Alliance Party wished to make people in Malaysia and Singapore dislike PAP.

Started an anti-PAP

campaign using media (newspapers)

Started an anti-PAP

campaign using media (newspapers)

Spreadrumours to Malays to spoil PAP’s reputation.

Started an anti-PAP

campaign using media (newspapers)

Spreadrumours to Malays to spoil PAP’s reputation.

Created more tensions and

problems between PAP and Alliance

Party

Utesan Melayu, a Malay newspaper claimed that 3000 Malay residents were affectedby the project

But in reality, only 200 Malay families were affected.

Newspaper claimed that PAP discriminated Malays in Singapore.

Resettlement Project in Singapore

Aim of Alliance Party

To win the votes andsupport of the Malays in Singapore.

This racial tension in Singapore led to

two Race Riots.

1964 Race Riots

3

Who was involved?

Singaporean Chinese and

Malays

UMNO

PAP

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • July and Sept

1964

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • July and Sept

1964

Wha

t hap

pene

d?

• During the celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday in July 1964, there was a clash between Chinesepolicemen and Malayparticipants.

• It turned into full-blown raceriots.

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • July and Sept

1964

Wha

t hap

pene

d?

• During the celebration of Prophet Muhammad’s birthday in July 1964, there was a clash between Chinesepolicemen and Malayparticipants.

• It turned into full-blown raceriots. W

hy d

id it

hap

pen?

• Alliance Party’s anti-PAP campaign created tensions and anger between the Chinese and Malays in Singapore.

• These tensions turned into violence during the celebration.

Consequences

arrested

55636killed injured

3000

Damage of properties

Damage of properties

Fear and Suspicionbetween the Chinese

and the Malays

Malaysian Solidarity Convention

4

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • 6 June 1965

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • 6 June 1965

Wha

t is

it? • A political party formed by PAP andother Malaysian political parties who opposed the Alliance Party (M’sia political party)

Whe

n di

d it

happ

en? • 6 June 1965

Wha

t is

it? • A political party formed by PAP andother Malaysian political parties who opposed the Alliance Party (M’sia political party)

Why

was

it fo

rmed

? • To campaign for a ‘Malaysian Malaysia’where everyone would be treatedequallyregardless of their race or religion.

PAPA response to what the Alliance Party did.

Spreading of rumours about PAP against the Malay community in Singapore

Alliance PartyFelt very upset and betrayed.

TheUnderlying

Reason

After the riots, Alliance Party and PAP had an agreement not to challenge each other politically.

Alliance Party went back on their word, and said they wanted to participate again in Singapore’s elections in 1967.

Consequences

Seen as a challenge to Alliance Party

Seen as a threat to the special privileges enjoyed by Malays in Malaysia

This caused a further strain in relations between PAP and UMNO.

Recap

4problems faced

during the merger

1963 Singapore Election

1964 Federal Election

1964 Race Riots

Malaya Solidarity

Convention

5reasons

for separation between

Singapore and Malaya

Disagreement over Common Market

Different Treatment of Races

“Malaysian Malaysia” Campaign

Different Political Ideology

Political Rivalry between PAP and Alliance Party

They can be categorised intoEconomic PoliticalDisagreement over Common Market

Different Treatment of Races

“Malaysian Malaysia” Campaign

Different Political Ideology

Political Rivalry between PAP and Alliance Party

No Common Market (P)

The Central Government (Malaysia) delayed the setting up of the Common Market.

There was a delay in the setting up of the Common Market as Singapore was seen as an economic rival/ competitor.

(Elaboration)AND led to a decline in the business of Singapore’s trade and this caused Singapore to be unhappy with Malaya.

Disagreements over Economic Matters

1

MalayaMalays were given special privileges and rights to help them improve on their standard of livingSingaporeMeritocracy for all

Everyone is equal and is treated equally regardless of race or religion

AND this difference towards the treatment of different races led to tension and unhappiness between Singapore and the Central Government.

Different Treatment of Races

2

‘Malaysian Malaysia’ whereby people were accorded equal treatment regardless of their race. Singapore PAP joined Malaysian opposition parties to form the Malaysian Solidarity ConventionMalaysia saw the move by PAP as challenging the Central Government. AND this created tension between PAP and UMNO and UMNO even called for the arrest of Lee Kuan Yew..

“Malaysian Malaysia” campaign

3

Communalism vs Multiracialism Malaya expected Singapore to follow their political system.(Each political group take care of own races)Malaya Communal politics (where political parties were formed along racial groups)Singapore Multiracialism (where political parties include different races)

Difference in Political Ideology

4

This can be seen from the 1963 Singapore Elections, 1964 Federal Elections and the Malaysian Solidarity Convention wherebyboth countries competed against each other politically.

Political Rivalry between PAP and Alliance Party

5

Link

These political and

economic differences led to

disagreements and

increased tensionsbetween the Alliance Party and PAP.

In the end, TunkuAbdul Rahman realized that the many disagreementscould not besettled.

He felt that it was best for Singaporeto leave Malaysia.

PAP finally agreed to the decision.

This story between Malaysia and Singapore

came to

an end.

Merdeka!Singapore’s Independence!

9th August 1965

DefinitionNation

It consists of an organisedpopulation and government.

RepublicIt is a nation governed by representatives elected by the people, and where the Head of State is not a king or queen, but a President

16th

Sept

embe

r 196

5 • Joined the UnitedNations

8thA

ugus

t 196

7 • Formed ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to help to keep the peaceamong neighboring countries

IndonesiaMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeThailand

1945

Singapore was still a British colony after Japanese Occupation ended

1948

First election, SPP won

1955

Labour Front won

1959

Full Internal Government

Chronology of Events

Apr

il 19

61

Ong EngGuan won the Hong Lim by-election.

May

196

1

Tunkusuggested a possible merger in his speech.

Aug

ust 1

961

Barisan Sosialis started a campaign to oppose the merger.

1964

Race riots between the Chinese policemen and the Muslims at the Padang.

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