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How the British ruled early Singapore - Coggle Diagram
How the British ruled early Singapore
Problems faced
Law and order
What caused the problems?
Arrival of migrants from different places. Some could be criminals.
An inadequately small police force
Simple Solution
Improve the size and effectiveness of the police force
Thomas Dunman, First full time police commissioner, reformed the pay and was able to attract more and better people to serve.
But his force remained outnumbered when there is riots.
By 1930, the force grew to 2000 strong and became more effective and efficient with the use of motor cars, telephones and radio communication.
Types of problems
Labour Abuse
Borrowed money from agents and pay agents fees to make their way to Singapore
Abuses by agents – have to work without pay to pay off the debt
Agents are tempted by huge profit margins, sometimes they will even trick or kidnapped people to work overseas
The voyage itself horrendous, the coolie ship was often seen described as “floating hell.”
Living conditions was also bad
Secret Societies
Labourers were recruited by secret societies
Helped to grant them protection
They are also a source of trouble – organized crimes
Local police do not understand them (culture/language) and how to handle them
Prostitution
Demands for prostitutes as many were single man labourers working in Singapore
Human trafficking – girls were tricked into the trade
Solutions to Labour Abuse, Secret Societies and Prostitution
Chinese Protectorate
William Pickering – Well-versed in Chinese dialect and good understanding of the Chinese culture
He was able to bring some peace and resolved some of the issues associated with the Chinese migrant workers
New laws to suppress dangerous societies – 1890 Dangerous Societies Ordinance gave the governor the power to banish Chinese migrants and abolish any societies he deemed dangerous
Po Leung Kuk - Rescue young girls sold to brothels
Piracy
Large number of ships pass through the areas around Singapore
Attracted huge numbers of pirates
Affected trade
The administration was unable to resolve it – no rights to trial them in Singapore, no assets (gunboats – had to depend on India to send) to effectively stop them
Only resolved in 1870s with British and other Europeans started more frequent patrol
Social Issues
Education
Up to 1867
Lack of demand (most are migrants out to make a living and then leave) and funding (the administration does not have enough money)
British provided free primary schooling in the Malay language, very few Tamil-language schools and none for the Chinese
Done by Christian Missionary group and European traders
from 1867-1942
Expanded based on the needs of the British Administration (needed more English speaking clerks)
Government was not interested in Education that does not serve this purpose
Chinese Education was then run and provided by the Chinese community themselves
Healthcare
Non-existence before 1867 – Only a few doctors to serve the rich and the British administration, the inhabitants have no healthcare
1887 – Public health Department set up – looks into public health issues such as hygiene (proper sewage system to replace the bucket system, cleaning of drains and streets, reducing overcrowding
Quarantine centers and laws to prevent cholera and small-pox
Despite all these, death rate was still higher than birthrate
Over crowding and lack of understanding of the disease led to high mortality rate
Lack of facilities
Port facilities
Expanded and shifted to New Harbour (Keppel Harbour) in 1852 as the one at Singapore river became too small with more ships arriving
Further expanded in the late and early 20th C
New wharves, modern equipment such as fork lift was used.
Railway to link port to Malaysia built