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chapt 8, weakening of Barisan sosialis - Coggle Diagram
chapt 8
battle of merger
pap campaign
campaign to convinvr the people of the need to merge with malaya
Lky gave a series of radio talks called the battle for merger
allowed people from sg, brunei. malaya, north boreno and sarawak.
impt fature of a keenly contested battle for the hearts and minds of the ppl
Used exhibitions to highlight the benefits of a merger
for example, the malaysia exhibition held at victoria memoria hall
showcased the close cultural and social ties among the territories ad it exposed visitors to the lives and cultures of the people as well as the trade anc commerce of the territories
referendum
held on sept 1st 1962
Pap opted for option A
Barisan sosialis opposed all 3 options
did not want a merger at all
opposition frim barisan sosialis
some people within PAP felt the terms were unfavourable to the people in sg
attempted to gain support from other PAP members to challenge lky
did not suceed and were later expelled
the expelled members formed the Basisan Sosialis Singapure (socialist front of sg)
started a campaign to oppose merger
concerned about the status of population within the new federation
citizenship would not be automatically granted to sg citizens
can only vote in sg elections
in exchange for having control over its education and laboursg would onl yhave 15 seats while north borneo and sarawk were given more seats despite their smaller population
under-representation of singapore in the malaysian parliment was a sign of second-class status
reasons for merger
economic survival
PAp believed sg could not survive economically long term
declining trade
AS sg neighbours became independant, they used their own ports reducing sgs importnce as a regional trading port
thus a merger seemed necessary for sgs economic survival
if a common market (free trade) could be established through the merger, the malayan hinterland would create a larger demand for sg manufactured goods
Trade would increase and more jobs would be available for people
malayn gov introducing tarrifs
goods entering malaya from sg more exp thus less desirable to customers in malay
reducing the amt of trade between malaya and sg
sg lacked natural resources
poltical independance
only way british would let go of control over sg
britain feares asia would fall uncder communist control
rising communist movements in indonesia
rising communist movements in vietnam
britain wants to safeguard sg and borneo territories from communism
greater political stabillity through formation of a new federation comprising malaya, sg, north bornea, sawawak and brunei
rising influnce of communism in china
malayas responce to possible merger
malays initial responce(not keen)
communist issue
tunku suspected that chinese population has sypathies for the communist
many of them led and supported the strikes of 1950s
such attitudes could spread to the rest of the new federation
racial makeup
different ourlook between the people
predominsntly chinese reluctant to accept
use malay as national language
islam as state religion
the merger would cause the combined chinee population to outnumber the malays
malay sultan as head of state
however
fear of independant communist sg
if sg became an independant state, seperate from the federation
malaya no longer have a representative on the internal security council
thus lose infulence over security matters in sg
in addition with the absence of a colonial gov
threat of communis harder to contain
hong lim by election
may 1961 (changed his mind)
proposed terms of merger
including other territories such as brunei, north borneo and sarawak to offset sgs chinese majority
lky agreed and began discussions on a mergee that would lead to the formation of the federation of malaysia
radical group within PAP objected to the merger
once sg becomes independant via a merger theyll be put down bu the federal gov in malaysia as they controlled internal security
1 more item...
Pap taken over by communist sympathetic members
result in a sg gov less willing to concider a merger on terms acceptable to sg
sg would be less dangerous merged with malaysia
communist elements in sg could be controlled by the gov
fought the communists during malayan emergency
if sg became independent country that turned communist it could infuence others to consider a communist gov
increasing divide within pap
the formation of malaysia
terms that remained the same
singaporeans are not to be entitled to all the same rights as other malaysian citizens
the right to vote in malaysian elections outside of singapore
terms that were modified
singapore citizens would automatically become citizens of the federation of malaysia
malaysian common market would be established in stages
weakening of Barisan sosialis
operation cold stone
series of arrests due to accusation of attempting to sabo the formation of malaysia resulting in defeat of the subsequent 1963 election (pg 100) prolly not tested