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Title: Chapter 8, Reasons for Merger and Separation, Tunku Abdul Rahman…

- - - - only way the British would let go of control over SG
    - - Communist China and rising communist movements in nearby Indonesia and Vietnam
        
        Made Britain fear SEA would fall under communist control
        
        Thus, the British wanted to form a federation comprising Malaya, SG, North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei
  - - - rapidly growing population in need of jobs
      - SG was facing a decline in entrepot* trade
      - Neighbouring countries became independent
        
        They wanted to direct their exports through their own ports
        
        reducing Singapore's importance as a regional trading port
      - SG lacked natural resouces
    - - tariffs made goods entering Malaya and SG more expensive and less desirable to customers in Malaya
        
        reduced the amount of trade between Malaya and SG
        
        Thus, SG wanted to merge with Malaya to remove tariffs
    - - Malayan hinterland would create a larger demand for Singapore's manufactured goods
      - trade would increase and more jobs could be created for the people
- - - - predominant Chinese population in SG might be reluctant to
        
        use Malay as the national language
        
        accept Islam as the state religion
        
        accept a Malay Sultan as their Head of State
    - - Many Chinese led and supported the strikes of they 1950s
        
        The Tunku suspected that they had sympathies for the communist
        
        he was worried that such attitudes would spread to the rest of the federation
        
        Thus, The Tunku opposed merger
  - - - Since there was no colonial government for SG
        
        If SG became an independent country that turned communist/separate from the federation
        
        Malaya would no longer have a representative on the Internal Council and thus lose influence over security matters in SG
        
        threat of communism would be harder to contain
        
        Thus, the Tunku felt that he needed to merge with SG
        
        It could influence others to consider a communist government as an alternative
      - Greater control of SG
        
        The Tunku was concerned that the PAP might be taken over by members who were sympathetic towards communism
        
        that would result in SG's government less willing to consider a merger on terms acceptable to Malaysia
        
        He also realised that SG would be less dangerous after merger as communist elements in SG could be controlled by the government in Malaysia.
        
        Thus, the Tunku felt that he needed to merge with SG to gain greater control of it
    - - Radical PAP member Ong Eng Guan , who was expelled from the party, ran as an independent candidate and won 73.3% of the vote
        
        It seemed to the tunku that :
        
        the moderate group was losing its influence in the PAP
        
        this increased his fear that the radical group will gain control of the party
        
        He was worried by the prospect of a more radical PAP that wanted to free SG from British colonial rule by establishing a communist government through forceful means. He was also concerned that SG would be used as a base to spread communist ideas in Malaya
        
        Thus, the Tunku felt that Malatya needed to merge with SG
- - - - citizenship would not be automatically granted to SG citizens through merger
      - SG citizens would only be known as "federal nationals" and could only vote in SG elections through Merger
      - Furthermore,SG would only have 15 seats in the federal parliament while North Borneo and Sarawak would have more seats despite their smaller population
    - - SG citizens could only vote in SG elections through merger
      - SG would only have 15 seats in the federal parliament while North Borneo and Sarawak would have more seats despite their population through Merger.
  - - - SG would collect its own revenue and pay Kuala Lumpur agreed upon sum (to cover the cost of federal services such as telecommunications, defence and security. SG would collect 40% of its revenue to the federal government
  - - - Organized student demonstrations and labour strikes
      - Leaders attended radio forums to debate issues on Merger
- - - - allowed Prime minister LKY to reach people in SG, Brunei, Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak
      - were an important feature of a keenly contested battle for the hearts and minds of the people
- - - - support merger giving SG autonomy in labour, education and other agreed matters as set out in command Paper number 33 of 1961
      - SG op citizens automatically becoming citizens of Malaysia
    - - 70.8 percent were in favour of option A
      - 25.7 percent casted blank votes
      - a clear indication of the people's support the government's position
      - SG would merge with Malaya and become Malaysian citizens
      - Weakening of Barisan Socialis / Operation coldstore
        
        On 2 Februrary 1963
        
        The internal security Council detained more than 100 people including Lim Chin Siong and 23 other Barisan Socialis members
        
        They were accused of attempting to sabotage the formation of Malaysia and planning to launch an uprising in SG
        
        resulted in PAP winning 37 out of the 51 seats/ resulted in BS winning only 13 out of the 51 seats in the SG legislative assembly
- - - - Opposed merger
  - - - Broke off relations with Malaysia in 1963/Claimed north borneo
        
        opposed merger
  - - - Cobbold Commision (1962) indicated that two thirds of the people in Sabah and Sarawak wanted to join Malaysia
        
        Thus, Sabah and Sarawak agreed to join Malaysia.
  - - - SG was now one of the Federation's 14 states
        
        control of its foreign affairs and defence would be transferred to Malaysia
        
        SG citizens would automatically become citizens of the Federation of Malaysia
        
        Malaysian common market would be established in stages
- - - - What SG expected from Merger
        
        the common market would set up for its long-term economic survival
        
        Tariffs on Singapore-made goods would be removed
      - What the Federal Government decided
        
        There was a delay in setting up the common market
        
        Tariffs continued to be imposed on Singapore-made goods to protect Malaysia's industries
    - - What SG expected from Merger
        
        SG would contribute 40% of its revenue to the federal government
      - What the federal government decided
        
        The federal government increased SG's contribution to 60% as defence spending had significantly risen due to Konfrontasi
        
        SG felt that the decision was unfair and its original contribution was sufficient
  - - - SG
        
        multiracial party that represents the interests of all communities
        
        government felt that everyone, regardless of race, should be given an equal opportunity to succeed
        
        believed that the best way of enabling Malays to gain better employment opportunities was by providing free education
      - Malaya
        
        federal government was formed by the Alliance party, which comprised three communal race-based parties: the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and Malayan Indian Congress
        
        looked after the interests of their respective ethnic communities
        
        Special privileges in employment, business and education were given to the Malays with the aim of improving their economic and social position
        
        certain number of jobs were reserved for the Malays
  - - - to win more seats in the SG Legislative Assembly
      - SAP performed poorly and failed to win a single seat
      - PAP won 37 out of the 51 seats contested
      - Every one of the seven seats previously held by the SPA and UMNO-Singapore had been lost to a PAP candidate
      - Malay candidates from the SAP in three constituencies with Malay majorities had lost their seats to a PAP candidates
      - upsetting/deeply disappointing the SAP
      - PAP's decision to partcipate in the 1964 federal election further disappointed/upsetted the SAP
      - PAP questioned the way the SAP governed Malaysia and promised to build a Malaysia that would not be governed along racial lines
      - further upset/disappointed the SAP
      - SAP won the election/ PAP won one seat
      - further upsetting/disappointing the SAP for contesting in the election
      - After SAP's victory, UMNO decided to focus on winning back the Malay vote in SG
        
        to resolve discontent within the Malay community in SG, especially among those who saw little improvement in their economic position
        
        Some UMNO leaders accused the PAP government of neglecting the Malay interests in SG through the Malay press especially the widely read Utusan Melayu
        
        anti-PAP sentiments were spread
        
        Utusan Melayu also accused the PAP of placing greater emphasis on Chinese education at the expense of Malay education
        
        (effect) On 12 July 1964, the Secretary-General of UMNO, Syed Ja'afar Albar, made a fiery-anti-PAP speech
        
        raised tensions close to boiling point
        
        Utusan Melayu continued to print articles accusing the PAPgovernment of unfairly treating the Malays in SG
        
        On 21 July 1964, clashes broke out between Chinese and mMlays during a procession to celebrate and commemorate Prophet Muhammad's birthday
        
        As news of the clashes spread, the violence and riots spread further
        
        23 lives were lost and 154 injured
        
        A curfew was imposed across the island
        
        Goodwill Committees, comprising community leaders from various racial groups were formed to calm tensions and restore harmonious relations among different relations
        
        Six weeks later
        
        riots broke out, triggered by the murder of a Malay trishaw rider on 2 September 1964
        
        13 people died, 106 injured
        
        SAP in Kula Lumpur and PAP agreed not to raise any matters racial in nature
        
        SAP and PAP agreed not to challenge each other in elections for the next two years
        
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