IGCSE History

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  • 1949 - 1976
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    • The struggle for control of Malaya
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• Conflict and Crisis is the Middle East 1946 - 1996 (A16)
  • Unit overview
  • 1946 - 1967
    • The creation of Israel
    • The impact of the war of 1948 - 1949
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    • The Six Day War
  • 1967 - 1996
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• The First World War (B4)
  • The Schlieffen Plan
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• The USA 1917-1929 (B7)
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• China under Mao Zedong 1949 - 1959 (B10)
  • The creation of the Communist State
  • Land Reform
  • Communist society
  • The First Five Year Pan
  • The 100 Flowers
  • The Great Leap Forward
• The Changing Nature of Warfare (C3)
  • Unit overview
  • Warfare at the beginning of the 20th Century
  • Land warfare
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  • Atomic and nuclear weapons
  • Warfare at the end of the 20th Century
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Singapore

After the Second World War, Singapore was not included in the Malayan Union and became a separate British colony. Many people in Singapore wanted to become part of Malay and in 1954 the People’s Action Party (PAP) was formed to fight for an independent and democratic Malaya. A constitution was drawn up under which Britain retained control of finance, defence and the judicial system.

The first elections in Singapore were held in 1955 and were won by the Labour Front led by David Marshall. He immediately demanded complete independence but the British refused to give up defence and internal security because of the State of Emergency in Malaya. Marshall resigned and a new constitution was drawn up in 1958. This time the British only retained control of external affairs and defence. In the 1959 elections, the PAP, led by Lee Kuan Yew, won 43 out of 51 seats. Despite the size of the PAP victory, the British government refused to set a firm date for independence and so Lee Kuan Yew forced the issue by joining Malaysia in September 1963 and thus Singapore became independent.

Immediately after the creation of Malaysia a general election was held in Singapore. The PAP won 37 seats and again formed the government. In 1964, in the Malaysian general election, the PAP won 13 seats and became the largest opposition party to the Alliance led by Tunku Abdul Rahman. Lee Kuan Yew stated that the PAP would act as a loyal opposition party and would work for a democratic, non-communal Malaysia. However, some Alliance leaders felt that the largely Chinese PAP was aiming to replace the Malay-based PAP as the main party in Malaysia. The result was communal violence in July and September 1964.

At the heart of the problem was the stated aim of the PAP to create a ‘Malaysian Malaysia’. By this was meant that all citizens of Malaysia should have equal rights regardless of race and origin. To Malays, this seemed to undermine their position and reawakened the fears that had greeted the Malayan Union in the 1940s. During the remainder of 1964 and early 1965 relations between Malaysia and Singapore grew worse and eventually it was decided that the two countries would separate. In August 1965, Singapore became a separate democratic and independent country. Lee Kuan Yew announced that Singapore would be a multi-racial, non-communal nation but emphasised that it would continue to cooperate with Malaysia in economic and defence matters.

Since 1965, Singapore has developed as a successful modern economy. The Economic Development Board was reorganized in 1968 and the Jurong Town Corporation and the Development Bank of Singapore were set up in the same year. In 1970, the Monetary Authority of Singapore was established to control Singapore's monetary policies.
Education policies were aimed at, expanding technology and computer education. Financial incentives were offered to industrial enterprises and launching a productivity campaign.
Public housing was given top priority. New towns sprang up and Housing and Development Board apartments were sold at a low cost. The Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute was established in 1966 and compulsory national service was introduced in 1967. A Singapore Air Defence Command and a Singapore Maritime Command were set up in 1969. In August 1967, Singapore joined Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand to form the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Singapore entered the 1970s as a politically stable state with a high rate of economic growth. The one-party Parliament that emerged from the 1968 general election became the pattern, with the PAP winning all seats in 1972,1976 and 1980..

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