---
# System prepended metadata

title: Merger
tags: [History, Y2]

---

Please read [Road to Self-Governance](https://hackmd.io/@sherlocknotes/HkWAqH8Fn) for context if you have not done so.

- A combination of 2 things
- Why?
	- opportunities e.g. trade, profit
	- not cuz girl cute

#  Merger of Singapore and Malaysia

## Timeline
1945: end of Japanese occupation 
1955: partial internal self-govt David Marshall 
1956: cm: Lim yew hock 
1959: full internal govt Lee Kuan Yew
1962: referendum
1963: merger yay

## Why?
- Sg no resources, Malaya Rich
- Sg poor trade down population up
- tariffs
- Malaya bigger market for sg business
- Did not want communists to take over
- no independence if communist
	- Malaya has already dealt with communist threat
	- Communism will be kept at bay if they merge
- Declining entreport trade
- no jobs
- Political Independence

## Issue of Tarrifs
- Malaysia introduced tarrifs in 1950s on Singapore goods
- stuff made in SG in Malaysia more expensive
- Singapore retaliated with **soap tax**
# Malaya don't want Merger
- Skewered to Malay -> Skewered to Chinese
- Scared Chinese are sympathetic to the communists
- Chinese reluctant to accept a Malay Sultan as Head of State, or Malay as national language or Islam as state religion
- Tunku unhappy

| Race    | Before Merger | After Merger |
| ------- | ------------- | ------------ |
| Chinese | 2.3M          | 3.6M         |
| Malay   | 3.1M          | 3.6M        |

# Hong Lim By-Election
- April 1961
- Originally controlled by PAP Ong Eng Guan
- Ong Eng Guan fell out of favour due to his actions not being aligned with the party's directions
	- Tried to openly challenge the PAP
	- Got suspended and expelled, reigned seat
- Ong Eng Guan ran as **independent candidate in by-election**
	- Won with 73.3% of the vote
- Showed the increasing divide withing PAP
- Tunku scared radical communist left takeover

# Anson By-Election
- Pap guy died
- David Marshal of WP won
- Shows weakening of PAP power

# Malaya kinda accept merger
- Wait what if Tunku annexed the Sarawak and North Borneo regions?

| Race    | Before Merger | After Merger with SG | After Merger with SG, North Borneo and Sarawak |
| ------- | ------------- | -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Chinese | 2.3M          | 3.6M                 | 3.7M                                           |
| Malay   | 3.1M          | 3.6M                 | 4.0M                                           |

- Malay in majority again!
- Tunku happy
- Coupled with fears of PAP loosing and communist takeover

# Agreement
- Singapore has special status
- Have its own Head of State
- Would collect its own revenue and pay Kuala Lumpur an agreed-upon sum
- Singapore citizens will become "federal nationals" instead of "federal citizens"
- Have its own elections to choose its own state government
- SG citizens will only be able to vote in elections in SG
- SG has control over education, labour and civil service
- Federal govt control defence, internal security and dealing with foreign govts

# Barisan Socialist Opposition
- Singaporeans not actually citizens
- Citizenship can be discriminating factor
- Under-representation of seats, 15 only

# PAP Battle for Merger
- Radio talks called _The Battle for Merger_
- Exhibitions to highlight benefits of merger

# Referendum
## Options
| Option | Description                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| ------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A      | I support merger giving Singapore autonomy in labour, education and other agreed matters as set out in Command Paper No. 33 of 1961, with Singapore citizens automatically becoming citizens of Malaysia. |
| B      | I support complete and unconditional merger for Singapore as a state on an equal basis with the other eleven states in accordance with the Constitutional documents of the Federation of Malaya.          |
| C      | I support Singapore entering Malaysia on terms no less favourable than those given to the Borneo territories.                                                                                             |

- PAP preferred option A
- Due to there being technically "I do not want merger" option, Barisan Socialists urged people to cast blank votes

Results:

| Option A | Option B | Option C | Blank Votes | Rejected/Uncertain Papers |
| -------- | -------- | -------- | ----------- | ------------------------- |
| 70.8%    | 1.7%     | 1.4%     | 25.7%       | 0.4%                      | 

Option A wins yay
