Please read [Japanese Occupation](https://hackmd.io/@sherlocknotes/SJnq_B8K2) for context if you have not done so. Communist countries vs Capitalist countries # Communist - Karl Marx - wealth should be shared equally - single-party system ## Malayan Communist Party (MCP) - Guerilla warfare - Sought to end British colonial rule and bring Malaya under a communist government - influenced **trade unions** - stirring up anti-British sentiments among trade unions and Chinese middle school students - attacked rubber and tin plantations in Malaysia - Why Chinese middle school? 1. Links to China 2. Conditions in Chinese schools deprioritised by British ## Anti-Colonial movement _looks across river_ why are they independent but not us i want independence i dont want big daddy europe governing over me # British Actions ## Housing - Singapore has post war **baby boom** - Significant portion of population lived in slums - Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) accelerated building program - Still not enough to solve housing shortages - Many continued to live in cramped conditions throughout the 1950s ## Managing Industrial Unrest - unsatisfactory working conditions - waves of **strikes** ## Rebuilding the Economy - repaired ports damaged during the war ## Local Political Participation - tried to appease Singaporeans by allowing locals to participate - 1948 Elections # Labour Unrest ## Trade Unions - trade union protect worker's rights - began to strike for rights - wanted higher living standards # Maria Hertog Riots - **custody battle** over 13-year-old Maria Hertog - Born in java to Dutch Catholic parents - Sent to Che Aminah to stay during the Japanese Occupation - In 1950, Hertog family wanted her back by making a case - Ruled for her to be returned to her natural parents - Placed her in a convent - Che Aminah appealed against the judge - Newspapers **sensationalised** her life in the convent - Potrayed as a religious issue between Islam and Christianity - Muslims felt upset cuz their religion was being disrespected - Judge rejected Che Aminah's appeal - Rioted in the streets and attacked Europeans and Eurasians in sight. - Troops sent in but riot continued for 3 days - 18 killed, 173 injured ## Causes Discontent at the incompetence and insensitivity of the British -> Uderlying Emerging nationalism of Malay-Muslim community -> short-medium factors Sensationalised press coverage -> trigger Non-intervention by members of the police force -> Aggravating # Anti National-Service Riots - British government decided to enroll males aged 18-20 for part time national service - Registration was compulsory - Argued that people should have the responsibility of defending themselves - Angered Chinese school students who believed that the were being made to defend a foreign government which they were resentful - 13 May 900 students held a demonstration - Police were called in to disperse the crowds and the demonstration turned violent - 20 students and 6 policemen injured; 45 students arrested. ## Why more peaceful than Maria Hertogh? - Different causes - Did not want to fight # Hock Lee Bus Riots - Workers in the Hock Lee Bus Company joined a communist-influenced trade union **SBWU** - Went on strike over unfair treatment of their union compared to the Hock Lee Bus Employees' Union - Fired as a result - Retaliated with hunger strikes, formed a human chain to prevent buses from leaving the depot - More than 10,000 students from Chinese-medium schools joined in to help - David Marshall tried to settle dispute, but could not reach an agreement - In meantime, strikes grew and employees of other bus companies joined in - 12 May, police attempted to disperse crowd with water hoses - 4 killed 31 injured - 14 May finally reached agreement - Trade Union members still suspicious of govt # SCMSSU Riots - Lim Yew Hock dissolved the Singapore Chinese Middle School Students' Union - 5000 students demanded the re-registration of the SCMSSU - Closed two schools and expelled 142 middle school students two weeks later - Suspected they were pro communist - Students camped in sch to protest - Lim Yew Hock demanded students leave by 8pm - Students gathered around the schs - Turned violent # 1948 Elections - Large number of local-born Singaporeans dislike British - Only 6 elected non-officials - Only born in Singapore or British subjects - Only 14,000 of 960,000 people (approx. 0 .5%) - 45% were British Indian subjects despite were majority Chinese # First Merdeka Talks - demanded full self government by 1957 - Led a delegation to London for talks but broke down - British were unconvinced that the Marshall government could maintain law and order and deal with the communist threat - Replaced by Lim Yew Hock # Lim Yew Hock - Next chief minister - Stressed cooperation with British and repression of communists - Banned several alleged communist organisations and unions eg, SCMSSU - Sent in police with tear gas to disperse SCMSSU protest - British were pleased with his decisive handling of riots # Second Merdeka Talks - Led a second delegation to London - Full internal self-government - Singapore will control all domestic issues except internal security - Legislative Assembly consist of 51 elected members and all ministers will be locals - Government will be headed by a Prime Minister - local - Yang-di-Pertuan Negara replace governor # 1959 Elections - Locals very interested - 13 Parties 194 candidates contested - Citizenship Ordinance 1957 enabled more than 300000 people to vote - **COMPULSORY VOTING!!!!** - 525000 Voted - PAP got 43 seats of 51 - Landslide victory for PAP - **Lee Kuan Yew** sworn in as Prime Minister Continued with [Merger](https://hackmd.io/@sherlocknotes/HJSGoAwi3).