GES1011: Lecture 8 - Decolonisation

Recap

Imperialism: Best explains global power relations from around 1750s to 1945.

WW1 and WW2 is war of empires, if we did not follow, we will be bullied into following our empire overlord.

Japanese Surrender:
News reported that 100000 locals residents of singapore greeted this event rapturously.

Remembered differently by different party.

Encompassing apologies, reparation and continued guilt.

The end of overt global imperial military did not mark the end of imperial relationship.

Experience was varied in different context.

The British Military Administration was left to ensure everything went well.

Decolonisation

Is a process that is still ongoing currently even if a country has gain independence.

Chap 7 Philip : Man in an island

The critique that influences us to think about singapore.

Think more deeply about the colonisation and imperialism in relation to time and power.

After the war

MPAJA (Chinese dominated) and malay clashes. 

The anti japanese groups tried to establish themselves as the head of the authority

There were clashes and they were violent.

This is the first ever record ethnic war in singapore.

But this was more of a conflict about power than it was with race, race wasn't the real reason why they fight each other. Local fractions are trying to establish themselves.

British introduced the malayan Union:

- No special privileges for Malays

- Power of Malay rulers severely attenuated

They have no political input

- Relatively easy path to citizenship for non-Malays

The british also promised:
- Political rights

- self rule

- Equality

- Citizenship

Part of the proposal is that singapore would be governed separately from the peninsula as a crown colony from 1 April 1946

However, some members of the prewar ruling malays resisted the Malayan Union proposal.

So they threatened the Malay rulers to reject proposal.

This forced british to reconsider due to the threats and transient Malay unity.

(First decolonial act)

New Proposal: Federation of Malaya act

- More difficult path to citizenship for non-malays

- Singapore was already a crown colony

The british were very busy with reestablishing order, control and economic hardship, there was a brief sense of freedom.

Video: 10 Tahun Sebelum merdaka (Vimeo)

Freedom

There was a national wide strike and the freedom was exercised

(Hartal, 20th October 1947)

FMA 1948 said to be a reason for Chinese tacit and direct support of communist party of Malaya.

The result of the rejection of an easy path for citizenship, it is an appealing factor for communist party.

The final straw broke when planters were killed by communist in Perak, thus there was an malayan emergency,16th June 1948

Freedom died on 24th June.

Slew of restrictions:

- Restriction of speech, expression, association

- Preventative detention without trial for one year

- This is the point of the death of freedom.

p.s this law is still kept, it was introduce to qwell an emergency. This meant that the state of emergency is still ongoing.

Struggle against the communist

Tiger of Malaya (Gerald Templer) appointed as high commissioner as his predecessors was assassinated by the communist.

Under broad emergency powers, they decide to win over chinese hearts and minds.

They were helped by locations such as fiji, australia and new zealand.

There was ruthless military engagement with much collateral damage.

He also houses chinese from the margins of Jungles into fenced new villages with amenities.

(Origin of ID cards)

- Mark out red zones and white areas which are free of communist influence.

- Measure of success experience by 1953

There were the vietnam war and the korean war.

The british made the promise that they will slowly turn over governance to the locals. 

There was agitation for independence among malays and other communities.

Between 1948 and mid 1950, there was interracial 

Towards self-Governance

- March 1948 shows the establishment of singapore inaugural post war legislative council.

There were 25 seats, 6 elected and 19 appointed by British.

- Registered adult voters over the age of 21 who had been british subjects are allowed in the election

- There are about 63% of 22k electorate that voted

- 6 lawyers were elected

- Some boycotted by some as electorate deemed unrepresentative

- The legislative responsibilities was susperseeded by the emergency

1951:

- 25 seats, 9 elected, 16 appointed

- With progress in the struggle against the communist

1955:

- 32 Seat for legislative Assembly (no more council)

- Council is normally appointees and council is elected

- 25 elected, 7 appointed

-53% voted

- Multiparty contest

Labour Front 

- Led by David Saul Marshall (Jewish)

- Well known successful criminal Lawyers

- Party won 10 of 17 seats contested 

- He was the first chief minister

- Granting Singapore greater internal self government

They are leftist in power.

The british were willing to negotiate domestic police powers and was scheduled to be held in London from late April through May 1956 and Singapore delegation led by Marshall..

There were chinese school students who caused alot of disturbances such as protest and riots.

e.g Hock lee Bus Riots

Marshall was a liberal and this was because of his jewish roots. His people was landless and he knows what it means to be living with no rights. The jews are always blamed for during the ww2.

He believe in the right to express yourself.

Video: Day of Rage - Hock Lee Bus Riots

He tried to do all sorts of measures such as closing school.

But it did not work well.

The British did not give internal powers on the police force to Marshall thus leding to his resignation.

Between this and lim yew hock's asking for powers, the suez canel crisis happened which embarassed the british.

This is the reason why Lim yew Hock's proposal for power was accepted.

This had nothing to do with Marshall or Lim Yew Hock but because of the fact that the international community will shame the British (the british Fiasco in Egypt)

they granted Lim Yew Hock internal granted as part of the ploy to get back their reputation.

The British still does the foreign policy,

[Joey reading]

Something that happens outside would affect the things that happen in singapore.

Imperial Legacy

- Security legistration

the detention for 2 years without trials

- Internal security act

- Preservation of public security ordinance 1955

- ISA 1963

There was some talk about changing it and removing this law would mean a slight decolonisation.

[Question: Do you think the ISA is relevant] 

[Who makes sure that the government would use this act properly?]

There can be a situation where someone would be considered a terrorist threat. The government just have to sign and that person will be detain. But how would we know that they are using it fairly.

[Do you think we still need the ISA or do we need something that is more precise.]

[Do we still need this in the future?]

It would seem like singapore is still unwilling to decolonise.

It is ongoing because singapore seems to not want to remove certain laws that were once imperial laws.