Political events that led to the creation of modern day Singapore, from pre-colonial times to the 2010s. For our Southeast Asian Politics class (comparative politics).

7. Political History of Singapore
UP DILIMAN POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENTS •
04.05.2019

8. Overview
- Introduction
- European Arrivals
- Japanese Occupation
- Governance
- Merger with Malaya
- Separation from
Malaysia
- Economic Success
- Leaders
- Diplomatic Relations
- Problems and Concerns

9. Introduction

10. Heraldry, Symbols, and Meaning
● Red: universal brotherhood and
equality of man;
● White: pervading and everlasting
purity and virtue
● Stars: ideals of democracy,
peace, progress, justice and
equality
● White crescent moon: depicts the
young nation of Singapore on the
rise
Flag

11. Heraldry, Symbols, and Meaning
● Tiger symbolises the current
state and honours its cultural
links with Malaysia
● Lion represents Singapore
● "Majulah Singapura", which is
Malay for "Onward Singapore"
Coat of Arms

12. Heraldry, Symbols, and Meaning
● body symbolises Singapore's
humble beginnings as a fishing
village when it was called
Temasek, meaning 'sea town' in
Old Javanese
● head represents Singapore's
original name, Singapura, or
'lion city' in Malay
Merlion

13. Heraldry, Symbols, and Meaning
● vibrant colours, hardiness
and resilience – qualities
that reflect the Singapore
spirit
Vanda Miss Joaquim

14. Basic demographic

15. Basic socio-political/cultural demographic
Ethnic Groups
● 74.3% Chinese
● 13.3% Malay
● 9.1% Indian
● 3.3% other

16. Basic socio-political/cultural demographic
Religion
● 33% Buddhism
● 19% Christianity
● 18% Irreligious
● 14% Islam
● 11% Taoism and
folk religion
● 5.0% Hinduism
● 1% other

17. - 721.5 sq km
- Population: 5.612
million (2017)
Geography
Singapore is about 417
times smaller than
Philippines!

18. Early History

19. Mao Kun map showing Singapore and part of the east coast of the Malay peninsula. Temasek (early
Singapore; "淡馬錫) is marked at the top left corner

20. 1025
Rajendra Chola
● Of Chola Empire
● Conquered Temasek

21. 1299 - 1398
Sang Nila Utama
● Prince from Palembang
● Landed on “Temasek” (place
surrounded by the sea)
● Saw a lion and named the
island Singapura (simhah-
pura - lion city)

22. 1414
Parameswara
● Sultanate of
Malacca

23. European Arrivals

25. 1511
Portuguese
Malacca
1641
Dutch Control
1.29.1819
Sir Stamford
Raffles’ arrival
2.6.1819
Signing of treaty between
Sultan Hussein of Johor,
Temenggong Abdul Rahman and
Sir Stamford Raffles.
8.2.1824
Singapore
becomes a
British colony

26. Sir Stamford
Raffles
1. Established Singapore as a
bustling port, a zone of
free trade and free
immigration policies
2. Religious tolerance
3. Enlightenment Period
inspired Raffles to
design/plan Singapore:
“energy, purity,
encouragement”

27. Japanese Invasion

29. Dates:
Dec 08, 1941: Malaya
Feb 15, 1942 - Singapore (1942-45): Shonan “light of
the south”
British
officers
surrender to
Japanese
troops at
Singapore,
Feb. 15, 1942

30. Purging of Chinese “Sook Ching Massacre”
25,000 - 50,000 young Chinese men killed -> Post War: Chinese moral claim on
Singapore
The Sook Ching Centre
Monument at Hong Lim
Complex in Chinatown
Changi Beach Massacre
Monument[edit]

31. Governance

32. 3.20.1948
1st "limited
elections" held
4.2.1955
2nd general elections (limited self
government): David Saul Marshall
1.29.1819
Lim Yew Hock
takes over as
Chief Minister
Mar. 1959
Hock successfully gains full
self-government for Singapore
5.30.1959
3rd general
elections: Lee Kuan
Yew - prime minister
Strides to Self-governance

33. People’s Action Party (PAP)
● Nov 1954 - formation of PAP
● Goal: Self government
● Hock Lee Bus Riots (May 12, 1955)
○ Highlight left wing of party
○ Communism became illegal

34. Lee Kuan Yew 1. Background: ethnic
Chinese descent, LSE -
Cambridge law graduate
2. Strategy for elections:
Chinese masses economic
interests
3. Released leftist
prisoners: Lin Chin
Siong

35. Barisan Socialist Party
biggest opposition party in
Singapore in the 1960s and the 1980s

36. Merger with Malaysia

37. Motivations
1. Difficulty as an independent state
2. Lack of natural resources
3. Malayan trade tariffs

38. 9.1.1962
Referendum
2.2.1963
Operation Coldstone
7.9.1963
Malaysia Agreement
is signed (Malaya,
Singapore,
Sarawak, Sabah)
8.31.1963
declaration of de facto
independence from Britain
1964
Race Riots
Merger

39. Operation Coldstone (Feb 2, 1963)
- code name for a covert security
operation carried out in
Singapore
- Tunku Abdul Rahman’s condition
for merger
- 100+ left wing radicals arrested
- Lin Chin Siong exiled

40. 1964 race riots in Singapore
Ideological differences
between PAP and UMNO (United
Malays National Organisation)
= racial antagonization
between Malays and Chinese
July 21: Muhammad’s birthday -
Malay processions
Sept 3: Malay trishaw rider
killed

42. LKY weeps in national tv, announcing the separation from Malaysia

43. Separation from Malaysia

44. 1966 Citizens’ Militia Army
- entire male population compulsory national service and training
Problems
1.Economic uncertainty
2.Defense
1968 Withdrawal of the British from its
military bases in Singapore

45. Economic Success

46. Foundations
Foreign Investments
60s Chinese Cultural Revolution - drove Western investments to
Singapore
- Low taxes, cheap wages, trained workforce
- Labor laws: restriction of right to strike
70s: circuit boards and silicon chip
80s: leading producer of electronics

47. Foundations
Singaporean Companies
Government provided subsidies (biotech industries) and owned
companies (Singapore Airlines); revenue from airport, ports

48. Social Housing - 80% of population

49. Leaders

50. Post - LKY
Goh Chok Tong (2nd Prime Minister
of Singapore (1990-2004))
Lee Hsien Loong (3rd Prime Minister
of Singapore (1994-current))
○ “Kinder, gentler, society, open political culture” ○ Allegations of nepotism

51. Diplomatic Relations

52. 9.21.1965
117th member of
the United
Nations
10.15.1965
23rd member of the
Commonwealth
8.3.1966
104th member of
IMF and WB
8.8.1967
Joined ASEAN as one of its
founding members
1995
World Trade
Organisation
Memberships

53. Indonesia & Singapore
Past: Konfrontasi - MacDonald House Bombing (03/10/1965)
Current: 1967 peace treaty, 1973 symbolic visit

54. UK & Singapore
Past: Crown Colony
Now: Defense agreements, trading partners, investments,
educational partnerships

55. Japan & Singapore
Past: invasion
Now: heavy mutual trade, financial reparations

56. Malaysia & Singapore
Past: Federation, territorial disputes
Now: annual Singapore-Malaysia Leaders' Retreat, port and
aviation disputes, price of water

57. Problems and Concerns

58. Domination of
PAP
1. Lawsuits to opposition
2. Support never dropped
below 60%
Other Parties:
Singapore People's Party,
Reform Party, and the
Democratic Progressive
Party (DPP)
Social Control
- restriction of basic
rights to freedom of
expression,
association, and
peaceful assembly
- Recent: Fake News Law
Appeasement:
‘Speakers’ Corner’

59. Observations/Conclusion
● Economic success vs freedom
and rights
● Strategic maneuvers to
ensure economic and
political power

60. Thank you!