“the Prime Minister of Malaysia Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj did proclaim and declare
that Singapore shall on the ninth day of August in the year one thousand nine hundred and
sixty-five cease to be a State of Malaysia and shall become an independent and sovereign
state and nation separate from and independent of Malaysia and recognised as such by the
Government of Malaysia”.
Independence is something many countries that exist today had to fight for. Whether it was
through the violence of a gun or the political tools of protests and referendums, proponents
of independence have fought for what they believed was just for their nation.
With Singapore, however, things were rather different. Singapore had independence thrust
upon it, becoming its own country abruptly, and against its will. This happened in 1965,
when the Malaysian prime minister expelled Singapore from the federation. This tiny city-state
at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula was thrown in at the deep end, and it was
very much ‘sink or swim’ as Singapore battled against the odds to become the prosperous
nation that it is today.
So how and why did this happen?
For this, we need to go back to 1819, the beginning of Singapore’s modern history.
Now, to set the stage, this was a time when Britannia ruled the waves. The British East
India Company had a firm grasp on the Indian subcontinent, and was looking to expand its
reach.
With the trade route between India and China becoming ever more important, the Straits
of Malacca was identified as a strategic location for a new trading port, adding to the existing
British ports at Penang and Bencoolen. Chosen by Stamford Raffles, Singapore was deemed
to be the perfect location.
After objections raised by the Dutch for encroaching on their sphere of influence, the two colonial
powers signed the Anglo-Dutch treaty in 1824, which officially delineated each country’s
zone of control. With international recognition of British rule over Singapore, it was able
to begin its journey from a humble trading port, to one of the most important cities
in the world.
From the outset, Singapore was decidedly business-friendly, with no taxes or fees levied on trading. For
this reason, many hopeful and ambitious immigrants and nearby natives flocked to the up-and-coming
city. The majority of those who arrived were Chinese, but there were also large minorities
of Malays and Indians.
The population grew rapidly over the years, from around 1,000 when Raffles established
the port to 220,000 by the turn of the century. And there was good reason for such staggering
growth – between the strategic location, the industrial power of the British Empire,
and the business acumen of its immigrants, particularly those from China, Singapore had
a perfect recipe for success.
But as well as the right ingredients, Singapore also had fortuitous timing. 3 major historical
events throughout the 19th century further accelerated the growth of the so-called “lion
city”. First, there was the Treaty of Nanking in 1842, in the aftermath of the Qing Dynasty’s
defeat in the First Opium War. This treaty opened up Chinese ports to foreign merchants,
which made Singapore’s position ever more strategic. Second, there was the industrial
revolution, led by the British. From mass production manufacturing methods to significantly
faster ships, commercial activity went through the roof. And finally, there was the opening
of the Suez Canal in 1869, which dramatically cut travel time between Europe and Asia, bringing
yet more cargo through the Malacca Straits.
Moving on to the 20th century, and Singapore wasn’t really affected much by the First
World War… the Second World War, however, was a crucial turning point in the country’s
history. From as early as 1919, the British had been preparing for Japanese aggression
and expansionist plans. Singapore was to play a pivotal role in Britain’s defensive strategy
in Asia.
A naval base with the largest dry-dock in the world was constructed, taking 15 years
and £50 million to complete – that’s 3.3 billion when adjusted for inflation! Singapore
had a reputation as an impenetrable fortress island; Winston Churchill described it as
the “Gibraltar of the East”.
Unfortunately, this image was quickly shattered at the start of 1942. When Japan attacked,
the Royal Navy found itself overstretched, also trying to defend the English Channel
from Nazi Germany back home. Crucial defensive ships were sunk in the South China Sea. Japanese
forces landed in Malaya, and after several battles, the Allied forces were pushed back
to Singapore, which then fell in just 1 week.
80,000 prisoners of war were taken, and Singapore would remain under Japanese occupation until
the end of the war. Churchill called the Battle of Singapore the worst ever defeat in British
military history.
The events of World War Two changed everything. The attitudes of Singaporeans towards the
British had been altered forever. How could the mighty British Empire not protect this
island fortress against Japan? Generally positive attitude towards Britain had shifted to anti-imperial
sentiment.
The British tried to give Singapore some degree of self-governance in varying forms throughout
the post-war period. In the 1959 general election, the People’s Action Party, or the PAP, won
43 of the 51 seats. Lee Kuan Yew became the first ever Prime Minister. Today, he is recognised
as the founding father of the country. It may have been settled by Raffles, but Lee
was the leader who took it from a British colony into the Singapore that we know today.
The leaders of the PAP, and especially Lee, believed that the future of Singapore was
with the rest of the peninsula; with Malaya. Aside from their shared history, a union with
Malaya was seen as a way to finally break from the British, and protect themselves against
some of their own weaknesses; most notably their minute size and lack of natural resources.
From the Malay perspective though, they were skeptical about a merger due to Singapore’s
racial makeup. While Singapore did have a significant Malay population, it was the Chinese
community that made up the majority. However, these concerns became less pressing given
fears of a communist takeover of Singapore, after a PAP member defected and won a by-election
as an independent, with strong support from the far left. The leading political party
in Malaya, the UMNO, was staunchly anti-communist.
To compensate for these racial concerns, an idea was floated that Malaya should merge
with not only Singapore, but also the other nearby British possessions of North Borneo
and Sarawak. This would add significantly more ethnic Malays to the mix, and the Chinese
majority of Singapore would have less of an impact.
The British Empire was already very much in the process of decolonisation, and this arrangement
was seen as a good way to curb any spread of communism in the region. And so, in 1963,
the country of Malaysia was born.
Singapore within this union would be short-lived. Racial tensions existed going into the merger,
and continued throughout. A major sticking point between the regional governments was
Article 153 of the constitution. This article granted certain rights and what it called
“special positions” to the native Malay population.
This was viewed as absolutely necessary affirmative action by the UMNO, given the economic imbalance
between the three main ethnic groups. The financial sector was dominated by the Chinese
and Indians of Malaysia, while the Malay majority tended to make up most of the low-skilled
workers, like laborers and farmers. The native Malays made up 65% of the population, but
only 4% of the country’s economy.
Despite the clear inequality, the PAP viewed this article as discriminatory. Their view
was that no one group should get any special treatment. Relations broke down between the
UMNO and the PAP when both parties ran candidates in each others’ constituencies, despite
earlier promises not to do so.
On the 9th of August, 1965, seeing no other course of action, the Malaysian prime minister
expelled Singapore from the federation. After just two years as part of Malaysia, Singapore
suddenly found itself all on its own, as an independent country, against its will.
A tearful Lee Kuan Yew called it a “great anguish”, saying that all his adult life
he believed in the merger between the two territories.
[Would you mind if we stop for a while]
Singapore was faced with numerous post-independence challenges. A tiny country with racial tensions,
unemployment, crumbling infrastructure, and no natural resources, it seemed unlikely that
Singapore would survive. However, it’s been suggested that it was this survival instinct
that made the country into what it is today.
Faced with the unenviable position of leading Singapore through these difficult times, the
PAP firmly placed the country’s economy as the #1 priority. The government actively
invested in the country through what are called “Government Linked Companies”, or GLCs.
These are companies that are wholly or partially owned by the government, yet function just
like private companies. For example, Singapore Airlines is 55% government owned.
Government investment only goes so far though; encouraging foreign investment in the ‘little
red dot’ was essential to the PAP’s plans for the country. This was achieved partly
through business-friendly policies and favourable tax treatment, which helped to bring in a
lot of capital.
It was other, less tangible factors, though, that helped keep that foreign capital. For
one thing, the government took measures to virtually eliminate crime and corruption,
making it even easier for foreign companies to do business there. Singapore became known
for its political stability.
The PAP has won every single election in Singapore’s short history. Without having to worry much
about pleasing the citizens every election cycle, a government really can get quite a
lot done in several decades of uninterrupted rule.
This combination of so-called “state capitalism” and foreign investment supercharged the economy.
In the early years of independence, the country’s GDP grew by nearly 13% per year, and had soon
achieved 0% unemployment. Singapore’s banking and shipping industries in particular helped
propel the city to one of the most important financial hubs in the world.
This allowed the PAP to re-invest government revenue and take an active role in further
developing their economy and strengthening the social fabric. This enabled the government
to provide for its people world-class education and healthcare, as well as the creation of
affordable public housing. As much as 80% of the population today lives in these public
housing units. The poorest parts of the city were demolished, and 23 of new towns were
built.
Previously segregated under British rule, the communities of the 3 ethnic groups were
brought together, living side-by-side as neighbours. This was to help form a Singaporean identity
and ease racial tensions. It was thanks to these policies and strategies that transformed
the city into the modern metropolis that it is today.
In 2015, the year the country celebrated its 50th anniversary, Lee Kuan Yew passed away
at the age of 91. Under his leadership, Singapore underwent what is often referred to as the
“Singapore miracle”: taking an unexpectedly independent city into one of the most prosperous
nations on the planet in a matter of decades.
As well as the country’s economy and skyline, the city’s population has also grown substantially:
from 1.9 million upon independence, to 5.9 million today. To accommodate all these extra
people with such limited space, Singapore has actually expanded its territory by 22%
over the years through land reclamation. In fact, the iconic Marina Bay was constructed
as part of a land reclamation project, and is home to most of the prestigious venues
Singapore has to offer: infinity pools, rooftop bars, 5-star hotels, and high-roller casinos.
For all its accolades, though, there are many things about Singapore that perhaps some might
find shocking for such a rich, modern, first-world country. A famous article by William Gibson,
published by Wired in 1993, referred to Singapore as “Disneyland with the Death Penalty”.
In this article, he depicts the city as more of a futuristic dystopia, rather than the
miraculous success story that Singapore is generally known for.
Singapore tends to have a zero-tolerance policy towards behaviours that the government views
as ‘undesirable’. These behaviours tend to be things that are considered unclean,
disrespectful, or provocative. For example, chewing gum is completely banned in the country,
spitting of any kind is not allowed, and not flushing a public toilet after use is a finable
offense.
On the more extreme end, if you’re caught smuggling drugs into the country you’ll
find yourself at the business end of a noose. Possession of just 15g of cocaine carries
a mandatory death sentence.
On top of this, civil liberties and freedom of speech are widely suppressed in Singapore.
The media is more or less controlled by the state, and dissident journalists or bloggers
are met with aggressive litigation or threats of jail time. Reporters Without Borders ranked
Singapore on par with Somalia in its 2021 World Press Freedom Index, ranking 160th out
of 180. Protests are completely out of the question because any outdoor gathering of
5 or more people requires a permit.
Now, with all that being said, there is one thing that is undeniable: the country would
not be what it is today without the authoritarian rule of the PAP. And regardless of anyone’s
political or cultural views, Singapore is, by just about every metric imaginable, a wildly
successful country. Its people have an exceptionally high standard of living, with arguably the
best healthcare and education on the planet; along with a strong and stable economy. It’s
also one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world, with fantastic infrastructure
and public transportation.
Ultimately, this is why the government has high approval ratings among citizens. There
exists a sort-of unwritten agreement between the people and the government – if the country
is well run, and everything is provided that the people need to have a good life, the government
can rule however it sees fit to do so.
Of course, this agreement only works for as long as the country remains successful. This
is why, even 56 years after independence, the PAP still has the same survivalist mentality
that the country was built on, since they cannot afford to be complacent, given their
natural and geographic realities.
Singapore is one of the most unique countries in the world. A multi-racial, Southeast Asian,
English-speaking city-state, with an authoritarian capitalist government. In many ways, it’s
no wonder many wrote-off Singapore when it unexpectedly became independent in 1965. The
British street names that litter the island are a reminder of the country’s humble origins.
But the remarkable city skyline that the modern country is known for was built up in just
the last 50 years, representing the ‘Singapore miracle’ – one of the great success stories
of modern history.
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