How did the people in Singapore respond to British Rule after World War II?

Question 1

What country is an example of Democracy/Capitalism? ( Textbook)

Answer 1

USA

Question 2

What country is an example of Communism?( Textbook)

Answer 2

Soviet Union

Question 3

When there is Democracy, who would have control in the country? ( + examples) ( Textbook)

Answer 3

• Free Elections
• More than one competing political party

Question 4

When there is Communism, who would have control in the country? ( Dictatorship) ( Textbook)

Answer 4

• Only one-party ( rule)
• Only the Communist Party was allowed

Question 5

What is Dictatorship?

Answer 5

Form of government in which a person or a small group rules with almost unlimited power

Question 6

What was some external developments after the British started its rule?

Answer 6

• Increasing influence of communism
• Colonial rule gets weaker

Question 7

What was the name of the communist party?

Answer 7

Malayan Communist Party (MCP)

Question 8

Who would the MCP influence?

Answer 8

Workers and students in trade unions ( + Chinese Medium Schools)

Question 9

What else did the MCP attack?

Answer 9

Tin mines and rubber plantations

Question 10

Why did colonial rule start weakening?

Answer 10

There was Anti- Colonial sentiments, which made the colonial rule to weaken

Question 11

How did communism start in the Soviet Union?

Answer 11

People felt that those whom were governing them were unfair to them

Question 12

Why did they feel that it was unfair to them?

Answer 12

They wanted a more equal society

Question 13

The Communist Dictatorship of the Soviet Union restricted what?

Answer 13

Political Freedom.

Question 14

Can you own your own business in a Democratic country? How about in a Communist country?

Answer 14

Yes, you can own your own business in a Democratic country. No, you cannot own your own business in a Communist country as the government would be in charge of your business and you would have no control

Question 15

What do people put first in a Democratic country?

Answer 15

Myself before my community.

Question 16

What do people put first in a Communist country?

Answer 16

My community before myself.

Question 17

How did the British manage to win the support of the locals? (house)

Answer 17

• There were many houses that were destroyed ( by war ) and a large increase in babies, thus, people were living in slums. / The British opening the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) to build more houses but it was not enough.

Question 18

How did the British manage to win the support of the locals? (food)

Answer 18

• Due to the growing population, there was not enough food produced, and also trade was disrupted due to the war, as the rationing policy continued , more people became malnourished / The British made more affordable meals.

Question 19

How did the British manage to win the support of the locals? (Economy)

Answer 19

• After the war, there were people who did not have jobs/ The British made it that they would have to pay less tax
• The British also cleared sunken ships and sea mines at the harbour so that ships could enter the harbour and trade could occur

Question 20

When was the first election?

Answer 20

1948

Question 21

What were they going for in the 1948 elections?

Answer 21

Democracy

Question 22

What party took part in this election?

Answer 22

Singapore Progressive Party (SPP)

Question 23

If the SPP won 3 out of 6 elected seats, who won the other three?

Answer 23

Individual Candidates.

Question 24

What are Individual Candidates?

Answer 24

People who stands for election but does not belong in any political party.

Question 25

The Riots. When the riots before?

Answer 25

The riots were before 1955.

Question 26

What was the name of the riot? (MH)

Answer 26

Maria Hertogh.

Question 27

Whose care was Maria Hertogh under most of the time ?

Answer 27

She was under Che Aminah's care.

Question 28

When she was raised under the care of Che Aminah, what was she raised as? ( but what was she born to / what religion and where were her parents from)

Answer 28

A Muslim. Her parents were Dutch and Catholic, which meant there was a clash or religions.

Question 29

What was Maria Hertogh renamed as under Che Aminah's Care?

Answer 29

She was renamed as Nadra binte Ma 'arof.

Question 30

What was the causes of the Maria Hertogh riots?

Answer 30

- the newspaper had sensationalised stories of Maria's life in the convent, which turned into a religious issue between Christianity and Islam.

Question 31

How did the people of different religion feel about the riots?

Answer 31

The Muslims felt offended as they felt as if they were not respected.

Question 32

What else did the British do that was not respectful to the Muslim community?

Answer 32

The judge had rejected Che Aminah's appeal and they sided with the Dutch and did NOT care about the feelings of the Muslim community.

Question 33

What were some consequences of the riot? (Maria)

Answer 33

The supporters of the Muslim community would attack any Europeans or Eurasians in sight.

Question 34

What was the impact of the riot on the people? ( NS)

Answer 34

- It caused the Anti-National Service riots to make Chinese Educated students more politically active and form various students groups.

Question 35

What is the name of the student groups that were formed?

Answer 35

Singapore Chinese Middle School Students' Union ( SCMSSU)

Question 36

How did the National Service Ordinance get passed and when?

Answer 36

It got passed after the British government wanted the responsibility of defending Singapore to be shared evenly among the locals. It was passed in 1953.

Question 37

Who needed to sign up for National Service? By when did they need to register?

Answer 37

All males aged 18-20. By May 1954.

Question 38

What students were not willing to serve National Service?

Answer 38

Secondary school students from Chinese-Medium Schools as their age was old enough to register for NS.

Question 39

Why did the Secondary school students not want to register for NS?

Answer 39

- They felt that it would disrupt their education again - They also did not want to defend the colonial government which has been ignoring the Chinese students' interests before the war.

Question 40

What did the students do to show their unhappiness about NS?

Answer 40

500 students led a protest on 13 May 1954 and on 22 May, many students from Chung Cheng High School locked themselves in classrooms in protest, they even carried out a hunger strike.

Question 41

Why did the peaceful protest become violent?

Answer 41

The riot police had come to disperse the crowd.

Question 42

What did the British do in the end after the protests and riots?

Answer 42

They postponed the registration for NS.