Battle for Merger - Foreword by Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Well worth a read, this foreword.  Let me try to summarize the main points.

1. In 1961-62,  PAP Government was in a precarious position, and the future of Singapore hung in the balance.

2. Merger with Malaya had always been part of the PAP platform.  We needed a common market, access to Malaysian hinterland and also basic supplies like water. The idea of a sovereign and independent Singapore was an idea that did not have widespread currency.

3.The political winds at that time were blowing strongly to the left, especially with the rise of the Soviet Union and Communist China.  Large swathes of Chinese educated ground had little confidence in the long-term prospects of a moderate, socialist PAP.

4.The Communists had stirred up anti-merger sentiments, with their trade union proxies, and broke off from the PAP in 1961.

5. The PAP needed a compelling message, delivered in a way that would linger and make an impression.  There was no Internet, no social media, and not even TV back then.  So Mr Lee chose radio.  This was how most people got their news then.

6. In opening each talk, Mr Lee chose to break down the arguments in terms that the layman of 1960s could understand. No jargon, no rhetoric. He took care to speak calmly.

7. In exposing the Communists, Mr Lee revealed facts that were not previously known, and their behind-the-scenes machinations. This held the interest of the audience, as with Mr Lee's practice of ending each session with a cliffhanger, giving a hint of what he would disclose in the next episode.

8.The revelations made particularly about the Communists caused a stir.  Some political figures named were incensed, but there were no libel suits, because Mr Lee had the facts on his side.

9.The radio speeches were only the opening salvo in the Battle for Merger, but their effectiveness was a key reason why the referendum went in PAP's favour.

10. People may ask, what would happen to Singapore if the Barisan Sosialis had won. The PAP and its supporters would have been liquidated.  In all likelihood, Singapore would not have made it.

A sombering message from our Founding Father on the history of modern Singapore.  Good to ponder upon.

It is most fascinating to me, a student of history and IR, that all this is being discussed now. During my Uni days, we had studied extensively about modern international history, from WWII onwards as well as the Cold War. Finally, I can start to fit what was happening in Singapore during those tumultuous times in the world.

All the events in the world concerning the Cold War and the all the proxy wars between the Communists and the West were studied and debated upon. I have relatives in China who survived the Cultural Revolution under Mao [1966], and their stories were really scary.

I guess it is safe to say that we were close into becoming a Communist Singapore.

Thanks for reading.

For something a bit more light-hearted, check out why I think JianHao and Naomi, Singapore's youtube sensations, are not together.

Singapore - The Battle for Merger

This was a speech given by Singapore's Deputy PM Teo Chee Hean.  I never knew that our history was so exciting. Growing up, I had watched the Cold War play out on TV, with President Ronald Reagan of USA calling the Soviet Union the evil empire, and Soviet President Gorbachev embarking on reforms.

I also heard about the cultural revolution in China, and also about the Vietnam War where Americans pulled out after they lost the support for the war at home.  Remember, even President Bill Clinton fought against the draft.

Surely all these global events had an impact on Singapore, since there were so many proxy wars being fought between the Communists and the West, e.g. in Vietnam, Korea and Afghanistan.  For whatever reason, we were never really taught this important part of our history.  In fact, history in school was so boring, because the content was from too long ago, e.g. South East Asian history before 1900.

So I am very glad that now, all this is being shared.  We need to understand our history and our difficult birth as a nation, in order to understand who we are and how we got here today.

I never knew PM Lee Kuan Yew took to the radio to convince the population of the case for merger and the Communist threat.  At the heart of this battle was two contrasting visions of how society should be ordered and how we should govern ourselves.  Communists and pro-Communists wanted a Communist Government, and no doubt they were funded by Communist Governments from overseas. These days, we have almost forgotten that at one time, the Communists and the West nearly went to war.

I never knew that the Communist parties of Malaya and their supporters were so determined to take over the country and spread their ideology.  They had waged a violent and armed insurgency.

Interesting fact - in 1970, a seven year old girl was killed by a booby trapped bomb in Changi.  In 1974, three communists were on their way to plant home-made bombs in Telok Kurau when one bomb exploded prematurely in Katong, killing two of the bombers. In 1975, authorities recovered two caches of 298 hand grenades in Loyang and Tampines, accumulate by another CPM unit.

What a history we had.  I hope more of us read and learn and understand our past.  These are facts, not fiction.

Thanks for reading.