history ch7 pg 39-51

• overview of this chapter

  the Japanese occupation left a deep impression on those who lived through it. locals no longer viewed their colonial masters in the same way as before, and the "Fall of the 'Impregnable Fortress'" led many to question Britain's right to rule Singapore.
• how did external developments influence the people's response to British rule after WWII?

  • These influenced the people's response to British rule and shaped the thinking and actions of the British
• Two external developments

  1. weakening of colonial rule (European)
  2. growing influence on communism
• the weakening of colonial rule

  • even before WWII, anti-colonial sentiments arisen in many places due to the suffering caused by colonial rule
  • WWII further increased the growth of anti-colonial feelings
  • after the japanese surrender, many people saw the opportunity to rise up from their colonial masters and take control of their own destines
  • examples: India, Indonesia, Vietnam gained independence from British, Dutch, and French respectively
  • colonial rule in asia appeared to be weakening ☆
• the cold war between US and the Soviet Union

  • was a state of tension without open/violent confrontation
  • US and Soviet Union were allies during WWII, but their differences in ideology made it hard to cooperate
  • US believed in democracy, while Soviet Union believed in communism
• growing influence in communism

  • communism opposed colonial rule for its exploitation of people, hence it gained many supporters in European colonies e.g. Malaya before they gained independence
• were the British scared of confrontation?

  • yes
  • since they were an ally of the United States in the Cold War
  • they were concerned that its colonies would fall under communist
  • locals could try to overthrow the British government and start their own independence
  • British did not want to lose power ☆
• Malayan Communist Party (MCP)

  • the popular party started trying to end British rule in Malaya and Singapore and establishing communists governments
  • influenced trade unions and Chinese-medium schools, stirring up anti-colonial feelings among the workers and students
  • attacked rubber plantations and tin mines in Malaya, which majority was owned and managed by the British
  • the MCP's actions further heightened British fears
• Malayan Emergency - BRITISH V/S MCP

  • When 3 European rubber planters in Malaya were murdered in June 1948, the British took action against the MCP
  • state of emergency was declared throughout Malaya = MCP was declared illegal
  • lasted from 1948-1960
  • several thousand civilians and military personnel were killed or seriously wounded
• China's impact with communism

  • British concerns deepened after 1949 with the victory of the Communist Party of China (CPC)
  • world's most populous country entered the communist bloc
  • many chinese immigrants in Singapore + traditionally close ties to China = feared the British of potential communism
• • the British wanted to reassert their control over the colonies. However, the British failed to recognize their surrender in WWII changed the people's attitude and had fierce resistance to the British
• How did the British attempt to win local support?

  the british had to adapt their plans by addressing the people's concern and winning their support, but was faced with problems
• problem #1: meeting housing challenges / shortage of housing

  • housing was either destroyed or run-down due to war time and post-war baby boom in the 1940s and 1950s
  • as a result, many lived in increasingly overcrowded conditions, majority living in slums


  solution : SIT's low cost housing

  • Singapore improvement trust start providing low-costing housing, building 20,907 houses and shop units, average of 1742 units per year
  • But it was far below the estimated 10,000 units requirement per year to meet the growing population's needs, and many continued to live in cramped conditions