reasons for merger

• there were political, economic and social reasons for the merger
• political reason

  attain independence for Singapore & contain the communist threat
• why did Singapore have to have the merger to gain independence

  Singapore had to prove to the British that it could overcome the communist threats
• how did the merger benefit Singapore in overcoming the communist threats?

  the majority of the population was Chinese. this could result in singapore's people being easily influenced by communists in China. however, with the merger, the communists would attack malaya.
• what are the 3 economic reasons leading to the merger

  access to resources, create jobs and economic growth via the common market
• why did the merger provide Singapore with access to resources

  as Singapore lacked resources, Malaya became her economic hinterland
• why would the merger create more jobs?

  as Singapore was experiencing rapid population growth, but had a small market size, the merger could increase available jobs and industries for her people
• how would the merger allow Singapore to experience economic growth (via common market)

  establishing a common market would mean that the goods produced in one country could enter another without any taxes imposed, boosting trade and economic growth
• what's the social reasons for merger?

  shared history and culture: Singapore and Malaya had common history as British colonies, and had many cultural similarities
• why did tunku agree to the merger?

  tunku was afraid of communists
• fears of communism:

  tunku was concerned that many Chinese in Singapore had sympathies for the communists and feared that these attitudes would spread to the rest of Malaysia. Tunku realized that merger was needed for Malaya to preserve its influence in Singapore's internal security council. allowing it to also contain the communist threat in Singapore
• fear of radicalism in the PAP

  the fear of growing communist influence in the Singapore government became more real after the Hong Lim by-election in April 1961, when the PAP candidate lost to a more radical ex-member of the PAP, Ong Eng Guan.