the greatest battles are those in the mind.

UGH. I JUST CANT GET FACTS RIGHT.
MALAYSIAN MALAYSIA. COMMUNAL. NON-COMMUNAL.
WHY SEPARATE WHEN YOU MERGE?
AND WHY MERGE WHEN YOU SEPARATE.
SO SICKENING.
THIS CAUSED ME TO HAVE SO MUCH TO STUDY!
UGH.
IM VOMITING BLOOD SOON.
IMAGINE STUDYING FOR 4HOURS.
THEN YOU REALISED YOU DON UNDERSTAND.
MY DEAREST LEE KUAN YEW.
WHY NOT YOU CALL ME TONIGHT AND TELL ME ALL THE DETAILS,
AND A BETTER WAY OF REMEMBERING THEM?(:
OR MAYBE CAMBRIDGE SETTER OF THIS YEAR'S O LEVEL SOCIAL STUDIES PAPER TO CALL ME?
HUR.
WHATEVER.

//edited*
thankiew my dearest aunty yannong. and la tang. (:
merger and separation?
chicken feet!
heh. no la. i just managed to understand it. (:


ECONOMIC FACTORS LEADING TO SEPARATION.
clash of economic interest!
1) pioneer certificates:
kuala lumpur wanted to protect its industries in malaya. hence, reluctant to grant certificates for new industries in singapore.
singapore government wanted more pioneer certificates to encourage its industrialisation programme. KL's reluctance to do so hampered singapore's efforts to establish its industrialisation programme.
2) common market:
kuala lumpur was not keen to establish a common market as they felt threatened. high taxes were placed on singaporean goods entering malaya. KL tried to attract foreign investors to the peninsula with attractive financial packages.
singapore wanted a common market to encourage investors to set up factories in singapore. this will gives singaporeans jobs and the economy will be better.
3) financial contribution to federal government:
kuala lumpur proposed that singapore increased its contribution by 20% (from 40% to 60%).
singapore rejected the proposal as it would cripple singapore's economy.
4) bank of china:
kuala lumpur wanted to close the bank of china as they claimed that the funds were sent through the bank to the communists still fighting in the jungles of northern malaya.
singapore did not want to close the bank because it played an important role in promoting trade between singapore and china; and closure of the bank would cause economic hardship for singaporeans as chinese goods are more affordable.

POLITICAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS LEADING TO SEPARATION
1) in the 1963 singapore general elections,
votes for PAP increased. SA did not win a single seat. SUMNO lost 3 seats.
malays in singapore were no longer attracted to SUMNO's communal politics as they did not vote for SUMNO even though they claimed to represent the malay's interest. malays in singapore were attracted to PAP's non-communal approach to politics, and its social and economic programmes to improve the lives of all singaporeans. most singaporeans rejected the communal-based politics of the alliance.
2) during the 1964 federal elections,
PAP sent 17 candidates to take part in the federal elections. they called for a non-communal approached in malaysians politics; criticised MCA as a poor representative of the urban chinese in malaysia and an ineffective partner in the alliance. they tried to convinced the malays in malaysia of its aim of creating a just and equal society.
election results: only 1 PAP candidate, devan nair, won a seat in teh bungsar constituency near kuala lumpur.
PAP participation in the federal elections seen by teh alliance as a direct challenge to its supremacy in malaysia. this had far reaching affects on singapor-kuala lumpur relations. senior alliance leaders like tunku and tun razak were not as tolerant of the PAP as before. UMNO stepped up its criticisms of the PAP. they say PAP as a future threat to malay political dominance in the peninsula, and was afraid that PAP might gain the support of the malays in malaysia. UMNO confined PAP to singapore so that it could not be invovled in malaysian politics. some UMNO leaders began to play on communal politics in its anti-PAP campaign.
2) UMNO's anti PAP campaign:
UMNO aroused feelings of dissatisfaction among singapore malays towards the PAP by focusing on the poverty of the singapore malays; and protraying the resettlement and redevelopment programmes of the PAP as anti-malays. UMNO claimed that these projects were launched to displace the malays from their homes in the traditional malay areas of the kallang river, jalan sultan and west coast. the campaign was carried out for 3months in the utusan melayu, a malay daily newspaper, printed in the jawi script, protraying PAP's politics on education, resettlement and public housing as adversely affecting the malay way of life, rights and interest.
this caused the communal tension to be high.
4) 1964 race riots (21july and sept):
on 21july 1964, over 20000 malays and muslims assembered at the padang to celebrate prophet muhammad;s birthday. leaflets caling on malays to destroy PAP government were distributed. the yang di pertuan negara yusof ishak was jeered at by some malay organisations while giving out his speech. as part of the celebrations, contingents marched from padang to geylang lorong 12. along the way near kallang, a chinese policeman and a group of malays clashed. this sparked off the 1964 race riots. 23 people were killed and 454 were injured. singapore was put under curfew.
on 2aug 1964, the curfew was lifted.
september 1964, fresh riots occured. this time, 13 people were killed and 106injured.
the july and september riots resulted in los of lives, destruction of property and breakdown of peace and order. it showed the danger of communal politics in a multi-racial singapore.
tunku's view on the cause of riots was that it was the grievances of the malays in singapore.
singapore government felt that UMNO's communal politics caused the riots. it was their anti-PAP criticism, rumours, exaggerations and lies aroused racial and religion hatred.
5) 1965 malaysian solidarity convention:
after the riots, alliance party in malaysia announced the reorganisation of SA branches in singapore to provide a stronger challenge to PAP in the next singapore general election in 1968.
PAP reacted by forming the malaysian solidarity convention to create a united opposition against the communal-based alliance. the members were non-communal parties from singapore, sabah, sarawak and malaysia. the main aim was to ensure a 'malaysian malaysia' and equality for all races. PAP spread the idea of 'malaysian malaysia' to the people through booklets and talks. they held rally on 6june 1965 to explain the issue to the people.
UMNO considered the PAP's non-communal approach as conflicting with UMNO's insistence on special rights for malays in malaysia and singapore. they saw the malaysian solidarity convention as an attack on malay rights and privileges; and became worried that similar rallies might spread to other malaysian states. malaysian leaders and UMNO members demanded lee kuan yew's arrest.