Name: Tan Zeng Yee Shalom

Matric No.: A0114430Y

HY2229/SSA2204: Nation-building in Singapore ESSAY 1

A Singaporean nationalism already existed before 1965. Either defend or refute this

view on the origins of Singapores national self-awareness.

Nationalism is defined in this essay as an ideological movement encompassing a sentiment of loyalty to a

nation, with aims of autonomy, unity and identity. The beginnings of Singaporean nationalism are ambiguous.
The statement in the question is largely accurate given that the Japanese Occupation was a precipitating
event that first triggered political awakening in Singapore. The subsequent decades were reformative as well.
The people of Singapore in this timeframe could be aptly described as conflicted in their loyalties, which were
possibly nationalistic and Singaporean in nature. Thus, in this paper, I will defend the statement that a
Singaporean nationalism existed pre-1965.

A distinction should be made between the time frames before and after 1965. In the early years of Singapores
independence, a sense of retaliatory pride against the Malaysian expulsion was evident. The nationalism that
emerged, however, represented the conscious effort by the government to foster a sense of common identity
and nationhood amongst the people. The newfound ability to exert power, the very fact that we were
geographically defined without Malaysia, and the circumstances of nascent independence provided the
conditions and impetus for nationalism to be fostered. In other words, it was a necessary nationalism. Pre-
1965, however, saw a gradual paradigm shift in the attitudes of the population to fight for the rights to
independence.

Firstly, the earliest shared and determinative historical experience among the people who lived on this island
was undoubtedly World War II. In agreement with the transformative perspective, it is this singular event
that sowed the first seeds of nationalism. Though the population consisted of immigrants, the atrocities
committed by the Japanese and the robbing of their temporary homes here were common to all races. War
heroes like Lim Bo Seng who emerged were arguably still loyal to their homelands, but they ultimately still
put their lives at stake to defend the people living on the island of Singapore. The entire war experience has
been the basis for nation building - evident later in the implementation of National Service. If the
introduction of NS in 1967 can be seen as a manifestation of nationalism, then the articulation of nationalism
was not an abrupt outburst it was inevitably shaped and forged by the occupation trauma.
Name: Tan Zeng Yee Shalom
Matric No.: A0114430Y

There are counterarguments to the transformative perspective, the most notable of which is the impact that
the war had on us compared to other previously colonised countries in the region French Indochina and the
Netherlands East Indies. Indeed, in comparison, the people in Singapore welcomed the British back as
liberators. However, it is fallacious to apply comparison across countries in this manner. Unlike the plural
Singapore, these countries had a history before the occupation, and there was already a palpable sense of
nationhood independent of war. Additionally, the British were comparatively much less tyrannical in their
governance of Malaya and Singapore. The advent of the desire to be independent is therefore reasonably less
urgent than that of our long-suffering neighbours. Anti-colonial and nationalist sentiments, though
moderate, were nonetheless undeniably present in Singapore. As Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew once said of
the war, [T]here was never a chance of the old type of British colonial system ever being created. The scales
have fallen from our eyes and we saw for ourselves that the local people could run the country.1

Building upon Mr Lees words, there were indicators of a Singaporean nationalism along Singapores timeline,
particularly during the early 1950s. A slew of political parties like the Labour Front (LF) and Peoples Action
Party (PAP) emerged with the desire to govern Singapore for themselves. This is significant in many ways.
Nationalist sentiment can be the motivation behind the political participation2 of the local people. At this
point, one might raise an important question: Was this sentiment Singaporean in nature? Or was it
communal, anti-colonial, or just an extrapolation of communist affiliations?

The struggle for merdeka was ubiquitous among all the parties. From 1948 onwards, the Malayan Communist
Party (MCP) extended its influence to Singapore. From communist-instigated incidents like the Hock Lee Bus
Riots in 1955, the loyalties of more dissident Chinese could be described as conflicted. However, the
movement was, in essence, anti-colonial and anti-imperialist. Additionally, PAP, which pushed for a non-
biased Malaysian Malaysia while choosing to fight colonialism rather than communism, was hugely popular.
Meanwhile, David Marshalls LF was on the extreme end of the spectrum. He was quoted as saying after his
1955 electoral victory, By electing a member of the smallest domiciled community [the Jewish community]

1
Yeo, Kim Wah, & Lau, Albert. From Colonialism to Independence, 1945-1965. In A History of Singapore, pp. 117. Edited
by Chew, E. C. T., Lee, Edwin. Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1991.
2
Yeo & Lau. From Colonialism to Independence, 1945-1965 pp. 118
Name: Tan Zeng Yee Shalom
Matric No.: A0114430Y

here they have proved that Singapore can work, think and act non-communally3. There is considerable and
sufficient evidence to validate the existence of a Singaporean nationalism in those tumultuous times.

In conclusion, a multitude of events beginning with the Japanese Occupation altered the local peoples way of
life, which triggered political representation and geared them towards a gradual awareness of a need for an
identity of their own. This is enough to justify the presence of nationalist ideals before 1965. Moreover, based
on the popularity of more neutral parties like LF and PAP, we can conclude that the people of Singapore
leaned towards a notion of independence unlike that in old Malaya or the one advocated by communists. The
nationalism was unique, and it was decidedly Singaporean.

I acknowledge that this research essay is the product of my own work and research. All materials consulted
including websites have been duly cited and credited.

- END -

3
Tan, Kelvin Y.L., "Marshall in Singapore < http://www.gohd.com.sg/site/gohd-books-blog/37-blog-posts/130-a-
tribute-to-david-saul-marshall-memorable-quotes.html>, retrieved 19/02/2014