1962 Singaporean integration referendum

Last updated

1962 Singaporean integration referendum
Flag of Singapore.svg
1 September 1962
OPTION A
I support merger giving Singapore autonomy in labour, education and other agreed matters as set out in Command Paper No. 33 of 1961, with Singapore citizens automatically becoming citizens of Malaysia.

OPTION B
I support complete and unconditional merger for Singapore as a state on an equal basis with the other eleven states in accordance with the Constitutional documents of the Federation of Malaya.

OPTION C
I support Singapore entering Malaysia on terms no less favourable than those given to the Borneo territories.
Results
Choice
Votes %
Option A397,62695.82%
Option B9,4222.27%
Option C7,9111.91%
Valid votes414,95973.89%
Invalid or blank votes146,60026.11%
Total votes561,559100.00%
Registered voters/turnout619,86790.59%

A referendum on the terms of integration into the Federation of Malaya was held in Singapore on 1 September 1962. There were three options. At the time of the referendum, Singapore was a self-governing country since 1959, although the British Empire still controlled external relations.

Contents

Option A, which provided for the highest level of autonomy with special status, was the option selected on nearly 96% of valid ballots. [1] 26% of voters cast blank or invalid ballots – mostly the former – meaning that Option A was selected by 71% of those who participated in the referendum, or by 64% of registered voters. [2] [3] The high number of blank votes are due to an attempted boycott by the Barisan Sosialis (Socialist Front) as there was no option that rejected integration entirely.

With the results of the referendum, the states of Malaya, Singapore as well as the crown colonies of North Borneo and Sarawak merged to form the Federation of Malaysia. The union would prove tenuous due to various factors, and would end up lasting for just one year, ten months and 24 days before Singapore ultimately became a fully sovereign country.

Background

The first internal challenge to merger with the Federation of Malaya came from and grew out of a political struggle between the People's Action Party (PAP) and their opponents included the Barisan Sosialis (Socialist Front), the Liberal-Socialist Party, the Workers' Party, the United People's Party and the Partai Rakyat (People's Party).

In Singapore, the PAP sought formation of Malaysia on the basis of the strong mandate it obtained during the general elections of 1959 when PAP won 43 of the 51 seats. However, this mandate became questionable when dissension within the party led to a split. In July 1961, following a debate on a vote of confidence in the government, 13 PAP Assemblymen [lower-alpha 1] were expelled from the PAP for abstaining from voting. Subsequently, they formed a new political party, Barisan Sosialis, reducing the PAP's majority in the Legislative Assembly to 26 of the 51 seats.

The ruling PAP was not legally obliged to call for a referendum, but did so to secure the mandate of the people. However, the Barisan Sosialis, a left-wing socialist party consisting of former PAP members with communist sympathies pedigree to the opposition to the colonialism, and imperialism movements were alleged that the people did not support merger, [4] but Lee Kuan Yew declared that people did. [5]

The referendum did not have an option of objecting to the idea of merger because no one had legitimately raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly before then. However, the methods had been debatable. The referendum was therefore called to resolve the issue as an effort to decide objectively which option the people backed. The legitimacy of the referendum was often challenged by Singaporean left-wingers, due to the lack of an option to vote against the merger.

Council of Joint Action

The Council of Joint Action (CJA) founded by 19 members of the Assembly [lower-alpha 2] to block the merger and scuttle the referendum by taking the issue before the UN Committee on Colonialism. On 6 July 1962, The CJA signed a memorandum condemning the referendum on the grounds that the proposed constitutional changes and to assure its continued right to bases in Singapore, and to protect its privileged economic position. The CJA also criticized the terms, and the lack of choice in the referendum. In the memorandum, The CJA concluded that the transfer of sovereignty would be contrary to the spirit and resolution of the United Nations General Assembly's Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

Proposed

Option and Symbols [6] Description of Status
Option A Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore
  1. Singapore would retain autonomy in educational, healthcare and labour issues. [1]
  2. Singapore would also get to keep its own language policies with English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil as official languages. [1]
  3. With high amounts of autonomy, Singapore would consequently have a reduced representation in the Parliament of Malaysia, being allocated fifteen seats in the Dewan Rakyat in the first post-merger Parliament. [1]
  4. All Singapore citizens would automatically become citizens of Malaysia. [1]
Option B Flag of Penang (1957-1965).svg Penang (equivalent)
Flag of Malacca.svg Malacca (equivalent)
  1. Singapore would enter on terms no less favourable than the other former Straits Settlements of Penang and Malacca. This would put Singapore on an equal footing as the other Malayan states as set out in the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948, [7] with no more autonomy than the other Malayan states.
  2. English and Malay would be the official languages. [1]
  3. Only those born in Singapore or descended from the Singapore-born would automatically become citizens of Malaysia. [1]
  4. There would also be proportional representation in Parliament from Singapore. [1]
Option CFlag of North Borneo (1948-1963).svg North Borneo (equivalent)
Flag of Sarawak (1947-1963).svg Sarawak (equivalent)
  1. Singapore would enter on terms no less favourable than the Borneo territories, North Borneo and Sarawak. [1]
  2. Only those born in Singapore or descended from the Singapore-born would automatically become citizens of Malaysia. [1]

Campaign

Strongly against the referendum, the Barisan Sosialis called for a boycott of the referendum, telling supporters to submit blank votes in protest of the "rigged" referendum. Over 144,000 blank votes were cast, over a quarter of all votes. [1] That move had been anticipated by the ruling PAP government, as seen by the insertion of a clause that stated that all blank would be counted as a vote for the option that wins the most votes if there was no outright majority [1] or that blank votes would be counted as Option A. [8]

The mass media campaign fielded by both sides was extremely heated, many of the leaders on both sides broadcast radio shows in several languages.

Results

ChoiceVotes%
Option A397,62695.82
Option B9,4222.27
Option C7,9111.91
Total votes414,959100
Valid votes414,95973.89
Invalid votes1530.03
Blank votes144,07725.66
Unclear votes2,3700.42
Total votes cast561,559100
Registered voters/turnout619,86790.59
Source: Direct Democracy

Aftermath

Backed by the official mandate, the Agreement relating to Malaysia between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Federation of Malaya, North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore was signed on 9 July 1963.

Singapore entered into merger with Malaya on 16 September 1963, marking the birth of Malaysia. However, this union would be short-lived due to constant disagreements between the central government of Malaysia and the state government of Singapore. With the Independence of Singapore Agreement 1965, Singapore ceased to be a state of Malaysia on 9 August 1965 when it became an fully sovereign independent country. [9]

See also

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Kuan Yew</span> Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990

Lee Kuan Yew, often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean statesman and lawyer who served as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990, and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party from 1954 to 1992. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tanjong Pagar from 1955 until his death in 2015. Lee is widely recognised as the founding father of the modern Singaporean state, and for his leadership in turning and transforming it into a highly developed country during his tenure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Action Party</span> Political party in Singapore

The People's Action Party (PAP) is a major conservative political party of the centre-right in Singapore. It is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in the Parliament of Singapore, alongside the opposition Workers' Party (WP) and the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barisan Sosialis</span> Political party in Singapore

Barisan Sosialis was a political party in Singapore. It was formed on 29 July 1961 and officially registered on 13 August 1961 by left-wing members of the People's Action Party (PAP) who had been expelled from the PAP. The prominent founding members of the Barisan were Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong. It became the biggest opposition party in Singapore in the 1960s and the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lim Chin Siong</span> Singaporean politician (1933–1996)

Lim Chin Siong was a Singaporean politician and union leader active in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s. He was one of the founders of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed the country continuously since independence. Lim also used his popularity to galvanise many trade unions in support of the PAP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Coldstore</span> Covert security operation in Singapore

Operation Coldstore was the code name for a covert anti-communist security operation that took place in Singapore on 2 February 1963, which was then an internally self-governing state within the British Empire. It led to the arrest of 113 people, who were detained without trial pursuant to the Preservation of Public Service Security Ordinance (PSSO).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1963 Singaporean general election</span> Elections to the 3rd Legislative Assembly of Singapore

General elections were held in Singapore on 21 September 1963, five days after Singapore became part of Malaysia. Voters elected all 51 members of the Legislative Assembly. The elections were the only ones to date with no boundary changes to any existing constituencies prior to the elections. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party (PAP), which won 37 of the 51 seats, while the majority of the remaining seats were won by Barisan Sosialis (BS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore People's Alliance</span> Former Political party in Singapore

The Singapore People's Alliance was a political coalition in Singapore founded in 1958, comprising the Labour Front and Liberal Socialist Party. It has never won any seats in the Parliament of Singapore. However, the party did win 4 seats to the Singaporean Legislative Assembly in the general election of 1959 under the leadership of former Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock, with a popular vote of 107,755 or 20.7% of the total number of votes. Following the election, the Liberal Socialist Party merged into it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1965 in Singapore</span> Singapore-related events during 1965

The following lists events that happened during 1965 in Singapore.

The following lists events that happened during 1961 in Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Singapore</span> United Kingdom legislation

The history of the modern state of Singapore dates back to its founding in the early 19th century; however, evidence suggests that a significant trading settlement existed on the island in the 14th century. The last ruler of the Kingdom of Singapura, Parameswara, was expelled by the Majapahit or the Siamese before he founded Malacca. Singapore then came under the Malacca Sultanate and subsequently the Johor Sultanate. In 1819, British statesman Stamford Raffles negotiated a treaty whereby Johor would allow the British to locate a trading port on the island, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Crown colony of Singapore in 1867. Important reasons for the rise of Singapore were its nodal position at the tip of the Malay Peninsula flanked by the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the presence of a natural sheltered harbour, as well as its status as a free port.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1959 Singaporean general election</span> Elections to the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Singapore

General elections were held in Singapore on 30 May 1959. They were held under the new constitution and were the first in which all 51 seats in the Legislative Assembly were filled by election. This was the first election victory for the People's Action Party (PAP), as they won a landslide victory with 43 seats. The party has remained in power ever since.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self-governance of Singapore</span> Historical progress from UK colony (1819) to sovereign state (1965)

The self-governance of Singapore was carried out in several stages. Since the founding of Singapore in 1819, Singapore had been under the colonial rule of the British. The first local elections on a limited scale for several positions in the government of Singapore started in 1948 following an amendment to the Constitution of Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore in Malaysia</span> 1963–1965 Singaporean statehood in Malaysia

Singapore, officially the State of Singapore, was one of the 14 states of Malaysia from 1963 to 1965. Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963 by the merger of the Federation of Malaya with the former British colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. This marked the end of the 144-year British rule in Singapore which began with the founding of modern Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. At the time of merger, it was the smallest state in the country by land area, but the largest by population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 Singaporean general election</span> Elections to the 7th Parliament of Singapore

General elections were held in Singapore on 3 September 1988. President Wee Kim Wee dissolved parliament on 17 August 1988 on the advice of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won 80 of the 81 seats. This was the last time Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew led the PAP in an election.

Two by-elections were held in 1961. The first by-election, for the Hong Lim constituency, was held on 29 April with the nomination day held on 11 March, while the second by-election, for the Anson constituency, was held on 15 July with the nomination day held on 10 June.

Lim Hock Siew was a Singaporean politician, political prisoner and medical doctor.

The University Socialist Club was a left-wing student group active from 1953 to 1971 that played an important role in the politics of colonial Malaya and post-colonial Malaysia and Singapore. Members of the club played a significant role in bringing independence from the British Empire and in debates over the shape of the post-colonial nation. The club was instrumental in the formation and early success of the People's Action Party (PAP) and later, the Barisan Sosialis Party. Prominent members of the Club included Wang Gungwu, S.R. Nathan, Poh Soo Kai, Sydney Woodhull, Lim Hock Siew, and Tommy Koh and M. K. Rajakumar.

Poh Soo Kai is a Singaporean medical doctor, politician, political prisoner. He was a founding member of the University Socialist Club and the People's Action Party (PAP).

Sandrasegaran "Sidney" Woodhull was a Singaporean lawyer, former politician and political prisoner. He was a founding member of the University of Malaya's University Socialist Club, and the Singapore's political parties, People's Action Party and the Barisan Sosialis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. T. Rajah</span> Singaporean politician and lawyer

Thampore Thamby Rajah, better known as T. T. Rajah, was a Singaporean politician and lawyer who served as Secretary-General of the People's Action Party for a short period of time in 1957 before joining the Barisan Sosialis in 1961.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Singapore, 1 September 1962: Integration with Malaya Direct Democracy (in German)
  2. ↑ "Yes – What a win for Premier Lee". The Straits Times . Singapore Press Holdings. 2 September 1962. p. 1. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  3. ↑ "Merger "Yes"". The Straits Times . Singapore Press Holdings. 3 September 1962. p. 1. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  4. ↑ Singapore Legislative Assembly Debates, 24 November 1961, pp689–692
  5. ↑ Lee Kuan Yew, The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Kuan Yew (Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings, 1998) p393
  6. ↑ Image of ballot paper, Database and Search Engine for Direct Democracy
  7. ↑ The UK Statute Law Database: Formation of the Malay States and of the Settlements of Penang and Malacca into a new independent Federation of States under Federation of Malaya Constitution.
  8. ↑ Singapore National Referendum Ordinance 1961.
  9. ↑ Independence of Singapore Agreement 1965 Archived 28 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine and the Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Singapore Act 1966.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.