Singapore is British again! (ST, Sept 7, 1945) Japanese out. British in.	Singapore was reborn after the war. The three-year occupation by an Asian power knocked down the idea that the West was all-powerful. Click to read excerpts about life then. The local people now no longer wanted the Western powers to be their leaders. The first political party in Singapore, the Malayan Democratic Union, was formed in December 1945. This was followed by other parties, such as the Singapore Progressive Party and the Singapore Labour Party. It was a signal to the British powers that the people wanted more say in government.
Malaya’s strong man is named (ST, Jan 12, 1952) Who would lead the fight against the Communists? Five dead, 100 hurt in riots (ST, Dec 12, 1950) The Maria Hertogh case	But a more immediate threat to British rule was the Communist armed insurgency, which began in 1948. The Communists formed the Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA) during the Japanese Occupation. They operated from their hideout in the jungle. After the war, they only gave up a few of their weapons to the British. The rest were hidden in the jungle. The MPAJA was still alive and kicking. The Communists were prepared to challenge the British for the control of Singapore and the Malay peninsula and try to win over the people’s support for their cause. At the same time, the government also had to deal with the problems of a multi-racial society. In December 1950, racial riots erupted. It started with a legal fight. Maria Hertogh, a Dutch girl, was brought up by a Malay woman as a Muslim during the Japanese Occupation. After the war, the girl's natural mother came back to claim her. The High Court ruled in favour of the natural mother and riots broke out.
We’ve got election fever (ST, April 1, 1955) Electing Singapore's first Chief Minister	Meanwhile, other alternatives to the British and Communists appeared on the Singapore political scene. Politicians, such as David Marshall and Lim Yew Hock, wanted self-government for Singapore but they did not agree with the methods and ideas of the Communists. They preferred to win self-government through talks and co-operation with the British. In 1955, Singapore achieved limited self-government. This meant that the British still controlled some areas of government, such as internal security. David Marshall: Famous criminal lawyer David Marshall became Singapore’s first Chief Minister after he led the Labour Front party to victory in the election. He resigned the following year, after failing to negotiate for full self-government. Lim Yew Hock took over from Marshall.   Moses' start page Leslie's start page Nura's start page Chee Beng's start page Previous More Copyright © 1998 Singapore Press Holdings. All Rights Reserved.