History of the Republic of Singapore facts for kids
The history of Singapore as an independent country began on 9 August 1965. On this day, Singapore separated from Malaysia and became its own independent republic. As a new nation, Singapore faced many challenges. These included a lot of people without jobs, not enough homes, and a lack of land and natural resources like oil.
During the time Lee Kuan Yew was prime minister (from 1959 to 1990), his government worked hard to solve these problems. They helped reduce unemployment, improved how people lived, and built many public homes. Singapore also developed its economy, reduced tensions between different races, and created its own strong defense system. By the end of the 20th century, Singapore had changed from a developing country to a developed nation.
In 1990, Goh Chok Tong became the next prime minister. During his time, Singapore dealt with economic problems from the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the SARS outbreak in 2003. The country also faced threats from terrorist groups after the September 11 attacks and the 2002 Bali bombings. In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Kuan Yew's oldest son, became the third prime minister.
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Becoming Independent from Malaysia
Singapore joined Malaysia on 16 September 1963. This union included Malaya, North Borneo, and Sarawak. People thought this merger would help the economy by creating a large, free market. It was also hoped to make Singapore safer. However, the union was not easy.
There were disagreements between Singapore's government and the Malaysian federal government. One main issue was Malaysia's policies that gave special benefits to Malays. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and other leaders wanted equal treatment for all races in Malaysia. Their slogan was "Malaysian Malaysia!"
Tensions between Chinese and Malay communities grew, leading to several riots. The most serious were the 1964 race riots on 21 July, where 23 people died and hundreds were hurt. Food prices also went up a lot because transport was stopped during the unrest, making life harder for everyone.
The governments also disagreed on money matters. Leaders in Malaysia worried that Singapore's strong economy would take away political power from Kuala Lumpur. Even though they had agreed to a common market, Singapore still faced limits when trading with the rest of Malaysia. In return, Singapore did not give Sabah and Sarawak all the loans they had promised for economic growth. The situation became very tense, and talks broke down. Some Malaysian leaders even called for arresting Lee Kuan Yew.
To avoid more violence, Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman decided to remove Singapore from the federation. On 9 August 1965, the Parliament of Malaysia voted 126-0 to expel Singapore. All Singaporean Members of Parliament (MPs) did not vote. On that day, a tearful Lee Kuan Yew announced on TV that Singapore was now a fully independent nation. He famously said, "For me, it would be a moment of anguish. I mean for me, it is a moment of anguish because all my life... you see the whole of my adult life.. I have believed in merger and the unity of these two territories. You know it's a people connected by geography, economics, and ties of kinship..." Singapore then became the Republic of Singapore.
Building a New Nation (1965-1970s)
After suddenly becoming independent, Singapore needed other countries to recognize its independence quickly. At this time, there were conflicts in the region and tensions worldwide. The Konfrontasi (a conflict with Indonesia) was happening, and some groups in Malaysia still opposed Singapore's separation. Singapore feared being attacked by Indonesia or forced back into Malaysia on unfair terms.
With help from Malaysia, Taiwan, and India, Singapore joined the United Nations on 21 September 1965. It also joined the Commonwealth in October that year. A new foreign ministry was created, led by Sinnathamby Rajaratnam. He helped Singapore become recognized and build relationships with other countries. Joining international groups also helped boost trade. Singapore later helped start ASEAN on 8 August 1967, joined the Non-Aligned Movement in 1970, and later the World Trade Organization.
In 1971, the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) was set up. This agreement was between Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Britain. As a tiny island, many people doubted if Singapore could survive as a country. Besides independence, the main problems were unemployment, housing, education, and a lack of natural resources and land.
Singapore also faced threats from terrorism. By the 1970s, the Malayan Communist Party had split into smaller groups. While not as strong as before, they still posed a danger. Police found many weapons during raids against these groups. In this decade, communists carried out violent acts, including killing a 7-year-old girl in Changi in 1970. There was also a bomb explosion in Katong in 1974 and an attempt to kill Singapore's Police Commissioner in 1976.
Singapore's first experience with international terrorism happened on 31 January 1974. Foreign terrorists hijacked the ferry boat Laju and held crew members hostage. The terrorists had earlier attacked an oil refinery to disrupt oil supply. After days of talks, the hijackers agreed to release the hostages. In return, they were given safe passage from Singapore to Kuwait. A group of Singapore government officials, led by S. R. Nathan, went with the hijackers to ensure their safe passage. Nathan was then a director at the Ministry of Defense and later became President of Singapore. The Singapore team returned on 9 February 1974.
The number of people without jobs was high, between 10% and 12%. This threatened to cause social unrest. Losing access to the Malaysian market and having few natural resources meant Singapore had no easy ways to earn money. Many people had little formal education. Traditional trade through Singapore's port, which made it successful in the 1800s, was no longer enough to support the growing population.
Boosting the Economy
Singapore invested a lot to make its economy grow. The Economic Development Board was set up in 1961 by Goh Keng Swee. With help from Dutch advisor Albert Winsemius, plans were made to boost Singapore's manufacturing sector. Industrial areas were built, especially in the reclaimed swampy land of Jurong. Government ministers traveled the world to attract foreign companies to invest. The government offered new investors tax breaks for 5–10 years.
Singapore's port gave it an advantage. It was a good place to export finished goods and import raw materials. This helped industries in Singapore find international markets easily and get cheaper raw goods. Singapore's growing industries meant that raw materials were processed into finished products. This added more value and brought more income to the island. This became a good alternative to a common market with Malaysia. Later, a form of common market was created with ASEAN.
The service industry also grew, driven by demand from ships at the port and increasing business. This helped reduce unemployment. With Winsemius's help, Singapore attracted large oil companies like Shell and Esso. They built oil refineries in Singapore. By the mid-1970s, Singapore became the third-largest oil-refining center in the world.
Singapore's new economic direction needed a skilled workforce. Its leaders decided early on that people needed to be good at English. This was because they would work with foreign employers or business partners. English became the main language for teaching in all schools. The education system was made tough and focused on practical skills, like technical sciences, rather than just ideas. About one-fifth of Singapore's budget was spent on education to create a large, skilled workforce. The government still keeps spending at this level today.
New Homes for Everyone
There was a big shortage of good housing, and many people lived in squatter settlements. Along with high unemployment, this led to social problems like crime, poor living conditions, and unrest. These squatter homes were often built from materials that caught fire easily and were poorly built, leading to high fire risks. A famous example is the Bukit Ho Swee Fire in 1961. Also, poor sanitation in these areas caused infectious diseases to spread.
The Housing Development Board (HDB), set up before independence, continued to be very successful under Lim Kim San. Huge building projects quickly provided cheap, affordable public housing. This helped move squatters into proper homes, solving a major social problem. In the first two years, 25,000 apartments were built. It was amazing that within ten years, most of the population lived in HDB apartments. This success was due to the government's strong will, large budgets, and efforts to reduce bureaucracy and corruption. In 1968, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Housing Scheme was started. This allowed people to use their CPF savings to buy HDB flats, which increased home ownership in Singapore.
Another challenge was creating a national identity and unity among the people. Many residents were born in other countries and still felt more connected to their homelands than to Singapore. This could cause problems with loyalty and lead to more racial riots. To solve racial tension, a policy was put in place to build national identity through school education and flag ceremonies. This is still a big part of the school curriculum today, called "National Education." Its main goal is to teach students a sense of "national togetherness." The Singapore National Pledge, written by Sinnathamby Rajaratnam, was introduced in 1966. It stresses unity among people "regardless of race, language or religion."
The justice and law system was changed. The government took steps to overcome labor unrest and disputes. Strict labor laws were passed to protect workers better. At the same time, these laws allowed for longer working hours and fewer holidays to increase productivity. The labor movement was brought together under the National Trades Union Congress, with close government oversight. By the end of the 1960s, the number of labor strikes had greatly reduced.
Singapore also took over companies that could not survive on their own or were important public services. These companies were "nationalized," meaning the government owned them. Singapore Power, Public Utilities Board, SingTel, and Singapore Airlines (SIA) are good examples. These were often companies that provided important services like electricity or transport, which helped other businesses. For example, better power infrastructure attracted more foreign investors. Recently, the government has started to sell parts of these companies to the public. SingTel and Singapore Airlines are now publicly listed companies, though the government still owns large shares.
Building a Strong Defense Force
Another big issue around this time was national defense. After independence, the British military was still defending Singapore. But they announced they would leave by 1971 due to problems at home and military duties elsewhere. This caused much worry, especially for those who remembered the Japanese occupation during World War II. So, Singapore started National Service in 1967. This quickly grew the defense force, known as the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). Thousands of young men were required to serve at least two years of full-time National Service. After that, they would be called back for reservist duties, meaning they would get occasional military training and be ready to fight in emergencies.
In 1965, Goh Keng Swee became Minister for the Interior and Defense. He began forming a national defense force, the Singapore Armed Forces. It was planned to be ready by the time the British left. The British agreed to delay their departure for six months, but no longer. Dr. Goh Keng Swee spoke to Parliament on 23 December 1965, saying, "Our army is to be engaged in the defense of the country and our people against external aggression. This task we are unable to do today by ourselves. It is no use pretending that without the British military presence in Singapore today, the island cannot be easily over-run by any neighboring country within a radius of 1000 miles, if any of them cared to do so..."
Singapore asked experts from West Germany and Israel to help train and equip its armed forces. As a small country surrounded by larger neighbors, Singapore spent a large part of its budget, about 19%, on defense. This continues today. Singapore has one of the highest military spending per person in the world.
Singapore was especially interested in Israel's model of national service. This model helped Israel win the Six-Day War against its Arab neighbors in 1967. This led to Singapore starting its own national service program in 1967. All 18-year-old males had to serve full-time for two and a half years. After that, they had to return each year for training to stay ready for any emergency.
This policy meant Singapore could quickly gather enough defense forces to stop any invasion. This was especially important against Indonesia during the Confrontation, when the British left in September 1971. Women were not required to do national service. The idea was that during wartime, they would support the economy while men fought. This policy is sometimes debated as being unfair. However, creating national service is thought to help strengthen national and racial ties. This is because young people from different races train together, creating a sense of unity.
Singapore's Growth (1980s-1990s)
Singapore's economy continued to grow strongly through the 1980s. The unemployment rate dropped to 3%, and the economy grew by about 8% each year until 1999. In the 1980s, Singapore needed to upgrade its industries to higher-technology fields. This was to compete with neighboring countries that were selling similar goods at lower prices. Singapore used to make things like textiles. A skilled workforce that was good at learning helped with this change. For example, people learned new jobs in the wafer fabrication industry, which quickly grew in Singapore.
Singapore Changi Airport opened in 1981. The growth of air travel further helped trade. It also made it easier for investors to come and go from the country. Along with Singapore Airlines, the hotel and tourism industries grew a lot.
The Housing Development Board continued to build public housing. New towns, like Ang Mo Kio, were designed and built. These towns had larger, better apartments and more facilities. Today, 80–90% of the population lives in HDB apartments. To encourage national unity and "racial harmony," the government planned to group different races together within the same housing estates. This HDB policy became a major part of Singaporean culture.
Singapore also upgraded its military. For example, the army's standard rifle, the L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle, was replaced with the lighter, United States-made M16. A Total Defence policy was created in 1984. This policy aimed to prepare the whole population to defend Singapore in five ways: economically, civilly (including hospitals), socially, psychologically, and militarily.
With continuous strong economic growth, Singapore became one of the world's most successful countries. It had strong international trade links. Its port is one of the busiest in the world. Singapore's income per person is higher than many leading Western European nations. The education budget remains high, and many of its policies, like promoting racial harmony, continue today.
One side effect of growth was more traffic congestion. In 1987, the first Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line was built. This train network later grew into a well-known example of a good public transport system. This network also made it much easier to travel across the island, which was not the case in the 1960s.
Changes in Politics
The political situation in Singapore is very stable. The PAP (People's Action Party) won all seats in parliament from 1966 to 1981. Then, J. B. Jeyaretnam of the Workers' Party of Singapore won a seat in a special election in 1981. Some activists call the PAP's rule "authoritarian." They believe some rules about political and media activities limit political rights. This has been the main complaint from opposition parties like the Workers' Party of Singapore and the Singapore Democratic Party.
The government of Singapore made several important changes. In 1984, the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament system was introduced. This allowed up to three losing opposition candidates to become MPs. In 1988, Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) were created. These are multi-seat voting areas meant to ensure that minority races are represented in parliament. In 1990, Nominated Member of Parliaments were introduced. These are non-elected, non-political MPs.
The Constitution was changed in 1991 to create an Elected President. This President has the power to reject decisions about national money reserves and public appointments. Opposition parties have complained that the GRC system makes it hard for them to win seats in parliamentary elections in Singapore. They say the voting system, especially in large GRCs, tends to exclude smaller parties. The PAP defends the system by saying it helps ensure minority races are represented by requiring a minority candidate in GRCs.
However, this does make it harder for opposition parties to win seats. Until the 2006 Singapore general election, the PAP always won enough seats without needing an election day, due to the changes in the election law. The opposition claims that the GRC system is a deliberate obstacle. Between 1991 and 2001, the opposition could not even find enough qualified candidates to challenge the PAP.
The arrest of Chee Soon Juan and lawsuits against J. B. Jeyaretnam, both opposition MPs, have been cited by opposition parties as examples of authoritarianism. They were also charged with slander for political criticism. The lack of clear separation of powers between the courts and the government led to more accusations of unfair justice. Further arrests of people active against the PAP, like Francis Seow, and even students, are part of these accusations.
In 1990, Lee Kuan Yew handed over leadership to Goh Chok Tong. Goh had a more open and listening style of leadership as the country continued to modernize. In 1997, Singapore felt the effects of the Asian financial crisis. Tough measures, like cuts in CPF contributions, were put in place.
Singapore Today (2000-Present)
Singapore faced some of its most serious crises after the war, including the SARS outbreak in 2003, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the threat of terrorism. In December 2001, a plan to bomb embassies and other buildings in Singapore was discovered. 15 members of the Jemaah Islamiyah group were arrested under the Internal Security Act. Major counter-terrorism measures were put in place to find and prevent possible terrorist acts and reduce damage if they happened. The economy was slightly affected during these crises. In 2003, the average monthly household income was SGD$4,870.
In 2004, Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Kuan Yew's oldest son, became Singapore's third prime minister. Since then, several national policy changes have been suggested and carried out. One change was reducing the National Service training time from two and a half years to two years in 2005. The government also started a "Cutting Red Tape" program. This allows citizens to share their ideas on laws, punishments, and social issues.
The 2006 Singapore general election is seen as a very important election in Singapore's history. This was because the internet and blogging were used heavily to cover the election, which was not controlled by the government. Just before the election, on 1 May 2006, the government gave a cash bonus, called the "progress package," to all adult citizens. This was worth SGD$2.6 billion. The PAP won the election, getting 82 out of 84 seats and 66% of the votes. During the election campaign, many opposition rallies had huge crowds. The Malaysian newspaper The Star estimated that over ten thousand people attended one rally on 30 April 2006.
Singapore's relationship with Malaysia after independence has been complex and sometimes difficult. Despite their differences, Malaysia remains an important economic partner and a regional ally, especially because both are members of ASEAN. This is very clear when you consider that much of Singapore's water supply comes from Malaysia. Both countries have sometimes criticized or even threatened each other due to different paths taken after independence. Luckily, this has never become serious enough to lead to trade bans or fighting.
There are increasing changes in the education system. Primary education became required in 2003. This education system was still very competitive. It tended to favor students who did well early on and sometimes overlooked struggling students through a process called streaming. This remains a debated issue today. It was a theme in the successful local film I Not Stupid, which also talks about the competitive culture caused by the education policy after independence. Although the education policy has changed over the years to address these concerns, the streaming issue is still noticeable.
The 2013 Population White Paper was released by the government. It suggested a future national population of 6.9 million by 2030. This was due to worries about people living longer, fewer babies being born, and an aging population in Singapore. This paper came out after two new integrated resorts (large entertainment complexes) were opened. These resorts also became the most profitable in the world in the same year.
