absurdity

HISTORY



CHAPTER 3

>pull factors

- free immigrant policy
immigrants could come and go as they pleased

-free port status
traders did not have to pay coustom duties or taxes on goods they brought in or out
of singapore

-jobs and business opportunities

as a new settlement, Singapore had many jobs to be found.

Traders were also attracted by the many business opportunities.

-peaceful

immigrants were also attracted to singapore as it was rather peaceful and had no war.

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>how the immigrants contributed to Singapore's growth as a trading centre

-europeans

~set up companies and agent hoses that had links with europe

-chinese

~middlemen

usually straits-born chinese who clould speak english, malay and other local dialects.

traders from europe and the malay archipelago bought and sold their goods through them.

~coolie-agents

helped merchants and traders to look for workers from china or india

~coolies

unskilled labourers who worked at docks and construction sites.

~merchants

set up shops that catered to the needs of the immigrants and provided employment for them.

-indians
~successful in areas of banking and transportation
~a large number were labourors working at docks

-malays

~engaged in providing basic nessecities like firewood and foodstuff

~they were also gardeners and hunters. some were skilled shipbuilders

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chapter 5

>openning of suez canal; how did it benefit singapore?

-shorter distance to travel, reduction of shipping costs, less time

-expanded singapore's trade and maintained singapore's role as an important trading centre and port of call

-docks became overcrowded.

new harbour was built and later renamed Kepple Harbour.

-singapore harbour board was set up in 1912

-purpose was to make improvements to the port

-eg, wharves, docks, storehouses.

singapore became one of the busiest ports in the world.

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great depression

IMPACT

-economy based on overseas trade, hence also affected.

-widespread of unemployment and hardship

-migrants returned to their own countries

GOVERNMENT'S SOLUTION

-restrict and reduce the number of migrants coming into Singapore.

-arrange for large scale deportation of migrants to their own countries.

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chapter 6

how the british lost Singapore to Japan

-the japs had good military intelligence

~they observed the constuction of naval base and coastal defence

~took photographs of railways,roads and military installation

~sent spies to eavesdrop on british officers

-they underestimated the japanese

~ they thought that the Japanese airforce, army and navy were inferior
~the japanese had an advanced airforce and navy fleet which destroyed the British's outdated ones.

-The Japanese had a well trained army with good strategies and tactics.

~they were well trained in jungle warfare

~used bicyles to move through the malasian jungles while the british thought that it was impregnable.

singapore fell within seven days after the japanese reached johor.

why the british surrendered

-Percival was led to believe that they could not win

-there were too many problems and the soldiers were tired

-he was worried that more soldiers would be killed

-they were running out of food.

hence General Percival surrendered Singapore over to the Japanese in 1942

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Impact of Japanese Occupation

SOCIAL IMPACT

1) entry of Kempeitai caused fear in the citizens

-Singapore was renamed 'Syonan-to'

-Kempeitai controlled people using fear and torture

treatment of PoWs

-all British, Australian and allied Europeans were captured

-allied soldiers(all soldiers) were forced to march to Selarang Barracks and European civillians(europeans who were not involved in the war) were marched to Changi Prison.

treatment of Eurasians

-treated harshly as they were felt to be a threat

-Eurasians were Singapore Volunteer Corps and were involved in the fight against the Japanese

-they were imprisoned and some were put to death.

Treatment of Malays and Indians

-the Japanese tried to win support from them as they do not seem to be threats

-they persuaded them that they were here to free them from the British.

-some were sent to do forced labour at death railway camps.

Sook Ching

-japanese wanted to identify and eliminate any anti-japanese elements in the community.

-all adult males were told to gather where they could 'examined'

-those who cleared the test were given a stamp and told to go home

-the others would be killed at Changi and other beaches

2) People had to live with propaganda** campaign and changed to life and language

These were carried out so Singaporeans would be loyal to Japan:

-Propaganda was used in movies, newspapers and schools

-all government buildings, schools and japanese companies started with morning assembly( japan's national anthem). this was done to imbue the 'nippon seishin'(Japan Spirit) in them.

- Japanese was a compulsory subject in school.

**Defination of propaganda:

the use any kind of media to influence people's thinking/mindset

Economic impact

Contribution to war:

the chinese were forced to pay $50 million to the japanese as a form of punishment

Food Shortages

-Entreport trde affected, no food.

-Rationing was carried out in Singapore through rationing cards used to buy essential goods

-As a result, people suffered from malnutrition and poverty.

-the presence of black markets made life more difficult as they sold essential goods at exorbitant prices

-'banana notes'(issued by the japanese) only escalated prices and caused a massive inflation.

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Political Impact

Emergence of anti-japanese groups

-MPAJA formed by MCP

-Guerilla warfare(jungle warfare) was carried out

-another group, force 136 formed by the british

-members sent to india to be trained to organise sabotage activities

-one of the leaders was Lim Bo Seng

Erosion of people's respect for the british

-people shifted their attitude and loyalty about the british empire as the british were unable to protect them from the japanese

-this caused the emergence of local elites who wanted independence for Singapore