WA3 idk what

Constitutional changes -- a set of laws used in a country

EXTERNAL and INTERNAL developments led to constitutional
changes to be made
> a right to vote
> increased local involvement in government
EXTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS [ pages 64-66 ]
(developments around the world that influenced political developments in Singapore)
>>>
> independence of countries previously under colonial rule
> a rise of communism after wwII
> the threat of communism influence in singapore
> British made changes to win the support of locals.
**communism is a system where all property is public and people work and are
given things by the government according to their needs.
india - 15 august 1947
indonesia - 17 august 1945
vietnam - 2 september 1945

<<<<<<<<< history

<< all the memory work

 - Political ideology that is based on a common - Stands for equality in the society. People under
ownership, mainly concerned with equality and democracy is governed by a group of elected
fairness. people.
- In communism, the power is placed in a group -Democracy is a rule by the people and the
of people who decide the course of action. elected representatives are bound to fulfill the
- It is this group of people who decide on the wishes of the society.
activities of the public. These groups of people - Respects individuals' right to own property and
may interfere in the public life of others. means of production.
- Government take control of all the capital and - Permitted to practice religion
industry in the country in an effort to get rid of - All citizens have equal say and are treated
economic inequality. equally
- All religion abolished
- All members in state is equal

•For supporters of Democracy, choosing between Democracy and

Communism felt choosing between freedom and slavery.

• They believed that Communists had to accept

the control of the Communist Party and give up all their
freedom.

//

•Communists believed that the workers were not free in

democratic societies.

• To them the workers in a democratic society were the slaves of the farm, rich
landowners, factory owners and industrialists.

INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS [ page 67 ]

> harsh conditions that people faced during Japanese Occupation made people wonder
if
British were capable of ruling Singapore.
> by the 1950s, larger proportions of people were born locally.

> rise of political consciousness – people took an active interest in the political future of
Singapore.

> british made changes to satisfy people’s desire for involvement in the government

‘The rise of political consciousness was the primary factor that pushed the British to
make constitutional changes in post-war Singapore.’ How far do you agree with this
statement? Explain your answer. (12m)
I agree that the rise of political consciousness was the primary factor that pushed the
British to make constitutional changes in post-war Singapore. After the Japanese
Occupation, many people questioned British superiority. They thought it was unfair that
the British held the most important positions in the government. The harsh conditions
that people faced during that period also made them wonder if the British were capable
of ruling Singapore. Furthermore, by the 1950s, a larger proportion of people were born
locally. Many people hence took an interest in how Singapore was ruled and its political
future. More groups emerged to push the British for political changes, which were
introduced because the British recognised the people had a genuine desire for more
political control over Singapore.

I disagree that the rise of political consciousness was the primary factor that pushed the
British to make constitutional changes in post-war Singapore. External factors such as
the fact that many countries previously under colonial rule were moving towards
independence played an important part in causing these changes. India, Indonesia and
Vietnam all gained independence within a few years after the end of World War II.
Coupled with that is the fear of communism would take root and spread in Singapore as
powerful countries like Russia and China were communist. The Malayan Communist
Party (MCP) was also set up to spread communist ideas in Malaya and Singapore and
there were people in Malaya who thought that communism offered ideas for resisting
British rule. The MCP had also earned the respect of some people because of its
involvement in fighting against the Japanese in the form of the Malayan People’s
Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA). The British, being anti-communist and having to fight
against the communists during the Malayan Emergency, decided that it was imperative
they made changes to the constitution so as to steer the people away from becoming
communists and engaging in armed struggle against the British rulers in order to gain
political control as those changes served to give them an avenue to participate in
governing Singapore.

In conclusion, I think it is hard to say that the rise of political consciousness was a
primary reason for the changes because an immediate concern of the British was indeed
to put down the communists and ensure that their alternative methods of gaining
political control through subversion, for example, were less attractive. The British made
those changes so that the people would cooperate and use peaceful methods to get
involved. Yet, the fact remains that if the people had no desire to be politically involved
in Singapore, such a concern would not arise, because no matter how hard the
communists tried to influence them, there was no way they would be swayed if they
were not interested in being involved in Singapore’s political affairs. It is hence a fair
statement that both internal factors like the rise of political consciousness and external
factors blended and played an important part in pushing the British to make these
constitutional changes.

‘The use of force by the Japanese was the most effective way to control the people in
Singapore during the Japanese Occupation.’ How far do you agree with this statement?
Explain your answer.

I agree that the use of force was indeed the most effective way to control the people in
Singapore during the Japanese Occupation. During the Japanese Occupation, the
Japanese asserted their authority on the people to squash rebellion. For example, the
Kempeitai carried out Sook Ching, a military operation aimed at removing anti-Japanese
elements in Singapore, particularly among the Chinese. Many Chinese men were forcibly
taken and indeed many were killed during this time. This instilled great fear among the
people and helped the Japanese control them as they were afraid of rebelling against
the Japanese rulers for fear of being hurt or killed.
I disagree that the use of force was indeed the most effective way to control the people
in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation. During the Japanese Occupation, the
Japanese also made use of propaganda, materials designed to influence the people to
think positively of the Japanese rulers, to control the people. Examples of such materials
include posters that showed Japanese soldiers being kind to the people in Singapore or
even films like ‘The Fall of Singapore’ that emphasized the failure of the British to defend
Singapore. All these served to help control the people in Singapore as they were meant
to convince the population that the Japanese rulers were working for their benefit and
they therefore had no reason or need to rebel and work against them. Instead, they
should cooperate with the Japanese rulers. This way, the Japanese were effectively
controlling the people in Singapore.

In conclusion, looking at the use of force and the use of propaganda, I would say that the
most effective way to control the people in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation
was the former. This was because the fear of losing one’s life or even loved ones was
indeed a big motivation for people not to disobey the Japanese rulers. The use of force
indeed produced immediate compliance with the rules the Japanese rulers had come up
with during that time. Other methods like the use of propaganda, however effective
they were, would not possibly have effected such an immediate, quick change in
external behaviour towards the Japanese rulers.