ReVisiting Singapore’s 1962 Battle for Merger:

“A Longer Victory would have been Very Bad for my Future”

By MIKOspace

The 1962 Battle for Merger was also The Battle for my Future.

A young boy heard on the radio a man’s voice urging Singaporeans to join Malaya “or else, we will not survive” or words to that effect. His “language of survival” in a calm, authoritative voice exuding the confidence of leadership was sufficient to elicit trust and faith, and I also somehow felt the need of that defining moment. In 1962, more than 70% Singaporeans voted for Merger. And I became a “Malaysian” in the newly formed country, Malaysia, on 30 August 1963.

I can recall no particular affective feelings toward Malaysia, really. On 9 August 1965, Singapore was booted out of Malaysia at the stroke of midnight like a pariah and bastard child. 

The failure of Merger was a heavy blow to Prime Minister Lee, who believed that it was crucial for Singapore’s survival.  I saw on black&white TV how then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew cried as he announced Singapore’s eviction by Malaysia. He was in deep anguish, clearly disappointed and with extreme emotional pain permeating every part of his body. It was a language of despair, of utter disappointment, of hopelessness, of helplessness that seemed to signal the beginning of our inevitable journey into oblivion.  

It was better this way, Really. The early joy of Merger Victory had been followed by two years of love-hate, bittersweet honeymoon disputing the conflicting visions of a meritocratic, multicultural “Malaysian Malaysia” vs a Malay-dominant, racist, ethnic supremacist “Malay Malaysia”. With no ethnic group then exceeding 50% in the population, a Malaysian Malaysia would have made the most sensible choice, but not to the powerful Malay political elites and their interest groups.  A saline mixture of fresh and sea water would still taste salty, even if we had remained in Malaysia.

The Promised Land of Malaysia two years earlier had turned into a Desert of Acrimony. The Mirage of Mutual Prosperity clouded the Reality of sandy Political Interests.  We could not be forced into drinking the sand of political racism to quench our thirst for justice and equality.  And We refused to mistake it for the precious water needed to nurture our dream of Nationhood.

A longer Merger victory would see Singapore today becoming like resource-rich but poor Sabah and Sarawak. Both had entered Merger with Malaysia in 1963 on more or less similar terms as Singapore. Both had to surrender tremendous earnings to the Central Government in Kuala Lumpur without receiving any reciprocating and proportionate benefits of supposedly mutual prosperity. For both Sabah and Sarawak, their Merger victories were pyrrhic.

Malaysia today is understood in term of a class structure of social inequality created by her mostly Malay power elites. Political Racism in Malaysia nurtures a large number of politically connected Bumiputra (Native and Muslim) rent seekers promoting a business system riddled with kickbacks and corruption. Malaysia as a Promised Land exists only as an illusion. Our Victorious Merger with Malaysia would have been as pyrrhic as Sabah’s and Sarawak’s.

SINGAPORE IS NOT EASY. It took Hard Work, Long Patience, Deep Endurance, Plenty of Diligence, Many Lessons from Mistakes and Lots of Good Fortune to get to where we are Today.  FIFTY YEARS ON, I am glad that we Won briefly But LOST the Merger Battle. A Longer Victory would have been Very Bad for mine and Our Future.

From the Ashes of a Failed Vision, We had emerged More Prosperous, Stronger, More Rugged, More Resilient, More Robust and More Independent.  Our RIGHT to Survive with Independent Sovereignty CANNOT and MUST NEVER be compromised or sacrificed. Our Authenticity as a Nation providing Exceptional Value to the World MUST Always be visibly Demonstrated without Any Equivocation.

Our Greatest Moment as “One People, One Nation” was in picking up the Pieces of our young Nation when so Many had written us Off.  We had Believed in One Another when we Failed in our Merger Victory, and we Prevailed.  It is always easier to keep our faith and believing when we are succeeding. And TODAY as we reach our Jubilee 50 years old, and grappled with New Issues of Survival, let it not be forgotten that We Once Had a Difficult Birth, a Risky Delivery, a Vulnerable Existence and a Daunting Struggle to Continually Assert Our Right to Live among the Nations as a Sovereign Nation Deserving of Their Respect, Friendship and Admiration.  Let’s continue to Believe in Each Other and Ourselves as We March into the next 50 Years and beyond.

Kopi Level - Blue

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Singapore's 1962 Battle For Merger ReVisited

The silence of the sheep

The barrage of attacks against Roy Ngerng and Han Hui Hui for heckling Special Needs Children is followed by a police investigation for unlawful assembly at Hong Lim Park. Several protesters had been called up by the Police to assist in the investigation. Han Hui Hui had been called up too and so was Roy, but he was overseas.

Social media is on fire with what they see as victimisation against the two youngsters. Many netizens have stood up in their defence, to dismiss the accusations against them as senseless and baseless. Many have been working overtime digging out facts and even the constitution to prove their innocence. Other than the social media and netizens, who could the two youngsters and the protesters depend on to speak out for them? The Police are investigating a complaint against them and are unlikely to be on their side.

Could Roy and Hui Hui fall back on the politicians? Funny, this island got politicians or not? Why not a sound heard from any politician on this case? Maybe this is not a political issue and no politicians want to get involved. Politicians only want to serve the people but don’t like this kind of things. No wonder there is an eerie silence from the politicians of all stripes and colours. Hey, would the new Singaporean First Party seize the moment?

It looks like there in only one man, other than Leong Sze Hian, that the two can rely on to defend their innocence, and in the courts of law. Yes, this is a rule of law country and the only redress is in the courts of law.

Another crowd funding coming up? This is probably the last avenue for citizens like Roy and Hui Hui that are on the wrong side of things. They have no one else to seek redress and support except the people. Isn’t it pathetic?

The politicians are so quiet. It is none of their business. See nothing, hear nothing, say nothing is the best. We are a first world country with first world politicians that are always ready to help and serve the people, but not one stepping forward to help Roy and Hui Hui.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Two controversial books/films eyeing for attention

The main media is showering praises to the book ‘Battle for Merger’ daily and everywhere. Another book or film, ‘To Singapore With Love’, on the same period of our history has been banned for factual errors. One can safely conclude that the first book, more like a compulsory reading for all Singaporeans and locals, is free from factual errors. And it will be turned into a film too. It may become our official history book in schools in time to come.

Now take a look at the title of the banned film that sounds more like a romantic fiction. Were the errors that made the govt saw red errors of history or errors of personal CVs that have little or insignificant impact on the course of our history? Or would such errors change the course or perception of our official history? No, not that serious. But they would have serious implications on our national security. My God, this must be very powerful material that could be of the same realm as religious scriptures or terrorist literature on DIY bomb making or how to bring down a govt! Otherwise how could this book/film be so dangerous to our national security?

Assuming that the film contains hypnotic doctrines that could inspire or hallucinate readers to bring down our govt, it would still take a certain kind of readers to believe in it and to be converted. Would the film be powerful enough to convert readers like those marching to Syria to join ISIS? Do we have any faith in the intelligence of our people to discriminate truth from falsehood, good from evil, what is good for the nation and people? Or is the assumption that Sinkies are really daft and could become dangerous after viewing the film be real?

According to Han Fook Kwang, it is not like that. To him this book is anything but dangerous. For in his Sunday Times article he advocated that the people be allowed to view both and make sense out of our history. It is good for the people to know both sides of the story to form an educated and informed opinion and to learn from our past. A good example is the recent fiasco at Hong Lim Park. Without the social media, what kind of impression would readers have by just reading the main media? They could even stone or lynch Roy and Hui Hui for heckling the Special Needs Children, for being irresponsible, inconsiderate and even behaving like hooligans.

In today’s electronic world of social media, no govt can stop the people from reading what they want to read. No one can shut their minds, blindfold them and hold their hands like little children to the ice cream stall. The people will read what they want to read/see and will want to form their own opinions of things. They would not be gagged, be blinded and be told what they can read or what they cannot read. Only those living in the Stone Age will think they can do that to a city of modern and well educated population.

If the film ‘To Singapore With Love’ is dangerous and untouchable, then Han Fook Kwang is advocating something very dangerous. Cannot be lah. He cannot be so stupid to do such a thing. He does not have an Imperial Medal that would spare his life from persecution. He is simply telling a simple truth, that it is better for the people to find out their own truth normally than to keep them from a different truth and getting irritated by the process of banning them from seeing the other truth.

The citizens are not daft, not little unthinking children anymore. The children have grown up.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Hong Lim Affair – What is the truth?

Han Hui Hui has told her story of the midnight visit by the Police to serve her the notice to assist in an investigation on the Hong Lim Protest. In her article that was circulating in the social media she mentioned that the interview was from 2pm to 10pm though it started at 2.30pm. During the interview she was not given any food or refreshment. Her note book was seized by the Police and they even attempted to take her handphone away

In the Sunday Times today, the Police replied that they had tried to contact her many times by phone. When this failed, they went to her home at 9.30pm to serve the notice to appear at the Police station. They also said that it was Hui Hui who asked for the interview timing to be changed but later she turned up at 2.30pm. The interview lasted until 9.30pm. During the interview the Police provided her with refreshments and she took several breaks except for dinner. No dinner?

The Police are conducting the investigation as someone had made a police report. The Police did not disclose the identity of the person making the report or the nature of the complaint. It must be important, whether the person reporting/complainant or the nature of the offence. If not, how could the Police justify spending so many resources, manpower and time to investigate this incident?  And they took 7 solid hours to interview Han Hui Hui alone. The matter must be real serious.

Would the Police also interview Teo Ser Luck, the NPark Director, the YMCA officials and Police Officers at the scene to get the hole picture? Oops, typing error, I meant the whole picture.

Whatever, now that the two sides have given their stories, and obviously the facts from both parties are miles apart, someone is going to be charged for lying or making false statements. The facts can be easily proven in this case, I think.

I am not going to ask what do you think. Facts are facts and shouldn’t require thinking when the facts are still hot on top of the stove.

Kopi Level - Yellow

Hong Lim Affair – Who entraps who?

There is this theory going around that Roy Ngerng and Han Hui Hui walked into a trap set up for them. I have another theory, that unwittingly Roy and Hui Hui had allowed a counter trap to fall in place and many fell in without know that the hunter is now the hunted.

The first theory was quite obvious to those who saw it that way. There was this huge party for Special Needs Children and senior citizens. These were vulnerable people and everyone should take special care not to encroach into their area of activities to upset or disturb them. And there were all the good reasons to let this party to be held side by side with Roy and Hui Hui’s protest. And it was very tempting, whether in the heat of the moment, intentionally or unintentionally, or being provoked, to wander into the forbidden zone and to be seen to be disturbing the peace, violating the space of the vulnerable. And finally, to irritate and agitate them, the authority appeared at the last moment asking them to move to another corner of the Park when this could be done well in advance.

Roy and Hui Hui apparently fell into this entrapment, marched into the forbidden zone to be seen as ‘heckling’ the Special Needs Children. Now they must face the music.

The other entrapment theory is that both Roy and Hui Hui would go as planned and let the authority mess up themselves in the eyes of the public by appearing as overbearing and intimidating two young persons. The authority would have to handle themselves very well and proper, with decency but without looking like thugs and gangsters bullying two youngsters. It would be a matter of how the law were used and interpreted and how the process of the law was being applied.

Now let’s recap this unfortunate incident to see if the authority has fallen into an entrapment by chance. The verdict would be in the eyes of the beholder. There would be those who would want to look for all the reasons to entrap Roy and Hui Hui. There would also be those who want to see how fair is the authority towards the citizens and whether there is an abuse of power, and to judge how the authority is behaving.

The granting of the two events with incompatible agenda and dynamics has already raised many eyebrows with many yelling entrapment. It was an event that could easily be avoided but allowed to happen for whatever reasons.

With Hui Hui and her party fully prepared with their video cameras to protect themselves, there came marching, a group of men that required serious make ups to look nice and friendly people, all caught in camera, towards a scrawny little girl that was less than 5 ft tall. It was like a scene from a gangland movie. And while some ruled that the little girl was in defiance, some would not look too kindly on the group of men muscling over the little girl.

The flurry of news splashed on the main media, followed with all the condemnations of ‘heckling’ of Special Needs Children, even from ministers and MPs appeared the next day. It made a very strong first impact on the readers. As days passed and more evidence was produced in the social media, this overload of news in a media that has low credibility rankings by international agencies started to turn rancid. No one believes that there was any heckling in the first place and the accusation was overdone and hardly could hold any water. It backfired and supported the conspiracy theory.

Everyone thinks that it would be blown over when sanity returns. But no. The social media is now filled with coverage of the knocking of doors in the quiet of the night by the police to serve notice to some participants at the protest rally, this time for suspicion of being members of an unlawful assembly. Many eyeballs are rolling. This is going to rattle nerves, and if the authority knows, would not go down well with the public. In the past it was easy as there was no social media. Today, everything comes under the glare of a spotlight.

I shouldn’t use any strong or emotional words on how this is being received by the public, especially the netizens. Comments in the social media have been one way, furious, totally negative, uncalled for, puzzling and exasperating. The authority got to be very careful in what it is doing and how it carries out its law enforcing duty. The people are watching and questioning, very cynical and unforgiving, if not very angry over the latest development.

Maybe the feedbacks in Reach are cheering and clapping at how successful was the first entrapment and failing to see the second entrapment.

Looking at the whole picture, has the authority fallen into an entrapment that puts a spotlight on them in a very negative way? If this is what the public/netizens are perceiving, this unwitting entrapment is going to be more serious and more costly to the govt. The govt must not be seen to be harassing the people or turning against the people. The govt is for the people, to protect the people, the guardian of the people. The authority is everything about the rule of law, fairness and justice to the people. The govt has to be extremely careful not to be seen to be bullying the people, or it will fall right into the entrapment.

Now we have this double entrapment theory, or entrapment within an entrapment. How would they turn out and who would end up the loser? Who is the heckler? Who is entrapping who?

Kopi Level - Yellow