at 10 am on 9 august 1965, Singapore was officially announced to have been separated from malaysia. Singapore became a republic with yusof bin ishak as our first president. our independence was an importance phrase for singapore. however, things did not run as smoothly as we would like it to be and we were met with countless challenges along the way.
there were many reactions towards Singapore’s independence. firstly the political leaders had mixed reactions. some were disappointed with the breaking of the merger as they had always believed that they belong in one nation.some political leaders felt happy instead as they had encountered difficulties while dealing with the malaysians and after independence, they wouldn’t need to worry about problems such as taxes. secondly, there were the locals who felt worried. many believed that Singapore could not survive on its own due to its lack of natural resources. moreover, Singapore had a small population and that led to a small market. there were also people here and there who harbored no reaction as they had no interest in political matters. lastly,some leaders were willing to help Singapore. Malaysia believed in maintaining a good relationship with singapore. leaders from other countries were also positive about our future.
challenges faced
one challenge Singapore faced was its internal and external security. Singapore feared that the government’s ability to maintain law and order could be affected if the conflict of the communist and non-communist in Vietnam was to spread. this situation highlighted the need for a defence force.
there were also many problems in our economic survival. because singapore did not have natural resources, it was unable to rely on the export of natural resources to develop its economy and provide jobs for people. thus, maintaining a good relationship with other countries will ensure better trade and more jobs for the people.
one challenge singapore had was the forging of a common identity and sense of belonging. people did not seem to care about citizenship rights, privileges and responsibility. singapore needed support from the people as it was still a developing county
done by: yanyun, viba, siangying, jingen, janice
26history 