Malaysia Day 1963

On 16 September 1963, Singapore became part of Malaysia, which also comprised the Federation of Malaya (present-day Peninsular Malaysia), North Borneo (now Sabah) and Sarawak.

Lead-up to the Merger Referendum

Lim Yew Hock took over as the Chief Minister of Singapore after David Marshall resigned in 1956. In contrast to Marshall, Lim was single-minded in his campaign against subversion and civil unrest. His government arrested hundreds of people and outlawed communist-front student and labour organisations. Although this convinced the British that Singapore had a government that could safeguard its interests against communist elements, Lim’s crackdown on the communists alienated him from the Chinese majority of voters.

Lim succeeded in negotiating self-government for Singapore in 1959, thus paving the way for Singapore’s first general election for a fully-elected Legislative Assembly that year. After winning the general election that year, the People’s Action Party (PAP) set out to fulfil its election promise of ending colonialism, by establishing an independent, democratic and non-communist Singapore that would be part of the Federation of Malaya.

Merger and Your Future, a brochure published by the Ministry of Culture ¹

1961 | Paper | National Museum of Singapore collection

Merger with Malaya was advocated as the only viable option. The PAP government maintained that independence secured through Merger with the Federation of Malaya, with autonomy in labour and education, was in the best interest of Singapore. It would ensure Singapore’s economic survival by providing a hinterland and a common market for the island’s economy. It would also halt the spread of communism in Singapore, which had caused a split within the PAP in 1961.

The Battle for Merger, Chinese, English and Malay editions published by the Ministry of Culture

1962 | Paper | National Museum of Singapore collection

Between 13 September and 9 October 1961, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew delivered 12 radio talks in English, Mandarin and Malay – a total of 36 broadcasts in all. The talks aimed to expose the communists and their goals, methods and organisation. With the PAP hanging on by just one seat in the Legislative Assembly, the talks helped to turn the tide against the communists. The talks were later compiled and published in all four official languages under the title The Battle for Merger.

The Truth Behind Merger?, a booklet published by the Liberal Socialist Party (left) / 合併、假合併與邦聯 (Merger, Phony Merger and Confederation), a booklet published by the Barisan Sosialis

1962 | Paper | National Museum of Singapore collection

This sparked a lively debate between them and other political parties. It also created cracks within the PAP, as the pro-communist faction opposed Merger for fear of suppression by the Federal government. Led by Lim Chin Siong³, this group first tried to bring down the government in the Legislative Assembly. When they failed, they broke away to form the Barisan Sosialis⁴ in 1961. This resulted in a fierce battle for the hearts and minds of the people. The differing views on Merger are reflected in the books that the parties published during this period.

Diorama depicting the 1962 Merger referendum⁵

1983 | Mixed media | National Museum of Singapore collection

This scene depicts the people of Singapore discussing the issue of Merger with the Federation. When the referendum was held on 1 September 1962, 71 per cent of the electorate voted to join Malaysia under the conditions proposed by the PAP government. Singapore became part of Malaysia on 16 September 1963.

Federation of Malaysia

On 31 August 1963, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew declared de facto independence for Singapore, ahead of the formal proclamation of Malaysia on 16 September.⁶ Apart from a march-past at the Padang to celebrate the occasion, Mr Lee also spoke at the ceremonial rally held at the steps of City Hall.

Transcript of speech by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the Malaysia Solidarity Day mass rally

31 August 1963 | Reproduction | Courtesy of National Archives of Singapore

In his speech, Mr Lee hailed the historical importance of the moment, which marked the end of more than 100 years of British colonial rule. This display shows the full transcript of the speech, excerpts of which can also be heard in the video montage where the rostrum is displayed.

“Singapore Goes Gay for Malaysia Day”, a poster published by the Ministry of Culture

1963 | Paper | National Museum of Singapore collection

On 16 September 1963, Malaysia was formed when Singapore merged with the Federation of Malaya, together with Sarawak and North Borneo (now Sabah). To celebrate this occasion, Singapore held a series of carnivals on land, sea and air. As depicted in this poster, the festivities included mass processions and illuminated floats. One of the highlights was the Singapore Harbour Board’s 500-foot sea dragon that was illuminated by 6,000 bulbs (bottom left).

Discover Malaysia album

c. 1963 | Paper | National Museum of Singapore collection

This album was published by the Ministry of Culture and distributed to school-going children in Singapore Students could use the beginning of the album as a personal scrapbook to share photographs of their family and friends. The rest of the album is filled with information and images about the flora, fauna, peoples, arts and cultures of Malaysia. The book also advocates the merits of Merger with Malaysia.

Differences Leading to Separation

However, the union with Malaysia did not last due to economic and political disagreements. Although attempts were made to remedy the situation, Singapore separated from Malaysia and became an independent nation on 9 August 1965.

Footnotes:

1. In 1961, the PAP embarked on a year-long publicity campaign to convince the people of the benefits of Merger with the Federation of Malaya. The Ministry of Culture printed various brochures and booklets to promote the benefits of Merger, as well as to inform the people of their rights that came with it. When Merger was achieved in 1963, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew advocated for a Malaysian Malaysia where all races would be treated equally, a concept that was also explained in booklets that the government published. ↩︎
2. This booklet was written by the secretary-general of the Liberal Socialist Party, Felice Leon-Soh. She urged the people to question the PAP’s idea of Merger, so that they could make an informed decision when casting their votes during the referendum. ↩︎
3. Remember this guy? LKY used to represent the Chinese student leaders and he was one of them ↩︎
4. While the Barisan Sosialis supported the idea of Merger with Malaya, it did not agree with the merger terms set out by the PAP. The Barisan Sosialis believed that Singapore’s Merger should be a full and complete one, as a state where the self-determination of the people of Singapore should be respected. The framework of the party’s argument was laid out in this booklet. ↩︎
5. This diorama was on display in the Singapore History Museum (predecessor of the National Museum of Singapore) in the 1980s and 1990s. It was one of 20 dioramas, made by Filipino artists, that depicted pivotal moments in Singapore’s history. ↩︎
6. With the signing of the Malaysia Agreement, the date for the formation of the Federation of Malaysia was set for 31 August 1963. However, the Tunku had to delay the event to 16 September 1963 in order to give the United Nations more time to complete its study on the sentiments of the people in the Borneo territories over the merger. This fact-finding study was commissioned following a last-ditch attempt by Indonesia and the Philippines to prevent the formation of Malaysia, which both countries had opposed from the outset. While Indonesia branded the scheme as a neo-colonial plot and had announced a policy of Konfrontasi (Confrontation) against Malaysia in January 1963, the Philippines laid territorial claims on Sabah.
   The delay, however, did not stop Lee, then prime minister of Singapore, from declaring on 31 August Singapore’s independence from British colonial rule, much to the chagrin of the Malayan and British governments. Both sides did not send representatives to attend the ceremony as they questioned the legality and validity of Singapore’s claim to power over its defence and external affairs. The federal government also felt that Lee had encouraged Sabah and Sarawak to follow in Singapore’s footstep, as they had also declared their de-facto independence on the same day as Singapore. Nonetheless, after the United Nations had completed its mission in Borneo and discovered that the majority of the people in Sabah and Sarawak supported the merger, the formation of the Federation of Malaysia was officially declared on 16 September 1963. https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=09a2ef2c-743e-44f3-9bb4-39c6ed34c90d ↩︎