MALAYSIA & SINGAPORE

Introduction

• Malaysia’s population 24 million consists of

64% Bumiputera group, 27 Chinese and 8%

Indian.

• Malaysia has experienced Islamic culture since

the 15th century, then faced the colonial eras,

and its history since WWII.

Early History

• Since the first millennium AD both the Malay

peninsula and the northern Borneo coast were

important for maritime trading networks.

• There was a very important ancient kingdom

called Sri Vijaya, its capital in a place called

Melayu.

Melaka and Malay Culture: 15th

• Founded about 1400, Malaka was both a major trade centre and a great cultural one.

• Its position was excellent and it took care to become a tributary of China, Majapahit, and Ayudhya.

• A Chinese community settled and became a feature of Malakan society.

• In 15th century, its rulers adopted Islam, making it a favored destination for Arab and Indian Muslim traders.

Melaka and Malay Culture: 15th

• Along with its religion, the port cities also

tended to adopt the Malakan form of

government and Malay became the most

widely understood language in the region.

• The golden age of Melaka ended in August

1511, and its ruling elite and their followers

established the sultanate of Johor.

A Threatening World: 16th – 18th

• In 1641, Johor helped the Dutch oust the Portuguese from Malaka, outlying base in a growing Dutch empire.

• The Dutch took care to concentrate their naval and military resources against any state which emerged threat.

• Many Malay states faced internal instability.

• In the late 18th and early 19th, the northern Malay states of Patani, Kelantan, Kedah, Perak, and Trengganu all experienced Thai pressures

The British Advance 19th

• The British established the Straits Settlements in Singapore, Melaka and Penang.

• By the 1860s these states were in anarchy and demands for official British intervention grew.

• In 1874, one of the leading Malay disputants and the Governor of the Straits Settlements signed met agreement called the Pangkor Treaty, which the British took control most financial and administrative matters.

The Colonial Era

• The British set about creating an environment for

economic expansion.

• Tin, rubber, pepper, sugar and coffee had

significantly grown; but no significant

industrialization occurred.

• Chinese immigration swelled in the colonial era,

while the British had also recruited Indian labour.

• Divisions between Malays, Chinese and Indians

were deepened by British perception and policies.

• Japanese forces attacked British Malay on 8 December 1941

• Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army under the Communist Party of Malaysia.

• The British introduced a plan for Malayan Union

• United Malays National Organization (UMNO)-the largest and best political party, Malaysian-Chinese Association, and Malaysian-Indian Congress.

• In 1957, the Alliance achieve independence for the Federation of Malay

• The creation of Malaysia

• The 1969 crisis: after the1969 elections, Violent clashed erupted in Kuala Lumpur

• UMNO became the dominant party in Malaysia over the next two decades, and in 1976 the Alliance was superseded by a broader coalition of parties, Barisan.

• Until 1990 general election, Barisan comprised nine parties, held 127 of the 180 seats.

• The New Economic Policy (NEP) set two goals with a 1990 target date: reduce and eradicate poverty and identification of economic function with race. – The volumes of public investment and public consumption

expenditure increased

– The government promoted the education and training of Bumiputeras

• In the years 1971-90, the country’s annual average growth in GNP was 6.8% and per-capita GDP $380 to $2,200.

• However, NEP benefits had tended to be spread to UMNO’s political advantage rather than on the basic of equity.

• 1981 Malaysia met a complex political personality, Dr. Mahathir, who promoted Islam

• He centralized all the significant power in the hands

• His biggest political challenge occurred in 1986-87.

• He detained 106 people including opposition personalities; three newspaper were closed.

• He remained so powerful for more than 20 years until his resignation in 2003.

Singapore

• A thriving city-state, with a population of 4.2 million,

people is Singapore live in the highest per-capita

income in Asia.

• There are minority Indian and Malay communities,

but political, commercial and cultural power is in the

hands of the Chinese.

Colonialism

• Stamford Raffles hoisted the British flag on the island of Singapore on 29 January 1819

• Firstly, this small island off the southern tip of the Malay peninsula known as Temasek (See Town), and later as Singa-pura (Lion City)

• The Straits Settlements remained in EIC control

• By the 1830s, Singapore had become the major regional trading port because its geographic location, its status as free port; its linkages into the British commercial and industrial empire.

Colonialism

• Most Chinese came to Singapore as impoverished indentured labourers, and in 19th century, the Chinese population of Singapore were predominantly male.

• Chinese and European investors in the tin-mining industry in Singapore

• On the eve of WWII, more than two-thirds of Malay’s imports and exports went through the port of Singapore.

• By the late 19th century, it was an important financial and commercial cetnre.

Colonialism

• Before 1960, Singapore was a place of food

processing including tin and rubber.

• By the early 2oth century, there was no sense of being

Singaporean.

• There was Indian minority varying 6 to 12 % of the

population

• Singapore fell under the Japanese Army on 15

February 1942.

• The Chinese were still suffered the most

Towards Independence

• British retook Singapore in 1945

• Post-war British policy towards Singapore differed

from that towards Malaya.

• Limited self-government was introduce into

Singapore in 1955.

• In 1959, the People’s Action Party (PAP) gained

majority seats in the Legislative Assembly

Towards Independence

• The creation of Malaysia seemed to solve all problems by forming Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak in a new state of Malaysia

• When Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963, Singapore separated from Malaysia in Sep. 1965.

• At the first, Singapore feared that its economy was too small and too vulnerable to anti-Chinese feeling among its neighbors.

• Identity question, leadership, a regional economic powerhouse in under 40 years.

Towards Independence

• However, 40 years later, this country is a major

economic success story.

• Singapore had moved from entrepot economy to a

predominantly industrial and service-based economy.

• The PAP has brought strong, stable and corruption-

free government to Singapore

• They created a Central Provident Fund

• Developed an excellent comprehensive education

system