Merger and Referendum

The following events were worthy to note: 20/8/61 – PA Inauguration 10/5/61 – PM Lee Kuan Yew hinted PAP & Pro-Communist BS split at a mass rally. 25/5/61 – Bukit Ho Swee Big Fire 27/5/61 – Tungku proposed Malaysia through Merger 12/6/61 – Barisan Socialist (BS) against merger      6/61 – 13 ex-PAP MPs crossed over to BS 13/8/61 – Barisan Socialist (BS) was formed 23/9/61 to 16/11/61 – PA Strike 11/62 to 12/63          – PM Tours (102 VCCs) 01/9/62 – Referrundum on Merger (PAP won 70.8% votes) 9/63      – General Election – PAP won 31 out of 51 seats 16/4/63 – Malaysia through Merger inaugurated 9/8/65   – Separation (Singapore became independent)

Other Issues 4/61      – Hong Lim by-election 6/61      –  Anson by-election 12/6/61 – Barisan Socialist (BS) against Merger 8/12/62 – Brunei Rebellion 21/7/61 – 1st Racial Riot 2/8/64 9/64      – 2nd Racial Riot 22/4/64 – Indonesia Confrontasi 10/5/64 – VC recruitment & deployment at CCs 1965      – NS send-off at CCs 5/69      – KL Racial Riot   VC = Vigilante Corp (Warden) NS = National Service KL = Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

My Thoughts and Reflections

These events enabled us to know what really happening in Singapore and how we overcome the odds. Subsequently, we became a modern & stable Singapore.

VCC (Village Community Centre) & Kindergarten

• VCC
  • 11/62 to 9/63 (11 months) – 102 VCCs built and opened to the public.
    (Battle for the Hearts and Mind of the people)
  • Referendum result showed blank votes (against Merger with Malaya as Malaysia) coming from rural areas (e.g. Jurong 50% and Thomson 40%)
  • VCCs beside social recreation had newspaper, radio and TV to update villagers with latest news so as to prevent anti-national elements and communists misled them and used them to go against the interest of Singapore.
  • At VCCs, Primary Production Department PPD services were made available to the villagers such as poultry inoculation, sale of fertilisers to improve their income.
  • PA staff lined along tracks to the opening of new VCCs with PA flags and torch lights to usher guests and prevent anti-national elements’ disruption. Anaka Ragam (mobile cultural show) on lorry- stage and lion dance by PA staff themselves too.

• Kindergarten
  • 1^st Kindergarten at Gulega Road CC (Changi) during 1964
  • 6-week kindergarten Teaching Course was conducted by Ms P K Ma from Ministry of Education.
  • 2 trained teachers went to Sydney for 9-month Advanced Kindergarten Teachers’ Training Program.
  • PA kindergarten services were introduced to counter the improper kindergarten classes seen by the leftists and pro-Barisan Rural Residents’ Associations.

My Thoughts and Reflections

Kindergarten, PPD services and TV/ Radio/ newspapers at VCCs really benefited the villagers and provided a strong ground for community bonding and nation building.

PM’s Constituency Tours

• Battle for Heart and Mind of the People
  (fight against the Communists) (Pro-Communist Barisan Socialist was formed on 13/8/61 and they had great influences especially in rural areas)
• 1^st series of tours from 11/62 to 9/63 (completed 51 constituencies. Last 2: Telok Blangah and Mountbatten).
• 2^nd series of tours began on 23/11/63.
• Within 14 months, 102 village CCs and 19 urban CCs were built and opened to the public. (Black and white TV started at CCs on 15/2/63 – People can see happenings in Singapore and enjoyed the popular drama shows).
• PM Lee Kuan Yew with the Welcome Committee comprising of Village Leaders, respected clan association leaders, shopkeepers, and market stall holders toured the constituencies to discuss local needs and openings of community centres, schools, clinics, street lights and public water pipes. The Primary Production Department came to provide their inoculation of poultry and sale of fertilisers.
• The Welcome Committee members subsequently became Goodwill Committee members during Racial Riots and grassroots leaders in CCC work.

My Thoughts and Reflections

Looking back at the PM’s tours (Battle for the Heart and Mind of the people) great, we won. It laid the stable and strong grounds throughout Singapore, moving forward to become a modern global nation now.  

PA Strike (23/4/61 to 16/11/61)

Events before the PA Strike constructed only currently

• PM Lee Kuan Yew hinted at mass rally on 10/5/61- PAP and Pro-Communist Split
• Bukit Ho Swee big fire on 25/5/61
• Tungku visited Singapore and announced the concept of Malaysia theory Merger on 27/5/61
• PM Lee Kuan Yew accepted Tungku’s proposal at State event on 3/6/61
• PAP- vote of Confidence for Lee Kuan Yew on 20/7/61
• Barisan Socialist (BS) was formed on 13/8/61

• PA Strike
  • PA Chairman / PM Lee Kuan Yew had meeting with 20 Team Leaders on 25/7/61. (All except one only pledged his loyalty to PA and government (see PA 20^th Anniversary Magazine pg 51, that’s me).(The 20 Team Leaders were supervised by Parl Sec (PMO) Chen Sun Weng who crossed over to BS after 20/7/61
  • PA Chairman Lee Kuan Yew meet 7-man Staff Action Committee on 22/8/61. They are supposed to arrange for all staff to meet PA Chairman Lee Kuan Yew at City Hall on 23/9/61. Instead, they held a special meeting at PAHQ at Kallang and called on strike.
  • The strikers moved to Havelock CC on 2/11/61 when they found that PA social officers operating at Social Welfare Department.
  • 16/11/61, labour officers with police went to Havelock CC and persuaded strikers to end their strike. (in fact, they had a farewell gathering on 15/11/61)

My Thoughts and Reflections

My Passion for PA work is not affected by the PA strike at all.

Bukit Ho Swee Fire and Big Floods

 

• Bukit Ho Swee big fire happened on 25/5/61 (Hari Raya Haji)
  • Biggest city slum area- most unsightly attap houses with 16,000 people homeless from 3600 families living in 60 acres of land. (PM Lee Kuan Yew focused on the burnt-out areas)
  • Fire victims stayed in Kim Seng School and other adjacent schools just opposite to Great World.
  • Worked days and nights there, sleeping with others from social welfare, Red Cross and British Army personnel to look after the welfare of victims especially elderly folks, young ladies and children against the mischief of gangsters’ type of victims.
  • Fire victims were re-housed in Alexandra, Queenstown, Kallang Airport and Clarence Lane.
  • Big shift on 3/6/1961 (60 trucks), combined efforts of helps from Social Welfare Department, HDB, British Army with PA staff and public volunteers

• Big Floods at Potong Pasir and Geylang West / Kampong Wak Tanjong
  • The Geylang West / Kampong Wak Tanjong flood victims were housed in a Malay School at Geylang Lorong 22 main road. Social welfare officers, charity organisations and PA staff rendered help to run the relief centre (food, blankets and milk for babies were provided).
  • For Potong Pasir, PA also mobilised staff and volunteers to bring flood-affected villagers to the nearby relief centre.

My Thoughts and Reflections

These two most memorable events for PA + me – how we can mobilise masses and resources to help victims to live in decent comfort despite of the unfortunate big fire and floods.

OBS Lumut, WAY & UK Study

• After Team Leaders’ Training Course, I was selected to attend Outward Bound School (OBS) course at Lumut, Perak (Malaysia) from 25/11/60 to 20/12/60. I passed the course with a certificate cum Merit Award badge.
• Won $10/- from Letter to Free Press on my proposed OBS at Pulau Ubin (20/1/62)
• I represented PA/Singapore at World Assembly of Youth (WAY) Conference at Copenhagen, Denmark in June 1962
• After WAY meeting, I went for Youth Work Study in UK as arranged by PA with British Council.
• Served as Liaison Officer for PA Adventure Training Camps conducted by British army in Pulau Ubin during 1960 to 1962

My Thoughts and Reflections

These events together with Team Leaders Training- NYLTI experience laid the good foundation for me to be chosen as AD (admin/services) as part of 3-man Team for the Re-development of OBS in Pulau Ubin into a modern OBS Complex from 1989 to 1997 – My Dream for OBS in 1962 has become a Reality in 1997.

Team Leaders’ Training Course

 

• Intensive training at PA HQ by PM and Cabinet Ministers on Why PA and PAP government policies
• How to organise community activities by social welfare officers and university lecturers
• Adventure Training at Pulau Ubin by British Army.
• 1^st batch (25/4/60 to 1/7/60) – 24 participants
• 2^nd batch (15/8/60 to 20/10/60) – 25 participants (I graduated in 4^th position)
• I became Team Leader, I/C Bukit Timah & Jurong areas with effect from 20/12/60
• Our 20 Team Leaders were supervised by Parl Sec (PMO) Chan Sun Wing
• PA/CC “Review and Planning” led by Team Leaders (first meeting 23/12/60 to last meeting on 31/1/61.)

My Thoughts and Reflections

The 20 Team Leaders took care of all the CCs in Singapore. We were powerful in 1960 to 1962 as there were no PA-appointed grassroots leaders yet. We seated next to MP and GOH, Yang-di-pertuan Negara and introduced them to the public

Urban CCs for Working Masses (the Have-nots)

• 1st urban CC – Minto Road CC, opening by PM Lee Kuan Yew on 9 January 1960
• PA built 21 new CCs within the next few months – they include CCs in Beach Road, Kampong Glam, Middle Road, Delta and Pek Kio.
• Activities and classes : Badminton, sepak takraw, table tennis, basketball, children ‘s club, free tuition classes, sewing, dress making, embroidery for women, film-show, campfire, picnic, civic tour
• Public Holiday Camps for urban working mums at Tanah Merah, Punggol Point and Kranji. These camps were popular for organized picnic parties too.

My Thoughts and Reflections

Benefits for the Have-nots:

• Free social recreation at CCs
• children – free tuition and Children’s Club
• Women save and earn income from sewing, embroidery & dress making skills

Social ills of Singapore in 50s and early 60s

Poverty Unemployment Communal Riot Social Unrest

Leftist Strikes High Rate of Illiteracy Fear of Government Authority

Youth Roaming the treets Street Urchins (children) Gangsters fighting

Social Ills of Singapore in 50s and early 60s

• CCs played an important role to mobilize the people in coping with and resolving these national crises through national campaigning, gotong-royong (self-help) projects and civic tours.

My Thoughts and Reflections

As a PA/CC staff, I am indeed grateful to have such valuable experiences to enrich my whole life

in those years to become a very useful and contributing Singapore citizen.