Chinese Education in Singapore: An untold story of conflict and change

BLURB

Strife (the Chinese word tattooed on the wrist of the raised fist) epitomized the struggle of a coolie to make his life better.

The story of the conflict in Singapore’s Chinese community was always told from the viewpoint of the British colonizers. A coolie’s perspective was never written down. Until now. Set between the founding of Singapore and the shuttering of Nanyang University, this narrative is a colorful account of secret societies and their wars, of Sinitic languages and dialects, and of suppressions by a colonial government in a free port. Its pages are not crammed with historical facts and dates, but filled with the experiences of Chinese migrants over a 200-year period. It is an impression of their achievement and a witness to their weakness of character.

Join them on their roller-coaster ride into conflict.

EXCERPT

"Malaya’s Razak Report (1956)

The report was a compromise between the Barnes and Fenn-Wu reports, championing Malay as the main language of instruction. But it accepted the retention of teaching in vernacular languages, including English.

Malaya’s Education Ordinance (1957)

The Federation of Malaya gained independence in 1957. Alien residents who were born on the peninsula were given Malayan citizenship. The rest, including Singapore-born British subjects, were regarded as local residents.

And the newly independent country adopted the Razak Report for its educational framework.

Malaya’s Immigration Ordinance (1959)

After the sharp worldwide economic downturn in 1958, Malaya passed a new immigration ordinance the following year, safeguarding the employment and livelihood of its residents. 

According to the legislation, wives (and children) of local residents who had lived separately from their husbands (and fathers) for five continuous years after December 1954 were prohibited from entering Malaya. This would “bring about a more balanced and assimilated Malayan population [with] ties and loyalty to […] a true Malayan nation.”

The law seems to be aimed at children of school-going age. Perhaps to circumvent changes in the education policy of Malaya, or perhaps education in Singapore costed nothing when the ten- and five-year plans were in place, or perhaps schools at the southern end of the causeway were seen to be better, many children from the peninsula were studying there.

Wives of non-citizens also appears to be targets of the ordinance. These women had lived for long periods away from Malaya, after taking their children across the causeway, and then remained there to accompany their children, while their children received an education on the patch of land off the tip of the peninsula.

Parachute kids and peidu mama (study mothers) existed long before the words for them came into use. And I would also like to point out that astronaut families were being formed ahead of Yuri Gagarin’s historic journey into outer space.

Singapore’s Immigration Ordinance (1959)

Meanwhile, Singapore was granted full internal self-government that year. Both its alien residents and its British subjects (citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies) became British subjects (citizens of the State of Singapore). And the new government enacted an immigration ordinance, giving only its citizens the right to enter their country. The legislation was also an attempt to safeguard the employment and livelihood of residents on the city island.

Malaya’s Rahman Talib Report (1960)

The committee recommended using Malay in all training institutions, especially tertiary education. That would quicken the process of national integration on the peninsula.

Malaya’s Education Act (1961)

While Gagarin orbited Earth, the Rahman Talib Report was incorporated into the new law, stalling the space race by dampening enthusiasm for sending satellite children to schools on that (expletive deleted) island.

Formation of Malaysia (1963)

A hundred and forty-four years after the founding of Singapore, its prime minister, Lee Kuan-yew, declared it to be independent from the United Kingdom, marking the end of British rule. And the newly independent country, together with Sabah and Sarawak, formed the Federation of Malaysia with its northern neighbor.

Don’t be deceived by appearances though. Both governments – on the island and on the peninsula – tolerated migratory crossings over the top of the causeway, but swept their differences underneath.

Independence of Singapore (1965)

After joining the federation for less than twenty-three months, the State of Singapore was unexpectedly ousted from Malaysia.

Although education problems in both countries were connected to some extent, the newly independent republic took an approach that was much different from the federation’s. On August 9, 1965, students at both ends of the causeway found their education path forked. For good.

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