1969 Race Riots of Singapore
Encyclopedia
The 1969 race riots of Singapore were the only riots encountered in post-independence Singapore
as a result of the spillover of the May 13 Incident
in Malaysia. The seven days of communal riots resulted in the final toll of 4 dead and 80 wounded.
and Petaling Jaya
in Malaysia. It was triggered by the results of the General Election
, that were marked by Sino-Malay riots unprecedented in Malaysian history — 196 people were killed and over 350 injured between May 13 and July 31. The real figures could be much higher than officially revealed. The Malaysian government
declared a state of emergency
and suspended Parliament
until 1971.
The disturbances had nothing to do with Singapore but there was an inexorable spillover of the communal violence in Malaysia into Singapore. The 1969 riots occurred not long after the earlier communal riots in 1964. It was said that the 1964 racial disturbances
in Singapore contributed towards the eventual separation of Singapore from Malaysia in August 1965. The hysteria that United Malays National Organisation
(UMNO) itself generated over its desire to assert Malay dominance (Ketuanan Melayu
) in Singapore had its effect in heightening the suspicion between Malay
and Chinese
in Singapore.
The dissatisfaction of the Malays over their social and economic condition and the fear that the Malays regarded as indigenous (Bumiputra
) ownership would be lost, led to the May 13 disturbances.
in Malaysia and could make themselves invulnerable to injuries, including bullet wounds.
But what was happening in reality is that three agent representatives from a Malaysian Triad Society, of unknown connection, came to Singapore to get in touch with top leaders of local triads. Their goal was to get local triads' support to inflict revenge upon the Malays. A response came from important representatives of the Ang Soon Tong Triad Society
who joined with members of the Ji It Society. After consultation in a secret location, the plotters decided to attack Malay residents of Kampong Kedah, (Today, the residents have been resettled. Only a strip of land bordering the fence of the Seletar Air Base
remains to show that there actually was a kampong there) and Jalan Tauge-Jalan Ubi area on May 31 as there was a sizable Malay population then.
These incidents were a prelude to greater violence. Between June 1 and 2, 50 to 60 Chinese attacked houses in Jalan Ubi, Jalan Kayu
and its vicinity. They appeared with swords, spears and wooden poles. The first Malay reprisals occurred on June 1. The Black Hawk Malay Secret Society undertook them by setting fires on Chinese-owned shops in Geylang
afterwards.
, the Singapore Police Force
and the Internal Security Department
(ISD) made stringent efforts to stop any signs of foreign encroachment. Those who entered were carefully checked, and where necessary were issued warnings. Yet from 31 May to 6 June, four persons were killed and 80 injured.
Chinese martial arts gangs had planned a massacre of Malays in the Jalan Ubi area. The ISD was able to prevent this from happening. Roadblocks and police action were adequate in Kampong Glam
, where some disturbances had occurred. But it required calling the military including National Servicemen
, to set up a cordon round the affected districts in Singapore's north. The Police swept through these districts during a short blitz. The remaining rioters were rounded up on June 6 that finally restored public order to the affected communities.
(NEP) favouring the Malays. To this day, there is still an unease about the potential of violence as the power struggles between groups continue.
The recent history of what happens in mainland Malaysia shows that it can have an effect in Singapore as both have common cultural and historical background that are intricately linked. Though perceived by various human rights groups as restricting political opposition and criticism of the government, the Singapore government
continue to use the Internal Security Act
(ISA) where necessary to counter any potential communal, religious and terrorism threats to the present day.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
as a result of the spillover of the May 13 Incident
May 13 Incident
The 13 May Incident is a term for the Sino-Malay sectarian violences in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia, which began on 13 May 1969...
in Malaysia. The seven days of communal riots resulted in the final toll of 4 dead and 80 wounded.
History
The precursor of the 1969 race riots can be traced to the May 13 Incident in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and Petaling Jaya
Petaling Jaya
Petaling Jaya is a Malaysian city originally developed as a satellite township for Kuala Lumpur comprising mostly residential and some industrial areas. It is located in the Petaling district of Selangor with an area of approximately 97.2 km². On 20 June 2006, Petaling Jaya was granted a...
in Malaysia. It was triggered by the results of the General Election
Elections in Malaysia
Elections in Malaysia exist at two levels: national level and state level. National level elections are those for membership in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of Parliament, while state level elections are for membership in the various State Legislative Assemblies...
, that were marked by Sino-Malay riots unprecedented in Malaysian history — 196 people were killed and over 350 injured between May 13 and July 31. The real figures could be much higher than officially revealed. The Malaysian government
Politics of Malaysia
The politics of Malaysia takes place in the framework of a federal constitutional monarchy, in which the Yang di-Pertuan Agong is head of state and the Prime Minister of Malaysia is the head of government. Executive power is exercised by the federal government and the 13 state governments. ...
declared a state of emergency
State of emergency
A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale...
and suspended Parliament
Parliament of Malaysia
The Parliament of Malaysia is the national legislature of Malaysia, based on the Westminster system. The bicameral parliament consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The King as the Head of State is the third component of Parliament....
until 1971.
The disturbances had nothing to do with Singapore but there was an inexorable spillover of the communal violence in Malaysia into Singapore. The 1969 riots occurred not long after the earlier communal riots in 1964. It was said that the 1964 racial disturbances
1964 Race Riots
The 1964 Race Riots were a series of riots that took place in Singapore during two separate periods in July and September between Chinese and Malay groups. The first incident occurred on 21 July during a Malay procession that marked Prophet Muhammad's birthday. In total, the violence killed 36...
in Singapore contributed towards the eventual separation of Singapore from Malaysia in August 1965. The hysteria that United Malays National Organisation
United Malays National Organisation
The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence....
(UMNO) itself generated over its desire to assert Malay dominance (Ketuanan Melayu
Ketuanan Melayu
Ketuanan Melayu is a political concept emphasizing Malay preeminence in present day Malaysia. The Malays of peninsular Malaysia claimed a special position and special rights owing to their long domicile and the role of the Malay rulers of the nine Malay states...
) in Singapore had its effect in heightening the suspicion between Malay
Malay race
The concept of a Malay race was proposed by the German scientist Johann Friedrich Blumenbach , and classified as the brown race. Since Blumenbach, many anthropologists have rejected his theory of five races, citing the enormous complexity of classifying races...
and Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
in Singapore.
The dissatisfaction of the Malays over their social and economic condition and the fear that the Malays regarded as indigenous (Bumiputra
Bumiputra
Bumiputera or Bumiputra is a Malay term widely used in Malaysia, embracing indigenous people of the Malay Archipelago. The term comes from the Sanskrit word bhumiputra, which can be translated literally as "son of land"...
) ownership would be lost, led to the May 13 disturbances.
Rumours and revenge
Rumours began to spread in Singapore about Malay atrocities against the Chinese in Malaysia. People also talked indignantly about the partiality of the Malaysian Armed Forces in dealing with those suspected of involvement in the rioting; Chinese that were caught were severely punished on the spot and these rumours aggravated tension in Singapore. Talk of possible Chinese-Malay clashes in Singapore itself began to spread. There were tales of invulnerable Malays coming to Singapore to help their fellow Malays should they be attacked. These visitors imagined or otherwise, were said to be from Batu PahatBatu Pahat
Batu Pahat is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. It lies south-east of Muar, south-west of Kluang, north-west of Pontian, and south of Segamat and the new Ledang district. The capital of the district is Bandar Penggaram, Batu Pahat....
in Malaysia and could make themselves invulnerable to injuries, including bullet wounds.
But what was happening in reality is that three agent representatives from a Malaysian Triad Society, of unknown connection, came to Singapore to get in touch with top leaders of local triads. Their goal was to get local triads' support to inflict revenge upon the Malays. A response came from important representatives of the Ang Soon Tong Triad Society
Ang Soon Tong
Ang Soon Tong is a secret society based in Singapore and Malaysia. According to a former police officer, the society was active as early as the 1950s, mainly in the Sembawang area...
who joined with members of the Ji It Society. After consultation in a secret location, the plotters decided to attack Malay residents of Kampong Kedah, (Today, the residents have been resettled. Only a strip of land bordering the fence of the Seletar Air Base
Seletar Airport
"RAF Seletar" & "Seletar Airbase/Airfield" redirects here.Seletar Airport is a civilian airport located at Seletar, in the northeastern region of Singapore, and is managed by the Changi Airport Group...
remains to show that there actually was a kampong there) and Jalan Tauge-Jalan Ubi area on May 31 as there was a sizable Malay population then.
These incidents were a prelude to greater violence. Between June 1 and 2, 50 to 60 Chinese attacked houses in Jalan Ubi, Jalan Kayu
Jalan Kayu
Jalan Kayu is a name of a street situated within the Sengkang Planning Area in the North-East Region of Singapore, under the urban planning scheme of the Urban Redevelopment Authority...
and its vicinity. They appeared with swords, spears and wooden poles. The first Malay reprisals occurred on June 1. The Black Hawk Malay Secret Society undertook them by setting fires on Chinese-owned shops in Geylang
Geylang
Geylang is a neighbourhood in the city-state of Singapore east of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. It is located to the east of the Singapore River, an area that locals have associated, from the days of Sir Stamford Raffles, as a Malay kampong opposite facing two islands...
afterwards.
Internal Security Department
The Singapore ImmigrationImmigration and Checkpoints Authority
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Singapore Government.-Overview:...
, the Singapore Police Force
Singapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
and the Internal Security Department
Internal Security Department
The Internal Security Department is a domestic intelligence agency of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Singapore. It was formerly part of the Ministry of Interior and Defence until it was split on 11 August 1970...
(ISD) made stringent efforts to stop any signs of foreign encroachment. Those who entered were carefully checked, and where necessary were issued warnings. Yet from 31 May to 6 June, four persons were killed and 80 injured.
Chinese martial arts gangs had planned a massacre of Malays in the Jalan Ubi area. The ISD was able to prevent this from happening. Roadblocks and police action were adequate in Kampong Glam
Kampong Glam
Kampong Glam is a neighbourhood in Singapore. It is located north of the Singapore River, in the urban planning areas of Kallang and Rochor.-History:...
, where some disturbances had occurred. But it required calling the military including National Servicemen
National Service in Singapore
Conscription in Singapore, called National Service , requires all male Singaporean citizens and second-generation permanent residents who have reached the age of 18 to enrol in the military...
, to set up a cordon round the affected districts in Singapore's north. The Police swept through these districts during a short blitz. The remaining rioters were rounded up on June 6 that finally restored public order to the affected communities.
Aftermath
After 1971, when all had settled down, the Malaysian government was able to follow an affirmative action policy marked particularly by the New Economic PolicyMalaysian New Economic Policy
The Malaysian New Economic Policy , was an ambitious and controversial socio-economic restructuring affirmative action program launched by the Malaysian government in 1971 under the then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak. The NEP ended in 1990, and was succeeded by the National Development Policy in...
(NEP) favouring the Malays. To this day, there is still an unease about the potential of violence as the power struggles between groups continue.
The recent history of what happens in mainland Malaysia shows that it can have an effect in Singapore as both have common cultural and historical background that are intricately linked. Though perceived by various human rights groups as restricting political opposition and criticism of the government, the Singapore government
Government of Singapore
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
continue to use the Internal Security Act
Internal Security Act
The term Internal Security Act is often given to a piece of legislation laying down regulations that enable the executive government of a jurisdiction to preserve the internal security of the nation...
(ISA) where necessary to counter any potential communal, religious and terrorism threats to the present day.