Singapore national referendum, 1962
Encyclopedia
The Singapore national referendum of 1962, or also commonly referred to as the Merger Referendum of Singapore was the first and only referendum
to date held in Singapore
on September 1, 1962. It called for people to vote on the terms of merger with Malaysia
. Some of the options ultimately had to deal with questions of national identity, and such questions would come to be cited even years after the merger, as well as after the subsequent separation.
There was no option to vote against the merger among the three options presented to the people (ironically, separation is exactly what would happen three years later):
Option A received the majority of the vote at 71.1%, more than the two thirds which was required for constitutional reform. The supposedly pro-communist Barisan Sosialis
were strongly against the idea of referendum, as the move was seen by them as one that would result in their suppression. The Barisan Socialis called for a boycott of the referendum, telling their supporters to submit blank votes in protest of the "rigged" referendum. 26% of the votes were left blank as a result. This move had been anticipated by the ruling PAP government, as seen by the insertion of a clause that stated that all blank or defaced votes would be counted as a vote for option A.
The media
campaign fielded by both sides was extremely heated, many of the leaders on both sides broadcast radio shows in several languages. The voter turnout was extensive, around 624,000 had been eligible to vote, and around 561,000 voters turned up, which yielded a turnout of 90%.
The PAP was not legally obliged to call for a referendum, but did so to secure the mandate
of the people. However, the Barisan Sosialis, a left-wing socialist party consisting of former PAP members with communist sympathies alleged that the people did not support merger. Lee Kuan Yew
declared the people did. The referendum did not have an option of objecting to the idea of merger because no one had legitimately raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly
before then. However, the methods had been debatable. The referendum was therefore called to resolve the issue as an effort to decide objectively which option the people backed. The legitimacy of the referendum is often challenged by Singaporean left-wing supporters, due to the lack of an option to vote against the merger.
Backed by the official mandate, Singapore entered into merger with Malaya on September 16, 1963, marking the birth of Malaysia.
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
to date held in Singapore
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...
on September 1, 1962. It called for people to vote on the terms of merger with Malaysia
Singapore in Malaysia
On 16 September 1963, which was also Lee Kuan Yew's 40th birthday, Singapore merged with the Federation of Malaya alongside Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia...
. Some of the options ultimately had to deal with questions of national identity, and such questions would come to be cited even years after the merger, as well as after the subsequent separation.
There was no option to vote against the merger among the three options presented to the people (ironically, separation is exactly what would happen three years later):
- Option A: All Singapore citizens would automatically become citizens of Malaysia, and Singapore would retain a degree of autonomy and state power, such as over labour and education. Singapore would also get to keep its language policies, such as to retain using all four major languages, EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Mandarin, MalayMalay languageMalay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
and TamilTamil languageTamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
.
- Option B: Singapore would become a federalFederationA federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
state like that of the other eleven states, with no more autonomy than the other states would, thus ceding control over issues such as labour and education policies to the federal government in Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala 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...
. This also meant that there would be less multilingualism - only English and Malay would be used for official purposes, and possibly education. Only those born in Singapore or descended from the Singapore-born would become citizens of Malaysia. There would also be proportionate representation in Parliament from Singapore.
- Option C: Singapore would enter on terms no less favourable than the Borneo territories, SabahSabahSabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
and SarawakSarawakSarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which...
, both whom were also discussing merger with Malaysia. This was to ensure that Malaysia would not discriminate along racial lines, as that would mean discriminating against Sabah and Sarawak, which were predominantly BumiputraBumiputraBumiputera 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"...
as well.
Option A received the majority of the vote at 71.1%, more than the two thirds which was required for constitutional reform. The supposedly pro-communist Barisan Sosialis
Barisan Sosialis
The Barisan Sosialis is a former Singaporean left-wing political party formed in 1961, by left-wing members of the People's Action Party and led by Dr Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong.-Formation:...
were strongly against the idea of referendum, as the move was seen by them as one that would result in their suppression. The Barisan Socialis called for a boycott of the referendum, telling their supporters to submit blank votes in protest of the "rigged" referendum. 26% of the votes were left blank as a result. This move had been anticipated by the ruling PAP government, as seen by the insertion of a clause that stated that all blank or defaced votes would be counted as a vote for option A.
The media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
campaign fielded by both sides was extremely heated, many of the leaders on both sides broadcast radio shows in several languages. The voter turnout was extensive, around 624,000 had been eligible to vote, and around 561,000 voters turned up, which yielded a turnout of 90%.
The PAP was not legally obliged to call for a referendum, but did so to secure the mandate
Mandate (politics)
In politics, a mandate is the authority granted by a constituency to act as its representative.The concept of a government having a legitimate mandate to govern via the fair winning of a democratic election is a central idea of democracy...
of the people. However, the Barisan Sosialis, a left-wing socialist party consisting of former PAP members with communist sympathies alleged that the people did not support merger. Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
declared the people did. The referendum did not have an option of objecting to the idea of merger because no one had legitimately raised the issue in the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly is the name given in some countries to either a legislature, or to one of its branch.The name is used by a number of member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations, as well as a number of Latin American countries....
before then. However, the methods had been debatable. The referendum was therefore called to resolve the issue as an effort to decide objectively which option the people backed. The legitimacy of the referendum is often challenged by Singaporean left-wing supporters, due to the lack of an option to vote against the merger.
Backed by the official mandate, Singapore entered into merger with Malaya on September 16, 1963, marking the birth of Malaysia.
Detailed results
| Option | Symbol | Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Flag of Singapore | 397,626 | 71.1% |
| B | Flag of Penang Penang Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the... |
9,422 | 1.7% |
| C | Badges of North Borneo North Borneo North Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882 to 1946. After the war it became a crown colony of Great Britain from 1946 to 1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is... and Sarawak Sarawak Sarawak is one of two Malaysian states on the island of Borneo. Known as Bumi Kenyalang , Sarawak is situated on the north-west of the island. It is the largest state in Malaysia followed by Sabah, the second largest state located to the North- East.The administrative capital is Kuching, which... |
7,911 | 1.4% |
| Blank (treated as A) | 144,077 | 25.8% | |
| Other spoilt | 2,523 |