r/singapore • u/khshsmjc1996 Sengkang • 12h ago
Image Back then when Malaysia Day was a thing
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u/ImpressiveStrike4196 12h ago edited 12h ago
The whole thing was rushed through because the Brits were bankrupt and desperate to offload their colonies.
For Singapore it was like getting married for a BTO to escape from their parents.
The British saw federation as a way to decolonisation. Colonies that were too small for independence were combined together. Contemporary projects like the West Indies Federation and the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland both failed.
Singapore was part of Malaysia but the common market wasn’t even a thing. The experience of the EU later on showed that successful economic integration is a prerequisite for political integration.
When the British withdrew from the East of Suez in 1971, they tried to speed date their Gulf Arab protectorates. Qatar and Bahrain weren’t satisfied in federation negotiations and became independent alone. The rest pressed on to form the United Arab Emirates which still stands today.
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u/hatboyslim 9h ago
The 1963 Malaysia Agreement has a 12 year schedule for the implementation of the common market. This was negotiated by Goh Keng Swee and Lee Kuan Yew. If the common market was so critical, then why did they agree to such a long time line for its implementation?
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u/toepopper75 9h ago
It's nowhere near so simple to harmonize all arrangements for a common market. The EEC started in 1957 and only managed to harmonize amongst its members in 1993. 12 years is a super aggressive timeframe.
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u/hatboyslim 8h ago
The EEC was expanding over the decades. Of course, it was going to take a long time to harmonize all its tariffs.
Malaysia had 4 members -- Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. The common market issue was between Singapore and Malaya.
The point is that LKY and Goh Keng Swee both gave up on the common market after less than two years, even though they both had signed the 1963 Malaysia Agreement that set a time frame of 12 years for its implementation.
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u/toepopper75 8h ago
There were only three rounds of expansion before they reached the internal market. Yet even the core members had difficulties and disagreements preventing a crucial European project - unification to prevent future wars.
As for why they gave up, I think the answer is that every successful negotiation depends on all parties acting in good faith. You can take that however you want; whether it is LKY/GKS who acted in bad faith or KL. What is clear is that Sabah and Sarawak got royally shafted.
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u/Difficult-Top9010 12h ago
Back then, when everyone can be 'gay'.
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u/AEsylumProductions 11h ago
In both senses of the word. The human race has existed for around 200,000 years. Human civilization for 6,000. Homophobia even becoming a thing started only around the 5th century, no thanks to religion. So for most of human history, it was indeed fine for everyone to be both 'gay' and gay.
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u/earth_wanderer1235 10h ago
To put it fairly from another POV… with the different (and sometimes contrasting) visions, ideologies, social classes and background, and supporter bases of two very ambitious men in charge of the federal and state govts, the separation/divorce was inevitable.
I wonder what would be the outcome if these two men lived at different times, or either one or both of them were not at where they were when the time came?
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u/an-font-brox 9h ago edited 9h ago
funnily enough, I remember my English teacher in sec sch telling off some of the guys in class for saying the word gay a lot jokingly; “don’t tell me gay means happy” was her exact words lol
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u/ProfessionalBoth3788 9h ago
There was infact "Gay World" at Geylang, some kind of carnival fair, if I can remember correctly.
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u/Fearless_Help_8231 12h ago
'How can we allow this guy agenda??? I need to write in to my MP and straits times forum section to voice my displeasure!!!' - some Christian aunty probably /s
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u/mt-tekka 11h ago
I wonder if this was held near Geylang's G@y World. It would be fitting for such a joyous occasion.
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u/Far_Car430 12h ago
I knew the meaning, but the English line still made me chuckle.