7/28/2019 Lim Yew Hock Succeeded in Getting the British to Grant Singapore Internal Self

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Lim Yew Hock succeeded in getting the British to grant Singapore internal self-government

because his approach was less aggressive. I agree with this statement.

Firstly, Lim Yew Hock did not believe in threatening the British to offer further concessions,

as he knew that they were worried about the communist threat in Singapore and thus were

unwilling to grant more power to the people. Hence, he believed in cooperating with the

British to control the Communists and gain the confidence of the British government. With

the outbreak of student riots in 1956, and the arrest of union leaders, the British were

pleased with Lim Yew Hocks success in suppressing the strikes and riots.

Secondly, when Lim Yew Hock led another group to London to re-negotiate for internal self-

government in 1957, he was willing to compromise on the issue of internal security as he

was aware that the British were still concerned about the Communists. As a result, he

succeeded in getting the British to grant Singapore internal self-government.

Another reason to support this statement would be David Marshalls attempt at negotiating

for internal self-government. He demanded it and insisted that Singapore should have a say

in matters of defence and external affairs. In addition, while he was the Chief Minister of

Singapore, he refused to be ordered around by the Governor and his British officials. When

they refused to allot him an office room, Marshall threatened to set up his desk under a tree

in front of the secretariat. Furthermore, during one or two occasions, Marshall was placed

seventh in line to the Governor during public functions. He refused to be seated until the

mistake was corrected, as he believed he should be seated next to the Governor and would

not tolerate this insult to the people of Singapore. His defiant attitude led to him not winning

the support of the British.

However, Lim Yew Hocks less aggressive approach was not the only factor that contributed

to the success of the Merdeka talks. There are other important factors that contributed to its

success.

Another reason would be Lim Yew Hocks capability in handling important matters in

Singapore. During the 1956 students riots, he was able to lead the government to take firm

action against the rioters. On 26 October 1956, the police entered the schools and cleared

the students rioting using tear gas. The government then imposed a curfew, but as thesituation became more serious, the army was called in. During the curfew, the police and the

army set up road-blocks to prevent large crowds from gathering at one place. The riots came

to an end when the police arrested almost all the union leaders. With the outbreak of student

riots in 1956 and the arrest of union leaders, the British were pleased with Lim Yew Hocks

success in suppressing the strikes and riots.

Although having a less aggressive approach was important, Lim Yew Hocks capability in

handling matters in Singapore was also important. However, a less aggressive approach

seems to be the most important reason why he succeeded in getting the British to grant

Singapore internal self-government.

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