Episode 15: The Two Singapores

Post-War Singapore was divided into two worlds. In one, rich English-speaking Singaporean elites enjoyed unprecedented political participation and prosperity due to a new constitution; in the other, non-English speaking Singaporean workers were economically exploited, politically neglected, hounded, harassed, detained, and even tortured and deported because of the Malayan Emergency. In this episode, PJ Thum explores these divisions and in particular explains how the events from 1948 - 1952 starkly illustrate the sharp divide that created, in effect, two very different Singapores in one country. Please send questions, comments, and feedback to thehistoryofsingapore@gmail.com or visit thehistoryofsingapore.com.