State Of Emergency Declared To Deal With Malayan Communist Party You wouldn’t know this unless you’re a die-hard history buff – but Singapore once declared a state of emergency that kicked off exactly 70 years ago, and lasted for over a decade, from 1948 to 1960. What sparked the order? Blame the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and its militant arm, the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA). Together, they were responsible for multiple bombings and targeted attacks on infrastructure across Singapore and Malaya. Their goal? To establish a People’s Democratic Republic of Malaya, a communist state that included Singapore. Funny how we could have gone down the North Korean route with a Democratic People’s Republic of (insert state here). Source Let’s take a look at the events which caused Singaporeans to live under a cloud of fear for 12 years. Wartime beginnings The MCP’s presence grew in the years of the Japanese Occupation of Malaya and Singapore. In fact, British colonial authorities reluctantly cooperated with the MCP in an attempt to fend off the Japanese threat. But the Fall of Singapore in 1942 prompted MCP members to flee to the jungles. Source From there, they resorted to guerrilla tactics to disrupt Japanese operations. These were […]
7 years ago
