The future of Singapore was uncertain following its sudden independence. The Konfrontasi (Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation) was still ongoing, and the conservative UMNO faction opposed the separation. As a result, Singapore was threatened by the Indonesian military and faced the prospect of being forced back into the Malaysian Federation under unfavorable terms. The international media expressed doubts about Singapore’s survival. Aside from sovereignty, the pressing issues were unemployment, housing, education, and lack of natural resources. The unemployment rate was between 10 and 12%, threatening civil unrest.
The international community immediately recognized Singapore’s sovereignty. On 21 September 1965, Singapore joined the United Nations, becoming the 117th member of the organization; and in October of the same year, it joined the Commonwealth. Under the Constitution Amendment Act of 1965, which went into effect on 22 December 1965, the Head of State became the President, and Singapore became the Republic of Singapore.
In 1961, the Economic Development Board was formed to formulate and implement national economic strategies to promote Singapore’s manufacturing sector. Tax incentives ensured foreign investment in Singapore, and industrial estates were developed, especially in Jurong. The industrialization process transformed the manufacturing industry into one that produced goods with higher value-added and increased revenue. Ships calling at the port and increased commerce stimulated the service industry at this time. The lack of good public housing, poor sanitation, and high unemployment contributed to social problems such as crime and health issues. In 1961, the proliferation of squatter settlements caused safety hazards and the Bukit Ho Swee Fire, which killed four people and forced 16,000 to leave their homes.
Here are some stunning historical photos that will take you back to the 1960s in Singapore.
#1 Chinatown, Singapore, 1962
#2 A typical Singapore River scene with the large commercial houses in the background, 1960s
#3 The Island Republic of Singapore celebrated its second Independence Day Anniversary with a mammoth parade before City Hall by some 25,000 persons. Here, young girls perform a colorful sword dance, Singapore, 1960s
#4 Hayley Millets and Trevor Howard with the Raffles Hotel of Singapore for the film Pretty Polly in April 1967
#5 Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato walk a corridor of the Diet on March 20, 1967
#6 A new-look Hayley Mills in Chinese Make-up and a cheongsam on location in Singapore, for her new film ‘Pretty Polly’, 20th March 1967.
#7 A new-look Hayley Mills in Chinese Make-up and a cheongsam on location in Singapore, for her new film ‘Pretty Polly’, 1967
#8 A new-look Hayley Mills in Chinese Make-up and a cheongsam on location in Singapore, for her new film ‘Pretty Polly’.
#9 As Brenda de Banzie and Hayley Mills disembark from a cruise ship at Singapore, they are met by Shashi Kapoor in a scene from the film ‘A Matter Of Innocence’, 1967.
#10 A stall selling cuttlefish soup and noodles to mourners in Saigo Lane in the Chinese quarter of Singapore, 1966
#11 Singapore Prime Minister See Harbour, 1966
#12 An aerial view of the Fullerton Building, originally an office building, then the General Post Office and latterly a five-star hotel, on the Singapore River, 1966
#13 Police Break Up Sudent rioting in Singapore, 1965
Singapore police fire tear gas in an attempt to break up a group of student demonstrators trying to march on the city hall. Most of the protesters were those dismissed by a university for taking part in rowdy demonstrations against proposed changes in their academic curriculum.
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#14 Minesweeper Departs For North — Here friends and relatives wave farewell as the ship pulls out from its berth, 1965
#15 Manchester pop group Freddie and the Dreamers in Singapore during their world tour, 1965
#16 Manchester pop group Freddie and the Dreamers in Singapore during their world tour, 1965
#17 Manchester pop group Freddie and the Dreamers in Singapore during their world tour, 1965
#18 A Malaysian Policeman Holding An Indonesian Prisoner caught in a Little Island to the East of Singapore On January 4, 1965.
#19 A group of Indonesians being led away for interrogation by the police after their capture on Singapore Island, 1964
#20 The Island quaint little shops can be found in the most unexpected places and inside them is crammed, clothing, cameras, Transistor radios, Tape recorders watches and fascinating Toys.
#21 Police Trying to Control Street Riot in Singapore, 1966
Police rush in to break up a fight between Chinese and Malayan residents of Singapore during a clash in the downtown area. The riot started when Malays attending a Moslem procession suddenly turn on Chinese passersby. A four-day riot, which started on July 1st, has finally been quieted. Headquarters of the Malaysian Royal Police announced that the causality figures as 19 dead, 451 injured, and 1,463 arrested.
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#22 Lee Kuan Yew Speaking at a Meeting.
#23 View of the island and the port, 1964.
#24 Members of the Singapore Police Riot Squad armed with truncheons and wicker riot shields during race riots between Chinese and Malay groups in Singapore, 1964.
#25 A young girl prays before eating her meal at a Red Cross run school for disabled children in Singapore, 1964
#26 A young boy prays before eating his meal at a school for disabled children in Singapore, run by the Red Cross, 1964
#27 Children going through their daily exercises with the assistance of volunteers at a Red Cross school for disabled children in Singapore, 1964
#28 Three children in Singapore in prayer before a meal at a Red Cross school for disabled children, 1964
#29 People dancing the twist in the Celestial Room of the Amber Mansion, a nightclub in Singapore, 1963
#30 Singaporean children play in the harbour, while behind them there is little activity on the boats, 1963
#31 10 RAN ships today entered Sydney Harbour after completing a week’s anti-submarine exercise “Tuckerbox” in the Coral Sea.
#32 Singapore Ffrmers Arrives By Junk, 1960s
#33 Troops of the NR20 squadron of the Royal Air Force are stationed at Tengah airfield, Singapore, ready to embark, on May 25, 1962, to move towards Thailand.
#34 Boats in Waters of Singapore, 1960s
This view of the waterfront shows how the modernistic Asia Insurance Building (Left), tallest in the city, stands alongside old colonial buildings. Primitive rowboats and sampans share the harbor with high-powered motor launches. More than 1,600,000 people, representing most of the races and religions of mankind, are crowded into an island 27 miles long and 14 miles wide. Eighty per cent of the population is Chinese.
