Background to The Racial Riots
Singapore had its Referendum to join Malaysia on 16 September, 1963. Singapore had it first General Election after merger on 21 September 1963. It was initially agreed that the ruling party of each territory would not participate in each other’s turf. The Alliance from Malaya broke that agreement filled a full strength of 51 candidates. The Alliance suffered disastrously. They could not muster enough votes even in the Malay areas like Southern Islands, Geylang Serai and Kembangan. The failure to oust PAP out of Singapore led to a campaign of hatred by the extremists of UMNO against the PAP. During the 1964 Malayan General Election, Singapore fielded 4 candidates. One of the candidates Devan Nair was voted in as an assembly man of Bungsar.
UMNO under the secretary general Syed Jaafar Albar – had daily attacked the Malays in the PAP as well as spread falsehoods about Lee Kuan Yew being anti-Malays in the Utusan Melayu which was in Jawi Script. Most Chinese and Indians in Malaysia did not read the Utusan Melayu. Lee Kuan Yew denied such allegations vehemently but they were not reported in the Utusan Melayu.
On Tuesday, 21th July,1964, it was Prophet Mohammad Birthday. It was a gazetted Public Holiday. It was to be of a religious significance to the Malays. But that day, it was otherwise. There were fiery speeches against the PAP Government. One of whom was the Singapore secretary-general of Singapore UMNO, Dato Syed Esa Almanoer, one of the defeated candidates for Changi in the 1963 General Election of Singapore. There was a huge procession of 25 000 Muslims, starting from the Padang to Geylang. In Kallang Gas Works, trouble started.
There were several versions of who started first. Each had his own view – all depend on which side you were in. I will try my best to pen down all the views.
According to eye witnesses, at about 5 p.m. a few members of the possessions straggling away and refused to heed the Chinese Police Constable to return to their main stream. The Police Constable became assertive and one of them shouted, ”Chinese fight Malays”. The rest immediately broke free of the procession and started attacking those innocent bystanders, hawkers and passers-by. When they realized that it was racial attack they fled into their kampongs shouting what had happened. Realising what had happened the Chinese grouped together and hit back. The disturbances spread rapidly to Geylang Serai area. By 7.30 p.m. it had spread to the city.
According to one of the members of the procession, a Chinese threw a bottle into the procession. That started the riot. The Malaysian officials preferred that version and stated officially that that was the cause.
According to eye-witnesses, the silat (Malay martial arts) groups came out in full force with their black garbs on. When the signal was given they drew out the weapons hidden in the lorries they were following and started attacking.
My Experiences
We were staying in Chai Chee deep along Peng Ghee Road, which was a rough undulating red laterite track worn out by flowing water. That evening (21, July 1964), at about 7.00 p.m. everyone of us had already had our dinner. Suddenly we heard the rushing of motorcycles, cars and lorries zooming at breakneck speed. In the process the noises made by the motorized vehicles were deafening – something which we had never heard before. There were the loud revving and roaring of moving machines, the rumbling of lorries, the clink clanking of empty swill drums on the lorries’ beds, the rattling of hard objects on the side cars of the motorcycles, the rattling of goods bicycles on the undulating mud track of Peng Ghee Road. The children were frightened of the sudden loud out of this world noises and were crying their lungs out. Dogs barking started, at first a few, later followed by all in the kampong. Soon Chew Eng Teng, my cousin, sped by in his Triumph motorbike with a sidecar, was shouting haltingly that troubles had erupted in Geylang. Some houses were burning and some people were killed and injured. All of us took that piece of news with expressions of horror and shock. Silence fell with our mouths agape. Our hair stood on ends. Nervousness overtook us.
Meanwhile the rushing of motor vehicles continued unabated. People began shouting at the top of their voices ‘Malays attack Chinese in Geylang’. “ Clack! Clack! Clack!” Went the sounds of solid steel knocking on one another. “Everybody, get out of your house,” a voice shouted, followed by loud echoes of more voices. “Hoooooooo!” Everybody responded in union. “Every one prepares a weapon!” More shouts came. Then came the sounds of sharpening of steel on stone grinders. All households rushed out of their houses with something solid in their hands. My parents grabbed hold of their precious belongings and the children’s identity cards and birth certificates. Others grabbed absent-mindedly some insignificant objects. Old people would mumble prayers in their mouths. Those who were familiar with Chinese kung fu shows would imagine having to fight man to man. Able-bodied men ventured out to Chai Chee market to gather more news.
Those Chinese who were at the border between Kaki Bukit and Peng Ann Road began evacuating into Chai Chee to stay with their relatives and friends. My father’s sister family moved out of Kaki Bukit to stay with us. Those Malays who stayed along the perimeter of the Chai Chee and Kaki Bukit areas also vacated to stay in the Kaki Bukit schools and Community Centre as well as with their relatives.
Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve Unit from Malaysia began moving to the border between Peng Ann Road and Kaki Bukit. Peng Ann Road was on a high ridge. Kaki Bukit was at the foot of the ridge on a flat land. In the 50s, the earth of Kaki Bukit was moved to fill up swamps in Kallang. Kallang Airport was built upon those reclaimed land. The headman of Peng Ann organized sentry duties. They took turns to keep watch at vantage points along the ridges. There were movements of the military and police vehicles. Then suddenly the knocking of the drum at the mosque below was heard.
All were puzzled. There was a hush discussion among the sentries. They must have come to a conclusion that an attack by the military was imminent. They thought that the villagers must be informed to get them to get ready. But how?
Suddenly someone from the Yew Ghee Sia Moral Aid Society drew out its huge ceremonial drum and started knocking rapidly. Although the drumming was done at the end of Peng Ann Ridge, we, at the Peng Ghee area could hear sounds of the drum distinctly. The whole village uproared again. Those over excited residents knocked their steel pipes and parangs at hand to get everyone to be on the alert. Others thought the fighting was on when they heard the clanking and clashing of steel pipes and parangs. They were filled with horror and fear. Dogs barking and children crying incessantly. Mothers pacifying their babies could be heard. Others grouped together discussing in hush tones on what was the best way to resolve the attack. Some volunteers went round to collect donations to buy snacks for those on duty as sentries.
The feeling was most horrible. I could imagine that it was just like the soldiers in the Chinese war films people fighting with weapons at hands killing and be killed, running, chasing, hiding, attacking and defending etc, etc. Oh! No! We could never stop imagining things. What would become of Singapore.
Then there were empty talks of invading the Federal Reserve Unit first before they attacked us. Another countered that the death toll would be great and the idea was immediately abandoned. Rumours were abound. The number of deaths and number of houses burned were reportedly heard increased every hour. They could recite the names of the dead and injured, but nobody was sure who they were.
Curfew was imposed. Everybody had to stay indoors. In the kampong, we could still move freely about but not along the main road. Then there were disquiet about the biasness of the Police Force and the Federal Reserve Unit. Those Malay rioters were either asked to disperse or arrested and then to be released immediately after that. The Chinese rioters were immediately arrested and took away.
The Singapore government found that the Malay Regiment and the Federal Reserve Unit could not effectively enforce the curfew. As a result, the Gurkha Police Force – well-known for their bravery and impartiality were called upon to enforce the curfew as well as to patrol the street. When the curfew was lifted for the people to go home, buy provisions, attend burials or visit one another to find out their well-beings the gurkhas were there with rifles on the alert. During the hours of curfew, telephones were jammed. Relatives were worried sick why their loved ones did not return home.
When the Gurkhas took over, there were no hanky panky. They were ordered to shoot on sight at the curfew breakers. Would-be rioters immediately melted away and stayed at home. The curfew was then efficiently enforced. After twenty fours, when there were no incidences, the curfew hours were released and the populace could move freely to attend to their necessary routines. But the Gurkhas with their weapons on the alert were on their rounds. All races were suspicious and fearful of one another.
I remembered I was on a bus travelling from town home a few days after the riot was over. When the bus reached Geylang, everybody was eyeing each one suspiciously. When the bus halted at the bus stop, a Malay couple in their fifties boarded it. There was an empty seat next to a Chinese. The man asked the lady to take the seat. The lady squirmed and nearly cried, “Tidak mahu, ada orang China.” (No. There is a Chinese). The passengers in bus sighed in disapproval of the lady. The man pacified her that nothing would happen to her. I felt sad that the situation became so bad that every race was suspicious of one another.
When Tungku Abdul Rahman and Lee Kuan Yew came to Chai Chee, they had a meeting with the community leaders of Kaki Bukit and Chai Chee. Then they went to St Patrick’s School to address a group of about 1000 people. Leaders of the various communities set up Goodwill Committees all over Singapore to spread the message of harmony with all races. The Citizenship Consultative Committee (CCC) and the Community Club Management Committee (CCMC) were formed in 1965.
The second racial riot was sparked off by the Indonesians.
Altogether 23 people died and 454 injured. What a wanton waste of human lives. All citizens must not take racial harmony for granted. Those who lived through that period understand that. Do you?