2. What you will learn How the British system of government worked in Singapore What the British did in law and order and social services How the British treated the Asians

3. The British System of Government in Singapore 18241824 : British possessed Singapore, Melaka and Penang 18261826 : the British combined them as one unit and called them the Straits Settlements. Why?Why? The British government in India ruled the Straits Settlements. By 1858, India had become a possession of Britain. The British in India ruled the British territories in SE Asia

4. The British System of Government in Singapore 18671867 : Control of the Straits Settlements transferred Colonial OfficeFrom the government in India to the Colonial Office in London Crown ColonyThe Straits Settlements became known as a Crown Colony. Queen Victoria (1837 to 1901) By becoming a Crown Colony, Singapore had become more than just a trading settlement as it now belonged to the Queen of England

5. Singapore as a Crown Colony GovernorUnder the Colonial Office, a British official called the Governor was put in charge of the Straits Settlements He was the most important person in the settlements He represented the King or Queen of Britain He made the final decisions in the government of the settlements He ruled with the help of two groups of people : –The Legislative Council Helped the Governor to make laws –The Executive Council Helped the Governor to carry out the laws The first Governor was Sir Harry St George Ord

6. Source : http://www.ura.gov.sg/pr/graphics/pr97-72a.gif

7. HISTORY OF ORD BRIDGE AND READ BRIDGE The origins of both Ord Bridge and Read Bridge date back to the 1880s. Ord Bridge Ord Bridge was originally constructed in 1886. It was named after Colonel Sir Harry St. George Ord, the first governor of the Straits Settlements. The bridge was once called Toddy Bridge because of the many toddy shops near it. Read Bridge Read Bridge also known as Green Bridge because of its colour, was built in 1889 to replace an earlier bridge called Merchant Bridge erected in the early 1880s. The bridge was named after William Henry Macleod Read who came to Singapore in 1841. He was a prominent businessman who had rendered many public services to Singapore. Source : http://www.ura.gov.sg/pr/text/pr97-72.html

8. How the British Ruled Singapore IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Do you think the British listened to the people’s views? Do you think they provided the locals with a good system of law and order? What about social services?

9. Singapore’s population was mainly Asian But British govt ruled with little Asian participation 2 reasons 1.Locals were not interested More interested in making their own living Quite contented to leave the ruling of the island to the British 2.Europeans and Asian traders (also known as merchants) were the only ones interested in government non-official membersSome Asian traders nominated to become non-official members in the Legislative Council An important step in getting Asians involved in the affairs of the settlement Asian non-official members were more familiar with the situation in Singapore Helped to passed laws that benefited the people How the British Ruled Singapore IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

10. Examples of Asian non- official members DR LIM BOON KENG 1914-1918 : Rents of houses very high, poor could not afford Dr Lim asked the LC to pass a law to control house rents The LC passed a law that stopped landlords from raising house rents How the British Ruled Singapore IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

11. Examples of Asian non-official members EUNOS ABDULLAH Asked govt to improve living conditions of Malays Govt set aside a very large piece of land for a Malay Settlement called Kampung Melayu Important because the land provided low-cost housing and allowed Malays to earn a living by growing fruits and vegetables and rearing poultry How the British Ruled Singapore IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

12. However, not all non-official members cared for the people At times, rich merchants in the LC looked after their own interestExample Dr Lim wanted opium to be banned This means that the govt would lose a source of income from the tax on opium To make up for this loss, the Governor suggested taxing the people’s income How the British Ruled Singapore IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Source : http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/ pages/frontline/ shows/heroin/etc/history.html

13. The main group affected would be the merchants Thus, European and Asian merchants opposed this In the end, opium was not banned The govt’s income continued to come mainly from the tax on opium until 1943 when it was banned How the British Ruled Singapore IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Freshly lanced poppy pods oozing raw opium resin. Source : http://www.ieo.org/opm_mass.html

14. Up to 1924, official members in the LC outnumbered non-officials Merchants asked govt to increase the number – the British did it slowly Only in 1924 were the numbers equal But the Governor still had the right to veto the decisions made by the LC This limited Asian influence Moreover, locals were not allowed to choose their own non-official members until the late 1940s How the British Ruled Singapore IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

15. “The keeping of the law and order is the responsibility of the police, but for a long time in Singapore’s history, they could not do it. There were riots, stealing during the riots and frequent and daring robberies committed by gangs of men in the 1840s and 1850s.” Adapted from The British as Rulers by Edwin Lee

16. Why was the police force unable to do its job? Why were there riots and robberies?

17. Policemen were very poorly paid Few wanted to join the police force The first police force in 1820 consisted of 11 people Too small to control several thousand settlers The early policemen had no uniform and had to go barefooted when on duty

18. Where and what is this place?

19. Geylang Police Station c1905

20. Most immigrants did not understand British laws Different from laws of their homeland and community Note that the British system of government was very new to them Growth of Chinese secret societies Members often took part in robberies, gang fights, riots and other crimes. Chinese community the biggest – caused serious problems Lawlessness not good for trade and business Traders complained

21. CHINESE RIOTS “None of the shops dared re-open, and when any of the streets was left unguarded the men on both sides would rush out and commence the fight again. Finally, finding that they could only fight at short intervals and in small numbers in the town, the two clans marched out in large bodies into the country, where many pitched battles took place, and large numbers were killed on both sides, the heads of the dead being cut off and carried on the spears of their adversaries.” One Hundred Years of Singapore, Volume One

22. Abuse of Chinese immigrants Many immigrants were too poor to pay for their passage from China Turned to coolie agents who would pay for their trips Often ill-treated by the coolie agents Many turned to secret societies for help and protection Unfortunately, they also suffered under secret societies Chinese immigrants

23. The British did not care for the people in Singapore The government knew about the ill-treatment but did nothing Early 1870s,Chinese leaders asked British Government to protect the coolie immigrants All the government did was to check that they were not cruelly treated Main concern was to make profits Immigrant groups left to look after themselves New laws were not explained to the public

24. By second half of 19 th century, secret societies grew in numbers because more immigrants were arriving Led to more violence – disrupted trade Many Asian and British merchants wrote to the Governor Urged him to take strong action to improve the police forceResult The government then took steps to improve law and order Policemen began to receive proper training and better pay The government also employed more officials who spoke Malay or some Chinese dialects

25. THOMAS DUNMAN In 1843, Thomas Dunman was appointed Superintendent of Police. He was a capable and hardworking man who could speak Malay He was known and liked among all classes of the community, both European and native They were willing to give him assistance and information He used to wander about the town at all hours of the day and night, so little went on that he did not know

26. He was also trusted by the headmen of secret societies, who knew they could trust him not to divulge the source of any information which they gave him Dunman improved the image, welfare and morale of the police force He retired from the police force in 1871 and was succeeded by Colonel Samuel Dunlop

27. The Chinese Protectorate Set up in 1877 to handle all matters and problems related to the Chinese, esp the problems of coolie trade and the secret societies William Pickering – the First Protector of the Chinese The Chinese called him the “Great Man” He had served in China before and had learnt to read and write Chinese Fluent in Mandarin, Teochew, Cantonese, Hakka and Foochow!

28. All Chinese societies, agents and coolies had to be registered with the CP Hence, Pickering got to know many Chinese leaders Sought their help to keep law and order among the Chinese CP had some effect in controlling the coolie trade

29. Coolie Trade The greedy coolie agents kidnapped some of the coolies They were locked in crowded and dirty houses in Singapore until the agents found employers for them William Pickering had all the coolie agents to register with Protectorate Coolie houses and coolie ships were often inspected to ensure that they came here willingly and they were treated fairly

30. Domestic Servants Young girls who came from poor families were sold to be domestic servants Many of them were treated badly The Chinese Protectorate often visited these servants Those who were very badly treated were sent to the Home for Girls CP also rescued young girls who had been tricked into coming to Singapore and sold to brothels

31. The Chinese Protectorate Building Constructed in 1886 Formerly at Havelock Road Pulled down in 1930 Chinese Protectorate, Singapore. Postmarked April 1908. Printed in Germany Source : http://www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/post/singapore/arts/postcards/buildings/9.html

32. The Chinese Protectorate Building, c.1940s Present view of the building Source : http://www.heritagehub.com.sg/visit%20sites/national%20treasures/NT-MinLabourBuilding/NT-MinLabourBuilding-M.htm Designed by H. Stallwood in 1928, the building stands on the site of the former Chinese Protectorate Building. The Ministry of Labour later occupied it till 1990. The site was previously occupied by the Chinese Protectorate, which was the predecessor of the Ministry of Labour. The Chinese Protectorate was first housed in a shophouse in North Canal Road. It moved to Havelock Road in 1886 to larger premises. These were demolished in c.a. 1930 and the present building was erected. The Ministry of Labour occupied this building till 1990. This monument was gazetted by the Preservation of Monuments Board on 27 February 1998.

33. The relationship between CP and Chinese leaders help build up some trust between the ruled and ruler By 20thC, some gangsters dared to appear as witnesses against one another SS headmen also tried to keep their men from fighting and rioting to avoid attention from the government Although not eradicated, SS power had weakened Later, it was decided that SS would be banned and not just registered

34. In the 20thC, govt took more steps to improve law and order The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was formed Many detectives recruited Modern methods of investigation adopted eg fingerprinting to keep records of criminals

36. As trade grew, govt began to take more interest in education. Why? Trade grew, more jobs available in govt office and trading companies Need for English-medium education grew British also needed English-educated Asians to work for the govt British did not treat all schools the same More money given to English and Malay schools Even then, money not enough for schools to employ sufficient teachers SOCIAL SERVICES EDUCATION

37. Chinese-medium schools neglected British believed these schools raised anti-British feelings among the students Supported English education to maintain loyalty among the English-speaking Chinese Also favoured those who were pro-British SOCIAL SERVICES EDUCATION School for Singapore Chinese Girls, 19thC Source : http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/singapore/sg01_04b.jpg

38. Higher education became possible only later Asian merchants put pressure on govt to provide this Raffles College1928 – Raffles College opened SOCIAL SERVICES EDUCATION

39. smallpoxcholera19thC – large-scale smallpox and cholera in S’pore Threatened growth of trade British had to take steps to improve the situation Quarantine LawQuarantine Law – All passengers from ships had to be checked at St John’s Island by a doctor for smallpox or cholera SOCIAL SERVICES HEALTH Smallpox as a bioterrorist threat

40. SOCIAL SERVICES HEALTH Cholera is the illness caused by a bacterium called Vibria cholerae. It infects people's intestines, causing diarrhea, vomiting and leg cramps. The diarrhea and vomiting brought on by the infection quickly leaves the body without enough fluid. The following dehydration and shock can kill a person within hours. http://www.disasterrelief.org/Disasters/971112cholera/

41. SOCIAL SERVICES HEALTH Source : http://www.seercom.com/bluto/smallpox/introduction.html Smallpox was a highly contagious human disease caused by the virus variola. Since smallpox is a virus, there is no treatment. In the 20th century, the virus was eliminated from the human population, the result of a successful World Eradication Program. Photograph - variola particles, enlarged 2000X

42. SOCIAL SERVICES HEALTH Source : http://www.seercom.com/bluto/smallpox/pathology.html Smallpox victim - smallpox is primarily a disease of the young. Symptoms can be overwhelming. This patient died days after this photo.

43. Public Health DepartmentSet up Public Health Department to improve the public health of the town Early 20thC – Asian leaders pressured govt to set up a medical school A need to train more doctors Govt agreed on condition that people raised a large sum of money to build the college SOCIAL SERVICES HEALTH

44. Asian leaders quickly raised $87,000 – a huge sum at that time! 1905 – First medical school established to train doctors King Edward College of Medicine1920 – The school became King Edward College of Medicine Besides training doctors, the govt also built more hospitals Also cleared dirty streets and drains to improve public health By early 1940s, govt was providing better medical care and services Spread of disease reduced SOCIAL SERVICES HEALTH

45. Source : http://www.dentistry.nus.edu.sg/faculty/history.htm

46. The Rulers and the Ruled 19 th C – the British considered the European and Chinese merchants as the most important group of people Mainly because they helped trade to grow But did not treat other Asians in the govt well The officials in control of govt depts were all Europeans Believed that Europeans were superior to Asians The British rewarded people according to their race, not their talents or contributions

47. The Rulers and the Ruled Discrimination“Discrimination” – How? Equally qualified Asians were not given senior or more important posts in govt depts Asians earn lower salaries for the same work that Europeans did Young European officials who had just come to Singapore for work told not to mix freely with Asians Showed that they looked down on Asians Discrimination outside the government Railway – European given different sections from Asians Meant to discourage contact between them At public places such as hotels and shops, Europeans treated as more important than Asians

48. The Rulers and the Ruled In one leading hotel in Singapore, Asians were not allowed to use the dance floor or the bar Reserved only for Europeans All these made Asians dislike the British for their unfair treatment By 1942, the British still had not done enough for education nor provided sufficient medical facilities In govt, non-official members of the LC were still chosen by the Governor and not elected by the people Discrimination against Asians remained in and out of government

49. Straits Settlements Singapore, Melaka and Penang were known as the Straits Settlements because they were situated in Straits of Melaka.

51. Acknowledgements Images and photographs were reproduced in the interest and pursuit of education and not for profit. All copyrights belong to the respective owners : Understanding Our Past, 1999 CPDD-MOE, Singapore Paul Thomas, British Monarchy, Oxford University Press 1989 One Hundred Years of Singapore, Volume One Singapore Historical Postcards : From the National Archives Collection, Times Editions