$Unique_ID{COW03160} $Pretitle{384} $Title{Singapore Front Matter} $Subtitle{} $Author{Nena Vreeland} $Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army} $Subject{singapore percent malaysia united authors country major political government malay} $Date{1976} $Log{Global Map*0316001.scf } Country: Singapore Book: Singapore, A Country Study Author: Nena Vreeland Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army Date: 1976 Front Matter Authors: Glenn B. Dana, Geoffrey B. Hurwitz, Peter Just, R.S. Shinn Foreword This volume is one in a continuing series of books now being prepared by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress under the Country Studies-Area Handbook Program. The last page of this book lists the other published studies. Most books in the series deal with a particular foreign country, describing and analyzing its political, economic, social, and national security systems and institutions, and examining the interrelationships of those systems and the ways they are shaped by cultural factors. Each study is written by a multidisciplinary team of social scientists. The authors seek to provide a basic understanding of the observed society, striving for a dynamic rather than a static portrayal. Particular attention is devoted to the people who make up the society, their origins, dominant beliefs and values, their common interests and the issues on which they are divided, the nature and extent of their involvement with national institutions, and their attitudes toward each other and toward their social system and political order. The books represent the analysis of the authors and should not be construed as an expression of an official United States government position, policy, or decision. The authors have sought to adhere to accepted standards of scholarly objectivity. Corrections, additions, and suggestions for changes from readers will be welcomed for use in future editions. Louis R. Mortimer Acting Chief Federal Research Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 20540 Preface In 1965, shortly before the tiny Republic of Singapore became a fully independent state, the Area Handbook for Malaysia and Singapore was published. Since that time Singaporeans have experienced ten years of constant economic and social change in a remarkably stable political system and-compared with several of their neighbors-a relatively free and open society. A very high rate of economic growth and a rapid pace of industrialization have transformed the physical profile of this urbanized island nation and the everyday lives and expectations of its people. To the obvious strategic importance of Singapore's location at the narrow entrance to the Strait of Malacca have been added its emergence as the world's fourth busiest port, its new role as the region's major financial center, and its substantial petroleum-processing facilities. The 1976-86 period is likely to be equally momentous as the country seeks to resolve the problems and predicaments generated by internal change and by international economic events over which Singapore has little control. This handbook seeks to provide a compact and objective outline of the dominant social, economic, political, and military aspects of Singapore and to give the reader an idea of the forces at work in its society. Interpretations are offered on a tentative basis as befits research undertaken without fieldwork. The authors have relied on published and unpublished documents and secondary sources as well as on the knowledge and insight of public officials and private persons. The 1965 edition of the handbook was the product of a team composed of Susan E. Callaway, Gustavo A. Mellander, Elaine M. Themo, and John O. Weaver under the chairmanship of Bela C. Maday. Some historical materials have been drawn from that edition. The present edition results from the combined efforts of a multidisciplinary team of researchers assisted by the staff of Foreign Area Studies. The team was chaired by Nena Vreeland, who wrote chapter 1 and coordinated the contributions of the other authors. Glenn B. Dana wrote chapters 3 and 9; Geoffrey B. Hurwitz wrote chapter 7; Peter Just wrote chapters 2 and 4; and R. S. Shinn wrote chapters 5 and 6. The authors express their thanks to Donald P. Whitaker, who wrote chapter 8. Spellings of place-names used in the handbook generally conform to those approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names in the second edition, published in 1970, of its Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, Official standard Names, Gazetteer No. 10. In instances where information is expressed in weights and measures not customarily employed in the United States, the equivalent is provided; tons are metric unless otherwise specified. Maps, charts, and other figures appear within the text; tables are presented in an appendix. The reader may refer to the glossary for United States dollar-Singapore dollar equivalents and for other frequently used terms. On December 23, 1976, after research and writing for the present edition were completed, general elections were held in Singapore. The People's Action Party (PAP) predictably captured all sixty-nine parliamentary seats and received about 76 percent of the popular vote. Sixteen PAP candidates were returned unopposed. In no constituency did opposition candidates poll more than 40 percent of the vote, and the combined opposition vote was reduced to 24 percent from the roughly 30 percent obtained in the previous general election of 1972. The inner core of the power structure remained unaffected; all but one of the government's ministers were reappointed to the new cabinet announced on December 30. Country Profile [See Global Map: Map of Singpore on the Globe.] Country Formal Name: Republic of Singapore. Term for Nationals: Singaporeans. Preindependence Political Status: British crown colony until 1963, internal self-government beginning 1959; became a semiautonomous state of Malaysia in September 1963; separated from Malaysia and became independent republic August 9, 1965. Capital: Singapore. Geography Size and Topography: 1975 land area about 230 square miles, roughly the size of Chicago, mostly concentrated in Singapore Island; numerous smaller islands and islets; located at narrow point of Strait of Malacca off the tip of the Malay Peninsula; connected with Malaysia by causeway. Climate: Tropical with high temperature and high humidity; northeast monsoon November to March, southwest monsoon May to September, occasional heavy rains and flooding. Society Population: 1970 Census reported 2,074,507; 1976 estimate over 2.3 million; low annual growth rate of 1.3 in 1975, result of vigorous family planning effort; 1975 birthrate 17.8 per 1,000, death rate 5.1 per 1,000; 1975 density about 9,673 people per square mile. Ethnic Groups and Languages: Ethnic composition in 1975 was 76.1 percent Chinese, 15.1 percent Malay, 6.9 percent Indian (including Pakistanis and Sri Lankans), 1.9 percent others. Major ethnic groups subdivided by differences of dialect and region of origin. National language Malay; Malay, Chinese (Mandarin), Tamil, and English official languages; English principal language of business, government, and education. Health: Deaths caused by infectious and parasitic diseases greatly reduced since 1950s by improved medical facilities and technology and by better sanitation and public health measures. Cancer and circulatory diseases most frequent causes of death in mid-1970s. Government and private hospitals and clinics; one physician for every 1,400 people. Life expectancy in 1970 sixty-five years for males and seventy years for females. Religion: Chinese mostly Buddhist and Taoist; Malays and some Indians Muslim; other Indians Hindu. Education: Noncompulsory system includes free universal primary school education. Four streams based on language of instruction-English, Chinese (Mandarin), Malay, and Tamil. English stream most popular, rapidly eclipsing all but Chinese stream. Literacy 72 percent in 1970. Government and Politics Form: Parliamentary system in which cabinet members are drawn from dominant political group in legislature; Lee Kuan Yew prime minister since 1959. Parliament had sixty-five members in 1976. Universal compulsory adult suffrage. Politics: One-party rule under People's Action Party (PAP), which captured all seats of Parliament in general election of 1972. Political opposition divided and weak. Legal System: Strong British influence. Supreme Court divided into three chambers: The High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Court of Criminal Appeal. Subordinate courts include district courts and magistrates' courts. Major International Memberships: Member of United Nations and its principal specialized agencies, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), and other regional organizations. Economy Salient Features: Modern trading and industrial country and major regional financial center. Open economy vulnerable to changes in international trends. Rapid growth of gross domestic product (GDP-see Glossary) between 1966 and 1973 averaging 13 percent annually, slowed sharply by recession in 1974 and 1975. Per capita income in 1974 was equivalent of US $2,376. Substantial foreign investment. Predominantly free enterprise; government management of utilities, transportation carriers, communications, and land development. Industry: Leading sectors petroleum refining, electronics and electrical machinery, shipbuilding and ship repair, rubber processing, and light manufactures. Foreign Trade: Total trade in 1975 was S$32,028 million (for value of the Singapore dollar-see Glossary). Imports were S$19,270 million. Exports, of which entrepot trade constituted 40.9 percent, were S$12,758 million. Major exports: petroleum products, rubber, machinery and transport equipment, timber, electronics products, and textile products. Major imports: rice, machinery, and manufactures. Principal trading partners in 1975: United States (15.0 percent), Malaysia (13.8 percent), Japan (13.6 percent). Electric Power: 1975 generating capacity 1,030 megawatts. Production 4,176 million kilowatt-hours. Currency: Singapore dollar (see Glossary). Fiscal Year: April 1 through March 31. Through 1968 fiscal year corresponded to calendar year; a transitional fiscal year from January 1, 1969, through March 31, 1970. Transportation and Communications Railroads: Meter-gauge line from Malay Peninsula crosses causeway and branches to Jurong and city of Singapore. Roads: 1,354 miles; 80 percent paved. Ports: Singapore (Keppel Wharves and Telok Ayer Basin), Jurong, Sembawang, and Pasir Panjang Village. Together ports handled over 20,000 large vessels in 1975, making Singapore fourth busiest port in the world. Airfields: Two major airports (Singapore International Airport and Seletar), three smaller fields. Telecommunications: Good international service and adequate domestic facilities. Some 318,000 telephones at end of 1975. Cable and satellite links to some 200 countries; microwave links with Peninsular Malaysia; telex; computer data service with some countries, including United States. Satellite earth station with two antennas. Radio and television coverage good; transmission in four official languages. National Security Armed Forces: In early 1976 army-25,000; air force-3,000; navy-3,000; reserves-22,000. Comprehensive national service program. Military Budget: Estimated budgetary expenditures for security and defense S$710 million in FY 1976. Averages somewhat over 25 percent of national budget. Foreign Military Treaties: Five-power defense arrangement with United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Malaysia provides for consultation if one member threatened. Integrated Air Defense System (IADS) with Malaysia. Internal Security: Communists in Singapore probably fewer than 100, part of Malayan Communist Party. Government periodically detains suspected security risks.