“Nationalism” in the Decolonization of Singapore

Of the “multitude of explanations” on the subject of decolonization, the role of indigenous nationalism is perhaps one that has often been advanced. The emergence of an “irresistible mass nationalism,” as John Darwin puts it, “is commonly seen as the decisive moment in the defeat of colonial rule. Once nationalist leaders had begun to rally mass support for independence, the days of colonialism were numbered.” He adds, “Nothing seemed more natural in retrospect than that the new educated elites in the colonies should have come to resent alien rule; that their resentment should have come to be shared by the mass of the population; and that with mass support behind them the nationalist leadership should have been able to dictate the timing of colonial withdrawal.” ¹ Yet, in the decolonization of Singapore, the role of indigenous nationalism would seem to be ambiguous. Until the outbreak of the Pacific war, a mass-based indigenous nationalist movement had not emerged on the Singapore political landscape. When semblance of such a movement emerged after 1945, commentators still do not agree about its role in ending British rule in Singapore. More intriguing are questions about its nature and character, whether the “nationalism” that arose after the war could be seriously considered as indigenous or “Singaporean.”