(FOR 2N2 ONLY) Some Questions and their Answers.

Below are some sample questions and their answers. Practise!!!

Short answer Questions

1. Name the first Yang di Pertuan Negara of Singapore (1m)
2. What animals is the Singapore state crest flanked by (surrounded/placed by the sides)? (1m)
3. Who led the’ Merdeka Mission to negotiate with the British for the independence of Malaya? (1m)
4. What was Singapore renamed during the Japanese Occupation and what does it mean? (2m)
5. What is the name of the government that took over the running of Singapore in the post (after) World War Two years ? (1m)
6. What was the mass screening by the Japanese to wipe out anti-Japanese elements known as? (1m)
7. When was the People’s Action Party (PAP) formed? (1m)
8. In the Maria Hertogh case, why was her Muslim marriage announced as null (not valid/not counted as lawful)? (1m)
9. What does ASEAN stand for? When was it formed? (2m)
10. Why did the ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ campaign make UMNO leaders unhappy? (2m)
11. Why was Brunei excluded from the Federation of Malaya? (1m)
12. What does JTC stand for? (1m)
13. Who was Dr Albert Winsemius? (1m)
14. Which countries signed the Five Power Defence Agreement with Singapore? (1m)
15. When was the National Service Amendment Bill passed (means made into law)? (1m)
16. Name two strategies the PAP government did to respond to challenges after independence (2m)
17. Which year did the Hock Lee bus riots occur? (1m)
18. Which 2 secondary schools were particularly against National Service? (2m)
19. What is the name of the organisation that Singaporeans feared during the Japanese Occupation? (1m)
20. Which were the two famous British battleships guarding Singapore and Malaya? (2m)

Structured Questions:

1. Describe how living conditions were like in Singapore after World War 2 ended. (4m)

2. Why was there a change in the political attitudes (how people feel towards the government) of the people of Singapore after the British return in 1945? (6m)

3. What were the strengths of the PAP that enabled it to win the 1959 election? (5m)

4. What lessons can we learn from the Maria Hertogh Riots? Explain. (5m)

5. Why was Singapore known as the impregnable fortress? (6m)

Some notes:

- When you are asked to DESCRIBE, it means to TELL.
- When a question starts with WHY or HOW DO YOU THINK or WHAT CAN WE LEARN….You must give the FACTORS and the REASONS /EXPLANATIONS!


Answers for the Short Answer and Structured Questions!!!

1. Yusof Bin Ishak
2. The lion and the tiger.
3. Tunku Abdul Rahman
4. Syonan –To. It means ‘Light of the South.’
5. The British Military Administration.
6. Sook Ching.
7. 21st November 1954.
8. She was under-aged under the Dutch law and the consent of her natural father was not asked.
9. It stands for Association of Southeast Asian Nations. 8th August 1967.
10. It questioned the special rights of the Malays. It seemed that PAP was not acting according to UMNO’s wishes.
11. The Sultan of Brunei and the Malayan government did not agree on the economic reforms.
12. Jurong Town Corporation.
13. He was a Dutch economist who was invited to advise Singapore on its economic development.
14. Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia.
15. 14th March 1967.
16. Attract Multinational Corporations to invest in S’pore. Setting better standards in Housing.
17. 1955
18. Chung Cheng High and Chinese High.
19. The Kempeitai.
20. The HMS Repulse and The HMS Prince of Wales.

Structured Qns:

1. There was a shortage of water and electricity and telephone services were disrupted. This was due to the Japanese destruction of public facilities and a lack of public funds to build new ones during the war. On top of this, there was a severe shortage of food and many people were unemployed as industries such a manufacturing and export stopped functioning during the war.
2. The British were blamed and many saw that they had failed to defend Singapore. This was seen in the failure of their defence strategies such as their inability to stop Japanese advancement from Malaya. On top of this, external events such as India’s independence gave inspiration to Singaporeans to demand self government too.

The British were for post war problems such as high unemployment, lack of food, water and electricity. In addition, Communism was gaining a foothold in the minds of the Chinese educated and the trade unions. Workers started a series of strikes to demand for better pay and working conditions.

3. The PAP was the most impressive and united. Other parties appeared to have disagreements and the PAP were the only ones who were well organised.

It had a lot of support from the trade unions and Chinese schools. This was crucial as they got a lot of votes from this section of society.

On top of all these, the PAP had a detailed plan for Singaporeans. This plan had clear objectives and ways to improve healthcare, housing and education. In addition, the PAP presented themselves as honest and incorrupt.

4. Riots had a significant impact on the society of Singapore. Public and private property were destroyed and people did not feel safe anymore. One lesson learnt was violence did not solve problems but made them worse. With the riots, businesses were affected and the economy suffered.

The riots also showed that religious and racial issues had to be dealt with carefully and that racial harmony is important in Singapore. The riots were an expression of anti –British feelings as the Courts favoured the Dutch. There is thus a need to establish fair laws and just people to preside in the courts in order to prevent public anger.

5. Why was Singapore known as the impregnable fortress?

The term impregnable fortress means strong and invincible defence of Singapore. It was known to be the impregnable fortress for the following reasons.

Firstly, 15 inch guns were installed facing the sea. These guns seemed to be more than enough in defending Singapore from any form of attach from the sea. On top of this, Singapore was defended by a large hinterland, Malaya from the back. Enemies would take a long time to go through Malaya and the British thought that the Japanese would find it hard to go through the thick and dense jungles.

Secondly, the island was defended by the two warships, the HMS Repulse and the HMS Prince of Wales. It was seen that there was a lot of firepower and advanced ships and guns to defend the island.

Thirdly, Singapore was also protected by troops from India and Australia. There was a military presence in Tengah and Sembawang and underground bunkers were built in Fort Canning, Labrador and Sembawang. Singapore seemed to be well prepared if war happened.

In conclusion, these are the reasons why Singapore was known as the impregnable fortress.