The Country That Didn't Want Independence 

Yet again I must apologise for how long it's been since my last video. In this video I look at the story of how Singapore became an independent country, even though it didn't really want to be one! As I'm sure many of you will have noticed, this video is very different looking than previous videos. I had the help of professional editors and animators, and we're trying to build a new visual style for my videos. We still have some tweaks to make here and there, as we try to nail down the style we want, but it's definitely exciting to see. Please be sure to give me your feedback, and let me know what you like/dislike, or any suggestions you have going forward. Once again, this video is sponsored by the awesome CuriosityStream, which will also get you access to Nebula. It really is true what I said - this is the single best way to support this channel. And it's also a really great deal, so check it out: curiositystream.com/wonderwhy/ I can 100% promise it won't be as long until my next video. Hope to see you then!

The term "little red dot" is originally used by Indonesian president BJ Habibie in August 1998, as an insult to Singapore. Right when his own country of 211 million people was embroiled in financial crisis and race riots. Later, Singaporeans took this insult as a pride.

It never occurred to me that there's nothing stopping a country from expelling a region it doesn't like

Still Singaporean independence was pretty ironic, and I believe that every Singaporean at that time saw it as a death sentence.

When Malaysia Kicked Singapore out, a lot of those Malaysians who were here to work got stuck and not willing to go back as they already brought their families here. Few years down the road, they were given Singapore Citizenship and their families expanded... Technically that's the story of my Family on my dad's side. Like my grandparents came here, work, ended up Singapore gained independence. Decided to settle here and build their family here. THANK YOU MALAYSIA FOR KICKING US OUT!! Can't imagine if we are still part Malaysia...

As a Malaysian, im quite happy Singapore managed to stay afloat (and pass us in almost every aspect of a nation) despite being expelled from the federation. I find it unfortunate that Malaysia is still suffering from insurmountable amounts of corruption that hinders our national development, so it's nice to know that Singapore doesnt have to go through the same thing

Malaysia: “We don’t want you! You’ll have to go it alone!” *kicks Singapore out* Singapore: *builds a massively successful economy* Malaysia: “No! Not like THAT!”

A fun fact that I quite liked is that sometimes Singapore's GDP is equal too or greater than that of Malaysia

When Singapore had ethnic tensions, the government simply went "I'm gonna make you stay close to each other, and you will learn to live with each other and like it". And we did. In fact now, even though small tensions do exist sometimes, it never ends up in riots. Nothing can't be solved by getting opposites to sit down and have a prolonged conversation.

As someone who grew up in Johor Bahru (the city in Malaysia bordering Singapore), this is such an accurate video on Singapore’s history. Due to my living situation, I really experience first-hand the differences in governance, policies and social dynamics between Malaysia and Singapore. Sometimes I wonder what could have been had Malaysia been governed as well as Singapore…

As a Malaysian, on the particular subject, This is one of the best videos ever made. Absolute objective to the issues due time and current affairs. Truly impartial and less bias. P.S The PAP is now(as of 2021) one of the longest ruling political parties in the world since BN's(ie National Front) defeat in the 2018 election.

He doesn't say a lot, but what he says is very well worth hearing

I met my wife on the internet, whilst she was working as a maid in Singapore. I flew out from the UK to meet her, and go back to the Philippines to meet the family. Singapore is a fantastic place, clean, cheap to eat out- plent of choice, and Sentosa island is just breath taking. That was in 2005- it has gone from aa backwater then to the most amazing place on earth now. you must go visit!!#

What's happened, happened but my 87yo dad always say that it was a huge mistake that Tunku kicked out Singapore. My family is in Johore, i live in Malacca and i have relatives in Singapore. Would love to visit again once the border is open!

Malaysia: "Congratulations, you are _becoming independent."_ Singapore: ... Malaysia: "Please do not resist."

Oh cool I just learnt my entire History class in just 19 minutes.

Your editing has come along way man, it's amazing how far you've come as a channel. I've been here since Winners and Loosers Part 1!

Next Request: Malaysia having nine monarchs.

YOU ARE INDEPENDENT Singapore: oh no : / Singapore years later rich as hell: anyway!

despite Singapore having lots of strict laws, many good things have come out of it. 1) low crime rates. walk around alone freely at night without much fear, and can easily find help with any passerby you see if met with trouble. keeping wallets in backpacks without much fear of pickpockets, using your belongings to reserve a table in food courts without being worried of thief. even though crime still exists and its good to keep an eye out, we are more relaxed than other countries. 2) cleanliness. fined for littering, fined for spitting, fined for not disposing gum properly and so on. it is strict, but cleaning after ourselves in public became a habit for most citizens, except for some karens. we have clean streets, clean toilets, clean areas you can eat anywhere, sit down without having to wipe down the seats and so on. its comfortable living here 3) low racism. we refer to ourselves as singaporean Chinese, singaporean malay, singaporean indian and so on. its our nationality that comes first, not the race. unlike US where they say “I am a Chinese American", it is the race that is said first. we don't notice race differences. anyone can be successful, anyone can be a teacher, anyone can be your friend. we are free to share opinions, but racist remarks have zero tolerance here. if you are found being racist openly be it in public or online, sharing bad remarks of other races or stormed, you will be looked down upon. the govt can issue a fine and employers can fire you, putting this into your remarks making it harder to find another job due to bad reputation

As a Malaysian, I would like to apologize on behalf of my country for what happened in the past. It's heartbreaking to see a part of Malaysia being forcefully kicked out. At least Singapore is doing better than Malaysia now after that tragic event

This is the first time I'm hearing UMNO's pronounced using every letter of the arconym lol. Sounds weird when almost all Malaysians usually known them by pronouncing "Uhm-No"

The interesting thing is that on paper, Singapore's democracy doesn't look that different to any other democratic country: There's a government party and various opposition parties, an elected president, and an independent judiciary. It takes a supermajority to amend the constitution and there's even reserved seats for the opposition in Parliament to allow them to fulfill their role of holding the government to account. However, beneath the surface, gerrymandering, control of the media, and tight campaigning restrictions make the contest for power far from a level playing field. And yet, however authoritarian the governance style of the PAP is, they ultimately only retain their power because the majority of the population continues to vote for them in free (but perhaps not so fair) elections. Such is the paradox of Singapore.

Yes, Singapore is not perfect (socially, politically, etc.) and we, as Singaporeans, will be the first to admit it. But damn glad that we are independent indeed and taking course of our own future.

Its mostly correct. However, Singapore DID want to be independent from the British, it just wanted to be with Malaysia as they did not think they would survive alone

One thing to note about Singapore's collapse to the Japanese empire: one main reason for this was that the British invested HEAVILY in naval defenses, with huge artillery's cannons pointed toward the sea (South). They did not anticipate that the Japanese would invade from the North (ground-based) after annexing much of Asia. If only those guns could have turned around to face North... Lol

Lee Kwan Yu is a man I truly admire. I felt sad for his seeing that video but given the strength and character he displayed in the face of adversity, it wasn’t surprising how he transformed his country into a paragon. That’s what you call a true man.

That's the earliest I've even been to a video without a notification or anything. WonderWhy, I hope the algorirthm blesses you

Lmao perfect timing as many 13/14 year old Singaporean students would be having their History exam about this around now

I can't explain why, but this video really makes me feel warm inside keep up the great content!

Great one! Love it! Thanks 🙏🏻

Singapore asked Malaysia not to be racist so Malaysia kicked them out.

Singapore has also managed to acquire the second most powerful passport in the world, in-between Japan and Germany!

I am a Singaporean and I approve this message.

thank you for bringing up the point on media censorship. i think content on platforms like social media and especially youtube is so important for us to see ourselves from the perspectives of others, whether they be good or bad, since we basically only receive news or information that paint singapore in a positive light from local media outlets. a lot of research must've went into making this video. appreciate the factual and unbiased pov.

Quite happy to listen to this as a Singaporean. It's true the government cannot get complacent with the way it rules the country if it wants to ensure high levels of satisfaction among the citizens. Also, I bet Rwanda will be taking notes from this video.

British put their defenses on Singapore so much, but the Japanese entered Malaya through Thailand

My great grandfather (indian) lived and worked in Singapore I used to wonder how he ended up there Now I understood to an extent

Small population + unifying struggle + strict punishment + a little luck = surprising strong country, if you can keep it! I’m not one to agree with this country’s policies on a morale level, but due to it’s specific situation, it works very well practically.

Nice to hear from you again

Imagine Singapore made one of its regions independent against its own will, that would be funny.

You know it'll be a great day when WonderWhy uploads a great video.

The plan: Create Malaysia. Literally everyone: Everyone dislike that.

I think that Singapore was separated from Malaysia was a good thing because they was trying to avoid bloodshed

as an Indonesian, I always look at Singapore with awe and jealousy. in a couple of decades it turn from a land which EVERYONE doubt to exist into what I say the Monaco of South East Asia. and meanwhile my own country is cocking about for the past...79 years. losing money to corruptions, really poor infrastructure, poor educations, even basic things like racism still felt veeeery much strongly within my own nations to this day. even simple things like having the exact same plan of moving people to flats so our city can be build more efficiently our people tend to resist. social segregation is soo high. law that are essentially a joke because nobody cares about it and if they DO care about it its usually the politician that would like it to be in their favour instead of it protecting the people. the population spreads is Gooooood awful despite having FIVE different islands. its funny despite having soo much natural resources and land, my own country still struggle to move forward to catch up to the world. but from what I see it is true that to make a nation its not easy, you need strong leader and strong foundation of people for it to work and Singapore is a living prove of it. some people might say that I am being unpatriotic, but I say all this because I am still Indonesian and of course living here I want the nation to move forward. if Singapore is like that one kid that have nothing and everyone doubt and eventually becoming a billionaire, then Indonesia is like that one kid in your class who is well off and suuuper spoiled and later on in life becoming someone with normal instead of carrying on their wealth and heritance...talks about irony..

You can also argue Peru was also "forced" to become independent. It was not expelled from its previous country like Singapore, but it was liberated from Spain from the outside (unlike the rest of Latin America) by the Libertador army of San Martín

You may want to redo this, Albatross Files have been published. To summarise, it basically states that Singapore has always planned to split from Malaysia from the beginning because of the cultural and economic difference. The "expulsion" was really a formality.

I have been looking to learn why this happened for sooo long. Thanks for the video lol

It's nice that you made a video about Our Country 🇸🇬

As a Singaporean, Those "Unusual" laws such as selling of gums, not flushing toilets and no spitting have been such a great addition to the quality of life in Singapore. Recently they even added returning of tray else you will be fined. Chewed gums use to be everywhere including bus station making it a nuisance, Our toilets are still at the very least clean in most mall washroom excluding hawker centers and coffee shops, and spitting still happened but not as much. You can still bring gum to eat just not sell them so we often go malaysia to buy gums to eat in SG but it's not really a necessity in the first place. Heavy Drug penalty is one of the best things too and i welcome it in every future generations to come, Protestors aren't running rampant like in Europe or "Freedom" like in America whereby people can't seems to even differentiate Freedom of speech and being an absolute cunt. All in all Despite being a country with Multiple race and there IS still racism, we live in peace and with the help of the internet, karens get absolutely destroyed especially in a small country like ours. "The grass is always greener on the other side" but as someone that has travels to the different country to study and enjoy, Singapore is still one of the best places to live a simple life especially if you are born here

as a singaporean that has studied this, everything thing in this video is correct and seriously accurate keep this up mate! edit: well the death penalty and strict policies are true, westerners usually exaggerate what the government does but it is all for the good of the people and for the prosperity and extrema wealth we have now

Pretty good stuff. Thank you.

Malaysia government before: YOU ARE OUT SINGAPORE! Malaysia citizen now: let's go to Singapore to find a job (SGD 1 ~ MYR 3)

You’re back wow

Great to se you are back.

As a Singaporean, seeing this video was so amazing. This video is dam great! Also we don't really call Lee Kuan Yew by Lee. But other than that this video was awesome.

Long time no see. But all is forgiven with the quality given to us 😍

I feel that you should make a video on the Singapore Armed Forces

Great video as ever

Great video.

Great video! Just one caveat, chewing gum is allowed. The image you showed specifically said no selling of gum, not consumption. People used to travel to Malaysia to buy chewing gum and bring it back. Also dental gums are allowed.

Excellent. Balanced. Nailed it, in a way that non locals often don't. You may have been away for a while, but you're back in spades!

U rlly have to upload this a directly after my history exam

The irony is that Singapore has now a bigger economy than it's former motherland, Malaysia.

How do they enforce the toilet flushing law? Do they actually have someone check or something?

Finally he’s back

If you go back and look at the actual original documents about Singapore you'll find they all say the Singapore was a 'Fortress that was unassailable from the sea,' they say nothing about it's lanward defences.

Canada should do a Singapore on Quebec.

The funniest part is - UMNO ran in Singapore's 1963 GE via the SAP (despite previous promises), contesting 42 seats and winning 0. The PAP contested in Malaysia's 1964 GE in retaliation, contesting only 4 seats. They, however, DID manage to win 1 seat.

As a Singaporean, everything here is historically correct. Hats off man, wonderful video! EDIT: also, bubble gum importing, selling, buying or spitting is banned, but eating it is not. still don't bring any in though.

Yay wonderwhy uploaded.

Love the new style

Viewing Singapore from a Malaysian perspective I'm sometimes envious of the potential malaysia has in terms of socio-economic prosperity and govt policies . A lot of wasted opportunities

Imagine what Malaysia (+ Singapore) could have achieved with Lee Kuan Yew in charge. Truly one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century!

Very beautiful Citystate. ❤

I'm impressed by this video as a Singaporean

Chewing gum is not banned, it only can be used for medicinal use and is only sold in pharmacies.

Alternated title,malaysia's worst decision

can you do a video about Macau next?

Mari kita rakyat Singapura Sama-sama menuju bahagia Cita-cita kita yang mulia Berjaya Singapura 💪🏾

Separating Singapore from Malaysia was a wise move by Tunku. It allowed Singapore and it’s people progress while allowing newly independent Malaysia to catch up on her own pace. Singapore was already leading in GDP and was the CBD for the region. The wealth gap was very wide and also skewed ethnically. The native Malays were already a minority in economic arena they we’re about to be minority in ethnic composition too. Had LKY had his way and open up immigration, the Malays will only be a passenger in an economic powerhouse and replaced British colonial master with another colonial master.

A bit of correction, Sabah and Sarawak has more natives then ethnic malays, the Malays that are in Sabah and Sarawak are mostly from Brunei Malays, which pretty small. The Malaysian government sometimes like to label the natives as Malays and does share the same rights as Malays in terms of economics like housing and land. This the reason why Malaysia always promote themselves as Nation where Malays, Chinese and Indian live together. But in reality, it is Malays, Kadazan Dusun, Ibans, Chinese and Indians. Sabah and Sarawak are the only two states where the Christian religion still hold the biggest influence compare to the peninsular, where malay muslim culture is dominate. Since only Sabah and Sarawak was able to keep Good Friday as a public holiday, where the west side abolish it even though there is good amount of Christians in that side too.

HOLY SHIT NEW WONDERWHY

Singapore now has the strongest passport now

When you hear "Disneyland with the death penalty", which one of those bothers you more? This is a very good based test, actually.

As a Malaysian, i want to thanks the creator for actually including the WHOLE story, especially the financial inequality part of it I saw a lot of video on YT that actually did not include that part as if they tried to villainies Malaysia as for the sake of a villain. It's misinformation for the sake of entertainment only rathwr than educational entertainment

I’m watching this in the car and literally just drove by some of the buildings in the pictures like the parliament house

🇸🇬 Flying my country flag high! 🤘🏼😎

Fineable spitting, chewing gum, and not flushing public toilet? That's a futuristic dystopia? As if, that's a utopia on it's own. How many times have i encountered public toilet in the US that feels like i'm in a rotting dystopia. Dirty slums everywhere in cities. Chewing gums in public parks. If these are the product of "complete freedom" then i must be inside some gross dystopian society.

Chinese are hard working they succed in every political system. Taiwan democracy, Singapore Democracy and China authoratarian socilism/capitalism.

About how Singapore is a "fine" city, it is also due to our attitudes as Singaporeans. As a Singaporean myself, our behavior sometimes isn't as good as foreigners think to be. That's why the government implements lots of laws because apparently, fining people is an effective way of getting them to listen. Also chewing gum is banned cause we don't want every surface to be like the underside of a school desk. Gum is not part of the list of materials you can use to line a surface with.

There was a referendum for Bermudan independence, and when most of them said no, I’d imagine that they weren’t ready for it and wanted to stay with Britain

damn *me as a singaporean is supposed to learn Singapore’s history next year* But guess what I just I learnt it all in 19mins lol

BRO I WISHED I WATCHED THIS BEFORE MY HISTORY EXAM 😢😢

I'm curious to know how the PAP maintain its political stance, meaning how it develops its members who, most likely, will be the future leaders of Spore to continue their strategic roadmaps. So it will be an uninterrupted long-term development plan. Anyone can fill me in or refer me to sources, please.

The Return of the King 👑

unxpected own nation got featured.

I find kinda funny that the PAP's logo is eerily similar to the one of Mosley's BUF

as a singaporean, this is such a well-made video!