- What problems did the British face in maintaining law & order?
>CHINESE SECRET SOCIETIES
- started off as organizations to help new immigrants in SG seek employment
- these societies provided many young men with protection & security & sense of brotherhood in foreign land
- society members began to form gangs and secret societies
- they robbed, killed & took part in unlawful activities
- most operated opium houses, brothels & gambling dens
- major secret societies were the HOKKIEN GHEE HIN, TEOCHEW GHEE HIN, GHEE HOK, GHEE KEE & GHEE SIN
- they were dangerous and a threat to public security
>ABUSE OF IMMIGRANTS
- immigrants too poor to pay for passage from China to SG
- they turned to coolie-agents who paid for their passage
- coolie-agents were known as credit-coolies & immigrants had to work to pay off debts
- often ill-treated and abused by employees or coolie-agents
- Chinese women immigrants also suffered – girls often kidnapped & sold to brothels
>PIRACY
- pirates were danger to lives, property and trade of merchant community in SG
- many trading ships attacked by pirates & cargoes in ship taken away
- many killed or taken as slaves
- pirates were so audacious that they would attack ships that were short distance outside limits of harbour
- SG shunned because of piracy problem and this had adverse effects on growth and wealth of SG
- many European & Chinese merchants requested repeatedly for govt to step in to deal with pirates
- gunboats sent by govt to patrol waters & fight piracy
- arrival of steamships was turning point in fight against piracy because they could sail very fast against the wind
- How did the Brit. improve law & order?
>POLICE FORCE (before)
- 1819 1st police force set up with Francis James Bernard appointed as Assistant Resident
- main roles were fighting fire, hunting tigers & clearing streets after floods
- small force made up of one Asian sergeant, 12 patrolmen, one jailor & some Indian Sepoys & was unable to maintain law and order in SG
- There were no Chinese policemen, only Malay and Indian policemen with no knowledge of Chinese dialects
- Few people wanted to join police force because pay was low and police not equipped to deal with criminals
- bribery was common
- army often called in to help police maintain law & order in settlements
>POLICE FORCE (after)
- Thomas Dunman made 1st police commissioner in SG in 1857
- govt tried to improve police force by increasing pay of policemen
- proper training was provided
- more capable officials who could speak Malay & Chinese dialects were recruited
- 1862, detective branch set up to look into activities of secret societies
- 1906, Chinese detectives recruited to help investigations, particularly crimes linked to secret societies
- 1931 detective branch renamed Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D.)
- 1903 modern methods such as finger-printing were introduced
- by mid-1920s law & order had improved
>CHINESE PROTECTORATE
- set up to deal with problems of Chinese community
- William Pickering was first protector of the Chinese (from May 1877 – 1888) & could speak many dialects such as Mandarin, Cantonese, Teochew, Hokkien & Foochow
- 1st Protectorate office located at Havelock Road
- all Chinese secret societies had to register with Chinese Protectorate
- Pickering persuaded Chinese community to settle quarrels at Chinese Protectorate instead of going to Chinese secret societies & this weakened power of society leaders
- coolie-agents & lodging houses registered with Chinese Protectorate. Chinese Protectorate officials visited every coolie ship that arrived from China & inspected coolie houses to prevent abuse
- ‘Po Leung Kuk’ (protect virtue office) set up to rescue young girls from being sold to brothels. Provided shelter for those who were found to be poorly treated as servants
- Cordial relationship between Chinese Protectorate, Chinese community and Chinese secret societies helped to build trust between British & Chinese community
- However, fighting did not end and power of societies still evident. Abuses of coolies & women often not reported & help not sought from Chinese Protectorate
- How did the Brit. govt improve social services for the people?
*For most part of 19th century, Brit. govt provided little social services to improve lives of people
*Only in 20th century, more attention made to the provision of social services such as education & health
>EDUCATION
- 19th century education left in hands of local organizations
- late 19th century govt began to set up English & Malay schools & provided grants (regular sums of money given by govt to individual or organization for particular reason such as education)
(ED: WHY?)
- there was demand for people trained in English to fill posts in govt offices & trading companies
(ED: WHICH?)
- Raffles Institution (formerly known as Singapore Institution) was set up
- medical school was built with fund of about $87,000 raised by Asian leaders & named King Edward VII Medical School in 1912, later renamed King Edward VII College of Medicine in 1921
- higher education became available with set up of Raffles Colleage in 1928
(ED: WHAT?)
- Queen’s scholarship established for top secondary school students to further studies in Brit. universities
- many of these students returned as doctors, lawyers & teachers
- Dr. Lim Boon Keng was Queen’s scholar
- Brit. did not treat all schools equally
- English & Malay schools given more money because English-speaking considered pro-Brit
- Chinese schools neglected as Brit believe these schools bred anti-Brit feelings among students
>HEALTH
- death rate very high in 1st half of 19th century
- death rate between 4.4% to 5.1% in first years of 20th century
- tuberculosis, beri-beri & marlaria were common
- caused by poverty, overcrowding, malnutrition & dirt
- inadequate water supply & no proper system of waste disposal worsened situation
- 1887, govt set up Public Health Dept to improve public health in town
- Malaria committee set up to supervise infilling of mosquito-infested swamps, replacing pail system with modern water-carriage sewage system & clearing dirty streets & drains
- attempts made to improve housing conditions such as reducing overcrowding among Chinese quarters in Chinatown
- General hospital, leper camp & lunatic asylum built for those who suffer from mental illness
- 1882 onwards outpatient clinics set up to serve public
- Quarantine law passed to prevent infectious diseases such as small pox & cholera from spreading
- all ships stopped @ St. John’s Island where passengers were checked for infectious diseases. Those found suffering from diseases were quarantined in separate place for some time to prevent spreading
- by 1940s, public health generally improved & spread of disease greatly reduced
- How did the Brit. govt & the Europeans view the people in SG?
*Brit govt & Europeans believed they were more superior to Asians
*Asians discriminated by Brit. govt & Europeans
- most high-ranking officials in govt service were Euros. Well-qualified Asians not given senior or impt posts
- (medical service) Asian doctors educated in Brit. universities not allowed to old senior posts in hospitals; these posts held by Brit. doctors
- (transportation) railway dept discouraged Asians from travelling in first-class carriages
- Asians not allowed to use dance floor or bar in public places such as hotels as these were reserved for Euros
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
* What kind of problems did the British face in maintaining law & order? (elaborate on the 3 problems – Chinese secret societies, abuse of immigrants & piracy)
* How did the British government and the Europeans view Asians in Singapore? (describe discrimination & provide a few examples)
