What Led to Self-Government, and Who Are the Key Figures?

Having watched the "impregnable fortress" fall and lived through three and a half years of hardship, people no longer saw the British the same way. This was significant because many began to question whether Britain had the right to rule.

The rivalry between democracy and communism made the British fear that communism would spread to Malaya and Singapore. As a result, fear of communism shaped how the British treated Singapore for years.

The British Military Administration had struggled to fix food shortages, economic difficulties and disrupted schooling. Its slow progress contributed to growing discontent with British rule.

This showed that colonial rule was weakening across Asia. News of India's independence encouraged people in Singapore who wanted to be free from British rule.

The Emergency, which lasted until 1960, showed how seriously the British feared communism. The Malayan Communist Party was banned, and fear of communism continued to shape British decisions about Singapore.

This marked a first step towards democracy, but only a small one. Few people registered or were allowed to vote, so the British remained firmly in control.

Indonesia's independence was further evidence that colonial rule was ending in Asia, while the Communist victory in China increased British fears that communism would spread.

This was the first of four big riots in six years. Historians see it as an expression of anti-colonial feeling, as many felt the British had been unfair, and it showed how religious feelings could quickly turn violent.

Only a small number of seats were elected again, and the response was lukewarm. This showed that most people still had little say in how Singapore was governed.

The commission recommended limited self-government, which led to the 1955 Rendel Constitution. This marked an important step on the road to self-government.

Chinese-medium students protested against National Service, which they saw as serving colonial rule. When registration was postponed, the students grew more confident and formed groups like the SCMSSU.

The Vietnamese overthrow of their French rulers was further evidence that colonial rule was ending in Asia, which encouraged anti-colonial feeling in Singapore.

David Marshall became the first Chief Minister, showing support for parties that wanted to end British rule quickly. However, the riots made his government look weak to the British, which contributed to the failure of the First Merdeka Talks.

The failure of the talks led Marshall to resign. Lim Yew Hock then acted firmly against the students, which pleased the British but led some locals to see his government as "running dogs" of the British.

Singapore's neighbour won its independence, further showing that colonial rule was ending in the region.

Because Lim Yew Hock compromised on internal security, the talks succeeded. The Citizenship Ordinance let about 320,000 residents become citizens, greatly expanding the number who could vote in 1959.

This marked the achievement of full internal self-government: Singapore now ran its own affairs at home. However, Britain still controlled foreign affairs and defence, so Singapore was not yet independent.