All by M(ala)yself: Parliament of Singapore, 1965


singapore@ucbmun.org


On 9 August 1965, the Parliament of Malaysia voted 126–0 in favor of a constitutional amendment expelling Singapore from the federation. A tearful Lee Kuan Yew announced in a televised press conference that Singapore had become a sovereign, independent nation. In a widely remembered quote, he stated: "For me, it is a moment of anguish. All my life, my whole adult life, I have believed in merger and unity of the two territories." The new state became the Republic of Singapore, with Yusof bin Ishak appointed as its first President. After gaining independence abruptly, Singapore faced a future filled with uncertainties. The Konfrontasi was on–going and the conservative UMNO faction strongly opposed the separation; Singapore faced the dangers of attack by the Indonesian military and forcible re–integration into the Malaysia Federation on unfavorable terms. Much of the international media was skeptical of prospects for Singapore's survival. Besides the issue of sovereignty, the pressing problems were unemployment, housing, education, and the lack of natural resources and land. Unemployment was ranging between 10 and 12%, threatening to trigger civil unrest. Delegates will be forced to tackle these massive issues, while grappling with forming a new state.




JEFFREY ZHOU

Chair

Hey everyone :)

It is my absolute honour to welcome all of you to the Parliament of Singapore, 1965! My name is Jeffrey Zhou, and I am delighted to serve as your chair for this wonderful committee. A little about me, I was born and spent a solid chunk of my life in Singapore, which (as you might guess), is where inspiration for this little committee came from. As the only country in the history of the modern world to gain independence against its will, delegates have the unique opportunity to man the helm of a nation at its most critical turning point. Will leadership and clear minds prevail? Or is the writing already on the wall for this small island nation? Only time will tell, and I for one am extremely excited to see all of you breathe life into your characters through your arcs, debate and a flair for the dramatic, and for all of you as a committee to forge your own destiny in the Johor Straits.

As for me, well I'm a junior here at Cal, studying CS and Economics (boring) and of course I'm also involved in UCBMUN (very exciting). Before college, I spent a couple years in the Singapore Armed Forces – where I dug lots of holes – and outside of Model UN I'm big into baseball (go anyone that's playing the Astros) and an even bigger fan of watching Ferrari lose F1 races. I'm incredibly excited to welcome all of you to sunny San Francisco, so please feel free to reach out and talk to me about anything :)

Best,
JEFFREY ZHOU
Chair, All by M(ala)yself: Parliament of Singapore, 1965


EMILY KIM

Crisis Director

Hi everyone! It's wonderful to serve as your Crisis Director of the Parliament of Singapore committee. My name is Emily and I'm an undergrad at Cal double majoring in Biology and English. I was born in Nebraska and hold a strong love for corn and cows. I enjoy reading literature and having impromptu dance sessions. The era in which our committee takes place has much potential for creative ideas, and I look forward to seeing all of your collaborative arcs during sessions. Looking forward to meeting you all soon!

Best,
EMILY KIM
Crisis Director, All by M(ala)yself: Parliament of Singapore, 1965