The Singapore Story and Singapore History beyond Lee Kuan Yew

• In Event: After Lee Kuan Yew: Repositioning Singapore Studies - Sponsored by Southeast Asia Council (SEAC)

Abstract

The Singapore Story is a narrative of the island nation-state’ struggle against the odds, punctuated by events and moments identified to be historically significant, e.g. the Japanese Occupation, the struggle for independence, and the struggle to make Singapore viable. The narrative it posits is moreover synonymous with the late Lee Kuan Yew’s memoirs, the first of which also entitled The Singapore Story. Since the late 1990s, the Singapore Story narrative has been reinforced by a National Education programme and commemorative events, exhibitions and publications - all picking up speed as the first generation of Singaporeans passed on. The Singapore Story has provoked counter-responses, attacking its homogeneity and “big men” perspective. Historians, scholars and activists have contributed to an extremely productive period for Singapore history. Singapore has now a broad plethora of social histories, a more nuanced political history, and new areas for further study, e.g. an “early modern” period. These have undeniably enriched Singapore history and historiography. But the laudable intent to debunk myths the Singapore Story may perpetuate, does risk becoming a blinkered approach that obstructs potentially far more rewarding historical research. Singapore and its people were, and remain, part of other historical worlds, e.g. imperial, post-colonial Southeast Asia, regional and global economies. Engaging recent representative scholarship, this paper presents possible directions to take Singapore history. It argues for a deliberate refocus on historical experiences, such as colonialism, regional and global economic activities, movement of people and ideas, and changing state-societal relations.

Author

• Chi Tim Ho, University of Hawai'i at Manoa