hello, divide and conquer? There was no divide and conqur in Singapore context.
Singapore island was leased to the British to built as a base for military logistic purpose in 1809. The drug trafficker British Empire was preparing to war with China over the illegal drug trade at China doorstep. And in 1836 the 1st opium war started.
When China started to grow their own opium to counter the British opium price that the British cannot compete with China own grown opium. This was how China won (and stopped) the battle of opium trade against the drug trafficker British bastards.
Then these bastard still reluctant to give up their drug money and as governor of Singapore they become drug lord in Singapore, Labuan and Straight Settlement.
Hundreds of opium dens were open freely in Singapore targeting mainly Chinese.
You call this divide and conquer? More like ONLY this scumbag racist race, British scumbags, would do this kind of evil thing to human mankind.
Fuck the British bastards.
In a poignant letter to Queen Victoria, Imperial High Commissioner Lin Zexu wrote:
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“I am told that in your own country opium smoking is forbidden under severe penalties. This means that you are aware of how harmful it is. So long as you do not take it yourselves, but continue to make it and tempt the people of China to buy it, such conduct is repugnant to human feeling and at variance with the Way of Heaven.”
New Markets
As China tightened her borders, Britain pinned her hopes on her other Asian colonies. Opium production in the Straits Settlements (Singapore, Penang, Malacca, Labuan) rose from 353,938 pounds in 1916 to 370,688 pounds in 1920, in spite of Britain’s promise at the Hague Convention to limit opium sales. In 1918, 60% of Britain’s Asian income was derived from opium sales. In 1925, opium accounted for 48% of Singapore’s revenue, and 100% of North Borneo’s. At the 1923 Opium Conference, Mr. Campbell admitted that the British Indian government was determined to maintain high levels of both internal consumption and export, and that they,
“controlled the production, distribution, sale, possession – every possible practical question which could arise in connection with opium—in the strictest possible manner—They had built up a complicated and highly efficient administrative system which started from the time the poppy seed was put into the ground, and did not relinquish control of the drug until it was in the hands of the consumers, or till it was actually exported.”
http://www.amoymagic.com/OpiumWar.htm
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Coming fresh from a tour of the opium-dens of Singapore, I must say that item caused some mental confusion. It must also be confusing to the Chinese. It must be very perplexing to a Chinese sailor, who arrives in Liverpool on a ship from Singapore, to find such a variation in customs. To come from a part of the British Empire where opium smoking is freely encouraged, to Great Britain itself where such practices are not tolerated. He must ask himself, why it is that the white race is so sedulously protected from such vices, while the subject races are so eagerly encouraged. It may occur to him that the white race is valuable and must be preserved, and that subject races are not worth protecting. This double standard of international justice he must find disturbing. It would seem, at first glance, as if subject races were fair game-if there is money in it. Subject races, dependents, who have no vote, no share in the government and who are powerless to protect themselves-fair game for exploitation.
Is this double-dealing what we mean when we speak of "our responsibility to backward nations, 1) or of "the sacred trust of civilization" or still again when we refer to "the White Man's burden " ?
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/history/om/om4.htm
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The 3 main policies that seems to have upset the balance and the understanding amongst the races were the introduction of the Mandarin campaign which the chauvinist used to push their agenda, HDB race policy and the creation of the self help group. All three served the PAP as they needed to ensure that the Chinese chauvinists in the left do not re emerge.
The Malayan Chinese and Indians were very comfortable with the Malay language which was easily picked up and used in a ubiquitous manner. Romanised script made it easier to pick up the language for those who were serious.
Look at the young, 80% cannot even write a single paragraph to save themelves. They even struggle with the tenses and gender. One can argue that this was purposely done so that it will a small coterie of Singaporeans that have excellent command of the languages and remain dominant.
And PAP ended up dividing and conquering something which the British colonial masters were notorious for. At least they made sure the English language was thought to all in the right manner.