Singapore. The 1963 Operation Coldstore in Singapore: Commemorating 50 years Edited by Poo Soo Kai, Tan Kok Fang and Hong Lysa Petaling Jaya: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2013. Pp. 542. Photographs, Notes, Bibliography, Index.

Abstract

The 1963 Operation Coldstore in Singapore: Commemorating 50 years Edited by POO SOO KAI, TAN KOK FANG and HONG LYSA Petaling Jaya: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2013. Pp. 542. Photographs, Notes, Bibliography, Index. The historiography of post-1945 Singapore is changing. For a long time the history of this tumultuous period has been dominated by narratives that have focused almost exclusively on the role of the People's Action Party (PAP) in leading Singapore's anti-colonial struggle and the perceived threat posed by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). However, more recently the foundational myths of what has become known as the 'Singapore Story' have been subject to greater historical scrutiny. Historians such as Loh Kah Seng, Thum PJ, and Hong Lysa have highlighted the way in which historical myths have been created and maintained by the PAP, while also rehabilitating the image of former leftist activists, arguing that leaders such as Lim Chin Siong were not proxies for the MCP but were anti-colonial nationalists, committed to building a democratic and socialist Singapore, where respect for civil liberties and racial diversity were paramount objectives. These historians have been joined in this endeavour by former activists, most notably Poh Soo Kai and the late Tan Jing Quee, who have set out to refute the charge that they were nothing more than communist radicals. The publication of The 1963 Operation Coldstore in Singapore represents the culmination of these efforts. Combining chapters by historians, as well as accounts by former activists, the book was published to mark the 50th anniversary of Operation Coldstore, when 133 men and women were detained on 2 February 1963. The arrests, which were a precondition for Singapore's merger with Malaysia and were sanctioned by the British, Singaporean, and Malaysian governments, helped to consolidate the PAP's position, as well as decimate the strength of the political opposition. Since the arrests, with the left neutralised and with the threat of further persecution ever present, public debate concerning Coldstore has been limited. It is for this reason then, that this book is such a welcome addition to the growing body of revisionist literature on post-war Singapore. The first part of the book includes chapters by Geoff Wade, Thum PJ, and Hong Lysa. Wade's chapter provides a useful overview of the events leading up to Coldstore. Focusing on the 'high politics' of the operation, Wade demonstrates that Coldstore was a plot of convenience, which the governments of Britain, Malaysia, and Singapore agreed to in order to secure their own strategic interests. In this respect Wade's chapter is broadly similar to the work of Simon Ball, Tim Harper and Matthew Jones. Where the chapter is more revelatory is in terms of its consideration of the effects of Coldstore, documenting how the operation and the subsequent treatment of the detainees attracted criticism from both within and outside of Singapore. This is important as most historians have treated Coldstore as an end in itself or as simply a staging post on the road to the creation of Malaysia. What Wade's chapter suggests is that there is more detailed work to be done on the left's struggles within Singapore in the immediate aftermath of the detentions. The chapter by Thum examines the divisions within the PAP, explaining the reasons for the split within the party and the subsequent establishment of Barisan Sosialis. Making good use of Chinese language sources, Thum also investigates the Chinese population's attitude towards contemporary issues, such as the PAP's performance in government and the merger issue. This is a particularly useful approach for historians. In the wake of Coldstore and the subsequent curtailment of civil liberties, it is often forgotten that the post-war period was a time of relative political freedom--in spite of the restrictions imposed by the British authorities as a result of the Malayan Emergency. …