PERLAKSANAAN OPERASI ‘COLDSTORE’ DAN IMPLIKASI TERHADAP PRESTASI PEOPLES ACTION PARTY PADA PILIHAN RAYA UMUM SINGAPURA, 1963

(THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OPERATION ‘COLDSTORE’ AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PEOPLES ACTION PARTY PERFORMANCE IN THE SINGAPORE GENERAL ELECTION, 1963)

Abstract

Abstrak

Makalah ini membincangkan perkembangan politik Singapura pada awal 1960-an dengan memberi tumpuan terhadap tindakan kerajaan melaksanakan Operasi ‘Coldstore’. Berdasarkan kepada kajian yang dilakukan, rancangan kerajaan untuk melaksanakan Operasi ‘Coldstore’ ini bermula setelah PAP mengalami perpecahan dalaman sehingga tertubuhnya parti Barisan Sosialis. Selain itu, kebangkitan semula pengaruh komunis di Singapura turut mendorong kerajaan bertindak secara drastik dengan melaksanakan operasi tersebut. Kajian ini ditulis dengan menggunakan sumber primer daripada National Archive, Kew dan National Archive, Singapore sebagai sumber utama penulisan. Selain itu, penulisan turut menggunakan akhbar seperti The Straits Times yang diterbitkan dalam tempoh tersebut bagi mendapatkan kesinambungan dengan dokumen sumber primer tersebut. Dapatan hasil kajian ini merumuskan Operasi ‘Coldstore’ yang dilaksanakan ini telah mempengaruhi prestasi PAP pada Pilihan Raya Umum 1963. Selain itu, dapatan kajian turut membincangkan, faktor perlaksanaan Operasi ‘Coldstore’ ini dilakukan bukan sahaja untuk kestabilan politik negara, tetapi turut melibatkan kestabilan politik PAP setelah parti itu mengalami perpecahan dalaman yang ketara sehingga menjejaskan sokongan masyarakat pada peringkat awal.

Kata Kunci: Strategi; komunis; Singapura; demokrasi; politik

Abstract 

This study discusses the political developments in Singapore in the early 1960s by focusing on the government's actions to implement Operation 'Coldstore'. Based on the study, the government's plan to implement Operation 'Coldstore' began after the PAP experienced internal divisions until the formation of the Barisan Sosialis party. In addition, the resurgence of communist influence in Singapore also prompted the government to act drastically by implementing the operation. This study was written using primary sources from the National Archive, Kew and the National Archive Singapore as the main sources of writing. In addition, the writing also used newspapers such as The Straits Times published during that period to obtain continuity with the primary source documents. The findings of this study conclude that Operation 'Coldstore' that was implemented had influenced the performance of the PAP in the 1963 General Election. In addition, the study findings also discussed that the factors behind the implementation of Operation 'Coldstore' were not only for the political stability of the country, but also involved the political stability of the PAP after the party experienced significant internal divisions that affected public support at the initial stage. 

Keywords: Strategy; communist, Singapore, democracy, politics