STATE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE JAPANESE OCCUPATION IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

The Singapore state previously held the view that history was an impediment to its nation-building objectives in the early years following Singapore's independence, especially because Singapore's colonial past promulgated the narrative that Singapore's fate was intertwined with that of Malaya. Singapore's economic success in the 1970s and 1980s saw the Singapore government reconsider their stance on history, as the previous narratives of "crisis" and "survival" were rendered irrelevant by their very accomplishments. Thus, the 1980s saw a reversal of the state's policy towards the use of history, as it recognised the value of history in its new formulations of nation-building. In particular, the World War II narrative provided a number of themes that could be appropriated for nation-building purposes, and the state's recognition of this is evident in how the objectives of World War II commemoration shifted from tourism to local participation in heritage. This in turn led to the localisation of the World War II narrative in the state's presentations of the war, which was necessary if the nation-building themes embedded in the narrative were to be successfully conveyed to Singaporeans. The various nation-building themes have always been present in the state's efforts to commemorate World War II, although these themes were not fully developed from its inception. The state's recent efforts to commemorate World War II, as exemplified by the two World War II interpretative centres, illustrate a refinement of these nation-building themes, and this consequently demonstrates the state's recognition of the utility of history, especially the World War II narrative, in promoting its nation-building agenda.