The Battle for Merger
About this book
The Battle for Merger charts the crucial years of 1961–1962, when the PAP government was in a precarious position and the future of Singapore was hanging in the balance. This commemorative book retains the authenticity of the transcripts of Lee Kuan Yew’s twelve radio talks and appendices, which are exact reproductions of the original 1962 edition. Complete with nostalgic photographs of historical events as well as painstaking reproductions of secret letters and codes, this book also includes new material to give a comprehensive coverage on the intriguing subject of merger between Singapore and Malaysia. This publication contains the following: 1. A new message from Lee Kuan Yew that reveals the former prime minister’s hindsight on merger 2. A comprehensive essay by Associate Professor Albert Lau that provides the historical background to merger 3. Concise notes to key players, places and events 4. MP3 audio recordings of the twelve radio talks in English, Mandarin and Malay The battle for merger is a story worth retelling. This book is for all who want to understand what was at stake during those tumultuous times. Reading this would be akin to reliving the sensational moments created by Lee Kuan Yew’s timely revelations during the twelve radio broadcasts. It tells of how the Old Guards stood up and fought back against the communists and later the communalists, of how they refused to be cowed and thus won the confidence of that generation, which went on to help build modern Singapore.