5 QUICK SINGAPORE FACTS to Blow Your Mind! #7

Here are 5 Quick Facts about Singapore to Blow Your Mind! #7
Riot Edition

1. Riot 1: December 11, 1950 – Maria Hertogh Riots
The Maria Hertogh riots began on the 11 December 1950 after a court ruled and decided that a child who had been raised by a set of Muslim parents was to be returned to her biological Catholic parents. That sparked a protest from enraged Muslims which soon escalated into a riot.
Aftermath: 18 people were killed, with 7 being Europeans or Eurasians, 2 police officers, 9 rioters shot by the cops, 173 injured, 119 vehicles damaged and a minimum of 2 buildings set on fire.
https://thesmartlocal.com/read/5-riots-that-rocked-singapore/

2. Riot 2: May 13, 1954 National Service Riots
The 1954 National Service Riots, also known as Anti-National Service Riots was a riot that broke out in Singapore in May 1954, which involved a number of Singaporean Chinese students.
Aftermath: About 26 people injured, 48 students arrested.
https://thesmartlocal.com/read/5-riots-that-rocked-singapore/

3. Riot 3: May 12, 1955 – Hock Lee Bus Riots
Many of us may have already heard about these bus riots, whether is it by word of mouth or if you have heard it during one of your history classes in school. It started off with a peaceful strike on the 23rd April 1955, but it soon escalated into a violent riot on the 12th of May. It only ended on the 14th of May, 2 days later when the Hock Lee Bus Strike was settled between the government and the strikers.
Basically, then workers of the Hock Lee Amalgated Bus company who were also members of the pro-communist Singapore Bus Workers Union (SBWU) went on strike due to the new work rosters and the formation of rival unions. The rival union was formed by the bus company to prevent any strikes from occurring by the SBWU.
Aftermath: 4 people were killed and 31 injured
https://thesmartlocal.com/read/5-riots-that-rocked-singapore/

4. Riot 4: 1956 – Chinese Middle Schools Riots
It happened after the resignation of David Marshall. Lim Yew Hock, the next Chief Minister announced that the Singapore Chinese middle School Student’ Union (SCMSSU) would be closed down because of the communist activities.
Aftermath: 13 deaths, more than 100 injured
https://thesmartlocal.com/read/5-riots-that-rocked-singapore/

5. Riot 5: July 21, 1964 – 1964 Race Riots
The 1964 race riots took place during 2 separate periods in July and September between the Chinese and Malays in Singapore.
On the 21 July 1964, when 25000 Malays gathered at the Padang area to celebrate Muhammad’s birthday and after the speeches the procession of Malays were headed to Geylang. Along the way, a few Chinese onlookers jeered and threw items at the Malays resulting in the dispersing of a small group of Malays from the group. When the police stepped forward to ask the Malays to rejoin the procession, they were attacked by the Malays, resulting in the start of the riot which happened at around 5.00pm.
On the 3rd September, because a Malay trishaw rider was found to be killed with his attackers believed to be a group of ethnic Chinese, it resulted in the spark of the violent racial riots.
Aftermath: 36 deaths, 556 injured
https://thesmartlocal.com/read/5-riots-that-rocked-singapore/

Ps. The race riots was the main reason why Singapore celebrated Racial-Harmony Day, where everybody can share their different cultures with one and another. When I was a young, my classmates will dress themselves up in their respective cultural outfits and come to school for the entire day. There was once where the school even provided multiple outfits for us to try on... ...I was plus size at that time, so I have limited options. We will mix around the outfits; for example, Malay Overall plus Chinese Head Dress plus Western accessories plus Indian temporary art tattoo. It will be really funny when my schoolmates unknowingly wore a different gender outfit. A boy wearing a girl's outfit, and a girl wearing a boy's outfit. We were small kids, so it was fine! We just laugh it off.