1. In 1956, Special Branch expanded the definition of communism so broadly as to include anyone who opposed the government. This allowed them to label anyone they wanted as a communist. 2. Those who joined the MCP were a very broad group. Many did not subscribe to communism ideology, but joined to fight imperialism and colonialism. 2a. There were many variations of socialism and communism then. The socialism espoused by the Barisan and PAP, for example, was to the *right* of the British Labour Party. 3. Many people also claimed use of the MCP name in an effort to lend legitimacy to their anti-colonial efforts, whether they were communist or not. 4. No one, including the MCP itself, had any real idea of the extent of their reach. The MCP itself had no paper trail, obviously. It only had one real requirement for signing up to the Anti-British League: oppose British colonialism. 5. Being a communist was *not* against the law in Singapore. Conclusion: to say that someone worked with the MCP or were active members is meaningless. The more important question is, what did they actually believe in, and what did they actually do? - Dr PJ Thum
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 12:24:50 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015