Year 1950

Tag: Riot

Riots In Little India

Sunday, 8th December 2013

At around 10pm, a riot was started by an angry mob along Race Course Road in Little India. The rioting mob is consist of mainly foreign imported workers overturned police cars and then set them on fire. The riot began shortly after a 33-year-old worker from India was ran over by a private bus operated by BT&Tan Bus Transport Service. The accident happened at around 9.20pm at the junction of Tekka Lane and Race Course Road. Emotional people that witness the accident started hitting the windshield of a bus with sticks and garbage bins. The first responders to the accident, believed to be extricating the accident victim, were verbally abused by the crowd which later turned to a full blown riot.


Hello Kitty Stampede

Thursday, 27th January 2000

The launching of Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel, soft toys donning the Japanese weeding dress, were released at McDonald's outlet.  In the rush in their bid to purchase the toys a riot was started.  Six people were arrested at different outlets for disorderly conduct.


Ethnic riots in Singapore

Tuesday, 13th May 1969

Ethnic riots break out in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and later spill over to Singapore. This is also known as the "Seven-Day Racial Riots" between 31 May 1969 to 6 June 1969. Rumours began to spread here from KL that the Singaporean Malays, a minority in Singapore, would be subjected to revenge after Malaysian Chinese were unfairly treated by the Malaysian government. Chinese secret societies began plans to attack the Malay-majority Jalan Ubi and Jalan Kayu. The Malay triads retaliated by burning Chinese shophouses in Geylang. The Internal Security Department (ISD) of Singapore worked with the police to quash all conflicts, but the seven-day riots still caused at least four deaths and 80 injuries. The mounting tensions between the two races continued for another couple of years, but the government made efforts to ensure such high level of violence would not happen again.


September Race riot

Thursday, 3rd September 1964

A second race riot occurred just a month after the first - this time, a Malay trishaw-rider was found murdered at Geylang Serai and his attackers were believed to be a group of Chinese. The race riot ensued in the neighbourhoods of Geylang, Joo Chiat and Siglap, and another curfew was imposed. In this incident, 13 people lost their lives and 106 people were injured. Under the presence of troops and the imposing of curfews, these tensions eventually eased after a few days. 480 people were arrested. Both Malaysia and Singapore have attributed the September riots to Indonesian provocateurs. It was the Konfrontasi period and 30 Indonesian paratroopers had landed in Labis, Johor on 2 September.


The Singapore-Malaysia Causeway Closed

Wednesday, 22nd July 1964

Due to Race Riots in Malaysia and Singapore, the causeway was closed from 22 to 26 July 1964.


Malay-Chinese Race Riot

Tuesday, 21st July 1964

Street violent left 21 persons deal and 460 injured. The day itself was suppose to be a peaceful day as was the anniversary of the prophet's birth. 25,000 Muslim had gather on the Padang to observe the day and the group began to move towards Geylang. Fighting started as the main body somewhere along Kallang Road between the Chinese and the Malays.  Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and several other foreign observers attributed the riots as the result of agitation by Syed Jaafar Albar and other elements of the ultra-nationalist faction in UMNO.


Chinese Middle Schools Riots

Wednesday, 24th October 1956

The students camped at Chung Cheng High School and Chinese High School. They organised meetings and held demonstrations. This went on for about two weeks. The government issued an ultimatum that the schools be vacated. As the deadline approached, rioting started at the Chinese High School. The riots spread to other parts of the island. They lasted five days. 13 people were killed and more than 100 were injured. Hundreds of people were arrested, including Lim Chin Siong.


Hock Lee bus riots

Thursday, 12th May 1955

Four people are killed during the Hock Lee bus riots. The Hock Lee bus strike began peacefully but escalated into a violent riot in which four people were killed and 31 injured. During the strike, large numbers of dismissed bus workers locked themselves in the Hock Lee garages at Alexandra Road and picketed at the gates.


National Service Riots

Thursday, 13th May 1954

Students at a number of Chinese schools demonstrated against the British government's decision to make young men, age 18-20, do part-time military service. The students were unwilling to defend a foreign government which they wanted to drive out of Singapore. The demonstration led to rioting and the police had to put down on the riot.


Maria Hertogh Riots

Monday, 11th December 1950

18 people were killed and 173 were injured during the Maria Hertogh riots. For three days, mobs of Malay and Indian Muslim rioters attacked any European and Eurasian in sight. They set up barricades along major roads, set cars and houses on fire and took control of districts in the vicinity of Sultan Mosque, North Bridge Road and Jalan Besar. Rioting was stopped only after two troops of the Internal Security Battalion were called in, supported by several Malays within the troops. Even so, scattered attacks continued over two days. A 24-hour curfew had to be imposed for two weeks before the Constabulary regained control of the situation.