Colony of Singapore - wikipedia Colony of Singapore Colony of Singapore Crown Colony 1946 -- 1963 Top : Flag ( 1946 -- 59 ) Bottom : Flag ( 1959 -- 63 ) Coat of arms Location of Singapore in the Malay Archipelago Capital Singapore Languages English Malay Chinese Tamil Government Monarchy Monarch 1936 -- 1952 George VI 1952 -- 1963 Elizabeth II Governor 1946 -- 1952 ( first ) Franklin Charles Gimson 1957 -- 1959 ( last ) William Goode Chief Minister / Prime Minister 1955 -- 1956 David Marshall 1956 -- 1959 Lim Yew Hock 1959 -- 1963 Lee Kuan Yew Historical era British Empire Dissolution of the Straits Settlements 1 April 1946 Sovereignty of Cocos ( Keeling ) Islands transferred to Australia 1955 Sovereignty of Christmas Island transferred to Australia 1957 Autonomy within the British Empire 1959 Merger with the Federation of Malaysia 16 September 1963 Area 1963 670 km ( 260 sq mi ) Population 1963 est. 1,795,000 Density 2,679 / km ( 6,939 / sq mi ) Currency Malayan dollar ( to 1953 ) Malaya and British Borneo dollar ( thereafter ) Preceded by Succeeded by British Military Administration ( Malaya ) Straits Settlements Singapore in Malaysia Cocos ( Keeling ) Islands Christmas Island Today part of Singapore Australia Part of a series on the History of Singapore Early history ( pre-1819 ) Srivijaya 650 -- 1377 Temasek c. 14th century Kingdom of Singapura 1299 -- 1398 Malacca Sultanate 1400 -- 1511 Johor Sultanate 1528 - 1819 British colonial era ( 1819 -- 1942 ) Founding 1819 -- 26 Straits Settlements 1826 -- 67 Crown colony 1867 -- 1942 Japanese Occupation ( 1942 -- 45 ) Battle of Singapore 1942 Sook Ching 1942 Post-war period ( 1945 -- 62 ) First Legislative Council 1948 -- 51 Maria Hertogh riots 1950 Second Legislative Council 1951 -- 55 Anti-National Service Riots 1954 Internal self - government ( 1955 -- 63 ) Hock Lee bus riots 1955 Merger with Malaysia ( 1963 -- 65 ) Singaporean referendum 1962 Operation Coldstore 1963 Race riots in Singapore 1964 MacDonald House bombing 1965 Republic of Singapore ( 1965 -- present ) ASEAN Declaration ( ASEAN ) 1967 1969 race riots of Singapore 1969 Singaporean haze crisis 1972 -- present Laju incident Operation Spectrum East Asian financial crisis Embassies attack plot SARS outbreak Little India riot 2013 By topic Timeline Riots Singapore portal The Colony of Singapore was a British Crown colony that existed from 1946 until 1963, when Singapore became part of Malaysia. When the Empire of Japan surrendered to the Allies at the end of World War II, the island was handed back to the British in 1945. In 1946, the Straits Settlements were dissolved and Singapore together with the Cocos - Keeling and Christmas islands became a separate Crown colony. The colony was governed by the British Empire until it gained partial internal self - governance in 1955. Contents 1 History 1.1 Post war period : return of British rule 1.2 Establishment of the colony 1.3 Merger with Malaysia 2 Government 2.1 First Legislative Council ( 1948 -- 1951 ) 2.2 Second Legislative Council ( 1951 -- 1955 ) 3 Administration 4 Governors of Singapore ( 1946 -- 1959 ) 5 References History Post War period : return of British rule After Japan surrendered to the Allies on 15 August 1945, there was a state of anomie in Singapore, as the British had not arrived to take control, while the Japanese occupiers had a considerably weakened hold over the populace. Incidents of looting and revenge - killing were widespread. When British troops returned to Singapore in September 1945, thousands of Singaporeans lined the streets to cheer them. Singapore was ruled by a British Military Administration ( BMA ) between September 1945 and March 1946, during which it also served as the headquarters of the British governor general for Southeast Asia. However much of the infrastructure had been destroyed, including electricity and water supply systems, telephone services, as well as the harbour facilities at the Port of Singapore. There was also a shortage of food including rice, and this led to malnutrition, disease and rampant crimes and violence. Unemployment, high food prices, and workers ' discontent culminated into a series of strikes in 1947 causing massive stoppages in public transport and other services. By late 1947, the economy began to recover, facilitated by the growing demand for tin and rubber around the world. But it would take several more years before the economy returned to pre-war levels. Establishment of the colony On 1 April 1946, the Straits Settlements was dissolved and Singapore became a Crown Colony with a civil administration headed by a Governor and separated from peninsular Malaya. In July 1947, separate Executive and Legislative Councils were established and provisions were made to allow for the election of six members of the Legislative Council the next year. Merger with Malaysia Main articles : Singapore in Malaysia and Self - governance of Singapore The failure of the British to defend Singapore had destroyed their credibility as infallible rulers in the eyes of the locals in Singapore. The decades after and during the war saw a political awakening amongst the local populace and the rise of nationalist and anti-colonial sentiments, including a cry for Merdeka, roughly translated to `` independence '' in the Malay language. The British, on their part, were prepared to embark on a program of gradually increasing self - governance for Singapore and Malaya. The Crown colony was dissolved on 16 September 1963 when Singapore became part of Malaysia, which ended the 144 years British rule of the island. On 9 August 1965, Singapore officially left Malaysia to become the independent Republic of Singapore, due to political and economical disputes. Government First Legislative Council ( 1948 -- 1951 ) The first Singaporean elections, held in March 1948 to select members of the Legislative Council, were rather limited. The right to vote was restricted to adult British subjects, of which only 23,000 or about 10 percent of those eligible registered to vote. In addition, only six of the twenty - five seats on the Legislative Council were to be elected ; the rest were chosen either by the Governor or by the chambers of commerce. Three of the elected seats were won by a newly formed Singapore Progressive Party ( SPP ), a conservative party whose leaders were businessmen and professionals and were disinclined to press for immediate self - rule. The other three seats were won by independents. Three months after the elections, an armed insurgency by communist groups in Malaya -- the Malayan Emergency -- broke out, and the British imposed harsh measures to control left - wing groups in both Singapore and Malaya ; the controversial Internal Security Act, which allowed indefinite detention without trial for persons suspected of being `` threats to security '', was introduced at this time. Since the left - wing groups were the strongest critics of the colonial system, progress on self - government stalled for several years. The colonial government also tried to prevent contacts between Singaporean Chinese and China, which had just fallen under the rule of the Communist Party of China. Tan Kah Kee, a local businessman and philanthropist, was denied re-entry into Singapore after he made a trip to China. Second Legislative Council ( 1951 -- 1955 ) A second Legislative Council election was held in 1951 with the number of elected seats increased to nine. This election was again dominated by the SPP which won six seats. This slowly contributed to the formation of a distinct government of Singapore, although colonial administration was still dominant. In 1953, with the communists in Malaya suppressed and the worst of the ' Emergency ' period over, the government appointed a commission, headed by Sir George Rendel, to study the possibility of self - government for Singapore. The commission proposed a limited form of self - government. The Legislative Assembly with twenty - five out of thirty - two seats chosen by popular election would replace the Legislative Council, from which a Chief Minister as head of government and Council of Ministers as a cabinet would be picked under a parliamentary system. The British would retain control over areas such as internal security and foreign affairs, as well as veto power over legislation. The government agreed with the recommendations, and Legislative Assembly elections were scheduled for 2 April 1955. The election was a lively and closely fought affair, with several newly formed political parties joining the fray. In contrast to previous elections, voters were automatically registered, expanding the electorate to around 300,000. The SPP was soundly defeated in the election, winning only four seats. The newly formed, left - leaning Labour Front was the largest winner with ten seats and was able to form a coalition government with the UMNO - MCA Alliance, which won three seats. Another new party, the then leftist People 's Action Party ( PAP ), won three seats. Administration On 1 April 1946, the colony of Singapore was formed with Cocos - Keeling, Christmas islands after the dissolution of the Straits Settlement. As a Crown colony, Singapore inherited the hierarchical organisational structure of the Straits Settlements government with a governor, who was assisted by an Advisory Executive Council, a Legislative Council and a Municipal Council. In July 1946, Labuan became part of the Crown Colony of North Borneo. The sovereignty of the Cocos ( Keeling ) islands was transferred to Australia in 1955. The administration of Christmas island was also transferred to Australia in 1957 at the request of the Australian government. Governors of Singapore ( 1946 -- 1959 ) The Governors of Singapore ruled Singapore. The men that held this position governed the Crown Colony of Singapore from 1946 to 1959, on behalf of the Colonial Office until Singapore gained self - governance in 1959 in where the Office of the Governor was abolished. # Governor of Singapore Took office Left office Sir Franklin Charles Gimson, KCMG 1 April 1946 20 March 1952 -- Wilfred Lawson Blythe Acting 20 March 1952 21 April 1952 Sir John Fearns Nicoll, KCMG 21 April 1952 2 June 1955 -- Sir William Goode, GCMG Acting 2 June 1955 30 June 1955 Sir Robert Brown Black, GCMG 30 June 1955 9 December 1957 Sir William Goode, GCMG 9 December 1957 3 June 1959 Bose, Romen, `` THE END OF THE WAR : The Liberation of Singapore and the aftermath of the Second World War '', Marshall Cavendish, Singapore, 2005 References Jump up ^ `` Singapore - Land area ''. Index Mundi. Retrieved August 27, 2016. Jump up ^ Colony of Singapore. Government Gazette. ( 1946, April 1 ). The Singapore Colony Order in Council, 1946 ( G.N. 2, pp. 2 -- 3 ). Singapore : ( s.n. ). Call no. : RCLOS 959.57 SGG ; White paper on Malaya ( 1946, January 26 ). The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG ; Tan, K.Y.L. ( Ed. ). ( 1999 ). The Singapore legal system ( pp. 232 -- 233 ). Singapore : Singapore University Press. Call no. : RSING 349.5957 SIN. ^ Jump up to : `` Singapore -- Aftermath of War ''. U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved 18 June 2006. Jump up ^ `` Towards Self - government ''. Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore. Retrieved 18 June 2006. Jump up ^ Electoral representation for new Singapore Council. ( 1946, April 2 ). The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG ; Tan, T.Y.L. ( 1999 ). The Singapore legal system ( pp. 40 -- 42 ). Singapore : Singapore University Press. Call no. : RSING 349.5957 SIN. Jump up ^ N. Borneo becomes a colony. ( 1946, July 16 ). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Singapore articles History Early history ( pre -- 1819 ) Founding of modern Singapore ( 1819 -- 1826 ) Straits Settlements ( 1826 -- 1942 ) Japanese occupation ( 1942 -- 1945 ) British Military Administration ( 1945 -- 1946 ) Post-war Singapore ( 1946 -- 1955 ) Self - governance of Singapore ( 1955 -- 1962 ) Merger with Malaysia ( 1962 -- 1965 ) Republic of Singapore ( 1965 -- present ) Geography Beaches Conservation Environmental issues Geology Islands Parks Reservoirs Rivers Urban planning Urban renewal Waterways Wildlife Politics Administrative divisions Constitution Elections Foreign relations Government Cabinet Prime Minister Human rights Law Chief Justice Military Parliament Police Political parties President Economy Economy Statistics Agriculture Aviation Monetary Authority China -- Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Dollar ( currency ) Energy Labour Proposed developments Singapore Exchange Telecommunications Tourism Transport Society Communitarianism Caning Crime Women Education Demographics Eat Frozen Pork Five Cs Health Long hair in Singapore National Courtesy Campaign National Day Parade No U-turn syndrome OB marker Population planning Public housing Public holidays Religion Smoking Social fund Water supply and sanitation Culture Architecture Cinema Cuisine Languages Literature Media Music Sports Wushu in Singapore Symbols Anthem Coat of arms Flag Flower Lion head Merlion Pledge Outline Index Bibliography Category Portal Malaysia articles History Timeline Prehistoric Portuguese Malacca Dutch Malacca British Malaya Straits Settlements Federated Malay States Unfederated Malay States British Borneo Kingdom of Sarawak Crown Colony of Labuan North Borneo Japanese occupation of Malaya / Borneo British Military Administration ( Malaya / Borneo ) Malayan Union Federation of Malaya Independence Malayan Emergency Crown Colony of Singapore Self - government Crown Colony of Sarawak Self - government Crown Colony of North Borneo Self - government Malaysia Agreement 1962 Singapore referendum Cobbold Commission 18 - point agreement 20 - point agreement Indonesia -- Malaysia confrontation Sarawak Communist Insurgency Proclamation Malaysia Day PAP -- UMNO relations 1964 race riots Singapore in Malaysia Second Malayan Emergency 13 May Incident 1988 Malaysian constitutional crisis 1997 Asian financial crisis Geography Cities, towns and villages Districts Divisions East Malaysia Environment Fauna Flora World Heritage Sites Islands Lakes Mountains National parks Peninsular Malaysia Rivers States Politics Cabinet Constitution Elections Foreign relations Government Human rights Judiciary Law Law enforcement Military Monarchies Parliament Political parties Prime Minister State legislative assemblies Head of state Economy Agriculture Banks Central bank Energy Federal budget Ringgit ( currency ) States by GDP Science and technology Stock exchange Telecommunications Tourism Transport Unions Society Crime Demographics Malaysians Education Post-secondary Universities Ethnic groups Health Income disparity Languages Poverty Religion Water supply and sanitation Women International rankings Culture Architecture Cinema Cuisine Folklore Mythology Literature Malay lordship Media Music Names Public holidays Sport Symbols Animal Anthem Emblem Flag Flower Pledge Outline Index Book Category Portal British Empire Legend Current territory Former territory * Now a Commonwealth realm Now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations Historical flags of the British Empire Europe 1542 -- 1800 Ireland ( integrated into UK ) 1708 -- 1757, 1763 -- 1782 and 1798 -- 1802 Minorca Since 1713 Gibraltar 1800 -- 1813 Malta ( Protectorate ) 1813 -- 1964 Malta ( Colony ) 1807 -- 1890 Heligoland 1809 -- 1864 Ionian Islands 1878 -- 1960 Cyprus 1921 -- 1937 Irish Free State North America 17th century and before 18th century 19th and 20th century 1579 New Albion 1583 -- 1907 Newfoundland 1605 -- 1979 * Saint Lucia 1607 -- 1776 Virginia Since 1619 Bermuda 1620 -- 1691 Plymouth 1623 -- 1883 Saint Kitts 1624 -- 1966 * Barbados 1625 -- 1650 Saint Croix 1627 -- 1979 * Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1628 -- 1883 Nevis 1629 -- 1691 Massachusetts Bay 1632 -- 1776 Maryland since 1632 Montserrat 1632 -- 1860 Antigua 1635 -- 1644 Saybrook 1636 -- 1776 Connecticut 1636 -- 1776 Rhode Island 1637 -- 1662 New Haven 1643 -- 1860 Bay Islands Since 1650 Anguilla 1655 -- 1850 Mosquito Coast 1655 -- 1962 * Jamaica 1663 -- 1712 Carolina 1664 -- 1776 New York 1665 -- 1674 and 1702 -- 1776 New Jersey Since 1666 Virgin Islands Since 1670 Cayman Islands 1670 -- 1973 * Bahamas 1670 -- 1870 Rupert 's Land 1671 -- 1816 Leeward Islands 1674 -- 1702 East Jersey 1674 -- 1702 West Jersey 1680 -- 1776 New Hampshire 1681 -- 1776 Pennsylvania 1686 -- 1689 New England 1691 -- 1776 Massachusetts Bay 1701 -- 1776 Delaware 1712 -- 1776 North Carolina 1712 -- 1776 South Carolina 1713 -- 1867 Nova Scotia 1733 -- 1776 Georgia 1754 -- 1820 Cape Breton Island 1762 -- 1974 * Grenada 1763 -- 1978 Dominica 1763 -- 1873 Prince Edward Island 1763 -- 1791 Quebec 1763 -- 1783 East Florida 1763 -- 1783 West Florida 1784 -- 1867 New Brunswick 1791 -- 1841 Lower Canada 1791 -- 1841 Upper Canada Since 1799 Turks and Caicos Islands 1818 -- 1846 Columbia District / Oregon Country 1833 -- 1960 Windward Islands 1833 -- 1960 Leeward Islands 1841 -- 1867 Canada 1849 -- 1866 Vancouver Island 1853 -- 1863 Queen Charlotte Islands 1858 -- 1866 British Columbia 1859 -- 1870 North - Western Territory 1860 -- 1981 * British Antigua and Barbuda 1862 -- 1863 Stickeen 1866 -- 1871 British Columbia 1867 -- 1931 * Dominion of Canada 1871 -- 1964 Honduras 1882 -- 1983 * Saint Kitts and Nevis 1889 -- 1962 Trinidad and Tobago 1907 -- 1949 Newfoundland 1958 -- 1962 West Indies Federation 1. Occupied jointly with the United States. 2. In 1931, Canada and other British dominions obtained self - government through the Statute of Westminster. See Name of Canada. 3. Gave up self - rule in 1934, but remained a de jure Dominion until it joined Canada in 1949. South America 1631 -- 1641 Providence Island 1651 -- 1667 Willoughbyland 1670 -- 1688 Saint Andrew and Providence Islands 1831 -- 1966 Guiana Since 1833 Falkland Islands Since 1908 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands 4. Now a department of Colombia. 5. Occupied by Argentina during the Falklands War of April -- June 1982. Africa 17th and 18th centuries 19th century 20th century Since 1658 Saint Helena 1792 -- 1961 Sierra Leone 1795 -- 1803 Cape Colony Since 1815 Ascension Island Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha 1806 -- 1910 Cape of Good Hope 1807 -- 1808 Madeira 1810 -- 1968 Mauritius 1816 -- 1965 The Gambia 1856 -- 1910 Natal 1862 -- 1906 Lagos 1868 -- 1966 Basutoland 1874 -- 1957 Gold Coast 1882 -- 1922 Egypt 1884 -- 1900 Niger Coast 1884 -- 1966 Bechuanaland 1884 -- 1960 Somaliland 1887 -- 1897 Zululand 1890 -- 1962 Uganda 1890 -- 1963 Zanzibar 1891 -- 1964 Nyasaland 1891 -- 1907 Central Africa 1893 -- 1968 Swaziland 1895 -- 1920 East Africa 1899 -- 1956 Sudan 1900 -- 1914 Northern Nigeria 1900 -- 1914 Southern Nigeria 1900 -- 1910 Orange River 1900 -- 1910 Transvaal 1903 -- 1976 Seychelles 1910 -- 1931 South Africa 1914 -- 1960 Nigeria 1915 -- 1931 South - West Africa 1919 -- 1961 Cameroons 1920 -- 1963 Kenya 1922 -- 1961 Tanganyika 1923 -- 1965 and 1979 -- 1980 Southern Rhodesia 1924 -- 1964 Northern Rhodesia 6. League of Nations mandate. 7. Self - governing Southern Rhodesia unilaterally declared independence in 1965 ( as Rhodesia ) and continued as an unrecognised state until the 1979 Lancaster House Agreement. After recognised independence in 1980, Zimbabwe was a member of the Commonwealth until it withdrew in 2003. Asia 17th and 18th century 19th century 20th century 1685 -- 1824 Bencoolen 1702 -- 1705 Pulo Condore 1757 -- 1947 Bengal 1762 -- 1764 Manila and Cavite 1781 -- 1784 and 1795 -- 1819 Padang 1786 -- 1946 Penang 1795 -- 1948 Ceylon 1796 -- 1965 Maldives 1812 -- 1824 Banka and Billiton 1819 -- 1826 Malaya 1824 -- 1948 Burma 1826 -- 1946 Straits Settlements 1839 -- 1967 Aden 1839 -- 1842 Afghanistan 1841 -- 1997 Hong Kong 1841 -- 1946 Sarawak 1848 -- 1946 Labuan 1858 -- 1947 India 1874 -- 1963 Borneo 1879 -- 1919 Afghanistan ( protectorate ) 1882 -- 1963 North Borneo 1885 -- 1946 Unfederated Malay States 1888 -- 1984 Brunei 1891 -- 1971 Muscat and Oman 1892 -- 1971 Trucial States 1895 -- 1946 Federated Malay States 1898 -- 1930 Weihai 1878 -- 1960 Cyprus 1907 -- 1949 Bhutan ( protectorate ) 1918 -- 1961 Kuwait 1920 -- 1932 Mesopotamia 1921 -- 1946 Transjordan 1923 -- 1948 Palestine 1945 -- 1946 South Vietnam 1946 -- 1963 North Borneo 1946 -- 1963 Sarawak 1946 -- 1963 Singapore 1946 -- 1948 Malayan Union 1948 -- 1957 Federation of Malaya Since 1960 Akrotiri and Dhekelia ( before as part of Cyprus ) Since 1965 British Indian Ocean Territory ( before as part of Mauritius and the Seychelles ) League of Nations mandate. Iraq 's mandate was not enacted and replaced by the Anglo - Iraqi Treaty Oceania 18th and 19th centuries 20th century 1788 -- 1901 New South Wales 1803 -- 1901 Van Diemen 's Land / Tasmania 1807 -- 1863 Auckland Islands 1824 -- 1980 New Hebrides 1824 -- 1901 Queensland 1829 -- 1901 Swan River / Western Australia 1836 -- 1901 South Australia since 1838 Pitcairn Islands 1841 -- 1907 New Zealand 1851 -- 1901 Victoria 1874 -- 1970 Fiji 1877 -- 1976 Western Pacific Territories 1884 -- 1949 Papua 1888 -- 1901 Rarotonga / Cook Islands 1889 -- 1948 Union Islands 1892 -- 1979 Gilbert and Ellice Islands 1893 -- 1978 Solomon Islands 1900 -- 1970 Tonga 1900 -- 1974 Niue 1901 -- 1942 * Australia 1907 -- 1953 * New Zealand 1919 -- 1942 and 1945 -- 1968 Nauru 1919 -- 1949 New Guinea 1949 -- 1975 Papua and New Guinea 9. Now part of the * Realm of New Zealand. 10. Suspended member. 11. Now Kiribati and * Tuvalu. 12. Now the * Solomon Islands. 13. Now * Papua New Guinea. Antarctica and South Atlantic Since 1658 Saint Helena Since 1815 Ascension Island Since 1816 Tristan da Cunha Since 1908 British Antarctic Territory 1841 -- 1933 Australian Antarctic Territory ( transferred to the Commonwealth of Australia ) 1841 -- 1947 Ross Dependency ( transferred to the Realm of New Zealand ) 14. Since 2009 part of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha ; Ascension Island ( 1922 -- ) and Tristan da Cunha ( 1938 -- ) were previously dependencies of Saint Helena. 15. Both claimed in 1908 ; territories formed in 1962 ( British Antarctic Territory ) and 1985 ( South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ). Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colony_of_Singapore&oldid=809849698 '' Categories : Former countries in Southeast Asia States and territories established in 1946 States and territories disestablished in 1963 British rule in Singapore History of Singapore Former British colonies and protectorates in Asia 1946 establishments in the British Empire 1963 disestablishments in the British Empire Hidden categories : EngvarB from July 2014 Use dmy dates from July 2014 Former country articles requiring maintenance Pages using infobox former country with unknown parameters Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the flag caption or type parameters Pages using infobox country or infobox former country with the symbol caption or type parameters All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2017 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Languages Bahasa Indonesia Nederlands Português Русский Suomi ไทย Українська Tiếng Việt Edit links This page was last edited on 11 November 2017, at 21 : 16. 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Question: when did singapore officially became a part of the british empire
Answer: 1946