Characters / MTNO Singapore

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Republic of the State of Singapore

Official Name: Republic of the State of Singapore

Ruling Party: Pakatan Kebangsaan - Persatuan Melayu Semenanjung^note National Pact - Peninsular Malay Association

Ideology: Anocracy^note Paternalism

Singaporean Independence was never meant to be. Originally an outpost of the British Empire turned brothel for Japanese soldiers during their lengthy occupation, Singapore was set apart from its peninsular Malayan brothers as the communists toppled the collaborationist government. What at first seemed like a tragedy of colonialism, however, became a hidden blessing - Malays began to flee to Singapore en masse as the communists increased their oppession and the Japanese would finally withdraw from Singapore. While Singapore was saved from the worst, it still has problems: the exiled Malay elites dominate politics through the "National Pact", the ethnic Chinese population is segregated and mistreated, and Singapore's economy remains underdeveloped and reliant on its strategic location to international trade. Should the global economy come to a sudden stop, Singapore will face yet another crisis - and perhaps, it will be a crippling one.

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General Tropes

• Allohistorical Allusion:
  • Singapore uses a contemporary version of the Sang Saka Malaya flag.
  • The relationship between Malaya and Singapore bear a passing resemblance to the China-Taiwan dispute in OTL. Like Taiwan, Singapore is ruled by exiles from the old regime and have a claim over the rest of the country.
• Bigot vs. Bigot: Racial tension is a big problem for Singapore. Malays are distrustful of the Chinese, Chinese hate Malays for their systematic domination of Singaporean society and politics, while both groups think the growing Indian population will eventually steal their jobs and livelihoods.
• Butt-Monkey: Everything went wrong with Singapore, especially when it comes to its economy. While OTL Singapore was able to use its status as a trade hub to attain prosperity and diversify its economy, MTNO Singapore did the exact opposite and doubled down on its reliance on global trade, failing to stabilize its economy and continue to suffer from the initial woes that plagued it. Additionally, Singaporean independence was hijacked by Malay nationalists who went on to oppress the original Chinese population, worsening racial relations and making multiculturalism and sociopolitical stability a daunting task for Singapore.
• Les Collaborateurs: Singapore's founding fathers and earlier leaders had all collaborated with the Japanese in their occupation of Singapore or Malaya.
• Crapsaccharine World: While Singapore is somewhat democratic and a better place to live in compared to its red neighbor, it has its own set of issues ranging from an unstable economy, high unemployment rates, racial issues, democratic backsliding and civil rights abuses.
• Emergency Authority: The Countermeasures Against Communist Subversion Act, popularly known as the Anti-Subversion Act, allows Singaporean Prime Ministers to invoke their emergency powers to suspend elections and/or dissolve political organizations that are deemed to be against national interests.
• Foreign Ruling Class: Ethnic Malays, many of whom were even not born in Singapore, have dominated politics since the 1980s and solidified their position as Singapore's political elites.
• Horrible Housing: Singapore's overpopulation problem and large wealth inequality has led to the creation of sprawling slums and tight apartment complexes across the city-state. Most citizens live in small enclosures with their entire families.
• A House Divided: The National Pact was able to dominate Singapore's politics without significant opposition for decades, but it's become harder and harder to keep the current status quo. The opposition has begun to organize and integrate their parties, and it's only a matter of time until they are able to go head to toe against the National Pact.
• Know When to Fold 'Em: If Malaya falls to civil war, Singapore will try to invade and assist the rebels in toppling the communist regime, restoring its control over the entire peninsula if it succeeds.
• Let No Crisis Go to Waste: In the Malaya failstate path, Singapore will try to retake the peninsula through a military invasion as the communist regime falls apart.
• A Lighter Shade of Gray: While both Singaporean and Malayan governments are pretty terrible in their own ways, living in Singapore is preferable to living in Malaya, given that Singapore isn't internationally isolated, has some degree of democratic governance, and actually allows its citizens to practice their religious and political freedoms.
• Merchant City: Like in our timeline, Singapore is an important trade hub connecting East to West. Its economy revolves entirely around commerce and foreign investment, and whenever there is a recession or a global economic crisis that interrupts the flow of goods and foreign money, Singapore's economy crashes spectacularly.
• The Migration: The communist takeover of Malaya led to a mass migration of primarily ethnic Malays to Singapore, many of whom had collaborated with the Japanese or were displaced by the conflict. The result is that Singapore's demographics are drastically different, with Malays comprising around 39-41% of the population and being part of the ruling elite.
• Military Coup: If Razak is in power when the Singaporean Riots happen, the military will step in and overthrow the government, putting Singapore under martial law to restore order.
• People's Republic of Tyranny: Singapore is a democratic republic in name only. In practice, its rulers constantly slip in and out of authoritarianism and the country is governed by an oligarchy of ethnic Malay elites.
• Politically Incorrect Hero: Singapore is a rump semi-democratic government at the tip of the Malayan peninsula which has done the most to oppose the communist dictatorship to their north and provide safe refuge to victims of the regime. It is also a Malay supremacist regime that segregates ethnic Chinese people regardless of whether or not they are refugees, going as far as deporting those who they suspect to be communist agents and stripping them of their citizenship.
• Red Scare: Singapore's government and people are extremely paranoid of a communist takeover, something that the ruling National Pact has exploited to keep itself in power and destroy its political rivals.
• The Remnant: Singapore's government became a refuge for the collaborators seeking to flee communist repression, and is, in a way, the closest thing to a successor to the Japanese-backed Federation of Malaya.
• Schrödinger's Cast: Singapore is in a legal limbo in regards to their relationship with the old Federation of Malaya, and the status of Singaporean independence became pretty hazy after its government became dominated by Malayan exiles. According to their constitution, Singapore is an "autonomous state" of the Federation, and isn't actually independent. In practice, though, Singapore is Independent, as the rest of Malaya is controlled by a rival government and the old Federation of Malaya no longer exists. Even the name of the country acknowledges this confusing status - Singapore is simultaneously an independent republic and a state of the long-deceased Federation; it exists as a real country but also does not.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: In the lead up to the 2018 Elections, the opposition will form a coalition called the "Democratic Alliance", consisting of several minor parties with different goals and ideologies only united in their opposition to the National Pact.
• The Triads and the Tongs: Singapore's criminal underworld is primarily dominated by Chinese Triads, Singapore's strategic location and oppressed Chinese minority making the city-state a hotbed of organized crime and an integral part of Triad operations in the South China Sea.
• Voluntary Vassal: After the Japanese withdrawal, Singapore turned to Indonesia for protection, willingly making economic concessions and plugging its defensive apparatus to that of Indonesia.

Prime Ministers

Najib Razak

Role: Prime Minister, Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Official Title)

Party: Pakatan Kebangsaan - Persatuan Melayu Semenanjung^note National Pact - Peninsular Malay Association

Ideology: Anocracy^note Paternalism, Aristocratic Conservatism^note Despotism (Elections suspended)

The Prime Minister of Singapore, Najib Razak is no different than his predecessors. He is a reactionary Malay supremacist, born in Malaya, and a proponent of continued one-sided economic liberalization. While Razak won't be losing his position anytime soon, his growing list of scandals and authoritarian abuses has turned him into the face of Singapore's dirty establishment; one that the people have finally grown tired of.

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• Allohistorical Allusion: In his autocratic path, Razak will try to expand the powers of the Prime Minister even further just like he did in OTL.
• Corrupt Politician: Razak's rule is outright kleptocratic, as he has used his position to embezzle millions and reward his close friends with government positions.
• Evil Reactionary: While his predecessors were also bigoted, Razak is a firm Malay supremacist who has gone even further in trying to suppress the civil freedoms of ethnic Chinese people.
• Failure Is the Only Option: There is no way for Razak to win the 2018 elections or cheat his way into staying his power. If he isn't voted out of office, he will be removed from power through force.
• In Spite of a Nail: Despite being born in a drastically different universe, Razak was still able to become Prime Minister - only in a Malay-dominated Singapore instead of Malaysia proper.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
  • His reactionary attitudes and open corruption has made his party deeply unpopular, and given the opposition a common enemy to fight against. this only becomes evident to Razak when the Democratic Alliance is formed ahead of the 2018 Elections, signaling an end to the National Pact's monopoly on power should it allow the elections to happen.
  • His actions can destabilize Singapore to the point where Communist Malaya can invade and topple his regime if they haven't collapsed themselves.
• President for Life: In his autocratic path, Razak will get rid of whatever restrictions he may have as Prime Minister, allowing him to stay in power for the rest of his life.
• Stupid Evil: If he becomes a dictator, Razak's actions will inadvertently turn the entire establishment and people of Singapore against him as soon as it becomes clear that he really is only out for himself, leading to the exact opposite of what he originally intended.
• Warhawk: Razak takes a hardline stance against Red Malaya and considers military action to be optimal. if Red Malaya collapses, he will eagerly send the Singaporean Army into the peninsula to aid in the overthrow of the regime.