How Singapore's political history shaped her political future

Japanese Occupation:
Singapore was occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. This was part of Japan's Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere (a hot load of BS).
It was during this period that Singapore experienced the betrayal of the British army and was subjected to brutalities and atrocities.

This event shattered the myth of the white man's invincibility and sowed seeds of nationalism as Singaporeans realised that they could not count on anyone else to defend the country. This set the stage for independence demands post-war.
This also served as ground for repeated invocation of the siege mentality.

However, this event also exacerbated Chinese-Malay tensions because the malays were co-opted by the Japanese while the Chinese were harshly treated because of the ongoing war between Japan and China.
This set the stage for the emphasis on racial harmony post war.

On the other hand, the British rule has also influenced contemporary Singaporean politics to a certain extent.
The British developed Singapore into a trading hub and its good governmental and administrative systems and structures were inherited for easy transmission of governance.
However, the idea of a plural society where different races lived together but do not mix persisted, giving us an awkward version of racial tolerance rather than actual harmony.

Finally, the merger and the subsequent separation proved to be a highly bitter moment which left a great impact on Singapore's politics.

The clash between malay Malaysia and Malaysian Malaysia only confirmed the preference for non-communal politics in Singapore and the rejection of the bumiputra policy in Malaya. Again, this was push for multiculturalism in Singapore.

The use of the media for smearing the government and "lying" to the people also convinced PAP that the mass media must be subdued and subjugated by the government, to be transformed into an implementer of government policies and agendas.

The separation plays finely into the idea that Singapore is a lone state surrounded by hostile neighbours, again, the siege mentality.
There was also a radical, renewed resolve to succeed economically without a hinterland, to go global rather than to be satisfied with the common market under Malaysia.

Finally, it marked the beginning of a series of spats between Singapore and Malaysia from time to time.