When Singapore was forced to separate from Malaysia in 1965 to become an independent republic, it faced great economic and political challenges to survive alongside its wealthier and better developed neighbour. At the time, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s reluctant first prime minister, lamented: “For me, it is a moment of anguish. All my life, all my adult life, I have believed in merger and unity of the two territories.” Many of his new compatriots felt similarly. Singapore, arguably, has the distinction of being the only country in recent history to gain independence against its will: an interesting parallel of sorts as we contemplate the possibility of Scottish independence.
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