Group 3- Fong Swee Suan

A hero is someone who stands out from other people and contributed something great that benefits the society. He is admired by many, due to his noble achievements and distinct qualities. His name will be remembered in the history. This person is none other than FONG SWEE SUAN.

Fong Swee Suan (born 1931, age 78 was a trade unionist who played a major role in the trade union movement and the anticolonial struggle in Singapore, earning him the enmity of the British colonial regime and its supporters from the 1950s to the 1960s era. As Secretary-General of the Singapore Bus Workers Union, he became involved in the Hock Lee Bus Riots in 1955, where workers demanded better working conditions. He was among those arrested under Operation Coldstore in February 1963. .
In May 1955, Fong initiated and led the Hock Lee Bus Riot. The services of bus transport were severely disrupted paralyzed as buses were prevented from leaving as the strikers formed human barriers by sitting on the ground. It was on the 23rd of April when the workers of the Hock Lee Amalgated bus Co, who were members of the pro-communist Singapore Bus Workers’ Union [SBWU] went on strike.
On 11th June 1955, he was arrested with the rest of the leaders who lead in the riot. They were accused to have started the main strike. They were in detention for a total of 15 days. Many people objected and were then released.
In 21st September 1956, he was appointed as the vice-chairman of the Association of Workers’ Singapore Industry. This Association was set up on the 22nd May 1954. in 21st September 1956, he led a seven member representative group to see a minister, Lim Yew Hock, to discuss about the matter where the chairman of the Industry Association, Lim Zhen Guo, was arrested.
On the 18th June 1960, Wang Yong Yuan challenged to be a leader of a party. So Fong Swee Suan, together with other communist parties, supported the Central party. After Fong Swee Suan criticized the manpower policy in PAP, he was transferred to become a politic secretary of the deputy prime minister’s office.
July 1961, he objected to the idea of merger with Malaya. He broke off from PAP because of this1 objection. September 1961, he was appointed as the Singapore Socialism. At the same time, he was also the advisor of many other parties.
On 2nd Februry 1963, he was arrested for the third time. On 25th August 1967, he was released before the 10th anniversary of Malaya’s independence. In 1968, he became the Administrative Assistant of the Kuala Lumpur central sugar factory.
On 1970, he moved to Johor and became a branch manager of De Cheng Machinery Pte Ltd. On 1976, he set up You Lian Machinery Pte Ltd. The business involved heavy machinery and estate investments. On 1991, he got his Bachelor of Arts from Kensington University.
On 12th May 1955, later known as "Black Thursday", a major riot broke out in the streets of Alexandra Road and Tiong Bahru. The police tried to break up the 2,000 students and strikers using water cannon and tear gas, but the crowd retaliated by stoning the policemen and buses. In total, two police officers, a student and an American press correspondent, died and many more were seriously injured.

In conclusion, Fong Swee Suan is indeed a great hero that we respect. He broke off with PAP due to just one objection and decided to join the opposition. We think that he has his own strong opinion and he does everything without anybody's persuasion. We hope that more of these people like him will be able to contribute to the society.

Group members: Lauw Wei Zhong (27)

Lee Zong Han (29)

Wang Hoong Wei (33)

Bryan Wong (35)

Zheng Luka (39)

Group 7 Lieutenant General Gerald Templer

A hero is someone who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage and the will for self-scarifice for the good of humanity, and without harbouring any intentions of gaining something in return. They are admired by others for brave deeds and noble qualities and last but not least, moral excellence. They may have performed heroic acts which in turn benefited the people and whom people respects as a role model or an ideal. Such an example and traits of a hero can be seen in Lieutenant General Gerald Templer.

Also, we believed that they achieved what they want to achieved, through pure determined of course, and no they do not arise only from some 'special' circumstances as heros are present in our everyday lives, helping people.

Being the new British Commissioner, he has effective control of the police and all services of the armed forces as Director of Operations. No British soldier had been given such extensive powers since Cromwell, general and leader of the Parliamentary forces during the 17th Century English Civil War. This shows that he is indeed capable.

Templer had received orders to push for immediate reforms to give ethnic Chinese residents the right to vote. He also sped up recruitment into the Malayan army, increasing the number of Battalions to seven. He made it clear that the economic and social instability caused by the conflict itself was the main barrier to independence.

The ‘conflict’ mentioned here is the reactivation of the World War Two units of its Malayan Peoples’ Anti-Japanese Army, renamed as the Malayan Peoples’ Anti-British Army (later changed again to the Malayan Races Liberation Army) with the aim of driving out the British and establishing a Communist republic in Malaya. Armed bands struck at the British and their supporters, dubbed “running dogs”, in hit-and-run attacks and then disappeared into the jungle.

Templer began his "hearts and minds campaign" by offering reward money to any civilians detecting guerrillas and having British soldiers provide medical treatment and food aid to Malays and indigenous Sakai tribes. At the same time British forces stepped up the pressure on MNLA (also known as the Malayan National Liberation Army/ Malayan Races Liberation Army) guerillas by increasing their jungle patrols. This drives the MNLA deeper into the jungle and cut them off from their supplies.

He is a hero because he helped the Malayans with their country’s independence and tried his best to give the ethnic Chinese their right to vote. Most importantly, he cared for the farewell of people from different races and religions, and maintained peace and harmony among the people of different races and religions, and get rid of MNLA and communities who are wrecking havocs and prevailing peace. He is selfless, and does not hope for anything in return. Many people benefited from him as a result of his hard work. Also, he faced many difficulties and objections when carrying out his beliefs, yet he does not give up.

He is a excellent role model and indeed a extraordinary hero, and we all respect him for his selflessness and moral excellence.


Video:
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=65212

Sources:
http://www.poachers.org.uk/malayemerg.shtml
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?45252-Lieutenant-General-Sir-Gerald-Templer

Done By:
Chong Kia Yee (6)
Gao Tingting (8)
Lee Siyu (14)
Grace Lian (15)
Lin Ying (16)
Wong Chen Lan (22)

Group 8 sir winston churchill

Firstly, what is a hero? A hero is "a man well-known for his exceptional courage, nobleness and strength". In our group's opinion, Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill has fulfilled just that. Additionally, We think that heroes are those who have achieved what they want to achieve and they arise from some special circumstances.
Our group believes heroes are those who have consistency, self-confidence, vision and are decisive. Churchill has many of these common heroic characteristics and much more. He achieved what he wanted to do by leading his nation during world war 2.Churchill once said, "I was only the servant of my country and had I, at any moment, failed to express her unflinching resolve to fight and conquer, I should at once have been rightly cast aside. " This not only emphasized on his patriotism and his love for his country, it also helped him achieve what he wanted, which was to contribute to the country.
Besides, Churchill also aroused from a circumstance of being brave enough to step up to lead his country into war. He was the only daring soul who was willing to do that. Therefore, this is where his heroism act comes in. Being courageous and brave enough to face the adversities.
Born on 30 November 1874 at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, from a conservative member, Churchill became a undersecretary then to a home secretary. After which, he became first lord of Admiralty before embarking on his army career. From 1917 to 1929,he served time on the Western Front.
Going to great lengths in order to keep his country alive, he cared greatly for his people. Yet, this was the challenge Churchill faced - the country he took over was often maligned as unsuccessful.(problem faced) He was the leader of the free world leading the war effort in a global conflict. To meet the office demands, He planned a routine that set an intense pace for his routine so that his staff would work with him. (solution) His self-sacrificing, noble act earned respect from his people and subordinates. This allowed his staff, members of government and military leaders to plan when they wanted to meet with him, hence having a higher efficiency rate. If Churchill's schedule was changed, people would know of it in advance. This was how well-organized the system was.
This showed how competent and triumphant Churchill was as a leader. (qualities) Churchill's typical work day would start around 7 AM. Churchill would work from his bed until the early afternoon. He would work for two solid 8 hour days. (Evidence to support his qualities).

As Churchill mentioned," Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all others". Being tired was not a barrier to his success. For the survival and victory of his people, he lay great courage.
In addition, Churchill was a man with vision and aspiration. During his rule, he believed in the vision of having an influential European as the effective balance to avoid war. Others began to follow his leadership, it became obvious that he was the right man to lead his nation.
Furthermore, he had self belief in not only in his own abilities but also in his destiny. Great leaders rarely lack self-belief and Churchill was no exception.
With his political achievements, Churchill left an inspiring number of publications including the win of the novel prize for Literature in 1953.
All in all, Churchill loved his country and was loyal to the end, even when his country was in a great war. He was an inspiration to people and led the country through the war. He was known around the world as a great leader.
Therefore, Churchill is definitely a hero that deserves our great respect.

Group members: Kerrine Goh, Goh Wei Qin, Chan Wing Kuan, Ng Jia Yu, Koh Zhe Kai, Chew Ding Xiang

Churchill gives his famous "V for Victory".

Sources of information:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/churchill_winston.shtml

http://answers.encyclopedia.com/question/happened-sir-winston-churchill-after-wwii-131715.html http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:Iu_kviJfupEJ:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeasement+challenges+

winston+churchill+face+durind+world+war+2+and+post+war+period&cd=2&hl

=en&ct=clnk&gl=sg Berchtesgaden
http://www.scdigest.com/assets/Experts/Schneider_10-03-31.php?cid=3335
www.google.com

Group Members: Kerrine Goh, Goh Wei Qin, Chan Wing Kuan, Ng Jia Yu, Koh Zhe Kai, Chew Ding Xiang.

Group 4: Elizabeth Choy

A hero is referred as a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities for an event usually during war. Elizabeth, as a hero, probably roots from her imprisonment for 193 days for the Operation Jaywick which she had no knowledge of.

On 15 November 1943, on the pretext of allowing visiting her husband, she was imprisoned with other people in a cell, 3m by 4m. Furthermore during this period of time, other then being strip of all human rights and daily necessities, she was also subjected to various torture, for example an electric torture, which left her a lifelong fear for electricity. The Japanese only wanted information regarding Operation Jaywick which she knew nothing about.

On 9 December 1943, she was forced to kneel onto the sharp edge of a plank, tied up, beside her husband who was in the same fate, for psychological pressure. Being electrocuted for 15 mins, yet not giving any names or information, she was sentence to death. Perhaps then, she could be given freedom if she had a list of fabricated names, giving them what they wanted, despite harming others.

Perhaps it is due to so, that she refused to harm other despite her own pain and suffering, even being sentence to death, she did not do so. This shows her nobility to protect others and highlighted her resilience and integrity, refusing to say anything that is false despite the sufferings present.

Sources:

Elizabeth Choy: more than a war heroine (book)

Group members:

Peh Zhen Hui (30)

Lee Jun Hui (28)

Tan Ren Shu (32)

Wang Miao (34)

Yeo Kim Hwang (36)

Group 1:Lim Bo Seng

A hero can be found in each war as their patriotism stand the test of time. He would be someone who fights for what are right for the people and is able to sacrifice himself for the protection of others. Such a hero emerged in Singapore during World War 2 and he was none other than Lim Bo Seng who was respected for his integrity and courage till today.

Lim Bo Seng as a native Chinese, led efforts to raise funds to aid China in fighting the Japanese who invaded. Not only was he an Anti-Japanese resistance fighter, he was also involved in the activities of Force 136 as a member. Force 136 was a secret organization established in June 1942 to train secret agents from China and India to gather military intelligence so as to aid the British in their plan to overthrow the Japanese. Unfortunately, the existence of Force 136 was revealed under circumstances whereby the Japanese caught and interrogated one of the members. The Japanese then captured Lim Bo Seng to pry details about Force 136. Despite being subjected to severe torture, he refused to provide any information and protested against ill treatment of his comrades who were also in prison. Eventually, he died in captivity, ill and bedridden. In spite of the long term torture, he did not surrender or relent.

He was fearless, undaunted and most importantly, a patriot who would stand by his comrades. He contributed towards his country selflessly even if it meant an eventual painful death for him. This was a heroic deed that went down in the history of Singapore.

video:
click here to view the video

Sources from:
Wikipedia.com

infopedia.nl.sg

historyof07.blogspot.com

singaporepioneers.blogspot.com

Done BY

Group 5 : Lim Chin Siong

A hero is one who has notable courage and ability. He is admired for his plucky deeds and noble qualities. To us, heroes are basically people who had achieved what they want, regardless of their numerous obstacles or ridicule from the public. Of course, what the heroes do should be a good cause that benefits the citizens. It is not easy to be a hero, because not everyone will support or understand what he wants to do.

Take for instance Lim Chin Siong. He formed the Communist Party so as to go against Mr Lee Kuan Yew's PAP group because he does not agree with what they are doing. Lim Chin Siong did that just simply because he thought it was all for the best for the people in Singapore. Just as Mr S.Rajaratnam put "I had good regard for him. He was a dedicated politician, but questionable because he was left-wing. He never did anything stupid or incorrigible and never did anything for money, and in that way, he was clean."

Although he was caught by Lee Kuan Yew in the end, he persevered all the way for his beliefs. His perseverance was so commendable that even Lee Kuan Yew admitted "I liked and respected him for his simple lifestyle and his selflessness. He did not seek financial gain or political glory. He was totally committed to the advancement of his cause.He and many of his comrades, graduates from the Chinese middle schools, taught my colleagues and me the meaning of dedication to a cause." This declaration can be enough proof that Lim Chin Siong's efforts did not go to waste and was widely acknowledged.

Proudly done by :

Charmaine Ho (3)

Jolene Chee (4)

Kylin Cheong (5)

Ong Yu Lin (18)

Tan Jia Hui (20)

Juliana Wee (21)

With reference to :

Citations:(yoursdp.org)

(Lim Chin Siong-sgwiki)

(article lim chin siong history-singapore democrat)

(limchinsiong-singapore biography)

GROUP 2: Lieutenant adnan bin saidi of the malay regiment

Today’s heroes are not quite as noticeable as the medieval knights once were. They are ordinary, everyday people; people that are brave, loyal, and selfless. All the same, lieutenant adnan bin saidi started off as an ordinary boy who was the eldest of his three siblings. He was a diligent student and excelled in his studies and, when grown up, became a firm man who took discipline seriously. As quoted by his son, “My father did not talk a lot. He was a firm man and believed in discipline. He was always serious and fierce… yet had a good heart. There seemed to be a ‘light’ illuminating his face” In 1923, Adnan saidi joined the malay regiment and was quickly to promoted become a sergeant. He was then posted to Singapore in 1941 in which he brought with him his family. A year later came the Battle Of Bukit Chandu in 1942, 12 of February, one of the most ferocious battles fought in Singapore during the Japanese invasion.

Adnan led a 42-strong platoon from the Malay Regiment in the defense of Singapore against the invading Japanese. The soldiers fought at the Battle of Pasir Panjang, at Pasir Panjang Ridge in the Bukit Chandu (Opium Hill) area on 12 February-14, 1942. Although heavily outnumbered, Adnan refused to surrender and urged his men to fight until the end. They held off the Japanese for two days of amid heavy enemy shelling and shortages of food and ammunition. Adnan was shot and was injured with a broken arm. Nevertheless, he refused to leave his men and fought alongside them with pistol, sword and finally as ammunition ran out, his bare hands. After the battle was lost, the wounded Adnan was taken prisoner by Japanese soldiers, who tied him to a cherry tree and bayoneted him to death. Everyday people are put in situations where they have to confront their fears, as Franklin P. Jones says, “Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid”. People who put their fears behind them without thinking twice for a selfless reason are the bravest people in the entire world, for which in this case, Adnan bin saidi has been a perfect example, thus having been regarded as a true hero even till this date.

As mentioned earlier, a hero is one who is brave, loyal and selfless. Through the battle at bukit chandu, Lieutenant Adnan have displayed clearly these three qualities. The people of Singapore then slowly got to know of his act of perseverance, determination and loyalty. This hence gave him an important place as a true hero in their hearts. Finally, only people that are truly selfless are true heroes. His label as a hero might not last long, but he is sure to be remembered as one in every Singaporean’s heart for a long time to come.

AWESOME WORK PRODUCED BY:

Amanda Tan (1)

Dallas Gay (9)

Lee Ser Jean (13)

Soo Neng Hao (31)

Yin Si Han (37)

Zhang Xin Peng (38)

WITH REFERENCE TO:

http://web.singnet.com.sg/~nainz/malayregiment.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OStIT7CgMk