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Actors and Arenas, Elections and Competition: The 1958 Election of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2002

Sikko Visscher
Affiliation:
The Centre for Asian Studies in Amsterdam, Niasstraat 411, 1095 SK Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [email protected].

Abstract

In 1958, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce had to decide whether to remain active in politics, representing not only the commercial interests of the rich but also the views of Chinese society at large, or to function solely as a commercial organisation. The eventual success of the pro-politics faction illustrates the buoyant aspirations of the Chinese merchant elite. The public battle for control over the Chamber shows that Chinese businessmen assessed their options by pragmatically balancing political, economic as well as cultural constraints and opportunities.

Type
Articles
Copyright
© 2002 The National University of Singapore

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