'The Proper Use of History': Statues, Colonialism and Nationalism in Modern Singapore

Abstract

In a time when statues of colonial figures are debated, vandalised or torn down, Singapore appears to be an anomaly in erecting new statues. This thesis interrogates Singapore’s postcolonial condition by analysing the Civic District as a living historical text and its role in the state’s public history efforts. It does this through investigating the district’s conservation and meaning behind the new statues. I argue that the dawn of Singapore’s national history is located in its moment of colonisation. In doing so, I demonstrate that postcolonial analyses cannot generalise but must instead investigate each former colony on its own merits.