Part 11/12:
However, critics, including political figure David Marshall, raised valid concerns about conditions on the island. Marshall argued that the detainees’ treatment bordered on slavery, with accusations of forced labor and harsh discipline. His dissent questioned whether the experiment truly succeeded in conferring dignity and reform to the detainees or merely concealed systemic abuse.
In the larger context, Pulau Sanang reflected Singapore’s aspirations in the 1960s—a society striving to shed colonial pasts and embrace self-reliance, modernization, and social reforms. It symbolized a hope that even the most unruly elements of society could be transformed, contributing to the nation’s journey from Third World struggles to a First World success story.