80th Anniversary Commemorative Book - Singapore Manufacturing ...

By way of entertainment, a symphonic band from the Gloucester Regimentstruck up the right notes throughout the seven days of the exhibition.That week, about 7,500 people trooped through the exhibition hall each day,many clutching a Special Exhibition supplement which had been publishedby The Straits Times.By all accounts, the exhibition was a roaring success. “Most people weresurprised at the range and importance of local industries,” one scribe noted.Many of the companies also reported an increase in business, post-event.This historic exhibition was the precursor to the establishment of oneof Singapore’s oldest and most enduring associations to representmanufacturers: The Singapore Manufacturers’ Association.It was the work of the British Colonial Government. The Governor andCommander-in-Chief of the Straits Settlements, Sir Cecil Clementi, vigorouslychampioned the development of industries in Singapore apart from rubberand tin, and strongly advocated the setting up of a representative body toadvance the interests of small local manufacturers.The Colonial Government’s push was apparent even in the lead-up to theexhibition, when it offered to subsidise the entire cost so that the manufacturerswould not have to pay a single cent towards staging the exhibition.Why did the British Government push for theformation of a manufacturers’ association?• The founding of the association during the economic slump helpedmanufacturers to present their interests and promote themselves. TheGreat Depression started in 1929.• There was a need to look beyond rubber and tin as these industriesaccording to a Straits Times journalist “were in a sorry plight” in 1932.There was, therefore, an increased urgency to diversify the island’seconomic base. It would be the association’s role to nurture these fledglingindustries. In 1932, there were about 35 industries in Singapore, of which90 per cent were “new and undeveloped” according to a manufacturerquoted in The Straits Times.Part of The Straits Times coverage on the historic 1932 exhibition.Prelude: The Founding 27