Founded as the Singapore Regional Indian Congress under the auspices of MIC Malaya, it changed its name on 23 December 1953 to officially become the Singapore extension of its Peninsular counterpart, which was formed a month earlier on 4 August 1946 as a model of the Indian National Congress. MIC Malaya entered into an alliance with UMNO and MCA in 1954 and MIC Singapore did the same with their Singapore chapters in 1959. On 29 August 1965, a new law was passed to compel political parties that were Malaysian chapters to severe ties with their hinterland parties and MIC Singapore was renamed SIC. Later, several key members were instrumental in the formation of UNF, rendering MIC defunct. Meanwhile, MIC in Malaysia, known today as Malaysian Indian Congress, continues to exist and is a component party of the long-ruling and now-opposition Barisan Nasional coalition.
(Note: There was another organization also named "Singapore Indian Congress", which was formed on 17 November 1957 and had ceased to be active by 1961.) |
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