“Singaporean Underground”

: Punk activism, space and place in the city-state

Abstract

This thesis explores the early development of punk in Singapore. As with many grassroots histories in the region, punk has been drowned out by the noise of the “Singapore Story” – a nation made in the image of its leading party, the People’s Action Party (PAP) and first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew. This story has provided a reference point to comprehend Singapore’s history since its independence in 1965; affirming biographies that fit and reducing or erasing those that do not. Amidst a turbulent backdrop of independence, nation-building and globalisation, this thesis offers new insights into the role of grassroots communities in the shaping of Singapore’s culture. As a culture of resistance, punk is imbued with radical potential, yet its impact in Singapore is largely unknown beyond scholarly interpretations of its conflicts with the practices and policies of the PAP state. Crucially absent from understandings, are the diverse individual and collective meanings of punk, and the deeper drives and desires of grassroots communities beyond frameworks of the nation. By examining the agency, mobility and strategies of punk activists during the late 1980s and early 1990s, this study uncovers a little-known history of the region, revealing grassroots approaches and vivid negotiations of Singaporean culture and identity, beyond the Singapore Story.

Date of Award	17 Jun 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Su Lin Lewis (Supervisor) & Shaun R C Wallace (Supervisor)