Emergency-era measures fall into three types. Military measures use force or security operations, administrative measures use rules and government organisation, and social measures change daily life, services or community conditions.
This lesson is part of Emergency and security responses. It follows explaining the context of the Emergency.
How do I tell the three types apart?
Ask what the measure mainly does, and who carries it out.
| Type | What it mainly does | Usually carried out by |
|---|---|---|
| Military | Operates against armed groups or controls movement by force | Security forces |
| Administrative | Sets rules, records or organisation | Government offices and officials |
| Social | Provides or changes services and community conditions | Government agencies and communities |
Worked example: sorting real measures
The first four measures below are real Emergency measures. 1 2 The last row is an example of a social measure, so check it against your own textbook.
| Measure | Type | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Operations by security forces and troops from the Commonwealth against the communists | Military | Force is used against armed groups |
| Compulsory identity cards for everyone aged 12 and over | Administrative | A rule and a record that control movement |
| Resettlement into New Villages (Briggs Plan, 1950) | Administrative | The movement was a government decision |
| Home Guard units of local people | Military | They help guard against armed attack |
| A school or clinic provided in a village (check your textbook for real examples) | Social | It changes conditions in the community |
Notice the New Villages rows. The resettlement decision is administrative, while any services provided afterwards are social, so the answer should name both parts separately. Check your textbook for the services it lists.
The mistake that costs marks
The common slip is to write one paragraph called “measures” that mixes all three. A marker cannot tell whether you understand the types.
Instead, write one short paragraph per type and start each with the type name. Then give one measure, its purpose and its effect.
| Weak paragraph | Stronger structure |
|---|---|
| The government used New Villages, operations and other measures. | One paragraph on military measures, one on administrative measures and one on social measures, each with an example |
Check yourself
Label each measure and give the reason: (a) an identity card rule for everyone aged 12 and over; (b) the Home Guard; (c) a clinic opened in a New Village.
Answer
(a) Administrative, because it is a rule and a record that control movement. Some textbooks also treat it as a security measure, so follow your textbook.
(b) Military, because local people were organised to help guard against armed attack. Some textbooks treat it as a security measure with a community side.
(c) Social, because it provides a service to the community.
What to study next
Move on to connecting measures with stated purposes and effects. Plan each paragraph with the Sejarah evidence-to-explanation planner.
For a teacher to drill the sorting with you, see online one-to-one Sejarah tuition.