1957 Singaporean by-elections

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1957 Singaporean by-elections
Flag of Singapore (1952-1959).svg
  1952 29 June 1957 1961  

2 seats to the Legislative Assembly of Singapore
Registered29,563
Turnout12,874 (43.55%) Decrease2.svg 11.16%
 Majority partyMinority partyThird party
  Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore Making a Toast at a State Dinner Held in His Honor, 1975.jpg Tan Chye Cheng (cropped).png LF Logo.svg
Leader Lee Kuan Yew Tan Chye Cheng Lim Yew Hock
Party PAP LSP LF
Seats won110
Seat changeSteady2.svgIncrease2.svg 1Decrease2.svg 1
popular vote4,7073,6571,118
Percentage36.99%28.74%8.79%
SwingDecrease2.svg 4.18%Decrease2.svg 7.52%Decrease2.svg 13.78%

 Fourth party
 
Party Malay Union
Seats won0
Seat changeSteady2.svg
popular vote983
Percentage7.73%
SwingIncrease2.svg 7.73%

Assemblymen before election

Elected Assemblymen

A by-election was held on 29 June 1957, with nomination day occurring on 18 May 1957 in both the constituencies of Cairnhill and Tanjong Pagar. Ultimately, Labour Front lost the Cairnhill seat to the new Liberal Socialist Party candidate Soh Ghee Soon, while Tanjong Pagar incumbent Lee Kuan Yew retained his seat.

Contents

The by-election had a voter turnout of merely 43.55%, the lowest of any elections during the period between 1948 and 1959. With the introduction of compulsory voting in 1959, the turnout of 43.55% remains the lowest for any elections in Singapore's history.

Background

When talks with the British authorities for self-governance fell, Chief Minister David Marshall resigned his Cairnhill seat and his Labour Front party membership on 7 June 1956; LF representative Keng Bang Ee was fielded as a candidate.

The seat of Tanjong Pagar was vacated when Lee Kuan Yew resigned his seat when Marshall publicly challenged Lee in a by-election, in which Lee accepted. Marshall withdrew his bid prior to nominations citing pressured by speculations of a street protest; Chong Wei Ling became the candidate in Marshall's place.

Ahead of the election, the Singapore Malay Union (SMU) was expelled by its alliance partners consisted of UMNO and MCA. Tengku Muda, a candidate for Cairnhill, was considered by the elections department of Singapore to view him as another independent candidate.

Results

Cairnhill

By-election 1957: Cairnhill
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LSP Soh Ghee Soon2,34240.28N/A
Independent Goh Kong Beng1,28122.03N/A
LF Keng Ban Ee1,11819.23Decrease2.svg 28.35
Malay Union Tengku Muda Muhamed bin Mahmud98316.90N/A
Independent Mirza Abdul Majid911.56N/A
Majority1,06118.25Increase2.svg 7.09
Turnout 5,88939.79Decrease2.svg 12.04
LSP gain from LF Swing N/A

Tanjong Pagar

By-election 1957: Tanjong Pagar
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
PAP Lee Kuan Yew 4,70768.13Decrease2.svg 10.20
LSP Chong Wei Ling1,31519.03N/A
Independent Koh Choon Hong88712.84N/A
Majority3,39249.10Decrease2.svg 17.43
Turnout 6,98547.32Decrease2.svg 10.29
PAP hold Swing N/A

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