1959 Singaporean general election

Last updated

1959 Singaporean general election
Flag of Singapore (1952-1959).svg
  1955 30 May 1959 1963  

All 51 seats in the Legislative Assembly
26 seats needed for a majority
Registered586,098
Turnout90.07% (Increase2.svg 37.41pp)
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Mr. Lee Kuan Yew Mayoral reception 1965 (cropped).jpg Abdul Hamid bin Haji Jumat.jpg
Leader Lee Kuan Yew Lim Yew Hock Abdul Hamid Jumat
Party PAP SPA UMNO
Last election8.72%, 3 seats3.66%, 1 seat
Seats won4343
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 39NewIncrease2.svg 2
Popular vote281,891107,75527,448
Percentage54.08%20.67%5.27%
SwingIncrease2.svg 45.36ppNewIncrease2.svg 1.61pp

Map of the results of the 1959 Singaporean general election.svg
Results by constituency

Chief Minister before election

Lim Yew Hock
SPA

Prime Minister after election

Lee Kuan Yew
PAP

General elections were held in Singapore on 30 May 1959. They were held under the new constitution and were the first in which all 51 seats in the Legislative Assembly were filled by election. This was the first election victory for the People's Action Party (PAP), as they won a landslide victory with 43 seats. The party has remained in power ever since.

Contents

Background

Political developments

David Marshall, the politician who led the ruling Labour Front after winning the previous general election in 1955, was vocally anti-British and anti-colonialist, and the British found it difficult to come to an agreement or a compromise about a plan for self-government; Marshall resigned from the party a year later, pledging that he would either achieve self-government or to resign. In his place, Lim Yew Hock pursued an aggressive anti-communist campaign and manage to convince the British to make a definite plan for self-government.

By the time of the 1959 elections the Labour Front was in turmoil; Lim's strategy against the communists alienated a large part of the Chinese Singaporean electorate, which was the demographic targeted most during the anti-communist campaign. Lim's campaign also saw allegations of civil rights violations as many activists were detained without trial with the justification of internal security and tear gas were used against demonstrating students during the 1956 Chinese middle schools riots which were both anti-colonialist and anti-communist alike.

Constitutional reform

The Constitution of Singapore was revised accordingly in 1958, replacing the Rendel Constitution with one that granted Singapore self-government and the ability for its own population to fully elect its Legislative Assembly. Previously under the Rendel Constitution, drawn up in 1955 by a commission led by George William Rendel, the Legislative Assembly and its leaders could not fully be determined by the population; the British government appointed seven of the 32 members, with the remaining 25 seats elected by the public, albeit with limited suffrage. This itself was an improvement from the pre-1955 Legislative Council, electing nine members to the council.

This election was the first election after its full internal self-government granted by the British authorities; Singapore was now a recognised state, but was yet to gain full independence since the British still have external affairs such as the military and foreign relations. Due to the removal of suffrage restrictions, voting was implemented to be compulsory for the first time, and had done so in every election since 1959.

Parties

Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock formed Singapore People's Alliance on 10 November 1958, which consist of previously-elected Labour Front assembly members who were defected from Labour Front. SPA also invited members of Liberal Socialists and Workers' Party. SPA was formed to present a fresh image to voters in the lead up for the 1959 election, and ran on secure full employment and fair working conditions for workers, and achieving independence of Singapore through a merger with Malaya.

The tenure of Lim Yew Hock as Chief Minister, who succeeded Labour Front's David Marshall after his resignation in 1956, saw scant improvement to living conditions and unpopular tough measures on protesting unions. Lim's government also saw corruption during his tenure, and until the term expiry for Labour Front, all ten elected Assemblymen had resigned from the party due to credibility. These resignations saw the formation of three parties; in 1957, David Marshall founded the Workers' Party (one of the successful opposition parties of Singapore); in 1958, the Singapore People's Alliance (founded by Lim) and in 1959, the Citizens' Party.

SPA attempted to fight the record of the PAP administration in the City Council of Singapore with charges of corruptly appointing its supporters to fill up posts in the City Council, as well as raising concerns over the tenders of some Council contracts. The SPA even went as far as setting up a Commission of Inquiry in April 1959 to investigate whether there had been "irregularities or improprieties" in the working of the City Council. The inquiry, however, failed to reveal anything suspicious against the City Council and the hearings were adjourned indefinitely. [1] [2]

A new Party, Liberal Socialist Party (LSP) was formed by a merger of the Progressive Party and the Democratic Party. The Progressive Party which had won the 1948 and 1951 elections (but lost to Labour Front in the 1955 elections) had already fallen out of favour as it was perceived by much of the electorate by working for reform too slowly.

The Alliance was a coalition comprising the Singapore branch of three political parties from Malaya, namely the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC), which they ran on raising the standards of living as well as to strengthen economic ties between Singapore and Malaya. As their parent parties were the ruling coalition in Malaya under Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Alliance promised voters that it could work for an early merger if voted into power as they knew "exactly" what their Malayan counterparts wanted.

The Malay Union which ran together with UMNO and MCA in the 1955 election, had been expelled from their alliance for putting up a candidate in the 1957 Cairnhill by-election.

The current opposition party, People's Action Party, announced to contest 51 seats in the election; they released their election manifesto entitled The Tasks Ahead, and outlined the party's five-year plan to address acute problems faced by Singapore. It called for a series of policies and programmes such as the provision of low-cost housing, the strengthening of education, as well as the development of industries thus improving employment opportunities for the local population. These were in addition to the goal of attaining independence for Singapore through a merger with the Federation of Malaya.

The PAP campaigned against corruption under the Lim Yew Hock government, and all party members and candidates wore a distinctive outfit of white shirts and pants (which is still the uniform of PAP candidates as of today) to represent "cleanliness" in government. SPA attempted to portray the PAP as a party being controlled by the communists, and such claims were repeated by Liberal Socialists and UMNO. Lee Kuan Yew brushed off the claims, describing them as "silly", "blabbering" and "lies". [1]

Timeline

31 MarchDissolution of 1st Legislative Assembly
25 AprilNomination Day
30 MayPolling Day
5 JuneInauguration of the Cabinet with Lee Kuan Yew as inaugural Prime Minister
1 JulyOpening of 2nd Legislative Assembly

Changes to electoral boundaries

The 51 seats of the Legislative Assembly were elected from single-member constituencies, with an increase of 26 seats in this election. The changes among the constituencies were: [3]

Constituency NameChanges
Aljunied Carved out of Paya Lebar
Anson Carved out of Tanjong Pagar
Bras Basah Carved out of Stamford
Bukit Merah Absorbed part of Queenstown & Tiong Bahru
Chua Chu Kang Carved out of Bukit Panjang
Crawford Carved out of Rochore
Delta Carved out of Havelock
Geylang East Carved out of Geylang
Geylang Serai Carved out of Ulu Bedok
Geylang West Carved out of Geylang
Hong Lim Carved out of Telok Ayer
Jalan Besar Carved out of Kampong Kapor
Jalan Kayu Carved out of Seletar
Joo Chiat Carved out of Katong
Jurong Carved out of Bukit Timah
Kallang Absorbed part of Kampong Kapor & Whampoa
Kampong Glam Carved out of Rochore
Kampong Kembangan Carved out of Ulu Bedok
Kreta Ayer Carved out of Telok Ayer
Moulmein Carved out of Farrer Park
Mountbatten Carved out of Katong
Nee Soon Absorbed part of Seletar & Sembawang
Punggol Carved out of Punggol–Tampines
River Valley Absorbed part of Cairnhill & Tanglin
Sepoy Lines Carved out of Tiong Bahru
Serangoon Gardens Absorbed part of Serangoon & Seletar
Siglap Absorbed part of Changi & Katong
Tampines Carved out of Punggol–Tampines
Telok Blangah Carved out of Pasir Panjang
Thomson Absorbed part of Serangoon & Seletar
Toa Payoh Carved out of Whampoa
Ulu Pandan Carved out of Tanglin
Upper Serangoon Absorbed part of Serangoon & Paya Lebar

Campaign

Many of the campaign issues surrounded the topic of government corruption and independence of Singapore, as well as political issues such as the communist insurgency led by the Malayan Communist Party (MCP), which had been causing the Malayan Emergency. The desire for independence and self-government epitomised by the Malay term Merdeka (which translates to Independence or Free), had started to become immediate. This was reflected when the cry of "We want Merdeka now!" was taken up by those demanding immediate independence.

Prior to the polling day, the press had predicted that the presence of multi-cornered fights would only split the anti-PAP vote, raising chances of a PAP victory. [4]

Chew Swee Kee affair

The Chew Swee Kee affair was also a notable issue raised in the May 1959 elections. In February 1959, PAP charged the incumbent SPA government with receiving political funds from the United States government.

Investigations by a Commission of Inquiry later revealed that Chew Swee Kee, who was then Education Minister, had converted the alleged funds for his own use. [5] The claim has it that Chew accepted around $700,000 to $800,000 from an unrevealed donor [6] in New York City as a "political gift". [7] Chew promptly stepped down from his post [6] on 4 March 1959. The incident is credited for causing the SPA's downfall. [6]

The revelation had a devastating effect on the image of SPA as the party was seen to be serving a Western power, betraying Singapore's anti-colonial movement.

Results

The result was a landslide win for the PAP, with the SPA lost 35 of the 39 contested constituencies and only four members represented the new Assembly, while both the Labour Front and its right-wing coalition party, the Liberal Socialist Party (which formed by a merger of the Democratic Party and Progressive Party) saw disastrous performances and neither party won seats; a total of 73 candidates (including 20 LSP candidates) lost their $500 election deposit.

PAP candidate Wong Soon Fong was the best performing candidate in this election in percentage terms, polling 77.66% while LSP candidate Lillian Tan was the worst performing candidate polling 0.82%. In absolute numbers, PAP's Goh Keng Swee was the best performing candidate polling 9,313 votes while LSP's Lillian Tan was the worst performing candidate polling 64 votes. The River Valley constituency had the narrowest winning margin in Singaporean elections to date, with the PAP's Lim Cheng Lock winning the election by just five votes (0.05%) against the runner-up SPA's Soh Ghee Soon.

The elections, which saw implementations of compulsory voting and the removal of suffrage restrictions, saw a huge increase in voter turnout, with 90.07% of voters voting (or 527,919 of the 586,098 registered voters), compared to 52.66% from the previous election.

Singapore Legislative Assembly 1958.svg
PartyVotes%Seats+/–
People's Action Party 281,89154.0843+40
Singapore People's Alliance 107,75520.674New
Liberal Socialist Party 42,8058.210–6
United Malays National Organisation 27,4485.273+2
Malayan Chinese Association 5,5931.070–1
Workers' Party 4,1270.790New
Labour Front 3,4140.650–10
Citizens' Party 3,2100.620New
Malay Union 2,8190.540–1
Malayan Indian Congress 2,0920.400New
Partai Rakyat 2,0060.380New
Katong United Residents' Association1,7590.340New
Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party 1,0110.190New
Independents35,3416.781–2
Total521,271100.0051+26
Valid votes521,27198.74
Invalid/blank votes6,6481.26
Total votes527,919100.00
Registered voters/turnout586,09890.07
Source: Singapore Elections

By constituency

ConstituencyElectoratePartyCandidateVotes%
Aljunied 13,255 People's Action Party S. V. Lingam5,70149.40
Liberal Socialist Party E. H. Holloway5,00443.36
Partai Rakyat Tang Yoong Chiaw8357.24
Anson 9,921 People's Action Party Baharudin bin Mohamed Ariff5,16760.75
Singapore People's Alliance Goh Kong Beng1,87522.04
Liberal Socialist Party Tan Cheng Chuan1,23114.47
IndependentWong Swee Kee1171.38
IndependentP. Krishanan1161.36
Bras Basah 11,193 People's Action Party Hoe Puay Choo6,01463.25
Liberal Socialist Party Foo Ho Fang1,99320.96
Singapore People's Alliance Goh Hin Shong1,50115.79
Bukit Merah 11,286 People's Action Party Sellappa Ramaswamy5,92259.09
Singapore People's Alliance Teo Cheng Hye3,02630.20
IndependentLee Choon Eng1,07310.71
Bukit Panjang 11,984 People's Action Party Lee Khoon Choy 6,15658.31
Liberal Socialist Party Tan Leong Teck2,49423.62
Singapore People's Alliance Lim Siak Guan1,38213.09
Malayan Indian Congress T. K. Alexander5264.98
Bukit Timah 11,285 People's Action Party Yaacob bin Mohamed6,17461.14
Liberal Socialist Party Pek Cheng Chuan2,46024.36
IndependentLee Yew Seng1,46414.50
Cairnhill 12,239 Singapore People's Alliance Lim Yew Hock 5,27548.22
Workers' Party David Marshall 2,92026.69
People's Action Party Md. Oh Su Chen2,26220.68
Liberal Socialist Party Tan Keng Siong4834.41
Changi 11,199 People's Action Party Teo Hock Guan3,48035.10
United Malays National Organisation A. B. Rahman H. M. Said2,81828.43
IndependentLim Cher Kheng2,22522.45
Liberal Socialist Party Wee Tin Teck1,02410.33
Malay Union Fatimah Nor Bt. G. S.3663.69
Chua Chu Kang 6,889 People's Action Party Ong Chang Sam3,53656.29
IndependentNeo Koon Hin1,56324.88
Singapore People's Alliance Goh Tong Liang1,18318.83
Crawford 12,031 People's Action Party Kenneth Michael Byrne 7,12066.57
Singapore People's Alliance Teng Ling Siong2,48723.25
Liberal Socialist Party Chua Seng Kian8978.39
IndependentSim John1911.79
Delta 14,954 People's Action Party Chan Choy Siong 9,30169.45
Malayan Chinese Association Chia Chee Buang1,2129.05
Liberal Socialist Party Lim Ah Lee2,30817.23
Singapore People's Alliance Munusamy Nadarajah5714.27
Farrer Park 10,293Independent Arumugam Ponnu Rajah 4,07744.52
People's Action Party Tan Teck Ngiap3,83241.85
IndependentSoo-Tho Sin Hee7898.62
IndependentChan Kooi Chew3113.40
Geylang East 15,562 People's Action Party Mohamed Ismail bin Abdul Rahim7,15351.95
Singapore People's Alliance Ng Cheng Chwee5,77541.94
Independent Mak Pak Shee 8426.11
Geylang Serai 14,447 United Malays National Organisation Abdul Hamid Jumat 7,94063.09
People's Action Party Roshan bin Hassan3,83230.45
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party Syed Ahmad Dahlan4603.66
Partai Rakyat Harun bin Mohamed Amin3532.80
Geylang West 15,570 People's Action Party Yong Nyuk Lin 8,92367.60
Singapore People's Alliance Kwek Sam Hock4,27632.40
Havelock 15,909 People's Action Party Lau Peter9,22763.60
IndependentNg See Thong3,56224.55
Singapore People's Alliance Tan Theng Chiang9636.64
Malayan Chinese Association K. S. Loke4332.98
Liberal Socialist Party Tan Ah Pak3232.23
Hong Lim 12,667 People's Action Party Ong Eng Guan 8,83477.02
Malayan Chinese Association Loh Ngian Lim1,19210.39
Liberal Socialist Party Tan Hong Chye8567.46
Singapore People's Alliance Sim Wee Teck5885.13
Jalan Besar 13,877 People's Action Party Chan Chee Seng7,60062.48
Singapore People's Alliance Wong Yew Hon2,57321.15
Liberal Socialist Party Lo Ka Fat1,48812.23
Labour Front See Eng Kiat5034.14
Jalan Kayu 8,690 People's Action Party Tan Cheng Tong4,83762.28
Singapore People's Alliance M. P. D. Nair2,92937.72
Joo Chiat 15,257 Singapore People's Alliance C. H. Koh6,13645.87
People's Action Party Fong Kim Heng5,30139.63
Liberal Socialist Party Gay Wan Guay1,2159.08
Katong United Residents' AssociationLow Teck Cheng4053.03
IndependentHenry Chong3202.39
Jurong 7,176 People's Action Party Chor Yeok Eng 4,50270.67
Singapore People's Alliance Wong Tuck Leong1,32520.80
Liberal Socialist Party Chia Yeck Poh3755.89
Malay Union Aman B. H. Subri1682.64
Kallang 12,939 People's Action Party Buang bin Omar Junid5,69048.18
Singapore People's Alliance Tan Hai Tong4,96742.05
Citizens' Party Seah Peng Chuan1,1547.18
Kampong Glam 10,934 People's Action Party S. Rajaratnam 6,32465.27
Singapore People's Alliance Mahmood Latiff1,74718.03
Liberal Socialist Party Ong Eng Lian1,37714.21
IndependentWu Shiaw2412.49
Kampong Kapor 12,736 People's Action Party G. Kandasamy6,05954.27
Singapore People's Alliance Chia Ban Wei3,63232.53
IndependentJaganathan S7116.37
IndependentChoo Yeok Koon4323.87
Citizens' Party Yen Jen San3302.96
Kampong Kembangan 13,007 United Malays National Organisation Mohd. Ali b. Alwi4,44338.86
People's Action Party Othman Wok 4,19936.73
Singapore People's Alliance Mohd. b. Hj. Yacob2,02817.74
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party H. M. Yahiya3172.77
Partai Rakyat A. Latiff b. Ibrahim2312.02
Malay Union Jaffar b. Abdul Ghani2151.88
Kreta Ayer 14,173 People's Action Party Goh Keng Swee 9,31373.35
Liberal Socialist Party Pang Man Ming3,38426.65
Moulmein 10,095 People's Action Party Lin You Eng4,32447.25
Singapore People's Alliance Yap Jin Yau3,95543.22
Liberal Socialist Party Tan Peng Khoo8729.53
Mountbatten 10,212 Singapore People's Alliance Chua Seng Kim3,03133.71
People's Action Party Tay Kum Sun2,14323.84
Malayan Chinese Association Wong Foo Nam1,90321.17
Katong United Residents' AssociationFelice Leon Soh1,35415.06
Liberal Socialist Party Wee Soo Bee5596.22
Nee Soon 8,694 People's Action Party Sheng Nam Chin5,62273.30
Singapore People's Alliance Yap Chin Poh1,47619.24
Liberal Socialist Party Yong Nyuk Khoon5727.46
Pasir Panjang 6,631 People's Action Party Tee Kim Leng2,12336.00
IndependentH. J. C. Kulasingha1,88431.95
United Malays National Organisation Sukaimi bin Ibrahim1,70428.90
IndependentS. T. V. Lingam1863.15
Paya Lebar 12,089 People's Action Party Tan Kia Gan6,53160.81
IndependentOng Chye Hock4,20939.19
Punggol 9,893 People's Action Party Ng Teng Kian4,07246.39
Singapore People's Alliance Tan Jin Hong3,65541.64
Liberal Socialist Party Quah Heck Peck5546.31
IndependentTay Keng Hock4975.66
Queenstown 10,634 People's Action Party Lee Siew Choh 5,30153.81
Singapore People's Alliance Chee Phui Hung3,73237.88
IndependentLee Kim Chuan8188.31
River Valley 10,594 People's Action Party Lim Cheng Lock3,43036.55
Singapore People's Alliance Soh Ghee Soon3,42536.50
Liberal Socialist Party E. K. Tan2,52926.95
Rochore 12,436 People's Action Party Toh Chin Chye 7,99571.76
Singapore People's Alliance K. C. Thomas2,21219.85
Liberal Socialist Party Tan Soo Wan9348.39
Sembawang 8,859 People's Action Party Ahmad Ibrahim 4,31654.69
Malayan Indian Congress V. Jayaram1,56619.84
Singapore People's Alliance Chew Seng1,08413.74
Liberal Socialist Party Lau Sai Seng92611.73
Sepoy Lines 10,347 People's Action Party Wee Toon Boon5,35258.35
Singapore People's Alliance Goh Su Chiang3,82041.65
Serangoon Gardens 8,631 People's Action Party Leong Keng Seng3,84348.93
Singapore People's Alliance Wee Eric Sian Beng2,76435.19
Malayan Chinese Association Liao Ping85310.86
Labour Front Victor Louis Fernandez3304.20
Liberal Socialist Party Lilian Tan640.82
Siglap 14,693 People's Action Party Sahorah bte Ahmat4,40734.34
IndependentKoh Tee Kin3,40826.56
Liberal Socialist Party John Snodgrass1,51111.78
United Malays National Organisation Inche Sidik 1,41811.05
IndependentAbdullah Masood1,2679.87
Partai Rakyat Pang Toon Tin5874.57
Pan-Malayan Islamic Party A. Wanjor2341.83
Southern Islands 5,325 United Malays National Organisation Ahmad Jabri B. M. Akib2,59853.73
People's Action Party Kum Teng Hock1,22525.34
Liberal Socialist Party Ismail Haji Hussain1,01220.93
Stamford 12,392 People's Action Party Fung Yin Ching5,37249.18
Singapore People's Alliance J. M. Jumabhoy3,81034.88
Workers' Party Ang Meng Gee9258.47
Liberal Socialist Party Hooi Beng Guan6796.22
IndependentWong Chee Lim1361.25
Tampines 11,468 People's Action Party Goh Chew Chua7,46173.27
Singapore People's Alliance Ong Phi Hok2,04120.04
IndependentLim Choo Ten6816.69
Tanglin 9,127 Singapore People's Alliance Thio Chan Bee2,69834.41
United Malays National Organisation Ahmad b. Hj. Taff2,38630.44
People's Action Party Ibrahim bin Othman2,36030.11
Liberal Socialist Party Chan Ah Wing3955.04
Tanjong Pagar 11,939 People's Action Party Lee Kuan Yew 7,61771.04
Liberal Socialist Party C. Subramanyam3,10528.96
Telok Ayer 13,998 People's Action Party Ong Pang Boon 8,37267.38
Singapore People's Alliance Tan Kian Kee2,10616.95
IndependentTay Soo Yong1,66013.36
Citizens' Party Soh Teck Chee2872.31
Telok Blangah 13,202 People's Action Party John Mammen5,80350.41
United Malays National Organisation Osman Gani4,14135.97
Citizens' Party Wee Kim Hock1,23010.69
IndependentV. Mariappan3372.93
Thomson 10,067 People's Action Party S.T. Bani4,97854.63
Labour Front Francis Thomas2,58128.33
Singapore People's Alliance Yap Chin Choon1,55317.04
Tiong Bahru 12,151 People's Action Party Lee Teck Him5,17547.66
Singapore People's Alliance Lin Wo Ling2,18220.09
IndependentWilliam Tan1,73015.93
Liberal Socialist Party Lee Bah Chee9969.17
IndependentLim Huan Seng4944.55
Workers' Party Chua Chin Kiat2822.60
Toa Payoh 12,551 People's Action Party Wong Soon Fong8,69377.66
Singapore People's Alliance Lee Poh Chee2,50022.34
Ulu Pandan 11,017 People's Action Party Mohd. Ariff bin Suradi4,42045.44
Singapore People's Alliance Leslie Rayner3,10031.87
IndependentS. Khalaff1,08311.13
IndependentLow Boon Kiat3613.71
IndependentAnthony Ponnusamy2963.04
Liberal Socialist Party M. Karthigesu2842.92
IndependentChua Kim Toh1831.89
Upper Serangoon 11,279 People's Action Party Chan Sun Wing4,49745.06
Singapore People's Alliance Lim Choon Mong4,37243.81
Liberal Socialist Party Sim Cho Lang9019.03
Citizens' Party Tan Choon Teng2092.10
Source: ELD, Singapore Elections Archived 29 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine

Aftermath

The PAP was able to form a new government which could now adopt domestic policy without oversight from the colonial administration. The United Kingdom still however controlled the military forces, foreign affairs and had a joint responsibility in internal security under agreement. However, historians saw 1959 as the year Singapore achieved self-governance as a result of the new government, even though the Constitution had been amended in 1958.

On the afternoon of 5 June, Lee Kuan Yew was sworn in as the first Prime Minister at City Hall by Yang di Pertuan Negara William Goode along with members of his cabinet.

Before taking over, Lee pardoned several PAP members, who had been arrested under the Emergency Regulation in 1956 and 1957, including left-wing leader Lim Chin Siong. During the election campaign, Lee had called for pardon as part of his election platform, causing an increase of morale of many trade union members.

After their release, Lim and his affiliates would later challenge Lee's leadership in the PAP, leading to the expulsion of most of the left-wing members from the PAP in 1961. The expelled members would then form the Barisan Sosialis, and posed a strong challenge against the PAP on the next election in 1963; although being crippled by Operation Coldstore, they came closer to removing the PAP from power than any other party to date.

By-elections

Two by-elections, both held in 1961, occurred during the term in Parliament. Former PAP minister Ong Eng Guan was re-elected in Hong Lim running as an independent after leaving the PAP, whilst David Marshall was elected in Anson after the death of PAP MP Baharuddin Mohammed Ariff.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">People's Action Party</span> Political party in Singapore

The People's Action Party is a major conservative centre-right political party in Singapore and one of three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the opposition Workers' Party (WP) and Progress Singapore Party (PSP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barisan Sosialis</span> Political party in Singapore

Barisan Sosialis was a political party in Singapore. It was formed on 29 July 1961 and officially registered on 13 August 1961 by left-wing members of the People's Action Party (PAP) who had been expelled from the PAP. The prominent founding members of the Barisan were Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong. It became the biggest opposition party in Singapore in the 1960s and the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labour Front</span> Political party in Singapore

The Labour Front was a political party in Singapore that operated from 1955 to 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PAP–UMNO relations</span> Bilateral relation between political parties

PAP–UMNO relations refers to the occasionally-turbulent relationship between the People's Action Party (PAP), the governing party of Singapore since 1959, and the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the leading party of the Barisan Nasional coalition which governed Malaysia from 1955 to 2018. The two parties' relationship has impacted Malaysia–Singapore relations given the countries' geographical proximity and close historical ties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lim Chin Siong</span> Singaporean politician (1933–1996)

Lim Chin Siong was a Singaporean politician and union leader active in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s. He was one of the founders of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed the country continuously since independence. Lim also used his popularity to galvanise many trade unions in support of the PAP.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operation Coldstore</span> Covert security operation in Singapore

Operation Coldstore was the code name for a covert security operation executed in Singapore on 2 February 1963 which led to the arrest of 113 people, who were detained without trial pursuant to the Preservation of Public Service Security Ordinance (PSSO). In official accounts, the operation was a security operation "aimed at crippling the Communist open front organisation," which threatened Singapore's internal security. The operation was authorised by the Internal Security Council which was composed of representatives from the British government, Singaporean government, and the Malayan Federal government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1962 Singaporean integration referendum</span> Referendum on the terms of integration of Singapore into the Federation of Malaysia

A referendum on the terms of integration into the Federation of Malaya was held in Singapore on 1 September 1962. There were three options. At the time of the referendum, Singapore was a self-governing country since 1959, although the British Empire still controlled external relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lim Yew Hock</span> Malaysian politician

Lim Yew Hock was a Singaporean-born Malaysian politician and diplomat who served as Chief Minister of Singapore between 1956 and 1959. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cairnhill between 1959 and 1963 and previously a Member of the Legislative Council and later Legislative Assembly between 1948 and 1963. He was de facto Leader of the Opposition between 1959 and 1963. He and his family elected to take up Malaysian citizenship after Singapore's independence from Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1963 Singaporean general election</span> Elections to the 3rd Legislative Assembly of Singapore

General elections were held in Singapore on 21 September 1963, five days after Singapore became part of Malaysia. Voters elected all 51 members of the Legislative Assembly. The elections were the only ones to date with no boundary changes to any existing constituencies prior to the elections. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party (PAP), which won 37 of the 51 seats, while the majority of the remaining seats were won by Barisan Sosialis (BS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Alliance Party</span> Political party in Singapore

The Singapore Alliance Party, or simply the Singapore Alliance, was a political coalition formed on 2 June 1961 that contested several elections in Singapore, notably the 1955 Elections of Singapore and the 1963 Elections of Singapore. It consisted of the local branch of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the Malay Union, the local chapters of the Malayan Chinese Association and the Malayan Indian Congress, and former Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock's Singapore People's Alliance (SPA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toh Chin Chye</span> Singaporean politician (1921–2012)

Toh Chin Chye was a Singaporean statesman and academic who served as 1st Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1968. Toh is widely recognised as one of the founding fathers of Singapore. He was also one of the founders of the People's Action Party (PAP), which has governed the country continuously since independence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Singapore</span> Singaporean history

The history of the modern state of Singapore dates back to its founding in the early 19th century; however, evidence suggests that a significant trading settlement existed on the island in the 14th century. The last ruler of the Kingdom of Singapura, Parameswara, was expelled by the Majapahit or the Siamese before he founded Malacca. Singapore then came under the Malacca Sultanate and subsequently the Johor Sultanate. In 1819, British statesman Stamford Raffles negotiated a treaty whereby Johor would allow the British to locate a trading port on the island, ultimately leading to the establishment of the Crown colony of Singapore in 1867. Important reasons for the rise of Singapore were its nodal position at the tip of the Malay Peninsula flanked by the Pacific and Indian Oceans, the presence of a natural sheltered harbour, as well as its status as a free port.

<i>Merdeka</i> Indonesian and Malay term for "independent" or "free"

Merdeka is a term in Indonesian and Malay which means "independent" or "free". It is derived from the Sanskrit maharddhika (महर्द्धिक) meaning "rich, prosperous, and powerful". In the Malay archipelago, this term had acquired the meaning of a freed slave. The term is also used in other Indonesian languages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Self-governance of Singapore</span> Historical progress from UK colony (1819) to sovereign state (1965)

The self-governance of Singapore was carried out in several stages. Since the founding of Singapore in 1819, Singapore had been under the colonial rule of the United Kingdom. The first local elections on a limited scale for several positions in the government of Singapore started in 1948 following an amendment to the Constitution of Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore in Malaysia</span> 1963–1965 Singaporean statehood in Malaysia

Singapore, officially the State of Singapore, was one of the 14 states of Malaysia from 1963 to 1965. Malaysia was formed on 16 September 1963 by the merger of the Federation of Malaya with the former British colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore. This marked the end of the 144-year British rule in Singapore which began with the founding of modern Singapore by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. At the time of merger, it was the smallest state in the country by land area, but the largest by population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1955 Singaporean general election</span> Elections to the 1st Legislative Assembly of Singapore

General elections were held in Singapore on 2 April 1955 to elect members to the 25 elected seats in the Legislative Assembly. Nomination day was on 28 February 1955.

Eu Chooi Yip was a prominent member of the anti-colonial and Communist movements in Malaya and Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s. Eu Chooi Yip was born in Kuantan, Malaysia.

Two by-elections were held in 1961. The first by-election, for the Hong Lim constituency, was held on 29 April with the nomination day held on 11 March, while the second by-election, for the Anson constituency, was held on 15 July with the nomination day held on 10 June.

Chew Swee Kee was a Singaporean politician. A member of the political party, the Labour Front, Chew served as Minister of Education from 1955 to 1959.

The University Socialist Club was a left-wing student group active from 1953 to 1971 that played an important role in the politics of colonial Malaya and post-colonial Malaysia and Singapore. Members of the club played a significant role in bringing independence from the British Empire and in debates over the shape of the post-colonial nation. The club was instrumental in the formation and early success of the People's Action Party (PAP) and later, the Barisan Sosialis Party. Prominent members of the Club included Wang Gungwu, S.R. Nathan, Poh Soo Kai, Sydney Woodhull, Lim Hock Siew, and Tommy Koh and M. K. Rajakumar.

References

  1. 1 2 "1959 Legislative Assembly general election". National Library Board . September 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  2. "LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY GENERAL ELECTION 1959". singapore-elections.com. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  3. Legislative Assembly General Election 1959 Archived 29 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine Singapore Elections
  4. "The Day of Decision". The Straits Times. 30 May 1959. p. 6.
  5. Quah, Jon S.T. (2011). Curbing Corruption in Asian Countries: An Impossible Dream?. Emerald. p. 218. ISBN   9780857248206.
  6. 1 2 3 Lee 2008, p. 153.
  7. Fernandez, George J. (1992). Successful Singapore: A Tiny Nation's Saga from Founder to Accomplisher. SSMB. p. 191. ISBN   9789971981815.

Bibliography