1959 in Singapore

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← 1958 1957 1956 1959 in Singapore → 1960 1961 1962
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	Other events of 1959 Timeline of Singaporean history

The following lists events that happened during 1959 in Singapore.

Incumbents

• Governor of Singapore
  • Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode ( until 2 June)
• Yang di-Pertuan Negara
  • Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode (from 3 June to 2 December)
  • Yusof Ishak (from 3 December)
• Chief Minister – Lim Yew Hock (until June 3)
• Prime Minister – Lee Kuan Yew (from 5 June)
• Chief Secretary: Edgeworth Beresford David (till 2 June)

Events

May

• 30 May – The 1959 General Elections was held. Lee Kuan Yew was elected as Prime Minister of Singapore. ^{[1] [2]}

June

• 3 June – The 1958 State of Singapore Constitution is adopted, allowing for self-governance in Singapore. ^[3]
• 5 June – The first Cabinet is sworn into power. ^[4]
• 8 June – A campaign against decadent lifestyles is launched. ^[5]
• 20 June – The Ministry of National Development will start a team with seven Assembly members from 22 June, with many departments to be consolidated under MND. The Singapore Improvement Trust will also be brought under the Ministry in future. ^[6]
• 25 June – The Ministry of National Development forms the Primary Production Department to better serve farmers and fishermen. ^{[7] [8]}

October

• 23 October – Various departments of the City Council and Rural Board will be absorbed into the Ministry of National Development, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour and Law. ^[9]

November

• 11 November- The National Anthem "Majulah Singapura" was selected as the National Anthem of Singapore.

December

• 3 December – Encik Yusof bin Ishak is sworn in as Singapore's second Yang di-Pertuan Negara. ^[10] On the same day, the National Flag of Singapore, ^[11] the Coat of arms of Singapore and the national anthem, Majulah Singapura, are unveiled.
• 12–17 December – Singapore participates in the 1959 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, the first SEAP event. It came in fourth with 33 medals.

Births

• 9 February – Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Trade and Industry.
• 26 February – Lim Hwee Hua, former politician, first woman in Singapore's Cabinet.
• 12 March – Kenneth Jeyaratnam, politician and hedge fund manager.
• 26 March – K. Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law.
• 24 June – Raymond Lim, former politician.
• 25 September – Leong Mun Wai, politician and former investment banker.
• 25 November – Marrie Lee, director, producer, writer and actress.
• 9 December – Denise Phua, politician.

Deaths

• 14 March – Tan Thoon Lip, lawyer and public official (b. 1910). ^[12]
• 30 March – James Lornie, Scottish colonial administrator (b. 1876). ^[13]
• 5 April – Teo Eng Hock, rubber tycoon and one of the founders of the Singapore branch of the Tongmenghui (b. 1872). ^[14]

See also

• List of years in Singapore
• 1959 Singaporean general election
• 1959

References

1. "LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY GENERAL ELECTION 1959". Singapore Elections. Archived from the original on 29 November 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
2. "1959 Legislative Assembly General Election". NLB. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
3. "1958 State of Singapore Constitution is adopted". NLB. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
4. "The First Cabinet is sworn in". NLB. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
5. "Campaign against yellow culture is launched". NLB. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
6. "Ong sets up seven-man team to hear grouses from the public". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 21 June 1959. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
7. "Dr. THAM IS HEAD OF NEW DEPT. OF PRIMARY PRODUCTION". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 26 June 1959. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
8. "Primary Production Department is formed". NLB. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
9. "Three Ministries absorb Council departments". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 24 October 1959. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
10. "Yusof bin Ishak". National Library Board . Retrieved 16 July 2018.
11. Singapore State Arms and Flag and National Anthem Ordinance 1959 (No. 70 of 1959), now the Singapore Arms and Flag and National Anthem Act( Cap. 296,1985 Rev. Ed. ).
12. "Tan Thoon Lip". www.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
13. "Obituary". Times. 31 March 1959. p. 10.
14. "FORMER SINGAPORE 'RUBBER KING' DIES IN HONG KONG". NewspaperSG. 11 April 1959. Retrieved 11 January 2025.