Singapore general election, 1959
Encyclopedia
The 1959 Singapore legislative assembly general election was a general election
held in Singapore
on 30 May 1959 to choose the members of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore
. The election was distinctive in being the first election in which all the seats were completely determined by the population as per the new Constitution of Singapore
of 1959; in previous elections, some seats had always been chosen by Singapore's colonial authorities. As with other parliamentary elections, the entity with majority of won seats would go on to form the new government.
Candidates were nominated on 25 April 1959 and the actual polls were held on 30 May. The People's Action Party
(PAP) eventually won the general election in a landslide
, winning 43 out of 51 seats.
The 1959 general election marked the first time in history the PAP became the ruling party of Singapore. Presently it continues to be the ruling party
of Singapore, and has never lost control of the Singaporean legislature since the 1959 elections. The 1959 election is strongly linked to Singapore's gain of self rule that followed soon after.
, which Singapore was part of at the time. Compulsory voting
was also implemented for the first time.
Singapore was not fully independent, as the British still controlled external affairs such as the military and foreign relations. However, Singapore was now a recognised state
and the entire Legislative Assembly for the first time was wholly determined by the local population. Previously under the Rendel Constitution, which was a 1955 reform of the Constitution of Singapore, the legislature and its leaders could not fully be determined by the population. The British government instead appointed 7 of the 33 total members, although the rest was by election with limited suffrage. This itself was an improvement from the pre-1955 Legislative Council of Singapore
when only 6 out of over twenty members were elected.
, which had won the general election of 1955
. David Saul Marshall
, who headed the Labour Front in 1955 and was chosen as Chief Minister, had since resigned in 1956. By 1959, the Labour Front was in turmoil, although they had been very successful at campaigning in 1955. Much of the issues resounded around the topic of independence as well as political issues such as the communist
insurgency
led by the Malayan Communist Party
(MCP) which had been causing the Malayan Emergency
(1948–1960).
During the 1955 election, the PAP protested against the existence of appointed members as set forth by the Rendel Constitution, and become the main opposition party following the election, and the Singapore Progressive Party (SPP) which had been one of the most dominant parties in the 1948 election
and the 1951 election
had become increasingly displaced at this point. The desire for independence and self-government epitomised by the Malay
term Merdeka
, had started to become immediate. This was reflected when the cry of "We want Merdeka now!" was taken up by those demanding immediate independence. The SPP fell out of favour as it was perceived by much of the electorate by working for reform too slowly.
David Marshall was vocally anti-British and anti-colonialist, and the British found it difficult to come to an agreement or a compromise. Eventually after failing to reach any agreement about a definite plan for self-government he resigned in 1956, following a pledge that he would achieve self-government or resign. Lim Yew Hock
, another Labour Front member, took his place. He pursued an aggressive anti-communist
campaign and manage to convince the British to make a definite plan for self-government. 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.
However, Lim's tactics against the communists alienated a large part of the Singaporean Chinese
electorate, the demographic targeted most during the anti-communist campaign. There were also 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 from several Chinese schools, both anti-colonialist and anti-communist alike.
Lim's government was also ridden with corruption. By the time Labour Front's term was up, its credibility was in tatters. To face the polls with a fresh new image, Lim led a large group to abandon LF and form the SPA. Labour Front was left in the hands of backbenchers.
Days before polling day on 30 May, the press had predicted that the presence of multi-cornered fights would only split the anti-PAP vote, raising chances of a PAP victory. "
for the election was 527,919 out of a total 586,098 voters, or 92.9% of the total eligible voters. This was a huge turnout, especially when compared to the 1955 general election in which only 158,075 of 300,199 voters turned out, or 52.7% of the total eligible voters. There were two historical attributions for this. One was the implementation of compulsory voting, the other the removal of suffrage
restrictions that had previously limited voting rights to those born in Singapore, or those who had lived there for a certain amount of time.
The election saw the first victory of the PAP in a general election. The incumbent SPA lost in 35 of the constituencies it constested, and were just left with 4 members in the new assembly. The winner of the last election, the Labour Front, saw their vote share decrease by 27 percentage points from 1955 and were left with no seats. The election was a disaster for the right-wing Liberal Socialist Party, which saw 20 of 32 candidates lose their election deposits.
Over 51 seats were available for contesting during the election, which was almost a 50% increase from the total seats at the 1955 general election, and more than double of the seats if only elected seats are considered. In contrast to the elections that would follow in the future after the 1963 general election
, there were no walkover
s.
.
The PAP as ruling party was able to form a new government of Singapore
that was fully elected 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, the year of the conclusion of the elections and the formation of the new government — 1959 — is generally the date specified by historians for the achievement of self-government for Singapore, even though the Constitution had been amended in 1958.
On the afternoon of 3 June 1959, Lee Kuan Yew was sworn in as Prime Minister of a new administration at City Hall
by Yang di Pertuan Negara William Goode
along with members of his cabinet.
Before taking over the governance of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew secured the release of several PAP members, who were arrested under the Emergency
Regulation in 1956 and 1957, including left-wing leader Lim Chin Siong
. During the election campaign, Lee had advocated for their release as part of his election platform, and thus was able to mobilise the support of many trade union members.
After their release, Lim Chin Siong 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 formed the Barisan Sosialis
, and would contest the 1963 general elections
against the PAP. Although having been crippled by Operation Coldstore
, they put up a fight that to date, is the only election that threatened to remove the PAP from power while it was an existing ruling party. It however lost and went into a decline, affirming the PAP as ruling party.
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
held in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
on 30 May 1959 to choose the members of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore
Legislative Assembly of Singapore
The Legislative Assembly of Singapore was the legislature of the government of Singapore from 1955 to 1965 and the predecessor of the Parliament of Singapore. The Rendel Constitution, proposed in 1953, sought to give the local population more self-governance as the Merdeka independence movement grew...
. The election was distinctive in being the first election in which all the seats were completely determined by the population as per the new Constitution of Singapore
Constitution of Singapore
The Constitution of Singapore is the supreme law of Singapore and it is a codified constitution.The constitution cannot be amended without the support of more than two-thirds of the members of parliament on the second and third readings . The president may seek opinion on constitutional issues...
of 1959; in previous elections, some seats had always been chosen by Singapore's colonial authorities. As with other parliamentary elections, the entity with majority of won seats would go on to form the new government.
Candidates were nominated on 25 April 1959 and the actual polls were held on 30 May. The People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
(PAP) eventually won the general election in a landslide
Landslide victory
In politics, a landslide victory is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming margin in an election...
, winning 43 out of 51 seats.
The 1959 general election marked the first time in history the PAP became the ruling party of Singapore. Presently it continues to be the ruling party
Ruling party
The ruling party or governing party in a parliamentary system is the political party or coalition of the majority in parliament. Within a parliamentary system, the majority in the legislature also controls the executive branch of government, thus leaving no possibility of dueling parties...
of Singapore, and has never lost control of the Singaporean legislature since the 1959 elections. The 1959 election is strongly linked to Singapore's gain of self rule that followed soon after.
An election of firsts
The 1959 general election was also the first election to be held since full internal self-government was granted by the British EmpireBritish Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, which Singapore was part of at the time. Compulsory voting
Compulsory voting
Compulsory voting is a system in which electors are obliged to vote in elections or attend a polling place on voting day. If an eligible voter does not attend a polling place, he or she may be subject to punitive measures such as fines, community service, or perhaps imprisonment if fines are unpaid...
was also implemented for the first time.
Singapore was not fully independent, as the British still controlled external affairs such as the military and foreign relations. However, Singapore was now a recognised state
Nation-state
The nation state is a state that self-identifies as deriving its political legitimacy from serving as a sovereign entity for a nation as a sovereign territorial unit. The state is a political and geopolitical entity; the nation is a cultural and/or ethnic entity...
and the entire Legislative Assembly for the first time was wholly determined by the local population. Previously under the Rendel Constitution, which was a 1955 reform of the Constitution of Singapore, the legislature and its leaders could not fully be determined by the population. The British government instead appointed 7 of the 33 total members, although the rest was by election with limited suffrage. This itself was an improvement from the pre-1955 Legislative Council of Singapore
Legislative Council of Singapore
The Legislative Council of Singapore was a Legislative Council in Singapore that assisted the Governor in making laws in Singapore. It officially came into existence in 1946, when the Repeal Act abolished the Straits Settlements, and Singapore became a Crown Colony on its own that would need its...
when only 6 out of over twenty members were elected.
Discontent with the incumbent government
The ruling party at the time was the Labour FrontLabour Front
The Labour Front was a political party in Singapore. It was founded before the 1955 legislative council elections by David Saul Marshall, Singapore's first chief minister in 1955 and Lim Yew Hock, Singapore's second chief minister...
, which had won the general election of 1955
Singaporean general election, 1955
The 1955 Legislative Assembly General Elections was held in Singapore on 2 April 1955 to elect twenty-five elective seats on the Legislative Assembly...
. David Saul Marshall
David Saul Marshall
David Saul Marshall was the leader of the Singapore Labour Front and became the first Chief Minister of Singapore in 1955....
, who headed the Labour Front in 1955 and was chosen as Chief Minister, had since resigned in 1956. By 1959, the Labour Front was in turmoil, although they had been very successful at campaigning in 1955. Much of the issues resounded around the topic of independence as well as political issues such as the communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
insurgency
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
led by the Malayan Communist Party
Malayan Communist Party
The Malayan Communist Party , officially known as the Communist Party of Malaya , was founded in 1930 and laid down its arms in 1989. It is most famous for its role in the Malayan Emergency.-Formation:...
(MCP) which had been causing the Malayan Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
(1948–1960).
During the 1955 election, the PAP protested against the existence of appointed members as set forth by the Rendel Constitution, and become the main opposition party following the election, and the Singapore Progressive Party (SPP) which had been one of the most dominant parties in the 1948 election
Singapore general election, 1948
The Legislative Council General Elections was the first election to be held in Singapore, taking place on 21 March 1948 when six of the 22 seats on the Legislative Council were open for popular voting, albeit only for British subjects. The election was announced on 1 February, and nominations were...
and the 1951 election
Singapore general election, 1951
The 1951 Legislative Council General Elections was held in Singapore on 10 April 1951 to elect nine seats on the Legislative Council, up from six seats in the 1948 elections. A 32-day long campaign period was scheduled, with nomination day on 8 March 1951....
had become increasingly displaced at this point. The desire for independence and self-government epitomised by the Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
term Merdeka
Merdeka
Merdeka is a word in the Indonesian and Malay language meaning Independent or freedom. It is derived from the Sanskrit Maharddhika meaning "rich, prosperous and powerful". In the Malay archipelago, this term had acquired the meaning of a freed slave...
, had started to become immediate. This was reflected when the cry of "We want Merdeka now!" was taken up by those demanding immediate independence. The SPP fell out of favour as it was perceived by much of the electorate by working for reform too slowly.
David Marshall was vocally anti-British and anti-colonialist, and the British found it difficult to come to an agreement or a compromise. Eventually after failing to reach any agreement about a definite plan for self-government he resigned in 1956, following a pledge that he would achieve self-government or resign. Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock , later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. He is known for suppressing the communist movements and leading the all-party delegation that won internal self-government for Singapore....
, another Labour Front member, took his place. He pursued an aggressive anti-communist
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
campaign and manage to convince the British to make a definite plan for self-government. 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.
However, Lim's tactics against the communists alienated a large part of the Singaporean Chinese
Singaporean Chinese
Singaporean Chinese may refer to:* Chinese Singaporean, the citizens or residents of Singapore who are of Chinese ancestry* Singaporean Mandarin, the dialect of Mandarin Chinese spoken in Singapore...
electorate, the demographic targeted most during the anti-communist campaign. There were also allegations of civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
violations as many activists were detained without trial with the justification of internal security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
and tear gas were used against demonstrating students from several Chinese schools, both anti-colonialist and anti-communist alike.
Lim's government was also ridden with corruption. By the time Labour Front's term was up, its credibility was in tatters. To face the polls with a fresh new image, Lim led a large group to abandon LF and form the SPA. Labour Front was left in the hands of backbenchers.
PAP's campaign
The opposition People's Action Party led by lawyer and assembly member Lee Kuan Yew ran a campaign against corruption. To make his point, he had all his party members and candidates wear a distinctive outfit of white shirts and pants, to represent "cleanliness" in government.Days before polling day on 30 May, the press had predicted that the presence of multi-cornered fights would only split the anti-PAP vote, raising chances of a PAP victory. "
Results
The voter turnoutVoter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
for the election was 527,919 out of a total 586,098 voters, or 92.9% of the total eligible voters. This was a huge turnout, especially when compared to the 1955 general election in which only 158,075 of 300,199 voters turned out, or 52.7% of the total eligible voters. There were two historical attributions for this. One was the implementation of compulsory voting, the other the removal of suffrage
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
restrictions that had previously limited voting rights to those born in Singapore, or those who had lived there for a certain amount of time.
The election saw the first victory of the PAP in a general election. The incumbent SPA lost in 35 of the constituencies it constested, and were just left with 4 members in the new assembly. The winner of the last election, the Labour Front, saw their vote share decrease by 27 percentage points from 1955 and were left with no seats. The election was a disaster for the right-wing Liberal Socialist Party, which saw 20 of 32 candidates lose their election deposits.
Over 51 seats were available for contesting during the election, which was almost a 50% increase from the total seats at the 1955 general election, and more than double of the seats if only elected seats are considered. In contrast to the elections that would follow in the future after the 1963 general election
Singapore general election, 1963
The Singapore legislative assembly general election of 1963 was an election that took place in Singapore on 21 September 1963 following five days after the merger with Malaysia and therefore as an autonomous state of Malaysia...
, there were no walkover
Walkover
In British English, a walkover or W.O. is the awarding of a victory to a contestant because there are no other contestants, or because the other contestants have been disqualified or have forfeited. The term can apply in sport, but can also apply to elections...
s.
| Parties and alliances | Leader | Contested seats |
Seats won | Popular vote | % | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People's Action Party People's Action Party The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959.... |
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades... |
51 | 43 | 281,891 | 54.1% | +45.4% |
| Singapore People's Alliance Singapore People's Alliance The Singapore People's Alliance was a political party in Singapore founded in 1959 that was drawn from the abandoned political party Labour Front and has never won any seats in the Parliament of Singapore... |
Lim Yew Hock Lim Yew Hock Lim Yew Hock , later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. He is known for suppressing the communist movements and leading the all-party delegation that won internal self-government for Singapore.... |
39 | 4 | 107,755 | 20.7% | - |
| United Malays National Organisation United Malays National Organisation The United Malays National Organisation, is Malaysia's largest political party; a founding member of the National Front coalition, which has played a dominant role in Malaysian politics since independence.... : |
Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Abdul Rahman Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the... |
8 | 3 | 27,448 | 5.3% | - |
| Liberal Socialist Party Liberal Socialist Party The Liberal Socialist Party is a defunct political party which was formerly active within the politics of Singapore. It was formed in the 1950s from the merger of the Singapore Progressive Party and the Democratic Party , the latter not to be confused with the Singapore Democratic Party... |
E. H. Holloway | 32 | 0 | 42,805 | 8.2% | - |
| Workers' Party Workers' Party of Singapore The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of... |
David Saul Marshall David Saul Marshall David Saul Marshall was the leader of the Singapore Labour Front and became the first Chief Minister of Singapore in 1955.... |
3 | 0 | 4,127 | 0.8% | - |
| Labour Front Labour Front The Labour Front was a political party in Singapore. It was founded before the 1955 legislative council elections by David Saul Marshall, Singapore's first chief minister in 1955 and Lim Yew Hock, Singapore's second chief minister... |
Francis Thomas | 3 | 0 | 3,414 | 0.7% | -26.4% |
| Independents | 34 | 1 | 35,341 | 6.8% | -2.9% | |
| other | - | - | - | 25,138 | 4.2% | - |
| Total | 51 | 527,919 | 92.9% | |||
| Invalid votes | 6,648 | 1.3% | ||||
| Did not vote | 58,179 | 7.1% | ||||
| Total voting electorate | 586,098 | 100.0% | ||||
Legacy
With the successful conclusion of the election, all the members of the Parliament were now elected, and thus theoretically achieved full consent of the governedConsent of the governed
"Consent of the governed" is a phrase synonymous with a political theory wherein a government's legitimacy and moral right to use state power is only justified and legal when derived from the people or society over which that political power is exercised...
.
The PAP as ruling party was able to form a new government of Singapore
Government of Singapore
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
that was fully elected which could now adopt domestic policy
Domestic policy
Domestic policy, also known as public policy, presents decisions, laws, and programs made by the government which are directly related to all issues and activity within the country....
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, the year of the conclusion of the elections and the formation of the new government — 1959 — is generally the date specified by historians for the achievement of self-government for Singapore, even though the Constitution had been amended in 1958.
On the afternoon of 3 June 1959, Lee Kuan Yew was sworn in as Prime Minister of a new administration at City Hall
City Hall, Singapore
The City Hall in Singapore is a national monument gazetted on 14 February 1992. Located in front of the historical Padang and next door to the Supreme Court of Singapore, it was designed and built by the architects of the municipal government, A. Gordans and F. D. Meadows from 1926 to 1929...
by Yang di Pertuan Negara William Goode
William Allmond Codrington Goode
Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode GCMG was a British colonial officer and served as governor to various colonies in the 20th Century...
along with members of his cabinet.
Before taking over the governance of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew secured the release of several PAP members, who were arrested under the Emergency
Malayan Emergency
The Malayan Emergency was a guerrilla war fought between Commonwealth armed forces and the Malayan National Liberation Army , the military arm of the Malayan Communist Party, from 1948 to 1960....
Regulation in 1956 and 1957, including left-wing leader Lim Chin Siong
Lim Chin Siong
Lim Chin Siong was an influential leftwing politician and trade union leader in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s.-Early life:Born in Telok Ayer Street, Lim studied first in Johor, before entering Singapore’s Catholic High School and Chinese High School in 1949 and 1950 respectively...
. During the election campaign, Lee had advocated for their release as part of his election platform, and thus was able to mobilise the support of many trade union members.
After their release, Lim Chin Siong 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 formed the Barisan Sosialis
Barisan Sosialis
The Barisan Sosialis is a former Singaporean left-wing political party formed in 1961, by left-wing members of the People's Action Party and led by Dr Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong.-Formation:...
, and would contest the 1963 general elections
Singapore general election, 1963
The Singapore legislative assembly general election of 1963 was an election that took place in Singapore on 21 September 1963 following five days after the merger with Malaysia and therefore as an autonomous state of Malaysia...
against the PAP. Although having been crippled by Operation Coldstore
Operation Coldstore
Operation Coldstore was a security operation launched in Singapore on 2 February 1963 in which at least 111 anti-government left-wing activists were arrested and detained, including key members of the opposition political party Barisan Sosialis...
, they put up a fight that to date, is the only election that threatened to remove the PAP from power while it was an existing ruling party. It however lost and went into a decline, affirming the PAP as ruling party.
By elections
During the course of the parliament, two by-elections were held:- Singapore 1961 By election (April & July)Singaporean by-election, 1961-Background:There were 2 by elections held in 1961. The first by election was held on 29 April 1961 and the nomination day was held on 11 March 1961 while the second by election was held on 15 July 1961 with the nomination day held on 10 June 1961....
External links
- Singapore elections: 1959
- Documentation of the districts for Singapore during the 1959 elections
- David Marshall and Merdeka