Singaporean City Council by-election, 1958
Encyclopedia
Background
The by election for the city council was held on 26 July 1958 while the nomination day was set at 30 June 1958 when Workers' PartyWorkers' 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...
's City Council member, Chang Yuen Tong resigned his seat in Kallang.
The real reason was revealed by 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...
, leader of 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....
at that time many years later on an interview. He revealed that it was because he met communist leader Fang Chuang Pi aka The Plen before the election and challenged the latter to "prove his credentials". However, things went drastically wrong when the communists withdrew their support.
Historical significance
This is the only by-election for the City Council and also the last City Council election before its abolishment in 1959 when People's Action PartyPeople'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....
took power in order to prevent it to serve as a government pressure group.
With this arrangement since then, all of its functions were incorporated into statutory boards, only to see these functions to be transferred out of civil service hands in 1991 to the town councils, which are managed by the relevant elected Member of Parliament (MP).