Singaporean general election, 1972
Encyclopedia
General elections were held in Singapore
on 2 September 1972. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party
, which won all 65 seats, the second of four consecutive elections in which they repeated the feat. Voter turnout was 93.5%, although this figure represents the turnout in the 57 constituencies to be contested, with PAP candidates earning walkovers in the other eight.
, who had contemplated to stand as an independent candidate, was out of the running due to an injury. Despite expectations that the PAP will not have it as easy this time given the stiffer competition and Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew even anticipating that if PAP wins around 45 seats is already considered as good enough victory, PAP still managed to capture every seat in Parliament for the second time.
Describing the alternative opposition parties as having lost their credibility with swerving political manoeuvres, coupled with Singapore's strong economic progress and successful housing development without an opposition, the PAP declared that Singaporeans no longer saw need for political diversity, claiming that this led to squabbling that would impede its effective governance.
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 2 September 1972. The result was a victory for 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....
, which won all 65 seats, the second of four consecutive elections in which they repeated the feat. Voter turnout was 93.5%, although this figure represents the turnout in the 57 constituencies to be contested, with PAP candidates earning walkovers in the other eight.
Background
Unlike the last elections in 1968, vibrant contests made its return and the ruling PAP was challenged in nearly all seats. Barisan Sosialis changed tack from its boycott strategy and attempted to make a comeback. The Workers' Party was rejuvenated by former district judge J. B. Jeyaretnam while its former leader and ex-Chief Minister David MarshallDavid Marshall
Dave Marshall or David Marshall may refer to:* Dave Marshall , former professional baseball player* Dave Marshall , guitarist with Vince Neil and Slaughter...
, who had contemplated to stand as an independent candidate, was out of the running due to an injury. Despite expectations that the PAP will not have it as easy this time given the stiffer competition and Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew even anticipating that if PAP wins around 45 seats is already considered as good enough victory, PAP still managed to capture every seat in Parliament for the second time.
Describing the alternative opposition parties as having lost their credibility with swerving political manoeuvres, coupled with Singapore's strong economic progress and successful housing development without an opposition, the PAP declared that Singaporeans no longer saw need for political diversity, claiming that this led to squabbling that would impede its effective governance.
Results
| Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.... |
524,892 | 70.4 | 65 | |
| 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... |
90,885 | 12.2 | 0 | 0 |
| United National Front | 55,001 | 7.4 | 0 | New |
| 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:... |
34,483 | 4.6 | 0 | New |
| People's Front People's Front (Singapore) The People's Front is a shortlived party that was registered on 21 May 1971 where some members from a faction of Barisan Sosialis that was mostly chinese-speaking had decided to resign from BS... |
22,462 | 3.0 | 0 | New |
| Singapore Malay National Organisation Singapore Malay National Organisation The Pertubuhan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura is a political party in Singapore. The party recently concluded their AGM on 8th August 2010. The current president is Mr Ali bin Asjadi, while the party's secretary general is Mr Mohd Nazem Suki.-External links:*Related Links:... |
10,054 | 1.3 | 0 | New |
| Independents | 7,462 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Invalid/blank votes | 15,229 | |||
| Total | 760,468 | 100 | 65 | +7 |
| Source: Nohlen et al | ||||