1955 parliamentary general election in Singapore
1955 Singaporean general election
General elections were held in Singapore on 2 April 1955 to elect the 25 elected seats in the Legislative Assembly . Nomination day was on 28 February 1955.
Background
Following the promulgation of the Rendel Constitution , the 1955 elections were the first occasion on which a majority of the seats were to be elected rather than be appointed by the colonial authorities. The new constitution was written after recommendations by a committee to grant local citizens more autonomy, headed by George Rendel , were passed.
According to the new Constitution, locals would share executive power with the colonial authorities and there would be a Chief Minister among elected legislators. The number of elected seats was increased to 25, with the British government appointing the remaining seven members. For the first time, political parties were permitted to adopt a standard party symbol for all their candidates and independents to select theirs instead of balloting for them.[1]
The Governor of Singapore and Colonial Secretary posts were replaced by a Chief Secretary, who inherited the power to appoint four nominated Assembly Members. Also scrapped were the seats of the Solicitor-General, two directors, two ex-officios, the three commercial organisations and the City Council representative.
Timeline
Date
Event
5 February
Dissolution of the Legislative Council
28 February
Nomination Day
2 April
Polling day
6 April
Inauguration of David Marshall as Chief Minister
7 April
Formation of Council of Ministers
22 April
Opening of 1st Legislative Assembly
Changes in electoral boundaries
Results
Much to the surprise for British, who had anticipated a Progressive victory and its leader, Tan Chye Cheng , to emerge as Chief Minister, it was the Labour Front that garnered the most seats and its chairman, David Marshall , thus became Singapore's first Chief Minister. Both losing and winning parties were shocked by the results.[1] Labour Front formed a government with support of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA), UMNO and the Malay Union.
In its first elections, the newly formed People's Action Party , led by lawyer and former Progressive Party election agent Lee Kuan Yew, chose to field only a handful of candidates to protest against the Rendel Constitution. As independent member Ahmad bin Ibrahim joined PAP following the election, PAP had 4 members in the Assembly and thus Lee became the new Leader of the Opposition.[2]
Party Votes % Seats +/– Labour Front 42,300 27.06 10 New Progressive Party 38,695 24.75 4 –2 Democratic Party 32,115 20.54 2 New People's Action Party 13,634 8.72 3 New Malayan Chinese Association 6,203 3.97 1 New United Malays National Organisation 5,721 3.66 1 New Labour Party 1,325 0.85 0 –2 Malay Union 1,233 0.79 1 New Independents 15,098 9.66 3 +2 Total 156,324 100.00 25 +16 Valid votes 156,324 98.89 Invalid/blank votes 1,751 1.11 Total votes 158,075 100.00 Registered voters/turnout 300,199 52.66 Source: Singapore Elections
By constituency
Constituency
Electorate
Turnout
%
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Bukit Panjang
8,012
4,355
54.36
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Goh Tong Liang
3,097
72.21
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Lim Wee Toh
1,192
27.79
Bukit Timah
9,173
6,272
68.37
bgcolor=Template:People's Action Party/meta/color |
People's Action Party
Lim Chin Siong
3,259
52.45
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Tan Wah Meng
1,308
21.05
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
A. N. Mitra
924
14.88
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
S. F. Ho
722
11.62
Cairnhill
13,528
7,011
51.83
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
David Saul Marshall
3,305
47.58
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Tan Chye Cheng
2,530
36.42
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Tan Khiang Khoo
1,111
16.00
Changi
11,239
5,891
52.42
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Lim Cher Kheng
2,624
45.08
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
S. G. Mohamed Ghows
1,699
29.19
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Wong Sau Sheung
1,498
25.73
Farrer Park
12,242
6,803
55.57
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Anthony Rebeiro Lazarous
2,585
38.52
bgcolor=Template:People's Action Party/meta/color |
People's Action Party
Chengara Veetil Devan Nair
2,219
33.07
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Eric Wee Sian Beng
1,784
26.59
bgcolor=Template:Independent/meta/color |
Independent
C. T. B. Unnithan
85
1.27
bgcolor=Template:Independent/meta/color |
Independent
Chua Kim Watt
37
0.55
Geylang
16,604
6,781
40.84
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Mak Pak Shee
2,756
41.17
bgcolor=Template:Independent/meta/color |
Independent
Goh Hood Kiat
1,386
20.71
bgcolor=Template:Labour Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Labour Party
Lee Yong Min
1,325
19.80
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Lam Joon Chong
1,226
18.32
Havelock
12,835
6,703
52.22
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Lim Yew Hock
5,744
86.48
bgcolor=Template:Independent/meta/color |
Independent
C. S. Soh
525
7.90
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Chua Bock Kwee
373
5.62
Kampong Kapor
13,815
7,199
52.11
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Seah Peng Chuan
3,253
45.60
bgcolor=Template:Independent/meta/color |
Independent
Caralapati Raghaviah Dasaratha Raj
2,155
30.21
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Wong Shian Yein
1,283
17.98
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Lim Kian Lee
443
6.21
Katong
22,196
10,370
46.72
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Armand Joseph Braga
4,680
45.66
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Christopher John Laycock
2,965
28.93
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Chan Wah Chip
2,605
25.41
Pasir Panjang
13,812
7,911
57.28
bgcolor=Template:Malayan Chinese Association/meta/color |
Malayan Chinese Association
Wong Foo Nam
3,546
45.17
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
K. Mohd S. Hamid
2,370
30.19
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
P. V. Krishnan
1,306
16.63
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Leong Foon Chew
629
8.01
Paya Lebar
12,827
6,494
50.63
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Lim Koon Teck
3,330
52.07
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Tan Eng Joo
3,065
47.93
Punggol-Tampines
6,628
3,886
58.63
bgcolor=Template:People's Action Party/meta/color |
People's Action Party
Goh Chew Chua
2,127
55.38
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Anthony Goh
918
23.90
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
H. A. De Silva
796
20.72
Queenstown
7,015
4,201
59.89
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Lee Choon Eng
2,792
67.28
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Murray Bruce Brash
736
17.73
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Elizabeth Choy-Yong Su Mei
622
14.99
Rochore
12,073
6,414
53.13
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Tan Theng Chiang
2,929
46.25
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Ong Eng Lian
1,897
29.95
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Soh Ghee Soon
1,507
23.80
Seletar
9,402
5,620
59.77
bgcolor=Template:Independent/meta/color |
Independent
Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair
1,771
31.83
bgcolor=Template:Independent/meta/color |
Independent
Lek Poh Song
1,632
29.33
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Tan Leong Teck
1,252
22.50
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Khew Pee Ging
909
16.34
Sembawang
10,675
6,835
64.03
bgcolor=Template:Independent/meta/color |
Independent
Ahmad bin Ibrahim
4,281
63.24
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Lee Kim Kee
2,488
36.76
Serangoon
8,402
4,792
57.03
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Lim Choon Mong
2,172
45.83
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Lim Chye Seng
1,412
29.80
bgcolor=Template:Malayan Chinese Association/meta/color |
Malayan Chinese Association
Lim Siew Ek
1,155
24.37
Southern Islands
3,548
2,476
69.79
Malay Union
Mohamed Sidik bin Abdul Hamid
1,233
50.57
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Hollupatherage James Caldera Kulasingha
1,205
49.43
Stamford
13,207
6,322
47.87
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Jumabhoy Mohamed Jumabhoy
2,691
43.08
bgcolor=Template:Independent/meta/color |
Independent
T. A. Simon
1,281
20.51
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Nazir Ahmad Mallal
1,153
18.46
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Ng Sen Choy
1,121
17.95
Tanglin
16,177
7,125
44.04
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
John Anthony Moore Ede
3,214
45.67
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Lim Yong Bock
2,501
35.54
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Lim Seow Chuan
1,322
18.79
Tanjong Pagar
13,430
7,737
57.61
bgcolor=Template:People's Action Party/meta/color |
People's Action Party
Lee Kuan Yew
6,029
78.33
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Peter Lim Seck Tiong
908
11.80
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Lam Thian
760
9.87
Telok Ayer
11,547
4,951
42.88
bgcolor=Template:Independent/meta/color |
Independent
Rajabali Jumabhoy
1,945
39.90
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Sng Siak Hwee
1,453
30.30
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Tan Ewe Chee
1,660
29.80
Tiong Bahru
12,664
5,939
46.90
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
William Tan Ah Lek
2,264
38.60
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Foo Few Ting
2,100
35.80
bgcolor=Template:Malayan Chinese Association/meta/color |
Malayan Chinese Association
Teo Seng Bee
1,502
25.60
Ulu Bedok
16,903
9,464
55.99
bgcolor=Template:United Malays National Organisation/meta/color |
United Malays National Organisation
Abdul Hamid bin Jumat
5,721
61.04
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Toh Seng Sit
2,999
32.00
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Abdul Hamid bin Rahmat
652
6.96
Whampoa
12,345
6,523
52.84
bgcolor=Template:Labour Front/meta/color |
Labour Front
Chew Swee Kee
2,961
45.88
bgcolor=Template:Progressive Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Progressive Party
Thio Chan Bee
2,565
39.75
bgcolor=Template:Democratic Party (Singapore)/meta/color |
Democratic Party
Lee Kok Liang
927
14.37
Source: ELD , Singapore Elections
See also
References
Sr, Pugalenthi (1996) Elections in Singapore VJ Times International Pte Ltd, Singapore ISBN 981-221-025-3
External links