1955 Singaporean general election explained

Flag Image:Flag_of_Singapore_(1952–1959).svg
Country:Singapore
Type:parliamentary
Previous Election:1951 Singaporean general election
Previous Year:1951
Next Election:1959 Singaporean general election
Next Year:1959
Election Date:2 April 1955
Elected Members:1st Legislative Assembly of Singapore
Registered:300,199
Turnout:52.66% (0.61pp)
Seats For Election:25 of the 32 seats in the Legislative Assembly
Leader1:David Marshall
Party1:LF
Last Election1:–
Seats1:10
Seat Change1:New
Popular Vote1:42,300
Percentage1:27.06%
Swing1:New
Party2:PP
Last Election2:45.37%, 6 seats
Seats2:4
Seat Change2: 2
Popular Vote2:38,695
Percentage2:24.75%
Swing2: 20.62%
Leader3:Tan Ek Khoo
Party3:DP
Last Election3:–
Seats3:2
Seat Change3:New
Popular Vote3:32,115
Percentage3:20.54%
Swing3:New
Image4:Mr. Lee Kuan Yew Mayoral reception 1965 (cropped).jpg
Leader4:Lee Kuan Yew
Party4:People's Action Party
Last Election4:–
Seats4:3
Seat Change4:New
Popular Vote4:13,634
Percentage4:8.72%
Swing4:New
Leader5:Wong Foo Nam
Party5:Malayan Chinese Association
Last Election5:–
Seats5:1
Seat Change5:New
Popular Vote5:6,203
Percentage5:3.97%
Swing5:New
Image6:Abdul Hamid bin Haji Jumat.jpg
Leader6:Abdul Hamid Jumat
Party6:United Malays National Organisation
Last Election6:–
Seats6:1
Seat Change6:New
Popular Vote6:5,721
Percentage6:3.66%
Swing6:New
Image7:Inche Sidik.png
Leader7:Inche Sidik
Party7:Malay Union
Color7:88BA00
Last Election7:–
Seats7:1
Seat Change7:New
Popular Vote7:1,233
Percentage7:0.79%
Swing7:New
Chief Minister
Posttitle:Chief Minister after election
Before Election:Position established
After Election:David Marshall
After Party:Labour Front
Majority Seats:17

General elections were held in Singapore on 2 April 1955 to elect members to 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

DateEvent
5 FebruaryDissolution of the Legislative Council
28 FebruaryNomination Day
2 AprilPolling day
6 AprilInauguration of David Marshall as Chief Minister
7 AprilFormation of Council of Ministers
22 AprilOpening of 1st Legislative Assembly

Changes in electoral boundaries

See also: List of Singaporean electoral divisions (1955–59).

Constituency Divisions formed from
Bukit Timah & Seletar
Balestier, Rochore & Tanglin
Balestier
Katong
City, Keppel & Tanglin
Rochore
Bukit Timah & Keppel
Changi & Katong
Changi
Bukit Timah, Keppel & Tanglin
Bukit Timah & Seletar
Balestier, Changi & Seletar
Bukit Timah & Keppel
City & Rochore
City & Keppel
City
Keppel
Changi
Balestier

Results

Though many British predicted that the Progressive Party would win and Tan Chye Cheng would become Chief Minister, the results were an upset, with the Labour Front winning the most seats and chairman David Marshall becoming Singapore's first Chief Minister after winning in the Cairnhill constituency with 48% of the vote, defeating Tan (36%). With 12 seats (two nominated members were party members), LF formed a coalition government with the United Malays National Organisation (one seat) and Malaysian Chinese Association (one seat) and three ex-officio members (Chief Secretary Sir William Goode, Attorney-General Sir John Edward Davies and Financial Secretary Thomas Mure Hart), which held 17 of the 32 seats, just enough for a majority into the 32-seat assembly.[1] As a result, the 1955 elections remain the only general election to date where a coalition government was formed, the only hung legislature, and the only time the government was not formed by the People's Action Party.

On the opposition side, 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 Ibrahim joined the PAP following the elections, meaning the PAP had four members in the Assembly.[2] Lee won the second-highest vote share of the election with 78% of the vote in Tanjong Pagar; in a statement, Lee also considered Tanglin before choosing Tanjong Pagar due to the influence and welfare with dock workers in the area.[3]

While this was the last general election to date in which voting was not mandatory and despite the electorate increasing sixfold, voter turnout barely increased to 53%, up by 0.61pp. The Southern Islands constituency had the highest turnout at 70%. However, six of 25 constituencies had turnouts of under 50%, with Geylang having the lowest turnout at 41%; in comparison to the last election, the constituency with the lowest turnout was City with 44%.

The election's best performing candidate was Labour Front candidate and future Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock who polled 86% of the vote and had a large winning margin of 79%, while the worst performing candidate was independent Chua Kim Watt, who polled just 0.55% of the vote in Farrer Park. Malay Union candidate Inche Sidik won with the narrowest margin of just 1.15%.

10 candidates lost their $500 election deposits.

By constituency

ConstituencyElectoratePartyCandidateVotes%
Bukit Panjang8,012bgcolor= Progressive PartyGoh Tong Liang3,09772.21
bgcolor= Labour FrontLim Wee Toh1,19227.79
Bukit Timah9,173bgcolor= People's Action PartyLim Chin Siong3,25952.45
bgcolor= Democratic PartyTan Wah Meng1,30821.05
bgcolor= Labour FrontA. N. Mitra92414.88
bgcolor= Progressive PartyS. F. Ho72211.62
Cairnhill13,528bgcolor= Labour FrontDavid Marshall3,30547.58
bgcolor= Progressive PartyTan Chye Cheng2,53036.42
bgcolor= Democratic PartyTan Khiang Khoo1,11116.00
Changi11,239bgcolor= Democratic PartyLim Cher Kheng2,62445.08
bgcolor= Progressive PartyS. G. Mohamed Ghows1,69929.19
bgcolor= Labour FrontWong Sau Sheung1,49825.73
Farrer Park12,242bgcolor= Labour FrontAnthony Rebeiro Lazarous2,58538.52
bgcolor= People's Action PartyDevan Nair2,21933.07
bgcolor= Progressive PartyEric Wee Sian Beng1,78426.59
bgcolor= IndependentC. T. B. Unnithan851.27
bgcolor= IndependentChua Kim Watt370.55
Geylang16,604bgcolor= Labour FrontMak Pak Shee2,75641.17
bgcolor= IndependentGoh Hood Kiat1,38620.71
bgcolor= Labour PartyLee Yong Min1,32519.80
bgcolor= Democratic PartyLam Joon Chong1,22618.32
Havelock12,835bgcolor= Labour FrontLim Yew Hock5,74486.48
bgcolor= IndependentC. S. Soh5257.90
bgcolor= Progressive PartyChua Bock Kwee3735.62
Kampong Kapor13,815bgcolor= Labour FrontSeah Peng Chuan3,25345.60
bgcolor= IndependentCaralapati Raghaviah Dasaratha Raj2,15530.21
bgcolor= Democratic PartyWong Shian Yein1,28317.98
bgcolor= Progressive PartyLim Kian Lee4436.21
Katong22,196bgcolor= Labour FrontArmand Joseph Braga4,68045.66
bgcolor= Progressive PartyJohn Laycock2,96528.93
bgcolor= Democratic PartyChan Wah Chip2,60525.41
Pasir Panjang13,812bgcolor=Malayan Chinese AssociationWong Foo Nam3,54645.17
bgcolor= Progressive PartyK. Mohd S. Hamid2,37030.19
bgcolor= Labour FrontP. V. Krishnan1,30616.63
bgcolor= Democratic PartyLeong Foon Chew6298.01
Paya Lebar12,827bgcolor= Progressive PartyLim Koon Teck3,33052.07
bgcolor= Democratic PartyTan Eng Joo3,06547.93
Punggol–Tampines6,628bgcolor= People's Action PartyGoh Chew Chua2,12755.38
bgcolor= Democratic PartyAnthony Goh91823.90
bgcolor= Progressive PartyH. A. De Silva79620.72
Queenstown7,015bgcolor= Labour FrontLee Choon Eng2,79267.28
bgcolor= Democratic PartyMurray Bruce Brash73617.73
bgcolor= Progressive PartyElizabeth Choy62214.99
Rochore12,073bgcolor= Labour FrontTan Theng Chiang2,92946.25
bgcolor= Democratic PartyOng Eng Lian1,89729.95
bgcolor= Progressive PartySoh Ghee Soon1,50723.80
Seletar9,402bgcolor= IndependentMadai Puthan Damodaran Nair1,77131.83
bgcolor= IndependentLek Poh Song1,63229.33
bgcolor= Democratic PartyTan Leong Teck1,25222.50
bgcolor= Labour FrontKhew Pee Ging90916.34
Sembawang10,675bgcolor= IndependentAhmad Ibrahim4,28163.24
bgcolor= Progressive PartyLee Kim Kee2,48836.76
Serangoon8,402bgcolor= Progressive PartyLim Choon Mong2,17245.83
bgcolor= Democratic PartyLim Chye Seng1,41229.80
bgcolor=Malayan Chinese AssociationLim Siew Ek1,15524.37
Southern Islands3,548bgcolor=#88BA00 Malay UnionInche Sidik1,23350.57
bgcolor= Progressive PartyHollupatherage James Caldera Kulasingha1,20549.43
Stamford13,207bgcolor= Labour FrontJumabhoy Mohamed Jumabhoy2,69143.08
bgcolor= IndependentT. A. Simon1,28120.51
bgcolor= Progressive PartyNazir Ahmad Mallal1,15318.46
bgcolor= Democratic PartyNg Sen Choy1,12117.95
Tanglin16,177bgcolor= Progressive PartyJohn Anthony Moore Ede3,21445.67
bgcolor= Democratic PartyLim Yong Bock2,50135.54
bgcolor= Labour FrontLim Seow Chuan1,32218.79
Tanjong Pagar13,430bgcolor= People's Action PartyLee Kuan Yew6,02978.33
bgcolor= Progressive PartyPeter Lim Seck Tiong90811.80
bgcolor= Democratic PartyLam Thian7609.87
Telok Ayer11,547bgcolor= IndependentRajabali Jumabhoy1,94539.90
bgcolor= Democratic PartySng Siak Hwee1,45330.30
bgcolor= Labour FrontTan Ewe Chee1,66029.80
Tiong Bahru12,664bgcolor= Democratic PartyWilliam Tan Ah Lek2,26438.60
bgcolor= Progressive PartyFoo Few Ting2,10035.80
bgcolor=Malayan Chinese AssociationTeo Seng Bee1,50225.60
Ulu Bedok16,903bgcolor= United Malays National OrganisationAbdul Hamid Jumat5,72161.04
bgcolor= Democratic PartyToh Seng Sit2,99932.00
bgcolor= Progressive PartyAbdul Hamid bin Rahmat6526.96
Whampoa12,345bgcolor= Labour FrontChew Swee Kee2,96145.88
bgcolor= Progressive PartyThio Chan Bee2,56539.75
bgcolor= Democratic PartyLee Kok Liang92714.37
Source: ELD, Singapore Elections

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1955 Legislative Assembly general election . 24 January 2018 . . 18 August 2019.
  2. Web site: History of leader of Opposition in S'pore, from LKY to Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Khiang . 18 February 2018 . mothership.sg. 9 July 2020.
  3. Web site: The Singapore Maritime Story - Remembering Mr Lee Kuan Yew . www.srs.sg . 6 July 2024 . en.

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