April 1949 Singapore Municipal Commission election explained

Election Name:April 1949 Singapore Municipal Commission election
Image1:File:Tan Chye Cheng (cropped).png
Ongoing:no
Next Election:December 1949 Singapore Municipal Commission election
Next Year:December 1949
Election Date:2 April 1949
Country:Singapore
Seats For Election:18 elected seats in the Municipal Commission
Leader1:Tan Chye Cheng
Party1:Progressive
Leaders Seat1:Did not contest
Seats1:13
Popular Vote1:8,782
Percentage1:59.68%
Flag Image:Flag of Singapore (1946–1952).svg
Type:parliamentary
Popular Vote2:1,894
Leader2:Francis Thomas
Party2:Labour
Seats2:1
Percentage2:12.87%
Leaders Seat2:Did not contest

The April 1949 Singapore Municipal Commission election took place on 2 April 1949 to elect 18 of the 27 seats in the Singapore Municipal Commission.[1]

Background

The election was the first election for the Singapore Municipal Commission since the municipal commissioner elections on 5 December 1911.[2] In 1913, elections for the Singapore Municipal Commission were scrapped due to excessive politicking.

Following the end of World War II, elections were brought back for the Singapore Municipal Commission. Out of the 27 seats in the Singapore Municipal Commission, 18 seats were elected. These 18 seats were distributed to six wards in Singapore with each ward having three seats. The remaining nine seats were appointed by the British colonial government.

For the April 1949 election, municipal commissioners were elected to terms of varying lengths depending on their ranking in their respective wards. Commissioners who ranked third in their wards were elected to a term that ended in December 1949. Commissioners who ranked second had a term that ended in December 1950, and commissioners ranking first had a term that ended in December 1951.

Voting in this election was not compulsory, and voters were required to register in order to vote.

Nomination day was scheduled for 7 March 1949. Candidates were required to give an election deposit of $250 which was returned if they achieved at least 4.17% of the votes.

Results

By constituency

ConstituencySeatsElectoratePartyCandidateVotes%
City31,156Progressive PartyM. Oli Mohamed Mohamed Kassim52727.4
Progressive PartySandy Gurunathan Pillay39820.7
IndependentHassan Ali Jivabhai37519.5
IndependentLim Koon Teck32616.9
Labour PartySyed Mumtaz Hussain29915.5
East31,653IndependentGoh Hood Kiat88528.1
Progressive PartyFrank Caulfield James77824.7
Progressive PartySyed Hassan Al-Junied76624.3
Progressive PartyAmy Ede71722.8
North31,532Labour PartyPatrick Joseph Johnson53420.1
Progressive PartyV. Vayloo Pakirisamy48918.4
Progressive PartyChong Thutt Pitt45016.9
IndependentP. V. Krishnan40715.3
Labour PartyRajaratnam Vaithilingam39314.8
Progressive PartyTan Sim Hong39014.6
Rochore31,851IndependentPandarapillai Thillai Nathan87129.9
Progressive PartySena Ana Mohamed Ali68323.4
IndependentAhmad bin Mohamed Ibrahim49617.0
IndependentSyed Mohamed Abdul Hameed Chisty49116.8
Labour PartyGovindapillai Maruthamuthoo Kanagasabai37512.9
South31,482Progressive PartyArumugam Ponnu Rajah86734.5
Progressive PartyAbdul bin Samat76030.2
Progressive PartyDuncan Robertson69927.8
IndependentCheah Kim Bee1897.5
West31,014Progressive PartyCuthbert Francis Joseph Ess43127.8
Progressive PartyGaw Sien Khian42427.3
Progressive PartyPhyllis Eu Cheng Li40326.0
Labour PartyMadai Puthan Damodaran Nair29318.9
Source: Singapore Elections

Terms of elected commissioners

ConstituencyUntil December 1949Until December 1950Until December 1951
CommissionerPartyCommissionerPartyCommissionerParty
CityHassan Ali JivabhaiIndependentSandy Gurunathan PillayProgressiveM. Oli Mohamed Mohamed KassimProgressive
EastSyed Hassan Al-JuniedProgressiveFrank Caulfield JamesProgressiveGoh Hood KiatIndependent
NorthChong Thutt PittProgressiveV. Vayloo PakirisamyLabourPatrick Joseph JohnsonProgressive
RochoreAhmad bin Mohamed IbrahimIndependentSena Ana Mohamed AliProgressivePandarapillai Thillai NathanIndependent
SouthDuncan RobertsonProgressiveAbdul bin SamatProgressiveArumugam Ponnu RajahProgressive
WestPhyllis Eu Cheng LiProgressiveGaw Sien KhianProgressiveCuthbert Francis Joseph EssProgressive

Notes and References

  1. Web site: MUNICIPAL COMMISSION ELECTION APRIL 1949. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150920220837/http://www.singapore-elections.com/municipal-election/1949-4/ . 2015-09-20 . 15 July 2020. Singapore Elections.
  2. Web site: MUNICIPAL COMMISSION ELECTIONS 1889-1911. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160215175856/http://www.singapore-elections.com/municipal-election/1889-1911/index.html . 2016-02-15 . 16 July 2020. Singapore Elections.