City of Singapore (historical entity) explained

Singapore
Official Name:City of Singapore
Settlement Type:City
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United Kingdom
(1951–1963)
Malaysia
(1963–1965)
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Name1:
(1951–1959)
State of Singapore
(1959–1965)
Government Type:City council
Leader Title1:Mayor
Leader Name1:Ong Eng Guan
Area Total Km2:17.84
Population Demonym:Singaporean
Timezone1:MALT
Utc Offset1:+07:30
Postal Code Type:Postal districts
Postal Code:1, 6, 7, 8, 9

The City of Singapore existed between 1951 and 1965 in the Colony of Singapore, a British Crown colony and later in the State of Singapore within Malaysia, with the City Council as the governing authority. Before 1951, the City Council was known as the Municipal Commission.[1] The rest of the crown colony was under the authority of the Singapore Rural Board. The city served as the capital of Colony of Singapore, and the State of Singapore from 1951 until its abolishment in 1965.[1] [2]

History

See also: Singapore in the Straits Settlements.

Creation and subsequent elections

In the 1948 and 1951 general elections in Singapore, constituencies were drawn along the boundary of the Municipal Commission and the Rural Board, each area was subdivided into a number of constituencies.[3] [4]

The municipality was then conferred with city status by a royal charter from King George VI on 22 September 1951, when Singapore was then a Crown colony.[1] The original Municipal Commission was therefore renamed as the City Council, and the Municipal Building was renamed City Hall.

Between the 1957 election and the phasing out of the city, Ong Eng Guan of the People's Action Party (PAP) was the mayor as the leader of the largest party within the City Council. Ong went on to become Minister of National Development under Lee Kuan Yew's premiership.

Dissolution

After the PAP gained power following the 1959 general election and formed the first government after self-government was granted to the Crown colony, the city was phased out, with powers transferred to statutory boards.[5]

In 1965, upon Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia, the Republic of Singapore Independence Act 1965 provided the following clause which empowered the President to abolish the City Council and the Rural Board, with the powers of the local authorities assumed by the Government.

Legacy

Today, the Central Area, which sits in the south-eastern corner of Singapore, mostly corresponds with what was once the City of Singapore.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: City day. Singapore Infopedia. National Library Board.
  2. Web site: The story of the two city halls. The Straits Times (Archived on NewspaperSG). September 20, 1953. March 3, 2024.
  3. Web site: Singapore Legislative Council General Election 1948 . 27 March 2015 . 24 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230124005653/http://www.singapore-elections.com/general-election/1948/ . dead .
  4. Web site: Singapore Legislative Council General Election 1951 . 27 March 2015 . 27 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200727104737/http://www.singapore-elections.com/general-election/1951/ . dead .
  5. Web site: Singapore Elections.