Group+6-+1959+Elections

﻿ 1959 elections
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singaporean_general_election,_1959 The election was distinctive in being the first election in which all the seats were completely determined by the population as per the new Constitution of Singapore of 1959; in previous elections, some seats had always been chosen by Singapore's colonial authorities. As with other parliamentary elections, the entity with majority of won seats would go on to form the new government. Candidates were nominated on 25 April 1959 and the actual polls were held on 30 May. The People's Action Party (PAP) eventually won the general election in a landslide, winning 43 out of 51 seats. The 1959 general election marked the first time in history the PAP became the ruling party of Singapore. The 1959 election is strongly linked to Singapore's gain of self rule that followed soon after.

The 1959 general election was also the first election to be held since full internal __ self-government __ was granted by the __ British Empire __, which Singapore was part of at the time. __ Compulsory voting __ was also implemented for the first time. Singapore was not fully independent, as the British still controlled external affairs such as the military and foreign relations. However, Singapore was now a recognised __ state __ and the entire Legislative Assembly for the first time was wholly determined by the local population.

The voter turnout for the election was 527,919 out of a total 586,098 voters, or 92.9% of the total eligible voters. This was a huge turnout, especially when compared to the 1955 general election in which only 158,075 of 300,199 voters turned out, or 52.7% of the total eligible voters. Over 51 seats were available for contesting during the election, which was almost a 50% increase from the total seats at the 1955 general election, and more than double of the seats if only elected seats are considered. There were no walkovers. **Summary of the 30 May 1959 Singapore Legislative Assembly election results**||~ Parties and alliances seats ||~ Seats won ||~ Popular vote ||~ % ||~ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">+/- || Major Issues Locals demanded for PAP to fulfil their promises or they would lose trust in PAP.
 * ~ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Leader ||~ <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Contested
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">People's Action Party || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Lee Kuan Yew || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">51 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">43 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">281,891 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">54.1% || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">+45.4% ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Singapore People's Alliance || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Lim Yew Hock || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">39 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">107,755 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">20.7% || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> United Malays National Organisation : || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Tunku Abdul Rahman || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">8 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">27,448 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5.3% || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Liberal Socialist Party || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">E. H. Holloway || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">32 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">42,805 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">8.2% || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Workers' Party || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">David Saul Marshall || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4,127 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.8% || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Labour Front || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-decoration: none;">Francis Thomas || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3,414 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">0.7% || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-26.4% ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Independents ||  || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">34 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">35,341 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6.8% || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">-2.9% ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">other || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">25,138 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4.2% || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Total** || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">51 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">527,919 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">92.9% ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Invalid votes || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6,648 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1.3% ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Did not vote﻿ || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">58,179 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7.1% ||
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**Total voting electorate** || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">586,098 || <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">100.0% ||

Main political parties and people involved (Biographical write-up)

People’s Action Party (PAP)

Lee Kuan Yew First Prime Minister of Singapore (30 years). Longest-serving Prime Minister Co-founder and first secretary-general of PAP Led party to eight victories in 1959 to 1990 and oversaw the separation of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965

Singapore People’s Alliane (SPA) Lim Yew Hock Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959 Known for suppressing communist movements and leading all-party delegation that won internal self-government for Singapore. Was very aggressive in suppressing Communism, firing two Chung Cheung High School teachers and dissolving the Chinese Middle School Student's Union. Dissolve Labour Front and formed SPA. However, this ultimately led to his political downfall as it alienated a large portion of chinese-speaking electorate.

United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) Tunku Abdul Rahman Chief Minister of Federation of Malaya from 1955 and the country’s first Prime Minister from independence in 1957

Liberal Socialist Party E.H. Holloway

Workers’ Party David Saul Marshall First Chief Minister of Singapore Leader of Labour Front before fouding Workers’ Party Lost his seat in 1959 general election, but won a by-election in Anson in 1961. After losing his seat again in 1963 elections, he remained active in opposition politics until 1972 when J. B. Jeyaretnam became the leader of WP

Labour Front Francis Thomas

Timeline

Match 1959- Singapore was granted full self-government. Lim Yew Hock was elected as Chief Minister

25 April 1959- Candidates for the General Election were nominated

30 May 1959- Polling day!

May 1959- People's Action Party won 43 out of 51 seats in the General Elections and Lee Kuan Yew became the first Prime Minster of Singapore. Lim Yew Hock lost because he was anti-communist and as a result lost the support of most of the Chinese locals, who were pro-communists.