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.

1955 Singaporean general election
2 April 1955
25 (of the 32) seats to the Legislative Assembly
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader David Marshall Tan Chye Cheng Tan Ek Khoo
Party LF PP DP
Leader's seat Cairnhill Cairnhill (defeated) Did not contest
Last election Did not contest 6 seats, 45.4% Did not contest
Seats won 10 4 2
Seat change New 2 New
Popular vote 42,300 38,695 32,115
Percentage 27.1% 24.8% 20.5
Swing New 20.6% New
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
  MCA
Leader Lee Kuan Yew Wong Foo Nam Abdul Hamid Jumat
Party PAP MCA UMNO
Leader's seat Tanjong Pagar Pasir Panjang Ulu Bedok
Last election Did not contest Did not contest Did not contest
Seats won 3 1 1
Seat change New New New
Popular vote 13,634 6,203 5,721
Percentage 8.7 4.0 3.7
Swing New New New
  Seventh party
  KM
Leader Mohamed Sidik Abdul Hamid
Party Malay Union
Leader's seat Southern Islands
Last election Did not contest
Seats won 1
Seat change New
Popular vote 1,233
Percentage 0.8
Swing New
Chief Minister before election

Newly created

 Chief Minister after election

David Marshall
LF

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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 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)
ConstituencyDivisions formed from
Bukit PanjangBukit Timah & Seletar
CairnhillBalestier, Rochore & Tanglin
Farrer ParkBalestier
GeylangKatong
HavelockCity, Keppel & Tanglin
Kampong KaporRochore
Pasir PanjangBukit Timah & Keppel
Paya LebarChangi & Katong
Punggol–TampinesChangi
QueenstownBukit Timah, Keppel & Tanglin
SembawangBukit Timah & Seletar
SerangoonBalestier, Changi & Seletar
Southern IslandsBukit Timah & Keppel
StamfordCity & Rochore
Tanjong PagarCity & Keppel
Telok AyerCity
Tiong BahruKeppel
Ulu BedokChangi
WhampoaBalestier

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.[2] 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.[3]

Party Votes % Seats +/–
Labour Front42,30027.110New
Progressive Party38,69524.84–2
Democratic Party32,11520.52New
People's Action Party13,6348.73New
Malayan Chinese Association (SA)6,2034.01New
United Malays National Organisation (SA)5,7213.71New
Labour Party1,3250.80–2
Malay Union (SA)1,2330.81New
Independents15,0989.73+2
Invalid/blank votes1,751–––
Total158,07510025+16
Registered voters/turnout300,19952.7––
Source: Singapore Elections

By constituency
ConstituencyElectoratePartyCandidateVotes%
Bukit Panjang 8,012 Progressive Party Goh Tong Liang 3,097
72.21 / 100
Labour Front Lim Wee Toh 1,192
27.79 / 100
Bukit Timah 9,173 People's Action Party Lim Chin Siong 3,259
52.45 / 100
Democratic Party Tan Wah Meng 1,308
21.05 / 100
Labour Front A. N. Mitra 924
14.88 / 100
Progressive Party S. F. Ho 722
11.62 / 100
Cairnhill 13,528 Labour Front David Saul Marshall 3,305
47.58 / 100
Progressive Party Tan Chye Cheng 2,530
36.42 / 100
Democratic Party Tan Khiang Khoo 1,111
16.00 / 100
Changi 11,239 Democratic Party Lim Cher Kheng 2,624
45.08 / 100
Progressive Party S. G. Mohamed Ghows 1,699
29.19 / 100
Labour Front Wong Sau Sheung 1,498
25.73 / 100
Farrer Park 12,242 Labour Front Anthony Rebeiro Lazarous 2,585
38.52 / 100
People's Action Party Chengara Veetil Devan Nair 2,219
33.07 / 100
Progressive Party Eric Wee Sian Beng 1,784
26.59 / 100
Independent C. T. B. Unnithan 85
1.27 / 100
Independent Chua Kim Watt 37
0.55 / 100
Geylang 16,604 Labour Front Mak Pak Shee 2,756
41.17 / 100
Independent Goh Hood Kiat 1,386
20.71 / 100
Labour Party Lee Yong Min 1,325
19.80 / 100
Democratic Party Lam Joon Chong 1,226
18.32 / 100
Havelock 12,835 Labour Front Lim Yew Hock 5,744
86.48 / 100
Independent C. S. Soh 525
7.90 / 100
Progressive Party Chua Bock Kwee 373
5.62 / 100
Kampong Kapor 13,815 Labour Front Seah Peng Chuan 3,253
45.60 / 100
Independent Caralapati Raghaviah Dasaratha Raj 2,155
30.21 / 100
Democratic Party Wong Shian Yein 1,283
17.98 / 100
Progressive Party Lim Kian Lee 443
6.21 / 100
Katong 22,196 Labour Front Armand Joseph Braga 4,680
45.66 / 100
Progressive Party Christopher John Laycock 2,965
28.93 / 100
Democratic Party Chan Wah Chip 2,605
25.41 / 100
Pasir Panjang 13,812 Singapore Alliance Party Wong Foo Nam 3,546
45.17 / 100
Progressive Party K. Mohd S. Hamid 2,370
30.19 / 100
Labour Front P. V. Krishnan 1,306
16.63 / 100
Democratic Party Leong Foon Chew 629
8.01 / 100
Paya Lebar 12,827 Progressive Party Lim Koon Teck 3,330
52.07 / 100
Democratic Party Tan Eng Joo 3,065
47.93 / 100
Punggol-Tampines 6,628 People's Action Party Goh Chew Chua 2,127
55.38 / 100
Democratic Party Anthony Goh 918
23.90 / 100
Progressive Party H. A. De Silva 796
20.72 / 100
Queenstown 7,015 Labour Front Lee Choon Eng 2,792
67.28 / 100
Democratic Party Murray Bruce Brash 736
17.73 / 100
Progressive Party Elizabeth Choy-Yong Su Mei 622
14.99 / 100
Rochore 12,073 Labour Front Tan Theng Chiang 2,929
46.25 / 100
Democratic Party Ong Eng Lian 1,897
29.95 / 100
Progressive Party Soh Ghee Soon 1,507
23.80 / 100
Sembawang 10,675 Independent Ahmad bin Ibrahim 4,281
63.24 / 100
Progressive Party Lee Kim Kee 2,488
36.76 / 100
Seletar 9,402 Independent Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair 1,771
31.83 / 100
Independent Lek Poh Song 1,632
29.33 / 100
Democratic Party Tan Leong Teck 1,252
22.50 / 100
Labour Front Khew Pee Ging 909
16.34 / 100
Serangoon 8,402 Progressive Party Lim Choon Mong 2,172
45.83 / 100
Democratic Party Lim Chye Seng 1,412
29.80 / 100
Singapore Alliance Party Lim Siew Ek 1,155
24.37 / 100
Southern Islands 3,548 Singapore Alliance Party Mohamed Sidik bin Abdul Hamid 1,233
50.57 / 100
Progressive Party Hollupatherage James Caldera Kulasingha 1,205
49.43 / 100
Stamford 13,207 Labour Front Jumabhoy Mohamed Jumabhoy 2,691
43.08 / 100
Independent T. A. Simon 1,281
20.51 / 100
Progressive Party Nazir Ahmad Mallal 1,153
18.46 / 100
Democratic Party Ng Sen Choy 1,121
17.95 / 100
Tanglin 16,177 Progressive Party John Anthony Moore Ede 3,214
45.67 / 100
Democratic Party Lim Yong Bock 2,501
35.54 / 100
Labour Front Lim Seow Chuan 1,322
18.79 / 100
Tanjong Pagar 13,430 People's Action Party Lee Kuan Yew 6,029
78.33 / 100
Progressive Party Peter Lim Seck Tiong 908
11.80 / 100
Democratic Party Lam Thian 760
9.87 / 100
Telok Ayer 11,547 Independent Rajabali Jumabhoy 1,945
39.90 / 100
Democratic Party Sng Siak Hwee 1,453
30.30 / 100
Labour Front Tan Ewe Chee 1,660
29.80 / 100
Tiong Bahru 12,664 Democratic Party William Tan Ah Lek 2,264
38.60 / 100
Progressive Party Foo Few Ting 2,100
35.80 / 100
Singapore Alliance Party Teo Seng Bee 1,502
25.60 / 100
Ulu Bedok 16,903 Singapore Alliance Party Abdul Hamid bin Jumat 5,721
61.04 / 100
Democratic Party Toh Seng Sit 2,999
32.00 / 100
Progressive Party Abdul Hamid bin Rahmat 652
6.96 / 100
Whampoa 12,345 Labour Front Chew Swee Kee 2,961
45.88 / 100
Progressive Party Thio Chan Bee 2,565
39.75 / 100
Democratic Party Lee Kok Liang 927
14.37 / 100
Source: ELD

See also

References
  1. "1955 Legislative Assembly general election". National Library Board. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  2. "1955 Legislative Assembly general election". National Library Board. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  3. "History of leader of Opposition in S'pore, from LKY to Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Khiang". mothership.sg. 18 February 2018. Retrieved 9 July 2020.
  • Sr, Pugalenthi (1996) Elections in Singapore VJ Times International Pte Ltd, Singapore ISBN 981-221-025-3
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