1959 Singaporean general election

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All 51 seats in theLegislative Assembly 26 seats needed for a majority
Registered	586,098
Turnout	90.07% ( 37.41pp)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Lee Kuan Yew Lim Yew Hock Abdul Hamid Jumat Party PAP SPA UMNO Last election 8.72%, 3 seats – 3.66%, 1 seat Seats won 43 4 3 Seat change 39 New 2 Popular vote 281,891 107,755 27,448 Percentage 54.08% 20.67% 5.27% Swing 45.36pp New 1.61pp
Results by constituency
Chief Minister before election Lim Yew Hock SPA Prime Minister after election Lee Kuan Yew PAP

General elections were held inSingapore on 30 May 1959 to elect all 51 members of theLegislative Assembly. They were the first general elections after Singapore was grantedfull internal self-government from theUnited Kingdom, excluding matters of defence and foreign affairs.^[1][2] Prior to the elections, theconstitution was revised, known as the Singapore (Constitution) Order in Council 1958. Along with a wholly elected Legislative Assembly, it also created the position of theYang di-Pertuan Negara ashead of state and aPrime Minister ashead of government.^[3] It was also the first general election withuniversal suffrage andcompulsory voting, leading to a voter turnout of 90.07%, a significant increase from 52.66% in1955.^[3][4]

ThePeople's Action Party (PAP), led byLee Kuan Yew, achieved alandslide victory by winning 43 of the 51 seats and securing 54.08% of the popular vote.^[5][6] The PAP, which benefited from the support oftrade unions and Chinese-speaking working-class voters, had focused on completely ending colonial rule, expanding public housing and education, creating jobs through industrialisation and fostering racial harmony as its platform. Its main opponent,Lim Yew Hock'sSingapore People's Alliance (SPA), which had some former members of theLabour Front (LF), secured only four seats. The Singaporean branch of theUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO) won three seats, while other parties and independents made little headway.^[2][7]

Following the elections, Lee was sworn in as Singapore's first Prime Minister on 5 June 1959, heading thefirst fully elected government under the new constitutional framework.^[2][8] The PAP's decisive victory marked the beginning of a prolonged period ofpolitical dominance that has continued into the present day. The 1959 general elections are also widely recognised by scholars and historians as a pivotal moment in Singapore's modern history, marking a crucial step towards full sovereignty in1965.^[3]

David Marshall, who led the rulingLabour Front (LF) following its victory in theprevious general election in 1955, was a staunch anti-colonialist and vocal critic of British rule. AsChief Minister, Marshall advocated for immediate self-government, but his uncompromising stance and confrontational negotiations with the British made it difficult to reach a mutually acceptable agreement. In 1956, after failing to secure British assent for full internal self-rule, Marshall resigned having pledged to do so if he could not achieve that goal.^[2][3] He was succeeded byLim Yew Hock, who adopted a more pragmatic and conciliatory approach toward the colonial authorities while simultaneously launching an aggressive campaign againstleft-wing and communist-linked groups. Lim's crackdown succeeded in convincing the British that the local leadership could manage internal security, which paved the way for a concrete plan toward self-governance.^[2][7]

However, by the time of the 1959 election, the LF was deeply divided and politically weakened. Lim's repressiveanti-communist measures, while effective in satisfying British concerns, had alienated a substantial portion of the ethnic Chinese electorate which had been disproportionately targeted during the anti-communist drive.^[2] His administration was accused of violatingcivil liberties, with numerous activists and trade unionists detained without trial with the justification ofinternal security. The use of force against student demonstrators during the 1956Chinese middle schools riots, which reflected both anti-colonial and anti-communist sentiments, further eroded his popular support.^[3] These developments contributed to the LF's dramatic decline in the 1959 election and the rise of thePeople's Action Party (PAP) as the dominant political force.

TheConstitution of Singapore was significantly amended in 1958, replacing theRendel Constitution and granting Singapore internal self-government. Under the revised constitutional framework, Singapore was given the authority to fully elect its Legislative Assembly, marking a major step toward democratic self-rule.^[2] Previously, theRendel Constitution, drafted in 1955 by a commission headed by British diplomatGeorge William Rendel, had introduced limited representative governance. Of the 32 seats in the Legislative Assembly under that system, only 25 were elected by the public bylimited suffrage, while the remaining seven were appointed by the colonial administration.^[1] This was itself an improvement from the earlier pre-1955Legislative Council, which allowed only nine members to be elected, with the majority of seats filled through colonial appointment.^[7]

The 1959 general election was the first to be held under the new constitution and marked the beginning of Singapore's era of full internal self-government. While Singapore was now recognised as a self-governingstate with control over domestic policy, the British government retained authority over external affairs, including defence and foreign relations and maintained joint control over internal security.^[1][2] Nonetheless, the political reforms were widely seen as a foundational milestone in Singapore's path to full independence, which would only be realised in 1965.

Another significant reform introduced in 1959 was the implementation ofcompulsory voting. With the removal of earlier suffrage restrictions that had limited electoral participation, voting was made mandatory for all eligible citizens, a policy that has remained in place for every general election since.^[3]

On 10 November 1958, Chief MinisterLim Yew Hock established theSingapore People's Alliance (SPA), comprising formerLF assembly members who had defected from the party. TheSPA also sought to broaden its support by inviting members from theLiberal Socialist Party (LSP) and theWorkers' Party (WP).^[2] Formed with the intention of presenting a rejuvenated image ahead of the 1959 general election, the SPA campaigned on promises to secure full employment, improve working conditions and achieve independence for Singapore through a merger with theFederation of Malaya.^[7]

Lim had previously succeededDavid Marshall as Chief Minister in 1956 after Marshall resigned following unsuccessful negotiations with the British for self-government. While Lim's firm stance againstleft-wing activism satisfied British concerns aboutinternal security, his administration faced growing public dissatisfaction. His tenure saw few improvements in living standards and was marred by the use of harsh measures againstlabour unions and student demonstrators. Allegations of corruption further damaged the government's credibility, leading to the resignation of all ten remaining elected LF assemblymen before the end of the term.^[3] These developments contributed to the formation of several new political parties, with Marshall establishing the WP in 1957, Lim the SPA in 1958 and a separate group of defectors founded theCitizens Party (CP) in early 1959.^[2]

In the run-up to the election, the SPA attempted to undermine the credibility of thePAP, which controlled theCity Council of Singapore. The SPA accused the PAP of appointing supporters to Council positions and manipulating contract tenders. To support these claims, the government convened a Commission of Inquiry in April 1959 to investigate alleged improprieties. However, the inquiry failed to uncover any evidence of wrongdoing and the hearings were indefinitely adjourned.^[3][9][10] TheLSP had also entered the race, having been formed from a merger of theProgressive Party (PP) and theDemocratic Party (DP). ThePP, which had previously dominated the1948 and1951 elections, had lost its influence by the mid-1950s as it was increasingly seen as too cautious and slow in pushing for reforms.^[2]

Another electoral contender were the Singaporean branches of theUnited Malays National Organisation (UMNO), theMalayan Chinese Association (MCA) and theMalayan Indian Congress (MIC). Their campaign had focused on raising living standards and enhancing economic integration withMalaya. Given that their parent coalition, theAlliance Party, held power in theFederation of Malaya underTunku Abdul Rahman, they promised being in a strong position to negotiate for Singapore's early merger with the Federation.^[7] TheMalay Union (MU), which had previously allied with UMNO and MCA in the previous election, had been expelled from the coalition in 1957 after unilaterally fielding a candidate in theCairnhill by-election.^[3]

The PAP, then in opposition, declared its intention to contest all 51 seats in the Legislative Assembly. Its election manifesto,The Tasks Ahead, outlined a comprehensive five-year plan aimed at resolving Singapore's pressing socioeconomic issues. These included the provision of low-cost public housing, the expansion and reform of the education system and the promotion of industrialisation to create employment. The manifesto also reaffirmed the PAP's commitment to achieving full independence through merger with Malaya.^[3][7] A key theme of the PAP campaign was its stand against corruption. In contrast to the Lim's administration, PAP leaders and candidates adopted white shirts and trousers as their uniform, symbolising honesty and integrity in government, an image that continues to define the party's identity.^[2] In response, the SPA attempted to discredit the PAP by claiming it was under communist influence, a narrative that was echoed by the LSP and the local branches of UMNO. PAP leaderLee Kuan Yew dismissed these accusations as unfounded, calling them "silly", "blabbering" and "lies".^[3][9]

The 51 seats of the Legislative Assembly were elected fromsingle-member constituencies, with an increase of 26 seats in this election. The changes among the constituencies were:^[11]

The election was dominated by a number of major issues, among them government corruption, the path toward independence and political stability in the face ofcommunist influence. The ongoing communist insurgency led by theMalayan Communist Party (MCP), which had triggered theMalayan Emergency in 1948, remained a concern for both British authorities and local political actors. Although armed resistance in Singapore was less pronounced than in theFederation of Malaya, fears of subversion continued to influence security policy and political rhetoric.^[2][7]

The public's growing desire for self-rule was increasingly encapsulated in the rallying cryMerdeka, aMalay word meaning independence or freedom. Popular sentiment for immediate self-government intensified in the late 1950s, reflecting the broader decolonisation movement sweeping through Asia. Political leaders, including those from the PAP and SPA, recognised the term's powerful emotional and symbolic value. Demonstrators and political activists frequently chanted "We want Merdeka now!" at rallies and public meetings, pressing for the end of British colonial rule.^[2][3]

In the days leading up to the election, newspaper editorials and political analysts speculated that the presence of numerous parties and multi-cornered contests in many constituencies would divide the anti-PAP vote. This fragmentation was expected to benefit the PAP, which fielded candidates in all 51 constituencies and had a strong grassroots network and clear campaign message.^[7][12]

The Chew Swee Kee affair was a major controversy that surfaced during the election campaign and significantly influenced public opinion. A few months prior in February, the PAP accusedChew Swee Kee, thenMinister for Education inLim's Cabinet, to have obtained a large political donation from abroad under unclear circumstances.^[13] Following these accusations, a Commission of Inquiry was convened to investigate the matter. It was alleged that Chew had received between $700,000 and $800,000 from a foreign donor inNew York City, which he later diverted for personal use.^[14] At the time, the public and press widely assumed the funding came from theUnited States, possibly through theCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA), fuelling concerns about foreign interference.

Chew resigned from his ministerial position on 4 March, shortly after the allegations were made public.^[15] He also did not contest in the election. The scandal had a devastating impact on the SPA's credibility, particularly as the party was increasingly viewed as being aligned with foreign and non-local interests. For a population that was growing more anti-colonial and nationalist in sentiment, the perception that a senior minister had accepted funds from a foreign government was politically damaging. The incident is widely regarded as one of the key factors in the SPA's electoral collapse.^[15]

Subsequent scholarly research has clarified that the funding Chew received did not originate from the United States or the CIA, as previously suspected. Instead, it was channelled from theRepublic of China (ROC, Taiwan) under theKuomintang (KMT) government, which was then seeking to supportanti-communist political forces in the region. Chew had personally met withGeorge Yeh, the ROC'sForeign Minister andAmbassador to the United States, in September 1957 to solicit such funds.^[16][17]

The election results saw alandslide victory for thePAP, which secured 43 of the 51 seats in the Legislative Assembly. TheSPA, despite contesting for 39 seats, won only four. TheLF and theLSP, the latter having been formed through a merger of theDP and thePP, failed to win any seats. A total of 73 candidates, including 20 from the LSP, lost their $500 election deposit after failing to obtain at least 12.5% of the vote in their respective constituencies.[18]

PAP candidate Wong Soon Fong achieved the highest vote share in the election, securing 77.66% inToa Payoh. In contrast, Lillian Tan of the LSP received the lowest share, polling only 0.82% inSerangoon Gardens. In terms of absolute numbers,Goh Keng Swee of the PAP received the highest number of votes with 9,313 inKreta Ayer, while Lillian Tan again recorded the lowest with only 64 votes.River Valley saw the narrowest winning margin in Singapore's electoral history, with PAP candidate Lim Cheng Lock winning by just five votes, equivalent to a margin of 0.05%, against SPA's Soh Ghee Soon.^[18]

This was the first election held undercompulsory voting anduniversal suffrage. As a result, voter turnout reached 90.07%, a record high at the time, with 527,919 of the 586,098 registered voters casting their ballots. This marked a significant increase from the 52.66% turnout recorded in the previous general election.^[18]

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	People's Action Party	281,891	54.08	43	+40
	Singapore People's Alliance	107,755	20.67	4	New
	Liberal Socialist Party	42,805	8.21	0	–6
	United Malays National Organisation	27,448	5.27	3	+2
	Malayan Chinese Association	5,593	1.07	0	–1
	Workers' Party	4,127	0.79	0	New
	Labour Front	3,414	0.65	0	–10
	Citizens' Party	3,210	0.62	0	New
	Malay Union	2,819	0.54	0	–1
	Malayan Indian Congress	2,092	0.40	0	New
	Partai Rakyat	2,006	0.38	0	New
	Katong United Residents' Association	1,759	0.34	0	New
	Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party	1,011	0.19	0	New
	Independents	35,341	6.78	1	–2
Total		521,271	100.00	51	+26
Valid votes		521,271	98.74
Invalid/blank votes		6,648	1.26
Total votes		527,919	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		586,098	90.07
Source:Singapore Elections

Constituency	Electorate	Party		Candidate	Votes	%	Swing	Margin
Aljunied	13,255		People's Action Party	S. V. Lingam	5,701	49.40	N/A	6.04
			Liberal Socialist Party	E. H. Holloway	5,004	43.36	N/A
			Partai Rakyat	Tang Yoong Chiaw	835	7.24	N/A
Anson	9,921		People's Action Party	Baharudin Mohamed Ariff	5,167	60.75	N/A	38.71
			Singapore People's Alliance	Goh Kong Beng	1,875	22.04	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Tan Cheng Chuan	1,231	14.47	N/A
			Independent	Wong Swee Kee	117	1.38	N/A
			Independent	P. Krishanan	116	1.36	N/A
Bras Basah	11,193		People's Action Party	Hoe Puay Choo	6,014	63.25	N/A	42.29
			Liberal Socialist Party	Foo Ho Fang	1,993	20.96	N/A
			Singapore People's Alliance	Goh Hin Shong	1,501	15.79	N/A
Bukit Merah	11,286		People's Action Party	S. Ramaswamy	5,922	59.09	N/A	28.89
			Singapore People's Alliance	Teo Cheng Hye	3,026	30.20	N/A
			Independent	Lee Choon Eng	1,073	10.71	N/A
Bukit Panjang	11,984		People's Action Party	Lee Khoon Choy	6,156	58.31	N/A	34.69
			Liberal Socialist Party	Tan Leong Teck	2,494	23.62	N/A
			Singapore People's Alliance	Lim Siak Guan	1,382	13.09	N/A
			Malayan Indian Congress	T. K. Alexander	526	4.98	N/A
Bukit Timah	11,285		People's Action Party	Yaacob Mohamed	6,174	61.14	8.69	36.78
			Liberal Socialist Party	Pek Cheng Chuan	2,460	24.36	N/A
			Independent	Lee Yew Seng	1,464	14.50	N/A
Cairnhill	12,239		Singapore People's Alliance	Lim Yew Hock	5,275	48.22	N/A	21.53
			Workers' Party	David Marshall	2,920	26.69	N/A
			People's Action Party	Oh Su Chen	2,262	20.68	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Tan Keng Siong	483	4.41	N/A
Changi	11,199		People's Action Party	Teo Hock Guan	3,480	35.10	N/A	6.67
			UMNO	Abdul Rahman Haji Mohamed Said	2,818	28.43	N/A
			Independent	Lim Cher Kheng	2,225	22.45	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Wee Tin Teck	1,024	10.33	N/A
			Malay Union	Fatimah Nor Bt. G. S.	366	3.69	N/A
Chua Chu Kang	6,889		People's Action Party	Ong Chang Sam	3,536	56.29	N/A	31.41
			Independent	Neo Koon Hin	1,563	24.88	N/A
			Singapore People's Alliance	Goh Tong Liang	1,183	18.83	N/A
Crawford	12,031		People's Action Party	K. M. Byrne	7,120	66.57	N/A	43.32
			Singapore People's Alliance	Teng Ling Siong	2,487	23.25	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Chua Seng Kian	897	8.39	N/A
			Independent	Sim John	191	1.79	N/A
Delta	14,954		People's Action Party	Chan Choy Siong	9,301	69.45	N/A	60.40
			Malayan Chinese Association	Chia Chee Buang	1,212	9.05	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Lim Ah Lee	2,308	17.23	N/A
			Singapore People's Alliance	Munusamy Nadarajah	571	4.27	N/A
Farrer Park	10,293		Independent	A. P. Rajah	4,077	44.52	N/A	2.67
			People's Action Party	Tan Teck Ngiap	3,832	41.85	8.78
			Independent	Soo-Tho Sin Hee	789	8.62	N/A
			Independent	Chan Kooi Chew	311	3.40	N/A
Geylang East	15,562		People's Action Party	Mohamed Ismail Abdul Rahim	7,153	51.95	N/A	10.01
			Singapore People's Alliance	Ng Cheng Chwee	5,775	41.94	N/A
			Independent	Mak Pak Shee	842	6.11	N/A
Geylang Serai	14,447		UMNO	Abdul Hamid Jumat	7,940	63.09	N/A	32.64
			People's Action Party	Roshan Hassan	3,832	30.45	N/A
			Pan-Malayan Islamic Party	Syed Ahmad Dahlan	460	3.66	N/A
			Partai Rakyat	Harun Mohamed Amin	353	2.80	N/A
Geylang West	15,570		People's Action Party	Yong Nyuk Lin	8,923	67.60	N/A	35.20
			Singapore People's Alliance	Kwek Sam Hock	4,276	32.40	N/A
Havelock	15,909		People's Action Party	Lau Peter	9,227	63.60	N/A	39.05
			Independent	Ng See Thong	3,562	24.55	N/A
			Singapore People's Alliance	Tan Theng Chiang	963	6.64	N/A
			Malayan Chinese Association	K. S. Loke	433	2.98	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Tan Ah Pak	323	2.23	N/A
Hong Lim	12,667		People's Action Party	Ong Eng Guan	8,834	77.02	N/A	66.63
			Malayan Chinese Association	Loh Ngian Lim	1,192	10.39	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Tan Hong Chye	856	7.46	N/A
			Singapore People's Alliance	Sim Wee Teck	588	5.13	N/A
Jalan Besar	13,877		People's Action Party	Chan Chee Seng	7,600	62.48	N/A	41.33
			Singapore People's Alliance	Wong Yew Hon	2,573	21.15	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Lo Ka Fat	1,488	12.23	N/A
			Labour Front	See Eng Kiat	503	4.14	N/A
Jalan Kayu	8,690		People's Action Party	Tan Cheng Tong	4,837	62.28	N/A	24.56
			Singapore People's Alliance	M. P. D. Nair	2,929	37.72	N/A
Joo Chiat	15,257		Singapore People's Alliance	C. H. Koh	6,136	45.87	N/A	6.24
			People's Action Party	Fong Kim Heng	5,301	39.63	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Gay Wan Guay	1,215	9.08	N/A
			Katong United Residents' Association	Low Teck Cheng	405	3.03	N/A
			Independent	Henry Chong	320	2.39	N/A
Jurong	7,176		People's Action Party	Chor Yeok Eng	4,502	70.67	N/A	49.87
			Singapore People's Alliance	Wong Tuck Leong	1,325	20.80	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Chia Yeck Poh	375	5.89	N/A
			Malay Union	Aman B. H. Subri	168	2.64	N/A
Kallang	12,939		People's Action Party	Buang Omar Junid	5,690	48.18	N/A	6.13
			Singapore People's Alliance	Tan Hai Tong	4,967	42.05	N/A
			Citizens' Party	Seah Peng Chuan	1,154	7.18	N/A
Kampong Glam	10,934		People's Action Party	S. Rajaratnam	6,324	65.27	N/A	47.24
			Singapore People's Alliance	Mahmood Latiff	1,747	18.03	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Ong Eng Lian	1,377	14.21	N/A
			Independent	Wu Shiaw	241	2.49	N/A
Kampong Kapor	12,736		People's Action Party	G. Kandasamy	6,059	54.27	N/A	21.74
			Singapore People's Alliance	Chia Ban Wei	3,632	32.53	N/A
			Independent	Jaganathan S.	711	6.37	N/A
			Independent	Choo Yeok Koon	432	3.87	N/A
			Citizens' Party	Yen Jen San	330	2.96	N/A
Kampong Kembangan	13,007		UMNO	Mohammed Ali Alwi	4,443	38.86	N/A	2.13
			People's Action Party	Othman Wok	4,199	36.73	N/A
			Singapore People's Alliance	Mohd. b. Hj. Yacob	2,028	17.74	N/A
			Pan-Malayan Islamic Party	H. M. Yahiya	317	2.77	N/A
			Partai Rakyat	A. Latiff b. Ibrahim	231	2.02	N/A
			Malay Union	Jaffar b. Abdul Ghani	215	1.88	N/A
Kreta Ayer	14,173		People's Action Party	Goh Keng Swee	9,313	73.35	N/A	46.70
			Liberal Socialist Party	Pang Man Ming	3,384	26.65	N/A
Moulmein	10,095		People's Action Party	Lin You Eng	4,324	47.25	N/A	4.03
			Singapore People's Alliance	Yap Jin Yau	3,955	43.22	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Tan Peng Khoo	872	9.53	N/A
Mountbatten	10,212		Singapore People's Alliance	Chua Seng Kim	3,031	33.71	N/A	9.87
			People's Action Party	Tay Kum Sun	2,143	23.84	N/A
			Malayan Chinese Association	Wong Foo Nam	1,903	21.17	N/A
			Katong United Residents' Association	Felice Leon-Soh	1,354	15.06	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Wee Soo Bee	559	6.22	N/A
Nee Soon	8,694		People's Action Party	Sheng Nam Chin	5,622	73.30	N/A	54.06
			Singapore People's Alliance	Yap Chin Poh	1,476	19.24	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Yong Nyuk Khoon	572	7.46	N/A
Pasir Panjang	6,631		People's Action Party	Tee Kim Leng	2,123	36.00	N/A	4.05
			Independent	H. J. C. Kulasingha	1,884	31.95	N/A
			UMNO	Sukaimi Ibrahim	1,704	28.90	N/A
			Independent	S. T. V. Lingam	186	3.15	N/A
Paya Lebar	12,089		People's Action Party	Tan Kia Gan	6,531	60.81	N/A	21.62
			Independent	Ong Chye Hock	4,209	39.19	N/A
Punggol	9,893		People's Action Party	Ng Teng Kian	4,072	46.39	N/A	4.75
			Singapore People's Alliance	Tan Jin Hong	3,655	41.64	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Quah Heck Peck	554	6.31	N/A
			Independent	Tay Keng Hock	497	5.66	N/A
Queenstown	10,634		People's Action Party	Lee Siew Choh	5,301	53.81	N/A	16.93
			Singapore People's Alliance	Chee Phui Hung	3,732	37.88	N/A
			Independent	Lee Kim Chuan	818	8.31	N/A
River Valley	10,594		People's Action Party	Lim Cheng Lock	3,430	36.55	N/A	0.05
			Singapore People's Alliance	Soh Ghee Soon	3,425	36.50	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	E. K. Tan	2,529	26.95	N/A
Rochore	12,436		People's Action Party	Toh Chin Chye	7,995	71.76	N/A	51.91
			Singapore People's Alliance	K. C. Thomas	2,212	19.85	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Tan Soo Wan	934	8.39	N/A
Sembawang	8,859		People's Action Party	Ahmad Ibrahim	4,316	54.69	N/A	35.85
			Malayan Indian Congress	V. Jayaram	1,566	19.84	N/A
			Singapore People's Alliance	Chew Seng	1,084	13.74	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Lau Sai Seng	926	11.73	N/A
Sepoy Lines	10,347		People's Action Party	Wee Toon Boon	5,352	58.35	N/A	16.70
			Singapore People's Alliance	Goh Su Chiang	3,820	41.65	N/A
Serangoon Gardens	8,631		People's Action Party	Leong Keng Seng	3,843	48.93	N/A	13.74
			Singapore People's Alliance	Wee Eric Sian Beng	2,764	35.19	N/A
			Malayan Chinese Association	Liao Ping	853	10.86	13.51
			Labour Front	Victor Louis Fernandez	330	4.20	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Lilian Tan	64	0.82	N/A
Siglap	14,693		People's Action Party	Sahorah bte Ahmat	4,407	34.34	N/A	7.78
			Independent	Koh Tee Kin	3,408	26.56	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	John Snodgrass	1,511	11.78	N/A
			UMNO	Inche Sidik	1,418	11.05	N/A
			Independent	Abdullah Masood	1,267	9.87	N/A
			Partai Rakyat	Pang Toon Tin	587	4.57	N/A
			Pan-Malayan Islamic Party	A. Wanjor	234	1.83	N/A
Southern Islands	5,325		UMNO	Ahmad Jabri Mohammed Akib	2,598	53.73	N/A	28.39
			People's Action Party	Kum Teng Hock	1,225	25.34	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Ismail Haji Hussain	1,012	20.93	N/A
Stamford	12,392		People's Action Party	Fung Yin Ching	5,372	49.18	N/A	14.30
			Singapore People's Alliance	J. M. Jumabhoy	3,810	34.88	N/A
			Workers' Party	Ang Meng Gee	925	8.47	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Hooi Beng Guan	679	6.22	N/A
			Independent	Wong Chee Lim	136	1.25	N/A
Tampines	11,468		People's Action Party	Goh Chew Chua	7,461	73.27	N/A	53.23
			Singapore People's Alliance	Ong Phi Hok	2,041	20.04	N/A
			Independent	Lim Choo Ten	681	6.69	N/A
Tanglin	9,127		Singapore People's Alliance	Thio Chan Bee	2,698	34.41	N/A	3.97
			UMNO	Ahmad Haji Taff	2,386	30.44	N/A
			People's Action Party	Ibrahim Othman	2,360	30.11	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Chan Ah Wing	395	5.04	N/A
Tanjong Pagar	11,939		People's Action Party	Lee Kuan Yew	7,617	71.04	7.29	42.08
			Liberal Socialist Party	C. Subramanyam	3,105	28.96	N/A
Telok Ayer	13,998		People's Action Party	Ong Pang Boon	8,372	67.38	N/A	40.43
			Singapore People's Alliance	Tan Kian Kee	2,106	16.95	N/A
			Independent	Tay Soo Yong	1,660	13.36	N/A
			Citizens' Party	Soh Teck Chee	287	2.31	N/A
Telok Blangah	13,202		People's Action Party	John Mammen	5,803	50.41	N/A	14.44
			UMNO	Osman Gani	4,141	35.97	N/A
			Citizens' Party	Wee Kim Hock	1,230	10.69	N/A
			Independent	V. Mariappan	337	2.93	N/A
Thomson	10,067		People's Action Party	S.T. Bani	4,978	54.63	N/A	26.30
			Labour Front	Francis Thomas	2,581	28.33	N/A
			Singapore People's Alliance	Yap Chin Choon	1,553	17.04	N/A
Tiong Bahru	12,151		People's Action Party	Lee Teck Him	5,175	47.66	N/A	27.57
			Singapore People's Alliance	Lin Wo Ling	2,182	20.09	N/A
			Independent	William Tan	1,730	15.93	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Lee Bah Chee	996	9.17	N/A
			Independent	Lim Huan Seng	494	4.55	N/A
			Workers' Party	Chua Chin Kiat	282	2.60	N/A
Toa Payoh	12,551		People's Action Party	Wong Soon Fong	8,693	77.66	N/A	55.32
			Singapore People's Alliance	Lee Poh Chee	2,500	22.34	N/A
Ulu Pandan	11,017		People's Action Party	Mohamed Ariff Suradi	4,420	45.44	N/A	13.57
			Singapore People's Alliance	Leslie Rayner	3,100	31.87	N/A
			Independent	S. Khalaff	1,083	11.13	N/A
			Independent	Low Boon Kiat	361	3.71	N/A
			Independent	Anthony Ponnusamy	296	3.04	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	M. Karthigesu	284	2.92	N/A
			Independent	Chua Kim Toh	183	1.89	N/A
Upper Serangoon	11,279		People's Action Party	Chan Sun Wing	4,497	45.06	N/A	1.25
			Singapore People's Alliance	Lim Choon Mong	4,372	43.81	N/A
			Liberal Socialist Party	Sim Cho Lang	901	9.03	N/A
			Citizens' Party	Tan Choon Teng	209	2.10	N/A
Source:ELD,Singapore Elections

The PAP formed a new government that assumed responsibility fordomestic policies and governance without interference from the British colonial administration. This marked a significant transfer of power, as the PAP government was now able to shape Singapore's internal affairs independently. However, theUnited Kingdom retained control over defence and foreign affairs and shared joint responsibility for internal security under a specific agreement.^[1][2] Despite these limitations, historians generally regard the year 1959 as the moment Singapore attained full self-governance, given that the new government could operate with substantial autonomy and political legitimacy.^[2]

On 5 June, in a formal ceremony held atCity Hall,Lee Kuan Yew was sworn in as Singapore's firstPrime Minister by formerGovernor and nowYang di-Pertuan NegaraWilliam Goode. Alongside Lee, members of his cabinet also took their oaths of office.^[8] Prior to taking office, Lee asked Goode to release eight PAP members who had been detained inChangi Prison under thePreservation of Public Security Ordinance (PPSO) after theChinese middle school student riots in 1956. These includedLim Chin Siong,Fong Swee Suan,Sandrasegaran Woodhull,James Puthucheary andDevan Nair, prominentleft-wing leaders and labour organisers. Lee's call for their release during the campaign had significantly boosted the morale and support oftrade unions and leftist groups among the electorate. Goode, after consulting with theColonial Office in London, agreed to Lee's requests.^[19] They were released on 4 June.^[3]

After their release, internal tensions within the PAP began to emerge, as ideological and strategic rifts developed between thecentrist leadership under Lee and the leftist faction led by Lim.^[20] Though the left had played a crucial role in the PAP's early success, they were gradually sidelined as the party shifted toward a more centrist stance. These divisions came to a head in 1961, when most left-wing members were expelled and went on to form theBarisan Sosialis (BS), which quickly became the main opposition force and posed the most serious electoral challenge to the PAP at the time.^[7] However, their momentum towards thenext election was severely disrupted byOperation Coldstore in 1963, a major internalanti-communist security operation which saw the arrest and detention of many left-wing leaders and activists. Ironically, some of those detained had been among those whom Lee had earlier advocated releasing in 1959. Despite this, the BS's near success highlighted the lasting influence of the left-wing movement that had once been central to the PAP's rise, even as it was ultimately brushed aside in the party's consolidation of power.^[2][7]

During the parliamentary term following this election, two by-elections were held in 1961. The first took place inHong Lim, where former PAP ministerOng Eng Guan contested as an independent candidate after resigning from the party. He successfully regained his seat, reflecting his personal popularity and the growing factional tensions within the PAP.^[2] The second by-election occurred inAnson following the death of PAP's Baharuddin Mohammed Ariff.David Marshall, a prominent opposition figure and formerChief Minister of Singapore, won the seat.^[3][7]

• Lee, Edwin (2008).Singapore: The Unexpected Nation. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.ISBN 9789812307965.

• General Elections 1959 Singapore Elections

• General elections in Singapore
• 1959 elections in Asia
• 1959 in Singapore

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