# 1955 Singaporean general election

General elections were held in Singapore on 2 April 1955 to elect members to the 25 elected seats in the Legislative Assembly. Nomination day was on 28 February 1955.

## 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.
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 February | Dissolution of the Legislative Council |
| 28 February | Nomination Day |
| 2 April | Polling day |
| 6 April | Inauguration of David Marshall as Chief Minister |
| 7 April | Formation of Council of Ministers |
| 22 April | Opening of 1st Legislative Assembly |

## Changes in electoral boundaries

| Constituency | Divisions formed from |
| Bukit Panjang | Bukit Timah & Seletar |
| Cairnhill | Balestier, Rochore & Tanglin |
| Farrer Park | Balestier |
| Geylang | Katong |
| Havelock | City, Keppel & Tanglin |
| Kampong Kapor | Rochore |
| Pasir Panjang | Bukit Timah & Keppel |
| Paya Lebar | Changi & Katong |
| Punggol–Tampines | Changi |
| Queenstown | Bukit Timah, Keppel & Tanglin |
| Sembawang | Bukit Timah & Seletar |
| Serangoon | Balestier, Changi & Seletar |
| Southern Islands | Bukit Timah & Keppel |
| Stamford | City & Rochore |
| Tanjong Pagar | City & Keppel |
| Telok Ayer | City |
| Tiong Bahru | Keppel |
| Ulu Bedok | Changi |
| Whampoa | Balestier |

## Results

Though many British predicted that the Progressive Party would win and Tan Chye Cheng would become Chief Minister, the results were an upset, with the Labour Front winning the most seats and chairman David Marshall becoming Singapore's first Chief Minister after winning in the Cairnhill constituency with 48% of the vote, defeating Tan (36%). With 12 seats (two nominated members were party members), LF formed a coalition government with the United Malays National Organisation (one seat) and Malaysian Chinese Association (one seat) and three ex-officio members (Chief Secretary Sir William Goode, Attorney-General Sir John Edward Davies and Financial Secretary Thomas Mure Hart), which held 17 of the 32 seats, just enough for a majority into the 32-seat assembly. As a result, the 1955 elections remain the only general election to date where a coalition government was formed, the only hung legislature, and the only time the government was not formed by the People's Action Party.
On the opposition side, 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 Ibrahim joined the PAP following the elections, meaning the PAP had four members in the Assembly. Lee won the second-highest vote share of the election with 78% of the vote in Tanjong Pagar; in a statement, Lee also considered Tanglin before choosing Tanjong Pagar due to the influence and welfare with dock workers in the area.
While this was the last general election to date in which voting was not mandatory and despite the electorate increasing sixfold, voter turnout barely increased to 53%, up by 0.61pp. The Southern Islands constituency had the highest turnout at 70%. However, six of 25 constituencies had turnouts of under 50%, with Geylang having the lowest turnout at 41%; in comparison to the last election, the constituency with the lowest turnout was City with 44%.
The election's best performing candidate was Labour Front candidate and future Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock who polled 86% of the vote and had a large winning margin of 79%, while the worst performing candidate was independent Chua Kim Watt, who polled just 0.55% of the vote in Farrer Park. Malay Union candidate Inche Sidik won with the narrowest margin of just 1.15%.
10 candidates lost their $500 election deposits.
| | Labour Front | 42,300 | 27.06 | 10 | New |
| | Progressive Party | 38,695 | 24.75 | 4 | –2 |
| | Democratic Party | 32,115 | 20.54 | 2 | New |
| | People's Action Party | 13,634 | 8.72 | 3 | New |
| | Malayan Chinese Association | 6,203 | 3.97 | 1 | New |
| | United Malays National Organisation | 5,721 | 3.66 | 1 | New |
| | Labour Party | 1,325 | 0.85 | 0 | –2 |
| | Malay Union | 1,233 | 0.79 | 1 | New |
| | Independents | 15,098 | 9.66 | 3 | +2 |
| Total | Total | 156,324 | 100.00 | 25 | +16 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 156,324 | 98.89 | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,751 | 1.11 | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 158,075 | 100.00 | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 300,199 | 52.66 | | |
| Source: Singapore Elections ||||||

### By constituency

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