Labour Front
Encyclopedia
The Labour Front was a political party
in Singapore
. It was founded before the 1955 legislative council
elections by David Saul Marshall
, Singapore's first chief minister
in 1955 and Lim Yew Hock
, Singapore's second chief minister. A centre-left
grouping, the Labour Front won the 1955 legislative elections
and began to form a coalition government
for Singapore
, which at that time was a separate crown colony
. It had won 13 of 25 elected seats in the legislative council.
Between 1955 and 1956, after sending two bi-partisan delegations to London
for talks with the British, David Marshall
's administration failed to gain approval from Britain for self-government in Singapore
. David Marshall, taking responsibility for this failure, resigned in 1956 and soon went to form the Workers' Party of Singapore
the following year. Critics believed that the British were not convinced of David Marshall's ability to govern Singapore
well and to deal with the then rising threat of insurgency
carried out in the name of communism
. Marshall's more hardline stance in dealing with the underground Communist movement was only counterproductive. He was succeeded by Lim Yew Hock
.
The Lim Yew Hock
government did not fare any better. Apart from the threat of the underground Communist movements, Singapore
faced problems in public order, poor economy, poor housing and sanitation, low living standards and corruption in the government. The then-opposition People's Action Party
(PAP), led by Lee Kuan Yew
, grilled the Labour Front government several times on these issues in parliamentary sessions. Later the majority of the Labour Front led by Lim Yew Hock, left the Labour Front to merge with the Liberal Socialists
(formed by the Progressive Party
and Democratic Party
in 1956) to form the Singapore People's Alliance
(SPA) in 1959.
In 1957 and 1958, two bi-partisan delegations successfully negotiated Singapore
's status to be a self-governing
state. Under the new constitution, the general elections of 1959
were held and the SPA composed of former Labour Front members suffered a rout, losing to the PAP. The PAP had won 43 of 51 seats in the parliament with a popular vote of 53% and had campaigned on an anti-colonialist
platform with an ambition to initiate several reforms, improve the economy and living standards of the people and to eradicate corruption
in the government. The SPA lost power and was reduced to only a handful of seats in opposition. By 1963
, the SPA failed to win a single seat and after Singapore
became independent in 1965, the SPA was dissolved.
The last remnant of the Labour Front contested with the 1959 elections separately from the SPA, but it was a very small percentage of the original party and eventually faded from existence.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. It was founded before the 1955 legislative council
Legislative Council
A Legislative Council is the name given to the legislatures, or one of the chambers of the legislature of many nations and colonies.A Member of the Legislative Council is commonly referred to as an MLC.- Unicameral legislatures :...
elections by David Saul Marshall
David Saul Marshall
David Saul Marshall was the leader of the Singapore Labour Front and became the first Chief Minister of Singapore in 1955....
, Singapore's first chief minister
Chief Minister
A Chief Minister is the elected head of government of a sub-national state, provinces of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, notably a state of India, a territory of Australia or a British Overseas Territory that has attained self-government...
in 1955 and Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock , later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. He is known for suppressing the communist movements and leading the all-party delegation that won internal self-government for Singapore....
, Singapore's second chief minister. A centre-left
Centre-left
Centre-left is a political term that describes individuals, political parties or organisations such as think tanks whose ideology lies between the centre and the left on the left-right spectrum...
grouping, the Labour Front won the 1955 legislative elections
Singaporean general election, 1955
The 1955 Legislative Assembly General Elections was held in Singapore on 2 April 1955 to elect twenty-five elective seats on the Legislative Assembly...
and began to form a coalition government
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
for Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, which at that time was a separate crown colony
Crown colony
A Crown colony, also known in the 17th century as royal colony, was a type of colonial administration of the English and later British Empire....
. It had won 13 of 25 elected seats in the legislative council.
Between 1955 and 1956, after sending two bi-partisan delegations to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for talks with the British, David Marshall
David Saul Marshall
David Saul Marshall was the leader of the Singapore Labour Front and became the first Chief Minister of Singapore in 1955....
's administration failed to gain approval from Britain for self-government in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. David Marshall, taking responsibility for this failure, resigned in 1956 and soon went to form the Workers' Party of Singapore
Workers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
the following year. Critics believed that the British were not convinced of David Marshall's ability to govern Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
well and to deal with the then rising threat of insurgency
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
carried out in the name of communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
. Marshall's more hardline stance in dealing with the underground Communist movement was only counterproductive. He was succeeded by Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock , later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. He is known for suppressing the communist movements and leading the all-party delegation that won internal self-government for Singapore....
.
The Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock
Lim Yew Hock , later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. He is known for suppressing the communist movements and leading the all-party delegation that won internal self-government for Singapore....
government did not fare any better. Apart from the threat of the underground Communist movements, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
faced problems in public order, poor economy, poor housing and sanitation, low living standards and corruption in the government. The then-opposition People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
(PAP), led by Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
, grilled the Labour Front government several times on these issues in parliamentary sessions. Later the majority of the Labour Front led by Lim Yew Hock, left the Labour Front to merge with the Liberal Socialists
Liberal Socialist Party
The Liberal Socialist Party is a defunct political party which was formerly active within the politics of Singapore. It was formed in the 1950s from the merger of the Singapore Progressive Party and the Democratic Party , the latter not to be confused with the Singapore Democratic Party...
(formed by the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (Singapore)
The Singapore Progressive Party , or just, the Progressive Party is a now defunct political party that was formed on August 25, 1947. It won the Legislative Assembly general elections in 1948 by winning half of the contested seats in the Legislative Assembly, 3 out of 6...
and Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Singapore)
The Democratic Party was a shortlived party that was registered on 11 February 1955 by the people from Mandarin-speaking bourgeois who were members of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.-Formation, the rise and the fall of DP:...
in 1956) to form the Singapore People's Alliance
Singapore People's Alliance
The Singapore People's Alliance was a political party in Singapore founded in 1959 that was drawn from the abandoned political party Labour Front and has never won any seats in the Parliament of Singapore...
(SPA) in 1959.
In 1957 and 1958, two bi-partisan delegations successfully negotiated Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's status to be a self-governing
Self-governing colony
A self-governing colony is a colony with an elected legislature, in which politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the colonial power with formal or nominal control of the colony...
state. Under the new constitution, the general elections of 1959
Singapore general election, 1959
The 1959 Singapore legislative assembly general election was a general election held in Singapore on 30 May 1959 to choose the members of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore...
were held and the SPA composed of former Labour Front members suffered a rout, losing to the PAP. The PAP had won 43 of 51 seats in the parliament with a popular vote of 53% and had campaigned on an anti-colonialist
Colonialism
Colonialism is the establishment, maintenance, acquisition and expansion of colonies in one territory by people from another territory. It is a process whereby the metropole claims sovereignty over the colony and the social structure, government, and economics of the colony are changed by...
platform with an ambition to initiate several reforms, improve the economy and living standards of the people and to eradicate corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
in the government. The SPA lost power and was reduced to only a handful of seats in opposition. By 1963
Singapore general election, 1963
The Singapore legislative assembly general election of 1963 was an election that took place in Singapore on 21 September 1963 following five days after the merger with Malaysia and therefore as an autonomous state of Malaysia...
, the SPA failed to win a single seat and after Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
became independent in 1965, the SPA was dissolved.
The last remnant of the Labour Front contested with the 1959 elections separately from the SPA, but it was a very small percentage of the original party and eventually faded from existence.