Singapore general election, 1951
Encyclopedia
The 1951 Legislative Council General Elections was held in Singapore
on 10 April 1951 to elect nine seats on the Legislative Council
, up from six seats in the 1948 elections
. A 32-day long campaign period was scheduled, with nomination day on 8 March 1951.
The number of elected seats increased from six to nine, while the remaining 16 appointed seats would be status quo. The British government approved the suggestion by political parties to carve the six constituencies within the city according to municipal districts, including Balestier (North), Keppel (South), Katong (East) and Tanglin (West), while the rural area was divided into three instead of two. Gone were joint districts. One of the four Non-Officio Legislative Councillors and only woman Councillor appointed was war heroine Mrs Elizabeth Choy
, who contested unsuccessfully in the 1950 Municipal Commission election. Progressive Party's main political opponent at the municipal level, the Labour Party, entered the legislative fray. Well-known Malay politician Mansoor bin Adabi, husband of Maria Bertha Hertogh (also known as Natra binte Maarof), the young Dutch woman whose parentage controversy sparked a racial riot in Singapore a year ago, planned to contest Bukit Timah under the PP banner but withdrew his nomination at the final minute for unknown reasons. The campaign manager for PP vice-chairman John Laycock was Lee Kuan Yew
, a legal assistant in the former's law firm who would form the People's Action Party
in 1954. Voting was again not compulsory and the privilege of only certain citizens.
Out of 48,155 registered voters, only 52.8% took the effort to vote, again bogged down by boycott calls and with the city still suffering from the after effects of the Maria Hertogh riots
four months before voting took place.
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...
on 10 April 1951 to elect nine seats on the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Singapore
The Legislative Council of Singapore was a Legislative Council in Singapore that assisted the Governor in making laws in Singapore. It officially came into existence in 1946, when the Repeal Act abolished the Straits Settlements, and Singapore became a Crown Colony on its own that would need its...
, up from six seats in the 1948 elections
Singapore general election, 1948
The Legislative Council General Elections was the first election to be held in Singapore, taking place on 21 March 1948 when six of the 22 seats on the Legislative Council were open for popular voting, albeit only for British subjects. The election was announced on 1 February, and nominations were...
. A 32-day long campaign period was scheduled, with nomination day on 8 March 1951.
The number of elected seats increased from six to nine, while the remaining 16 appointed seats would be status quo. The British government approved the suggestion by political parties to carve the six constituencies within the city according to municipal districts, including Balestier (North), Keppel (South), Katong (East) and Tanglin (West), while the rural area was divided into three instead of two. Gone were joint districts. One of the four Non-Officio Legislative Councillors and only woman Councillor appointed was war heroine Mrs Elizabeth Choy
Elizabeth Choy
Elizabeth Choy-Yong Su-Moi OBE was a Singaporean war heroine, educator and councillor. Along with her husband, Choy Khun Heng, she supplied medicine, money and messages to British civilians interned in Changi Prison during the Second World War....
, who contested unsuccessfully in the 1950 Municipal Commission election. Progressive Party's main political opponent at the municipal level, the Labour Party, entered the legislative fray. Well-known Malay politician Mansoor bin Adabi, husband of Maria Bertha Hertogh (also known as Natra binte Maarof), the young Dutch woman whose parentage controversy sparked a racial riot in Singapore a year ago, planned to contest Bukit Timah under the PP banner but withdrew his nomination at the final minute for unknown reasons. The campaign manager for PP vice-chairman John Laycock was 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...
, a legal assistant in the former's law firm who would form the 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....
in 1954. Voting was again not compulsory and the privilege of only certain citizens.
Out of 48,155 registered voters, only 52.8% took the effort to vote, again bogged down by boycott calls and with the city still suffering from the after effects of the Maria Hertogh riots
Maria Hertogh riots
The Maria Hertogh riots or Nadrah riots, began on 11 December 1950 in Singapore after a court decided that a child who had been raised by Muslims should be returned to her biological Catholic parents. A protest by outraged Muslims escalated into a riot when images were published showing 13-year-old...
four months before voting took place.
Results summary
| Party | Seats | Popular votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contested | Won | # | % | |
| 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... |
8 | 6 | 11,202 | 40.0 |
| Labour Party | 7 | 2 | 7,322 | 26.1 |
| Independents | 7 | 1 | 6,156 | 22.0 |