passing cba 1

• Singapore holds its first-ever election, as six members of the Legislative Council are chosen by voters


  1948
• The Maria Hertogh Riots break out


  1950
• Singapore holds its second election

  1955
• The Rendel Commission is set up


  1953
• The Anti-National Service Riots break out

  1954
• The Labour Front wins the election

  1955
• The 1948 election was the first step towards democracy. However, participation among the people was very low. Many recent immigrants were not allowed to vote as they were not born in Britain or in the British colonies. In the end, only about 22,000 people were registered to vote, and only 14,000 voters actually turned up. This was a small fraction of the total population, which numbered around 960,000.
• Singapore Progressive Party (SPP)

  The first political party to contest the 1948 election in Singapore. It was led by Tan Chye Cheng (C. C. Tan), John Laycock and Nazir Ahmad Md Mallal. Its members were mostly English-speaking professionals. The party believed in gradual self-government and worked closely with the British. It championed equal treatment for local and European civil servants, and fought to provide financial security for workers in their retirement.
• Only one party, the Singapore Progressive Party (SPP), contested the election, making it the first political party to do so in Singapore. The SPP won three out of the six elected seats. The remaining three were won by independent candidates.
• Despite British attempts to improve living conditions and grant more political participation, sources of discontent remained. Major riots broke out in the first half of the 1950s, making it a turbulent period in Singapore's history.
• Maria Hertogh Riots


  1. Maria's father was imprisoned during the Japanese Occupation, so her mother left her in the care of a local family friend, Che Aminah

  2. Maria was renamed Nadra binte Ma'arof and raised in the Muslim faith

  3. After the war, Maria and her foster family moved to Malaya

  4. In 1950, Adeline tried to reclaim her daughter by making a case to the court in Singapore

  5. The British judge ruled that Maria be returned to her natural parents

  6. Che Aminah appealed against the judge's decision

  7. The judge eventually rejected Che Aminah's appeal

  8. Che Aminah's supporters reacted angrily, overturning cars on the streets and setting them on fire, and attacking any Europeans and Eurasians in sight

  9. Troops were sent to the scenes, but the riots continued for three days

  10. By the end of the riots, 18 people had been killed and 173 injured
• Anti-National Service Riots


  1. The British passed the National Service Ordinance in 1953, requiring all males aged between 18 and 20 to register for National Service

  2. The announcement was deeply unpopular among secondary students from Chinese-medium schools, as they felt the British discriminated against Chinese education while favouring English-medium schools

  3. About 500 students held a protest march on 13 May 1954, which turned violent as the students clashed with the police

  4. The British ordered the closure of all Chinese-medium schools across Singapore the following day, but this only escalated the unrest

  5. On 22 May, thousands of students locked themselves in classrooms at Chung Cheng High School in protest

  6. As a result of the protests, the British government decided to postpone the registration for National Service
• In 1950, 80% of the government's education budget went to English-medium schools while only 6% was allocated to Chinese-medium schools
• Rendel Constitution


  The British formed a commission in July 1953 to review the constitution of Singapore, chaired by Sir George Rendel. The commission's task was to find out how local people could play a more active role in the government. The commission submitted its report in 1954, recommending limited self-government for Singapore. This meant the people would be able to elect locals to control certain areas of the government.
• As a result of the Rendel Commission report, the Rendel Constitution was introduced in 1953. There would now be a Council of Ministers headed by the Governor, and comprising the Chief Minister and other ministers elected by the Legislative Council.
• Rendel Constitution


  Limited self-government for Singapore, with a Council of Ministers headed by the Governor and comprising the Chief Minister, five other local ministers, and three British ministers
• Rendel Commission's task


  Find out how local people could play a more active role in the government
• The Rendel Constitution was introduced in 1953
• Six local ministers


  Given control over education, health, housing, and trade and industry
• Three British ministers


  Controlled areas deemed more important by the British government: law, finance, external affairs, external defence and internal security
• The Rendel Constitution proved to be an important step in Singapore's journey towards self-government
• An election was to be held in April 1955 as a result of the Rendel Constitution
• 1955 election


  • Aroused far greater interest and generated much political activity
  • Eligible voters were automatically registered instead of having to register themselves, making it easier to vote
  • Eager to press for change held discussions, and more political parties emerged as a result
• Labour Front (LF)


  A multiracial party led by David Marshall, comprising mostly low-income and English-educated members of trade unions, supporting immediate independence for Singapore and prioritising the improvement of workers' rights and working conditions
• People's Action Party (PAP)


  A multiracial party co-founded by Lee Kuan Yew, Dr Goh Keng Swee, Dr Toh Chin Chye, S. Rajaratnam and Kenneth Michael Byrne, comprising mainly English-educated lawyers, journalists and trade unionists, opposing British rule and wanting immediate independence for Singapore
• David Marshall: 'The 1955 election was a lively political contest, with a level of excitement not seen before. It really was a major change - "Hey, we are standing on two legs."'
• The 1955 election results shocked the colonial authorities as they had expected the Singapore Progressive Party to win
• The Labour Front emerged as the biggest winner in the 1955 election, clinching 10 out of the 25 seats
• The Governor and his British officials did not offer full support to David Marshall as the first Chief Minister, seeing him as a leader only in name
• This incident suggests that the British saw Marshall's role as the first Chief Minister of Singapore as limited
• why was participation among the people very low during the 1948 elections

  many immigrants were not allowed to vote(only people born in Britain or British colonies)