Special Episode: A Short History of Elections

Machiavelli's Prince noted that people not in power will do all they can to acquire it, and people in power will do all they can to keep it. Singapore is no different. In a special edition of "The History of Singapore," entitled "A Short History of Elections in Singapore", PJ Thum discusses how elections in Singapore have been shaped by two opposing forces: the will of the people to have a voice, and the desire of those in power to deny them that voice. He traces two major turning periods in Singapore history in the 1950s and 1980s to show how, even as Singaporeans fought and won the right to vote, their ability to vote for candidates of their choice and the fairness of elections has been constrained.

Please send questions, comments, and feedback to thehistoryofsingapore@gmail.com or visit thehistoryofsingapore.com. Support the show at patreon.com/pjthum. For all the previous episodes in this series, search for "History of Singapore" on bfm.my.