Episode 20: The Only Free and Fair Election

The outcome of the 1955 general election was a massive shock to the British colonial government of Singapore. They had held the elections precisely because they had expected conservative, pro-British parties to win. They had believed that the majority of Singaporeans were conservative. But Singapore was not a conservative society and were not interested in conservative policies. Singaporeans voted in droves for the progressive, left-wing parties. The Labour Front, led by the great David Marshall, was the big winner. In this episode, PJ Thum explains why the British so badly misunderstood the electorate; why the Labour Front won the election; the significance of the 1955 elections; and why Singapore cannot be characterised as a conservative society.

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.