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1966 Singaporean by-elections

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1966 by-elections in Singapore
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1966 Singaporean by-elections

← 1965
  • 18 January 1966 (Bukit Merah)
  • 1 March 1966 (3 constituencies) (nomination)
  • 2 November 1966 (3 constituencies) (nomination)
1967 →

7 seats to the Parliament of Singapore
Registered13,209
Turnout11,346 (85.90%) Decrease 10.25%
  First party
 
Leader Lee Kuan Yew
Party PAP
Seats won 7
Seat change Increase 6
Popular vote 9,082
Percentage 82.94%
Swing Increase 39.14%

MPs before election
  • Lim Huan Boon
  • Cheo Cheng Thun
  • S. Thentayatha Bani
  • Kow Kee Seng
  • Lee Tee Tong
  • Fong Kim Heng
  • Chia Thye Poh

Elected MPs

PAP

The 1966 by-elections were held over eleven months from 18 January through 2 November for seven constituencies. All of the vacancies were related to Barisan Sosialis resignations, which continued into the following year, with the sole exception being Joo Chiat's MP Fong Kim Heng. This was the first election of any kind in post-independence Singapore.

Background

On 8 December 1965, about four months into independence, the Barisan Sosialis began to boycott Parliament in response to the current legislature and its democracy as "phony". The first MP to resign was Lim Huan Boon on 31 December 1965, after which by-election nominations were called for Bukit Merah on 8 January. On nomination day, two more MPs, Chio Cheng Thun and Kow Kee Seng, resigned, followed by S. Thendayatha Bani the day after. A further two seats became vacant nine months later on 7 October, with the resignations of Chia Thye Poh and Lee Tee Tong. Two months later on 5 December, five of the remaining seven Barisan MPs, including Loh Miaw Gong also resigned. Another MP, Fong Kim Heng, resigned on 18 October, but Fong was from the PAP unlike the other 11, and cited health reasons.

Chua Chu Kang, Crawford and Paya Lebar constituencies were at stake in the second by-election, with nominations occurring on 1 March. The third by-election were for Bukit Timah, Joo Chiat and Jurong constituencies, with nominations occurring on 2 November. However, these elections went uncontested.

Results

Bukit Merah by-election (18 January)

By-election 18 January 1966: Bukit Merah
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
PAP Lim Guan Hoo 9,082 82.94 N/A
Independent Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair 1,868 17.06 N/A
Majority 7,214 65.88 Increase62.00
Registered electors 13,489 Increase10.34
Turnout 10,950 81.18 Decrease9.8
PAP gain from BS Swing N/A

By-elections of 1 March 1966

By-election 1 March 1966: Chua Chu Kang
Party Candidate Votes %
PAP Tang See Chim Unopposed
Registered electors 9,918
PAP gain from BS
By-election 1 March 1966: Crawford
Party Candidate Votes %
PAP Ramaswamy Sellappa Unopposed
Registered electors 10,450
PAP gain from BS
By-election 1 March 1966: Paya Lebar
Party Candidate Votes %
PAP Tay Boon Too Unopposed
Registered electors 16,205
PAP gain from BS

By-elections of 2 November 1966

By-election 2 November 1966: Bukit Timah
Party Candidate Votes %
PAP Chor Yeok Eng Unopposed
Registered electors 14,854
PAP gain from BS
By-election 2 November 1966: Joo Chiat
Party Candidate Votes %
PAP Yeoh Ghim Seng Unopposed
Registered electors 15,760
PAP hold
By-election 2 November 1966: Jurong
Party Candidate Votes %
PAP Ho Kah Leong Unopposed
Registered electors 8,757
PAP gain from BS

Aftermath of 1966 by-election

The aftermath of the boycott of the Parliament sparked mass arrests under the Internal Security Act (ISA), including that of Chia Thye Poh, who was detained under this act for 22 years without any trial, becoming the world's second-longest incarcerated political prisoner. Oppositions reached a low point, and Barisan Sosialis would begin to fell apart in the succeeding years.

The People's Action Party government would win every parliamentary seats in ensuing elections for the next 15 years, and to date still remained in power, winning at least two-thirds of all Parliamentary seats. The government would not witness opposition presence again until the 1981 Anson by-election.

The election of Jurong Constituency MP Ho Kah Leong set a record of being the youngest MP-elect in Singapore at age 29, a record which has since been surpassed by two MPs, 27-year old Tin Pei Ling in the 2011 general election, and 26-year old Raeesah Khan in the 2020 general election.

References

  1. "ELD | 1966 Parliamentary By-election Result". eld.gov.sg.
  2. ^ "ELD | 1966 Parliamentary By-election Results". eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  3. ^ "ELD | 1966 Parliamentary By-election Results". eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  4. "Ho Kah Leong 何家良". NAFA. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  5. "Singapore to see record number of women enter Parliament after GE2020". CNA. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
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