Singapore People's Alliance
Singapore People's Alliance | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chinese name | 新加坡人民联盟 |
| Malay name | Perikatan Rakyat Singapura |
| Founder | Lim Yew Hock[1] |
| Founded | 10 November 1958 |
| Dissolved | 16 May 1965 |
| Preceded by | Liberal Socialist Party |
| Ideology | Socialism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| National affiliation | Singapore Alliance Party |
The Singapore People's Alliance (abbreviation: SPA) was a political alliance in Singapore founded in 1958, consisting of the Liberal Socialist Party (LSP) and former members of the Labour Front (LF). It contested the 1959 general election and became the opposition; and the 1963 general election under the Singapore Alliance Party (SAP) in which it failed to win any seats.[2]
History
[edit]SPA was led by the former Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock[3] to contest the 1959 general election. SPA wanted to promote the standard of living for workers through socialist and welfare programmes.[4] The 1959 general election was won by the People's Action Party (PAP). SPA had fielded 39 candidates and won only four seats, Lim was relegated to the leader-of-the-opposition in the legislative assembly.[5]
SPA did not play any significant role in the national referendum in September 1962, which approved the terms of Singapore's merger into Malaya. The merger was executed on 9 July 1963.[6]
SPA contested the subsequent 1963 general election under the SAP, which was a branch of the federal Alliance Party. SPA's presence within the alliance sparked friction with elements of the Singapore branch of the United Malay National Organisation (UMNO).[6]
During the 1963 election, SAP fared poorly against the PAP, losing all four seats held by its constituent parties.[7] This was partly attributed by historian Albert Lau to the failure of Lim to stand in the elections.[6] Meanwhile, the political focus had shifted to PAP's rivalries, with UNMO at the federal level, and Barisan Sosialis (BS) at the national level.[6] SPA was eventually dissolved on 16 May 1965.[2]
Election results
[edit]Legislative Assembly
[edit]| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Position | Result | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up for Contest |
Contested | Total | +/– | |||||||||
| Seats | Won | Lost | ||||||||||
| 1959 | Lim Yew Hock | 107,755 | 20.67% | — | 51 | 39 | 4 | 35 | 4 / 51
|
 4
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2nd
|
Opposition |
Seats Contested
[edit]| Election | Constituencies contested | Contested Vote %[8] | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | Anson, Bras Basah, Bukit Merah, Bukit Panjang, Cairnhill, Chua Chu Kang, Crawford, Delta, Geylang East, Geylang West, Havelock, Hong Lim, Jalan Besar, Jalan Kayu, Joo Chiat, Jurong, Kallang, Kampong Glam, Kampong Kapor, Kampong Kembangan, Moulmein, Mountbatten, Nee Soon, Punggol, Queenstown, River Valley, Rochore, Sembawang, Sepoy Lines, Serangoon Gardens, Stamford, Tampines, Tanglin, Telok Ayer, Thomson, Tiong Bahru, Toa Payoh, Ulu Pandan, Upper Serangoon | 27.0% | — |
References
[edit]- ^ "Man who thumped the Reds". Straits Times. 1 December 1984.
- ^ a b Chia, Joshua Y.J. "Labour Front". National Library Board.
- ^ "Mr Lim leads new party". The Straits Times. 11 November 1958.
- ^ "Singapore People's Alliance Party Platform". National Heritage Board. 31 August 1961.
- ^ "The results: all you". The Straits Times. 31 May 1959.
- ^ a b c d Lau, Albert (1998). A Moment of Anguish: Singapore in Malaysia and the Politics of Disengagement. Singapore: Times Academic Press. ISBN 981-210-1349.
- ^ "Defeat in Singapore shocks Tengku". The Straits Times. 23 September 1963.
- ^ "Legislative Assembly General Election 1959 Votes".
External links
[edit]Parenthesis indicate seats represented in the Parliament of Singapore | |||||
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| Dissolved | |||||
Notes: *The MPs of the Progress Singapore Party are Non-Constituency MPs. † The party has yet to contest in an election.
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