Hong Lim by-election, 1965

Background

Merely a month before Singapore's separation from Malaysia and independence, UPP chief and sole Assembly Member Ong Eng Guan resigned his seat and retired from politics. This last Legislative Assembly election became a straight fight between Singapore's two main parties - the People's Action Party and Barisan Sosialis - and both fielded former PAP AMs as candidates. The PAP was by then a full national party with a presence in Malaysia despite winning only one seat out of 11 it contested in the federal elections of 1964.

After Singapore was ejected from the Federation, PAP's only Malaysian legislator, Devan Nair, converted the party's extension into the Peninsular to the Democratic Action Party - replacing the "thunderflash" in the PAP's symbol with a "rocket" - but he quit Malaysia politics and returned to Singapore a few years later. DAP remains a key political party in Malaysia until today and is part of the Pakatan Harapan coalition in Malaysia.

Historical Significance

This was the last Legislative Assembly election which oversees the straight fight between the 2 major political parties in Singapore, namely the People's Action Party and Barisan Sosialis. Both parties have decided to field former PAP Assembly Members as the candidates of this seat.

The following year in 1966, BS would withdraw all members from parliament and boycott the next election of 1968.

Election Deposit

The election deposit was set at $500.

Results

By-election 1965: Hong Lim
Party Candidate Votes % ±
PAP Lee Khoon Choy 6,398 59.5 +26.2
BS Ong Chang Sam 4,346 40.5 +19.9
Majority 2,052 19.0 N/A
Turnout 10,858 91.7 +0.7
PAP gain from UPP Swing N/A

References

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