1958 Singapore City Council by-election

The Singapore City Council by-election of 1958 was held after the resignation of Chang Yuen Tong, a member who held the seat for Kallang Constituency. While he cited his inability to reconcile the demands of his work with those of The Workers' Party of Singapore which he was a member, Lee Kuan Yew subsequently alleged that it was an orchestrated move by communist leader Fang Chuang Pi.

The Workers' Party fielded Lo Ka Fat to contest in the byelection, which was held on 26 July 1958. He was up against Lim Ser Puan of the Labour Front, Buang bin Omar Junid of the People's Action Party and Govindapillai Maruthamuthoo Kanagasabai, an independent.

Election deposit

The election deposit was stated at $250. As both candidates Lo Ka Fat and Govindapillai had failed to achieve the minimum 12.5% of the votes, both candidates lost their deposit.

Historical significance

This is the only by-election for the City Council and also the last City Council election before its abolishment in 1959 when People's Action Party took power in order to prevent it to serve as a government pressure group.

With this arrangement since then, all of its functions were incorporated into statutory boards, only to see these functions to be transferred out of civil service hands in 1991 to the town councils, which are managed by the relevant elected Member of Parliament (MP).

Results
CandidatePartyVotes%+/–
Buang bin Omar JunidPeople's Action Party4,27952.04New
Lim Per SuanLabour Front3,56643.37+20.6
Lo Ka FatWorkers' Party3043.70–37.8
Govindapillai Maruthamuthoo KanagasabaiIndependent740.90New
Total8,223100.00–
Valid votes8,22398.70
Invalid/blank votes1081.30
Total votes8,331100.00
Registered voters/turnout14,30858.23
Majority7130N/A
People's Action Party gain from Workers' Party

References

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