Pengukuhan pengaruh People’s Action Party (PAP) terhadap politik Singapura, 1955-1959 (The strengthening of the influence of the People's Action Party (PAP) on Singaporean politics, 1955-1959)

Muhammad Naim Fakhirin Rezani

Abstract


Kajian ini membincangkan perkembangan politik Singapura pada awal 1950-an dengan memberi tumpuan terhadap parti politik utama iaitu PAP. Berdasarkan kepada kajian yang dilakukan, PAP berjaya mengukuhkan kedudukan terhadap politik Singapura melalui strategi yang direncanakan dalam tempoh 1955-1959. Pilihan raya 1955 menjadi pemangkin terhadap penentuan PAP dalam politik Singapura. Manakala pilihan raya 1959 pula membuktikan kedudukan PAP sebagai parti paling berpengaruh di Singapura. Kajian ini ditulis dengan menggunakan sumber primer dari National Archive, Kew dan National Archive Singapore sebagai sumber utama penulisan. Selain itu, penulisan turut menggunakan akhbar The Straits Times, Singapore Herald dan Berita Harian yang diterbitkan dalam tempoh tersebut bagi mendapatkan kesinambungan dengan dokumen sumber primer tersebut. Dapatan hasil kajian ini merumuskan tiga faktor utama yang mempengaruhi PAP menguasai politik Singapura iaitu isu kempen, pemilihan kawasan yang ditandingi dan calon yang dipertaruhkan. Ketiga-tiga faktor ini menjadi penentu terhadap elemen utama terhadap perencanaan strategi politik PAP. Selain itu, kajian ini turut membuktikan kelangsungan parti politik yang bertanding pada pilihan raya dipengaruhi oleh ketiga-tiga faktor tersebut sebagai asas utama persaingan dalam pilihan raya.

 

Kata kunci: Kolonial, PAP, politik, pilihan raya, Singapura, strategi

 

This research discusses the development of Singapore politics in the early 1950s by focusing on the main political party, PAP. Based on the study conducted, PAP succeeded in strengthening its position in Singapore politics through a strategy planned during the period 1955-1959. The 1955 election was the catalyst for PAP's determination in Singapore politics. Meanwhile, the 1959 election proved PAP's position as the most influential party in Singapore. This research was using primary sources from the National Archive, Kew and the National Archive Singapore as the main sources of writing. In addition, the writing also used The Straits Times, Singapore Herald and Berita Harian newspapers published during that period to obtain continuity with the primary source documents. The findings of this research summarize three main factors that influenced PAP's dominance in Singapore politics, namely campaign issues, the selection of contested areas and the candidates at stake. These three factors are determinants of the main elements of PAP's political strategy planning. In addition, this research also proves that the survival of political parties contesting elections is influenced by these three factors as the main basis of competition in elections.

 

Keywords: Colonial, PAP, politics, election, Singapore, strategy


Keywords


Kolonial, PAP, politik, pilihan raya, Singapura, strategi (Colonial, PAP, politics, election, Singapore, strategy)

Full Text:

PDF

References


Barr, D. (2012). Cultural Politics and Asian Values. Taylor & Francis Inc.

Barr, D. (2014). The Ruling Elite of Singapore: Networks of Power and Influence. Institute of Southeast Asia.

Berita Harian. (1959, May 31). Perarakan2 menyambut kejayaan, PAP na’ jumpa Gabnor.

CO 1022/196. (1953). Activities of Malayan Forum.

CO 1030/227. (1955). Singapore Legislative Council Elections.

CO 1030/316. (1956). People's Action Party, Singapore.

CO 1030/651. (1959). Internal Political Situation in Singapore.

Eugene, T. (2024). Singapore in 2023: Of political setbacks and succession, revitalizing the middle ground, and keeping spirits up. Journal Southeast Asian Affairs, 263-279.

FCO 141/14444. (1952). Singapore: Legislative Council; Increase in the Number of Elected Members.

FCO 141/14586. (1956). Singapore: Political Reports.

FCO 141/14598. (1955). Singapore: Local Political Parties.

FCO 141/14651. (1959). Singapore: Political Trends in Singapore.

FCO 141/14784. (1959). Singapore: 'Petir' (Organ of the People's Action Party).

FCO 141/14854. (1957). Singapore: Legislative Assembly; Composition and Elections.

FCO 141/14994. (1959). Singapore: Legislative Assembly Elections, May 1959.

FCO 141/15044. (1956). Changeover from David Marshall's Government to Lim Yew Hock's Government.

FCO 141/15050. (1956). David Marshall's Constitutional Discussions; London talks, December 1955.

FCO 141/15096. (1959). Singapore: Introduction of the new Constitution,

FCO 141/15264. (1958). Miscellaneous Reports of Corruption in Singapore.

FCO 141/15298. (1956). Singapore: Political Intelligence.

FCO 141/15298. (1956). Singapore: Reports of Political Intelligence.

FCO 141/17160. (1963). Singapore: Activities of the People's Action Party.

Hong, L., & Sin, K. W. (2004). Singapore Chinese Society in Transition: Business, Politics and Socio-economic Change, 1945-1965. Peter Lang Publishers.

Hussin, M. (2004). Parties and Politics: A Studies of Opposition Parties and PAP in Singapore. Marshall Cavendish.

James, C. (2023). The PAP model: Can the ‘Four Generation’ Hold on to Power?, The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs and Policy Studies, 112(2), 107-110.

Junaidi, A. B., & Mazlan, A. (2014). Dari Barisan ke Pakatan: Berubahnya Dinamiks Pilihan Raya Umum Kuala Lumpur 1955-2013. Geografia-Malaysian Journal of Society, 10(4), 83-98.

Kenneth, P. T. (2025). Podcasting Politics in Singapore: Hegemony, resistance, and digital media. Critical Asian Studies, 1-25.

Kim, W. Y. (1973). Political Development in Singapore, 1945-55. Singapore University Press.

Kim, W. Y. (1973). Political Development in Singapore, 1945-55. Singapore University Press.

Kroef, M. (1967). Communism in Malaysia and Singapore a Contemporary Survey. Springer Inc.

Lee, K. Y. (2012). From Third World to First: The Singapore Story, 1965-2000. Marshall Cavendish.

Malaya Tribune. (1955, November 6). What’s Lee Kuan Yew PAPs Got?

Mauzy, K., & Milne, S. (2002). Singapore Politics Under the People's Action Party. Taylor & Francis Inc.

Muhammad Aslah, A. A., & Mohd Samsudin. (2016). Singapura dan pengaruh luar menjelang perang dunia pertama. Geografia-Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 12(10), 40-48.

Pang Cheng, L. P. (1971). Singapore's People's Action Party Its History, Organisation, and Leadership. Oxford University Press.

Raj Vasil. (2010). Asianising Singapore: The PAP's Management of Ethnicity. Heinemann Publishers.

Reid, A. (2010). Imperial Alchemy, Nationalism and Political Identity in Southeast Asia. Cambridge University Press.

Reports of Legislative Election. (1955). Singapore Election Department.

Reports of Legislative Election. (1959). Singapore Election Department.

Sandy, K. Y. (2024) Preserving the Partial: Understanding the Persistence of the People's Action Party Government in Democratic Singapore. Chicago University Press.

Shashi Jayakumar & Urcan. G. (2017) Singapore Chess: A History, 1945-1990. World Scientific Publishing Pte. Ltd.

Singapore Herald. (1956, Mac 17). Labour Front Must Keep It Up.

Singapore Standard. (1955, April 5). PAP’s Lee challenge CM Marshall.

Sonny, Y., Richard, L., & Weng, K. L. (2009). Men in White: The Untold Story of Singapore's Ruling Political Party. Singapore Press Holdings.

Suhana, S., Ali, S, Novel, L., Selvadurai, S, Zaimah, R., Azima, A. M., & Mohd Yusof , H. (2012). Krisis Politik Melayu dan Pembinaan Negara Bangsa. Geografia-Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 8(9), 39-45.

Tan, T. Y. (2008). Creating "Greater Malaysia" Decolonization and the Politics of Merger. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

The Straits Times. (1959, April 17). Malay Votes are Valuable!.

The Straits Times. (1959, April 21). Lee Kuan Yew Still Want ‘The Task Ahead’.

The Straits Times. (1959, Mac 22). PAPs Confident the People are on Side.

The Straits Times. (1959, April 29). What's Candidate Have?.

The Straits Times. (1955, November 5). PAPs Lee Kuan Yew Must Win.

The Straits Times. (1955, Mac 14). PAP Bring New Dimension?.

Tremewan, C. (2016). The Political Economy of Social Control in Singapore. Palgrave MacMillan.

Trocki, A., & Barr, D. (2008). Paths Not Taken: Political Pluralism in Post-war Singapore. NUS Press.

Yuen, B., & Hamnett, S. (2019). Planning Singapore: The Experimental City. Taylor & Francis Inc.

Zawiyah, M. Z. (2021). Budaya politik masyarakat melayu: Satu analisis. Geografia- Malaysian Journal of Society and Space, 17(1), 297-311.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.