1955 Singaporean general election

The 1955 Singaporean general election was held on 2 April 1955 to elect members to the Legislative Assembly of Singapore. It marked a pivotal moment in Singapore's political development, being the first election conducted under the Rendel Constitution, which introduced a significantly expanded legislature with a majority of elected seats. Of the 32 seats in the new Legislative Assembly, 25 were contested by election, while the remainder were filled by nominated or ex-officio members. The election featured multiple new political parties and was the first to witness widespread participation by locally founded political organisations.

The election resulted in a hung assembly, with the Labour Front (LF), a newly formed centre-left party led by David Marshall, emerging as the largest party with 10 seats. The People's Action Party (PAP), contesting its first general election under the leadership of Lee Kuan Yew, won 3 seats, while the Progressive Party (PP), the largest party in the previous Legislative Council, suffered a significant decline, securing only 4 seats. Marshall was appointed Singapore's first Chief Minister after forming a minority government with the support of the Singapore branches of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) and several independents.

The 1955 election was significant for setting the stage for the self-governance of Singapore. It introduced a partially elected government responsible for internal affairs, though the British colonial authorities retained control over external affairs, defence, and internal security. With more than 300,000 registered voters, the 1955 election saw a significant surge in voter registration compared to the 1948 and 1951 elections. However, voter turnout remained relatively low at 52.66%. The outcome of the election underscored the fragmentation and diversity of political opinion at the time as well as the rising tide of anti-colonial sentiment that would shape Singapore's future political trajectory.