1968 Singaporean general election

The 1968 Singaporean general election was held on 13 April 1968 to elect all 58 members to the Parliament of Singapore. It was the first general election since Singapore became an independent sovereign state in 1965 following its separation from Malaysia. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP), led by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, won a landslide victory, securing all 58 seats in Parliament. Of these, 51 were uncontested, as opposition parties either failed to field candidates or withdrew altogether. As a result, the outcome of the election was effectively determined before polling day.

The political context of the election was shaped by a weakened and fragmented opposition. Barisan Sosialis (BS), the main opposition party formed by former PAP members, had boycotted Parliament after independence and subsequently withdrew from electoral politics altogether, citing concerns over political repression and the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) against dissenting voices. Other minor parties joined the boycott or were either inactive or lacked the organisational capacity to mount a significant challenge. The PAP, in turn, used its control over state institutions and media to reinforce its message of stability, development and national unity during a time of regional uncertainty.

Because of the large number of uncontested seats, voter participation was drastically limited. Out of 759,367 registered voters, only 77,952 out of 84,883 voted with 65,812 going to the PAP, since ballots were cast in just seven contested constituencies. The remaining 51 seats were filled by walkovers. While this result was consistent with electoral rules, it highlighted the constrained political environment and the absence of meaningful electoral competition. The 1968 election marked the beginning of a prolonged period of de-facto one-party rule by the PAP, during which the party could pursue their policies without opposition. This election set the tone for Singapore's political trajectory in the decades that followed.