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29-520: The party was founded by three lawyers, namely Tan Chye Cheng , John Laycock and Nazir Ahmad Mallal. All three were educated at the University of London and were three of the six first ever elected legislative councillors in Singapore. The party was Singapore's first political party. The Progressive Party was heavily backed by and made up of English-speaking upper class professionals. Its campaign ideology

58-630: A group of over 400 Russian Jews who were being refused exit from Shanghai by the Chinese authorities, Marshall spoke with Zhou and managed to have them released. After returning from China, Marshall stayed on the backbenches before quitting the Labour Front and as a member of the Legislative Assembly in 1957. On 7 November 1957, he founded the Workers' Party of Singapore (WP), which has remained one of

87-635: A sovereign country – his foremost political goal coming into fruition. In 1978, Marshall became a diplomat and was Singapore's inaugural ambassador to various countries, including France, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. During this time, Marshall defended Singapore's interests abroad, despite his old political opponent and fellow barrister Lee Kuan Yew , under his People's Action Party , concurrently in government with Lee as prime minister . Nevertheless, he publicly maintained constructive criticism of some domestic policies that he had disagreed with. Marshall retired in 1993, and died two years later in 1995, at

116-472: A teenager, such as malaria and tuberculosis . His initial goal of being a Queen's Scholar for a medical degree never came when he fell ill and collapsed before the final examinations. He then went to Belgium to study textile manufacturing. Upon his return, he joined the textile industry and later worked as a French language teacher and translator. He then decided to pursue a law career in London, graduating from

145-768: Is also well-regarded by lawyers in Singapore. In recognition of his impeccable service, he was appointed as an Honorary Member and Fellow of the Academy of Law in 1992 by the Singapore Academy of Law (SAL), and the David Marshall Professorship in Law was set up in 1995 by the National University of Singapore (NUS). In 2007, the Singapore Management University 's School of Law (SMU Law) introduced

174-512: The 1955 elections ; he ran in the Cairnhill constituency against Labour Front leader David Marshall , with Marshall receiving 48% of the vote to Tan's 36%. The PP won only four of the 25 seats, with the Labour Front winning 10. As a result, Marshall became the island's first Chief Minister . Tan had been one of the founders of the Tan, Rajah & Cheah law firm in 1947, and later became president of

203-476: The 1963 general election as an independent candidate, he decided to return to practice law but would remain active in politics, offering his opinions and viewpoints. From 1978 to 1993, at the invitation of Foreign Minister S. Rajaratnam , Marshall served as Singapore's first ambassador to France, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. As ambassador, Marshall always defended Singapore's interests, despite his differences with Lee Kuan Yew 's government. He retired from

232-689: The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce committee. He was educated at the St. Joseph's Institution school, leaving in 1928. He won a scholarship to attend St Joseph's Academy in London , where he became friends with Ong Hock Thye . Tan was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1928, passing his final exam in 1931. He had to wait until turning 21 in 1932 before being called to the Bar . He returned to Singapore and

261-544: The United Kingdom in 1959. While Marshall had a privileged upbringing, he was a leftist nationalist who aspired self-determination of the former British Crown colony —having founded the Labour Front and the Workers' Party . From 1963 onward, Marshall would renounce partisan politics and become an independent politician for the rest of his life. Singapore would eventually gain its complete independence in 1965 as

290-642: The University of London . Upon graduation, Marshall was called to the Bar from the Middle Temple in 1937 before returning to Singapore to commence a legal career. In 1938, following the German occupation of Czechoslovakia , Marshall volunteered for military service with a British reserve unit, the Straits Settlements Volunteer Force . He was assigned to "B" Company, 1st Battalion (1SSVF)—a company composed mostly of continental European expatriates. He

319-479: The diplomatic corps in 1993 after 15 years of service. While Marshall consistently praised Lee Kuan Yew and the PAP government for developing Singapore along with its economic prosperity, he also condemned the government for limiting freedom of speech and public freedoms. "We should keep in mind the horrors of [China's] Cultural Revolution , brought about by the cult of subservience to authority and primacy of society over

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348-861: The Bar Committee and first president of the Law Society . He served as president of the Singapore Olympic Sports Council from 1951 until 1962, and as chairman of the Straits Times press between 1974 and 1982. He died of heart failure at age 80 on 6 March 1991. In 2003 the Law Society created the C.C. Tan award, which is awarded to a member exemplifying the virtues of "honesty, fair play and personal integrity". David Marshall (Singaporean politician) David Saul Marshall (12 March 1908 – 12 December 1995), born David Saul Mashal ,

377-536: The CPF scheme despite having a few revisions and changes, remains in Singapore. Tan Chye Cheng Tan Chye Cheng ( traditional Chinese : 陳才清 ; simplified Chinese : 陈才清 ; pinyin : Chén Cái Qīng ; 1911 – 6 March 1991), also known as C. C. Tan , was a Singaporean lawyer and politician. Born in Singapore, Tan was the only child of Tan Guan Chua, a member of the Chinese Advisory Board and

406-590: The Chinese-educated locals, who were very unhappy with the SPP's Pro-British stance. In 1951, PP drafted a law for the setting up of a Central Provident Fund , and it was approved by the British government in 1954, this CPF scheme provides financial security for workers in their retirement or for workers who were unable to work, this scheme came into effect in 1955, when David Marshall took office, and even after so many years,

435-739: The David Marshall Prize for the top student in criminal law. In 2017, the Yale-NUS College introduced the David Marshall Scholarship for double degree law students. There is also the David Marshall Scholarship by the School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA), which are awarded to SOTA students who demonstrate artistic talents and excellent academic standing, as well as maintain excellent conduct and participate actively in school events. In 2011,

464-518: The Japanese cruelty was cold-blooded, permanent, and eternal. Man's inhumanity to man in fact, in real life, made its presence really known to me when I became a prisoner and saw it in action. Of course, I have known cruelty before. But wide-spread, long-term, cold-blooded, permanent cruelty, I've never experienced before, not even from the British Imperialists no matter how arrogant they were. That

493-502: The PP win three of the six elected seats. In the 1951 elections Tan ran in the Tanglin constituency , receiving 80% of the vote against his Labour Party rival, with the PP winning six of the nine elected seats. In 1954 he was part of the nine-man panel led by George William Rendel that reviewed the territory's constitution, leading to the promulgation of a new one. However, Tan lost his seat in

522-637: The age of 87. Marshall was born in Singapore on 12 March 1908, to Baghdadi Jewish parents Saul Nassim Mashal and Flora Ezekiel Kahn, who had immigrated to Singapore from Baghdad , which was then a part of the Ottoman Empire , where they ran a business. His family name was originally Mashal, which was later anglicised as Marshall in 1920. He had at least six siblings. Marshall received a strict Orthodox Jewish upbringing. Marshall attended Saint Joseph's Institution , Saint Andrew's School and Raffles Institution . Marshall suffered from various illnesses as

551-597: The individual before we point the accusing finger at those who believe that respect for the individual is the basis of human civilisation", he said. Marshall married Jean Mary Gray in 1961, an Englishwoman . Jean was born on 13 April 1926 in Kent , South East England , and came to Singapore in 1953 to take up a post with the Singapore Red Cross Society as a medical social worker . They had four children and six grandchildren. Marshall died in 1995 of lung cancer . He

580-518: The left-wing Labour Front to a narrow victory in Singapore's first Legislative Assembly elections . He formed a minority government and became Chief Minister . He resigned in April 1956 after a failed delegation to London to negotiate for complete self-rule. After resigning, Marshall visited China for two months at the invitation of Zhou Enlai , the Chinese Premier. Contacted by a representative of

609-729: The major political parties in Singapore, just after the PAP. Marshall lost his seat in Cairnhill Single Member Constituency to Lim Yew Hock, the Chief Minister, in the 1959 general election as a WP candidate, but won in Anson Single Member Constituency in the 1961 by-election . He resigned from the Workers' Party in January 1963 after a spat with some members of the party. After losing his seat again in

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638-543: Was 87. Jean Marshall died in Singapore on 29 March 2021, at age 94. Marshall has been considered by some Singaporeans as being one of the founding fathers of Singapore. A life-size cutout of him is present at the National Museum of Singapore 's Singapore History Gallery, along with some of his favourite iconic smoking pipes that were donated to the museum by his wife which accompanied him wherever he went, as well as other items such as his campaign cards. He

667-495: Was a Singaporean barrister and statesman who served as the inaugural Chief Minister of Singapore from 1955 to 1956. He resigned after just over a year at the helm after his delegation to London regarding negotiations for complete home rule and eventual independence of Singapore was initially rejected by the British. However, Marshall was nevertheless instrumental in forging the idea of sovereignty as well as in subsequent negotiations that led to its eventual self-governance from

696-819: Was a major shock, the feeling that there were human beings who were not on the same wavelength as me at all, who were not even human from my point of view. Most of Marshall's immediate family had emigrated to Australia before the war began. After the war ended Marshall spent time with his family in Australia, before returning to Singapore in 1946. He became a successful and prominent criminal lawyer. Known for his sharp eloquence and imposing stance, Marshall claimed that he had secured 99 acquittals out of 100 cases he defended for murder during Singapore's period of having trial by jury . When Lee Kuan Yew later abolished Singapore's jury system (1969), he cited Marshall's record as an illustration of its "inadequacy". In April 1955, Marshall led

725-641: Was appointed to the Advisory Council in 1946, serving until the following year, when he was amongst the founders of the Progressive Party in August 1947 and, despite not being a good public speaker, became its first president. In the first general elections in 1948, Tan was elected in the Municipal South-West constituency with 42% of the vote, beating Nazir Ahmad Mallal by 69 votes. The elections saw

754-491: Was called to the Bar in 1933. He initially worked at Aubrey Davies & Company, later moving to Rodyk & Davidson, where he remained until the start of World War II . In 1939 Tan married Joyce Lim Chin Lien in Singapore. They moved to India during World War II, returning to the island after the end of the war. His daughter, Margaret Leng Tan , became a musician. After returning from India, Tan became involved in politics. He

783-638: Was detained briefly by military police after objecting to the fact that he and other volunteers classified as "Asian" were paid at half the rate collected by "European" members of the SSVF. In February 1942, he saw action against the Imperial Japanese Army , in the Holland Road area, during the last few days of the Battle of Singapore . Marshall became a prisoner-of-war (POW) following the British surrender. He

812-555: Was initially interned in Changi Prison before being sent to a forced labour camp in Japan. Reflecting later on his experience as a POW, Marshall commented: [The Japanese occupation] taught me humility ... Three and a half years as a prisoner taught me humility ... I realised [as a Japanese prisoner-of-war] that mankind is capable of cold-hearted cruelty. I can be angry, and I have no doubt I can be cruel for five, ten minutes. But

841-631: Was to advocate progressive and gradual reforms, rather than sudden, quick, radical ones, which fell in line with British policy at the time, to slowly let Singapore gain full self-government. This approach was criticised vehemently by David Saul Marshall , leader of the Labour Front who instead wanted rapid reform. In the Legislative Council, the SPP worked closely with the British Government. The SPP fought for equal treatment with both local and European civil servants, but this did not please

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