Singapore’s 140th year was arguably its greatest. For the first time, all of Singapore was under the control of a fully elected, locally responsible government. A popular left-wing party won the election, and proceeded to launch its self-proclaimed People’s Revolution. An independent, socialist, non-communist, prosperous Singapore seemed in the grasp of Singapore at last. In this episode, PJ Thum recounts the elections of 1959, explains why the People’s Action Party won, and discusses the significance of 1959 as a turning point in Singapore history. Please send questions, comments, and feedback to thehistoryofsingapore@gmail.com or visit thehistoryofsingapore.com. Support the show at patreon.com/pjthum.