The Housing and Development Board (HDB), the national housing authority, was formed in February 1960, taking over housing responsibilities from its predecessor, the Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT). HDB embarked on a massive programme to house the many people living in squatter settlements. Now, more than 80 per cent of Singapore’s population live in HDB flats. Singapore's first estate, Queenstown, was initiated by SIT in the 1950s but was fully developed by HDB. The second town, Toa Payoh, was the first to be planned and designed by HDB. There are now 23 towns across Singapore. David Marshall, leader of the Labour Front, became the first Chief Minister of Singapore.
He presided over a shaky government, receiving little cooperation from either the colonial government or the other local parties. Social unrest was on the rise, and in May 1955, the Hock Lee bus riots broke out, killing four people and seriously discrediting Marshall's government. In 1956, the Chinese middle school riots broke out among students in The Chinese High School and other schools, further increasing the tension between the local government and the Chinese students and unionists who were regarded of having communist sympathies. In April 1956, Marshall led a delegation to London to negotiate for complete self-rule in the Merdeka Talks, but the talks failed when the British were reluctant to give up control over Singapore's internal security. The British were concerned about communist influence and labour strikes which were undermining Singapore's economic stability, and felt that the local government was ineffective in handling earlier riots.
Marshall resigned following the failure of the talk. The new Chief Minister, Lim Yew Hock, launched a crackdown on communist and leftist groups, imprisoning many trade union leaders and several pro-communist members of the PAP under the Internal Security Act. The British government approved of Lim's tough stance against communist agitators, and when a new round of talks was held beginning in March 1957, they agreed to grant complete internal self-government. A State of Singapore would be created, with its own citizenship. The Legislative Assembly would be expanded to fifty-one members, entirely chosen by popular election, and the Prime Minister and cabinet would control all aspects of government except defense and foreign affairs. The governorship was replaced by a Yang di-Pertuan Negara or head of state. In August 1958, the State of Singapore Act was passed in the United Kingdom Parliament providing for the establishment of the State of Singapore.
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Singapore Steps to Financial Hub of South East Asia © 1957
