1970 Singaporean presidential election

None 1970 Singaporean presidential election People's Action Party Benjamin Sheares Yeoh Ghim Seng (acting) President File:Benjamin Sheares 1940s.jpg 54 Independent politician Benjamin Sheares 30 December 1970 Singapore 1974 1974 Singaporean presidential election 1967 1967 Singaporean presidential election no presidential Independent politician Indirect presidential elections were held in Singapore on 30 December 1970, following the death of the incumbent president Yusof Ishak in November. At the time, the president was elected by parliament. Obstetrician and gynaecologist Benjamin Sheares was announced as a nominee, despite not being an expected choice. Prime minister Lee Kuan Yew nominated Sheares as president, which saw unanimous approval from parliament. Sheares was sworn in for his first term as president on 2 January 1971. Background The office of the president of Singapore is the head of state of Singapore. It was established in 1965 following Singapore's independence from Malaysia, replacing the Yang di-Pertuan Negara. The role of the president is largely ceremonial, but at the time the president could give discretion to the appointment of the prime minister or dissolution of parliament.Tan Peng 1997 9–1030 December 1970 Election of President Today https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19701230-1.2.37 28 January 2026 The Straits Times 6 NewspaperSG Prior to the 1991 constitutional amendment, which saw the president elected by popular vote, the president was elected by parliament.7 December 1991 Elected President's Powers For President Wee https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/stoverseas19911207-1.2.2? 28 January 2026 The Straits Times 1 NewspaperSG Candidates Following incumbent president Yusof Ishak's death in office in November 1970, the Singaporean government began searching for a successor. Due to Yusof's extended illness prior to his death, prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and his cabinet were able to plan ahead for a possible successor. Although the full list of candidates has never been officially released, speculated candidates in the media include:Tan Peng 1997 10–1125 November 1970 Who Will Become The Next Head of State? https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19701125-1.2.71 28 January 2026 The Straits Times 17 NewspaperSG Yeoh Ghim Seng, speaker of Parliament and acting president when Yusof was ill Othman Wok, minister for social affairs Wee Chong Jin, chief justice of Singapore Ismail bin Abdul Aziz, president of the Muslim Religious Council Punch Coomaraswamy, former speaker of Parliament A. P. Rajah, former speaker of Parliament When obstetrician and gynaecologist Benjamin Sheares was announced as a nominee, it was seen as unexpected.Tan Peng 1997 1128 December 1970 The Choice For President https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singherald19701228-1.2.15 subscription 28 January 2026 Singapore Herald 3 NewspaperSG The nomination of Prof. Benjamin Henry Sheares for the office of President of the Republic of Singapore will have come as a surprise to most people. His name was not among those mentioned in public discussion. Lee's relationship with Sheares was a factor in his nomination, with Lee knowing Sheares since 1940 when he lived nearby to him. Other speculation on why Sheares was chosen include that he was non-partisan and from a minority race in Singapore. The Far Eastern Economic Review opined that he was chosen due to his profession and success, along with showing diversity in the Chinese-dominated government.Sheares Joseph H. H. Joseph Sheares July 2005 Benjamin Henry Sheares, MD, MS, FRCOG: President, Republic of Singapore 1971–1981; Obstetrician and Gynaecologist 1931–1981 : A Biography, 12th August 1907 – 12th May 1981 http://annals.edu.sg/pdf/34VolNo6200506/V34N6p25C.pdf dead Annals of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore 34 6 25C–41C 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.V34N6p25C 0304-4602 16010377 https://web.archive.org/web/20060209204009/http://annals.edu.sg/pdf/34VolNo6200506/V34N6p25C.pdf 9 February 200636C His nomination was also seen as a symbol of unity between the government and academics, as the People's Action Party-led government had previously criticised the medical profession, the National University of Singapore, and the Eurasian community for their "flaccid anti-colonialism" after their victory at the 1959 general election.36C Results The presidential election was held on 30 December 1970 at Parliament House.30 December 1970 Election of President of Republic of Singapore https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/topic?reportid=009_19701230_S0004_T0025 24 July 2020 Parliament of Singapore Prime minister Lee nominated Sheares before parliament for a four-year term as president. Speaking about him, Lee described him as "by disposition courteous, and by nature kind, modest and friendly". This was followed by members of parliament (MP) Rahmat bin Kenap, Ch'ng Jit Koon, and P. Govindaswamy speaking in support of Lee's nomination.31 December 1970 All 'ayes' for Sheares The Straits Times https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19701231-1.2.2 24 July 2020 1 NewspaperSG On that day's sitting, 54 out of the 58 MPs were present, with four members absent.The MPs were Yeoh Ghim Seng, Ong Pang Boon, Tang See Chim, and Ya'acob bin Mohamed.Official Report https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/report?sittingdate=30-12-1970 24 July 2020 30 December 1970 Parliament of Singapore Parliament unanimously voted to elect him as president. Following his successful election, Sheares was sworn in on 2 January 1971. His mother was 91 years old when she learnt that he had been elected president. Just two weeks before she died, she said "God has blessed Bennie especially after the way he looked after us and me."26CBenjamin Sheares Independent 54 54 58 References Notes Citations Bibliography 30em yes Tan Kevin Kevin Y. L. Tan https://archive.org/details/managingpolitica0000unse_l7y7/mode/2up Managing Political Change in Singapore: The Elected Presidency Peng Er Lam 1997 Routledge 9780415156325 Category:Presidential elections in Singapore Singapore Presidential election