Part 4/7:
Amidst the merger celebrations, Singapore was also embroiled in a fierce electoral campaign. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's People's Action Party (PAP) was seeking a robust mandate to govern effectively post-merger. To do so, Lee called for a general election, aiming to solidify his government's legitimacy and authority.
However, the electoral landscape was complicated by racial and political sensitivities. In three predominantly Malay constituencies, the PAP faced stiff competition from the Singapore Alliance, a coalition that included the Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman's party, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The presence of Tunku himself in these campaigning efforts underscored the significance of these battlegrounds.