title: 1959 in Singapore
text: # 1959 in Singapore
  
  The following lists events that happened during 1959 in Singapore.
  
  ## Incumbents
  
  * Governor of Singapore
     * Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode ( until 2 June)
  * Yang di-Pertuan Negara
     * Sir William Allmond Codrington Goode (from 3 June to 2 December)
     * Yusof Ishak (from 3 December)
  * Chief Minister – Lim Yew Hock (until June 3)
  * Prime Minister – Lee Kuan Yew (from 5 June)
  * Chief Secretary: Edgeworth Beresford David (till 2 June)
  
  ## Events
  
  ### May
  
  * 30 May – The 1959 General Elections was held. Lee Kuan Yew was elected as Prime Minister of Singapore.
  
  ### June
  
  * 3 June – The 1958 State of Singapore Constitution is adopted, allowing for self-governance in Singapore.
  * 5 June – The first Cabinet is sworn into power.
  * 8 June – A campaign against decadent lifestyles is launched.
  * 20 June – The Ministry of National Development will start a team with seven Assembly members from 22 June, with many departments to be consolidated under MND. The Singapore Improvement Trust will also be brought under the Ministry in future.
  * 25 June – The Ministry of National Development forms the Primary Production Department to better serve farmers and fishermen.
  
  ### October
  
  * 23 October – Various departments of the City Council and Rural Board will be absorbed into the Ministry of National Development, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Labour and Law.
  
  ### December
  
  * 3 December – Encik Yusof bin Ishak is sworn in as Singapore's second Yang di-Pertuan Negara. On the same day, the National Flag of Singapore, the Coat of arms of Singapore and the national anthem, Majulah Singapura, are unveiled.
  * 12–17 December – Singapore participates in the 1959 Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, the first SEAP event. It came in fourth with 33 medals.
  
  ## Births
  
  * 9 February – Gan Kim Yong, Minister for Trade and Industry.
  * 26 February – Lim Hwee Hua, former politician, first woman in Singapore's Cabinet.
  * 26 March – K. Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law.
  * 24 June – Raymond Lim, former politician.
  