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Year 1963

CPF Started

Friday, 1st July 1955

The British colonial authority in Singapore introduced the Central Provident Fund (CPF) as a compulsory savings scheme so as to allow workers to save for their retirement, 10 years after the end of the Japanese Occupation when people were struggling to make ends meet.

Lee Kuan Yew Wins The Tanjong Pagar Seat

Sunday, 3rd April 1955

Chinese Students lifted Mr. Lee Kuan Yew to shoulder-high after the announcement that he was the successful candidate for Tanjong Pagar. Mr. Lee (PAP) got 6629 votes. His closest rival was Mr. Peter Lim Seck Tiong (Progressive Party) with only 908 votes.

Nanyang University Established

Monday, 28th March 1955

Nanyang University (Nantah), the first Chinese-language university in Southeast Asia, is established through donations from people of all walks of life in the region. Prime land donated by the Hokkien Huay Kuan, a clan association, is developed as the Yunnan Garden campus in Jurong.

Gravest Flood Hits Singapore

Friday, 10th December 1954

Twelve hours of continuous rain caused the worst flood since 1934. Bedok village was under six feet of water. Other areas that were badly hit were Whampoa, Kallang, Potong Pasir and Bukit Timah. Floodwater entered more than 300 homes, damaging personal belongings and furniture. Thousands of people were force to abandon their home and moved to higher grounds. 5 people were drowned by the raging flood water.

Boy Drown In Kim Seng River

Sunday, 6th June 1954

A nine-year-old boy was drown in Kim Seng River opposite the Great World Park. He was the son of a fishmonger living in Tiong Bahru village. It was believed that he fell into the monsoon drain near his home and was carried away by the floods water caused by the heavy rain.

Air Disaster at Kallang Airport

Thursday, 13th May 1954

The first air disaster at Kallang Airport happened on 13 May 1954 at 2:30 p.m. The BOAC Constellation, Lockheed L-749A (registered as G-ALAM "Able Mike") was on a scheduled flight from Sydney to London and had stopped over at Darwin (Australia) and Jakarta (Indonesia). The aircraft touched down too soon at the seaward end of the Kallang Runway 06, struck a seawall and crashed. Within moments the fuselage was enveloped in flames. 31 passengers and two crew members died in Singapore's first civil air disaster. The pilot and six other crew members survived by escaping from the cockpit through a 14-by-10-inch clear vision panel.

Cathay Hotel Opened

Saturday, 9th January 1954

Cathay Hotel is a prime meeting place for celebrities and tourist. Cathay Hotel is located along Handy Road.

43,500 voters go the polls

Saturday, 5th December 1953

About 43,500 voters went to the polls today to choose five men out of 13 to represent them in the City Council. At least 300 clerks were on duty at 50 polling stations throughout the city and policemen were on standby although no trouble was expected. Six thousand and seven hundred people in the City ward did not get to vote as J.M. Jumabhoy (Independent) was the only one nominated for the ward.

National Library Stone Layed

Saturday, 15th August 1953

Mr. Lee Kong Chian, a renowned Chinese community leader and philanthropist, laid the foundation stone the National Library at Fort Canning project. Lee Kong Chian, offered S$350,000 towards the founding of the first free public library in Singapore on condition that vernacular languages were promoted and encouraged in the public arena. The British government accepted the offer and began demolishing the old St Andrew's Chapel and the British Council Hall sited at the foot of Fort Canning Hill along Stamford Road to make way for the new library.

Sir George Rendel to review the constitution

Wednesday, 1st July 1953

The British Government appointed Sir George Rendel to review the constitution. The object is to make recommendations for Singapore's self-government.

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