About UPP

Symbol

The UPP symbol is a key, which represents nationhood, and is shaped into the letters "UPP". The people are the key to the country and only by allowing the people to hold the key to governance can a country be built into a true nation.

History

The United People's Party was founded on 14 July 1961. It was actually one of the two splinter parties formed out of the People's Action Party in 1962 but the other, the Barisan Sosialis, is more well known due to their communist backing and more mentions in history books.
Mr Ong Eng Guan

The founder of the UPP, Mr Ong Eng Guan, was originally a member of the ruling party and became a Minister in the first PAP cabinet and the Mayor of the City Council.

When the PAP won the election in 1959, the party had to choose a Prime Minister between two leaders, the secretary-general, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, and Mr Ong, who was party treasurer. Mr Lee won by one vote cast by the chairman Dr Toh Chin Chye. Therefore, Mr Ong became the Minister of National Development.

In 1961, Mr Ong disagreed with the scrapping of the City Council and the way the PAP government started to run the country. He filed the famous 16 resolutions against the government and was sacked and expelled from PAP. Although no anti-hopping law existed, Mr Ong offered to resign his Hong Lim seat as gentlemen act and also to prove that he never needed the PAP machinery.

UPP Assemblymen

Mr Ong and Mr Ng Teng Kian

A by-election was called and Mr Ong ran as an independent. The PAP leadership tried to dismiss and discredit him as a "meglomanic" but this failed and he won handsomely with 73.3% of the votes against their candidate.

The following year, the UPP was registered. Two other assemblyman, Mr Ng Teng Kian and Mr S. V. Lingam, also resigned from PAP to form the UPP, giving the party a total of 3 seats, Hong Lim, Aljunied and Tiong Bahru. UPP became one of the 4 opposition parties represented in the Assembly, with Barisan Sosialis, Workers' Party and the Alliance. But its symbol of 3 interlocked rings was denied approval because it was too similar to the logo of the People's Association. Therefore, the CEC decided on the key, which was the symbol used during Mr Ong's run as an independent.

During the Merger Referendum debate in 1962, the UPP disagreed with the PAP's conditions of merger. It stood for merger but wanted a full and fair one where Singapore was to be totally integrated with Malaysia with no special conditions in the areas of economy or political representation and rights.

UPP's original symbol

At the election of 1963, the UPP came up with 46 candidates in 51 seats, tying with the Barisan Sosialis and the second largest slate. It managed to keep only its Hong Lim seat and lost its Punggol seat when Mr Ng moved to Tiong Bahru, which Mr Ng was unsuccessful. Mr Lingam rejoined the PAP.

Mr Ong decided to call it quits and resigned his seat in 1965. Members who were left then went over to the Workers' Party.

Since then, although the party is nearing 50 years, a large part of its existence was lapsed in inactivity. Today, a young group of Singaporeans plan to reactivate the party and continue the legacy of Mr Ong and the UPP.


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