June 6: Chief Minister of Singapore

David Saul Marshall, the son of Iraqi Orthodox Jewish emigrants to Singapore, was elected Chief Minister of the archipelago nation on this date in 1955. The election was the first following a century of British and then Japanese rule (Marshall was a Japanese prisoner of war for three years). Marshall was a left-winger, anti-racist and anti-colonialist who led the Singapore Labour Front. He negotiated with the British for complete self-rule during his short term, but that did not come about until 1963, by which time he had founded the Workers Party of Singapore and won and lost legislative seats. He was Ambassador to France, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland between 1978 and 1993. “I was thrust into politics by a sense of outrage, a deep sense of anger,” said Marshall. “I wanted to break the sonic barrier against Asians and especially against Jews.”

“My . . . understanding of socialism, my own approach was an effort to create the foundations for the opportunity of all our people to attain the conditions of living compatible with human dignity. Why did I call it socialist? Because it moved away from the concept of wealth to the concept of human qualities and respect for the human individual, and not respect for his bank account.” —David Marshall