David Marshall | |
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1st Chief Minister of Singapore | |
In office 6 April 1955 – 7 June 1956 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Governor | John Fearns Nicoll Robert Black William Goode |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Lim Yew Hock |
Chairman of the Workers' Party | |
In office 3 November 1957 – 18 January 1963 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Chiang Seok Keong (acting) |
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Anson | |
In office 15 July 1961 – 3 September 1963 | |
Preceded by | Mohammed Baharuddin Ariff |
Succeeded by | Govindaswamy Perumal |
Member of the Legislative Assembly for Cairnhill | |
In office 2 April 1955 – 29 April 1957 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Soh Ghee Soon |
Personal details | |
Born | David Saul Marshal 12 March 1908 Singapore, Straits Settlements |
Died | 12 December 1995 Singapore | (aged 87)
Cause of death | Lung cancer |
Political party | Independent (1963–1995) |
Other political affiliations | Labour Front (1954–1957) Worker's Party (1957–1963) |
Spouse |
Jean Mary Gray (m. 1961) |
Children | 4[1] |
Parent(s) | Saul Nassim Marshall (father) Flora Ezekiel Marshall (mother) |
Alma mater | University of London |
David Saul Marshall (12 March 1908 – 12 December 1995), born David Saul Mashal, was a Singaporean barrister and statesman who served as the inaugural Chief Minister of Singapore from 1955 to 1956. He resigned after just over a year at the helm after his delegation to London regarding negotiations for complete home rule and eventual independence of Singapore was initially rejected by the British. However, Marshall was nevertheless instrumental in forging the idea of sovereignty as well as in subsequent negotiations that led to its eventual self-governance from the United Kingdom in 1959.
While Marshall had a privileged upbringing, he was a leftist nationalist who aspired self-determination of the former British Crown colony—having founded the Labour Front and the Workers' Party. From 1963 onward, Marshall would renounce partisan politics and become an independent politician for the rest of his life. Singapore would eventually gain its complete independence in 1965 as a sovereign country – his foremost political goal coming into fruition.
In 1978, Marshall became a diplomat and was Singapore's inaugural ambassador to various countries, including France, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. During this time, Marshall defended Singapore's interests abroad, despite his old political opponent and fellow barrister Lee Kuan Yew, under his People's Action Party, concurrently in government with Lee as prime minister. Nevertheless, he publicly maintained constructive criticism of some domestic policies that he had disagreed with. Marshall retired in 1993, and died two years later in 1995, at the age of 87.