Marshall, David
(1908–1995), Singapore politician. David Marshall was born in Singapore on 12 March 1908. Educated in Singapore and London, he was called to the Singapore bar in 1938. A volunteer in World War II, he was taken prisoner in 1942 and sent to Japan; he returned to Singapore in 1946 and established his reputation as a leading criminal lawyer. His involvement in politics began in 1949, when he joined the Progressive Party. In 1954, he founded the Labour Front and became its chairman. In 1955 Singapore became a self-governing colony of the United Kingdom and an election was held; Marshall was elected chief minister when his party won ten out of twenty-five contested seats. He resigned in May 1956, after failing to secure full independence from the British government. In 1957 Marshall formed the Workers' Party, which, with Communist support, emerged as a political force in the December 1957 city council election, but then faded, except as a vehicle for winning Marshall a parliamentary seat in the 1962 Anson by-election. He resigned from the party in 1963 because of ideological differences, and returned to the practice of law. Marshall was admired for his courage and integrity, and for his willingness to stand up to authority on issues of conscience. In 1978 he was made Singapore's ambassador to France; later his portfolio expanded to include Spain, Portugal, and Switzerland. He retired from the diplomatic corps and returned to Singapore in 1993, where he practiced law until his death in 1995.
Further Reading
Chan Heng Chee. (1984) A Sensation of Independence: A Political Biography of David Marshall. Singapore: Oxford University Press.
Marshall, David Saul. (1995) Memorial Service, 1908–1995. Singapore: Maghain Aboth Synagogue.
Mulliner, Kent, and Lian The-Mulliner. (1991) Historical Dictionary of Singapore. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press.
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