 A second Legislative Council election was held in 1951 with the number of elected seats increased to nine . This election was again dominated by the SPP which won six seats . While this contributed to the formation of a distinct local government of Singapore , the colonial administration was still dominant . In 1953 , with the communists in Malaya suppressed and the worst of the Emergency over , a British Commission , headed by Sir George Rendel , proposed a limited form of self @-@ government for Singapore . A new Legislative Assembly with twenty @-@ five out of thirty @-@ two seats chosen by popular election would replace the Legislative Council , from which a Chief Minister as head of government and Council of Ministers as a cabinet would be picked under a parliamentary system . The British would retain control over areas such as internal security and foreign affairs , as well as veto power over legislation . 
