"We want Merdeka now!" This petition was signed by residents of Singapore who wanted independence and freedom from the British. Self-government was not fully achieved until 1959 when Singapore held its first general elections. The defeat of the British in 1942 and the Japanese Occupation changed the people's perception of colonial powers. They were no longer regarded as supreme. The people of Singapore were also influenced by the external events that were taking place. Jawaharlal Nehru and President Sukarno successfully achieved independence for India and Indonesia, respectively. These two countries were previously colonised. 1956 David Marshall leads an all-party delegation to London to negotiate internal self-government. The constitutional talks, popularly known as the Merdeka Talks opened in London on April 23, 1956. 1957 This man led two delegations to London to negotiate for self-government.     1959 First general elections. 587,797 goes to the polls.   Previous Copyright © 1998 Singapore Press Holdings. All Rights Reserved.