The first semblance of elections in Singapore began with the passing of the Municipal Bill in 1887 to replace the Municipal Committee with a partly-elected Municipal Commission. A candidate required a proposer and seconder from among registered voters in one of the five wards he intended to contest to secure a nomination. Even if there is only one candidate nominated, a day will be set where he would need to garner at least 20 registered voters to become a Municipal Commissioner. However, there were cases where the Singapore Governor proceeded to invite the sole candidate who did not obtain the necessary number of votes to take up the seat (as shown in pale green). There were also times where no nomination was received and no election was held, which the Governor would appoint someone to represent the ward. In the few occurrences where there was a contest between two or more candidates (bright green), registered voters of the ward would take part to elect one of their choices. All candidates were non-partisan as the election system did not provide for political party affiliations. However, the municipality was generally divided into cliques and lobby groups along the lines of ethnic or trade associations Commissioners belonged to. Due to this factionalism, the Municipal Ordinance was amended by British colonial government again in 1913 to scrap elections, despite the protests of most Commissioners, and this remained so until 1949. The last vacated seat in 1912, before the abolishment, was in Rochore and had no takers. During this period, there were no women candidates emerging. Those who had held office were mainly European and several Chinese businessmen who pioneered some of today's household names, examples being F & N (John Fraser), Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (Lim Boon Keng and Lee Choon Guan), Robinsons (A. W. Bean) and Straits Steamship companies (Tan Jiak Kim). Many also had roads or places named after them (Barker Road, Boon Keng MRT Station, Buckley Road, Fowlie Road, Hooper Road, Jago Close, Keng Lee Road, Choon Guan Street, Manasseh Lane, Nanson Road, Shelford Road, Robertson Quay and others).

RESULTS
1889 | 1899	Tanjong Pagar [No. I]		Central [No. II]		Tanglin [No. III]		Rochore [No. IV]		Kallang [No. V]
	Name	Votes	Name	Votes	Name	Votes	Name	Votes	Name	Votes
29 Jun 1889					Frederick Gerald DAVIDSON	N.A.
6 Dec 1889			TAN Beng Wan	59			LIM Eng Keng	43
18 Jul 1890					Thomas SHELFORD	20
13 Dec 1890	James MILLER	25			Thomas SHELFORD	18			TAN Jiak Kim	20
8 May 1891					William Edward HOOPER	29
10 Dec 1891			Alexander Leathes DONALDSON	43
25 Feb 1892							Cosmo Gordon PATERSON	23
4 Mar 1892	TAY Geok Teat	47
	Joaquim Parsick JOAQUIM	N.A.
	Cosmo Gordon PATERSON	N.A.
21 Mar 1892					Joaquim Parsick JOAQUIM	45
12 Dec 1892							John FRASER	24
19 Dec 1892	Thomas SHELFORD	24
7 Dec 1893	Thomas SHELFORD	47			Reuben Manasseh MEYER	33			Aristarchus Catchick MOSES	27
27 Apr 1894			TAN Jiak Kim	40
13 Dec 1894			TAN Jiak Kim	25
26 Apr 1895	Joaquim Parsick JOAQUIM	24
10 May 1895							Cosmo Gordon PATERSON	26
6 Dec 1895							Thomas SHELFORD	N.A.
4 Dec 1896	Joaquim Parsick JOAQUIM	20			Reuben Manasseh MEYER	20			Aristarchus Catchick MOSES	19
3 Aug 1897			TAN Cheng Tuan	23
9 Dec 1897			TAN Cheng Tuan	31
7 Mar 1898	Hugh FORT	41
6 Dec 1898							William NANSON	39
5 Dec 1899	Frederick Ernest JAGO	55			Arthur BARKER	21			Aristarchus Catchick MOSES	22
1900 | 1911	Tanjong Pagar [No. I]		Central [No. II]		Tanglin [No. III]		Rochore [No. IV]		Kallang [No. V]
	Name	Votes	Name	Votes	Name	Votes	Name	Votes	Name	Votes
27 Feb 1900							James Waddell Boyd MACLAREN	113
							William Charles NIBLETT	34
15 May 1900			LEE Choon Guan	63
4 Dec 1900			LEE Choon Guan	29
5 Feb 1901							WEE Theam Tew	26
3 Dec 1901							WEE Theam Tew	N.A.
2 Dec 1902	Frederick Ernest JAGO	52			Arthur BARKER	29			Frederick Samuel POOLES	43
									Frederick Kersey JENNINGS	7
3 Feb 1903									Frederick Samuel POOLES	21
8 Dec 1903			LEE Choon Guan	N.A.
8 Mar 1904									Charles Burton BUCKLEY	7
26 Apr 1905					Herbert Irons CHOPE	N.A.
16 May 1905			LIM Boon Keng	N.A.
27 Jun 1905									Henry Lake COGHLAN	25
26 Sep 1905							CHING Keng Lee	22
5 Dec 1905	Thomas Murray ROBERTSON	67							Henry Lake COGHLAN	30
4 Dec 1906			ONG Teck Lim	44
3 Dec 1907							CHING Keng Lee	23
28 Jan 1908	Peter FOWLIE	13
3 Mar 1908					Cecil Ingram CARVER	35
3 Dec 1908	Peter FOWLIE	39			Cecil Ingram CARVER	38			Frederick Ernest JAGO	67
									Jacob CARAPIET	22
15 Jun 1909									Jacob CARAPIET	42
7 Dec 1909			WEE Theam Tew	27
3 May 1910			TAN Khiam Hock	27	Frederick Ernest JAGO	27
14 Dec 1910	Thomas Murray ROBERTSON	45					CHIA Keng Chin	39
5 Dec 1911	YIN Suat Chwan	61			Alfred William BEAN	52			Issac MOSS	42
									Jacob CARAPIET	41