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Today in History: Chia Thye Poh released after 32-year detention

By Drooid · Oct 30, 2026 · How we work

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On 30 October 1966, Singapore’s opposition MP Chia Thye Poh was arrested under the Internal Security Act, which authorises preventive detention without trial. He remained imprisoned for 32 years, finally regaining freedom in 1998, marking one of the longest political detentions in Singapore’s history.

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On 30 October 1966, Singapore’s opposition MP Chia Thye Poh was arrested under the Internal Security Act, which authorises preventive detention without trial. He remained imprisoned for 32 years, finally regaining freedom in 1998, marking one of the longest political detentions in Singapore’s history.