National Development Minister Ong Eng Guan was terminated from his Cabinet post on 20 August 1960 and expelled from PAP a week later after several public disputes with his colleagues in the legislature, including over the abolishment of the City Council, which he was the last Mayor of. He filed the famous "16 resolutions" against the PAP government, resigned his seat on 29 December 1960 and challenged PAP to defeat him there. Another two PAP Assembly Members joined his faction and resigned from party but stayed on in their seats. With Ong's re-election, the government's majority in the legislature was slashed from 17 to 14 seats. Two years earlier in 1959, Farrer Park AM A. P. Rajah and Joo Chiat AM Koh Choon Hong swapped political affiliations, with the former joining SPA and the latter quitting it.

Writ of election: 2 March 1961 [Thu]
Nomination day: 11 March 1961 [Sat]
Polling day: 29 April 1961 [Sat]
Member swearing-in: 24 May 1961 [Wed]

Eligible voters: 11,892
Voter turnout: 10,818 (91.0%)

Election deposit: $500

RESULTS

Hong Lim