PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTION 1981

PAP Member of Parliament C. V. Devan Nair was chosen as the next President of Singapore, which vacated the Anson seat for a BE for the third time in history. Both WP and SDP leaders, J. B. Jeyaretnam and Chiam See Tong respectively accompanying his party's candidate, turned up at the nomination centre but the latter pulled out his candidate at the last minute to make way for the former to avert a three-corner clash. This election marked the end of PAP's 15-year monopoly since the boycott of Parliament by BS in 1966 and it was also WP's return to the house since 1961 in the exact same seat 20 years after David Marshall first clinched it.

Nomination day: 21 October 1981 [Wed]
Polling day: 31 October 1981 [Sat]

Total voters: 14,512
Total voter turnout: 13,746 (94.7%)

Election deposit: $1,500