1961 in Singapore

Incumbents

• Yang di-Pertuan Negara – Yusof Ishak
• Prime Minister – Lee Kuan Yew

  Events

February

• 20 February – The Singapore Malay National Organisation is formed as a branch of UMNO. It later split following independence.

  April

• 29 April – A by-election is held after Ong Eng Guan resigned from his seat following expulsion from the People's Action Party. As two other candidates were disqualified, it is a contest between Ong and PAP's Jek Yuen Thong, which Ong regained his seat.

  May

• 25 May – The Bukit Ho Swee Fire kills 4 people and destroys 2,200 attap houses.
• 27 May – Tunku Abdul Rahman, the Prime Minister of Malaya, proposes a merger between Singapore, Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei.

  July

• 15 July – A by-election is held after assemblyman Baharuddin bin Ariff died a few months earlier. The People's Action Party lost this by-election; the second in a row, with David Marshall from the Workers' Party winning the Anson seat.
• 25 July – The Singapore Trade Union Congress splits, caused by an ideological split in the People's Action Party.
• 26 July – Shell opens Singapore's first oil refinery at Pulau Bukom.

  August

• 1 August – The Economic Development Board is formed to create opportunities for Singapore businesses.
• 12 August – The National Iron and Steel Mills is formed to develop Singapore's steel industry.
• 13 August – Barisan Sosialis is registered as an opposition party, which dissolved and merged with the Workers' Party in 1988.
• 16 August – The Singapore Association of Trade Unions is formed after STUC's split earlier in July. The union is declared illegal in 1963 after conducting activities that threatened Singapore's national security.

  September

• 6 September – The National Trades Union Congress is formed to represent workers.
• 13 September – 9 October – Lee Kuan Yew delivered a series of 12 radio talks in English, Mandarin and Malay to campaign for a merger with Malaysia. This also includes exposing the Communists' real ideology and reason for opposing the merger.
• 16–17 September – The first Singapore Grand Prix is held at Thomson Road.

  October

• 15 October – The Sang Nila Utama Secondary School is officially opened, making it Singapore's first Malay-medium secondary school. By 1968, it started to offer English-medium lessons.

  December

• 11–16 December – Singapore took part in the 2nd South East Asian Peninsular Games. It clinched the fifth place, accumulating a total of 28 medals.

  Date unknown

• The State Development Plan 1961–1964 is published. It aims to improve conditions in Singapore, during a time of high unemployment.
• Queenstown New Town is being built and expanded to cater for a growing population. This comes after slow progress under the previous Singapore Improvement Trust.

  Births

• 23 January – Mas Selamat Kastari – Known for 2008 escape.
• 25 January – Vivian Balakrishnan – Minister for Foreign Affairs in Singapore.
• 4 February – Edmund Chen – Former Singaporean actor. Married with Xiang Yun, also born in 1961.
• 12 February – Chen Jin Lang – Former Singaporean singer.
• 14 July – Heng Chee How – Singaporean politician.
• 16 August – Lui Tuck Yew – Former Second Minister for Defence in Singapore.
• 27 October – Xiang Yun – Singaporean actress. Married with Edmund Chen.
• 1 November – Heng Swee Keat – Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
• Desmond Sim – Playwright, poet, writer, painter.
• Isabella Loh – Chairperson of Singapore Environment Council.
• Kelly Tang – Composer.
• Ovidia Yu – Novelist, playwright.

  Deaths

• 30 January – Goh Hood Keng – First Straits Chinese to be ordained Methodist minister.
• 21 April – Baharuddin bin Ariff, MP.
• 12 August – Tan Kah Kee, businessman, philanthropist.