1981 in Singapore

none March 2020 September 2020 1981 The following lists significant events that happened during 1981 in Singapore. Incumbents President: Benjamin Henry Sheares (until 12 May), Yeoh Ghim Seng (Acting) (12 May to 23 October), C.V. Devan Nair (starting 23 October) Prime Minister: Lee Kuan Yew Events January 25 January and 7 February - Adrian Lim, a self-professed medium, Catherine Tan Mui Choo and Hoe Kah Hong murders two children as "sacrifices" in a case known as the Toa Payoh ritual murders. This case becomes the second-longest murder trial in Singapore at that time, taking 41 days to complete. The three suspects are found guilty and sentenced to hang. The sentences are carried out on 25 November 1988.Munoo Rajendra Adrian Lim Murders http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_71_2005-02-02.html?s=adrian%20lim National Library Board, Singapore 25 January 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20160202103907/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_71_2005-02-02.html?s=adrian%20lim 2016-02-02 live March March - Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Tommy Koh, assumes the presidency of the Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea. April 15 April – The Vanda Miss Joaquim is declared Singapore's national flower.Vanda Miss Joaquim is declared Singapore's national flower http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/dc286f1d-5295-484a-b60f-101efcdd3cbe NLB 25 July 2019 May 12 May – Singapore's second President Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares dies while in office.Benjamin Sheares http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_650_2005-01-24.html NLB 25 July 2019 Speaker of Parliament Yeoh Ghim Seng temporarily serves as acting president during that time. 22 May – The Government of Singapore Investment Corporation is formed.Government of Singapore Investment Corporation is formed http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/13ca991b-fef6-4f87-a95a-40d360a66faa NLB 27 July 2019 July 1 July – Changi Airport starts operation.Goodbye Paya Lebar, here we come Changi http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19810701-1.2.45 The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB) 6 September 2019 1 July 1981 On the same day, the former Paya Lebar Airport is handed over to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), forming the Paya Lebar Air Base.RSAF to take over P. Lebar Airport from Wednesday http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19810628-1.2.3 The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB) 6 September 2019 28 June 1981 The Air Base will also handle spillover traffic and emergencies too.Paya Lebar to take civilian spillover traffic and emergencies http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19810701-1.2.45 The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB) 6 September 2019 30 June 1981 4 July – The National Crime Prevention Council is officially launched to prevent crime.Our History https://www.ncpc.org.sg/history.html NCPC 10 August 2019 August 1 August – Nanyang Technological Institute is established to train engineers. 22 August – Changi Airport's second runway starts construction, which will be completed by mid-1984. The rest of Phase 2 will be finished by 1986.Contract Signing and Ground Breaking Ceremony of Runway II, Changi Airport Development http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/lyse19810822s.pdf NAS 13 August 2019 22 August 1981 September 1 September – The National Computer Board is formed to computerise the Civil Service and make Singapore an IT pioneer.National Computer Board is formed http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/f499072d-330f-4763-a105-dd9940f1890b NLB 27 July 2019 12 September – The new Singapore General Hospital is officially opened.Opening of the new Singapore General Hospital http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/lky19810912.pdf NAS 24 July 2019 12 September 1981 26 September – The Benjamin Sheares Bridge is officially opened. The bridge is part of the East Coast Parkway until 2013, when it becomes an arterial road.Benjamin Sheares Bridge http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_32_2004-12-20.html NLB 25 July 2019 October 16 October – The National Registration Office (NRO), the Registry of Citizens (ROC), the Registry of Births and Deaths (RBD), the Registry of Societies (ROS), and Martial Arts Control Unit (MACU) merged to form the National Registration Department (NRD). 23 October – C V Devan Nair becomes the third President of Singapore. 31 October – J. B. Jeyaretnam wins the 1981 Anson by-election, ending the People's Action Party's dominance in Parliament.J. B. Jeyaretnam wins Anson by-election http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/f2e950c7-91a7-49b6-b0c9-3bd13a660a73 NLB 27 July 2019 November 9 November – The Institute of Education moves out of Paterson Road, relocating to Bukit Timah.Farewell to the Paterson campus http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19811108-1.2.29 The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB) 28 October 2019 8 November 1981 December 29 December – Changi Airport is officially opened.Opening of the Singapore Changi Airport http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/hyc19811229s.pdf NAS 14 August 2019 29 December 1981Changi Airport officially opens http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/68246555-3f57-45cb-8a3f-d3813ee6bc5a#10 NLB 14 August 2019 31 December – Singapore changed its time zone to UTC+08:00, celebrating New Year’s Day half an hour earlier at 11.30pm, when all clocks were set forward to 12 midnight.Press Release on Time Zone Adjustment, 1981 https://corporate.nas.gov.sg/media/collections-and-research/time-zone-adjustment/ 2024-11-05 corporate.nas.gov.sg en Births 29 January – Rui En, Actress. 27 March – JJ Lin, Singer. 17 July – Jeremy Chan, Actor. 25 July – Kaira Gong, Singer 17 August - Hong Junyang, Singer 4 October – Alfred Sim, Singer, winner of Project SuperStar (season 3). 5 October – Kelvin Tan, Singer. 15 November – Joanna Dong, Singer and third place of Sing! China (season 2). 10 December – Taufik Batisah, Singer, winner of Singapore Idol (season 1). Deaths 11 January – Malcolm MacDonald, 1st British Commissioner-General for Southeast Asia (b. 1901).Ap 1981-01-12 MALCOLM MACDONALD, BRITISH ENVOY AND SON OF EX-PRIME MINISTER https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/12/obituaries/malcolm-macdonald-british-envoy-and-son-of-ex-prime-minister.html 2025-06-30 The New York Times en-US 0362-4331 12 January – John Fearns Nicoll, 2nd Governor of Singapore (b. 1899).John Fearns Nicoll http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1543_2010-02-26.html NLB 29 October 2019 11 February – Chan Choy Siong, female politician, women's rights activist, campaigner for Women's Charter (b. 1934).Chan Choy Siong http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_791_2005-01-22.html NLB 12 November 201912 February 1981 Pang Boon's wife dies in accident https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newnation19810212-1.2.4?qt=%22chan%20choy%20siong%22,%20accident&q=%E2%80%9CChan%20Choy%20Siong%E2%80%9D%20accident 30 June 2025 New Nation 1 1 March – Chua Toh Hua, entrepreneur and Chairman of the Nanyang Confucian Association (b. 1888).3 March 1981 MR. CHUA TOH HUA https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19810303-1.2.125.3?qt=%22chua%20toh%20hua%22&q=%22Chua%20Toh%20Hua%22 18 October 2026 The Straits Times 32 3 March – Caralapati Raghaviah Dasaratha Raj, former Labour Party legislative assemblyman for Rochore Constituency (b. 1920).5 March 1981 Dasaratha Raj dies at 61 https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19810305-1.2.72?qt=%22legislative%20assemblyman%22&q=%22legislative%20assemblyman%22 3 March 2025 The Straits Times 17 12 May – Dr Benjamin Henry Sheares, 2nd President of Singapore (b. 1907).Lee Philip Ngoo Irene Bala K. 13 May 1981 SINGAPORE MOURNS https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19810513-1.2.2?qt=%22benjamin%20henry%20sheares%22,%20death&q=%E2%80%9CBenjamin%20Henry%20Sheares%E2%80%9D%20death 30 June 2025 The Straits Times 1 17 November – Hsu Yun Tsiao, scholar of Overseas Chinese and Southeast Asian history (b. 1905).18 November 1981 CHINESE SCHOLAR DIES OF HEART ATTACK https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19811118-1.2.48 7 January 2025 The Straits Times 10 24 November – Kwan Sai Kheong, Singaporean Ambassador to the Philippines and Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Singapore (b. 1920).Tan Abby 25 November 1981 S'pore's Manila envoy dies of cancer https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19811125-1.2.11?qt=former,%20singapore,%20dies&q=%22former%22%20%22Singapore%22%20%22dies%22 9 July 2026 The Straits Times 1 References 1981 Singapore Category:Years in Singapore Singapore