 As a result, Othman lost in the 1959 elections when he was contesting as a PAP candidate for the electoral ward of Kampong Kembangan.He would go on to contest once more in the 1963 General Elections, when he would then succeed and become the elected representative of the Pasir Panjang constituency.Following his successful election, Othman would go on to leave his job at the "Utusan Melayu" to focus on developing his political career full-time.