[2] In 1955, Othman contested in the 1955 Malayan general election, winning the Jorak state constituency uncontested.

[2] In 1964, Othman was appointed EXCO member in charge of the Local Government and Housing portfolio and initiated low-cost housing schemes for the poor and opened the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) and FELCRA Berhad land schemes in Johor during the tenure of prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein in the 1970s.

[2] Musa Hitam was said to have used all means from UMNO headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to weaken Othman's influence.

The then-Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Musa Hitam, reprimanded Othman for allegedly giving timber and land areas based on political considerations.

[8] In 1985, Othman was defeated by Muhyiddin Muhammad Yassin for the post of Pagoh division chief of UMNO.

A few years later, in 1987, he joined the newly formed Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah-helmed political party S46 to challenge UMNO in the 1990 Malaysian general election.

He had his right leg amputated from the knee downwards due to a gangrene on 2 October 2007, at Sultan Ismail Hospital and gradually recovered.

On 27 October 2007, Othman died at the age of 80 at the Sultan Ismail Hospital in Pandan-Tebrau, Johor Bahru due to sepsis at 7.00 am.