The following lists events that happened during
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
in the
Republic of Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borderi ...
.
Incumbents
*
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
:
Halimah Yacob
Halimah Yacob (Jawi script: ; born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician and former lawyer who has been serving as the eighth president of Singapore since 2017. Prior to her presidency, she was the country's Speaker of the Parliament of S ...
*
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
:
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong (; born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former brigadier-general who has been serving as Prime Minister of Singapore and Secretary-General of the People's Action Party since 2004. He has been the Member of Par ...
Events
January
* 1 January
**The
National Environment Agency
National Environment Agency (NEA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment of the Government of Singapore.
NEA is responsible for improving and sustaining clean and green environment in Singapore. Its r ...
starts enforcing a smoking ban in
Orchard Road
Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major –long road in the Central Area of Singapore. Known as a famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned depa ...
. At the same time, the
smoking age
smoking age is the minimum legal age required to purchase or use tobacco products. Most countries have laws that forbid sale of tobacco products to persons younger than certain ages, usually the age of majority.
This article does not discuss l ...
increases to 19.
**Jurong Central Plaza is officially opened after the previous Hawker Centre located at the same precinct in Jurong West was on fire in 2016.
* 2 January
**The
digital switchover
The digital television transition, also called the digital switchover (DSO), the analogue switch/sign-off (ASO), the digital migration, or the analogue shutdown, is the process in which older analogue television broadcasting technology is conv ...
is completed and the transmission of
analogue television
Analog television is the original television technology that uses analog signals to transmit video and audio. In an analog television broadcast, the brightness, colors and sound are represented by amplitude, phase and frequency of an analog s ...
ceases. The signals are shut on 6 January.
**The registration of
e-scooters
A motorized scooter is a stand-up scooter powered by either a small utility internal combustion engine or a small electric hub motor in its front and/or rear wheel. Classified as a form of micro-mobility, they are generally designed with a la ...
has started.
**In response to the new
instrument landing system
In aviation, the instrument landing system (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. In its original form, it allows an aircraft to ...
procedures at
Seletar Airport
Seletar Airport is a civilian international airport serving the north-east region of Singapore. It is located approximately northwest from Changi Airport, the country's main airport, and about north from the main commercial city-centre.
T ...
, a permanently restricted area in the delegated airspace over
Pasir Gudang
Pasir Gudang is a city in Johor Bahru District, Johor, Malaysia. The main industries are transportation and logistics, shipbuilding, petrochemicals and other heavy industries, and oil palm storage and distribution, which is located in Johor Port ...
by Malaysia becomes operational. It would have impacted normal, existing air traffic in the airspace above
Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan ...
and Singapore. The restricted airspace and ILS procedures are suspended on 8 January after discussions between the two countries. On 25 January, the suspensions are extended to 31 March.
* 7 January
**Platinium Dogs Club's owner is arrested by the
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) was a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development that regulated food safety, safeguarded animal and plant health, and facilitated the agri-food and fisheries trade secto ...
(AVA; now the
National Parks Board
The National Parks Board (NParks) is a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore.
History
In November 1989, Minister of National Development, S. Dhanabalan, presented the National Parks Bil ...
(NParks) after AVA's dissolution) after a series of alleged animal abuse cases causing one death. The premises were raided by authorities last month.
**The
Thomson–East Coast MRT line
zh, 汤申-东海岸地铁线 ta, தாம்சன் - ஈஸ்ட் கோஸ்ட் எம்ஆர்டி வழி
, close =
, owner = Land Transport Authority
, operator ...
will have a station in
Founders' Memorial
The Founders' Memorial is a memorial under development within the Bay East Garden of the Gardens by the Bay to commemorate the founding fathers of Singapore as well as to cover the country's contemporary history from after World War II to its fi ...
, which will open in 2027.
**The
Ministry of Health announced it will take over ElderShield from
Aviva
Aviva plc is a British multinational insurance company headquartered in London, England. It has about 18 million customers across its core markets of the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. In the United Kingdom, Aviva is the largest general ...
,
NTUC Income
}
Income Insurance Limited, commonly known as Income, is one of the leading composite insurers in Singapore, offering life, health and general insurance. Established in Singapore in 1970 to plug a social need for insurance, Income continues to se ...
and
Great Eastern Life
Great Eastern Life Assurance Co. Ltd, often known as Great Eastern Life or Great Eastern, is a Singaporean multinational finance and insurance corporation with operations in various countries and jurisdictions in the Asia-Pacific region. Headq ...
in 2021.
* 10 January –
Go-Jek
PT Gojek Indonesia (stylized in all lower case and stylized ''j'' as goȷek, formerly styled as GO-JEK) is an Indonesian on-demand multi-service platform and digital payment technology group based in Jakarta. Gojek was first established in Indo ...
launched in Singapore.
* 12 January
**
library@harbourfront
library@harbourfront, formerly known as Bukit Merah Public Library, is a public library located at VivoCity, Singapore. It is the largest shopping mall public library in Singapore.
History
Originally called Bukit Merah Branch Library, it s ...
is officially opened after moving from
Bukit Merah
Bukit Merah, also known as Redhill, is a planning area and new town situated in the southernmost part of the Central Region of Singapore. the planning area borders Tanglin to the north, Queenstown to the west and the Downtown Core, Outram an ...
. Located in
VivoCity
VivoCity is a shopping mall located in the HarbourFront precinct of Bukit Merah, Singapore. It is the largest shopping mall in Singapore, with of net lettable area and of gross floor area spread over a three-storey shopping complex and tw ...
, the library places an emphasis on digitalisation.
**Singapore launched the Year Towards Zero Waste campaign in a bid to raise awareness on waste issues, with a zero-waste masterplan soon.
**Chen Si Jie wins $193,400 in the long-running
MediaCorp Channel 8
Channel 8 ( zh, 8頻道) is a Singaporean free-to-air television channel, airing in Mandarin Chinese. It was created by Mediacorp, Television Singapura on 31 August 1963 with experimental broadcasts, before going official on 23 November that ye ...
game show ''The
Sheng Siong
Sheng Siong Group Ltd. (Chinese: 昇菘集团) is the parent company of Sheng Siong Supermarket Pte Ltd, commonly known as Sheng Siong, the third largest chain of supermarkets in Singapore. The supermarket chain also airs its own television va ...
Show'', surpassing Low Soh Kim's winnings of $162,550 (previously won on 18 February 2017) as the all-time biggest winner in the show's history.
* 13 January – The
Ten Mile Junction LRT station on the
Bukit Panjang LRT line
The Bukit Panjang LRT line (BPLRT) is a automated guideway transit line in Bukit Panjang, Singapore. The BPLRT is the only LRT line operated by SMRT Trains. As the name suggests, it serves 13 stations in the neighbourhood of Bukit Panjang and ...
becomes the first operational train station in Singapore to permanently close.
* 14 January
**
CapitaLand
CapitaLand is a Singaporean headquartered company focusing on investment, development and management of real estate. It is one of Asia's largest real estate companies and the owner and manager of a global portfolio comprising integrated develo ...
will acquire Ascendas-Singbridge in an
S$11b deal, creating Asia's largest real estate company. The acquisition, subsequently approved on 12 April by 90% of shareholders is completed on 30 June and unified the next day.
**The
Payment Services Act is passed to streamline payment laws and puts a cap on money in
e-wallets
A digital wallet, also known as an e-wallet, is an electronic device, online service, or software program that allows one party to make electronic transactions with another party bartering digital currency units for goods and services. This can ...
.
**During the
O Level
The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...
results, the
Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board
The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Education of the Government of Singapore.
SEAB was established on 1 April 2004 as a statutory board to develop and conduct national examinations in ...
reveals that 32 Additional Mathematics Paper 2 exam scripts which belonged to students from two secondary schools went missing in the United Kingdom while being transported for marking. That happened after the bag containing the scripts was mistakenly taken by a passenger.
On-screen marking of scripts may be used more often after this incident.
* 15 January
**
SingHealth cyberattack: The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) fines IHiS S$750,000 and
SingHealth
Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) is Singapore's largest group of healthcare institutions. The group was formed in 2000 and consists of four public hospitals, three community hospitals, five national specialty centres and a network of eig ...
S$250,000 for not doing enough to safeguard personal data under the
Personal Data Protection Act, the largest imposed on data breaches. Separately, more measures are announced to strengthen the cybersecurity of healthcare, including separating the Ministry of Health's chief information security officer (MOH CISO) and IHiS cybersecurity director into two separate posts, better defences, piloting a "Virtual Browser" and continuation of Internet Surfing Separation. Contributions to the National Electronic Health Record will be deferred.
**Changes to the
Misuse of Drugs Act are passed to emphasise rehabilitation and protect children from drugs.
* 18 January
**Food products with alcohol, including alcoholic ice cream, can be sold after 10:30 pm following an exemption under the
Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act. This comes after
FairPrice restricted the sale of such ice cream to comply with the Act, prompting a review that was announced on 25 October 2018.
**
Surbana Jurong
Surbana Jurong Private Limited is a Government of Singapore, Singaporean government-owned consultancy company focusing on infrastructure and urban development. It was formed in June 2015 with the merger of Surbana International Consultants and ...
starts building its new global headquarters in the future Jurong Innovation District, located close to
Nanyang Technological University
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a national research university in Singapore. It is the second oldest autonomous university in the country and is considered as one of the most prestigious universities in the world by various inte ...
. When completed in 2021, the headquarters will research on urban solutions.
**
MINDEF
The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF; ms, Kementerian Pertahanan; zh, 新加坡国防部; ta, தற்காப்பு அமைச்சு) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for overseeing the national defence of Sin ...
announced that the
F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather Stealth aircraft, stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both Air superiority fighter, air superiority and attack ...
is identified as the most suitable replacement for the
F-16s
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
, which face obsolescence beyond 2030. A small number of F-35s will be purchased for evaluation before full-scale deployment.
* 19 January – The Decathlon Singapore Lab store at Stadium Drive in Kallang located near Singapore Sports Hub is officially opened, and operated by both Decathlon and Sports Singapore.
* 21 January – The
Singapore Philatelic Museum
The Singapore Philatelic Museum ( Chinese: 新加坡集邮博物馆; ta, சிங்கப்பூர் அஞ்சல்தலை அருங்காட்சியகம்) is a museum about the postal history of Singapore and its stamp ...
and
Peranakan Museum
ms, Muzium Peranakan ta, பெரனாகன் அருங்காட்சியகம்
, logo = peranmuseumlogo.jpg
, logo_upright = 1
, logo_size = 300px
, image = Peranakan Museum.jpg
, image_size = 300px
, ca ...
will undergo enhancement works.
* 23 January – Former
Mediacorp
Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...
actor and national serviceman
Aloysius Pang
Aloysius Pang (; 24 August 1990 – 24 January 2019) was a Singaporeans, Singaporean actor managed under NoonTalk Media, best known for his involvement in multiple Mediacorp dramas. He died on 24 January 2019 at 1:45am New Zealand Daylight Time, ...
dies due to injuries sustained when the barrel of a self-propelled Howitzer was lowered while he was repairing it with two other SAF personnel during Exercise Thunder Warrior in
Waiouru Military Camp
Waiouru Military Camp is a camp of the New Zealand Army in the central North Island of New Zealand near Waiouru.
All New Zealand Army soldiers complete their initial basic training, the All Arms Recruit Course (AARC), at Waiouru Military Camp. ...
, New Zealand.
It was the
fourth death case relating to military training in less than two years.
* 25 January
**The first phase of the
Cross Island MRT line is unveiled with 12 stations. To be completed by 2029, the line spans from
Changi
Changi () is a planning area located in the geographical region of Tanah Merah in the East Region of Singapore. Sharing borders with Pasir Ris and Tampines to the west, Changi Bay to the southeast, the South China Sea to the east and the Sera ...
to
Bishan Bishan most commonly refers to Bishan, Singapore, a residential town in Singapore's Central Region, and its associated places.
Bishan may also refer to:
Places Singapore
* Bishan, Singapore
** Bishan MRT station, a MRT interchange station along t ...
, passing through
Loyang
Luoyang is a city located in the confluence area of Luo River and Yellow River in the west of Henan province. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang ...
,
Pasir Ris
Pasir Ris is a planning area and residential town located in the East Region of Singapore. It is bordered by Tampines and Paya Lebar to the south, Sengkang to the southwest and Changi to the east. The planning area also shares riverine bound ...
,
Defu,
Hougang
Hougang is a planning area and mature residential town located in the North-East Region of Singapore. The town is the most populous in the region, being home to 247,528 residents as of 2018. Hougang planning area is bordered by Sengkang to th ...
and
Ang Mo Kio
Ang Mo Kio is a planning area and residential town situated in the North-East of Singapore. Located approximately north of the Downtown Core district, Ang Mo Kio is the 3rd most populated planning area in the North-East Region and ranks 8th ...
.
**
Design Orchard opens to the public with 61 local brands.
* 26 January
** A brief power outage affects
Bishan Bishan most commonly refers to Bishan, Singapore, a residential town in Singapore's Central Region, and its associated places.
Bishan may also refer to:
Places Singapore
* Bishan, Singapore
** Bishan MRT station, a MRT interchange station along t ...
,
Ang Mo Kio
Ang Mo Kio is a planning area and residential town situated in the North-East of Singapore. Located approximately north of the Downtown Core district, Ang Mo Kio is the 3rd most populated planning area in the North-East Region and ranks 8th ...
,
Toa Payoh
Toa Payoh (, ta, தோ பாயோ) is a planning area and matured residential town located in the northern part of the Central Region of Singapore. Toa Payoh planning area borders Bishan and Serangoon to the north, the Central Water Catc ...
and
Thomson Thomson may refer to:
Names
* Thomson (surname), a list of people with this name and a description of its origin
* Thomson baronets, four baronetcies created for persons with the surname Thomson
Businesses and organizations
* SGS-Thomson Mic ...
. The outage is traced to a fire in the
Bright Hill substation.
**
Wisma Geylang Serai opens in
Geylang
Geylang is a planning area and township located on the eastern fringe of the Central Region of Singapore, bordering Hougang and Toa Payoh in the north, Marine Parade in the south, Bedok in the east, and Kallang in the west.
Geylang is perha ...
.
* 28 January
**The Singapore Bicentennial celebrations are launched to commemorate the
founding of modern Singapore
The establishment of a British trading post in Singapore in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles led to its founding as a British colony in 1824. This event has generally been understood to mark the founding of colonial Singapore, a break from its statu ...
by
Stamford Raffles
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British statesman who served as the Lieutenant-Governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816, and Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. He is ...
200 years ago.
**
Ministry of Health reveals that personal data of about 14,200 people with
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
have been illegally disclosed.
* 30 January
**Plans are unveiled to revamp
Orchard Road
Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major –long road in the Central Area of Singapore. Known as a famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned depa ...
.
**
Grab announced its new headquarters in
one-north
One-north (stylized as one-north) is a subzone of Queenstown, Singapore, first developed by JTC Corporation as the country's research and development and high technology cluster. It was first conceptualised in 1991 as part of the National Tec ...
, to be ready by 2020. Construction began on 29 March with a new function to plan journeys and pay for public transportation fares to be launched soon.
February
* 1 February
**New speed limits for personal mobility devices (PMDs) take effect, among other changes.
**
Mediacorp
Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...
becomes
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
's strategic content partner. As part of the partnership,
Channel NewsAsia
CNA (stylised as cna), which is an acronym derived from its previous name, Channel NewsAsia, is a Singaporean multinational news channel owned by the country's national public broadcaster Mediacorp. It broadcasts free-to-air domestically in Sin ...
is now live on YouTube 24/7.
**
Pedra Branca is now included in
East Coast GRC
The East Coast Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency in the eastern area of Singapore. The areas of the Group Representation Constituency consists of locations such as East Coast Park, Bedok, Changi ...
.
* 7 February – After several service lapses,
SingPost
Singapore Post Limited (), commonly abbreviated as SingPost, is an associate company of Singtel and Singapore's designated Public Postal Licensee which provides domestic and international postal services.
It also provides logistics services i ...
is fined $100,000 for failing local delivery standards in 2017.
* 9 February – The Polaris vessel collided with the Pireas tanker in Singapore territorial waters off Tuas.
* 10 February – A police officer, SSGT Salinah Mohamed was knocked down by a car while crossing the junction of Maxwell Road and Shenton Way. She succumbed to her injuries in hospital four days later.
* 14 February
**
Mediacorp
Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...
's Internet Television website
Toggle
Toggle may refer to:
*Toggle mechanism
*Toggle switch
*Toggling harpoon, an ancient weapon and tool used in whaling to impale a whale when thrown
*A type of textile closure, like an elongated button
*Toggle (Doonesbury character), a character in t ...
collaborates with
HBO GO
HBO Go is a partly-inactive authenticated video on demand of the pay television service HBO. The service allowed subscribers to HBO via television providers to access its programming on-demand via the HBO website, mobile apps, and digital media p ...
.
**A power outage strikes central Singapore caused by a fire resulting from an equipment failure that led to an
electric flashover at a substation at
Carlton Hotel.
**The
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History Incorporation of Land Transport Authority
Land Transport Authority (LTA) was established on 1 September 1995, f ...
(LTA) suspends
ofo's licence after failing to comply with new rules. ofo is required to remove all bicycles by 13 March.
* 15 February
**Digital Defence is unveiled as the sixth pillar of
Total Defence
Total defence is a defence policy combining and extending the concept of military defence and civil defence. It has been adopted by several countries: for example Austria, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, L ...
.
**
A-Level
The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational aut ...
graduates will now be allowed to seek exemption from some modules and start polytechnic earlier, saving six months.
* 16 February – Ministry of Health reveals errors in subsidies given to 7,700 Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) patients in 2018, caused by issues in the computer systems administered by
NCS Pte Ltd
NCS Group (also known as NCS Pte Ltd or "NCS", previously known as National Computer Systems) is a multinational information technology company headquartered in Singapore. Founded in 1981 as an agency of the Singapore government, it was privatis ...
.
* 17 February –
Oasis Terraces
Oasis Terraces is an integrated development located in Punggol, Singapore, next to Oasis LRT station. Developed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), the development was built as part of a new generation of neighbourhood centres, housing th ...
is officially opened in Punggol as
HDB's first new-generation neighbourhood centre after having its soft openings on 15 June 2018. Five more such centres are in the pipeline with existing centres to be upgraded.
* 18 February
**The
Merdeka Generation Package The Merdeka Generation Package (MGP) is an S$8 billion package announced by the Government of Singapore at the 2018 National Day Rally, aimed to assist Singaporeans born in the 1950s with their active ageing and reduce medical bills as they age. Th ...
is unveiled to support Singaporeans who contributed during the Merdeka era.
**The first
Type 218SG submarine, Invincible is launched in Germany, equipped with new technologies and better able to handle Singapore waters. The diesel-electric submarine is the first new submarine to be acquired by Singapore and will only be delivered in 2021. The names of three other submarines are revealed too, with delivery by 2024.
* 22 February –
Razer Inc.
Razer Inc. is an American-Singaporean multinational technology company that designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics, financial services, and gaming hardware. Founded by Min-Liang Tan and Robert "RazerGuy" Krakoff, it is dual headqua ...
starts construction on its new
one-north
One-north (stylized as one-north) is a subzone of Queenstown, Singapore, first developed by JTC Corporation as the country's research and development and high technology cluster. It was first conceptualised in 1991 as part of the National Tec ...
headquarters with plans for more staff in future. A new digital real estate start-up called Echo Base is launched too, with its first smart city project in the region to be developed soon.
March
* 1 March
**Singapore will initially purchase four
F-35
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, all-weather stealth multirole combat aircraft that is intended to perform both air superiority and strike missions. It is also able to provide elect ...
jets to replace the aging
F-16
The General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a single-engine Multirole combat aircraft, multirole fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force (USAF). Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it ...
s by the 2030s, with an option for eight more planes should Singapore proceed. Plans are outlined for a future SAF, including multi-role combat vessels with drones, a next-generation Armoured Fighting Vehicle, upgraded Leopard tanks, an expanded network of optical sensors and coastal radars, and unmanned surface vessels from 2020. There will be new training facilities at the expanded Queensland training area, and a new Cyber NSF scheme. The Defence Cyber Security Centre has been set up since 2018, and Defence Cyber Incident Response Teams will be created to respond to cyber incidents.
**An NS Hub will be built near
MINDEF's headquarters by 2023, consolidating all NS-related services like medical checks, an army mart and IPPT tests in it as opposed to being scattered currently across Singapore. However, the current Fitness Conditioning Centres will remain open even with the new Hub. The Hub will be high-tech too.
* 4 March
**A new Agri-Food Innovation Park will be built in
Sungei Kadut
Sungei Kadut is an industrial estate and planning area located in the North Region of Singapore. It is bounded by Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang to the south, Mandai to the east, as well as Lim Chu Kang and the Western Water Catchment to the w ...
by 2021.
**Singapore will roll out
5G networks by 2020.
* 5 March
**
Nanyang Technological University
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a national research university in Singapore. It is the second oldest autonomous university in the country and is considered as one of the most prestigious universities in the world by various inte ...
and
Volvo
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
launch the world's first full-sized
driverless electric bus
An electric bus is a bus that is propelled using electric motors as opposed to an internal combustion engine. Electric buses can store the needed electricity on-board, or be fed continuously from an external source. The majority of buses s ...
for trial.
**The
Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
announced that streaming will be replaced by Subject-Based Banding where 3 bands (G1, G2 and G3) will replace Normal (Tech), Normal (Academic) and Express respectively. At Sec 4, there will be a common exam starting from 2027 with students graduating with a common certificate, replacing the
O Levels
The O-Level (Ordinary Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education. It was introduced in place of the School Certificate in 1951 as part of an educational reform alongside the more in-depth ...
and
N Levels. These changes will take effect in 2024. Also in are rebuilding and upgrading works for 4
junior colleges
A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...
and the formation of Uplift Office to help disadvantaged students in Singapore.
**The
Ministry of Social and Family Development
The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF; ms, Kementerian Pembangunan Sosial dan Keluarga; zh, 社会及家庭发展部; ta, சமுதாய, குடும்ப மேம்பாட்டு அமைச்சு) is a ministr ...
will launch Community Link to help those living in rental flats, as well as a pilot Localised Community Network.
* 6 March
**The
Ministry of Health (MOH) announced a free opt-in
HPV vaccine
Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines are vaccines that prevent infection by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Available HPV vaccines protect against either two, four, or nine types of HPV. All HPV vaccines protect against at least HP ...
programme for Secondary 1 girls to prevent
cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...
. More accurate cervical cancer tests and non-fasting health screenings are on the cards too. In addition, two polyclinics in Serangoon and Tengah will be built by 2025, and a new green CHAS card will be launched from November 2019 for those with chronic health conditions. Existing CHAS cards will also have more benefits too. A proposed ban on trans fat is announced too.
**The former
Bukit Timah Fire Station will be turned into a visitors centre and recreation node for people traveling along the Rail Corridor and link nature areas. More of such nodes will be developed progressively.
* 7 March
**The
Infocomm Media Development Authority
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is a statutory board under the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).
History
Following the passing of the Info-communications Media Development Authority Bill in Parliame ...
cancels
black metal
Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
band
Watain
Watain is a Swedish black metal band, formed in 1998.Eduardo Rivadavia: ''Watain Biography'' Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation. The band's name is taken from an early recording by the American black metal group Von.Ronald Ziegler''Merchandise w ...
's concert in Singapore at the last minute after the
Ministry of Home Affairs
An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs.
Lists of current ministries of internal affairs
Named "ministry"
* Ministry ...
cited "security concerns". A petition calling for Watain and
Soilwork
Soilwork is a Swedish melodic death metal band from Helsingborg. They are signed to Nuclear Blast. Formed in late 1995 by Björn Strid and Peter Wichers, originally under the name ''Inferior Breed'', the band changed their name in late 1996 to S ...
to be banned from performing in Singapore begun the previous day gathering more than 16,000 signatures.
**
Hume MRT station
Hume MRT station is a future underground Mass Rapid Transit station located along the junction of Hume Ave and Upper Bukit Timah Road. It is an infill station and will be located near a number of Bukit Timah heritage sites: Bukit Timah Hill, ...
will be built by 2025 following plans for the refurbished Bukit Timah Fire Station and a future NS Hub. At the same time, there are no plans to extend the
MRT
MRT may refer to:
Transport Rapid Transit Systems
* Mass Rapid Transit (disambiguation)
* MRT (Singapore) or Mass Rapid Transit, Singapore
* MRT (Bangkok) or Metropolitan Rapid Transit, Thailand
* Manila Metro Rail Transit System, Philippine ...
to
Tuas South and
Jurong Island
Jurong Island is an island located to the southwest of the main island of Singapore. It was formed from the amalgamation of seven offshore islands, the islands of Pulau Ayer Chawan, Pulau Ayer Merbau, Pulau Merlimau, Pulau Pesek, Pulau Pesek ...
for now.
**Several new initiatives for
Housing and Development Board
The Housing & Development Board (HDB) (; ms, Lembaga Perumahan dan Pembangunan; ta, வீடமைப்பு வளர்ச்சிக் கழகம்) or often referred to as the Housing Board, is a statutory board under the M ...
(HDB) buyers are announced, including shorter balloting time of 3 weeks, putting up
Build-to-order (BTO) flats six months in advance,
assisted living
An assisted living residence or assisted living facility (ALF) is a housing facility for people with disabilities or for adults who cannot or who choose not to live independently. The term is popular in the United States, but the setting is s ...
facilities, revision to schemes, improvements to rental flats, allowing divorcees to apply for flats aftering obtaining an Interim Judgement and settling ancillary matters on matrimonial property among others.
* 12 March
**
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is Singapore's civil aviation authority and a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore. Its head office is located on the fourth storey of Singapore Chan ...
temporarily suspends operation of all variants of
Boeing 737 MAX
The Boeing 737 MAX is the fourth generation of the Boeing 737, a narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body airliner manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), a division of American company Boeing. It succeeds the Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG ...
aeroplanes into and out of Singapore's airspace after the
Lion Air Flight 610
Lion Air Flight 610 was a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Soekarno–Hatta International Airport, Jakarta to Depati Amir Airport, Pangkal Pinang in Indonesia. On 29 October 2018, the Boeing 737 MAX operating the route crashed into th ...
and
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302
Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport in Ethiopia to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya. On 10 March 2019, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft ...
crashes, occurring within five months of each other.
**
Mobike
Mobike ( zh, s=摩拜单车, p=mó bài dān chē), also known as Meituanbike, founded by Beijing Mobike Technology Co., Ltd. ( zh, s=北京摩拜科技有限公司), is a fully station-less bicycle-sharing system headquartered in Beijing, China ...
becomes the fourth major bicycle-sharing operator to withdraw its operation from Singapore.
*14 March – Singapore and Malaysia reach an agreement on the maritime issue that suspended previously imposed port limits.
*15 March
**
Health Sciences Authority
The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Health of the Government of Singapore. It is a multi-disciplinary agency, responsible for applying medical, pharmaceutical and scientific expertise to protect and ...
reveals that data relating to 800,000 patients' blood donations were leaked in a vulnerability leading to unauthorized access.
**Local
online grocer
An online grocer is either a brick-and-mortar supermarket or grocery store that allows online ordering, or a standalone e-commerce service that includes grocery items. There is usually a delivery charge for this service. Brick-and-mortar supermark ...
RedMart is now part of
Lazada
Lazada Group ( t/a Lazada) is an international e-commerce company and one of the largest e-commerce operators in Southeast Asia, with over 10,000 third-party sellers as of November 2014, and 50 million annual active buyers as of September 2019.
B ...
's website as part of its future expansion.
* 22 March – In midst of the international pleas for clemency to the Singapore government, Malaysian
Micheal Anak Garing
The 2010 Kallang slashing was a series of five robberies committed by a group of eight Malaysians from Sarawak, Malaysia in the night of 29 May 2010 and the early hours of the morning of 30 May 2010 (some of the culprits were not involved in the ...
was executed by hanging in
Changi Jail for murdering a construction worker in Kallang, Singapore.
* 22 – 30 March –
PCF Sparkletots pre-schools report that 251 children from 13 centres fell victim to
food poisoning
Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease and food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the spoilage of contaminated food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food,
as well as prions (the agents of mad cow disease) ...
and
diarrhoea
Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin wi ...
caused by food served by
Kate's Catering. The provider's licenses are suspended with investigations conducted. This is the second mass food poisoning case in five months.
* 23 March – The
Sengkang General Hospital
Sengkang General Hospital (abbreviation: SKH) is one of Singapore's public hospitals. The 1000-bed hospital opened its doors on 18 August 2018 and serves mainly the population of northeast Singapore, in particular Sengkang, Punggol, Hougang and P ...
and
Sengkang Community Hospital
The Sengkang Community Hospital ( abbreviation: SKCH) is a 400-bed community hospital in Sengkang, Singapore, next to Cheng Lim LRT station. It is part of an integrated healthcare development that includes the Sengkang General Hospital
Sengkang ...
are officially opened.
* 25 March –
Singtel
Singapore Telecommunications Limited, commonly known as Singtel, is a Singaporean telecommunications conglomerate and one of the four major telcos operating in the country. The company is the largest mobile network operator in Singapore with ...
launches Gomo, a new mobile plan targeting
millennials
Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the Western demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000 ...
.
* 27 March –
Urban Redevelopment Authority
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is the national urban planning authority of Singapore, and a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore.
Mission
The authority was established on 1 Apri ...
unveils the latest masterplan. Among them include the first-ever underground maps in Jurong Innovation District, Marina Bay and Punggol Digital District, as well as the CBD Incentive Scheme and Strategic Development Incentive to encourage
mixed-use developments
Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
in the
CBD, which is currently dominated by offices. A new 50 km Greater Rustic Coast is also planned along the northern coast, as well as a 24 km Rail Corridor by 2021 and an additional 1,000 ha of green spaces. There will be new homes planned in the CBD, Bayshore, Farrer Park and Dakota, with Farrer Park's sporting history to be conserved.
* 28 March
**Singapore submits its
hawker culture nomination to
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
, first announced during the
National Day Rally
The National Day Rally ( ms, Rapat Umum Hari Kebangsaan; ; ta, தேசிய தின பேரணி) is an annual message delivered by the prime minister of Singapore to the entire nation, on the first or second Sunday after the National ...
last year.
**Three brands of
losartan
Losartan, sold under the brand name Cozaar among others, is a medication used to treat high blood pressure (hypertension). It is in the angiotensin II receptor antagonist, angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) family of medication, and is consider ...
(a high blood pressure drug) are recalled due to unacceptable amounts of cancer-causing
nitrosamine
In organic chemistry, nitrosamines (or more formally ''N''-Nitrosamines) are organic compounds with the chemical structure , where R is usually an alkyl group. They feature a nitroso group () bonded to a deprotonated amine. Most nitrosamines are ...
impurities, affecting 137,000 patients. This comes after several countries started recalling such products.
* 29 March
**Channel NewsAsia rebrands as
CNA and announced it will launch a new radio station and
citizen journalism
Citizen journalism, also known as collaborative media, participatory journalism, democratic journalism, guerrilla journalism or street journalism, is based upon public citizens "playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, a ...
website at a later date.
**Siloso Green will open by end-2019, taking over the space held by
Underwater World before its closure in 2016.
**
SingPost
Singapore Post Limited (), commonly abbreviated as SingPost, is an associate company of Singtel and Singapore's designated Public Postal Licensee which provides domestic and international postal services.
It also provides logistics services i ...
is fined a record $300,000 for failing to meet service standards in 2018, the second such fine imposed.
* 30 March – The Coast-To-Coast Trail spanning 36 km from
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...
in
Punggol
Punggol, alternatively spelled as Ponggol, is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area and New towns of Singapore, new town situated on the Tanjong Punggol peninsula in the North-East Region, Singapore, North-East Region of Singapore. The to ...
to the
Jurong Lake Gardens in
Jurong
Jurong () is a major geographical region located at the south-westernmost point of the West Region of Singapore. Although mostly vaguely defined, the region's extent roughly covers the planning areas of Jurong East, Jurong West, Boon Lay, and ...
is launched. A park connector in
Seletar
Seletar is an area located in the north-east of Singapore. Its name can also refer to the Seletar Planning Area (as defined by the Urban Redevelopment Authority), situated in the North-East Region of Singapore. The place name was derived from th ...
is opened and future park connectors are unveiled.
April
![JewelSingaporeVortex1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/JewelSingaporeVortex1.jpg)
*1 April
**The
Singapore Food Agency
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment that oversees food safety and security in Singapore.
History
The agency was first announced on 26 July 2018 as a consolidation of all ...
is formed after the dissolution of
Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) was a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development that regulated food safety, safeguarded animal and plant health, and facilitated the agri-food and fisheries trade secto ...
, handling food safety and food security matters. Animal and veterinary services are transferred to
National Parks Board
The National Parks Board (NParks) is a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore.
History
In November 1989, Minister of National Development, S. Dhanabalan, presented the National Parks Bil ...
(NParks) under the Animal and Veterinary Service.
**DesignSingapore is transferred to the
Economic Development Board
The Economic Development Board (EDB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Government of Singapore that plans and executes strategies to sustain Singapore as a leading global hub for business and investment.
His ...
from the
Ministry of Communications and Information
The Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI; ms, Kementerian Perhubungan dan Penerangan; zh, 通讯及新闻部; ta, தொடர்பு, தகவல் அமைச்சு) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore respons ...
to help local companies expand beyond Singapore.
**The
Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill is introduced in Parliament to tackle the spread of
fake news
Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.Schlesinger, Robert (April 14, 2017)"Fake news in reality ...
. After concerns are raised about the Bill's scope, the ministers assured the bill will not affect free speech. The Bill is passed with a vote of 72-9 on 8 May after a two-day debate. It imposes a fine or jail term for rule violations. The law takes effect on 2 October.
**The first tranche of
Misuse of Drugs Act amendments take effect on modes of drug tests (saliva, urine and hair tests), minimum one year jail and changes to Long Term imprisonment regimes, among others.
*3 April
**The
Ministry of Trade and Industry A Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry or variations is a ministry that is concerned with a nation's trade, industry and commerce.
Notable examples are:
List
*Algeria: Ministry of Industry and M ...
unveils an expansion plan costing S$9 billion for
Marina Bay Sands
Marina Bay Sands (abbreviation: MBS) is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore. The resort is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and at its opening in 2010, it was deemed the world's most expensive standalone casino prop ...
and
Resorts World Sentosa
Resorts World Sentosa (abbreviation: RWS) is an integrated resort
An integrated resort (IR) is a major resort property that includes a hotel with a casino, together with convention facilities, entertainment shows, theme parks, luxury r ...
, along with plans to increase hotel capacity, new entertainment venues and higher casino levies and taxes. The higher levies of S$150 daily and S$3,000 annually take effect the following day.
**Bike-sharing operators Anywheel and Moov Technology are granted licences for bike-sharing, while Ywise Circle failed to obtain one.
*4 April – SimplyGo is launched to allow commuters to pay for transportation with cards, initially opened to MasterCard users.
*6 April – Singapore and Malaysia reach an agreement on the aviation issue, including the suspension of the
instrument landing system
In aviation, the instrument landing system (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. In its original form, it allows an aircraft to ...
(ILS) at Seletar Airport allowing
Firefly
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
to resume flights to Singapore, and suspending the proposed restricted area in Pasir Gudang. The agreement results in the resumption of flights from 21 April.
*7 April – The
National Archives of Singapore
The National Archives of Singapore (NAS) (Malay: ''Arkib Negara Singapura'', Mandarin: 新加坡国家档案馆, Tamil: சிங்கப்பூர் தேசிய காப்பகம்) is the national archives of Singapore. It was for ...
building reopens.
*8 April – Singapore and Malaysia suspend the port limits claims, reverting to pre-October 2018 boundaries. A group will be formed to delineate the boundary while the nations work on a
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
-based instrument system for Seletar Airport and worked on a six-month suspension of the
Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System
,
,
,
,
,
The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS Link) is an international cross-border rapid transit system that will connect Johor Bahru, Malaysia and Woodlands, Singapore, crossing the Strait of Johor. It will ...
, which is eventually agreed.
*10 April – Cinema ticket
presales
Presales is a process or a set of activities/sales normally carried out before a customer is acquired, though sometimes presales also extends into the period the product or service is delivered to the customer.
Responsibilities
In a typical s ...
open for the blockbuster film ''
Avengers: Endgame'', which is first screened in cinemas on 24 April and later sets a record for its
biggest box-office in Singapore; high demand for online presales causes the servers of cinema websites to become either slow or unresponsive.
*12 April –
YotelAir Singapore Changi Airport opens at
Jewel Changi Airport
Jewel Changi Airport (also known as Jewel or Jewel Changi) is a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex surrounded by and linked to Changi Airport, Singapore, linked to one of its passenger terminals. Its centrepiece is the world's talle ...
.
*14 April – Restaurant chain
Kenny Rogers Roasters
Kenny Rogers Roasters is a chain of chicken-based restaurants founded in 1991 by country musician Kenny Rogers and former KFC CEO John Y. Brown Jr., who was a former governor of the U.S. state of Kentucky. Brown had been an early investor in Ken ...
closes its last outlet at
Great World City
Great World, formerly known as Great World City, is a mixed-used development consisting of a 6-storey shopping mall, two 18-storey office towers and a 35-storey serviced apartment tower in the Central Area of Singapore. Located between Kim Seng ...
. It made a return at JEM in October.
*15 April –
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines (abbreviation: SIA) is the flag carrier airline of the Republic of Singapore with its Airline hub, hub located at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in ...
and
Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia is the flag carrier of Indonesia, headquartered at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport. A successor of KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf, it is a member of SkyTeam and the second-largest airline of Indonesia after Lion Air, operat ...
expand a
code-sharing agreement to include Singapore-Jakarta flights.
*16 April – A new tourism development will be built in
Jurong Lake District
Jurong Lake District is a district of Singapore, planned as part of Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)’s decentralisation efforts to bring more quality jobs, amenities, and recreational options closer to homes. The plans for the district ha ...
by 2026.
Mandai
Mandai is a Planning Areas of Singapore, planning area located in the North Region, Singapore, North Region of Singapore, famously known for being the access point of the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, Singapore, Night Safari.
The Mandai Cremator ...
will be revamped and
Sentosa
Sentosa Island, known mononymously as Sentosa, and formerly ''Pulau Belakang Mati'', is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore's main island. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the K ...
will award grants for operators through an enterprise scheme. There will be two new attractions, being the Time Capsule at
Singapore Flyer
The Singapore Flyer; ta, சிங்கப்பூர் ராட்டினம் is an observation wheel at the Downtown Core district of Singapore. Officially opened on 15 April 2008, it has 28 air-conditioned capsules, each able to acco ...
and a
NERF
Nerf is a toy brand formed by Parker Brothers and currently owned by Hasbro. Most of the toys are a variety of foam-based weaponry, with other Nerf products including balls for sports such as American football, basketball, and baseball. The ...
attraction at
Marina Square
Marina Square is a shopping mall in Singapore which opened in the late 1980s. It is part of the first building complex built on the reclaimed land at Marina Centre, and was the largest shopping mall in the country at the time. The complex also hou ...
.
*17 April –
Jewel Changi Airport
Jewel Changi Airport (also known as Jewel or Jewel Changi) is a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex surrounded by and linked to Changi Airport, Singapore, linked to one of its passenger terminals. Its centrepiece is the world's talle ...
opens after a week-long preview. Among the new shops are
Shake Shack
Shake Shack is an American fast casual restaurant chain based in New York City. It started out as a hot dog cart inside Madison Square Park in 2001, and its popularity steadily grew. In 2004, it received a permit to open a permanent kiosk with ...
,
A&W (which returned after closing in 2003), a
Pokémon
(an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise.
In terms of ...
Center, among other new stores.
*19 April – A victim, Monica Baey reveals that a
voyeur
Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of watching other people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions of a private nature.
The term comes from the French ''voir'' which means "to see". A ...
at
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national public research university in Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest autonomous university in the c ...
(NUS) was let off lightly after perpetrating sexual harassment, sparking a controversy. NUS convenes a review committee, and two petitions demanding stiffer penalties are launched while Education Minister
Ong Ye Kung
Ong Ye Kung ( zh, s=王乙康, p=Wáng Yǐkāng; born 1969) is a Singaporean politician and former civil servant who has been serving as Minister for Health since 2021. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Mem ...
called the sentences "manifestly inadequate" and seeks a review; all universities have since been told to do so. Bathroom security is subsequently tightened with covered entrances and more security guards in place. On 10 June, the committee released recommendations for tougher penalties, which NUS accepted. On 29 August, NUS sets up a Victim Care Unit for victims who have encountered some form of sexual misconduct.
*21 April – Two police reports (but did not come to light until 24 April) relating to voyeurism in university bathrooms are lodged in
Nanyang Technological University
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is a national research university in Singapore. It is the second oldest autonomous university in the country and is considered as one of the most prestigious universities in the world by various inte ...
(NTU).
*22 April – Guocoland unveils Guoco Midtown, a mixed-use development in the Ophir-Rochor area with an office block, a residential block and public spaces. The development will be completed by 2022.
*23 April –
Tuas Port is 75% finished and the last
caisson is installed, putting the port on-target for its intended opening date of 2021.
*27 April – The first phase of the enhanced
Jurong Lake Gardens is launched with new facilities, making it the first national garden in the heartlands and third in Singapore. Works for the second phase will commence soon with completion by 2021. Also, Sports Singapore's new ActiveSG Park with an indoor gym and swimming pool are officially opened in Jurong Lake Gardens in Jurong West, Singapore.
*30 April – A new integrated health hub in
Jurong
Jurong () is a major geographical region located at the south-westernmost point of the West Region of Singapore. Although mostly vaguely defined, the region's extent roughly covers the planning areas of Jurong East, Jurong West, Boon Lay, and ...
comprising a bigger polyclinic and a nursing home will be ready by 2025.
May
*1 May
**
Mediacorp
Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...
channel
okto
Okto is a daily children's program block on Mediacorp's Channel 5. The block airs daily during 5's morning and midafternoon time slots. It is also a weekend Mandarin children's program block on Mediacorp's Channel 8. It airs every weekend fro ...
ceases broadcast after nearly 11 years, merging with
Channel 5 as ''OktoOn5''. okto's frequency is returned to the
Infocomm Media Development Authority
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is a statutory board under the Singapore Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI).
History
Following the passing of the Info-communications Media Development Authority Bill in Parliame ...
too.
**
Minister for Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
Heng Swee Keat
Heng Swee Keat (; born 15 April 1961) is a Singaporean politician, former police officer and civil servant who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore since 2019 and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies since 2020 and als ...
succeeds both
Teo Chee Hean
Teo Chee Hean ( zh, s=张志贤, poj=Tiuⁿ Chì-hiân, p=Zhāng Zhìxián; born 27 December 1954) is a Singaporean politician and former two-star rear-admiral who has been serving as Senior Minister of Singapore since 2019 and Coordinating Min ...
and
Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Tharman Shanmugaratnam (Tamil: தர்மன் சண்முகரத்தினம்; born 25 February 1957) is a Singaporean politician and economist who has been serving as Senior Minister of Singapore since 2019 and has also been Co ...
as the
Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
The deputy prime minister of Singapore is the deputy head of government of the Republic of Singapore. The incumbent deputy prime ministers are Heng Swee Keat and Lawrence Wong, who took office on 1 May 2019 and 13 June 2022 respectively.
Hist ...
, with both of them becoming
Senior Minister Senior Minister is a political title. It may refer to:
* Senior Minister of Canada, a political office in the Cabinet of Canada
**Senior Minister, a ceremonial position before the title Deputy Prime Minister was introduced in 1977
* Senior Minister ...
s in a reshuffle.
* 3 May – Graduates from local schools will receive digital certificates through OpenCerts, a
blockchain
A blockchain is a type of distributed ledger technology (DLT) that consists of growing lists of records, called ''blocks'', that are securely linked together using cryptography. Each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a ...
platform, from this year.
* 4 May – The
Health Promotion Board
The Health Promotion Board (HPB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Health of the Government of Singapore. It was established in 2001 to act as the main driver for national health promotion and disease prevention programmes.
School ...
suspends redemption for more than 62,000 Healthy 365 users after abnormalities were found.
* 5 May – The
Housing and Development Board
The Housing & Development Board (HDB) (; ms, Lembaga Perumahan dan Pembangunan; ta, வீடமைப்பு வளர்ச்சிக் கழகம்) or often referred to as the Housing Board, is a statutory board under the M ...
unveils plans for a new park in Bidadari by 2022.
* 6 May
**It is concluded that the death of
Aloysius Pang
Aloysius Pang (; 24 August 1990 – 24 January 2019) was a Singaporeans, Singaporean actor managed under NoonTalk Media, best known for his involvement in multiple Mediacorp dramas. He died on 24 January 2019 at 1:45am New Zealand Daylight Time, ...
occurred due to lapses by all three in charge. In response to this, safety refreshers will be carried out.
**Amendments to the
Penal Code
A criminal code (or penal code) is a document that compiles all, or a significant amount of a particular jurisdiction's criminal law. Typically a criminal code will contain offences that are recognised in the jurisdiction, penalties that might ...
are passed to protect vulnerable groups and minors, increase protection for
sex crime
Sex and the law deals with the regulation by law of human sexual activity. Sex laws vary from one place or jurisdiction to another, and have varied over time. Unlawful sexual acts are called sex crimes.
Some laws regarding sexual activity are ...
victims with new offences to tackle trends, abolish
marital immunity for rape cases, decriminalise
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
, among other changes.
* 9 May
** The
Ministry of Health announced the first imported case of
monkeypox
Monkeypox (also called mpox by the WHO) is an infectious viral disease that can occur in humans and some other animals. Symptoms include fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash that forms blisters and then crusts over. The time from exposure to ...
, which was contracted by a Nigerian who came to Singapore. The patient made a full recovery on 24 May and left Singapore thereafter.
** The
Ng Teng Fong Centre for Healthcare Innovation is officially opened to prototype new ideas for Singapore's healthcare sector.
**Rules on
CPF use and
HDB loans will now focus on whether the HDB can last the owner for life, unlike on the HDB's remaining lease previously. They include allowing CPF use for ageing flats if it lasts the youngest buyer until 95, and a maximum HDB loan of 90 percent property price or valuation. The rules take effect the following day.
* 12 May – A flyover opens between
one-north
One-north (stylized as one-north) is a subzone of Queenstown, Singapore, first developed by JTC Corporation as the country's research and development and high technology cluster. It was first conceptualised in 1991 as part of the National Tec ...
and the
Ayer Rajah Expressway
The Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) extends from the western end of the Marina Coastal Expressway in the south of Singapore to Tuas in the west near the Tuas Second Link to Malaysia. Together with the Marina Coastal Expressway and the East Coast ...
.
* 14 May –
CapitaLand
CapitaLand is a Singaporean headquartered company focusing on investment, development and management of real estate. It is one of Asia's largest real estate companies and the owner and manager of a global portfolio comprising integrated develo ...
unveils the design of One Pearl Bank. Redeveloped from
Pearl Bank Apartments
Pearl Bank Apartments () was a high-rise private residential building on Pearl's Hill in Outram, near the Chinatown area of Singapore.
As the tallest and densest residential building in Singapore when completed in June 1976, Pearl Bank Apart ...
, the 178m condominium will be completed by 2023, making it the tallest condominium in Outram.
* 16 May – The
Singapore Red Cross
The Singapore Red Cross (SRC), formally the Singapore Red Cross Society, is a humanitarian aid and community services charity in Singapore. The SRC is a national member of the Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and Interna ...
announced that their website was hacked, causing a data leak affecting more than 4,200 people.
* 18 May
**
StarHub
StarHub Limited, most commonly known as just Starhub, is a Singaporean multinational telecommunications conglomerate and one of the major telcos operating in the country. Founded in 1998, it is listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX).
History ...
launched Giga, a mobile plan targeting millennials.
**The
Public Utilities Board
The Public Utilities Board (PUB) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment of the Government of Singapore responsible for ensuring a sustainable and efficient water supply in Singapore.
The PUB regulates an ...
takes over the
Tuaspring plant from
Hyflux
Hyflux Ltd (Hyflux) was a sustainable products and research company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX).
The company was founded in 1989 by Olivia Lum, Group CEO, President and Managing Director.
In 2006, the company was given the 'Wate ...
after the latter faced heavy debts.
* 21 May – Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to suspend the
Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System
,
,
,
,
,
The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS Link) is an international cross-border rapid transit system that will connect Johor Bahru, Malaysia and Woodlands, Singapore, crossing the Strait of Johor. It will ...
for 6 months until 30 September.
On 28 September, Malaysia extended the suspension to 31 October, which is confirmed by the
Ministry of Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government age ...
two days later. In addition, no costs will be borne for extending the suspension.
* 24 May –
Science Centre Singapore
The Science Centre Singapore, previously known as Singapore Science Centre is a scientific institution in Jurong East, Singapore, specialising in the promotion of scientific and technological education for the general public. It houses over 85 ...
announced that the Lakeside location will be ready by 2025.
* 25 May – The
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History Incorporation of Land Transport Authority
Land Transport Authority (LTA) was established on 1 September 1995, f ...
announced several
MRT
MRT may refer to:
Transport Rapid Transit Systems
* Mass Rapid Transit (disambiguation)
* MRT (Singapore) or Mass Rapid Transit, Singapore
* MRT (Bangkok) or Metropolitan Rapid Transit, Thailand
* Manila Metro Rail Transit System, Philippine ...
extensions as part of the Land Transport Master Plan 2040. Among them are the new
Brickland
Brickland is a historic plantation house located near Kenbridge, Lunenburg County, Virginia. The original section was built about 1818, with an addition built about 1822, and rear addition in 1920. It is a -story, eight-bay, brick dwelling in t ...
and
Sungei Kadut
Sungei Kadut is an industrial estate and planning area located in the North Region of Singapore. It is bounded by Bukit Panjang and Choa Chu Kang to the south, Mandai to the east, as well as Lim Chu Kang and the Western Water Catchment to the w ...
stations along the
North South MRT Line
The North-South line (NSL) is a high-capacity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line in Singapore, operated by SMRT Corporation. Coloured red on the Singapore rail map, the line is long and serves 27 stations, 11 of which, between the Bishan and Mar ...
and
Downtown MRT Line
zh, 滨海市区地铁线 ta, டவுன்டவுன் எம்ஆர்டி வழி
, color =
, logo = Downtown Line logo.svg
, logo_width = 250px
, image = DT17 Downtown Platform B 1.jpg
, i ...
extension to Sungei Kadut station by the mid-2030s, an extension of the
Thomson-East Coast MRT Line to
Changi Airport Terminal 5 by 2040 resulting in conversion of the
Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport, commonly known as Changi Airport , is a major civilian international airport that serves Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. As one of the world's busiest airports by international passen ...
section of the
East West MRT Line
The East West line (EWL) is a high-capacity Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line operated by SMRT in Singapore, running from Pasir Ris station in the east to Tuas Link station in the west, with an additional branch between Changi Airport and Tana ...
to the Thomson-East Coast MRT Line, and a possible new MRT line from Woodlands to the Greater Southern Waterfront. Enhancements to bus services, cycling routes, linkways and help for vulnerable groups are also announced too.
* 28 May – The
Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
announced the expansion of language and literature programmes to more schools soon. At the same time, several schools are abolishing mid-year exams by 2020 as opposed to a 2021 deadline announced last year.
* 30 May –
Mediacorp
Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...
's Internet Television website
Toggle
Toggle may refer to:
*Toggle mechanism
*Toggle switch
*Toggling harpoon, an ancient weapon and tool used in whaling to impale a whale when thrown
*A type of textile closure, like an elongated button
*Toggle (Doonesbury character), a character in t ...
collaborates with
tvN Movies.
June
* 1 June – 31 December – The showcase, ''From Singapore to Singaporean: The Bicentennial Experience'', is held at
Fort Canning Park
Fort Canning Hill, formerly Government Hill, Singapore Hill and Bukit Larangan (''Forbidden Hill'' in Malay language, Malay), is a small hill, about high, in the southeast portion of the island city-state of Singapore, within the Central Area ...
. Supposed to end on 15 September, the exhibition is extended from 1 October to 31 December, allowing more people to view the exhibition.
* 1 June –
Singapore Civil Defence Force
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is an uniformed organisation in Singapore under the Ministry of Home Affairs that provides emergency services such as firefighting, technical rescue, and emergency medical services, and coordinates nati ...
fire engines, red rhinos and fire-medical vehicles can now run red lights and make unauthorised U-turns during emergencies.
* 3 June – Radio station 938Now is rebranded as
CNA938
CNA938 is an English radio station of Mediacorp in Singapore. Since mid-2019, the station runs as the complementary to its parent television counterpart in line with the latter's 20th anniversary. CNA938 broadcasts news and talk programmes from 0 ...
.
* 5 June –
President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Halimah Yacob
Halimah Yacob (Jawi script: ; born 23 August 1954) is a Singaporean politician and former lawyer who has been serving as the eighth president of Singapore since 2017. Prior to her presidency, she was the country's Speaker of the Parliament of S ...
launches a commemorative $20 note featuring Singapore's pioneers and depicting Singapore's journey to nationhood to mark Singapore's bicentennial year.
* 6 June
**Visa users can now use SimplyGo.
**The
Ministry of Health announced a ban on partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) from June 2021, which aims to encourage healthy choices. In addition, 6 companies pledged to go PHO-free by June 2020.
* 8 June – The
National Environment Agency
National Environment Agency (NEA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment of the Government of Singapore.
NEA is responsible for improving and sustaining clean and green environment in Singapore. Its r ...
launches a nationwide campaign called "Say YES to Waste Less" with 59 partners, covering more than 1,600 premises reaching millions of consumers. It aims to reduce the use of disposables and encourage reusables.
* 10 June – The Canopy Park and Changi Experience Studio opens at
Jewel Changi Airport
Jewel Changi Airport (also known as Jewel or Jewel Changi) is a nature-themed entertainment and retail complex surrounded by and linked to Changi Airport, Singapore, linked to one of its passenger terminals. Its centrepiece is the world's talle ...
.
* 11 June – The
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military services of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A military component of the Ministry of Defence (MINDE ...
unveils the
Hunter
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
, a fully digital Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) which is also air-conditioned.
* 15 June – Deputy Prime Minister
Heng Swee Keat
Heng Swee Keat (; born 15 April 1961) is a Singaporean politician, former police officer and civil servant who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore since 2019 and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies since 2020 and als ...
launches the Singapore Together movement where the Government will work with citizens on ideas to improve policies for the environment, housing, youth and social mobility.
* 18 June – Construction starts on
The Esplanade's new 550-seat theatre, known as the Singtel Waterfront Theatre. The theatre will be completed by the second half of 2021.
* 19 June – Unauthorised
drones are spotted around the vicinity of
Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport, commonly known as Changi Airport , is a major civilian international airport that serves Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. As one of the world's busiest airports by international passen ...
, causing 37 flights to be delayed and a runway to be shut intermittently.
* 21 June
**A power outage hits
Yishun
Yishun, formerly known as Nee Soon, is a residential town located in the northeastern corner of the North Region of Singapore, bordering Simpang and Sembawang to the north, Mandai to the west, the Central Water Catchment to its southwest, An ...
, caused by cable damage during works carried out by a contractor.
** A massive fire broke out at a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) facility in
Jalan Buroh
Jalan Buroh () is a major arterial road in western Singapore. It runs along the Industrial sector, industrial areas of Pandan, Tanjong Penjuru and Pioneer.
Etymology
"Buroh" in the old spelling of "Buruh" means "labour" in Malay Language, Malay. ...
, killing one man and injuring two others.
* 23 June – Coffeehouse
Dôme closes its last outlet at
Parkway Parade.
* 24 June
**Another
drone
Drone most commonly refers to:
* Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft
* Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone
Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to:
...
incident takes place around the vicinity of Changi Airport, made worse by bad weather, causing 18 flights to be delayed, another 7 diverted.
**
StarHub
StarHub Limited, most commonly known as just Starhub, is a Singaporean multinational telecommunications conglomerate and one of the major telcos operating in the country. Founded in 1998, it is listed on the Singapore Exchange (SGX).
History ...
extends cable services until 30 September instead of 30 June in view of high fibre sign-ups, giving consumers until 31 August to do so. The migration is completed on 30 September.
* 26 June – A new Digital Industry Singapore office is launched to encourage companies to digitalise.
* 27 June
**A fifth
MVNO
A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides services to its customers. An MVNO enters into a business agreement with a mobile ...
, Grid Mobile starts operations.
**
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines (abbreviation: SIA) is the flag carrier airline of the Republic of Singapore with its Airline hub, hub located at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in ...
and
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB; ms, Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad), formerly known as Malaysian Airline System (MAS; ), and branded as Malaysia Airlines, is the flag carrier airline of Malaysia and a member of the Oneworld airline alliance. (The ...
sign an agreement to expand
code-sharing, with other services to be included soon.
* 28 June
**
Funan
Funan (; km, ហ៊្វូណន, ; vi, Phù Nam, Chữ Hán: ) was the name given by Chinese cartographers, geographers and writers to an ancient Indianized state—or, rather a loose network of states ''(Mandala)''—located in mainla ...
reopens to the public after reconstruction works are completed. The new Funan will be based on online-and-offline shopping with an emphasis on technology, as well as a new theatre by
W!LD RICE
W!LD RICE, founded in 2000 by Ivan Heng, is a professional theatre company in Singapore. In 2019, the company established a permanent performance venue at Funan Mall.
History
The first show by W!LD RICE was held at Jubilee Hall in Raffles Hotel ...
.
**The
Monetary Authority of Singapore
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) is the central bank and financial regulatory authority of Singapore. It administers the various statutes pertaining to money, banking, insurance, securities and the financial sector in general, as well ...
announced that five
digital banks will be allowed to set up operations here.
* 30 June – The first phase of SAFTI City, a future urban training ground, starts construction, opening in phases from 2023. In addition, a new counter-terror centre will open by end-2019.
July
* 1 July
**Only e-scooters that are compliant with
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History Incorporation of Land Transport Authority
Land Transport Authority (LTA) was established on 1 September 1995, f ...
’s device criteria (including UL-2272 certification) can be used. 85,000 e-scooters have since been registered.
**The
Ministry of Health announced new laws that will take effect from 1 July 2020, collectively known as the SP measures to protect the public from tobacco use. They include the mandatory use of
standardised packaging and no logos, among others.
**A sixth
MVNO
A mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) is a wireless communications services provider that does not own the wireless network infrastructure over which it provides services to its customers. An MVNO enters into a business agreement with a mobile ...
, redONE starts operations.
* 3 July –
CapitaLand
CapitaLand is a Singaporean headquartered company focusing on investment, development and management of real estate. It is one of Asia's largest real estate companies and the owner and manager of a global portfolio comprising integrated develo ...
announced that
Ascott and Ascendas' hospitality REITs will be merged to form Asia's largest hospitality trust with S$7.6b in assets combined, coming after the recent acquisition of Ascendas-Singbridge.
* 4 July – Phase 2 of the future Tuas Terminal starts construction, with the first
caisson launched. At the same time, the
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996 by the MPA A ...
will replace the current patrol vessels with seven patrol craft over the next three years, as well as two patrol launches. The first phase of digital Maritime Single Window will be launched by end 2019 to ease port clearance procedure.
* 5 July – The
National University Centre for Oral Health, Singapore
The National University Health System (NUHS) is a group of healthcare institutions in Singapore. The group was formed in 2008 and operates several hospitals, national specialty centres, and polyclinics. The National University Hospital is the la ...
officially opens.
* 7 July – Plans for a mixed-use development in Buangkok are unveiled. To be developed by CapitaLand and City Developments Limited, the development will house a mall containing a hawker centre and childcare centre, community club and condominiums, which will be completed by 2022.
* 8 July
**After recent drone intrusions around Changi Airport, drone registration will be compulsory from around end-2019, with stiffer penalties planned.
**Changes to the Road Traffic Act are passed to introduce stiffer penalties for irresponsible drivers, mandate drivers to stop in accidents with animals, among other changes. In addition, physical driving licences will stop being issued as part of digitalisation. The amendments have come into force on 1 November.
* 10 July –
Coding will be made compulsory for upper primary students from 2020.
* 25 July – From 2020, Primary 5 students will be graded with Achievement Levels (ALs) in preparation for new
Primary School Leaving Examination
The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) (Malay: ''Peperiksaan Tamat Sekolah Rendah'', Simplified Chinese: 小学离校考试 x''iǎoxué lí xiào kǎoshì'') is a national examination in Singapore that is administered by the Ministry of Ed ...
(PSLE) grades taking effect in 2021. The grades will be replaced with ALs 1 to 8, with those in Foundation getting ALs A to C (equal to Standard ALs 6 to 8). Students must get a score of 8, or a score of 9 to 14 and AL1/AL2 in Mother Tongue or Distinction/Merit in Higher Mother Tongue to take Higher Mother Tongue at Secondary level. In addition, cut-off points for secondary school based on ALs will be released by mid-2021.
* 26 July – To mark National Day,
Huawei
Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ( ; ) is a Chinese multinational technology corporation headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. It designs, develops, produces and sells telecommunications equipment, consumer electronics and various smar ...
launched a 3-day promotion of a S$54 smartphone (limited quantity) for the elderly, causing many to queue. The phone was sold within hours, causing angry crowds. Huawei subsequently issued an apology for that.
* 27 July – The
Singapore Army
The Singapore Army is the land service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). The largest of the four branches of the SAF, the Singapore Army traces its origins to the 1st Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (1 SIR), which was formed i ...
launches the new Wheeled Recovery Vehicle. It can support up to 35 tonnes of recovery capacity compared to the MB 2636A Recovery Truck at 26 tonnes (unable to support vehicles like the
Terrex ICV
The Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) is an armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) developed by ST Engineering of Singapore and Timoney Technology of Ireland, and produced by ST Engineering Land Systems (a corporate subsidiary of ST Engineering) f ...
). The Vehicle has a rotator crane allowing the crew to recover from different angles or positions and a dual-action feature allowing it to lift and winch at the same time. The Vehicle is equipped with safety features like an armoured cabin, a Multi-Functional Controller, among others.
* 31 July –
OCBC Bank
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation, Limited (), often known as OCBC Bank (), is a Singaporean multinational banking and financial services corporation headquartered in OCBC Centre, Singapore. OCBC Bank was born out of the Great Depression thr ...
launches cash withdrawal services via
QR codes
A QR code (an initialism for quick response code) is a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) invented in 1994 by the Japanese company Denso Wave. A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that can contain information about the ...
for increased security, making OCBC the first bank in Singapore to offer it.
August
* 1 August – The second tranche of
Misuse of Drugs Act amendments take effect for provisions that protect children and support drug abusers more, among others.
* 2 August – A new Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facility is officially opened at One°15. The only marina to be designated an immigration facility, it streamlines immigration procedures as compared to stopping at
Sisters' Islands
Sisters' Islands are two of the Southern Islands in Singapore and are located to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. It can be reached via a boat ride from Marina South Pier or West Coast Pier.
Big Sister's Isl ...
previously.
* 3 August
**The
National Heritage Board will gazette the
Padang
Padang () is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of West Sumatra. With a Census population of 1,015,000 as of 2022, it is the 16th most populous city in Indonesia and the most populous city on the west coast of Sumatra. Th ...
and the Singapore River Bridges (
Cavenagh Bridge
Cavenagh Bridge is the only suspension bridge and one of the oldest bridges in Singapore, spanning the lower reaches of the Singapore River in the Downtown Core. Opened in 1869 to commemorate Singapore's new Crown colony of the Straits Settlements ...
,
Anderson Bridge and
Elgin Bridge) as
National Monuments
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
soon as announced by
Deputy Prime Minister
A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...
Heng Swee Keat
Heng Swee Keat (; born 15 April 1961) is a Singaporean politician, former police officer and civil servant who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore since 2019 and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies since 2020 and als ...
.
**
Progress Singapore Party
The Progress Singapore Party (abbreviation: PSP) is a centre-left political party in Singapore and is one of the three contemporary political parties represented in Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and opposition ...
is officially launched.
* 5 August – After several fires involving
personal mobility devices (PMDs), including a fatality in Bukit Batok, several new rules on PMDs are announced after a review. All PMDs must be UL2272 certified by 1 July 2020 instead of 1 January 2021 previously, as well as mandatory inspection of all e-scooters from 1 April 2020. More officers will be deployed for enforcement. An initiative to safely dispose non-UL2272 PMDs will be announced soon. In addition, all 15 PAP Town Councils will ban PMDs from void decks and common areas for public safety, with a three-month trial for pedestrian-only zones where PMDs have to be dismounted and pushed. A trial for school zone markings on footpaths has started and will expand to other schools by next month. A fund will be set up to tackle PMD accident-prone hotspots. There will be 750 km of cycling paths by 2025, and triple the current cycling network by 2030.
* 6 August
**The largest
NTUC FairPrice
NTUC FairPrice is the largest supermarket chain in Singapore. The company is a co-operative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). The group has 100 supermarkets across the island, with over 160 outlets of Cheers convenience stores isl ...
store opens in
VivoCity
VivoCity is a shopping mall located in the HarbourFront precinct of Bukit Merah, Singapore. It is the largest shopping mall in Singapore, with of net lettable area and of gross floor area spread over a three-storey shopping complex and tw ...
under the FairPrice Xtra label in a bid to rival online grocers, and features an in-house vegetable farm, a dedicated play area for children and bicycle and luggage repair services.
**The Kallang Alive project is announced as part of 15 recommendations to the Vision 2030 review, spanning eight focus areas. The development includes the first velodrome here, a football hub, tennis centre, speed climbing wall, and redevelopment of the
Kallang Theatre Kallang Theatre is a 1,744-seat theatre in Kallang, Singapore. Located at 1A Stadium Walk, Singapore 397689 within the Singapore Sports Hub, beside Leisure Park Kallang and Stadium MRT station, Kallang Theatre is managed by Sport Singapore.
Origina ...
and other surrounding areas. Children will also get more opportunities to participate in non-CCA sports under the Children and Youth Sport framework.
* 7 August
**46 countries sign the
Singapore Convention on Mediation
The Singapore Convention on Mediation, formally the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation which was adopted on 20 December 2018 and opened for signature on 7 August 2019, is an international agr ...
(also known as the UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation), the first
UN treaty named after Singapore. States that signed and ratified the treaty have to ensure that international commercial settlement agreements are enforced by their courts.
**The
Singapore Symphony Orchestra
The Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Singapore. Its principal concert venue is the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay. The orchestra also gives concerts at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, and performs about ...
, conducted by Joshua Tan, makes a re-recording of the
national anthem
A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...
,
Majulah Singapura
""; ; ta, முன்னேறட்டும் சிங்கப்பூர் is the national anthem of the Republic of Singapore. Composed by Zubir Said in 1958 as a theme song for official functions of the City Council of Singapore ...
at the
Esplanade Concert Hall
An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...
.
* 8 August –
Maxwell Chambers Suites opens to keep up with demand for
dispute resolution.
* 9 August – A 4K television trial starts with the broadcast of National Day Parade in 4K.
* 12 August – The
National Parks Board
The National Parks Board (NParks) is a statutory board under the Ministry of National Development of the Government of Singapore.
History
In November 1989, Minister of National Development, S. Dhanabalan, presented the National Parks Bil ...
(NParks) announced a full ban on domestic
ivory trade
The ivory trade is the commercial, often illegal trade in the ivory tusks of the hippopotamus, walrus, narwhal, mammoth, and most commonly, African and Asian elephants.
Ivory has been traded for hundreds of years by people in Africa and Asia, ...
from 1 September 2021 to stamp out illegal trade in endangered species as international ivory trade had been banned under
CITES
CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...
since 1990. Exemptions will apply for educational and religious purposes, as well as musical instruments and personal effects containing ivory.
* 18 August
**The
Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
The Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), also known as the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (IRCS), is a statutory board of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth of the Government of Singapore. As a majlis, its role is to look afte ...
(MUIS) will introduce a new postgraduate course to nurture a cohesive society. At the same time, the
Ministry of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
will soon introduce more pathways to help
ITE students upgrade their skills.
**Several changes are announced for education. Among them are raising preschool subsidies' income ceiling from $7,500 to $12,000 with the Government providing the most preschool places, expansion of KidStart, lower fees of $7,500 for
Singapore University of Social Sciences
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borderin ...
and
Singapore Institute of Technology
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borderin ...
students, enhanced bursaries covering up to 75% and 95% of university and polytechnic fees respectively (previously 50% and 85%); applicable for students at ITE,
NAFA and
LASALLE, and enhanced bursaries for medical courses in universities; with lower-income students paying at most $5000.
**The retirement and re-employment ages will increase to 65 and 70 respectively by 2030. The first increase of 63 and 68 years will take place in 2022 with the public service raising them in 2021.
CPF contribution rates for workers aged 55 to 70 will be raised over 10 years with the first increase in 2021. Eventually, the rates will taper off when workers turn 60 and level off at 70.
**A three-pronged strategy to deal with climate change was announced. Several ideas are announced to tackle climate change, including empoldering the East Coast and reclaiming several offshore islands, and a planned second pump opposite
Marina Barrage
Marina Barrage is a dam in southern Singapore built at the confluence of five rivers, across the Marina Channel between Marina East and Marina South.
First conceptualised in 1987 by then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew to help achieve greater self-s ...
, which could cost S$100 billion stretching 50 to 100 years. In addition, new developments will have to be built at least 4m above mean sea level.
**New plans for the Greater Southern Waterfront are announced. The Keppel Club will be redeveloped to have 9,000 homes comprising
HDB and private homes. More office spaces shall be built, as well as new attractions like the redevelopment of Pasir Panjang power plant, a "Downtown South" by
NTUC on
Pulau Brani
Pulau Brani is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore, near Keppel Harbour. The island is situated between the main island of Singapore and the resort island of Sentosa, and is linked to the mainland via Brani Terminal Avenue. The a ...
, revitalisation of
Sentosa
Sentosa Island, known mononymously as Sentosa, and formerly ''Pulau Belakang Mati'', is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore's main island. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the K ...
's beaches, nature and heritage areas, and finally linking the GSW to other green areas.
**
Killing of Nasiari Sunee – a racially motivated and Islamophobic attack enacted by Australian Andrew Gosling.
* 19 August –
Royal Dutch Shell
Shell plc is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, England. Shell is a public limited company with a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and secondary listings on Euronext Amsterdam and the New Yo ...
launches electric vehicle chargers at petrol stations in Singapore, the first in Southeast Asia. By October, 10 petrol stations will offer this service.
* 27 August – After 38 years,
DFS Group
DFS ("DFS Group") is a Hong Kong-based travel retailer of luxury products. Established in 1960, its network consists of over 420 locations, including duty-free stores in 12 major airports and 23 downtown Galleria stores, as well as affiliate and ...
announced it will close its liquor and tobacco stores in
Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport, commonly known as Changi Airport , is a major civilian international airport that serves Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. As one of the world's busiest airports by international passen ...
by June 2020 due to a challenging environment.
Lotte Duty Free will take over DFS' shops from 9 June 2020, being awarded the tender on 24 October.
* 28 August – The
Land Transport Authority
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
History Incorporation of Land Transport Authority
Land Transport Authority (LTA) was established on 1 September 1995, f ...
(LTA) awards several non-fare businesses along the
Thomson–East Coast MRT line
zh, 汤申-东海岸地铁线 ta, தாம்சன் - ஈஸ்ட் கோஸ்ட் எம்ஆர்டி வழி
, close =
, owner = Land Transport Authority
, operator ...
, with Asiaray Connect awarded an advertising contract and a consortium comprising
SMRT Experience, JR Business Development SEA and Alphaplus Investments appointed to run retail space, the first time non-fare businesses are outsourced.
* 30 August
**
Paya Lebar Quarter
Paya may refer to:
Places
* Paya, Boyacá, a municipality in the department of Boyacá, Colombia
* Paya, Dominican Republic, a municipal district of the Baní municipality
* Paya, India, a town in Arunachal Pradesh state of India
* Paya Jaras, ...
opens in
Paya Lebar
Paya Lebar is a planning area located in the East Region of Singapore, bordered by Hougang to the west, Sengkang to the northwest, Tampines to the east, Bedok to the south and Pasir Ris to the north.
As part of the Singapore Urban Redevelopment ...
.
**The first Zero Waste Masterplan is launched to reduce waste disposed into
Semakau landfill
Pulau Semakau (or Semakau Island) is located to the south of the main island of Singapore, off the Straits of Singapore. The Semakau Landfill is located on the eastern side of the island, and was created by the amalgamation of Pulau Sakeng (also k ...
by 30 per cent in 2030, with new laws, more recycling facilities and e-waste recycling facilities in the pipeline, and new recycling labels launched for proper recycling habits.
September
![NCID and CHI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/NCID_and_CHI.jpg)
* 1 September
**The collection of
NRIC numbers is now made illegal.
**A ban on PMDs along void decks, common areas takes effect in PAP Town Councils.
**
MPH Bookstores
MPH Group Malaysia Sdn Bhd is a Malaysian group of companies best known for its book retailing and online retailing services as well as being involved in the printing, publishing and distribution of books and library services in Malaysia and Singap ...
closes its last outlet at
Parkway Parade, following the closure of its other bookstore in
Raffles City on 28 July. It made a return in November at SingPost Centre.
* 2 September –
BreadTalk announced that it will acquire Food Junction from Auric Pacific for S$80 million, which started on 30 August. On 15 October, the
Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore
The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore (CCCS) is Singapore's competition regulator. It was first established as the Competition Commission of Singapore on 1 January 2005 as a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry ...
allows the acquisition, making BreadTalk the third largest food operator in Singapore after
NTUC Enterprise (which acquired
Kopitiam
A ''kopitiam'' or ''kopi tiam'' () is a type of coffee shop mostly found in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Southern Thailand patronised for meals and beverages, and traditionally operated by the Chinese community of the ...
in 2018) and
Koufu
Koufu (口父; ''Kǒufù'') (died c.1126 BCE) was an ancient Chinese nobleman, a Zhou leader honoured by the Shang
The Shang dynasty (), also known as the Yin dynasty (), was a Chinese royal dynasty founded by Tang of Shang (Cheng Tang ...
.
* 3 September –
Shopee
Shopee Pte. Ltd. (Shopee) is a Singaporean multinational technology company that specialises in e-commerce. The company was launched in Singapore in 2015, before it expanded abroad.
, Shopee is considered the largest e-commerce platform in S ...
opens its new six-storey headquarters at
Singapore Science Park
Singapore Science Park; ta, முன்னேறட்டும் சிங்கப்பூர் is a research, development and technologies hub in Queenstown, Singapore. Managed by Ascendas, a subsidiary of Capitaland, it was set up under ...
, six times larger than its previous headquarters at Ascent Building. This strengthens its push into the
digital economy
The digital economy is a portmanteau of digital computing and economy, and is an umbrella term that describes how traditional Brick and mortar, brick-and-mortar economic activities (production, distribution, trade) are being transformed by Interne ...
.
* 4 September – An
Electoral Boundaries Review Committee
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...
(EBRC) is announced for the
next general election, being formed on 1 August.
* 6 September –
W!LD RICE
W!LD RICE, founded in 2000 by Ivan Heng, is a professional theatre company in Singapore. In 2019, the company established a permanent performance venue at Funan Mall.
History
The first show by W!LD RICE was held at Jubilee Hall in Raffles Hotel ...
's new theatre opens in Funan.
* 7 September – The
National Centre for Infectious Diseases
The National Centre for Infectious Diseases (Abbreviation: NCID; ms, Pusat Nasional bagi Penyakit Berjangkit; ta, தேசிய தொற்றுநோய் மையம்; Chinese: ), previously known as the Communicable Disease Centre ...
is officially opened, replacing Communicable Diseases Centre. The building has a location tracking system to pinpoint interactions between people during outbreaks and houses Singapore's first high-level isolation unit.
* 8 September –
Yishun Integrated Transport Hub opens.
* 9 September – The
National Day Parade
The National Day Parade (NDP) is an annual parade held in Singapore to commemorate its independence. Held annually on 9 August, it is the main public celebration of National Day, consists of a parade incorporating contingents of the Singapo ...
will be held at
The Float @ Marina Bay
The Float at Marina Bay, stylised as The Float@Marina Bay and also known as the Marina Bay Floating Platform, is a multi-purpose outdoor venue at the Downtown Core area of Marina Bay, Singapore. The venue consists of a steel platform in the Mar ...
in 2020 and 2021 before the venue is torn for the upcoming NS Square in 2022, with completion by 2025.
* Mid-September –
2019 Southeast Asian haze
A trans-national air pollution crisis affected several countries in Southeast Asia from February to September 2019, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Thailand began to experience a haz ...
: Singapore is shrouded in haze, the worst since the
2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
and
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
haze crises.
**14 September – At 4pm, the 24-hour
Pollutant Standards Index
The Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) is a type of air quality index, which is a number used to indicate the level of pollutants in air.
Initially PSI was based on five air pollutants, but since 1 April 2014 it has also included fine particulat ...
(PSI) enters the "unhealthy" range of above 100 for the first time since
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, starting from 103 in western Singapore. The PSI steadily climbs up from there.
**15 September – At 1am, all parts of Singapore registered "unhealthy" PSI readings, peaking at 124 from 5am to 8am in western Singapore. Despite this, the air quality improves over the next two days, resulting in the PSI dropping to "moderate" levels.
**18 September – The haze returns to Singapore, resulting in the PSI increasing to "unhealthy" levels seen last weekend.
**19 September – At 4am in southern Singapore, the PSI peaks at 154. From there, the haze situation improves with all parts of Singapore registering "moderate" PSI levels by 9pm.
**21 September – The haze returns with the PSI hitting unhealthy levels.
**22 September – The PSI stays at unhealthy levels for almost the entire day.
**23 September – Rain comes, bringing relief from the haze, with more rain the next few days.
* 20 September –
Sentosa Development Corporation
Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of the Government of Singapore.
Purpose Islands
The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) was formed on 1 September 1972. Its main task is to ...
launches the Sentosa-Brani Master Plan to transform
Sentosa
Sentosa Island, known mononymously as Sentosa, and formerly ''Pulau Belakang Mati'', is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore's main island. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the K ...
and
Pulau Brani
Pulau Brani is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore, near Keppel Harbour. The island is situated between the main island of Singapore and the resort island of Sentosa, and is linked to the mainland via Brani Terminal Avenue. The a ...
, spanning the next two to three decades. Both islands will be divided into five zones, namely Vibrant Cluster, Island Heart, Waterfront, Ridgeline and Beachfront. Transportation will be enhanced, with a future "Downtown South" resort on Pulau Brani once the port moves out in 2027. As a result, the Sentosa Merlion will make way for Sentosa Sensoryscape, a S$90 million themed linkway linking
Resorts World Sentosa
Resorts World Sentosa (abbreviation: RWS) is an integrated resort
An integrated resort (IR) is a major resort property that includes a hotel with a casino, together with convention facilities, entertainment shows, theme parks, luxury r ...
and the beaches, which will finish by 2022.
* 21 September – The first Singapore Climate Rally is held in
Hong Lim Park
Hong Lim Park, formerly known as Hong Lim Green and Dunman's Green, is a heritage park in the Downtown Core district of Singapore located next to the Parkroyal Collection Pickering hotel and Clarke Quay station.
The park is notable locally ...
as part of
climate strikes around the world, attracting 1,700 participants.
October
* 3 October –
Singapore Management University
The Singapore Management University (SMU) is a public autonomous university in Singapore. The university is the only city campus in Singapore. It ranks third in Asia as a specialist university, behind Hong Kong University of Science and Techn ...
(SMU) has boosted patrols, CCTV cameras, and installed warning signs to deter sexual harassment. Other measures include revising disciplinary actions, setting up a student support unit called Voices@SMU, and an online module on consent.
* 8 October
**The
Public Transport Council
The Public Transport Council (PTC) is an independent regulatory statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore established on 14 August 1987 by the ''Public Transport Council Act of 1987''.
PTC regulates the publ ...
allows a fare increase of 7% on train and bus fares which started on 28 December, the highest percentage jump since 1998. The increase is driven by soaring energy costs. However, polytechnic students are included under student concession fares for the first time, resulting in a fare reduction.
**Amazon.sg is launched as a local online marketplace by
Amazon
Amazon most often refers to:
* Amazons, a tribe of female warriors in Greek mythology
* Amazon rainforest, a rainforest covering most of the Amazon basin
* Amazon River, in South America
* Amazon (company), an American multinational technology c ...
, making Singapore the first in Southeast Asia to get this service. This comes roughly 2 years after Amazon first made the Prime subscription service available to users in Singapore (via the Prime Now app only).
* 10 October
**The
Ministry of Health announced the world's first total advertising ban of packaged drinks with very high sugar content and colour-coded labels indicating drinks as "healthy", "neutral" and "unhealthy" respectively. The labels are compulsory for "unhealthy" drinks, while optional for "healthy" ones. These measures will take effect from 2020, after a public consultation favouring these two measures out of four possible options.
**
Dyson Dyson may refer to:
* Dyson (surname), people with the surname Dyson
* Dyson (company), a Singaporean multinational home appliances company founded by James Dyson
* Dyson (crater), a crater on the Moon
* Dyson (operating system), a Unix general-pur ...
announced that it will not proceed with the
electric car
An electric car, battery electric car, or all-electric car is an automobile that is propelled by one or more electric motors, using only energy stored in batteries. Compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, electric cars are quie ...
project after the project was found not to be "commercially viable". This comes a year after Dyson announced its intention to make these cars in Singapore by 2021.
* 15 October – The Singapore River Bridges (Cavenagh Bridge, Anderson Bridge and Elgin Bridge) are collectively gazetted as a
National Monument
A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure.
The term may also refer to a spec ...
, in addition to a fund boost for conservation.
* 17 October – Singapore's first fully electric public minibuses were launched.
* 20 October – Sentosa Merlion is closed, with the four shops closing the following day.
* 22 October
**
Scoot
Scoot Pte Ltd, operating as Scoot, is a Singaporean low-cost airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. It began its operations on 4 June 2012 on medium and long-haul routes from Singapore, predominantly to various airports t ...
moves from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 of
Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport, commonly known as Changi Airport , is a major civilian international airport that serves Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. As one of the world's busiest airports by international passen ...
, first announced on 15 November 2018. The move aims to facilitate growth and enhance customer experience.
**
ST Engineering
Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd, doing business as ST Engineering, is a Singaporean multinational technology and engineering group in the aerospace, smart city as well as defence and public security sectors. Headquartered in Singapore, ...
launches the Strobo Series 12 autonomous bus. A public trial on
Jurong Island
Jurong Island is an island located to the southwest of the main island of Singapore. It was formed from the amalgamation of seven offshore islands, the islands of Pulau Ayer Chawan, Pulau Ayer Merbau, Pulau Merlimau, Pulau Pesek, Pulau Pesek ...
will take place from the middle of next year.
**
NTUC FairPrice
NTUC FairPrice is the largest supermarket chain in Singapore. The company is a co-operative of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC). The group has 100 supermarkets across the island, with over 160 outlets of Cheers convenience stores isl ...
,
Kopitiam
A ''kopitiam'' or ''kopi tiam'' () is a type of coffee shop mostly found in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Southern Thailand patronised for meals and beverages, and traditionally operated by the Chinese community of the ...
, and NTUC Foodfare will be housed under a new NTUC FairPrice Group to enhance affordability.
* 24 October
**
Paya Lebar Quarter
Paya may refer to:
Places
* Paya, Boyacá, a municipality in the department of Boyacá, Colombia
* Paya, Dominican Republic, a municipal district of the Baní municipality
* Paya, India, a town in Arunachal Pradesh state of India
* Paya Jaras, ...
, a
mixed-use
Mixed-use is a kind of urban development, urban design, urban planning and/or a zoning type that blends multiple uses, such as residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, or entertainment, into one space, where those functions are to some ...
development by
Lend Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
is officially opened.
**Public bus drivers will be trained to operate autonomous buses after a MOU is signed.
* 27 October – Known as the
Commonwealth double murders, a 22-year-old man named Gabriel Lien Goh was arrested for allegedly killing his mother and grandmother.
* 30 October –
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines (abbreviation: SIA) is the flag carrier airline of the Republic of Singapore with its Airline hub, hub located at Singapore Changi Airport. The airline is notable for highlighting the Singapore Girl as its central figure in ...
and
Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB; ms, Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad), formerly known as Malaysian Airline System (MAS; ), and branded as Malaysia Airlines, is the flag carrier airline of Malaysia and a member of the Oneworld airline alliance. (The ...
have proposed code-sharing of flights and sharing revenue for Singapore-Malaysia flights. The agreement includes
SilkAir
SilkAir Singapore Private Limited, operating as SilkAir, was a Singaporean airline with its head office in Changi, Singapore. It was a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines and at its peak operateed scheduled passenger services from Si ...
,
Scoot
Scoot Pte Ltd, operating as Scoot, is a Singaporean low-cost airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. It began its operations on 4 June 2012 on medium and long-haul routes from Singapore, predominantly to various airports t ...
and
Firefly
The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
airlines. Joint promotions will also be explored.
* 31 October – The
Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System
,
,
,
,
,
The Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS Link) is an international cross-border rapid transit system that will connect Johor Bahru, Malaysia and Woodlands, Singapore, crossing the Strait of Johor. It will ...
will go ahead with a 36 per cent cost cut. Details are still being worked out in preparation for a future agreement.
November
![Canberra station platforms](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Canberra_station_platforms.jpg)
* 1 November – The Green CHAS scheme takes effect along with other health subsidies.
* 2 November –
Canberra MRT station
Canberra MRT station is an elevated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the North South line, located along Canberra Link at the junction with Canberra Way in Sembawang, Singapore. It is the second infill station on the MRT network (after Do ...
opens, becoming the second
infill station
An infill station (sometimes in-fill station) is
a train station built on an existing passenger rail, rapid transit, or light rail line to address demand in a location between existing stations. Such stations take advantage of existing train serv ...
on the
MRT
MRT may refer to:
Transport Rapid Transit Systems
* Mass Rapid Transit (disambiguation)
* MRT (Singapore) or Mass Rapid Transit, Singapore
* MRT (Bangkok) or Metropolitan Rapid Transit, Thailand
* Manila Metro Rail Transit System, Philippine ...
after
Dover MRT station
Dover MRT station is an elevated Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station on the East West line in Queenstown planning area, Singapore, located along Commonwealth Avenue West.
It was the first infill station added to an existing line on the Singapore ...
. In addition, the station has many green features and features a 72m crossover track for resiliency.
* 4 November
**The
Ministry of Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government age ...
announced a ban on
e-scooters
A motorized scooter is a stand-up scooter powered by either a small utility internal combustion engine or a small electric hub motor in its front and/or rear wheel. Classified as a form of micro-mobility, they are generally designed with a la ...
on footpaths from 5 November to make footpaths safer, coming on the back of several accidents recently. More types of personal mobility devices (PMDs) will be banned from the first quarter of 2020 like
hoverboards and
electric unicycle
An electric unicycle (often initialized as EUC or acronymized yuke or Uni) is a self-balancing personal transporter with a unicycle, single wheel. The rider controls speed by leaning forwards or backwards, and steers by twisting or tilting the uni ...
s. The ban will not apply to bicycles or personal mobility aids being used on footpaths. In addition, licence applications for PMD sharing services will be rejected and no new applications will be accepted after safety concerns raised. After feedback that the ban will affect food delivery riders' livelihoods, a new grant to exchange e-scooters for e-bikes is announced four days later.
**
Changi Airport
Singapore Changi Airport, commonly known as Changi Airport , is a major civilian international airport that serves Singapore, and is one of the largest transportation hubs in Asia. As one of the world's busiest airports by international passen ...
announces the temporary closure of Runway 2 from 25 October 2020, with Runway 3 replacing it as part of the Terminal 5 project to have a three-runway system.
* 13 November – The 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index briefly hits unhealthy levels, at 101 in the east at 10am and later at 105 in the south at 7pm.
* 15 November – The
NTUC announced two schemes for essentials and training for PMD riders affected by the footpath ban.
* 21 November
**CapitaLand,
Ascott REIT, and City Developments Limited announced the redevelopment of
Liang Court
Liang Court (Simplified Chinese: 亮阁, Traditional Chinese: 亮閣, Pinyin: ''Liàng Gé'') was a shopping mall located in the vicinity of Clarke Quay, on the Singapore River. It was part of a mixed-use complex that includes the hotel Novot ...
into a mixed-use, integrated development with a condominium, a mall, a hotel and serviced apartment. The development will open in stages from 2024.
**
Carousell agrees to merge with 701Search (a
Telenor
Telenor ASA ( or ) is a Norwegian majority state-owned multinational telecommunications company headquartered at Fornebu in Bærum, close to Oslo. It is one of the world's largest mobile telecommunications companies with operations worldwide, ...
company).
* 23 November – A new polyclinic will be built in
Kaki Bukit
Kaki Bukit ( Jawi: كاكي بوكيت; ) is a small town in Perlis, Malaysia. It has an estimated population of 3,000. Kaki Bukit is located 26 kilometres (16 miles) north of the state capital, Kangar and a few miles away from Padang Besar, the ...
by 2025. In addition, Tengah Polyclinic will be located in an integrated development.
* 25 November
**A correction notice is issued over a Facebook post by Brad Bowyer, the first under POFMA. He has since complied with it.
**The NS Hub starts construction, opening from 2023. The Hub will have green features and smart technology, and will be open to the public with sports facilities, food outlets and a childcare centre.
* 27 November –
Biopolis
Biopolis; ta, பயோபோலிஸ் is a research and development centre for biomedical sciences in Singapore. It is located at one-north in Buona Vista, and is close to the National University of Singapore, the Singapore Polytechnic, the ...
will be expanded with Phase 6 to cater for biotechnology start-ups, which will be completed by mid-2022. At the same time, NSG BioLabs is launched.
* 28 November – A correction notice is issued over a post by States Times Review over false statements. However, the owner of the site,
Alex Tan
Alex Tan Zhixiang () is an anti-government self- exiled Singaporean political dissident who sought Australian asylum. Tan was a former editor of Temasek Review, a now-defunct socio-political website that mainly produced articles on Singapore. ...
said he would not comply with the order. A day later,
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
is told to insert the notice, which it did.
* 30 November – 11 December –
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
participated at the
2019 Southeast Asian Games
The 2019 Southeast Asian Games, officially known as the 30th Southeast Asian Games, or the 30th SEA Games, and commonly known as Philippines 2019, was the 30th edition of the Southeast Asian Games, a biennial regional multi-sport event which ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
.
December
* 1 December – The
Home Team Science and Technology Agency
The Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Home Affairs of Singapore to develop science and technology capabilities for Home Team operations.
History
The Home Team Science and Technology Agenc ...
(HTX) is formed to harness technologies for Singapore's security. A day later, HTX is launched with new technologies unveiled.
* 3 December
**A new recording of
Majulah Singapura
""; ; ta, முன்னேறட்டும் சிங்கப்பூர் is the national anthem of the Republic of Singapore. Composed by Zubir Said in 1958 as a theme song for official functions of the City Council of Singapore ...
is released on its 60th anniversary with improvements in sound quality, being 5 seconds shorter than the 2001 version.
**On the same day,
Ramli Sarip
Datuk Ramli Sarip (born 15 October 1952), also known as "Papa Rock", is a Singaporean musician, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He is also one of the pioneers of Singapore's rock scene. Ramli was the front man and lead singer o ...
's rendition of Majulah Singapura is released as a music video.
* 4 December – The
Ministry of Transport
A ministry of transport or transportation is a ministry responsible for transportation within a country. It usually is administered by the ''minister for transport''. The term is also sometimes applied to the departments or other government age ...
announced that the
Cross Island MRT line will run directly under the
Central Catchment Nature Reserve
The Central Catchment Nature Reserve (; ms, Hutan Simpanan Kawasan Tadahan Air Tengah; ta, மத்திய நீர்ப்பிடிப்பு இயற்கை ரிசர்வ்) is the largest nature reserve in Singapore, occ ...
as it is cheaper, hence resulting in lower energy consumption.
* 6 December – The 140m-long
Mandai Wildlife Bridge is launched to allow safe animal crossings as part of Mandai's redevelopment. A 10-year reforestation plan is also released.
* 7 December – The
Outram Community Hospital
The Outram Community Hospital (OCH) is a 545-bed community hospital in Bukit Merah, Singapore. It is located adjacent to, and complements, the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
History
The Outram Community Hospital was first announced by Mini ...
opens next to
Singapore General Hospital
Singapore General Hospital (SGH) is an academic health science centre and tertiary referral hospital in Singapore. It is located next to the Bukit Merah and Chinatown districts of the Central Region, close to the Outram Community Hospital (OCH ...
, featuring facilities resembling public estates.
* 11 December – The new MRT map is launched with the
Circle MRT line
The Circle MRT Line (CCL) is a medium-capacity Mass Rapid Transit line in Singapore operated by SMRT Corporation. It runs in a currently incomplete loop from Dhoby Ghaut station in the city area of Singapore to HarbourFront station in the so ...
as a focal point, prominent landmarks to orientate commuters and QR codes containing an online fare calculator and downloadable maps. In addition, new directional signs will be used starting from the
Thomson–East Coast MRT line
zh, 汤申-东海岸地铁线 ta, தாம்சன் - ஈஸ்ட் கோஸ்ட் எம்ஆர்டி வழி
, close =
, owner = Land Transport Authority
, operator ...
.
* 14 December – The
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party (abbreviation: SDP) is a politcal party in Singapore.
The party was founded on 6 August 1980 by Chiam See Tong. During the 1991 general election, Ling How Doong and Cheo Chai Chen won Bukit Gombak SMC and Nee ...
is issued correction notices for two Facebook posts and an online article. It complies with the notices a day later.
* 16 December – Opposition politician
Lim Tean
Lim Tean (; born 17 November 1964) is a Singaporean lawyer and politician. He is the founder of the political party Peoples Voice. He previously served as secretary-general of the National Solidarity Party from 30 August 2015 to 18 May 2017.
Ea ...
is issued a correction notice over a Facebook post. He complies with it soon after.
Deaths
* 23 January –
Aloysius Pang
Aloysius Pang (; 24 August 1990 – 24 January 2019) was a Singaporeans, Singaporean actor managed under NoonTalk Media, best known for his involvement in multiple Mediacorp dramas. He died on 24 January 2019 at 1:45am New Zealand Daylight Time, ...
, former
Mediacorp
Mediacorp Pte. Ltd., doing business as Mediacorp and stylised as mediacorp, is a media conglomerate in Singapore. Owned by Temasek Holdings—the holding company of the Government of Singapore—it owns television, radio, and digital media prope ...
artiste (b. 1990).
* 3 February –
Ben Goi, son of 'Popiah King' Sam Goi (b. 1975).
* 3 March –
Lee Wen, performance artist (b. 1957).
* 8 March – Tow Siang Hwa, former gynaecologist at Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH) and church pastor (b. 1925).
* 10 March –
Tong Yek Suan, musician, busker (b. 1971).
* 5 April –
Sydney Brenner
Sydney Brenner (13 January 1927 – 5 April 2019) was a South African biologist. In 2002, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with H. Robert Horvitz and Sir John E. Sulston. Brenner made significant contributions to work ...
,
Honorary Citizen of Singapore
The Honorary Citizen Award is the highest national honour conferred by the Government of Singapore to foreigners since 2003, to recognise and acknowledge the contributions of foreigners who have contributed extensively and significantly to Singa ...
,
biologist
A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...
(b. 1927).
* 1 June
**
Ani Yudhoyono
Kristiani Herrawati Yudhoyono (6 July 1952 – 1 June 2019), more commonly known as Ani Yudhoyono, was an Indonesian political scientist, who was the wife of former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and First Lady of Indonesia from 2 ...
,
First Lady of Indonesia
Throughout Indonesian history, the title of First Lady ( id, Ibu Negara) or, in an instance, First Gentleman ( id, Bapak Negara) has been used to refer to the wife or husband of the president of Indonesia. While the Constitution of Indonesia does ...
(2004-2014) (b. 1952).
**Tjong Yik Min, former
ISD director (b. 1952).
* 3 August –
P. Suppiah, lawyer (b. 1930).
* 6 August –
Julai Tan, violinist (b. 1925).
* 12 August –
Frank Tsao
Tan Sri Frank Tsao Wen-king (; 1925 – 12 August 2019) was a Chinese-born entrepreneur who established shipping and textiles businesses in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Tsao took over his family shipping business in Shanghai and ...
, shipping and textiles entrepreneur (b. 1925).
* 13 August – Joseph Conceicao, former MP and diplomat.
* 18 August –
Ambrose Khaw, journalist (b. 1928).
* 19 August –
Bai Yan, veteran actor (b. 1920).
* 6 September
**
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe (; ; 21 February 1924 – 6 September 2019) was a Zimbabwean revolutionary and politician who served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and then as President from 1987 to 2017. He served as Leader of the ...
, former
Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...
and
President of Zimbabwe
The president of Zimbabwe is the head of state of Zimbabwe and head of the executive branch of the government of Zimbabwe. The president chairs the national cabinet and is the chief commanding authority of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
The in ...
(b. 1924).
**
Chng Seok Tin, artist and
Cultural Medallion
The Cultural Medallion is a cultural award in Singapore conferred to those who have achieved artistic excellence in dance, theatre, literature, music, photography, art and film. It is widely recognized as Singapore's pinnacle arts award.
Histor ...
recipient (b. 1946).
* 7 September –
Wong Wee Nam, opposition politician (b. 1947).
* 12 September –
Lee Eng Su, co-founder of The Coconut Club (b. 1979).
* 7 October –
Albert Hong, architect, businessman and philanthropist (b. 1935).
* 13 October
**
Lin Ah Leck, conductor (b. 1950).
**
Wee Toon Ouut, founder of Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice (b. 1938).
* 22 October –
Subaraj Rajathurai, nature guide and wildlife consultant (b. 1963).
* 25 October –
Janet Yee, social worker and children rights' advocate (b. 1934).
* 26 October – Desmond Lim, Dyan-Mac founder (b. 1958).
* 16 November –
Zeng Guo Yuan, former Singaporean businessman, philanthropist, politician, author, and acupuncturist (b. 1953).
* 29 November –
G. Muthukumarasamy, trade unionist (b. 1951).
* 11 December –
Ann Wee, pioneer of social work education (b. 1926).
* 13 December –
J.A. Halim, actor (b. 1948).
* 14 December
**
Lin Liyun
Lin Liyun (; born 22 March 1933) is a Chinese politician who served as president of the from 1981 to 1991, vice chairperson of the National People's Congress Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee from 1991 to 1998, and vice president of the All-Ch ...
, actress (b. 1961)
**
Choo Keng Kwang, painter (b. 1931).
* 22 December –
Samantha Lee,
Singapore Idol
''Singapore Idol'' is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by MediaCorp Studios and FremantleMedia Operations BV. It began airing on MediaCorp Channel 5 on 9 August 2004, as an addition to the Idol franc ...
contestant (b. 1991).
References
{{Year in Asia , 2019
2010s in Singapore
Years of the 21st century in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...