Singapore Parliament

Singapore ‘prepared in principle’ to recognise a Palestinian state that rejects terrorism, accepts Israel’s right to exist

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STUDY VISITS, SCHOLARSHIPS To that end, Singapore will continue to tap the S$10 million (US$7.4 million) Enhanced Technical Assistance Package to help the Palestinian Authority build capacity and prepare for eventual statehood, said Dr Balakrishnan. Palestinian officials will be in Singapore from Jul 8 to Jul 12 for a study visit on using artificial intelligence … Read more

More red-amber-green arrows to be installed, reducing discretionary right-turn junctions to under 15%

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Road safety has been in the spotlight in parliament with a high-profile accident in Tampines that killed two people, including a teenage girl, last month prompting questions from MPs. In response to questions from various MPs, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Tuesday it will not be increasing the penalties for dangerous driving for now. … Read more

Essential air, sea and land transport operators could be subject to more controls under new draft law

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Under the proposed amendments, designated entities will face three types of controls, said MOT’s spokesperson.  Ownership controls will ensure oversight of changes in their effective control “to safeguard against adverse influence”.  For example, buyers and sellers may need to notify or seek approval from the authorities depending on the amount, and the designated entities must … Read more

Pritam Singh to continue all parliamentary, town council duties until legal process comes to ‘complete close’

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SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh said on Tuesday (Mar 19) that he will continue with all parliamentary duties and town council responsibilities until the legal process related to his charges comes to a “complete close”.  He was charged on Tuesday with making false statements before a parliamentary committee, in relation to a lie that his … Read more

Ch’ng Jit Koon, former Senior Minister of State who pioneered ministerial walkabouts, dies aged 90

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SINGAPORE: Mr Ch’ng Jit Koon, who served in politics for 28 years as a Member of Parliament and Senior Minister of State, died on Friday (Mar 1) at the age of 90. Mr Ch’ng began his political career in 1968 when he was elected to Singapore’s second parliament as MP for Tiong Bahru. He served there … Read more

Social support not just about handouts but ‘giving people a leg up’, says DPM Wong

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SINGAPORE: Social support is “not just about giving handouts”, but giving people “a leg up”, said Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (Feb 28).  In his closing speech for the Budget debate, Mr Wong stressed that Singapore is spending more on social support in this Budget and that a substantial portion … Read more

PM Lee calls on opposition to be ‘upfront’ about stance on Singapore’s reserves and take ideas to ballot box

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“PROTECT THIS NEST EGG” Singapore drew S$40 billion (US$30 billion) from the reserves for the COVID-19 crisis and this proved to be a “tremendous advantage”, said Mr Lee. “It gave us confidence, and gave others confidence in us. We had the financial muscle to do everything we needed to do, without getting heavily into debt, … Read more

MPs stress need for better insurance coverage for mental health conditions, regulation of professionals

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SINGAPORE: A man who had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder struggled with holding down jobs due to his condition. He was also belittled by his mother-in-law. To cope with the stresses in his life, he turned to drugs but eventually sought help from the National Addictions Management Service for a growing addiction. Back home, his … Read more

Increasing demand for scattering of ashes in garden at Choa Chu Kang Cemetery

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SINGAPORE: Demand for inland ash scattering has steadily increased since the first such facility was opened in 2021, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment Baey Yam Keng said on Tuesday (Feb 6).  Mr Baey was responding in Parliament to questions from MP Carrie Tan (PAP-Nee Soon), who asked if Singapore has considered innovative … Read more

Potential loss in tobacco tax revenue not a factor in e-cigarette ban: Lawrence Wong

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SINGAPORE: Public health, not potential tax revenue losses, was the reason Singapore decided to ban electronic cigarettes in 2018, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Wednesday (Jan 10). Member of Parliament James Lim (WP-Sengkang) had filed questions on e-cigarettes or vapes, asking if the potential loss of tax revenue was a factor in disallowing e-cigarettes. … Read more