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
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
.png?itok=WrvE92QQ "PM Lee calls on opposition to be ‘upfront’ about stance on Singapore’s reserves and take ideas to ballot box")
“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
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
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
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
LAWMAKERS’ CONCERNS More than 20 Members of Parliament (MPs) rose to speak during the motion, which asked that parliament reaffirm its commitment to adopt a whole-of-nation approach to sustain trust by building an inclusive and safe digital society. The motion was tabled by the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Communications and Information, with 13 specific … Read more
CONCERNS RAISED Twelve MPs rose to ask for clarifications during the debate, although only Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leong Mun Wai objected to the Bill. Several MPs wanted a clear definition of “national security interest” and raised questions about safeguards against abuse of ministerial powers. They also highlighted concerns that the law would have a … Read more
Assoc Prof Lim then asked about the mechanisms to ensure that governmental agency JTC Corporation complies with the government’s stipulations on the importation of sand. He also echoed Mr Ng in seeking a broader framework for the acquisition of sand. “I think what we want to avoid is a situation where we get just all … Read more
SINGAPORE: Parliament will hear further details about the fatal 2021 Tuas Incineration Plant explosion and the charges faced by the National Environment Agency (NEA) when it sits on Tuesday (Jan 9). Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu will deliver a ministerial statement to address the matter, two weeks after NEA and two of … Read more
