The “inbreeding of ideas” within PAP has produced “defective policies” for Singapore in the last 15 years, resulting in “a malformed economy”, said Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan. “The autocratic effort of keeping the political bloodline pure within the PAP has produced a society unable to respond to changes and begun the slow but certain undoing of …

The Election Department (ELD) has rejected rumours surrounding when the next General Election (GE) will be held. Responding to Channel 8’s queries, ELD said that contrary to what was said in a text message that has been widely circulated, the next GE will not be held on 21 Sep. The ELD also refuted other claims made in the text message, …

Intrigued by the ongoing protests against the extradition Bill in Hong Kong, a 10-year-old Japanese girl went on a field trip to the city to learn firsthand the reasons behind the demonstrations. Shimazu Chika, who is in primary four, travelled to Hong Kong on Wed (14 Aug) with her father to interview the protesters, as she believes that a dialogue …

With strong fundamentals comprising “good connectivity, a pro-business environment and a skilled and adaptable workforce”, Singapore has the capacity to fulfil the worldwide demand for semiconductors as a manufacturing hub, said Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat. Speaking at the unveiling of US semiconductor firm Micron Technology’s new and expanded facility on Wed (14 Aug), he said that while he …

by Jerome Taylor Donald Trump on Wednesday urged China to “humanely” resolve the violent stand-off with pro-democracy protestors in Hong Kong, as concerns grow that Beijing is considering direct intervention in the crisis. In a series of tweets, the US president linked a possible trade deal with Beijing to a peaceful resolution to the political unrest that has roiled the …

47-year-old Sarojini Jayapal, who was battling late-stage ovarian cancer since three years ago, had passed away last Sat (10 Aug). Her lawyer, M Ravi, shared the news of her death in a Facebook post the same day, and said that he is “deeply saddened by the news”. M Ravi also extended his condolences to Sarojini’s husband, Suriia Das, and their …

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) should equip all HDB households with smoke detectors and the Home Fire Alarm Device (HFAD), and utilise new technologies such as data visualisation to map areas where there are large concentrations of elderly residents in a bid to buttress fire safety, said Non-constituency Member of Parliament and Workers’ Party member Daniel Goh. Speaking in …

by Jerome Taylor and Catherine Lai Pro-democracy protesters retreated from Hong Kong’s airport on Wednesday following two days of hugely disruptive rallies that turned violent and plunged the global financial hub further into turmoil. The protests ended early Wednesday morning following a series of clashes in which a policeman drew his gun after being beaten by demonstrators and other officers …

The ongoing protests against Hong Kong’s extradition Bill are worrying, and that contrary to the suggestion that the chaos in Hong Kong will benefit Singapore as one of its primary economic competitors, Singapore may be adversely affected should the protests continue, said Singapore’s Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam in an interview last Wed (7 Aug). On Sun (11 …

A fundraiser for the current political unrest in Hong Kong exceeded its target amount of US$1 million, or HK$7.8 million, the same day it was set up on GoFundMe on Sun (11 Aug). The fundraising effort on Sun, according to organiser Freedom HK – International on behalf of the Hong Kong Add Oil movement, serves as “a contingency measure to …