Politics

Self-governing Singapore’s first Cabinet was sworn in at City Hall on 5 June 1959 after the People’s Action Party (PAP) secured 43 of 51 seats in the general election the same year, and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has taken to Facebook to commemorate its 60th anniversary. In a post on Thu (6 Jun), Mr Lee recalled the tumultuous journey …

The Khmer Times reported today (6 Jun) that the Cambodia government would be calling up the Singapore Ambassador soon to discuss the controversial remark made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong last week. PM Lee, while sending condolences to Thailand on the death of former Thai PM General Prem Tinsulanonda, wrote on his Facebook page, “Thailand was on the front …

Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported yesterday (‘Singapore PM Stirs Flap in Cambodia by Bringing up Vietnam’s 1979 Invasion‘, 5 Jun) that the Cambodian officials are unhappy with a recent online remark by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, recalling Vietnam’s January 1979 invasion and decade-long occupation of Cambodia. Last Friday (31 May), while sending condolences to Thailand on the death of …

The VN Express reported today (5 Jun) that Ms Le Thi Thu Hang, spokeswoman for Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Vietnam “regrets” that PM Lee’s recent online statement did not reflect history objectively, causing negative public opinions. Ms Hang said her ministry has discussed with Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs over the matter. VN Express is the first Vietnamese …

It has been reported that the Cambodia’s Defence Minister General Tea Banh and Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) legislator Hun Many have both openly rebutted PM Lee Hsien Loong for his remarks regarding the “invasion” of Cambodia by the Vietnamese military in its bid to oust the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979. Between 1975 and 1979, Cambodia was ruled under the …

Dr Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), took to his Facebook on Monday (3 June) to share about his party’s recent visit to Google Singapore’s office. Apart from visiting the multi-national tech company’s “spanking” office, Mr Chee also revealed that they had a “fruitful discussion” on how the “tech giant can support SDP’s online communication needs …

There has been no delay in granting Progress Singapore Party (PSP) the necessary permits for its launch, said the police on Mon (3 Jun). TODAY reported the Police as saying in response to media queries that the authorities had also been actively engaging PSP regarding the permits prior to the proposed date of the launch “with the intention of facilitating …

In a combative speech peppered with threats against the United States over its military presence in Asia, Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe said on Sunday (2 Jun) that China will fight anyone who tries to interfere in its “reunification” with Taiwan. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue at the Shangri-La hotel, General Wei said China would “fight to the end” if …

Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, will be in Singapore tomorrow (1 June) to attend the Shangri-La Dialogue, an international conference dedicated to security and defense in the Indo-Pacific region. Deemed as an important geopolitical and strategic meeting, the Shangri-La Dialogue gathers political and military authorities from around 50 countries annually. During the dialogue, Ms Parly will be delivering …

MINDEF announced yesterday (29 May) that China and Singapore have agreed to revise a defence pact so as to “deepen defence ties and step up bilateral engagements on various fronts” for both countries. During a meeting between Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe in Singapore yesterday, both welcomed the conduct of Exercise Cooperation involving …