Workers' Party secretary-general Pritam Singh was coy on whether he, along with the other incumbent Aljunied GRC MPs, will contest in the same constituency in the coming elections on May 3. Singh was answering a reporter's question at a press conference on Thursday (April 17) where his party unveiled its manifesto and four new candidates. The other MPs in Aljunied GRC are party chair Sylvia Lim, Gerald Giam and Faisal Manap. «I don't rule anything out, as we enter the final phase before Nomination Day,» said Singh. «Is this where the biggest surprise will be?» quizzed the reporter. Singh then asked if the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) has «officially» introduced its candidates for its East Coast and Marine Parade GRCs. «They have been very coy about the fine line up, right? There are no coincidences to that coyness, so let's see what happens in the next few days.» In the 2020 General Election, the WP team, led by Singh, contested against a PAP slate, winning with a 59.95 per cent vote share. Since then, the team are a member short after former MP Leon Perera resigned from the party in July 2023.

SINGAPORE — A British national featured in a Netflix documentary on scammers has been offered bail of $50,000, with a police prosecutor on April 17 saying that she is allegedly linked to offences involving around $500,000 in total. Dionne Marie Hanna appeared in the State Courts via video link from Central Police Division, and the court heard that she is likely to face more charges. When asked by District Judge Brenda Tan if she had a bailor, Hanna replied in a soft voice: «I don't have anybody to bail me out.» Hanna was not represented by a lawyer. Her pre-trial conference will take place on May 16. The 84-year-old was arrested on March 28 and subsequently charged in the State Courts on April 5 with five counts of fraud by false representation. The alleged offences involve three victims. Hanna had previously appeared before the courts on April 11, a day after she was discharged from hospital. The case against Hanna came about when the police received several reports from alleged victims who accused her of offering them fake investment opportunities.

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) has unveiled its candidates who will contest the single seat wards of Marymount and Kebun Baru in General Election 2025. The party will field its former West Coast candidate Jeffrey Khoo in Marymount SMC, announced chairman Dr Tan Cheng Bock at Bishan North Shopping Mall on Thursday (April 17) morning. PSP's Tony Tan, husband to party vice-chair Hazel Poa, will stand in Kebun Baru SMC. Speaking to the media, Khoo - who is CEO of consulting firm Kairos Risk Solutions - outlined his three areas of concerns: cost-of-living, employment and education. The 56-year-old noted that party members and volunteers have done market visits in Marymount constituency and PSP «understands» the area. «I hope [Marymount residents will] give us your time... I hope that you ask me as many questions as you want... Give me the opportunity to serve you as your Member of Parliament,» he said. Tan, 55, is a SAF Merit Scholarship recipient and has a first-class honours degree in engineering from the University of Cambridge.

A 22-year-old man was arrested on Thursday (April 17) after he allegedly slashed another man at Hougang Avenue 8. As he was being arrested, he allegedly injured three police officers with a wooden plank with nails.  They sustained minor injuries but did not require medical attention. Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the police said they received several calls for assistance at about 1.10pm on Thursday. When the police arrived at the scene, they saw the man running around naked. Earlier, he allegedly attacked a 30-year-old man. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said they received a call for assistance at Block 681 Hougang Avenue 8 and the injured man was taken conscious to Sengkang General Hospital. The man was subsequently arrested for voluntarily causing hurt by grievous means, and for voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty. Police investigations are ongoing.

Some of the People's Action Party's (PAP) new faces fielded in the upcoming General Election may eventually become more than just backbenchers, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at the launch of the PAP manifesto on Thursday (April 17). Speaking at the event, PM Wong, who is also the Secretary-General for the PAP, said that it is his duty to renew the team by injecting «fresh energy, new ideas and diverse perspectives». This will be done through 32 new candidates, the largest number the PAP has introduced in recent history, PM Wong stated, adding that this is part of a national leadership renewal. The candidates hail from diverse backgrounds, including the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), public service, private sector, academia, labour unions, and social service organisations. Of the 32 candidates, 24 of them will be fielded in PAP-held wards. There will be 13 women candidates, up from the 10 introduced at the 2020 polls.

Red Dot United (RDU) unveiled its five-man team for the newly-formed Jurong East-Bukit Batok GRC on Wednesday evening (April 16).  They were introduced by RDU secretary-general Ravi Philemon at a press conference held at 255 Jurong East Street 24, near Jurong-Clementi Town Council. The team includes waste management company director Osman Sulaiman, who participated in the 2011 and 2015 General Elections with Reform Party. The 50-year-old contested in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC with Singapore People's Party during the 2020 General Election.  Osman Sulaiman and Liyana Dhamirah. PHOTO: Red Dot United He is joined by Liyana Dhamirah, who contested in Jurong GRC during the 2020 General Election. She was part of the team led by Ravi Philemon and they secured 25.39 per cent of votes that year.

A 59-year-old taxi driver and a 31-year-old woman were taken to hospital after a chain collision along the TPE on Wednesday (April 16) morning. The seven-vehicle pile-up — involving a taxi, two cars and four trucks — happened at around 11.05am, after the Punggol Road exit towards the SLE, the police said.  Both the taxi driver and a woman were conscious when taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.  The Singapore Civil Deference Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne that another person, who was assessed for minor injuries, declined to be taken to hospital. Photos shared on Facebook group SG Road Vigilante on Thursday showed a red Trans-Cab taxi and a white car sandwiched between two trucks.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong has unveiled a new Government task force aimed at addressing concerns and mitigating the impact of the recent US tariffs. Chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, the new Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce also comprises seven other members: Minister for National Development and Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration Desmond Lee Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry Tan See Leng Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance Chee Hong Tat Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Lim Ming Yan National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general Ng Chee Meng President of the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) Tan Hee Teck This task force will serve as a bridge between the Government, businesses, and workers, addressing immediate challenges and developing strategies to adapt to the new economic landscape.

SINGAPORE — Over three years, a business analyst at a bank reeled in a total of 31 girls and young women with the lure of money and manipulated the victims into sexually exposing themselves to him. Hee Lic Yuan, 32, committed the offences from 2019 to 2021, when the victims were between 13 and 22 years old. On April 16, he was sentenced to six years and nine months' jail and six strokes of the cane. Hee had pleaded guilty to 15 charges for offences including sexually penetrating an underage girl and producing sexually explicit material involving a minor. The charges involved a total of 11 girls and women. Hee had asked most of them to be his «sugar baby» before he committed the offences. The term is used to describe a younger person who is willing to spend time with a richer and often older man — a sugar daddy — in exchange for cash and gifts. Forty-four other charges, including those involving the other victims, were considered during his sentencing.

People's Action Party (PAP) member Alex Yeo will contest Potong Pasir SMC in General Election 2025, taking over the reins from incumbent MP Sitoh Yih Pin who has helmed the ward for three terms. At a press conference on Wednesday (April 16), the 46-year-old lawyer said he is no stranger to Potong Pasir — he had been a volunteer and branch secretary for the constituency between 2013 and about 2016. Yeo was appointed PAP branch chairman of the Paya Lebar division of Aljunied GRC in 2017 and was part of the PAP team that was fielded in Aljunied GRC in GE2020. He stepped down as branch chairman in August 2024. Despite the move, Yeo told the media he «never left» Potong Pasir, and has continued to help residents such as through the legal clinic he set up in 2016. «Returning to Potong Pasir... feels like I've come home,» he said on Wednesday. The lawyer said that his five-year plan for the ward, if elected, includes improving the infrastructure of estates, including Bidadari, as well as introducing mobile clinics for seniors.

Asean should aim for full tariff elimination across the region, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in a speech at the S Rajaratnam Lecture on Wednesday (April 16). PM Wong, who is also the Minister of Finance, was addressing concerns regarding the ongoing US-China trade war and how this may affect Singapore. He had previously tackled this issue in Parliament last Tuesday (April 8), where he highlighted the need for Singaporeans to be mentally prepared amid changes to the world they knew. «The new era will be more volatile, with more frequent and unpredictable shocks,» he had warned. On Wednesday, he explained the three key points Singapore has to take to weather the storm, one of them being the need to champion deeper regional cohesion and integration. He emphasised the need for Asean's 10 members to «stay cohesive and proactive», adding that the Asean Free Trade Area has benefitted citizens and businesses by being «virtually tariff-free». «But we cannot and we should not stop here,» PM Wong said. «We have to accelerate our integration efforts.»

The recent US-imposed tariffs have caused an unstable external environment, which has led to unprecedented uncertainty for Singapore, according to Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. On Monday (April 14), SM Lee addressed the tariffs' impact on Singapore and stated that uncertainty is high, and over the next five to 10 years Singapore faces «a less friendly world». He was speaking at a closed-door dialogue at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Centre, which was attended by NTUC president K Thanaletchimi, secretary-general Ng Chee Meng as well as other union leaders. SM Lee acknowledged that such dialogues with union leaders were held regularly, particularly after Budget announcements. As he continued speaking about the tariffs, he said: «I hope that Singaporeans understand what is happening, what is at stake, and what we must do together to secure our future.» "Some people say, 'don't get excited, don't over blow the issue, we've weathered bigger storms before, we haven't failed'.

The writ of election for 2025 General Election has been issued today (April 15), with Polling Day to fall on May 3.  President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, on the advice of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, issued the writ today, soon after Parliament was dissolved. Polling Day will be a public holiday. Here is what comes next. Nomination Day On Nomination Day, the final line-up of candidates for each electoral division is revealed when they submit their nomination papers, election deposits, and certificates at an assigned centre. The documents are submitted to the Returning Officer (RO), who is tasked with overseeing the impartial and smooth conduct of elections. 

President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has dissolved Parliament at 3pm today (April 15) on the advice of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, officially kickstarting the election proceedings. The Prime Minister's Office announced that Nomination Day will be on April 23. Polling Day will be announced by the Returning Officer.  Nomination Day must be at least five days (excluding Sundays and public holidays) and not more than one month after the date of the Writ of Election. The campaign period commences after Nomination Day and ends with the start of the eve of Polling Day. 97 seats in Parliament are up for contest across 18 GRCs and 15 SMCs. This will be Wong's first general election as Prime Minister. 

Incumbent Pioneer SMC MP Patrick Tay will defend the single seat ward in the coming election, the People's Action Party (PAP) announced on Tuesday (April 15). During a press conference at the party's branch office in Clementi, the 53-year-old thanked the residents in his constituency for the «love, support and encouragement». Tay highlighted a series of programmes he and his volunteers have rolled out over the past five years, including support for residents in healthcare, employment, and addressing the cost of living. «I ask for your support so that we can see through some of these plans that we've done and build on those things that we have done,» he added. Tay previously won a three-way contest against the Progress Singapore Party's (PSP) Lim Cher Hong and independent candidate Cheang Peng Wah with 61.98 per cent of the vote share in the 2020 General Elections.

Singaporean households will receive $500 in Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers on May 13.  $250 can be used at participating heartland merchants and hawkers, while the other $250 will be eligible for use at participating supermarkets. The vouchers will be valid till Dec 31 this year, the CDCs, Ministry of Finance and People's Association said in a joint press release on Tuesday (April 15). A list of participating businesses can be found at go.gov.sg/cdcvouchers. These CDC vouchers are part of the enhancements to the Assurance Package, which was announced in February by Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong at Budget 2025. This is in addition to the $300 CDC vouchers that Singaporean households received from Jan 3 onwards. Households will receive another $300 CDC vouchers next January, which will be valid till the end of 2026. In the press release, the authorities also reminded the public to exercise caution when claiming CDC vouchers.

The People’s Action Party (PAP) on Tuesday (April 15) introduced their candidates for the revised West Coast-Jurong West GRC, including political newcomers Cassandra Lee and Dr Hamid Razak. The team will be led by National Development Minister Desmond Lee and joined by incumbent Ang Wei Neng. Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Education Shawn Huang, who is currently an MP for Jurong GRC, completed the line up. Lee, 33, is a a long-time grassroots volunteer in Jurong and a lawyer, while Dr Hamid, 39, is an orthopaedic surgeon. The announcement was made at the PAP branch office at Block 729 Clementi West Street 2. The PAP team has since the last election in 2020, lost their anchor S. Iswaran, who resigned in January 2024 following a corruption probe. The former transport minister was later jailed and then placed on home detention.

A Causeway Link bus caught fire on the Ayer Rajah Expressway in Jurong East on Saturday (April 12), forcing passengers to evacuate.  A video of the incident was shared on Xiaohongshu, showing passengers standing at a distance while thick smoke billowed from the rear of the bus. In the video, a male passenger is heard saying that the bus «almost exploded», recalling that it was a close call since they had just boarded. He captioned the video, describing the experience as «terrifying». One user wondered how the passengers and bus driver became aware of the fire, to which the person who posted the video first said they were alerted by cars honking behind them, warning them of the danger. Another video of the incident was also posted on Facebook, showing passengers moving away from the bus as sirens from two Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) fire engines are heard in the background.

A fire broke out at a barbeque restaurant in Geylang on Saturday (April 12) evening, forcing 30 diners and employees to evacuate as the flames spread rapidly. A video of the incident was posted on TikTok the following day, showing the restaurant's exhaust duct on fire and emitting thick smoke. Several people were seen in the video attempting to extinguish the fire by climbing up to the affected area. Shouting could also be heard from a distance.  When a reporter from Shin Min Daily News visited the scene, two fire trucks and two police cars were at the scene with the road cordoned off. One employee, surnamed Huang (transliteration), who was working close to where the fire began, told Shin Min that he realised the shop was on fire only when he saw smoke drifting into his shop. The 30-year-old said he immediately ran outside to check and discovered that the smoke exhaust pipe of a nearby shop was ablaze. He added that several employees tried to put out the fire using a hose. 

Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Transport, and Sustainability and the Environment will not be contesting in the coming election — bringing her 24-year political career to an end. In a Facebook post on Monday (April 14), the 67-year-old MP for Hong Kang North SMC thanked the residents and grassroot volunteers in her constituency, and said she is «ready and happy» to make way for party renewal. Dr Khor said: «This has been both a very humbling and extremely meaningful journey. »As I close this very precious and memorable chapter of my life I look forward to the next chapter where I will continue to look for opportunities to serve and contribute to the community to the best of my ability." Dr Khor was first elected to Parliament in 2001 as part of a five-member People's Action Party slate in Hong Kah GRC, which was later dissolved during the General Election 10 years later.  Dr Khor, who is trained in real estate valuation, was then the MP for the newly-created Hong Kah North SMC in 2011, winning the seat in three straight General Elections.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong addressed first-time voters in a video posted on Facebook and promised to tackle challenges with the younger generation. In the post on Sunday evening (April 13), he dispelled comments about Gen Z being «soft», «entitled» and «full of themselves».  The Prime Minister said Gen Z «embodies a new desire to not settle for the status quo». He added that he sees areas for improvement in Singapore and the PAP wants to tackle future challenges with the younger generation.  PM Wong ended the video by saying «let's make Singapore the best she has ever been». The video also featured scenes of PAP candidates interacting with the community. 

The void deck of a Bukit Batok HDB block once served as a shelter for 50-year-old Ben (not his real name), who was homeless for a year. According to Tamil Murasu, Ben now has a permanent roof over his head. «There were nights when I trembled in the rain and cold without even a blanket,» Ben recalled. After he was sentenced to three years in prison, Ben lost contact with his daughter and family. «I had no home, no doorstep, and no contact with my family,» he said. Under the Joint Singles Scheme Operator-Run (JSS-OR) housing initiative for individuals like him, Ben now lives in a one-room rental flat in Woodleigh Link. Launched in 2021, JSS-OR appoints social service agencies to manage rental flats for low-income singles. The agency assigns tenants to a flatmate after considering each person's profile, preferences and living habits. There are six sites under JSS-OR, managed by various social service agencies. After being released from prison in 2022, Ben decided to turn over a new leaf, taking up odd jobs as a delivery worker and janitor.

Workers' Party (WP) new face Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh Nehal has stressed the importance of more voices and perspectives in the Parliament in a volunteer recruitment video. The clip was posted to the party's Facebook page on Sunday (April 13) and asked Singaporeans to volunteer with WP if they believe in a «responsible alternative voice in Parliament and a better future for Singapore». During his segment, Singh started by introducing himself, stating that he began volunteering with WP during the Covid-19 pandemic. «For too long in our country, we've had just one dominant voice in Parliament. We need more voices, more perspectives, not less,» added the Senior Counsel. He has been spotted on walkabouts and house visits donning WP's blue polo shirt since becoming a member in 2023, leading to speculation on whether he will be contesting the General Election. The 59-year-old was often seen in the newly formed Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, although there has also been talk of him being fielded in East Coast GRC. Singh, who is regarded as a «star catch» for WP, could also contest in an SMC.