Singapore

Singapore’s Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs co-chaired the 4th Political Consultations with Thailand, focusing on ASEAN centrality, regional stability, and sustainability. On 22 October 2025, Mr. Albert Chua, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, co-chaired the 4th Political Consultations with Ms. Eksiri Pintaruchi, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand. The meeting took place following the successful conclusion of the 15th Civil Service Exchange Programme (CSEP) and reflected Singapore’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and regional cooperation. During the consultations, both sides discussed regional issues, including ways to enhance ASEAN centrality and intra-ASEAN integration, address geopolitical uncertainties affecting the glo

Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong has a message for the city’s flashier newcomers — tone it down. In a candid reminder that wealth alone doesn’t earn respect in the island nation, the former prime minister urged immigrants to “keep the bling down” and avoid ostentatious displays of luxury that could rub locals the wrong way. “Do not go around popping champagne, which is $20,000 a bottle with sparklers,” Lee said. “And do not zoom your Ferrari or Lotus or whatever down the middle of the road in the middle of the night just to let everybody know that you have arrived.” A delicate balance for Singapore: welcoming talent, protecting harmony Speaking at a recent event, Lee reflected on how immigration — long a cornerstone of Singapore’s success — remains a tightrope act.

Singapore’s government has reinforced its bottomline of zero tolerance for the politics of race and religion as well as foreign interference, arguing that such elements should be rejected swiftly.In parliament on Tuesday, Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh and Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam disagreed on the “timing” and “substance” of the WP in rejecting election endorsements by a self-styled Islamic preacher Noor Deros and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) members. In April, ahead of Singapore’s May 3 general election, Noor and the PAS members endorsed WP candidate Faisal Manap over then minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs Masagos Zulkifli, as the former was seen to be more vocally supportive of the Malay-Muslim community. Masagos led the ruling P

At stake is more than national security; it is the integrity of our economic ecosystem and the trust that underpins it DISINFORMATION, defined as the deliberate creation and spread of false or misleading content with the intent to deceive and cause harm, is often framed as a matter of politics or national security. But it is also an economic risk – one that can erode trust, destabilise markets and hit businesses hard. When President Tharman Shanmugaratnam addressed Parliament last month, he placed resilience at the centre of Singapore’s response to a volatile world, warning that foreign actors will seek to spread disinformation and cause societal rifts. He stressed that Singapore would strengthen its capabilities to counter hybrid threats: harmful, coordinated activities that

Singapore's Coordinating Minister for National Security was speaking in the wake of the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, an influential ally of US President Donald Trump. There are worrying trends of politicians in Singapore playing identity politics based on race and religion, said Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam on Friday (Sep 12). He was speaking on the sidelines of a charity event at Laguna National Golf Resort Club, where reporters asked him about the murder of US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The Coordinating Minister for National Security said that identity politics, such as asking for votes based on a specific identity such as skin colour or religion, was a “basic fundamental of politics”. “We have seen that, and in every country there is political profit in d

On regional and international issues, the two sides stressed the importance of multilateralism, equality, and balanced interests among nations as prerequisites for peace and stability. Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyễn Mạnh Cường and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore Albert Chua co-chaired the 17th Việt Nam–Singapore Political Consultation in Hà Nội on Tuesday. During the event, Cường underlined the significance of the consultation mechanism, noting that this year’s meeting came as the two countries celebrate major anniversaries – Singapore’s 60th National Day, and Việt Nam's 80th August Revolution and National Day (September 2). The two sides reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation and discussed ways to implement agreements in key areas reac

On the 60th anniversary of Singapore’s independence, archival accounts and historian insights shed light on the tense, covert negotiations that led to the “bloodless coup” of 9 August 1965, ending a two-year union with Malaysia. On the morning of 9 August 1965, Singaporeans woke to news that would change their history. At 9.30am, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman told Parliament that Singapore was leaving the Federation of Malaysia. Barely three hours later, in Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew appeared on television. His voice broke, his eyes brimmed with tears, and he called it “a moment of anguish” — the end of the merger he had fought for just two years earlier. For decades, the story would be told as a sudden expulsion. Yet, arc

In a Facebook post, Chinese Ambassador to Singapore Cao Zhongming shared a photo of his 7 August meeting with Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, noting in-depth exchanges on bilateral ties and security. Shanmugam had earlier flagged UNC3886 as a cyber threat but declined to name any country, even when the entity was linked to China earlier. SINGAPORE: On 7 August 2025, Chinese Ambassador to Singapore Cao Zhongming met with Singapore’s Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, K Shanmugam, as revealed in a Facebook post by the ambassador. The meeting appeared to take place at the Ministry of Home Affairs office, where the two officials engaged in what Cao described as “in-depth exchanges” on bila

Singapore’s High Court has cleared activist and SDP candidate Ariffin Sha to join the Bar despite objections over his past criminal defamation conviction. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon ruled he is a fit and proper person, citing his accountability and lack of dishonest intent. The High Court has ruled that Mr Ariffin Iskandar Sha bin Ali Akbar, better known as Ariffin Sha, may be admitted to the Singapore Bar despite objections from some stakeholders over a past criminal conviction. Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon decided on 1 July 2025 that Mr Ariffin was a fit and proper person for admission and that no deferment was necessary. The ruling follows Mr Ariffin’s conviction on 26 August 2024 for criminal defamation under section 500 of the Penal Code. He was fined S$