Singapore in 2 Minutes for the Week of April 10

Plans to release land for private hospital in eastern S’pore, first in almost 20 years: Ong Ye Kung

This would be the first land release for a private hospital in almost two decades, should plans proceed as expected, he noted. The proposed hospital would have a capacity of between 300 and 400 hospital beds, according to Mr Ong.

The authorities aim to arrive at a decision on the tender in the second half of 2026, he said. His announcement comes after the Health Ministry in 2024 said it aimed to introduce a new not-for-profit private acute hospital model to increase Singapore’s hospital bed capacity.

SG will not negotiate for safe passage through Strait of Hormuz as matter of principle: Vivian

Negotiating for safe passage would implicitly erode the legal principle of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which Singapore is a signatory, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said during a discussion in Parliament on April 7.

“There is a right of transit passage, it’s not a privilege to be granted by the bordering state,” said Dr Balakrishnan. “It’s not a licence to be subjugated at all. It is not a toll to be paid. It is a right of all nations’ ships to traverse.”

SG to up fuel reserves; electricity prices will rise if Middle-East conflict is prolonged: Shanmugam

Coordinating Minister for National Security Shanmugam also said in Parliament that the long-term groundwork laid by Singapore and the steps taken since hostilities escalated have helped the country remain relatively stable despite disruptions to fuel and energy supplies.

The country has not had to draw on its fuel reserves or implement fuel rationing measures yet, he noted. It has also taken steps to reduce risks to disruption of supplies to meet its electricity needs. But if supply disruptions increase, then potential disruptions to domestic energy and electricity supply cannot be ruled out.

FairPrice freezes prices of 100 daily essentials, doubles CHAS discounts

This is to help Singaporeans cope with the rising costs of living amid the Middle East conflict. The price freeze will be in effect from April 9 to May 31. Included are FairPrice’s house-brand rice, oil, eggs, fresh and frozen pork and chicken, Milo, milk and detergent.

Fairprice Group said more than nine in 10 of its customers from households with a lower monthly income purchase products from its basket of 100 essentials. The group will also double discounts for the same beneficiaries from 3 per cent to 6 per cent.

Bloomberg’s lawyer denies Shanmugam was targeted in article on GCBs

The lawyer defending Bloomberg in an ongoing defamation trial said that an article it ran on high-value property transactions was not targeted at Minister Shanmugam. Senior Counsel N. Sreenivasan contended that good class bungalow (GCB) transactions are routinely reported by mainstream media, and that issues relating to landed properties are a matter of public interest in Singapore.

During cross-examination in the High Court trial, Mr Shanmugam agreed that such transactions are sometimes reported, but added that one would have to look at the context of each deal.

8-year-old boy voices MRT announcement on SMRT-operated lines to mark autism awareness month

From April 10 to 12, eight-year-old Muhammad Khalif Muhammad Khair Abdillah’s voice will fill MRT station platforms when a train arrives and the doors slide open. “Please give way to alighting passengers. Together, we can make our journeys more inclusive,” he said.

Khalif, who has autism, recorded the announcement as part of an initiative by public transport operator SMRT to mark World Autism Awareness Month in April. It marks the first time a child with special needs has voiced a platform announcement on the MRT network.

Fatal Chinatown accident: Woman charged with causing death of 6-year-old girl; gag order issued

The car driver who allegedly caused an accident in Chinatown on Feb 6 that left a six-year-old girl dead and her mother seriously injured was charged on April 8. Accompanied by her husband, the woman, 38, arrived at the State Courts around 8.25am. She was handed two charges.

One was for driving without due care and attention, causing the death of the girl, and the other for driving without due care and attention, causing grievous hurt to the girl’s 31-year-old mother.

Migrant worker wins $5,700 overtime pay after 2-year fight as High Court cites unlawful practice

A migrant worker has won a two-year legal battle after the High Court overturned a lower tribunal’s ruling and ordered his former employer to pay more than $5,700 in overtime.

In a decision on April 7, High Court Justice Philip Jeyaretnam allowed an appeal by Indian national Gena Hulash Ram against Lim Joo Huat Enterprise, finding the company’s treatment of overtime pay unlawful. Mr Gena worked as a packer for the fresh produce wholesaler.

Fewer than 1 in 2 private university grads find full-time work, as median salary holds steady

Fresh graduates from private education institutions faced a tight job market in 2025, with fewer than half securing full-time employment, even as the median salary remained steady.

The latest Private Education Institution Graduate Employment Survey, released by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) on April 8, showed that 46.9 per cent of fresh graduates found full-time work, a small jump from 46.4 per cent in 2024.

COE prices up across all categories; Cat A premium rises 5.5% to $118,000

The prices of certificates of entitlement (COEs) rose across the board on April 8, with the Category A premium seeing the highest rise of 5.5 per cent to end at $118,000.

The price of the Category A certificate, meant for smaller and less powerful cars and electric vehicles (EVs), was $111,890 at the previous tender on March 18. The price of a certificate for Category B, for larger, more powerful cars and EVs, went up by 4.7 per cent to $121,000, from $115,568 previously.