Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple’s consecration ceremony to take place in April 2027
In a social media post on Oct 14, Senior Minister K Shanmugam announced that the consecretion ceremony or kumbhabishegam for the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple (SVT) in Serangoon Road will take place on April 11 next year.
Set up in 1835, SVT is the second oldest Hindu temple in Singapore and its congregration has grown tremendously over the years. Mr Shanmugam also relayed that “as part of the kumbhabishegam renovations, there’s going to be provision for even better access and increased community engagement”.
Radicalisation threat now more complex, building trust remains key to S’pore’s cohesion
The fundamental task of building trust at the individual level remains the same and is as important as ever, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said at a gala dinner to mark the 20th anniversary of the Harmony Centre, which was formed to counter misconceptions about Islam in the wake of the Sept 11, 2001 attacks.
The city-state is seeing more cases of self-radicalised individuals, many of them young and not all of them motivated by Islamist extremism, noted PM Wong. These cases show that extremist influences are becoming more diverse, and that anyone, regardless of age, race or religion, can be susceptible, he added.
Haze shelters to open, N95 masks to be distributed amid worsening haze
Masks will be distributed to vulnerable Singaporeans from Oct 14, and air-conditioned rooms in community clubs and some residents’ committee centres will open for residents to seek respite in from the worsening haze situation in Singapore.
The People’s Association (PA) grassroots organisations will start distributing N95 masks to eligible Singaporeans, including seniors, pregnant women, children and teenagers, and people with medical conditions such as asthma. To complement PA’s distribution, mask vending machines will be made available at 37 public transport hubs and social service offices.
Singaporeans advised to postpone umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia amid security concerns
In a statement on Oct 14, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) advised Singaporeans to take heed of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (MFA) travel advisory issued on Oct 13, which advises them to defer all travel to Saudi Arabia following an increase in missile and drone attacks in the Middle Eastern country.
MUIS said it is encouraging umrah travel agents to assist with postponement or rescheduling arrangements. “We recognise that pilgrims may face financial implications through no fault of their own, and urge operators to handle such cases with care, fairness and understanding.”
SIA, Scoot to offer more than 380,000 discounted tickets at travel fair
More than 200,000 discounted Singapore Airlines (SIA) return tickets will be available across Business Class, Premium Economy Class, and Economy Class, on flights from Singapore to 78 destinations at the Time To Fly travel fair from Oct 23 to 25 at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.
SIA’s low cost subsidiary Scoot’s customers can look forward to over 180,000 discounted tickets in ScootPlus and Economy Class between Singapore and 70 destinations, including new routes such as Belitung, Chiang Rai, Guiyang and Okinawa. The promotion will also be available online on Oct 23-30 through the SIA and Scoot websites and mobile applications.
S’pore launches new healthcare security group to help identify threats, boost preparedness
To bolster defences and better protect medical premises, a Healthcare Industry Safety and Security Watch Group (Healthcare iSSWG) was launched on Oct 14 under a public-private security initiative led by the Singapore Police Force.
As with other sectors under the iSSWG initiative – such as hospitality, finance and transport – healthcare organisations will be equipped with skills to identify and respond to security threats, including crime and scams targeting the sector.
SGH neurosurgery head did not report patient’s death to coroner; cops alerted a year later
Dr Jai Prashanth Rao, who is also a senior consultant neurosurgeon at the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), acknowledged this in court on Oct 14. Dr Rao’s patient, Tan Suan Lin, 75, had a large brain tumour and agreed to undergo surgery on Jan 3, 2024.
However, the medical team later faced difficulties in stopping the bleeding during the operation and she died six days later. The court heard that the family did not want Ms Tan’s body to undergo an autopsy. Dr Rao said that out of compassion, he decided to give the family closure and issued a death certificate instead. NNI informed the coroner about the case in February 2025, and the police were alerted the following month.
AI firms asked to provide full transparency after Australian Govt hack: SM Shanmugam
Singapore has asked major AI firms for full and immediate transparency after an incident where an OpenAI agent breached an Australian government health data portal in June, gaining unauthorised access to files, Senior Minister K Shanmugam said on Oct 13.
“We need to know something when it happens... in real time, and we need to know exactly what’s happened because the companies will know that to the extent that they know,” added SM Shanmugam at the Singapore International Cyber Week event.
No injuries reported after two Singapore-registered ships struck in Hormuz Strait, says MPA
One Singapore-registered ship sank while another was damaged when both were reportedly struck by unknown projectiles while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Oct 13 and 14 respectively.
No Singaporeans were on board either container vessel, and no injuries were reported from the incidents, MPA said in a media release on Oct 14.
GFS Pride sustained damage and a fire on board, and has since sunk after it was hit on Oct 13. All 21 crew members were safely evacuated.
CTE exit to temporarily close on four days in Oct and Nov for new cycling link works
In a statement on Oct 15, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said the city-bound CTE Exit 8A to PIE in the direction of Tuas will be closed from midnight to 5am on Oct 20 and 21, Nov 7, and Nov 17.
This is to facilitate works for a new pedestrian-cum-cycling link across the PIE, aimed at enhancing connectivity between Potong Pasir and Bendemeer as part of the Bishan-to-City Links project, said URA.
