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Bhavan Jaipragas
Bhavan Jaipragas
Hong Kong
@jbhavan
Asia Editor
Bhavan Jaipragas is the SCMP’s Asia Editor, based in Hong Kong. A Singapore native, Bhavan joined the Post in 2016 and previously worked for Agence France-Presse.

The 16-month ‘Forward Singapore’ feedback gathering exercise found Singaporeans were concerned about ‘fulfilment, meaning, purpose’, amid rising costs of living.

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In his final column, the Post’s outgoing Asia editor meditates on regrets, Hong Kong’s rocky race relations – and what casual racism means for the city’s pivot to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

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Tharman took the presidential affirmation before an audience of some 200 people in the republic’s colonial-era presidential palace, the Istana.

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In this issue of the Global Impact newsletter, we look back at the result of the recent Singapore presidential elections that followed a series of political scandals for the ruling People’s Action Party.

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The former ruling party stalwart’s massive 70.4 per cent share of the vote showed that voters prioritised a candidate’s ability more than other factors, analysts noted.

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Former Singapore ruling party stalwart won 70.4 per cent of vote in a three-way race, foiling expectations he would be hurt by public dissatisfaction with ruling PAP.

Friday’s vote is the first presidential poll since 2011, with the incumbent Halimah Yacob having come to power in a walkover contest in 2017. 85 per cent of 2.7 million voters have cast their votes as at 5pm.

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In this issue of the Global Impact newsletter, we look back at recent elections in the likes of Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia following a busy time for politics in Southeast Asia in recent weeks

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Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has called for prudence in managing the country’s financial reserves as the scale of future crises is unknown.

PM Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged in parliament he should have acted earlier after learning about the affair between ex-speaker Tan Chuan-jin and MP Cheng Li Hui in 2020.

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PM Lee’s brother, currently in self-exile overseas, had made comments on Facebook about a saga surrounding the rental of colonia-era bungalows by the ministers.

Lawrence Wong also said the ruling party had distinct policies regarding criminal wrongdoing – which is unacceptable – and other forms of misconduct.

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Prime Minister Lee’s brother, Lee Hsien Yang, says trust in the ruling party ‘has been shattered’ over various political scandals involving PAP ministers in recent weeks.

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Aside from memes, social media discussions and commentaries in the national media delved into the implications of the political dramas for the country.

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Singapore’s anti-graft agency directed the billionaire, who partly owns the city state’s F1 race, to provide more information on his interactions with Iswaran.

Transport Minister S. Iswaran has been ordered to take a leave of absence by PM Lee Hsien Loong while Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau investigates.

PM Lee says he is fully satisfied with the findings showing ministers Vivian Balakrishnan and K. Shanmugam had done nothing wrong in leasing the two state-owned bungalows.

Simultaneous probes by Singapore’s powerful anti-graft agency and PM Lee’s top political lieutenant Teo Chee Hean found no misconduct by Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam.