https://www.scmp.com/rss/518844/feed Jean Iau writes for the Asia desk, covering politics, law and security-related issues in Singapore. She began her journalism career in 2019 at The Straits Times where she covered breaking news, crime and politics. She has a Masters Degree in Socio-Cultural Anthropology from Durham University. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Jean Iau Jean Iau Social media posts of Singapore politicians taking public transport amid the global energy crisis have divided public opinion online, with some users hailing the move as leading by example while others call it showmanship. Cabinet ministers, members of parliament and even a retired defence minister have followed with their own public transport posts after Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong urged Singaporeans in an April 7 ministerial statement in parliament to take public transport as part of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351744/leading-example-or-showmanship-singapore-politicians-train-rides-split-opinion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351744/leading-example-or-showmanship-singapore-politicians-train-rides-split-opinion?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:57:18 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau For six months, Adriana Lim Escano’s teenage son went to school and said nothing. He had tried to do the right thing – stepping in when a group of boys bullied a classmate – and paid for it with half a year of misery, name-calling and social isolation. His mother only found out when another parent called to say her son had voiced suicidal thoughts to a friend. The school’s response, when it finally came, was a talking-to from the discipline committee. No suspensions. No meaningful... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351336/singapores-answer-school-bullying-cane-and-counselling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3351336/singapores-answer-school-bullying-cane-and-counselling?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 03:00:11 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau As Southeast Asian leaders descend on Cebu in the Philippines for the 48th Asean summit on May 8, immediate concerns such as the global energy crunch will top the agenda. Yet a year-end deadline to finalise a long-delayed code of conduct in the South China Sea looms for bloc chair Manila. At a panel at Atma Jaya University in Jakarta on Thursday, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro stressed that completing the code this year was “something that we owe the world as well as the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351289/philippines-pushes-south-china-sea-code-year-end-we-owe-it-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3351289/philippines-pushes-south-china-sea-code-year-end-we-owe-it-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Apr 2026 07:59:42 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau The geopolitical fallout from the Strait of Hormuz chokehold in the Middle East is just a “dry run”, with the Pacific being where the real action will occur if superpowers were to clash, Singapore’s top diplomat has warned. Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan also revealed on Wednesday that Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia shared an interest in keeping the Strait of Malacca open, even under the spectre of tolls being imposed on the strategic Southeast Asian waterway. His stance however... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350983/singapores-balakrishnan-warns-hormuz-just-dry-run-if-us-china-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350983/singapores-balakrishnan-warns-hormuz-just-dry-run-if-us-china-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2026 06:45:45 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore has earned top marks for digital resilience in the Asia-Pacific, but a new study reveals a disconnect at the heart of its corporate world: its executives ranked 10th out of 11 for leadership on the issue. The findings, published on Wednesday by Economist Impact and Australian telecoms company Telstra International, drew on responses from 1,420 senior executives across 11 Asia-Pacific markets, including Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong and Thailand. Singapore ranked first overall –... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350489/singapore-ranks-no-1-cyber-defences-boardrooms-are-weak-link?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350489/singapore-ranks-no-1-cyber-defences-boardrooms-are-weak-link?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:17 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau In a rare public protest in Singapore, hundreds gathered in Hong Lim Park over the weekend to denounce the “US war machine”. They brandished placards and banners, including one with horns drawn on US presidents past and present captioned: “This is what terrorists look like.” The demonstration, which required organisers to get permission from the authorities, came as public sentiment across the region sours against Washington. Observers attribute this to the perception that the United States has... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350160/are-us-singapore-relations-under-pressure-public-trust-declines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3350160/are-us-singapore-relations-under-pressure-public-trust-declines?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Apr 2026 09:00:09 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau In a quiet street in northern Singapore, a car plies the road like any other – except it is a left-hand drive from China and the person in the driver’s seat has been trained to keep his hands off the wheel and his foot off the pedals unless an emergency arises. Eventually, there will be no need for a safety officer or any human behind the wheel at all – mirroring the autonomous vehicles (AVs) already operating in cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, San Francisco and Los Angeles. For now, Singapore... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349672/singapores-robotaxi-drive-revs-help-chinese-av-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349672/singapores-robotaxi-drive-revs-help-chinese-av-leaders?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Kolette Lim,Jean Iau Kolette Lim,Jean Iau Singapore’s economy will inevitably be hit by the global energy crunch even though it is in a better position to deal with the crisis compared with its neighbours, according to analysts, as the city state unveiled a raft of measures to help households and businesses. The conflict in the Middle East has roiled supply chains and sent fuel prices soaring in Southeast Asia, with governments scrambling to enforce measures such as fuel caps and work-from-home mandates. Singapore ministers in... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349276/singapore-set-be-hit-global-energy-crisis-it-unveils-countermeasures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3349276/singapore-set-be-hit-global-energy-crisis-it-unveils-countermeasures?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:20:15 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau A defamation lawsuit filed by Singapore cabinet ministers K Shanmugam and Tan See Leng against financial news outlet Bloomberg on Tuesday opened with heated exchanges over an article that mentioned their personal property transactions. According to statements of claim filed in the High Court, Shanmugam, who is coordinating minister for national security, and Tan, who is manpower minister, said parts of the article, titled “Singapore mansion deals are increasingly shrouded in secrecy”, were... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349204/singapore-ministers-defamation-suit-against-bloomberg-property-article-starts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3349204/singapore-ministers-defamation-suit-against-bloomberg-property-article-starts?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 02:07:27 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Perched on top of a shoe shelf at the entrance of Veriff’s headquarters in Tallinn, Estonia, is a sign of a cartoon unicorn that reads “Welcome to Unicorn Land!”, serving as a reminder of the identity verification company’s rise from a local start-up to a valuation of US$1.5 billion in seven years. Veriff, which boasts clients including PayPal, Bumble and Visa, was founded by Kaarel Kotkas in 2015. It is one of at least 10 unicorn companies – privately held start-ups valued at more than US$1... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348736/estonian-start-ups-eye-singapore-natural-gateway-build-digital-trust-asean?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3348736/estonian-start-ups-eye-singapore-natural-gateway-build-digital-trust-asean?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 03:13:35 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore sits just one degree north of the equator, where the air rarely drops below 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) and humidity clings year round. It is, by most measures, one of the worst places on Earth to cool a data centre. Yet the city state crams more into its small footprint than almost anywhere else. Home to more than 70 facilities and over 1.4 gigawatts of capacity, Singapore has one of the highest densities of data-centre infrastructure per capita on the planet – a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346999/southeast-asias-ai-data-centre-gold-rush-tests-power-grids-tropical-heat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3346999/southeast-asias-ai-data-centre-gold-rush-tests-power-grids-tropical-heat?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 09:00:14 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau When Joshua Tan turned up to Chinese New Year dinner last month, he hadn’t expected to spend the evening defending his career. He was 27 and freshly employed as a junior software engineer in Singapore. The questions from relatives were pointed: is your job safe? Can’t the computer just do it? It was an awkward conversation, equal parts interrogation and familial concern. But Tan knew the anxiety behind the questions was real. Not so long ago, he and his classmates had been so sought-after by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345747/singapores-workers-brace-ai-disruption-its-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3345747/singapores-workers-brace-ai-disruption-its-inevitable?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Even if market researcher Joey Lau were a millionaire and could devote all her time to her family, she still would not want children. The 34-year-old Singaporean said the risks facing young people today – from social media-driven mental health pressures to climate change – were too high to justify bringing a child into the world. “I feel like the only reason that I would want to have a child is because it’s cute, it would give shape to my life and my parents would be very happy because they want... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345289/why-some-singaporeans-are-saying-no-having-children-amid-existential-fertility-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3345289/why-some-singaporeans-are-saying-no-having-children-amid-existential-fertility-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Mar 2026 11:00:36 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore’s long-standing effort to stay equidistant between the United States and China is entering a more volatile phase, with recent comments by officials reflecting their awareness of the mounting strain, analysts have said. Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on Friday told parliament that Singapore would not act as a proxy for any major power, stressing that the city state must be prepared to “courteously stand up and say no”. Observers say his remarks come at a time when geopolitical... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345152/singapore-strives-remain-equidistant-amid-us-china-rivalry-same-same-different?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345152/singapore-strives-remain-equidistant-amid-us-china-rivalry-same-same-different?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 11:00:29 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore’s unexpectedly large budget surplus arises from tough decisions to raise taxes earlier and means that the country is now in a position of strength, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said, after MPs questioned the accuracy of his government’s budget forecasts. Earlier this month, Wong revealed in his budget statement that Singapore expected a surplus of S$15.1 billion (US$12 billion), or 1.9 per cent of gross domestic product, for the 2025 financial year ending March, more than double an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344736/singapore-budget-surplus-poor-fiscal-marksmanship-or-prudent-forecast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344736/singapore-budget-surplus-poor-fiscal-marksmanship-or-prudent-forecast?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:30:09 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, sales director Sabir Ansari relied on Deliveroo almost daily for burgers and pasta delivered to his door in Singapore. Over time, the 31-year-old said, it became harder to justify the service’s costs as rival platforms such as Grab and Foodpanda offered more food options and aggressive promotions that made “delivery fees way cheaper”. “It was a no-brainer,” he said. For Deliveroo, that kind of calculation among consumers became increasingly... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344705/what-deliveroos-singapore-exit-says-about-citys-food-delivery-wars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344705/what-deliveroos-singapore-exit-says-about-citys-food-delivery-wars?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 06:51:13 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Nearly every Sunday, consultant Toh Jia Jie and his wife leave their new flat in Singapore and drive north across the border to Johor for a day of cheaper shopping, pickleball and massages before returning past midnight on Monday morning. Toh, 30, is among the close to 245 million travellers who passed through Singapore’s checkpoints last year, a record high. The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said on Monday that figure represented a 6.3 per cent increase – about 14 million more... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344371/cross-border-trips-johor-push-singapore-checkpoint-traffic-record-high-2025?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344371/cross-border-trips-johor-push-singapore-checkpoint-traffic-record-high-2025?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:12:54 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore has no substantiated information that any Singaporean is or was fighting as part of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) during the war in Gaza, its Ministry of Home Affairs has said, after several media reports claimed two passport holders from the city state were among 200 Southeast Asians who had fought with Israeli troops. Qatari news outlet Al Jazeera reported on Sunday, citing information obtained by Israeli non-governmental organisation Hatzlacha under Israel’s Freedom of Information... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344032/no-proof-any-singaporean-fighting-israel-gaza-government-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3344032/no-proof-any-singaporean-fighting-israel-gaza-government-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:42:37 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Can a dose of old-fashioned matchmaking sell a destination? Singapore’s tourism board is betting it might, inviting US-based singles to be paired by “aunties” for a chance to win a four-night trip in a campaign marketers see as an attempt to soften the city state’s reputation for efficiency and order with a touch of warmth and human connection. Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka, Singaporean actress Tan Kheng Hua and astrologer-matchmaker Aliza Kelly have been chosen to front the “Aunties, Not Algorithms”... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3343791/singapore-aims-woo-us-singles-aunties-not-algorithms-matchmaking-push?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3343791/singapore-aims-woo-us-singles-aunties-not-algorithms-matchmaking-push?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Feb 2026 05:00:09 +0000 Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Singapore expects a surplus of S$15.1 billion (US$12 billion) or 1.9 per cent of gross domestic product for the 2025 financial year, more than double an initial projection of S$6.8 billion, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said as he unveiled an aggressive bid to pursue AI ambitions in his annual budget speech. The higher revenues came from corporate income tax and asset-related revenue collections, including stamp duty and vehicle quota premiums, Wong said on Thursday. For the 2026 financial... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343310/singapore-budget-lawrence-wong-unveils-ai-ambitions-uncertain-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343310/singapore-budget-lawrence-wong-unveils-ai-ambitions-uncertain-world?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:30:30 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Asean faces a challenge to remain relevant in light of an increasingly transactional United States under the Donald Trump administration, observers warn, even as they hail the bloc’s large inflows of trade from global superpowers. At the South China Morning Post’s China Conference: Southeast Asia 2026 in Jakarta on Tuesday, chairman of Malaysian Investment Development Authority Tengku Zafrul Aziz said that Association of Southeast Asian Nations members presented a united front in handling... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343093/why-asean-must-stay-nimble-survive-us-china-trade-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3343093/why-asean-must-stay-nimble-survive-us-china-trade-squeeze?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:04:20 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Indonesia is ready to build on its “strong relationship” with mainland China, its top economic minister has said, while Beijing is committed to upholding fairness and stability amid global uncertainty, according to Hong Kong’s former leader Leung Chun-ying. Airlangga Hartarto and Leung were speaking on Tuesday at the South China Morning Post’s China Conference: Southeast Asia 2026, held in Jakarta. Leung, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342987/china-pair-steady-hands-amid-uncertainty-hong-kongs-cy-leung-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342987/china-pair-steady-hands-amid-uncertainty-hong-kongs-cy-leung-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Feb 2026 02:34:29 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau As commercial aviation giants converge in Singapore this week for a biennial air show, the region’s robust aviation growth and supply chain delays remain top of mind for the sector. Experts and industry insiders at the air show told This Week in Asia that bottlenecks remained a bane for commercial aviation giants Boeing and Airbus, with airlines in the region eager for more supply to tap the region’s potential. According to Reuters, the Asia-Pacific region is the world’s fastest-growing region... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342703/singapore-airshow-airlines-crying-out-loud-planes-amid-supply-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3342703/singapore-airshow-airlines-crying-out-loud-planes-amid-supply-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:27:05 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore is set to establish a national space agency in April, a move that industry insiders believe will cement the city state’s role as a pre-eminent regional hub for extraterrestrial innovation. The launch of the National Space Agency of Singapore (NSAS) aims to capture a slice of a global space economy projected to reach US$1.8 trillion by 2035, while capitalising on increasingly democratised access to orbit. Tan See Leng, the Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science and Technology,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342133/singapore-launch-national-space-agency-capture-piece-us18-trillion-global-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342133/singapore-launch-national-space-agency-capture-piece-us18-trillion-global-market?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:14:21 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Wang Gungwu is widely regarded as a pre-eminent expert on the ethnic Chinese in Southeast Asia and the history of China, but at 95, he writes in his latest memoir that he is no longer able to call himself a historian. In No Borders: Journeys Across Islands and Continents, launched in Singapore on Thursday, Wang writes that while a historian today has the objective of reconstructing the past as it actually happened, the Australian sinologist is no longer interested in this. Through his studies... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341831/his-singapore-book-launch-sinologist-wang-gungwu-recounts-own-journey-through-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3341831/his-singapore-book-launch-sinologist-wang-gungwu-recounts-own-journey-through-history?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 30 Jan 2026 08:54:45 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Recent comments by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong about an inclusive “we first” society potentially involving foreigners have drawn the ire of some locals, with experts noting that a cultural shift and greater cooperation are necessary to attain the goal. The “we first” society call was first raised by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his National Day Rally last year, when he stressed that Singaporeans had to band together to write the next chapter of their story. On Monday, Gan... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341573/who-are-we-why-some-singaporeans-bristle-we-first-inclusive-society-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3341573/who-are-we-why-some-singaporeans-bristle-we-first-inclusive-society-call?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:48:03 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau As a Singaporean urban farming company in the land-scarce city state, Archisen found itself in need of more land, ready talent and lower costs of production that would allow it to access the local market. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) has provided an attractive solution, according to chief executive Vincent Wei. The economic zone, the world’s first involving two countries, was officially launched a year ago, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Singaporean... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3341140/how-johor-singapore-sez-delivering-businesses-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3341140/how-johor-singapore-sez-delivering-businesses-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 05:30:08 +0000 Kolette Lim,Jean Iau Kolette Lim,Jean Iau Competition between the United States and China could help drive global progress, but only if both powers exercise restraint in sensitive areas such as nuclear technology and artificial intelligence, Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam has said. Speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Tharman stressed that broad innovation benefits could come from rivalry between the two superpowers. He added that innovations born of competition could lead to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340733/davos-singapores-tharman-calls-us-china-rivalry-benefit-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340733/davos-singapores-tharman-calls-us-china-rivalry-benefit-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 14:09:25 +0000 Kolette Lim,Jean Iau Kolette Lim,Jean Iau Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday accepted the Workers’ Party’s (WP) rejection of his invitation to nominate a replacement for the Leader of the Opposition (LO) role, saying that it would be left vacant. In a statement hours after the WP turned down the offer, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said: “The office of the LO will therefore remain vacant until such time that the WP is ready to nominate someone to take on this responsibility.” The PMO agreed that the leader of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340689/singapores-workers-party-rejects-leader-opposition-position?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340689/singapores-workers-party-rejects-leader-opposition-position?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:02:15 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau The US ambassador to Singapore, Anjani Sinha, has come under fire in the city state for asking businesses to make “substantially larger” financial contributions as his embassy plans for its July 4 celebrations, despite such fundraising being a standard annual practice of Washington’s diplomats. Observers told This Week in Asia that while soliciting businesses for contributions was not new, it was the language used by the ambassador that drew disbelief amid Washington’s more transactional foreign... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340565/us-ambassador-singapores-substantially-larger-gifts-call-mark-july-4-rankles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340565/us-ambassador-singapores-substantially-larger-gifts-call-mark-july-4-rankles?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:12:03 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Just under a third of Singapore residents in a recent survey by global communication firm Edelman believe that the next generation would be better off than the current one – a drop of 11 percentage points from last year’s findings. The Edelman Trust Barometer 2026 figures showed Singapore as being among four other Asian countries that registered a double-digit decrease, with the city state’s 31 per cent mark just under the global average of 32 per cent. The 26th edition of the annual survey,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340345/most-singaporeans-not-upbeat-future-next-generation-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340345/most-singaporeans-not-upbeat-future-next-generation-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 23:00:20 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau A peculiar gridlock has settled on Singapore’s political scene with the position of Leader of the Opposition (LO) vacant after Pritam Singh was removed from the post by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, with public discourse now centred on the constitutional basis, or lack thereof, for the role. Created in 2020 by then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong after Singh’s party won a record 10 seats in parliament, the non-statutory position contrasts sharply with its counterpart in Westminster systems, where... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340308/singapores-leader-opposition-debate-draws-comparisons-westminster-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340308/singapores-leader-opposition-debate-draws-comparisons-westminster-system?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 07:21:55 +0000 Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has stripped the Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh of his role as the city state’s first Leader of the Opposition following Singh’s conviction for lying under oath to a parliamentary committee. Singh assumed the official role in 2020 following the general election where his party secured a record 10 elected seats in parliament. Then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong announced during a press conference that Singh would be provided with staff and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340003/singapores-pm-lawrence-wong-removes-pritam-singh-leader-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340003/singapores-pm-lawrence-wong-removes-pritam-singh-leader-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:04:17 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore’s parliamentarians on Wednesday voted Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh unsuitable as Leader of the Opposition following his court conviction for lying to a committee, with his opponents questioning his integrity and leadership, while supporters suggested there was a political agenda against him. The heated discussion in Singapore’s typically sterile parliament, which saw WP MPs repeatedly calling points of order, centred on Leader of the House Indranee Rajah’s motion calling on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339895/singapores-pritam-singh-debate-mps-trade-barbs-over-bid-remove-opposition-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339895/singapores-pritam-singh-debate-mps-trade-barbs-over-bid-remove-opposition-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:42:58 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau A special economic zone between Singapore and the Malaysian state of Johor (JS-SEZ) should include Indonesia’s Riau Islands to ramp up the region’s allure to global investors, an apex business chamber and leading accounting firm have said, ahead of the city state’s budget address next month. As part of its 18 top recommendations, the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), which has more than 32,000 members, and PwC Singapore on Monday said expanding the zone to include the Indonesian islands of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339786/singapore-urged-expand-johor-sez-indonesia-deepen-asean-integration?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339786/singapore-urged-expand-johor-sez-indonesia-deepen-asean-integration?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 14:36:37 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau In an unprecedented move in Singapore, Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh could be stripped of his title as Leader of Opposition and lose his privileges when Singapore’s parliamentarians debate his suitability for the role next week, legal experts say. Singh was the first to be appointed to the official role in 2020 by then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong after the general election that year, when the WP won a record 10 out of 93 seats. On Friday, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah tabled a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339351/could-singapore-remove-pritam-singh-leader-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339351/could-singapore-remove-pritam-singh-leader-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:30:14 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau The United States’ intervention into Venezuela would have worrying long-term consequences to the international system and small countries in particular, Singapore’s former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Thursday. Senior Minister Lee, who stepped down as prime minister in May 2024, noted that Singapore had always stated its position unequivocally and voted accordingly on such matters that were contrary to international law and the UN Charter, listing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339156/singapores-lee-hsien-loong-says-us-raid-venezuela-worrying-small-countries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339156/singapores-lee-hsien-loong-says-us-raid-venezuela-worrying-small-countries?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 07:05:09 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau A photo of newly nominated member of parliament (NMP) Haresh Singaraju in a shirt sporting the design of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has raised eyebrows and reignited debate over the non-partisan nature of the scheme in Singapore. The scrutiny over the now-removed photo of the family physician comes after critics questioned the effectiveness of the NMP scheme in February last year in the lead-up to the city state’s general election in May. Two NMPs at the time made the unprecedented... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3338821/photo-singapore-nmp-ruling-party-shirt-reignites-debate-schemes-neutrality?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3338821/photo-singapore-nmp-ruling-party-shirt-reignites-debate-schemes-neutrality?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 14:43:05 +0000 Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Singapore saw plenty of drama unfold this year, from pickleball courts to the Supreme Court. The city state was gripped by election fever in May, when the People’s Action Party maintained its dominance at the polls. On the trade front, Washington’s imposition of a 10 per cent tariff on Singapore elicited a strong reaction from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The jury is still out on whether US President Donald Trump would introduce levies on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, which could deliver... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337732/singapore-2025-election-fever-courtroom-drama-pickleball-mania?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337732/singapore-2025-election-fever-courtroom-drama-pickleball-mania?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 03:00:09 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore has long been a proven test bed for international food and beverage chains as a wealthy, brand-savvy market where new entrants can generate instant buzz – and just as quickly disappear for those who fail to cook up a storm. The first part of that pattern was on display this month, with long queues forming outside the first Asia outlet of US fast-food chain Chick-fil-A more than a week after it opened in the city state. The crowds reflect the initial pull of a well-known American brand,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3337125/singapores-unforgiving-food-scene-can-go-hot-and-cold-brands-what-keeps-them-coming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3337125/singapores-unforgiving-food-scene-can-go-hot-and-cold-brands-what-keeps-them-coming?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Dec 2025 05:30:08 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau When National Basketball Association veteran Jason Collins married his long-term partner Brunson Green in May, having to divert his honeymoon to Singapore six months later for an experimental treatment for stage 4 brain cancer was not on his bingo card. The 2.13 metre (7 feet) former centre, 47, and Green, a film producer, found themselves spending Thanksgiving in the city state last month, far from their extended family, as Collin underwent his first doses of EDV (EnGeneIC Dream Vector) in his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336511/ex-nba-star-singapore-brain-cancer-treatment-exudes-hope-lets-be-positive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336511/ex-nba-star-singapore-brain-cancer-treatment-exudes-hope-lets-be-positive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 Dec 2025 11:29:57 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Former National Basketball Association (NBA) centre Jason Collins, who has a deadly form of brain cancer, is undergoing an experimental treatment in Singapore, with those involved in the trial hailing the city state’s reputation as a medical innovation hub. Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US professional sports league, said on Thursday in an ESPN interview that he had stage 4 glioblastoma and was pursuing innovative treatment in a clinic in Singapore, where he got approval... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336290/ex-nba-player-deadly-brain-cancer-singapore-new-treatment-heres-how-it-works?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3336290/ex-nba-player-deadly-brain-cancer-singapore-new-treatment-heres-how-it-works?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 00:00:15 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Retired regional human resources director Helen Kuan typically spends this time of year picking up Christmas presents from her usual department store haunts around Singapore. But her options are becoming more limited as more of these one-stop stores have been shuttering in recent years. On Monday, shopping centre NEX, located in the northeast of Singapore, announced that Japanese brand Isetan would close in April next year, a month after the chain shut its Tampines outlet. With these closures,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3336081/more-department-stores-singapore-struggle-can-they-adapt-and-survive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3336081/more-department-stores-singapore-struggle-can-they-adapt-and-survive?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 10:12:50 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau In an unprecedented move, Cambodia has withdrawn its entire delegation from the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, citing safety concerns amid renewed border clashes between the two neighbours. The Cambodian team had attended the opening ceremony of the 33rd SEA Games in Bangkok on Tuesday, but the decision to pull out came a day later amid deadly fighting along the frontier. The Games, which run until December 20, are being held in Bangkok and the Thai provinces of Chonburi and Songkhla. At... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335854/cambodia-pulls-entire-delegation-sea-games-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335854/cambodia-pulls-entire-delegation-sea-games-thailand?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 04:58:03 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau In the tumultuous days before Singapore’s separation from Malaysia in 1965, founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew clung to the hope that the city could still be part of the federal government under a looser arrangement, but his deputy had no desire to pursue this ideal. While Lee was conflicted and even wavered at the eleventh hour when he asked then Malaysian prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman if he was certain there was no alternative, Goh Keng Swee, widely regarded as the architect of modern... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335504/how-singapores-lee-kuan-yew-was-torn-over-malaysia-separation-while-his-deputy-pushed-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335504/how-singapores-lee-kuan-yew-was-torn-over-malaysia-separation-while-his-deputy-pushed-it?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 09:16:18 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau In Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, a sailor who shoots an albatross is forced to hang it around his neck as penance, with the bird becoming a heavy burden and a reminder of his guilt. This metaphor was invoked by Goh Keng Swee, widely regarded as the “economic architect” of modern Singapore, as his code name for Malaysia in his file of personal notes on Singapore’s separation from its northern neighbour in August 1965. Almost all of the newly declassified... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3335477/singapore-launches-book-malaysia-separation-declassified-files-lee-kuan-yew-quotes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3335477/singapore-launches-book-malaysia-separation-declassified-files-lee-kuan-yew-quotes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 05:01:08 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau For nearly two years, six nights a week, performers from mainland China, Taiwan and Malaysia have drawn crowds to the HaveFun Live Show in Singapore, but its organisers but its organisers now find themselves in a bind as new work permit rules loom. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced on Monday that it would scrap a long-running scheme allowing foreign performers to work for up to six months at public entertainment outlets. The programme, in place since 2008, will end in June after... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335399/singapore-organisers-limbo-over-work-visa-ban-foreign-performers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335399/singapore-organisers-limbo-over-work-visa-ban-foreign-performers?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:33:29 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau There are some days when stay-at-home mother of three Lynn Lee finds her 15-year-old daughter watching drama programmes or playing games on her phone for hours on end, unaware of how much time has passed. The 49-year-old, whose children are aged between 10 and 15, calls it an addiction and says her teenager’s screen time can be between eight and 10 hours a day despite parental controls that shut off her internet at 10.30pm. According to Lee, the addiction has caused her daughter’s temperament to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335366/singapore-parents-welcome-curbs-smartphone-use-schools-better-late-never?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3335366/singapore-parents-welcome-curbs-smartphone-use-schools-better-late-never?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 09:47:38 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore’s highest court has upheld a S$14,000 (US$10,800) fine imposed on opposition leader Pritam Singh for lying to a parliamentary committee. In February, the Workers’ Party (WP) chief was found guilty on two counts of giving false testimony to a committee investigating a lie told by Raeesah Khan, a former member of parliament for the party. Singh, who pleaded not guilty, received the maximum fine of S$7,000 for each charge following a 13-day trial. The 49-year-old appealed against his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335128/singapore-court-upholds-opposition-leader-pritam-singhs-conviction-lying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335128/singapore-court-upholds-opposition-leader-pritam-singhs-conviction-lying?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 01:54:10 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau The United States’ new ambassador to Singapore has come under fire for his remarks defending the 10 per cent tariff on the city state by framing it as the US seeking help from a friend after it had played an important role in Singapore’s economic miracle. Orthopaedic surgeon Anjani Sinha, who officially started his tenure on November 17, told government-funded local media outlet The Straits Times that the US was asking friends such as Singapore to help President Donald Trump “rebalance” and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334800/debt-collector-us-ambassador-irks-singaporeans-justifying-tariff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334800/debt-collector-us-ambassador-irks-singaporeans-justifying-tariff?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Dec 2025 12:12:28 +0000