https://www.scmp.com/rss/524531/feed The latest news and top stories on Gan Kim Yong, Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, a role he assumed in 2021. He also chairs the Monetary Authority of Singapore. With a background in engineering and a career spanning the civil service, private sector (including CEO of NatSteel), and various ministerial portfolios such as Health and Manpower, he brings extensive experience. His responsibilities include driving economic growth, fostering trade relations, and... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are working closely together to keep vessels moving safely through the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Tuesday, stressing the three countries’ shared responsibility for keeping the waterways open and secure. “The Straits of Malacca and Singapore are used for international navigation, and therefore the rights of transit passage similarly apply,” said Gan, who is also trade and industry minister, speaking on the opening... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350838/singapore-malaysia-indonesia-unite-secure-safe-passage-crucial-straits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3350838/singapore-malaysia-indonesia-unite-secure-safe-passage-crucial-straits?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2026 05:59:40 +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 CNA CNA Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh has called for fuller public disclosure of billions of dollars in Singapore government spending, pressing for clearer accountability at a time he described as “one of the largest fiscal surpluses in decades”. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday at the start of the budget debate, Singh also took aim at the timing of the last general election, saying it was called shortly after global trade tensions flared. “The PAP (People’s Action Party) government dissolved... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344494/pritam-singh-presses-clarity-singapores-public-spending-surplus-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344494/pritam-singh-presses-clarity-singapores-public-spending-surplus-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:09:25 +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 Kolette Lim When Singapore’s trade minister Gan Kim Yong revealed that locals owned nearly 90 per cent of registered retail businesses in the city state while Chinese nationals came in second at a distant 3 per cent, the figures drew mixed reactions from the public and analysts. The discourse online centred on what the statistics implied – critics felt that though the proportion of foreign-owned entities, especially from China, might be minuscule, most could actually be big brands with multiple outlets,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340470/singapores-retail-ownership-data-sparks-debate-about-foreign-chains-influence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3340470/singapores-retail-ownership-data-sparks-debate-about-foreign-chains-influence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 02:00:14 +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,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 Kolette Lim Kolette Lim Singapore is leading the AI race in Southeast Asia, a region emerging as an artificial intelligence hotspot as start-ups draw significant investments and major players seek expansion, according to an industry report. Some 680 AI start-ups attracted more than US$2.3 billion of investments across Southeast Asia in the 12 months to June, accounting for 32 per cent of private funding in the region, research from Google, Singapore’s state investor Temasek and management consultancy Bain & Company... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3332375/singapore-based-ai-start-ups-draw-most-funding-southeast-asia-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3332375/singapore-based-ai-start-ups-draw-most-funding-southeast-asia-report?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:58:45 +0000 CNA CNA In the lead-up to the 2025 general election, Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong received cautionary messages from People’s Action Party (PAP) members and supporters urging him to “be prepared” to lose some seats. Speaking at the PAP Awards and Convention on Sunday, Wong said these well-wishers had shared various predictions, prompting him to mentally prepare for all possible outcomes. “When the results came out, the same people who had messaged me earlier said to me: ‘Sorry, we should have... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3332089/singapore-pm-reflects-election-win-says-pap-faced-very-tough-fights-several-wards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3332089/singapore-pm-reflects-election-win-says-pap-faced-very-tough-fights-several-wards?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 Nov 2025 05:03:02 +0000 Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Jean Iau,Kolette Lim 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)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329017/singapore-doubles-down-zero-tolerance-identity-politics-foreign-interference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329017/singapore-doubles-down-zero-tolerance-identity-politics-foreign-interference?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:51:39 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau In a testament to the power of partnership, the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) has attracted more than S$5.5 billion (US$4.2 billion) in investments from Singapore-based companies since its inception. Gan Kim Yong, the city state’s trade chief, said on Tuesday that the cross-border economic zone – the first of its kind involving Singapore and Malaysia – was a compelling illustration of the achievements that can arise from collaboration in an era of growing... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3328909/singapore-johor-sez-attracts-us42-billion-surge-cross-border-investment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3328909/singapore-johor-sez-attracts-us42-billion-surge-cross-border-investment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 07:30:09 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau As Singapore welcomes the return of the Formula One Grand Prix from Friday to Sunday, with road closures downtown and shopping centres brimming with fans hoping to catch a glimpse of their favourite drivers, the high-octane buzz is once again in full swing. Now in its 16th year, F1’s inaugural night race has become one of the city state’s flagship international events. But with each edition costing more than S$100 million (US$78 million), the economic payoff is increasingly being viewed through... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3327699/formula-ones-first-night-race-paying-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3327699/formula-ones-first-night-race-paying-singapore?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 00:49:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg New US levies on pharmaceuticals may not have an “immediate impact” on Singapore’s drug makers, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong has said, adding the city state may pursue a ceiling on tariff rates similar to deals that Washington has with other countries. Gan, who is also minister for trade and industry, told reporters on Saturday that most pharmaceutical companies in Singapore had built capacity in the US or had plans to do so. That could allow them to be exempted from the coming US... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3327095/singapores-drug-makers-may-be-shielded-us-pharmaceutical-tariffs-deputy-pm-gan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3327095/singapores-drug-makers-may-be-shielded-us-pharmaceutical-tariffs-deputy-pm-gan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 09:50:24 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Southeast Asian countries should not be judged harshly on their shifting positions amid the heightened US-China rivalry, Singapore’s top diplomat has said, while emphasising unique “vulnerabilities and opportunities” across the region. Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan told the FutureChina Global Forum on Friday to avoid binary thinking, stressing that the city state was open for business to all, with China as its biggest trading partner and the United States its largest foreign... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326201/singapore-minister-defends-aseans-shifts-amid-china-us-rivalry-dont-judge-too-quickly?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3326201/singapore-minister-defends-aseans-shifts-amid-china-us-rivalry-dont-judge-too-quickly?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:52:55 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto had a last-minute change of plan when he travelled to Beijing to attend China’s military parade in Tiananmen Square, just hours before it began. Prabowo had earlier decided to cancel the trip because of widespread protests at home. But he showed up for the parade in a grey suit on the morning of September 3, taking a seat at the rostrum beside Russian leader Vladimir Putin, who was to the right of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Sources said the Indonesian... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325969/how-southeast-asia-showed-its-support-china-and-sent-message-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3325969/how-southeast-asia-showed-its-support-china-and-sent-message-us?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 22:00:20 +0000 Reuters Reuters Singapore is launching a broad review to secure the city state’s future as a trade and financial hub, announcing committees on Monday to look into areas such as competitiveness, artificial intelligence and how restructuring would affect people. The economic strategy review will have five committees, each chaired by two government ministers and including members from the business, academic and social sectors, and they are due to publish their recommendations by mid-2026. “We must reinforce... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3320708/us-tariffs-prompt-singapore-launch-review-economic-strategy-competitiveness-ai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3320708/us-tariffs-prompt-singapore-launch-review-economic-strategy-competitiveness-ai?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:19:07 +0000 Reuters Reuters Singapore’s economy grew a faster-than-expected 4.3 per cent in the second quarter year-on-year, preliminary government data showed on Monday, despite a dimming outlook due to global economic uncertainty. The trade ministry’s advance estimate for gross domestic product in the April to June period compared to an expected expansion of 3.5 per cent, according to economists polled by Reuters. On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis, GDP grew 1.4 per cent in the April to June period, the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3318073/singapore-dodges-recession-economy-grows-43-second-quarter-amid-tariff-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3318073/singapore-dodges-recession-economy-grows-43-second-quarter-amid-tariff-uncertainty?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2025 01:45:07 +0000 Bloomberg,Reuters Bloomberg,Reuters Singapore’s tariff talks with the US will include a focus on pharmaceutical supply chains as the trade-reliant nation navigates President Donald Trump’s global trade war. “Pharmaceuticals have a very complex supply chain and a very long supply chain,” Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said at a briefing on Thursday. The conversations with the US Commerce Department will include “how can we make sure that we are able to continually facilitate the trade between Singapore and the US” on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3317718/singapore-prioritising-pharmaceutical-supply-chains-us-tariff-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3317718/singapore-prioritising-pharmaceutical-supply-chains-us-tariff-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 09:29:09 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has issued nine banks, capital markets services licence holders and trust companies composition penalties totalling S$27.45 million (US$21.55 million) over breaches tied to a S$3 billion (US$2.36 billion) money-laundering case that shook the city state. MAS said on Friday the latest regulatory moves marked the end of enforcement action against financial institutions with connections to the case. All nine financial institutions have accepted the penalties... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3316965/singapore-fines-9-firms-us22-million-over-mega-money-laundering-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3316965/singapore-fines-9-firms-us22-million-over-mega-money-laundering-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2025 09:31:07 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau The potential of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) could be enhanced by leveraging on the pull of an Indonesian island grouping, according to Singapore’s Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong. The JS-SEZ was officially launched in January, with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong agreeing to develop various industries, including aerospace, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, chemicals and electronics in the 3,571 sq km (1,379 square mile)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3316791/singapore-malaysia-eye-indonesia-expanded-special-economic-zone-trade-minister-gan-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3316791/singapore-malaysia-eye-indonesia-expanded-special-economic-zone-trade-minister-gan-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Jul 2025 07:40:03 +0000