Crisis Chronology | Singapore

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SINGAPORE

09/02/2023

Tharman Shanmugaratnam is elected president with 70.40% of the vote Tharman is the first non-Chinese presidential candidate to win in a contested presidential election. An economist and member of parliament, he has held many positions in global organizations.

04/08/2021

Presumed successor to Prime Minister Lee Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat says he will step aside, citing his age, 60. Heng will also give up being financial minister, but not deputy prime minister. Lee is 69 and says he will stay in office until a successor is named.

11/15/2020

Fifteen Asia-Pacific nations sign the world's largest free-trade agreement, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in Vietnam. It replaces the Trans-Pacific Partnership, from which the US withdrew the United States in early 2017. The countries are: Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam.

07/11/2020

Ruling party re-elected

The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong retains its majority, but falls to a new low. It wins 83 of the 93 seats in parliament, and wins 60% of the vote, a substantial drop.

04/21/2020

Singapore extends partial stay-at-home order due to COVID-19 pandemic until 6/1. It now has more than 9000 cases, the largest number in Southeast Asia. Singapore had been considered an model for dealing with the pandemic, but allowed it to surge by failing to respond to outbreaks in migrant worker camps.

04/21/2020

03/27/2020

PM Lee suggests that he may call a snap election in order to have “the strongest team and mandate” to fight the COVID-19 epidemic.

03/26/2020

Government introduces $48 billion economic package due to COVID-19.

02/13/2019

EU agrees to free-trade agreement with Singapore, it’s first agreement with an ASEAN nation.

01/18/2019

Long-time People’s Action Party member Tan Cheng Bock forms new party, Progress Singapore Party, with other former PAP members.

01/13/2019

Singapore abruptly cancels meeting with Malaysia about their disputes over airspace and maritime boundaries. Singapore foreign minister conjectures that there is disagreement between Malaysia’s Matathir and the governor of Malaysia’s Johor state, which is nearest to Singapore.

12/05/2018

Singapore calls for Malaysia to cease intrusions into Sinapore’s maritime boundaries, which Malaysia denies doing, differing on the actual boundaries. Singapore also objects to Malaysia increasing its airspace in the region.

12/04/2018

Malaysia says it will seek to reclaim delegated airspace in Southern Johor state.

11/14/2018

China reports progress with Southeast Asian countries (including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam) on an agreement about the “code of conduct” in the South China Sea. The United States is not involved.

11/05/2018

Singapore lodges formal protest with Malaysia about the Johor Bharu port extension.

11/03/2018

Internal elections of the People’s Action Party, in which a successor to Goh Chok Tong will likely be announced.

10/25/2018

Malaysia announces changes to Johor Bahru port, which is across from Singapore, that enlarges Malaysia’s maritime boundaries.

05/30/2018

Malaysian PM Mahathir cancels high-speed rail project with Singapore and announces plan to build an island on Middle Rocks, near Singapore. Middle Rocks was awarded to Malaysia in 2008 judgement by the International Court of Justice, which awarded the island of Pedra Blanca to Singapore.

01/25/2018

Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand agree to share information about terrorism, an unusual sign of mutual cooperation, in a program named “Our Eyes.”

11/14/2017

Eleven nations sign the Asia-Americas trade agreement now called the “Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership” (CPTPP). Canada bowed out at the last minute. Canada did not make its objections explicit, but they may relate to internal politics. The signatories are Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam.