2006 in Singapore
Encyclopedia
See also: 2005 in Singapore
| Other events of 2006 | 2007 in Singapore
| List of years in Singapore
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2005 in Singapore
See also: 2004 in Singapore | Other events of 2005 | 2006 in Singapore | List of years in Singapore-----Events:*January 15 - Singapore and Malaysia settle dispute over land reclamation work....
| Other events of 2006 | 2007 in Singapore
2007 in Singapore
See also: 2006 in Singapore | Other events of 2007 | 2008 in Singapore | List of years in Singapore----- Events :* 12 May - Singapore acquires Formula One rights to host a leg of the Formula One 2008 World Championship race series in September or October 2008.* 28 June - The University of New South...
| List of years in Singapore
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Events
- January 7 - Exercise Northstar V is carried out at Mass Rapid TransitMass Rapid Transit (Singapore)The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is a rapid transit system that forms the backbone of the railway system in Singapore, spanning the entire city-state. The initial section of the MRT, between Yio Chu Kang Station and Toa Payoh Station, opened in 1987 establishing itself as the second-oldest metro...
stations and at Toa Payoh Bus InterchangeToa Payoh Bus InterchangeToa Payoh Bus Interchange is located in Toa Payoh, Singapore. It is the first air-conditioned bus interchange in the country, which was completed in 2002 and officially opened by then Transport Minister, Yeo Cheow Tong, on 19 May 2002. The bus interchange has only services of SBS Transit and is...
. - February 3 - In response to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversyJyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversyThe Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy began after 12 editorial cartoons, most of which depicted the Islamic prophet Muhammad, were published in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on 30 September 2005...
, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUISMUISMUIS is an abbreviation for:*Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura*Mongol Ulsyn Ikh Surguuli, The National University of Mongolia...
) issued a statement that said "the inciting of hatred against a faith of a people is very unfortunate." The Foreign Minister George YeoGeorge YeoGeorge Yeo Yong-Boon is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from 1991 to 2011 as the Minister for Information and the Arts , Minister for Health , Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Foreign Affairs...
and the Minister-in-charge of Muslim AffairsMinister-in-charge of Muslim AffairsMinister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs is a position in the Cabinet of Singapore that oversees policies and issues related to the Muslim community in Singapore. In 1977, Dr. Ahmad Mattar was appointed Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs. Previously, there were no minister with a reference to Muslim...
Dr. Yaacob IbrahimYaacob IbrahimYaacob bin Ibrahim is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.-Education and early career:Yaacob graduated from the University of...
have similarly said that the incident shows the need to respect racial and religious sensitivities, have a "responsible media," and to cultivate good inter-religious relations and confidence beyond just legislation. - February 10 - Secretary General of Singapore Democratic PartySingapore Democratic PartyThe Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
, Chee Soon JuanChee Soon JuanChee Soon Juan, PhD is a politician and political activist from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party ....
, was declared a bankrupt by the High Court, after he failed to pay S$Singapore dollarThe Singapore dollar or Dollar is the official currency of Singapore. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
500,000 in damages awarded to Senior Minister Goh Chok TongGoh Chok TongGoh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan YewLee Kuan YewLee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
in a defamation lawsuit concerning comments he made during the Singapore general election, 2001Singapore general election, 2001The Singapore parliamentary general elections of 2001 were held on 3 November. The People's Action Party, the incumbent ruling party, won 82 out of 84 seats in the election, including 55 walkovers...
. - February 15 - The Ford Motor Factory in Upper Bukit Timah Road, the site of the British surrender to the Japanese during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, will be gazetted as a national monumentNational Monuments of SingaporeNational Monuments of Singapore are buildings and structures in Singapore that have been designated by the Preservation of Monuments Board as being of special historic, traditional, archaeological, architectural or artistic value....
on 15 February. - March 3 - The Elections DepartmentElections DepartmentThe Elections Department is a department of the government of Singapore that oversees the procedure for elections in Singapore, including parliamentary elections and presidential elections. It sees that elections are fairly carried out and has a supervisory role to safeguard against electoral fraud...
release the report of the updated electoral boundaries for the general election. - March 16 - British monarch Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
visits SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. - May 6 - The tenth Singapore general electionSingapore general election, 2006The 2006 Singapore parliamentary general election was held on 6 May 2006. 1.22 million out of the 2.16 million eligible Singaporeans voted for Members of Parliament and elected their next government. The People's Action Party , in its first election under Lee Hsien Loong, won 66.6% of the overall...
was held with the ruling People's Action PartyPeople's Action PartyThe People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
winning 82 out of 84 seats with a percentage of 66.6% of the total vote. - May 7 - James GomezJames GomezDr. James Gomez is an academic from Singapore and he manages an online consultancy – The GOMEZ Centre. A prominent public intellectual in the country, he is currently the Executive Director of Singaporeans for Democracy and a member of the Singapore Democratic Party .-Biography:Gomez was born in...
is detained in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for further questioning, after trying to leave for SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to return to work. He was released a week later and given a formal warning. - May 15 - Kallang body parts murder murderer Leong Siew Chor gets a death sentence for killing 22-year-old ChinesePeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
national Liu Hong Mei. - May 21 - The second season of Singapore IdolSingapore IdolSingapore Idol is a television show on Channel 5 of MediaCorp TV. It is a competition among undiscovered singers in Singapore. Like others in the Idol series, it is modelled after Pop Idol. The current judges are singer/songwriter Dick Lee and record producers Florence Lian and Ken Lim. Previous...
premiers on MediaCorp's Channel 5MediaCorp TV Channel 5MediaCorp Channel 5 or Channel 5 is a 24-hour free-to-air English and Malay language television channel based in Singapore....
with over a million viewers. - May 22 - The new Cabinet of SingaporeCabinet of SingaporeThe Cabinet of Singapore forms the Government of Singapore together with the President of Singapore. It is led by the Prime Minister of Singapore who is the head of government...
is announced by Prime MinisterPrime Minister of SingaporeThe Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The President of Singapore appoints as Prime Minister a Member of Parliament who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs.The office of Prime Minister...
Lee Hsien LoongLee Hsien LoongLee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
, with Minister for Transport Yeo Cheow TongYeo Cheow TongYeo Cheow Tong is a former politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he served in the Cabinet from 1990 to 2006, and was a Member of Parliament from 1984 to 2011....
retiring and five new Members of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
entering political office. - May 25 - SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
's newest and most advanced fighter jet, the 145 Squadron starts operations which is the Republic of Singapore Air ForceRepublic of Singapore Air ForceThe Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command...
's third generation of fighter planes. - May 26 - The governmentGovernment of SingaporeThe Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
has picked Las Vegas SandsLas Vegas SandsLas Vegas Sands Corp. is an integrated resort company based in Paradise, Nevada, USA.-History:Founded in 1988, the company was the owner and operator of the Sands Hotel, which was demolished in 1996 to make room for The Venetian, which opened in 1999....
to operate the new Integrated ResortIntegrated ResortAn integrated resort is a resort with a wide variety of leisure and entertainment attractions, all housed in one resort property. The first known integrated resort began in early 1980s in Malaysia, when Resorts World Genting was developed from a single hotel with casino facility to a variety of...
at Marina BayMarina BayMarina Bay is a bay near Central Area in the southern part of Singapore, and lies to the east of the Downtown Core. Marina Bay is set to be a 24/7 destination with endless opportunities for people to “explore new living and lifestyle options, exchange new ideas and information for business, and be...
among four casinoCasinoIn modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
operators. - May 29 - The FilipinoPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
maid, Guen Aguilar who killed her best friend has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment for manslaughterManslaughterManslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
. - May 30 - The new Cabinet of SingaporeCabinet of SingaporeThe Cabinet of Singapore forms the Government of Singapore together with the President of Singapore. It is led by the Prime Minister of Singapore who is the head of government...
has been inaugurated at the Istana with 1,400 guests attending the ceremony. - June 8 - Emperor of JapanEmperor of JapanThe Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
AkihitoAkihitois the current , the 125th emperor of his line according to Japan's traditional order of succession. He acceded to the throne in 1989.-Name:In Japan, the emperor is never referred to by his given name, but rather is referred to as "His Imperial Majesty the Emperor" which may be shortened to . In...
visits SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for three days with Empress MichikoEmpress Michiko of JapanEmpress Michiko of Japan is the wife and consort of Emperor Akihito, the current monarch of Japan. She was the first commoner to marry into the Japanese Imperial Family. As crown princess and later as empress consort, she has become the most visible and widely-travelled imperial consort in...
. - July 6 - The local free newspaper TodayToday (Singapore newspaper)Today is a free English-language compact in Singapore published by government-owned MediaCorp print media arm. It is distributed from Monday to Sunday....
suspends the column of mrbrownMrbrownLee Kin Mun , aka mrbrown, is a Singaporean blogger well known for his social and political commentary amidst Singapore's tight media restrictions. Affectionately known by many as Singapore's "Blogfather", mrbrown is one of the more notable bloggers in the Singaporean blogosphere. His podcast...
in a noted case of censorship in SingaporeCensorship in SingaporeCensorship in Singapore mainly targets sexual, political, racial and religious issues, as defined by out-of-bounds markers.-Implementation:The Media Development Authority approves publications, issues arts entertainment licences and enforces the Free-to-air TV Programme Code, Cable TV Programme...
following a letter from a government official to the letters section of the paper. - August 9 - Singapore celebrates her 41st (XLI) National DayNational Day Parade, 2006The National Day Parade, 2006 was a national ceremony held on 9 August 2006 at the National Stadium to commemorate Singapore's 41st year of independence. The event will be the last parade to be held at the old stadium, as it will be slated for demolition in 2007. The parade will therefore be...
, with the parade held for the last time at the National StadiumNational Stadium, SingaporeThe Singapore National Stadium was located in Kallang. Opened in July 1973, the National Stadium was officially closed on 30 June 2007 and has demolished to make way for the Singapore Sports Hub and New Singapore National Stadium which is expected to open in 2014.The stadium has played host to...
before it's closed for redevelopment. - August 23 - It is announced that SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
wil be sending a teamA1 Team SingaporeA1 Team Singapore is the A1 Grand Prix national team representing Singapore. Singapore took part in this competition for the first time in its history in October 2006. Christian Murchison, Denis Lian and Hafiz Koh were the original drivers for the team...
to compete in the upcoming A1 Grand PrixA1 Grand PrixA1 Grand Prix was a 'single make' open-wheel auto racing series. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport"...
season. - Sept 11-20 - 61st Annual MeetingsAnnual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank GroupThe IMF and World Bank meet each autumn in what is officially known as the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group and each spring in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group...
of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary FundInternational Monetary FundThe International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
and the World Bank GroupWorld Bank GroupThe World Bank Group is a family of five international organizations that makes leveraged loans, generally to poor countries.The Bank came into formal existence on 27 December 1945 following international ratification of the Bretton Woods agreements, which emerged from the United Nations Monetary...
is held successfully at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. - September 25 - The second season of Singapore IdolSingapore IdolSingapore Idol is a television show on Channel 5 of MediaCorp TV. It is a competition among undiscovered singers in Singapore. Like others in the Idol series, it is modelled after Pop Idol. The current judges are singer/songwriter Dick Lee and record producers Florence Lian and Ken Lim. Previous...
ends with Hady Mirza winning the honour of being the second Singapore Idol.
Law
- 1 June – The Casino Control Act 2006 comes into force. Among other things, the Act establishes the Casino Regulatory Authority of SingaporeCasino Regulatory Authority of SingaporeThe Casino Regulatory Authority of Singapore is a statutory board of the Singapore Government.The CRA is responsible for ensuring that the management and operation of the casinos in Singapore remains free from criminal influence or exploitation. It also ensure that gaming in a casino is conducted...
and the National Council on Problem GamblingNational Council on Problem Gambling (Singapore)The National Council on Problem Gambling was set up in Singapore on 31 August 2005 to address problem gambling, following the government's decision to legalise casino gambling and build two integrated resorts at Marina Bay and Sentosa....
; and provides for the licensing of casinos and their employees, and the supervision and control of casino operators. This follows the government's announcement on 18 April 2005 that it is relaxing its ban on casinoCasinoIn modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s and is allowing the development of two 'integrated resortIntegrated ResortAn integrated resort is a resort with a wide variety of leisure and entertainment attractions, all housed in one resort property. The first known integrated resort began in early 1980s in Malaysia, when Resorts World Genting was developed from a single hotel with casino facility to a variety of...
s' incorporating casinos, its aim being to boost the tourism industry. Both resorts are expected to open by 2009. Locals who wish to enter the casinos will be required to pay a daily entry fee of S$100 or purchase an annual entry pass for S$2,000. This measure is aimed at reducing the negative effects of compulsive gamblingCompulsive gamblingProblem gambling is an urge to continuously gamble despite harmful negative consequences or a desire to stop. Problem gambling often is defined by whether harm is experienced by the gambler or others, rather than by the gambler's behavior. Severe problem gambling may be diagnosed as clinical...
. The entry fees will be used to educate and counsel Singaporeans that have gambling habits. - SeptemberSeptember 2006September 2006 was marked by a controversy surrounding statements made by Pope Benedict XVI regarding Islam, during the same week as the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Steve Irwin, star of The Crocodile Hunter, died early in the month due to a stingray attack...
– The Subordinate CourtsJudicial system of SingaporeThe full Judicial power in Singapore is vested in the Supreme Court as well as subordinate courts by the Constitution of Singapore. The Supreme Court consists of the Court of Appeal and the High Court. The Court of Appeal exercises appellate criminal and civil jurisdiction, while the High Court...
start a pilot project called the Lay Assistant Scheme in which persons, usually with some legal knowledge, attend hearings with litigants who are not represented by lawyers to advise them on non-legal issues and help them with administrative tasks. The scheme, a modification of the UK's McKenzie FriendMcKenzie FriendA McKenzie friend assists a litigant in person in a common law court. This person does not need to be legally qualified. The crucial point is that litigants in person are entitled to have assistance, lay or professional, unless there are exceptional circumstances.Their role was set out most...
system, is intended to assist litigants who are not eligible for legal aid as they have an annual salary exceeding S$10,000 but cannot afford a lawyer. For the litigant to qualify, the other party must be legally represented. Lay assistants are not allowed to act as lawyers and may not address the court; any breach of court rules may render them liable to a maximum fine of S$1,000 or imprisonment of up to six months. Plans for introducing McKenzie Friends in court proceedings were first announced by Chief JusticeChief Justice of SingaporeThe Chief Justice of Singapore is the highest post in the judicial system of Singapore. The Chief Justice is appointed by the President, chosen from candidates recommended by the Prime Minister. The present Chief Justice is Chan Sek Keong....
Chan Sek KeongChan Sek KeongChan Sek Keong is the current Chief Justice of Singapore, having taken over from the former Chief Justice Yong Pung How on 11 April 2006. Chan was formerly the Attorney-General of Singapore, before being succeeded by Chao Hick Tin on 11 April 2006....
in May 2006. Students from the Pro Bono Group of the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore, have been participating in the scheme. - 9 November to 9 December – The Ministry of Home Affairs holds a public consultation on proposed changes to the Penal CodePenal Code (Singapore)The Penal Code of Singapore sets out general principles of the criminal law of Singapore, as well as the elements and penalties of common criminal offences such as homicide, theft and cheating...
. Among the suggested changes are proposals to modify the marital immunity currently enjoyed by a husband against rapingSpousal rapeMarital rape, also known as spousal rape, is non-consensual sex in which the perpetrator is the victim's spouse. As such, it as a form of partner rape, of domestic violence, and of sexual abuse. Once widely condoned or ignored by law, spousal rape is now repudiated by international conventions and...
his wife, and to decriminalize oral and anal sex by a consenting heterosexual couple aged 16 years and above.
Sports
- April 8 and 9 - Standard Chartered Singapore Sevens 2006 begins with FijiFijiFiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
winning EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for the title.
Deaths
- February 22 - Sinnathamby RajaratnamSinnathamby RajaratnamSinnathamby Rajaratnam, better known as "S. Rajaratnam", , was a Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 1980–85, and a long-serving Minister and member of the Cabinet from 1959-88. He is regarded as one of the founding fathers of independent Singapore as it achieved self-government in 1959 and...
, former Deputy Prime Minister and Senior MinisterSenior MinisterSenior Minister is a political office in the political system of Singapore taken by a prime minister or senior cabinet minister when he or she retires from that office, but still has something to offer the government based on his or her long experience...