2005 in Singapore

The following lists events that happened during 2005 in Singapore.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

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 2005
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See also:

Incumbents

Events

January

February
  • 4 February – After a successful trial, Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) hours will end at 5pm on all weekdays in a bid to attract tourists into Singapore.[10]
  • 23 February – SMRT's Raffles Xchange is officially opened, leading to more of such hubs in subsequent years.[11]

March
  • 7 March – The Housing and Development Board announced a new scheme known as the Design, Build and Sell Scheme. This allows private developers to develop public housing. However, expensive prices caused complaints, leading to the scheme being discontinued in 2011.[12]
  • 16 March – The Sentosa Monorail ceases operation after being bogged down by maintenance issues and complaints. It has since been replaced by the upcoming Sentosa Express.
  • 22 March – The Marina Barrage starts construction, with completion by 2007. The project will form the Marina Reservoir, helping in flood prevention in the city, as well as encourage activities around the reservoir.[13]
  • 23 March – SAFRA opens its new clubhouse in Mount Faber.[14]
  • 29 March –
    • Plans to rejuvenate Orchard Road are announced, with new prime sites for development and short-term sites, a youth space, enhancements for pedestrians and collaborations with stakeholders.[15]
    • The Junction 8 Tower Office is handed over to National Council of Social Service from CapitaLand. This allows Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) to use the facilities without having to pay rental; only the service and maintenance fees.[16]

April

May
  • 4 May –
    • The Local Enterprise and Association Development Programme (LEAD) is launched to encourage collaboration between industry associations.[32]
    • Construction for the Low Cost Terminal (renamed to Budget Terminal) starts. When completed, it will serve low-cost carriers.[33]
  • 13 May – Shanmugam Murugesu is hanged for drug trafficking.[34]
  • 16 May – Amendments to the Registration of Criminals Act are passed to give ex-convicts of minor crimes a second chance provided certain criteria are met. This is done by rendering their criminal records 'spent'.[35] The new procedures have come into effect on 17 October.[36]
  • 20 May – The SGH Museum is officially opened.
  • 24 May – 'READ! Singapore' is launched at Woodlands Regional Library, thus encouraging people to read more.[37][38]
  • 27 May – The last tranche of the Singapore Premium Food Gifts and the S.P.F.G Boutique Cafe is officially launched.[39]

June
  • 1 June – A new 10-day Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP)-free days scheme starts to make it easier for visitors who drive.[40]
  • 14 June – Plans for the Downtown Extension of the Circle MRT line are announced. The Extension will be 3.4 km (2.1 miles) long with 5 stations, targeted for completion by 2012. The plans have been succeeded by the Circle MRT line and Downtown Line Stage 1.[41][42]
  • 15 June – PS I Luv U, a 3G phone drama series will be aired by the end of June, making it Asia's first phone drama series.[43]
  • 26 June – The ComCare Fund is launched to help needy Singaporeans.[44]

July

August
  • 4 August –
  • 6 August – Thum Ping Tjin swam across the English Channel solo in 12 hours and 24 minutes, becoming the first Singaporean to do so.[55]
  • 11 August – A protest which happened at the CPF Building is broken up.[56]
  • 13 August – The Extension of Queensway to Ayer Rajah Expressway is officially opened. The project, consisting of the Portsdown Flyover and the Queensway Flyover will ease congestion along Queensway. Despite the construction, Colbar cafe is saved from demolition, which was initially planned.[57]
  • 16 August – The first A380 compatible gate holdroom in Changi Airport is officially opened, giving a boost to the first A380 flight.[58]
  • 17 August – Nomination Day for the 2005 Presidential Election: Incumbent President S.R. Nathan won the election via an uncontested walkover since he was the only candidate eligible to contest in the election.[59] Nathan was sworn in for his second term on 1 September.[60]
  • 21 August –
    • A new Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council and National Research Foundation will be set up to build up Singapore's R&D capabilities.
    • Several schemes to help the low-income are announced, including the CPF Housing Grant Scheme, raising of MediShield to 85 as opposed to 80 currently, and making MediSave claims more flexible.
    • Proposals to improve education are announced, with Post-Secondary Education Accounts to be created, boosting teaching quality in ITE and Polys, linking Polys with specialised foreign universities (now known as the Polytechnic-Foreign Specialised Institutions (Poly-FSI)) and a new elective programme for NT students.
    • It was unveiled during the National Day Rally that a new shopping mall will be built (now called ION Orchard), as well as plans for the Marina Bay area. A new art gallery will be built too, as well as a garden.[61]
  • 26 August – The Singapore Flyer project is back on track after financing of the project is secured, with construction starting a few weeks later.[62]
  • 27 August -White elephants are put around the shuttered Buangkok MRT station by a resident, expressing displeasure over the station being disused.[63] On 6 October, the Singapore Police Force issues a stern warning.[64]
  • 31 August – The National Council on Problem Gambling is formed to tackle problem gambling, coming after the legalisation of casinos on 18 April.[65]

September
  • 13 September –
    • The first desalination plant, SingSpring, is officially opened.[66]
    • ExxonMobil and NTUC FairPrice announced the extension of their retail alliance to all 77 Esso and Mobil stations. This comes after a successful pilot with 6 stations back in November 2003. When fully converted, this will enable customers to buy groceries at attractive prices while getting fuel.[67]
  • 15 September –
    • An expansion to the Singapore Expo is completed, adding four more halls to the existing six.[68]
    • Phone numbers with the prefix '3' become available.
  • 19 September – The Deposit Insurance Act is passed to create a deposit insurance scheme that will insure up to $20,000 per depositor per institution, which will be administered by a Deposit Insurance Agency. The scheme comes into effect on 1 April 2006.[69]
  • 22 September – The Ministry of Education announced a new strategy known as 'Teach Less, Learn More' to improve teaching quality and enhance student learning.[70]
  • 26 September – The Urban Redevelopment Authority announced three post-war buildings will be conserved, namely the Church of the Blessed Sacrament, the former Metropole Cinema, and the former Jurong Town Hall. In addition, modifications to uses of conserved buildings are announced, including having service shops at all levels in Core Areas instead of just the first level, excluding Telok Ayer from the Core Area and expansion of the Kampong Glam exclusion boundary area.[71]
  • 28 September – The Singapore Cord Blood Bank is officially opened in KK Women's and Children's Hospital to cater for increased demand for cord blood being used between stem cell transplant patients. This makes it Southeast Asia's first public cord blood bank.[72]
  • 30 September – Noise Singapore is launched to encourage young Singaporeans to express interest in various art forms.[73]

October
  • Early October – 2005 dengue outbreak in Singapore: One of the worst dengue epidemic struck nationwide since the 2003 SARS outbreak, with a record 14,209 cases[74] and 27 deaths logged between October until the end of the year.
  • 1 October – Reports emerge of three people who will be charged under the Sedition Act for insults.[75]
  • 6 October – The 'Go-The-Extra-Mile For Services' (Gems) movement is launched to encourage and raise service standards.[76]
  • 15 October – The Ren Ci Community Hospital starts construction. Several rules for IPCs are also announced in the wake of the National Kidney Foundation Singapore scandal.[77]
  • 27 October – The Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) is launched to allow workers to upgrade their skills and improve quality of training, running in parallel with the education system. In addition, a new Singapore Institute of Retail Studies (SIRS) will be established by 2006 to upgrade service standards.[78]
  • 29 October – Food Republic is officially opened in Wisma Atria as a food court, a joint venture between BreadTalk and Ristoranti Group.[79][80]

November
  • 1 November – New controls for prepaid SIM cards take effect to deal with security threats caused by anonymity of such cards. Among them are compulsory registration for new and existing customers electronically instead of manually, an age limit of 15 years and above, and limiting the maximum number of prepaid SIM cards to 10 per holder. Unregistered SIM cards will be deactivated from 2 May 2006.[81]
  • 14 November – The Jewel Box is officially opened in Mount Faber, formed after refurbishing Mount Faber Cable Car station.[82]
  • 17 November – The Red Dot Traffic Museum is officially opened, helping to enhance Singapore as a place of design.[83][84]
  • 19 November – The Republic Polytechnic Centre is officially opened.[85]
  • 21 November – JTC Corporation will be restructured. This will mean an exit from the ready-built factory market and warehousing activities, and continuing with strategic industrial activities and the standard factories market, which they may divest in future.[86]

December
  • 2 December –
  • 5 December –
    • Electronic Arts' new studio opens.[88]
    • Crazy Horse Paris starts showing in Singapore, making Singapore the first location. The Ministry of Sound, a pub, opened later that month.[89]
  • 15 December – The WE Centre for Addictions Recovery and Education (WE C.A.R.E.) is officially opened to tackle and research addiction and its causes.[90]

Deaths

References
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