Design News, SG60 extended edition: TWG tea, orchids at Gardens by the Bay and more
Starbucks x Inwarmregard SG60 merchandise
International coffee chain Starbucks has partnered local illustration brand Inwarmregard for an SG60 collection of merchandise that includes drinkware and apparel.
All items feature heritage-themed designs. The 12oz (354ml) stainless-steel tumbler ($46.90), for instance, depicts HDB culture, with artwork of anthropomorphised animals hanging out at a void deck.
Info: Go to
str.sg/iz3P . Some items are also available at Starbucks' official stores on LazMall and ShopeeMall.
Martell's 60-Years-Old Cognac
Only 12 bottles of Martell's 60-Years-Old Cognac will be produced.
PHOTO: MARTELL
Martell, one of the world's 'big four' cognac houses, has produced a limited-edition 60-Years-Old Cognac in honour of Singapore's 60th year of independence. The label , which has a long history here, is said to have arrived on Singapore's shores in 1871.
The cognac is bottled in a bespoke Baccarat crystal decanter decorated with delicate floral motifs inspired by the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, Singapore's national flower. The decanter is housed in a matching hand-crafted refined oak wood case.
Twelve bottles will be produced. They are available only to members of Martell's private clients' club, Le Cercle by Pernod Ricard, and cost $45,000 each.
Info: To learn more about Le Cercle by Pernod Ricard, go to
str.sg/H6wS
TWG Tea's Heritage Tea Set
TWG's SG60 Heritage Tea Set comes with two flavours of loose leaf tea.
PHOTO: TWG
Singapore's luxury tea and teahouse brand TWG Tea has launched a limited-edition SG60 Heritage Tea Set ($60).
It includes two flavours: the Legacy Tea, a Chinese oolong blend, and the Jubilee Tea, a red tea infused with vanilla, ginger and spices. Both come as loose tea leaves (50g) in TWG's signature circular tins.
Info: Available at TWG tea salons and boutiques. Go to
str.sg/m6i2
MCCY's SG60: Icons Of Home pins
The July pin for the SG60: Icons Of Home project was designed by Dale Lam.
PHOTO: MCCY
Three local artists have teamed up with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth to design six limited-edition pins for SG60. One pin will be released every month and given out for free at selected SG60 events.
The first pin – featuring local delicacies such as ang ku kueh and murukku – was given out in July, and can still be collected while stocks last.
The July pin was designed by Dale Lam (
@Iamwenjie on Instagram) , while Hafi Jainal (
@hahahafi ) has designed the pin for August. Natasha Hassan (
@_natashahassan ) also contributed pin designs for the project .
The upcoming designs will also reflect aspects of local heritage.
Info: Go to
sg60.gov.sg or MCCY's social media pages (@MCCYsg) on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
Gardens by the Bay's Orchid Extravaganza
Orchird Extravaganza at the Gardens by the Bay's Flower Dome.
PHOTO: GARDENS BY THE BAY
From Aug 1 to 31, Gardens by the Bay's Flower Dome will pay homage to the orchid, a symbol of Singapore. More than 6,000 of the flowers will be on display at the Orchid Extravaganza.
The highlight will be three orchid-clad Supertrees, including a 6.5m-tall centrepiece decked out with more than 1,800 orchids. These include 600 moth orchids arranged in 16 elaborate layers.
Info: Go to
str.sg/92vM
Nex's local snack-themed plushies
Nex mall has rolled out snack-inspired plush collectibles, including one inspired by pandan cake.
PHOTO: NEX
Nex mall in Serangoon is riding on Singapore's snack plushie craze with its own line-up for SG60. There are six collectible designs, inspired by pandan cake, curry puffs and other local snacks.
The plushies d ouble as keychains and contain a matching foldable tote bag each.
A different plushie will be released every Friday until Aug 22.
The plushies can be redeemed at the shopping centre's Level 1 customer service counter. To do so, shoppers must spend a minimum of $120 or $250 at the mall, across a maximum of three same-day receipts.
The $250 minimum applies if one of the receipts is from a mall tenant in one of these categories: supermarket, educational, enrichment, or beauty and services. Otherwise, spending $120 will suffice.
Shoppers will need a NEXrewards membership to make redemptions, which are limited to one a day. Total redemptions are limited to 1,000 a week.
Info:
bit.ly/ComeShopLahNEX
Far East Malls' SG60 flatware and tumblers
The design by artist Yeni Lim (above) will decorate Far East Malls across the island, as well as special merchandise.
PHOTOS: FAR EAST MALLS
Far East Malls – which includes city and neighbourhood malls such as Clarke Quay Central and Siglap Centre – has teamed up with local artist Yeni Lim (
@yenidraws on Instagram) for a collection of SG60 melamine plates and stainless-steel tumblers.
The merchandise features hand-drawn illustrations of Singaporean motifs, such as otters, laksa and tingkat carriers. These will also be displayed as glass-door stickers at West Coast Plaza, Clarke Quay Central, Orchard Central and Square 2.
The Flavours Of SG60 Bamboo-Melamine Plate Set, in a choice of two designs, can be redeemed as a gift with purchase. Spend a minimum of $150 in a single day across a maximum of two receipts at a Far East Mall.
From Aug 8, shoppers can choose to redeem a stainless-steel tumbler featuring Lim's full design, instead of the plates. The same terms and conditions apply.
Info: Go to
str.sg/sLfh
Onlewo and Tong Heng's pastries-and-plate set
Onlewo and Tong Heng's SG60 pastries-and-plate set.
PHOTO: ONLEWO X TONG HENG
Traditional Cantonese pastry brand Tong Heng and local design brand Onlewo have collaborated for a pop-up at the Takashimaya Celebrates SG60 event.
An exclusive item at the pop-up is an SG60 pastries-and-plate set ($60). It comes with one white pastry with red date filling, one pink-red pastry with lotus filling and a limited-edition Onlewo SG60 ceramic plate. It is available while stocks last.
Info: Visit the Onlewo and Tong Heng pop-up at Takashimaya Celebrates SG60, Basement 2, Takashimaya Square, daily until Aug 11, 10.30am to 9.30pm.
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AsiaOne
18 hours ago
- AsiaOne
27-year-old who helps run family's hawker business opens own restaurant: 'I should maximise what I can do at this age', Lifestyle News
On a typical Friday night, many youths would either be hanging out with friends, preparing for a night out or heading to bed. And then there is Delonix Tan, who is just waking up and getting ready to go to the wet market at Kim Keat Palm Market and Food Centre. For the 27-year-old, this is a weekly routine that will only get more hectic when his new F&B venture at MyVillage called San Dai Yong Tau Foo, which sells hearty bowls of yong tau foo, opens in September. Prior to pursuing this project, Delonix juggled a full-time job at a catering company — which he recently resigned from — while helping his parents with the daily tasks at their family wet market stall, San Dai Fishball. In his free time, he manages and creates content for San Dai Fishball's social media platforms, in which he also shares the day-to-day routine of helping manage the stall and amassing a modest following of more than 23,000 and almost 9,000 users on Instagram and TikTok respectively. @sandaifishball Pros and Cons of Machine Made Fishballs ⚙️🐟 #sandaifishball ♬ Shipyard Sample - Official Sound Studio With so much on his plate, Delonix initially had been hesitant about pursuing something as adventurous, risky and challenging as a new F&B concept, he told AsiaOne when we paid him a visit at his uncle's yong tau foo stall, Xin Mei Cooked Food, where he is learning how to operate a yong tau food business. "I had been thinking about [setting up my own F&B business] for quite some time already, but I never really took action because I had a full-time job and I was struggling with all the social media stuff [for San Dai Fishball], so I was pretty maxed out," he revealed. But fast forward to March, and a collaboration with a popular local F&B brand would turn his dream into a reality. The pressures of being a third-gen hawker For the past eight years, Delonix's life has revolved around food, specifically fishballs and yong tau foo. He first dipped his toes in the industry by working part-time at San Dai Fishball while he was completing National Service. "When I first joined the business, it frankly was very brutal. I couldn't really get used to it," he told us bluntly. "But after some time, after I got used to the flow, it eventually became a part of my identity." Apart from the job being physically and mentally taxing, it put a strain on his relationship with his family, especially his father. While working in the family business did allow him to spend more time with them, this also led to more room for friction. "The headache part is handling the conflict. Initially, when I started out at the family business, my dad and I had a lot of conflict. It was a shaky period for us, especially since outside of the business, we have a very good relationship," he shared. There is the pressure to perform, too. "Being a third-generation hawker is a bittersweet experience. It's good in the sense that we already got a base so we don't need to start from zero," he shared. "But it's also very stressful, because let's say if I fail, I'm not only failing as a person, but I feel that I will tarnish my family's five decades of legacy." After several years of honing his skills, he had attempted to strike it out on his own in 2020 by opening a stall at Amoy Street Food Centre selling fishball noodles. Unfortunately, this was short-lived because a few months later, the Covid-19 pandemic happened. "We went into lockdown and the Central Business District virtually had nobody at all," he recounted. "I opened during Covid-19 and I closed during Covid-19 because I didn't know how long the pandemic would last. I'm lucky I closed it because I would have bled out even more money if I had continued." While Delonix tried to keep the business afloat during those dark times, the Circuit Breaker measures and drop in footfall didn't help his new business, so he eventually had to shutter it. During the pandemic, he also attempted starting a business outside the F&B scene: A photo studio called Pixslut. However, after a year of managing it, he sold it away. "I tried a few things and realised that all businesses are difficult," he shared. In December last year, Lau Wang Claypot, a popular chain restaurant specialising in traditional claypot dishes, asked Delonix if he could do a three-month collaboration with them. "They just reached out to me and I thought, why not give it a shot?" said Delonix. The collaborative event, which kicked off in March, featured two dishes — Curry Yong Tau Food and Collagen Soup — that were prepared with San Dai Fishball's 100 per cent yellowtail fish meatballs, yong tau foo and fishballs. And these were a huge hit with diners. "It reassured me that my idea of a retail arm for San Dai Fishball is workable and people want to eat our cooked food. In fact, a lot of our customers texted me saying they were happy with our collaboration with Lau Wang Claypot because now, they can eat our food without the inconvenience of coming down to the market in the morning to buy our products." So, after the collaboration was done and dusted in May, Delonix pitched the idea of opening a yong tau foo stall to Lau Wang Claypots founder Mark Jeremy Low, sharing that while it was something he has wanted to try for a long time, he "lacked the expertise". He offered to "run the show" while the folks at Lau Wang Claypot would teach him how to do branding and turn the business into a "small quick-service restaurant", and the two parties agreed to be business partners. Delonix's father will also be helping him with the yong tau foo production. Initially, Delonix had wanted to operate in a hawker centre but after some discussions, he and Mark agreed to open their very first outlet in a mall at Serangoon Gardens. "After I discussed this with Mark, I think this makes sense. We want to bring our food to the next level," he said. Delonix elaborated that by having an eatery in a mall as compared to a hawker centre, it's easier to hire manpower because potential employees would prefer working in an air-conditioned environment. Another reason is that a restaurant would give them more flexibility with the menu. "For example, in a coffee shop, there are many things I can't sell, such as drinks, because there will already be a drinks stall. But with my own restaurant, I can sell whatever I want and be more innovative with what I want to portray for my brand," he explained. Ungodly hours, 7 days a week To prepare for the opening of San Dai Yong Tau Foo, Delonix has had to tweak his day-to-day schedule. In the past, on weekdays, he worked full-time at his friend's catering company, Kitchen Haus Group, as a senior operations executive. And on weekends, he was at San Dai Fishball from 12am to 10am. Now, since he quit his job, he spends Mondays to Fridays at his uncle's yong tau foo stall at Hougang Hainanese Village Centre, learning the ropes from around 6.30am to 2pm. And over the weekends, he continues to help his parents with the family business at San Dai Fishball. On top of that, he and his partners at Lau Wang Claypot would meet to do research and development for the San Dai Yong Tau Foo, which includes trying out different recipes for the noodles. Things will only get busier for Delonix once his new yong tau foo stall officially opens next month. San Dai Yong Tau Foo will operate all seven days a week from 9am to 9pm, and though Delonix will be hiring employees to manage the day-to-day operations, he plans on working every day at the new eatery with no breaks until the business stabilises. This involves him producing fishballs and yong tau foo at San Dai Fishball in Toa Payoh from midnight to 7am and heading to his new eatery afterwards around 8am to prepare the food. He will only end work at about 3pm and after which, his staff will take over. To him, this arrangement is already quite "sustainable". "We are operating every day with no off days, Monday to Sunday. It's to increase our likelihood of breaking even," he elaborated. Apart from the ungodly hours, Delonix shared that running an F&B business will be much harder than what he is used to doing at his parents' wet market stall. "If you're talking about the difference between a wet market stall and a cooked-food store, it is very different. Working at a cooked-food stall is way more intense. At a wet market stall, once I've produced the fishballs, I can just sell them and go back home," he explained, adding that for an F&B business, there are additional steps such as preparing and cooking the food. "[A cooked-food stall] is more dangerous as well. The soup is hot so your hand may get burnt." Delonix also shared that the snippets of his life that he shares on San Dai Fishball's Instagram don't fully show how tough the nature of his job is. "Think twice if you want to work in F&B, it's not as easy as you think. It looks very glamorous. When people see my social media posts they think that I'm doing well, but they don't see the long hours and the sacrifices," he said. Preparing for something new In total, Delonix and his partners have pumped more than six digits into the business, with him being the majority shareholder. And with it being "unknown territory" for him, he's certainly feeling the pressure, especially since he's already run into some challenges. But Delonix still finds all this "very exciting" because he's learning plenty of new things. To cite an example, he talked about the renovation process and how he now understands that landlords have many different requirements. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DELON (@sandaifishball) He also has to settle things like manpower, furniture, electricity, pest control and his Singapore Food Agency License. And while preparations for the new eatery are going relatively smooth, Delonix admitted that he's still a ball of nerves. "Frankly, I'm very scared. Even now, I'm still scared. Because the risk level is way higher as compared to [running] a hawker stall," he explained. Some may wonder why Delonix is willing to spend his youth to pursue something so risky and taxing. But to him, it's all worth it. "It's my goal to carry on my family business. And I'm still in my 20s, so I should maximise what I can do at this age. I mean, I can't do this when I've got a wife and kids next time. "So now is the time to chase after my dreams and follow my passion. Now I can be more selfish with my time." [[nid:720688]] melissateo@
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
SG60 plus 60: What Singapore's youngest citizens envision for SG120 in 2085
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The kids of Singapore imagine what the Republic will be like in 2085, 60 years from SG60. SINGAPORE – Singapore, when it celebrates SG120, is a floating green city where robo-animals roam and cars fly. Teleportation, often explored in science fiction, is becoming a reality. Social harmony abounds. Singapore's youngest citizens have imagined these scenarios for 2085, another 60 years from now. Following a call by The Straits Times in July, almost 70 children aged six to 12 have described their hopes and dreams for the future Singapore. While every response is unique, there are four overarching themes: green city, social harmony, advanced technology and cutting-edge transportation. Many of the responses revolve around teleportation. As 11-year-old Tan Hui En points out, with teleportation, there will be 'no more long and tedious flights', whether travel lovers are eyeing Tokyo in Japan or distant Quito in Ecuador. After all, space transportation company SpaceX is envisioning this as well. Founder Elon Musk reposted a Jan 17 post on social media platform X that said SpaceX's future 'Earth to Earth' system could ferry passengers from 'Tokyo to Singapore in 28 minutes'. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet World As China-US tariff truce talks drag on, what are prospects for a 'big deal' for Trump? Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore SPH Media awards three journalism scholarships to budding newsroom talent Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore Business Sumo Salad had valid insurance coverage for work injury claims: MOM While astronautical engineers sort this out, Cedric Ng Jun Xi, 11, suggests taking a cue from the world's most popular video game. 'I predict that scientists will invent real-life Ender Pearls,' he says. 'Ender Pearls are items in Minecraft that you can throw and they will teleport you to wherever you throw them.' Many responses allude to current concerns: climate change, the prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) and even rising GST (goods and services tax). However, 11-year-old Heng Su Fern believes Singapore's City In A Garden ethos will be undiminished in 2085. 'Singapore will be a shimmering garden city with vertical forests rising alongside solar towers that provide clean energy,' she says. 'Tall, floating greenhouses that grow all the food for Singaporeans will glide gently on the water, adapting to sea level to rise with grace and Singapore's lack of space.' Many children also anticipate that the pursuit of nation-building and pace of urban development will not relent. Still, they wish for peace and harmony. As nine-year-old Wee Jing Wen Abby says: 'Though we do not know what the future holds for us, I choose to believe our future will be bright and beautiful.' Ahead of National Day, when SG60 celebrations crescendo, ST looks ahead to SG120 with a two-part Born Tomorrow series. Read on for part one, featuring pearls of wisdom from the future pioneers of the land, as reinterpreted by ST executive artists Lee Yu Hui and Billy Ker. Sustainable urban growth ST ILLUSTRATION: BILLY KER, LEE YU HUI 'In 2085, Singapore is a city in the sky. I hope that the new homes will have solar panels and greenery on the roof of all new buildings.' Utin Nurqaseh Rina Upu Jallauddin, 12 'We live way up in the sky on floating gardens with trees that glow at night. My school is in a giant glass bubble, and sometimes we learn while flying.' Hugo Veeramallu, nine 'By 2085, Singapore will be a literal city in nature, with green skyscrapers covering every rooftop and actively giving air and giving a home to wildlife.' Queena Ng Suan Lu, 11 'I hope that Singapore can have a machine that sucks up all the smoke and bad air that is not good for our health. I also hope that all our classrooms will have air-conditioning as Singapore is very hot.' Gracelynn Chan Xin Rou, 10 New methods of transport ST ILLUSTRATION: BILLY KER, LEE YU HUI 'Our roads will be multifunctional: one lane of water, another of concrete and a third, a runway, so that Singaporeans have a choice to use a boat, a car or a flying mini-vehicle to go to school or work.' Chugh Hridhaan, nine 'I wish for underwater trains, so we will be able to see all the fishes under the water.' Lim Kun Yuen Daelen, 12 'Power planes will help us travel much faster. For example, the flight from Singapore to Beijing usually takes six hours, but power planes will be able to make that trip in just one hour.' Clare Ho Qi En, eight 'Cars may become obsolete. We will commute by boats instead, as global warming dominates. No more need for bus stops and the MRT.' Anjali Kaur Galvinderpal Singh, 10 Advanced technology ST ILLUSTRATION: BILLY KER, LEE YU HUI 'Schools will disappear and will be replaced with a device that can transfer the parent's knowledge.' Pan Boyu, 11 'Scientists could make drinkable potions. The effects could be to make you stronger, faster or more intelligent, or make you not tired at all.' Aaliyah Mohamad Mazlan, 10 'Future phones and tablets may be miniaturised to fit into small accessories, like jewellery, and can be controlled and interacted with through holographic interfaces and allow for gestures and voice commands.' Wee Jing Wen Abby, nine 'With bio-engineering, Singaporeans will be telepathic and able to teleport.' Zita Elizabeth Nyan Ching Yi, 11 'There will be more new animals, some old animals and robo-animals.' Goh Ruiyang Ryden, eight Social harmony for all ST ILLUSTRATION: BILLY KER, LEE YU HUI 'Singaporeans will live in high-tech kampungs, a way to help preserve history in daily lives as well as incorporate things in the future.' Heng Su Fern, 11 'Hopefully, inflation will not be too bad.' Queena Ng Suan Lu, 10 'There is something I do not want to change, like our teachers giving us lessons instead of AI, and encouraging children to generate their own ideas.' Clare Ho Qi En, eight 'People from all races and ages will live happily together. There will be more parks, kind people and exciting inventions. I hope Singapore will be safe, peaceful and full of joy.' Xue Jin Chen, 12
Business Times
2 days ago
- Business Times
Singapore's temporal sovereignty: How SG60 reveals the future of statecraft
POLITICAL science has long understood sovereignty as control over territory, people and resources. But Singapore's SG60 initiatives reveal something unprecedented in statecraft: temporal sovereignty – the systematic capacity to govern across multiple time horizons simultaneously. The SG60 package demonstrates governance operating on 60-year strategic cycles while executing immediate interventions, representing not just effective policy, but the evolution of governance itself. SG60: Long-term thinking in action A closer look at the package reveals Singapore's temporal sovereignty in action. The S$1 billion hawker centre investment operates on 20 to 30-year horizons, anticipating generational cultural preservation needs while creating immediate jobs and long-term tourism assets. The S$600 million in charity matching funds creates sustainable philanthropic ecosystems that will strengthen Singapore's social fabric for decades. The SG Culture Pass and ActiveSG credits build long-term consumption habits while providing immediate revenue to their respective industries. This approach is driven by institutions such as Singapore's Centre for Strategic Futures (CSF). The CSF's methodology goes beyond traditional forecasting to address sudden disruptions and long-term trends simultaneously. Recent research in the European Journal of Futures Research by economics professor Ceyhun Elgin highlights Singapore's institutional design as exemplifying how governments can build genuine long-term planning capabilities. The SG60 voucher distribution reveals this sophisticated approach applied to economic policy. Rather than simple stimulus, the vouchers channel spending toward heartland businesses and hawker centres, strengthening local commercial ecosystems. The timing, disbursed from July 2025 with validity through 2026, creates sustained economic activity patterns rather than temporary boosts. This demonstrates using today's policy tools to shape future economic behaviour. Institutional advantages for business and investment Singapore's ability to achieve temporal sovereignty stems from specific institutional innovations that create decades of policy certainty. The integration of strategic planning throughout government represents a fundamental departure from treating long-term thinking as a specialised function. Research commissioned by the UK Government Office for Science noted that in Singapore, strategic thinking skills are core parts of civil service training, creating systematic planning capacity rather than isolated expertise. For businesses, this means rare policy predictability, an advantage exemplified by the SG60 hawker centre investment. Building on UNESCO's recognition of Singapore's hawker culture, the S$1 billion commitment creates sustained opportunities for food, tourism and property development. This provides an investment certainty that is a luxury in most democracies, where projects are vulnerable to electoral cycles. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up Singapore's Strategy Group, established in 2015 under the Prime Minister's Office, coordinates complex issues cutting across ministry boundaries. This enables the policy integration seen in SG60: using immediate economic relief to support medium-term business development while building long-term cultural assets. The CSF's 'Early Warning Systems' analyse risks and build response capabilities before crises emerge. This forward-looking approach is also reflected in the SG60 charity matching funds, which strengthen community capacity to reduce future fiscal burdens while creating opportunities for impact investment and corporate social responsibility partnerships. Why other systems struggle with long-term planning Most democratic systems face structural challenges in maintaining policy continuity across electoral transitions. The UK's experience illustrates these challenges. Despite operating a Foresight unit for more than 20 years, major infrastructure projects like HS2, a new highspeed railway, face discontinuity pressures when new administrations reassess predecessors' commitments. Long-term projects are vulnerable to partisan politics, making them subject to cancellation when power changes hands. Singapore's system faces the same five-year electoral cycle but has developed institutional mechanisms that insulate strategic planning from political disruption. The continuity comes from strong technocratic institutions, sustained electoral mandate, and a political culture that prioritises long-term national outcomes over short-term political positioning. Singapore's electorate has consistently demonstrated remarkable policy patience, re-electing leaders based on long-term performance rather than demanding immediate gratification. This electoral patience allows leaders to make genuinely strategic decisions without the populist pressures that constrain policymaking in many democracies. In Singapore, new leaders inherit and build upon existing strategic frameworks, ensuring policy continuity that transcends individual political careers while maintaining democratic legitimacy through regular electoral validation. Continued payoffs The business implications of this multi-generational strategy are direct. The SG60 Culture Pass, for instance, encourages arts engagement and builds long-term consumption habits, creating predictable customer pipelines for creative industries and cultural enterprises. Similarly, Singapore's charity matching approach through the S$250 million SG Gives grant fosters a robust philanthropic ecosystem, opening new avenues for corporate partnerships and impact investing. For multinational corporations, Singapore's temporal sovereignty offers rare planning certainty. Institutional continuity enables businesses to make longer term investments with confidence in policy stability. The hawker centre modernisation program, for example, provides construction, technology, and hospitality companies with predictable pipeline opportunities across decades. The evolution of statecraft and global implications Singapore's temporal sovereignty represents genuine innovation in governance theory. Traditional sovereignty assumed control of physical territory and populations. The city-state has pioneered systematic governance across time dimensions that enables proactive rather than reactive policy approaches. For businesses operating globally, Singapore's model suggests the competitive advantages of countries that can provide policy certainty across extended time horizons. As supply chains become more complex and investment cycles longer, jurisdictions offering predictable regulatory environments will attract increasing capital flows. Effective modern governance requires the ability to optimise across multiple time horizons while maintaining social cohesion and economic dynamism. Singapore's institutional innovations – embedding strategic planning, creating policy continuity mechanisms, and designing multi-generational strategies – provide valuable models for governance evolution. In an era of increasing global uncertainty, Singapore's mastery of temporal sovereignty offers both a competitive model for governments and a stable foundation for business planning across extended time horizons. Singapore's six decades of sustained growth, social stability, and crisis resilience demonstrate that temporal sovereignty delivers superior outcomes for citizens and businesses alike. The writer is a legal academic affiliated with the Singapore University of Social Sciences, University of Reading, Cambridge C-EENRG, and NUS APCEL. He is also a lawyer at RHTLaw Asia
