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Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
NDR 2025: First homes at former Kranji racecourse to be ready in about 10 years, says PM Wong
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox An illustration of future housing development in Kranji, which was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence. SINGAPORE – The first homes in a new public housing estate at the former racecourse in Kranji will be ready in about 10 years' time. This new estate will combine urban living with natural heritage, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Aug 17, as he laid out redevelopment plans for three areas in northern Singapore – Kranji, Sembawang Shipyard and Woodlands. PM Wong noted that previous speeches have covered plans for the western, eastern and central regions. 'Some people say the northern part of Singapore is more 'ulu', more remote. I assure you it's not. So tonight, I will focus on the north,' he said, to applause from the audience at ITE College Central. Referring to the Kranji racecourse as 'a rare opportunity for a major transformation', PM Wong said the site has the right ingredients to be developed for housing, such as ample space, good connectivity and nature at its doorstep. Singapore Turf Club held its last race at the Kranji racecourse on Oct 5, 2024 , and the club will return the site to the Government by March 2027 , freeing up about 130ha of land – equivalent in size to roughly 200 football fields – for development. PM Wong said the connectivity of the Kranji area will be improved, citing plans for a new MRT station at Sungei Kadut, which will be an interchange connecting the North-South and Downtown MRT lines. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDR 2025: New govt-funded traineeship scheme for ITE, poly, university graduates Singapore NDR 2025: CDCs to spearhead new effort to match job seekers to roles nearer to home, says PM Wong Singapore NDR 2025: US baseline tariff of 10% on Singapore offers 'little comfort', says PM Wong Singapore NDR 2025: S'pore looking at more ways to strengthen online safety for children and support parents Sport Third time's the charm as Aaron Liang dethrones Samuel Kang en route to national squash title World European leaders to join Zelensky for Ukraine talks with Trump Asia Mandarin with Taiwanese characteristics: Taipei leverages language as soft power tool Asia 'Rats from the sky': Urban India finds itself divided on pigeons The station is slated to open in 2035 , and will be one stop away from the existing Kranji MRT station. PM Wong also highlighted the former racecourse site's natural surroundings, citing the upcoming Mandai Mangrove and Mudflat Nature Park that is set to open in 2028, the Rail Corridor, and Sungei Mandai, a waterway. He said some 14,000 new homes will be built and noted that they will be nestled amidst lush green spaces and supported by new amenities like a new neighbourhood centre around Kranji MRT station. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has previously said both public and private homes will be built at the site. Turning to the plans for Sembawang Shipyard , PM Wong said there are many possibilities for the creative reuse of the space. For instance, he said, a dry dock where ships are repaired could be reused as a community space for sports, concerts and events, or as a plaza for people to gather. An illustration of a dry dock reimagined as sports facility that was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence. PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Referencing the site's coastline, PM Wong said there will be homes with waterfront living, new dining and shopping concepts, and new community spaces along the promenade. 'When you put it all together, this can become a new vibrant waterfront destination in the north – rich in heritage, yet reimagined for the future,' he said of the area, which was a naval base established by the British in 1938 before being converted into a shipyard that was officially opened in 1971. URA said in June that the shipyard will be relocated from 2028. As for Woodlands, PM Wong said more homes, including public housing, will be built along the Woodlands waterfront. An illustration of housing along Woodlands waterfront that was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence. PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY These are in addition to the upcoming 'Housing by the Woods' precinct, which the Housing Board said will have about 4,000 flats built over 21ha of land, offering scenic views of Admiralty Park and Woodlands Waterfront. Citing these plans and other upcoming infrastructural upgrades, PM Wong said Woodlands will be reshaped and transformed into a modern and vibrant regional centre. He touched on Woodlands Checkpoint, which will be expanded to five times its current size, and the Johor Bahru – Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, which is set to open in 2026 . More flexible industrial spaces will be built around the RTS station in Woodlands North. These are expected to accommodate a mix of uses, including retail and dining. An artist's impression of flexible industrial spaces around RTS Link station. PHOTO: JTC CORPORATION Referencing the development of Punggol over the past two decades, PM Wong said the Government will deliver on its plans to develop Kranji and Sembawang. 'Kranji and Sembawang will flourish as even more vibrant towns – full of life and opportunity,' he said. Briefly recapping plans to protect Singapore against climate change and rising sea levels, PM Wong listed land reclamation at Pulau Tekong, works at Changi Bay and the upcoming Long Island project off East Coast. 'Land is limited and precious in Singapore – so we do whatever it takes to protect whatever we have today,' said PM Wong, adding that plans to protect other parts of Singapore are being developed. Amid climate change and other shifting circumstances, Singapore's progress will never be left to chance, PM Wong said. 'We are and have always been a nation that adapts, reinvents and dares to dream.'
Straits Times
a day ago
- Business
- Straits Times
NDR 2025: US baseline tariff of 10% on Singapore offers ‘little comfort', says PM Wong
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox So far, Singapore's economy has been resilient, performing better than expected in the first six months of 2025. Follow our live coverage here. SINGAPORE - The 10 per cent baseline tariff rate the United States has imposed on Singapore offers 'little comfort', Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Aug 17. This is because while the baseline rate is the lowest any country can get, no one knows if - or when - the US might raise it or set higher tariffs on specific industries like pharmaceuticals and semi-conductors. 'What we do know is that there will be more trade barriers in the world. That means small and open economies like us will feel the squeeze,' PM Wong said in his National Day Rally (NDR) speech at ITE College Central. This is why Singapore convened the Singapore Economic Resilience Taskforce (SERT) earlier this year to review and refresh its economic strategies. The taskforce, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, is looking at many issues - from how Singapore can stay competitive, secure access to green energy to power its future sustainably to how it can help enterprises break into new markets, expand overseas and become global leaders. (From left) Minister of State for Manpower and Culture, Community and Youth Dinesh Vasu Dash; Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development Alvin Tan; Senior Parliament Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth, and Sustainability and the Environment Goh Hanyan; Minister of State for Education and Digital Development and Information Jasmin Lau; Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Culture, Community and Youth Low Yen Ling; Acting Minister for Transport Jeffrey Siow; Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong; Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo; Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Health Koh Poh Koon; Minister of State for Defence Desmond Choo; and Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI PM Wong said the external shifts are not temporary. The US and China are likely to continue to drift apart and the global economy will become more contested and fragmented. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore NDR 2025: Govt will help workers harness AI, redesign jobs, says PM Wong Singapore NDR 2025: Govt to strengthen partnership with Chinese community, which played key role in nation-building Singapore NDR 2025: New Islamic college campus will be in Rochor, students can take courses at SUSS next door Asia Mandarin with Taiwanese characteristics: Taipei leverages language as soft power tool Singapore She won big in Genting, but getting $240k winnings back to Singapore was dicey Singapore Buying hope: Inside S'pore's love affair with the lottery The road ahead will not be as easy as before. The American-led rules based global order which allowed even small economies like Singapore's to compete fairly no longer hold. More countries are going their own, chasing narrow, immediate gains over shared progress, he said. 'So now, it is every country for itself - in a world where rivalry is intensifying and trust is in short supply,' PM Wong said. He cited the conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, a recent flare-up between India and Pakistan as well as the border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand. But Singapore is not going to sit back and resign itself to being mere bystanders in a world shaped by others. 'We will take charge of our own destiny. We will shape the future we want - through our own actions, and our own choices,' PM Wong said. US President Donald Trump's punishing new tariffs on trading partners snapped into place on Aug 7, with imports from Singapore subject to a 10 per cent baseline tariff. The rates that took effect are unlikely to be the final chapter in the expanding trade war, as the US president still plans to impose additional tariffs on foreign-made medicines, computer chips and other products. So far, Singapore's economy has been resilient, performing better than expected in the first six months of 2025. On Aug 12, the Ministry of Trade and Industry raised its full-year gross domestic product growth forecast for Singapore to 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent , from 0 per cent to two per cent previously, after the better than expected performance in the first half of 2025. This is the second time this year that MTI changed its growth forecast for 2025. The forecast was initially for growth of 1 per cent to 3 per cent, but was downgraded in April after US President Donald Trump announced a global baseline tariff of 10 per cent and reciprocal tariffs on trading partners. Still, MTI flagged high uncertainty with risks from the re-escalation in tariff actions; a shock to financial markets from sharper than expected tightening of global financial conditions; and potential escalation in geopolitical tensions that could disrupt energy supply chains. PM Wong had said on July 29 that while zero tariffs are preferred, Singapore could live with 10 per cent, noting there are still many opportunities for trade and investment with the world's largest economy. He was speaking at an SG60 conference held by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and Singapore Business Federation. Earlier in August, Singapore launched the Economic Strategy Review (ESR) to help ensure Singapore thrive amid the new geopolitical landscape and technological disruptions. The ESR comprises five committees focused on strengthening Singapore's economy, harnessing technology, supporting startups, empowering workers, and managing restructuring impacts. The ESR will publish recommendations by mid-2026 after engaging with businesses, workers and other stakeholders. Watch PM Wong's National Day Rally speech here:
Business Times
23-07-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Showing green possibilities: ITE students bring new ideas to SMEs
[SINGAPORE] A tie-up between the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and local businesses not only gives students workplace experience, but also brings fresh green ideas to the participating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A plant-based burger and a water-saving solution were among the winners in the third edition of the HSBC-NYAA-ITE Sustainability Initiative, which paired 153 ITE students with 46 local businesses. Launched in 2020, the initiative is a collaboration between HSBC Singapore, the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) Council and ITE. It aims to promote sustainability by having students work with businesses to improve their environmental practices. The latest edition began in February 2024 and culminated in an award ceremony on Jul 10 this year, with prizes of S$2,000, S$1,000 and S$500 for the top three teams. 'Kindness meat' The ITE College Central team's burger comprises a beetroot-based patty with mushroom buns and clean-label cheese. PHOTO: ITE COLLEGE CENTRAL Winning third place was a team that rekindled a food company's interest in healthy burgers. ITE College Central engineering students Juanita Jauhari Jos, Muhammad Danish Haziq Mohamed Hazizi and Pedro Keith Kwa developed a plant-based burger with a low carbon footprint for health-science food company Wholesome Savour. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am SGSME Get updates on Singapore's SME community, along with profiles, news and tips. Sign Up Sign Up The students focused on clean-label ingredients – produce grown without chemicals or pesticides – to make the product healthier and more sustainable. The main challenge: taste, as not all flavourful ingredients could be used. For instance, one ingredient they considered adding to the patty, plant-based bacon, 'was tasty, but the carbon footprint was too high', said Muhammad Danish Haziq. After several testing rounds and feedback from 50 consumers, the team landed on a beetroot-based patty with mushroom buns and clean-label cheese. They dubbed it the 'kindness meat' burger, as the patty mimics beef but produces just 6 per cent of the emissions: 3.5 kg of carbon dioxide per kilogram, compared with 60 kg for one made from regular beef. Jason Fong, Wholesome Savour's chief executive officer, said the students rekindled interest in a product category the company had previously shelved. 'We never thought having a burger would (be viable),' he said, noting that the market for plant-based burgers is already crowded. 'But (the students) told us: 'If we can eat a very healthy burger... we're very happy.' That gave us the drive (to embark on this project).' And while businesses may tend to focus on 'the underlying numbers', Wholesome Savour's young partners looked at market trends, noted Fong. Speaking of how the students got the company to see things differently, he said: 'We can be too fixated in the way we do things, but they came in with a fresh perspective and sparked ideas we could embrace.' Wholesome Savour plans to gauge public reception towards the burger by offering it at the Sengkang General Hospital staff canteen later this year. Water wisdom The ITE College East team developed a prototype that cuts water use during ablution before worshippers enter a mosque. PHOTO: ITE COLLEGE EAST The second-place project focused on water conservation, with ITE College East electrical-engineering students Nur Ain Maisarah Jurimi, Alyssa Naushin Muhammad Ramli, Nur Aqilah Azman and Nadhrah Syairah Muhamad Redzwan working with sustainable energy firm Hoh Say. Hoh Say had existing partnerships to install clean energy solutions in mosques. The students worked with the firm to develop a prototype that cuts water use during ablution – when devotees wash before entering the mosque – at Masjid Ahmad Ibrahim along Sembawang Road. The students found that each person used about five to six litres per session. Their solution dispenses a fixed amount of just 775 millilitres, in line with Islamic teachings on mindful water use. Built from scratch with support from ITE lecturers and engineers at Hoh Say, the device combines a flow meter and push-button control with mobile connectivity, so that the students could track water usage during the test period. While the prototype needs to be fine-tuned before a wider roll-out, Hoh Say representative Mohammad Sufian Shak Ban said that the collaboration brought a useful new perspective from the younger generation and reinforced the need to balance innovation with real-world practicality. Cool logic ITE College West engineering students Daryl Chin (left) and Muhamad Danial Hezri Sapri with their smart refrigerant detector. PHOTO: ITE COLLEGE WEST Fresh perspectives were also offered by the winning entry from ITE College West engineering students Daryl Chin and Muhamad Danial Hezri Sapri. They worked with Daikin Singapore subsidiary BMS Engineering to develop a smart refrigerant detector. Air-conditioning leaks are usually found only when technicians conduct manual checks on site. The winning device, in contrast, monitors gas pressure in real time to detect these leaks early. Leaks drive up electricity use, shorten the lifespan of air-conditioning units, may pose fire hazards, and cause carbon emissions, Chin said. He noted that by detecting leaks early and alerting technicians so these can be fixed, the device is projected to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions – direct and indirect emissions from operations and energy use – by 20 per cent. This can potentially slash up to 5,097 tonnes of such emissions in Singapore each year. Inspired by classwork on refrigerants and system efficiency, the students worked with mentors to create a S$200 sensor that sends alerts via WhatsApp or e-mail to both homeowners and technicians. The initial idea was for only the servicing team to be notified, but the students changed their minds after thinking about user trust. 'If you receive a call from Daikin saying your air-con system is faulty, you might think it's a scam,' Chin pointed out. 'We felt the homeowner should be the first to be informed, so they can decide what to do.' Daikin's regional training manager Eric Tan said he was impressed by the 'innovative' notification feature as it allows for immediate action, rather than waiting for a system failure. 'This collaboration allowed us to explore new ideas, and probably affordable solutions, from the students' perspective,' he added. 'It also helped us see things differently, in ways we may have overlooked.' ITE is now working with sustainability consultancy Decarb123 to explore commercialisation opportunities – and Daikin has expressed interest in hiring the students after they graduate.
CNA
19-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
PM Wong to deliver National Day Rally speech on Aug 17
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will deliver his 2025 National Day Rally speech on Aug 17. The rally will be held at Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central in Ang Mo Kio, the Prime Minister's Office said on Thursday (Jun 19). The National Day Rally is seen as the most important political speech of the year, when the prime minister addresses the nation and makes key policy announcements. This year's event will be Mr Wong's second National Day Rally, as well as his first since leading the ruling People's Action Party to victory in this year's General Election. At last year's National Day Rally, Mr Wong unveiled the , under which retrenched workers can receive temporary financial support of up to S$6,000 (US$4,670) over six months. Among the other initiatives announced at last year's National Day Rally were a revamp of the Gifted Education Programme and a review of rules and processes for companies to reduce the regulatory burden on them. Mr Wong also revealed a number of upcoming changes to Singapore's sporting landscape, with national sports training centres and the Singapore Sports School moving to Kallang as part of the Kallang Alive masterplan. The National Day Rally has been held at the same venue almost annually since 2013.
