October 2005 in Malaysia and Singapore

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Deaths 20: Datin Seri Endon Mahmood Events Dengue outbreak in Singapore Nicoll Highway criminal trials Singaporean response to 2005 Kashmir earthquake 3 October – 1 November: Kusu Island Pilgrimage 7 October – 6 November: Deepavali Light-Up at Little India Hari-Raya Light-Up 13 October – 13 November: at Geylang Serai 22 October – 13 November: at Kampong Gelam 21 October: Singapore Fashion Designers Contest 23 October: Theemidhi Festival Holidays 4: Ramadan begins Related pages 2005 in Malaysia 2005 in Singapore

31 October 2005 (Monday)

• Tampines Rovers' Noh Alam Shah receives the Player of the Year award in the S.League. (CNA)
• The Ministry of Education (Singapore) requires schools in Singapore to ensure that all students have a working thermometer, to prepare for any avian influenza outbreak. (CNA)
• A*Star's Biomedical Research Council is to invest S$70 million over three years to support stem cell research collaborations in Singapore. (CNA)

30 October 2005 (Sunday)

• MediaCorp Radio DJ Billy Wang, better known as Dongfang Billy, returns to Singapore after he left for Taiwan for an operation a year ago, and he says that he hopes to continue hosting radio talk shows and share his experience on the fight with cancer. (CNA)

29 October 2005 (Saturday)

• BreadTalk opens its first food court at Wisma Atria, called the Food Republic.

28 October 2005 (Friday)

• The Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, Associate Prof Ho Peng Kee, says both Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force have restructured their National Service (NS) in-camp training system to raise the level of preparedness of NSmen for national security operation. (CNA)
• During the Nicoll Highway collapse criminal trial, the former project director of the Circle MRT Line, Ng Seng Yoong, pleads immunity and protection from personal liability under Section 10 of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) Act. (CNA)
• Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Defence, Ng Eng Hen visits Singapore Armed Forces troops participating in Exercise Wallaby in Queensland, Australia. (CNA)
• Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean officially launched the 155-millimetre Singapore Light Weight Howitzer (SLWH), called the Pegasus, which was jointly developed by the Singapore Armed Forces, the Defence Science and Technology Agency, and Singapore Technologies Kinetics. (CNA)

27 October 2005 (Thursday)

• Star Wars creator George Lucas' Lucasfilm has opened an animation studio in Singapore, its first outside the United States. The studio, named as Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, will participate in the next Star Wars production called "Clone Wars". (CNA)

26 October 2005 (Wednesday)

• Foreign relations of Singapore: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meets Chinese President Hu Jintao during Lee's official visit to the People's Republic of China. Both men discuss bilateral relation and other issues. (CNA)
• 17-year-old blogger pleads guilty to charges under the Sedition Act for making inflammatory comments about Malays and Muslim. (CNA)
• Counter-terrorism in Singapore: Deputy Prime Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for Security and Defence S Jayakumar announces that Singapore is developing an early warning system, called the Risk Assessment and Horizon Scanning, to identify and assess new emerging threats to national security. (CNA)
• Researchers from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) say they have developed the world's smallest transformer (or commonly known as balun) integrated into and IC chip. (CNA)

25 October 2005 (Tuesday)

• The Ministry of Health issued a public advisory calling for several groups of people to get themselves vaccinated against flu, including elderly aged 65 years and above, and those with chronic heart and lung diseases, and diabetes or renal diseases. (CNA)
• Education in Singapore: The Ministry of Education has allowed the use of handheld electronic Chinese Language dictionaries for the composition part of the PSLE and GCE "N", "O", and "A" levels examination. Last year, the Chinese Language Review Committee recommended the use of these devices to enhance the learning of the language. (CNA)

24 October 2005 (Monday)

• In a meeting with Deputy PM Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and United States public relations chief Karen Hughes, Malaysia pledges to assist the United States in promoting the concept of Islam Hadhari, tackling the problem of terrorism and bringing peace in Iraq. (Reuters) (Seattle P-I)

23 October 2005 (Sunday)

• Lee Chong Wei defeats compatriot Mohd Hafiz Hashim in the men's singles final of the Denmark Open badminton championship in Aarhus. The doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat-Chan Chong Ming also bag the men's doubles title. (The Star)
• 2005/06 A1GP: Fairuz Fauzy finishes 8th in the Sprint Race for 3 points and 21st in the Feature Race at the Autódromo do Estoril in Portugal. A1 Team Malaysia now has 14 points and lies at 11th place. (Malay Mail) (PaddockTalk)
• Toh Kim Eng, mother of MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, died peacefully at the age of 87. (The Star)
• A former state minister of Sabah was detained by police involving the death of a 20-year-old in a fight involving two groups of youths. (The Star)
• A vaccine for battling dengue fever will most likely to be produced by the year 2007, said University Malaya Medical Centre Medical Microbiology head of department Prof Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar. (The Star)
• S$3.24 million in donations is pledged with 181,568 calls made during the Singapore Cancer Society charity show that includes performance by Kelvin Tan Wei Lian. The response indicates that Singaporeans have resume their confidence in charity organisations following the National Kidney Foundation controversy. (Today)

21 October 2005 (Friday)

• The US aerospace company Boeing and Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star) sign a Master Research Collaboration Agreement, forming a partnership to develop technology for the aerospace industry and conduct exploratory studies in areas ranging from advanced materials to computational science and wireless communications. (CNA)
• The National Arts Council (NAC) announces that the Cultural Medallion recipients for 2005 are Jack Neo for film, M Balakrishnan for literature, Dick Lee for Music, and Chng Soek Tin and Lee Wen for visual arts. This is the first time that a pop musician (Dick Lee) receives the award. (NAC)
• Transparency International ranks Singapore fifth on its list of least corrupt countries in the world. (Transparency International)
• Australian Nguyen Tuong Van loses his final appeal and will be hanged. He was convicted for smuggling almost four hundred grams of Heroin into Singapore from Vietnam, 200 times over the legal limit.(Yahoo! News)

20 October 2005 (Thursday)

• Datin Seri Endon Mahmood, the wife of the Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, died at 07:15 (23:15 UTC) after a long battle with breast cancer. (The Star)

17 October 2005 (Monday)

• Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan says that Singapore is preparing isolation wards in hospitals and stockpiling medicines to tackle a possible bird flu pandemic in the densely populated city-state. (Reuters)
• The 50% cap on gaming revenues from the planned Integrated Resorts was dropped after feedback from bidders. (CNA)
• The Public Transport Council will be given greater powers, including that for reviewing fares and to crack down on fare cheats. (CNA)

15 October 2005 (Saturday)

• Former Deputy Prime Minister Tun Ghafar Baba is critically ill and currently warded at the Pantai Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur. (The Star)
• Boeing may be offering Malaysia updated versions of the two-seater F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jets by the time its orders are confirmed. (Bernama) (The Star)
• Over 200 people, including religious leaders have gathered in Kuala Garing to pray for the recovery of Datin Paduka Seri Endon Mahmood, who is recuperating from breast cancer treatment. (The Star)
• The Malaysian Government is currently arranging a meeting with Thai officials regarding the 131 Thai Muslims who crossed the border into Kelantan. (The Star)
• Singapore becomes the first Southeast Asian country to be featured at the Sao Paulo International Biennial of Architecture and Design, to be held in Brazil from 22 October. (CNA)
• The new Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre at Novena was scheduled to open in 2008 with 277 beds in a new 14-storey building costing nearly S$31 million to build. (CNA)
• Singapore Post launches the world's first 24-hour automated post office at Parc Oasis Condominium in Jurong East. (CNA)
• The National Weather Project, aimed at getting school students to be aware of global climatic changes, received overwhelming support with over 160 schools taking part. (CNA)

14 October 2005 (Friday)

• 2005 Kashmir earthquake: MERCY Malaysia sends its third medical team containing 12 of its members to earthquake-stricken Pakistan-administered Kashmir. (Bernama)
• Squash: Ong Beng Hee enters the quarterfinals of the British Open in Manchester after defeating the defending champion, David Palmer in a match that took nearly 22 hours to complete. (The Star)
• Badminton: The mixed doubles pair of Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari and Ooi Sock Ai reaches the semi-finals of the Dutch Open by beating the English pair of Anthony Clark and Donna Kellogg 15-13, 4-15, 15-13. Hafiz Hashim, the women's doubles pairs of Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty and Sock Ai-Mooi Hing Yau, and the men's doubles pairs of Mohd Fairuzizuan-Lin Woon Fui and Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah also advanced. (The Star)
• The Parliamentary Services Act 1963 will be revived by the government so that the Parliament would not be influenced by any political party. (The Star)
• Aedes albopictus is the second species of mosquitoes to have been discovered as responsible for the spread of dengue fever, the first being Aedes aegypti. (The Star)
• Foreign relations of Malaysia: Cuba offers to help Malaysia in battling the dengue outbreak. (The Star)
• Foreign relations of Malaysia: Jordan and Malaysia will be cooperating with each other to curb the threat of international terrorism, this was said in a meeting with Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and King Abdullah of Jordan. (The Star)
• Parts of Malacca were hit with flash floods due to heavy rains and clogged drains. (The Star)
• The United Overseas Bank takes a majority control of Indonesia's PT Bank Buana Indonesia with an additional 30% stake purchase via UOB's subsidiary, UOB International Investment Pte Ltd. (CNA)
• Merrill Lynch expects six more bidders to drop out of the race to build Integrated Resorts, while saying the Genting Group has the most experience in operating around this region.(CNA)
• The Asian Aerospace will no longer be held in Singapore after the show in 2006 after disagreements over the new exhibition site. The new site will be utilised by the new Changi International Airshow instead. (CNA)
• The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore continues to deny access to Awair, citing Indonesian restrictions on allowing Singapore's low cost airlines to fly to the country. (CNA)

13 October 2005 (Thursday)

• Education in Singapore: The Ministry of Education set up a SGD$4.5 million School Twinning Fund to facilitate 9,000 primary and secondary school students to participate in overseas exchange programmes. About 120 of the 353 schools in Singapore have some form of exchange programmes. (CNA)
• Segambut and parts of Klang Valley were submerged after being struck by flash floods due to a swollen river. (The Star)
• A musical based on the award-winning movie, Puteri Gunung Ledang will be held at the Istana Budaya in February 2006. The musical will also star Tiara Jacquelina in the musical. (The Star)
• Foreign relations of Malaysia: Iraq's Industry Minister, Osama al-Najafi requests Malaysia's assistance in the reconstruction of Iraq, among other issues such as bilateral relations and investments during his three-day visit in Malaysia. (The Star)
• The Traffic Police Department of the Singapore Police Force launches the "Wave to say thanks" campaign to promote countery on the roads. (CNA)
• Channel NewsAsia was the fastest growing television channel in Singapore during the period of July 2004 to June 2005. (CNA)
• The Housing and Development Board considers various options to clear its 9,000 unsold flats, including involving the private sector and improving the interior furnishings. (CNA)
• The Economic Development Board comes up with a plan to capture a bigger share of the global cybergaming industry. (CNA)
• Observers predict that land costs will become a deciding factor as to whether the Housing and Development Board's Design, Build and Sell Scheme will succeed. (CNA)

12 October 2005 (Wednesday)

• The Registration of Criminals Bill takes effect and it allows ex-offenders of minor crimes to have their criminal records erased if they stay crime-free for five years. The Yellow Ribbon Project continues to help ex-offenders re-integrate into society. (CNA)
• The diesel quota allotted by Shell and Petronas have been used up and Miri now faces a diesel shortage. (The Star)
• Tenaga Nasional signs a multi-currency credit facility worth US$500 million (€416 million/RM1,885 million) to ease its foreign debt. (The Star)
• Analysis of the threatening items sent through post to foreign missions reveals that the yellow liquid was just oil mixed with water, and the white powder just plain white powder. (The Star)

11 October 2005 (Tuesday)

• The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board apologises for a mistake in a question in this year's PSLE Mathematics paper. The math question is flawed and cannot be solved. The Board is giving two marks to all students, regardless of their answers to the question. (CNA)
• Dengue fever cases in Malaysia have risen to a total of 67 following another death on Sunday. (The Star)
• Bangkok rejects calls for bilateral talks with Malaysia on the issue of 131 Thais who fled to the state of Kelantan because of the country's troubled south. (The Star)
• Amid rising oil prices, Singapore emerges tops in the region in its ability to stem inflation. (CNA)
• Property analysis point out that the Housing Development Board's Design, Build and Sell Scheme may have an effect on the resale market in the long term. (CNA)

10 October 2005 (Monday)

• Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew arrives in Moscow for a visit. He will attend the JP Morgan International Council Meeting. (CNA)
• Malaysia sends a search-and-rescue team and US$1 million (RM3.8 million) in aid of victims of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. (The Star)
• A 500-metre buffer zone along the Sarawak-Kalimantan border has been proposed to enhance security and stop illegal logging activities. (The Star)
• The culpable homicide charge against former stewardess Constance Chee was rephrased by the prosecution, while open disputes took place outside the courts. (CNA)
• More Singaporeans are owning their own homes according to a survey conducted by the Department of Statistics. The 2003 study shows 92% owning their homes now, compared to 29% in the 1970s. (CNA)
• Singapore Airlines publicises its intentions to invest A$12 million to market Australia as a tourism destination in its attempt to be allowed to fly the lucrative route between Australia and the United States. (CNA)

9 October 2005 (Sunday)

• Singaporean response to 2005 Kashmir earthquake: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, on behalf of the people of Singapore, expressed his deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake. The Singapore Civil Defence Force was preparing to dispatch a 44-member Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team to help Pakistan's relief and rescue operations. (CNA)
• A traffic police officer attached to the Ang Mo Kio Police Division, Staff Sergeant Noranzor bin Abdul Latiff, 32, dies in an accident at Yio Chu Kang Road while on mobile duty. (CNA)
• Over 40 regional and local dragon boat teams compete in a race on the Bedok Reservoir as part of WaterFest. (CNA)
• 2005/06 A1GP: Alex Yoong finishes 6th in the Sprint Race for 5 points and 16th in the Feature Race at the Euro Speedway in Germany. (The Star)

8 October 2005 (Saturday)

• Vivian Balakrishnan promises a complete overhaul of the charity sector within the next six months, in a move welcome by the National Council of Social Service. (CNA) (CNA)
• The Saturday Electronic Road Pricing begins at Orchard Road with noticeable drop in traffic. (CNA)
• Self-assessment kits to test for HIV infection and the onset of AIDS will be available to the masses by the end of 2005. (CNA)

7 October 2005 (Friday)

• One man is sentenced to one month's imprisonment and another man sentenced to one day imprisonment on charges under the Sedition Act. Both men plead guilty to making racist remarks on the Internet against minority Malays. (Reuters) (CNA)
• Little India's month-long light-up to usher in Deepavali begins. (CNA)
• 2005 dengue outbreak: Roof gutters will be banned from all new developments, while existing building owners will be encouraged to remove them in a bid to prevent future outbreaks of the disease. (CNA)
• BreadTalk wins the Singapore Promising Brand Award's Most Popular Brand Award category, the second time it has won the award since its first in 2002. (CNA)

6 October 2005 (Thursday)

• Malaysia loses to New Zealand 4-2 in the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup hockey tournament. (WorldHockey.org)
• Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security S Jayakumar attends a demonstration on key installations security at Jurong Island. He says that the recent Bali bombings are a reminder that Singapore must stay vigilant and cannot let its guard down in the fight against terrorism. (CNA)
• The first Singapore Design Festival will be held from 9 November to 23 November, with some 50,000 participants expected to attend. (CNA)
• Singapore's swimming representatives to the upcoming 2005 Southeast Asian Games will include ten newcomers out of a total of 21 members. (CNA)
• Public furore over the "white elephants" placards at the Buangkok MRT Station ends with the police deciding to let off the offender with a stern warning but with no charges pressed. (CNA)
• Tiger Airways expands its fleet with four new Airbus A320 aircraft after securing funding from the Royal Bank of Scotland. It seeks financing for another 4 planes. (CNA)
• The Urban Redevelopment Authority launches a second site in Orchard Road for tender, after an unnamed developer bid S$200 million for the 6,000 m² site. (CNA) (CNA)

5 October 2005 (Wednesday)

• Michael McCrea, suspected for two murders in 2002, will undergo psychiatric tests (CNA)
• The Active Senior Citizen and Grandparent of the Year Awards receives a record of over 1,000 nominations. (CNA)
• Singapore's archers hope to garner at least two golds in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games. (CNA)
• The Land Transport Authority puts on trial light-emitting devices in Toa Payoh for pedestrian safety issues. (CNA)
• S Dhanabalan will step down as chairman of DBS Bank and taken over by Koh Boon Hwee on 1 January 2006. (CNA)
• Public transport rivals ComfortDelgro and SMRT Corporation take differing paths for growth. (CNA)
• The Great Singapore Sale took in a record S$5 billion in sales in 2005, the highest ever in the event's twelve-year history. (CNA)

4 October 2005 (Tuesday)

• 11 embassies in Kuala Lumpur received suspicious packages containing threatening letters and unidentified liquid, triggering security alerts. The embassies are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, United Kingdom and the United States. (Forbes)
• José Carreras is in Singapore as part of celebrations for the Victoria Concert Hall's 100th anniversary since its opening on 18 October 1905.(CNA)
• More Singaporeans are taking to wine, as imports rise to S$100 million in 2004, up from S$76 million in 2003. (CNA) (CNA)
• A school modelled after Singaporean schools will be built on Hulhumale Island in the Maldives. (CNA)
• The Singapore Changi Airport gears up against regional competition with terminal upgrading and expansion. (CNA) (CNA) (CNA)

3 October 2005 (Monday)

• Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong meets Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Bali, two days after the Bali bombings. They agree to strengthen the fight against terrorism and also discuss cooperation in the fields of economy, trade and investment. (Jakarta Post)
• The Singapore Armed Forces is sending a medical team, composed of two doctors, two nurses, and two paramedics to Bali to help treat victims of the Bali bombings at the Sanglah Hospital. (CNA)
• Malaysia's Chief of Army, General Abdul Aziz Zainal arrives in Singapore for an introductory visit.
• The first of Nicoll Highway criminal trials starts today, with Ng Seng Yoong, the Qualified Person on the site, facing charge of breaching conditions under the Building Control Act. (CNA)
• Australia defeats Malaysia 2-1 in the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup hockey tournament. (Sportal.com.au)

2 October 2005 (Sunday)

• 10,000 people participate in the Johor-Singapore International 2nd Link Bridge Run, an event in its sixth year. (CNA)
• Foreign Minister George Yeo condemns the Bali bomb attacks which killed at least 26 people and expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims. He says that the latest attack is a reminder that although terrorist groups have been weakened, they remain a threat to our societies. Two hospitals, Singapore General Hospital and Mount Elizabeth Hospital, are treating victims from the blasts. The injured were being flown in by a medical assistance company International SOS. (CNA)
• Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi expresses his condolences to the families of the victims of the Bali bomb attacks. The Prime Minister says he is deeply saddened by the violence in the tourist resort island and says "I hope the Indonesian authorities will investigate and get the perpetrators". (TheStar)
• Hosts India trounces Malaysia 2-1 in the opening match of the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup hockey tournament. (The Star)

1 October 2005 (Saturday)

• Smoking prohibition extends today to bus interchanges, bus stops, stadiums and other public venues.