2016 in Singapore

← 2015 2014 2013 2016 in Singapore → 2017 2018 2019
Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	Other events of 2016 Timeline of Singaporean history

The following lists events that happened during 2016 in the Republic of Singapore.

Incumbents

• President: Tony Tan Keng Yam
• Prime Minister: Lee Hsien Loong

Events

March

• 12 March - MP of Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency, David Ong resigned due to an extra-marital affair.

April

• 20 April - Writ of election issued for Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency By-Election.
• 27 April - Nomination Day for Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency By-Election.

May

• 7 May - Murali Pillai elected as MP for Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency By-Election.
• 13 May - As part of the 2015–16 Zika virus epidemic, the first case of Zika virus infection in Singapore is announced; a Singaporean man who had travelled to Brazil. He made a full recovery by 17 May.^[1][2]
• 20 May - Sarawakian convicted murderer Jabing Kho was executed in Changi Prison at 3:30 pm in the evening after the latest appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court.
• 29 May - Services 77, 106, 173, 177, 189, 941, 945, 947 & 990 handed over to Tower Transit Singapore.

June

• 12 June - Services 66, 78, 79, 97, 97e & 143/143M handed over to Tower Transit Singapore.
• 26 June - Services 41, 49, 96, 98/98M, 183, 282, 284, 285, 333, 334 & 335 handed over to Tower Transit Singapore.
• 26 June - Underwater World stops operations.
• 27 June - Singapore Airlines Flight 368 right wing engine #2 catches fire after take off from Singapore Changi Airport and makes emergency landing on the same airport it took off from.
• 30 June - Funan DigitaLife Mall is going to be closed and demolished.

July

• 19 July - Singapore and Malaysia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) projects.^[3]

August

• 5–21 August – 25 athletes from Singapore compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The team produced a single medal: (on 12 August Brazil time / 13 August Singapore time) swimmer Joseph Schooling beat American Michael Phelps (then the most decorated Olympian of all time) in the 100 m butterfly to win Singapore's first ever Olympic gold medal and set an Olympic record.^[4][5][6][7]
• 6 August – Pokémon Go, a record-setting augmented reality game, is officially released in Singapore.^[8][9]
• 23 August – Former President, S.R. Nathan (the nation's sixth and longest-serving at the time) dies at the age of 92, after suffering a stroke three weeks prior. On 25 August, over 20,000 paid their respects when he was lying in state at Parliament House, Singapore. On 26 August, Nathan was accorded a state funeral and was cremated at Mandai Crematorium.^[10][11]
• 26 August – During the 2016 Southeast Asian haze caused by Indonesia, Singapore's 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) entered the 'unhealthy' range of above 100, while its 3-hour PSI reached 215.^[12][13]
• 27–31 August – Over five days, the first 115 cases of locally transmitted Zika virus infection in Singapore are confirmed; 110 from the combined area of Aljunied Crescent, Kallang Way, Paya Lebar Way and Sims Drive. The remaining live at various areas: Bedok North Avenue 3, Joo Seng Road, and Punggol Way.^[14][15]

September

• 4 September – Services 3, 34, 43/43M, 62, 82, 83, 84, 85, 118, 119, 136, 382 & 386 handed over to Go-Ahead Singapore.
• 7–18 September – 13 athletes from Singapore compete in six sports (archery, athletics, boccia, equestrian, swimming, and sailing) at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.^[16] On 10 September, swimmer Yip Pin Xiu won a gold medal in the 100m backstroke, S2 finals with a world record of 2:07.09, with an additional world record for the 59.38 split for the first 50m of the race.^[17] On 12 September, swimmer Theresa Goh won a bronze medal in the SB4 100m breaststroke final, with a time of 1:55.55.^[18] While qualifying for the finals, she set a new Asian record in the heats at 1:54.50.^[19]
• 14 September – Total local Zika cases have reached 333;^[20] with infected patients from previously affected areas, as well as Simei's Harvey Crescent, Upper Thomson's Tagore Avenue, Yishun Street 81,^[21][22] Bishan Street 12, Elite Terrace and Ubi Crescent. A new cluster of Jalan Raya and Circuit Road formed, while Bedok North Avenue 3 formed a cluster with Bedok North Avenue 2 and Bedok North Street 3, and also the Aljunied Crescent cluster expanded to Circuit Road, Geylang East Central and Geylang East Avenue 1.^[23]
• 18 September – Services 2, 6, 12, 15, 17/17A, 36, 354, 358, 359, 403 & 518/518A handed over to Go-Ahead Singapore.

October

• 5 October – The Singapore Underwater World senior diver, Dr Philip Chan was killed after he was stung in the chest by a stingray.
• 13 October – Acting Singapore Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean sent his condolences on the death of King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand.
• 21–26 October – The Singapore national culinary team won the Culinary Olympics for the first time with one gold for the Cold Display category and one gold for the Hot Cooking category. The team consisted of six male chefs: Louis Tay, Teo Yeow Siang, Alan Wong, Triston Fang, Roy Lim and Alex Chong.^[24]

November

• 1 November – Singaporean cars to pay new RM20 (S$6.60) Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) charge to enter mainland Johor, Malaysia.

December

• 11 December - Full analogue TV switch-off in Singapore.

References

1. "Singapore reports first imported Zika case". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
2. "Singapore's first imported Zika case: Patient discharged from CDC". The Straits Times. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
3. Ong, Justin. "Singapore, Malaysia sign MoU on High-Speed Rail project". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
4. Low, Lin Fhoong. "Rio wrap-up: Schooling saves the day for Team Singapore". Today. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
5. Graham, Chris. "'I'm ready to retire,' Michael Phelps says as American finishes second in three-way tie behind Singapore's Joseph Schooling". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
6. "Phelps suffers shock defeat by Schooling, Singapore's first Olympic gold medallist". RIO 2016 Official website. 12 August 2016.
7. "Schooling wins gold: Live Blog". The Straits Times. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
8. "Pokemon Go launches in Singapore". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
9. Swatman, Rachel. "Pokémon Go catches five new world records". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
10. Tham, Yuen-C. "Thousands say goodbye to S R Nathan". The Straits Times. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
11. "State Funeral held for former President S R Nathan". Channel News Asia.
12. "The haze is back across South East Asia". BBC. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
13. Md Noh, Nurulnadiah; Tan, Audrey. "Haze update: PSI for next 24 hours forecast to be in unhealthy range, says NEA". The Straits Times. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
14. "First case of locally-transmitted Zika virus infection reported in Singapore: MOH, NEA". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
15. "Local Zika cases in Singapore jump to 115; first pregnant woman diagnosed". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
16. "Team Singapore head for the Rio Paralympics". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
17. "Yip Pin Xiu sets two world records in gold-medal swim at Paralympics". Today. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
18. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/paralympics-singapore-s-theresa-goh-wins-bronze-in-100m/3119242.html
19. http://www.todayonline.com/sports/theresa-goh-sets-new-asian-mark-en-route-reaching-breaststroke-final
20. "4 new Zika cases confirmed Monday, bringing total to 333". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
21. "Local Zika infections jump to 151; new cases found in Tagore, Yishun, Harvey Crescent". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
22. "Tracking Singapore's Zika outbreak". Retrieved 2016-09-08.
23. "38 new local Zika cases confirmed Friday, bringing total to 189". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 12 September 2016.
24. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/what-singapore-cooked-up-to-win-double-gold-at-the-culinary/3241036.html