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Daily Mirror
09-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Small Asian country that's building port the size of 3,000 football pitches
The Tuas Mega Port in Singapore is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the world and will cost around £10billion once it finally opens in the 2040s A small Asian nation is on track to overtake Shanghai with the world's largest port as it rolls out an ambitious £10billion infrastructure project. Already underway and slated for completion by the 2040s, the new port in Singapore boasts green and smart technology, setting a new global standard. Singapore's Tuas Mega Port, a monumental £10billion project, will eclipse Shanghai's current leading global port upon its completion. Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) announced a capacity of handling 65 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). Covering 1,337 hectares - equivalent to some 3,300 football pitches - and hosting 66 berths over 26 kilometres, it's poised to become the titan of shipping hubs. "Tuas Port, together with Singapore's International Maritime Centre, will form a strong value proposition and ensure Maritime Singapore remains trusted, resilient, and ready for the future," says the MPA. This groundbreaking initiative will unfold in four phases, with phase one culminating in 2021 after six years of construction, while the second phase progresses with additional berths already operational. Following the full swing opening of Tuas Mega Port, Singapore plans to shut down its two older ports, pivoting towards a high-tech future with 1,000 battery-powered driverless vehicles and the same number of automated yard cranes to keep logistics running smoothly, reports the Express. Plans are underway for the port to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, with a shift towards sustainable technologies such as electrified equipment instead of fossil fuel-powered machinery. The ambitious construction of this mega project has included deepening the surrounding seabed to accommodate future expansion. After the first phase was completed, former Transport Minister for Singapore said: "With more ships calling here (as a result of the larger capacity), Singapore will enjoy even stronger maritime connectivity. We can harness network effects to import and export more quickly and at a lower cost. "As a global hub, Tuas Port will bring even more value to companies in our international maritime centre and create more jobs for our people." Despite its modest size, Singapore is a powerhouse in Southeast Asia. The city-state covers an area of 284.1 square miles and boasts a population of nearly 6 million residents. It ranks as the 176th largest country globally, a relatively small nation consisting of a main island and several smaller islets. Yet, it stands as the world's 4th wealthiest country, as per Global Finance. Singapore may be one of the smallest countries, but it has the world's 30th largest economy, surpassing the economic performance of countries like Norway, Denmark, Hong Kong, South Africa, and New Zealand.
Straits Times
06-06-2025
- Straits Times
Ex-transport minister S. Iswaran completes home detention scheme, no longer under prison custody
Former transport minister S. Iswaran was placed on the Home Detention Scheme on Feb 7. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH SINGAPORE - Former transport minister S. Iswaran has completed his jail term and is no longer under prison custody. The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said on June 6 that he has completed his emplacement on the Home Detention Scheme. On Oct 3, 2024, he was handed a 12-month jail term in a case that saw, for the first time, a former Cabinet minister being sentenced. He had spent four months in jail since he began his sentence on Oct 7, 2024. He was placed on the Home Detention Scheme on Feb 7, 2025. SPS had previously said that Mr Iswaran was assessed to be suitable for the scheme as he was of low risk of reoffending, did not commit any institutional offence in prison and had strong family support. Inmates who display good conduct in prison are eligible for remission after serving two-thirds of their sentence, or after serving 14 days of their sentence, whichever ends later. In Mr Iswaran's case, this would be eight months of his 12-month term. SPS said prisoners are assessed for their suitability for the scheme by taking into consideration various factors, such as their conduct and their progress and response to rehabilitation, during incarceration. Under the Home Detention Scheme, Mr Iswaran served his remaining sentence at his residence under specified conditions. These included curfew monitoring using an electronic monitoring tag, being occupied in work, study or training, and reporting to SPS for counselling. Mr Iswaran's one-year jail term was almost double the six to seven months' jail the prosecution had sought. His lawyer, Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, had asked for not more than eight weeks' jail. Mr Iswaran pleaded guilty to five charges on Sept 24, 2024, on what was to be the first day of a highly anticipated trial in which he aimed to clear his name. The charges he admitted to comprised four charges of obtaining valuable items as a public servant from Ong Beng Seng, chairman of Formula One race promoter Singapore GP, and Mr David Lum Kok Seng, managing director of construction company Lum Chang Holdings. The fifth charge was for obstructing the course of justice by making payment of $5,700 for a business class flight he had taken from Doha to Singapore in 2022 at Ong's expense. Mr Iswaran made the payment to throw off the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, which found his name in a flight manifest it had seized while investigating Ong's associates. In sentencing Mr Iswaran, Justice Vincent Hoong said the prosecution and defence had asked for 'manifestly inadequate' jail terms. The judge said general deterrence, aimed at setting an example for others who commit offences, was the primary consideration in his sentencing decision. He added that Mr Iswaran, as a minister and chairman of the Formula One steering committee, wielded influence in matters of great public interest, even if there was no evidence the gifts had influenced decisions over Formula One or its contracts. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
The Sun
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Ex-Singapore Transport Minister Iswaran completes sentence
SINGAPORE: Former Singapore Transport Minister S. Iswaran has completed his sentence and is no longer in prison custody, local media reported. The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said on Friday that he has completed his emplacement on the Home Detention Scheme, The Straits Times (ST) reported. The 62-year-old was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment by the High Court on Oct 3, 2024, after pleading guilty to four charges of accepting valuable items as a public servant and one charge of obstruction of justice. He began serving his sentence on Oct 7, 2024, and was placed on home detention on Feb 7 this year, after being assessed as suitable for the scheme.
New Straits Times
06-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Ex-transport minister S. Iswaran completes corruption jail term
SINGAPORE: Former transport minister S. Iswaran has completed his sentence and is no longer in prison custody. The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said today that he has completed his emplacement on the Home Detention Scheme, The Straits Times reported. On October 3, 2024, he was handed a 12-month jail term in a case that marked the first time a former Cabinet minister in Singapore had been sentenced. Iswaran served four months in prison after beginning his sentence on October 7, 2024. He was placed under the Home Detention Scheme on February 7, 2025. The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) previously stated that Iswaran was deemed suitable for the Home Detention Scheme as he was assessed to be at low risk of reoffending, had committed no disciplinary offences while in prison, and had strong family support. Iswaran pleaded guilty on September 24, 2024 to four charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which prohibits public servants from accepting anything of value from individuals connected to them in an official capacity. The charges related to his acceptance of valuable items from Singapore GP majority shareholder Ong Beng Seng and construction executive Lum Kok Seng, during his tenure in roles that involved official dealings with both men.
The Star
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Ex-Singapore transport minister S. Iswaran completes home detention scheme, no longer under prison custody
Former transport minister S. Iswaran was placed on the Home Detention Scheme on Feb 7. -- ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH SINGAPORE (The Straits Times/ANN): Former transport minister S. Iswaran has completed his sentence and is no longer under prison custody. The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) said on June 6 that Iswaran has completed his emplacement on the Home Detention Scheme and is no longer under SPS custody. On Oct 3, 2024, Iswaran was handed a 12-month jail term in a case that saw, for the first time, a former Cabinet minister being sentenced. He had spent four months in jail since he began his sentence on Oct 7, 2024. He was placed on the Home Detention Scheme on Feb 7, 2025. SPS had previously said that Iswaran was assessed to be suitable for the scheme as he is of low risk of reoffending, did not commit any institutional offence in prison and has strong family support. - The Straits Times/ANN
