United States President Donald Trump has suggested that FIFA choose the United States to host the World Cup again, but this time without Canada or Mexico.

Leave them out

As reported by Politico, Donald Trump was speaking at a FIFA World Cup reception on Jul. 17 in New York's Trump Tower, near where the final will be held on July 19.

He was quoted as saying that “You should choose the United States of America again.”

“This time we will leave Canada and Mexico out.”

The next World Cup(s)

The next World Cup will be held in 2030 by six countries, primarily Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with matches in Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

This will represent hosting by three continents: Europe, Africa, and South America.

The arrangement is to mark the World Cup's centenary.

Saudi Arabia, part of the Asian Football Confederation, will then host in 2034.

This leaves the next World Cup available for bidding to be 2038, where countries from North America and Oceania will be eligible to bid.

The hosting arrangements for both the 2030 and 2034 World Cups were decided in 2024, indicating that the 2038 World Cup will be decided in the upcoming years.

Trump told FIFA President Gianni Infantino that “they should pick somebody else for the next one, and that will take some of the anger, hatred, and steam out of everyone.”

Final interventions

Trump will be attending the World Cup Final on Jul. 19, and ESPN reports that he will present the Trophy to the winners.

Trump has included himself in numerous World Cup stories since the tournament started in June.

Perhaps the most notable of this was his intervention in United States striker Folarin Balogun’s red card.

Balogun had received a red card playing against Bosnia and Herzegovina, but Trump's intervention saw that it was revoked in time to play the next game against Belgium, despite Belgium's protest.

Trump has even turned to amateur punditry, commenting on England manager Thomas Tuchel's decision to use striker Harry Kane in a more defensive role, as reported by the BBC.

Trump noted that he had played golf with Kane previously and called the striker fantastic, but suggested that England had made a “mistake” when they made him a defensive player during the team’s 2-1 loss to Argentina during the semi-finals.

A 60-year-old woman pleaded guilty to repeatedly kicking a volunteer outside the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple in Bugis after she was confronted with video evidence in court.

Shin Min Daily News reported that Lin Meizhi (transliterated) was sentenced on Jul. 15, 2026, to a three-month Day Reporting Order.

Day Reporting Order

A Day Reporting Order is a community-based sentence in Singapore that lets offenders undergo rehabilitation while living at home.

This means she must comply with several conditions, including wearing an electronic tracking device, staying indoors from 10pm to 6am, and reporting to the day reporting officer at designated times.

She must also undergo counselling.

Lin faced five charges, including the use of criminal force, causing intentional hurt, as well as violating the Protection from Harassment Act.

She pleaded guilty to one charge.

The remaining charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Kicked, shouted

At about 10am on Jan. 29, 2025, Lin had reportedly been collecting donations outside the Waterloo Street temple.

Other volunteers from different temples were also collecting donations nearby.

Lin was angered as one of the volunteers was standing in front of her, so she kicked the other person several times.

The video played in court showed Lin appearing agitated and repeatedly shouting at the other person.

She yelled: "Don't block my way, you're blocking other people!"

Lin then moved her wheelchair closer to the individual and kicked the volunteer's leg again.

She was also accused of splashing water on another person in public and verbally abusing others in a hospital, Shin Min reported.

Though she initially pleaded not guilty and repeatedly emphasised that she "did not kick anyone" and "only kicked the fabric of their pants", she changed her plea after watching the video of her actions.

Make sure you cooperate: Judge

When delivering Lin's sentence, the judge told Lin: "I don't want to see you in court again. Do your best to comply with all the rules, make sure you cooperate with the probation officer's requests, and don't cause trouble for the probation officer."

Speaking to Shin Min, Lin expressed her gratitude given the judge's leniency and promised she would do her best to cooperate with the probation officer.

Memories of late husband

Noting that her actions were committed in a moment of haste, Lin said she would continue to visit the temple, though she has been advised to do so less frequently.

"My late husband used to bring our grandchild to meet me at the temple and have lunch," she said.

"To me, the temple still holds good memories that we shared."

She added that she still wanted to visit the temple often, as it makes her feel as if her late husband is still around.

A 43-year-old man, identified to be Dan Xiao TingFeng, died in a hit-and-run accident at the loading bay of Suntec City Convention Centre on Jul. 16 evening.

The car driver, a 38-year-old male, was subsequently arrested for drink-driving and driving without due care and attention causing death.

He is also assisting with investigations for failing to stop after an accident.

Drink-driving hit-and-run

Responding to Mothership’s queries, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said it was alerted to a hit-and-run accident involving a car and a pedestrian along 1 Raffles Boulevard at about 12:40am on Jul. 16.

1 Raffles Boulevard is the street address for Suntec Convention Loading Bay, according to Google Maps.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force told Mothership it was alerted at 12:45am.

SPF said the driver of the car had left the scene before its officers arrived.

A 43-year-old man was conveyed unconscious to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he subsequently passed away.

Police subsequently arrested the 38-year-old male car driver.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Deceased's family hopes to complete sequence of events

A close friend of the deceased, surnamed Liang, told Mothership that the 43-year-old was found near Lamppost 157 in front of Suntec City by a passerby, who called for help.

This was at about 12:40am on Jul. 16.

The deceased’s phone records indicated that he had booked a private-hire car ride at 12:11am, and his partner had been waiting for him at home, Liang revealed.

Liang said he was hoping to help the family look for eyewitnesses or video footage to figure out what happened between 12:11am and 12:40am.

The booking record indicated that the Grab driver had marked him as a no-show, Liang shared.

They have since received updates from the police, Liang informed.

According to him, the deceased’s family were "devastated" and in "deep shock" after hearing about the 43-year-old's passing.

"[His partner] expected [him] to come home that night. Instead, she received the devastating news that he had died," Liang said.

The 43-year-old was loved by his partner, family, sons and friends, he shared.

"He was the life of every party—the kind of person who could speak to anybody about anything and immediately make them feel comfortable. He brought energy, laughter and spontaneity wherever he went," Liang described.

A drunk 56-year-old man became angered after a 14-year-old girl he had harassed refused to drink with him.

In his anger, he threw a glass and a chair in her direction, leaving her frightened.

The incident

The incident occurred at about 7:10pm on Jul. 15, the girl's mother wrote in a Facebook post.

According to her, the family was dining at FoodHub @ Marsiling in Block 167 Woodlands Street 11 at dinner time.

As the woman and her husband stepped away from the table to order food for their two younger children, they left the girl, their eldest child, at a table in the meantime.

A moment later, an intoxicated man from the next table began harassing the girl and pressured her to drink beer with him, the post said.

When the girl waved her hand to decline, he suddenly grew hostile and hurled vulgarities at her, the mother recounted.

The mother also said that the man threw a glass and a chair in her daughter's direction as she moved away in fear.

When the girl's father returned to the table, the drunk man escalated the situation by hurling more vulgarities and challenging the girl's father to a "1-on-1 fight".

According to the mother, her daughter was unhurt but frightened.

"My daughter was left absolutely terrified. A 14-year-old child should be able to sit in a neighbourhood eatery without fearing for her physical safety, and families shouldn't have to deal with drunken brawlers," the post wrote.

It added that the coffeeshop's staff told the family that the man was a regular who had a history of creating scenes at the coffeeshop.

The girl's mother said that she has made a police report and has also written to the coffeeshop's management and the members of parliament to express her concerns.

Man charged in court

The man, identified as Xie Jianzhong (transliterated), was charged in court for criminal intimidation, according to Shin Min Daily News.

He was later seen being questioned and subsequently arrested by police officers.

Xie was granted bail of S$5,000, Shin Min reported.

The case has been adjourned to Jul. 31.

For criminal intimidation, he may face up to 10 years' imprisonment, a fine, or both.

Singapore content creator Mabel Kee, 22, posted a 50-minute tell-all YouTube video detailing the alleged infidelity of her ex-fiancé that led to the end of their seven-year relationship.

The video, uploaded on Jul. 15, has since gone viral, garnering over 584,000 views within three days of writing.

Previously engaged

Kee shared that she and her ex-fiancé had gotten engaged on Oct. 17, 2025.

This year would have marked their seventh anniversary.

Throughout their time together, the couple experienced three major break-ups in 2020, 2022, and 2025.

Kee explained that while her ex-fiancé was in his final year of polytechnic, lacked a full-time job, and had not yet entered National Service, she "saw a lot of potential in [their] future".

Before the relationship ended, she said he had treated her really well, like a "queen".

Kee added that she had fully planned their wedding and paid deposits for all their wedding vendors.

The couple was also planning to apply for a flat during the June 2026 Housing & Development Board (HDB) Build-To-Order launch.

Her 'crash out'

On May 2, Kee's ex-fiancé reportedly wanted to have a "boys' night" at a club with his friends.

At the time, Kee described their relationship as "healthy".

Although she had agreed to the outing a few days prior, Kee said she became emotional and lashed out at him when the day arrived.

After confiding in a friend, Kee forwarded a message her friend had jokingly sent—which read "divorce that red flag"—to her private Telegram channel.

Her ex-fiancé subsequently saw the message.

The couple later reconciled after her "crash out".

Reconsidering their engagement

Following the incident on May 2, Kee noticed her ex-fiancé had become "very cold" towards her.

While he initially attributed his behaviour to being busy with school projects, Kee felt this "did not explain his behaviour towards [her]".

When she questioned him two weeks later, he reportedly explained that he could not get over her friend's text and her emotional outburst.

He also allegedly felt that she was "too emotionally dependent" on him.

Kee said she sincerely apologised, but he ultimately requested a break in the relationship, which she assumed would last for one week.

During this time, Kee reflected and spent more time with friends, realising she might have been too emotionally dependent.

She also confronted her friend, who apologised, and Kee forwarded this apology to her ex-fiancé.

On May 23, he reportedly told her he was "reconsidering their engagement" due to the text message and the incident.

Seeking to mend the relationship, he agreed to give her a two-week window from May 23 to Jun. 6 to change his mind.

In response, Kee wrote a heartfelt apology letter, prepared a gift basket with essentials, baked his favourite treats, and included an envelope of coupons alongside weekend tickets.

The pair spent time together on May 28 and May 31.

However, Kee claimed he avoided meeting her during the rest of the two-week period by claiming he was sick, resulting in them only spending three days together.

Kee chose not to push him as she "wanted to give him the space to think about it".

They next met on Jun. 7 for dinner and a movie, where he confirmed he would share his final decision on Jun. 10.

When Kee asked which way he was leaning, he reportedly stated it was still heavily towards ending the engagement.

Kee then texted his friend to help convince her ex-fiancé to take her back.

On Jun. 10, the couple agreed to give the relationship a second chance for two more weeks, though this did not guarantee the engagement would continue.

The 'pros and cons' note

The following day, Jun. 11, while her ex-fiancé was at his internship, Kee looked through his iPad.

She reportedly discovered a photo of a handwritten "pros and cons" list dated Jun. 10, which compared her to another girl.

"My heart sank when I read this."

Kee referred to the other girl as "P En", a polytechnic classmate of her ex-fiancé.

Kee explained that she had previously requested he stop communicating with P En after hearing rumours that P En had reportedly "homewrecked" another classmate's relationship.

On August 27, 2025, Kee had discovered that her ex-fiancé had reportedly been speaking to P En on Discord almost every night for two to three months.

According to Kee, he would allegedly lie about going to sleep, only to call P En afterward.

This period coincided with the first time he had brought up the idea of breaking up with Kee.

Only after they reconciled did Kee discover the Discord calls, which he claimed were strictly for "school project discussions".

He allegedly told her he had no choice in his group pairings and claimed the other group members did no work, leaving just the two of them.

Upon finding out, Kee scolded both her ex-fiancé for lying and P En for reportedly engaging in seven-hour nightly calls despite knowing he was attached.

Both gave the same explanation under questioning.

At the time, Kee chose to believe her ex-fiancé and accepted the explanation, but warned him that he should never speak to P En again.

Finding P En's name on the note at the brink of their engagement raised fresh suspicions.

When confronted, her ex-fiancé reportedly claimed "the note didn't mean anything" and that he merely wanted to list good qualities he wished Kee had to discuss with a friend.

Regarding P En's name, he claimed he randomly thought of a name and "did not know whether these traits of [P En's] were accurate".

However, he allegedly admitted to being infatuated with P En the previous year when he and Kee were having relationship problems, reportedly saying: "It's not really feelings, it's just a bit of infatuation because she's nice".

He repeatedly assured her nothing physical was going on, and Kee chose to move past it because she "loved him a lot".

Hougang Block ABC

Despite the reconciliation, Kee remained suspicious and checked his phone. On Jun. 13, she found Grab receipts showing repeated trips to a specific HDB block in Hougang, which she referred to as "Hougang Block ABC".

Kee noted she was concerned that he had spent around S$400 on Grab rides while still owing her money for wedding preparations.

She then recalled confronting him about taking Grab trips to the same Hougang block the previous year.

At the time, he told her it was a spot he visited with friends for supper after their co-curricular activities.

Kee found this suspicious as Nanyang Polytechnic and Hougang are quite a distance apart, despite numerous food options located near the campus.

Upon checking his 2025 Grab history, Kee confirmed the recent trips were to the same location.

She alleged that he provided different explanations each time, claiming he was either visiting his grandmother, having supper, meeting a friend, or staying at home.

After gathering more "evidence", Kee felt certain he was lying about his activities at the location, though he continued to deny the involvement of any other girl.

A further check of his Grab history revealed that on May 16, he had booked a trip to "Hougang Block ABC" and stayed for approximately six hours before leaving.

Kee noted that a search of the area on Google Maps only showed a dim sum eatery, which she felt did not justify his prolonged and repeated stays.

Connecting the dots

With assistance from friends, Kee linked the Hougang address to P En by cross-referencing details from P En's Instagram posts.

They traced a photo of a map displayed on a car dashboard to an Hougang address.

Additionally, her friends matched the wall background of an outfit-of-the-day photo posted by P En to "Hougang Block ABC" by reportedly inspecting the distinct cracks on the wall.

They also discovered that P En's primary and secondary schools were located near the block.

When Kee confronted her ex-fiancé with the information, she claimed he did not look surprised.

While he did not explicitly confirm it was P En's residence, he asked Kee how she had found out.

When she revealed it was via Instagram, P En reportedly turned her account private the very same day.

Confronting P En

Kee and her friends later went to "Hougang Block ABC" to uncover the truth.

Kee sent P En a message asking to meet and talk alone.

They met at around 8:55pm.

During the initial five-minute conversation, P En denied all involvement with Kee's ex-fiancé.

However, Kee's friends encouraged her to speak with P En further, leading to a second conversation that lasted an hour.

Both the ex-fiancé and P En maintained the same story, claiming they were not close enough for him to even know her address.

When asked to call him on the spot to clarify, P En reportedly refused, stating that based on her morals, she "doesn't want to be touching or calling someone who is already engaged".

Kee found this statement strange given their prior Discord call history but chose to believe her at the time, telling her friends to stop pressing P En.

Timeline

Kee later compiled a detailed timeline correlating his Grab trips to "Hougang Block ABC" with the excuses he had given her:

• Apr. 29: His first recorded Grab trip to "Hougang Block ABC", notably occurring before their argument on May 2.
• May 20: Kee wished him "Happy 520" (a Chinese internet slang for "I love you"), but he was reportedly at "Hougang Block ABC" until 12:40am.
• Jun. 2, 3, and 6: During the week of their relationship break (when he claimed he was resting at home sick), he was allegedly at "Hougang Block ABC".

  • On Jun. 2, he told Kee he was napping but took a Grab from Pioneer to Hougang Block ABC at 10:22pm.
  • On Jun. 3, he told Kee he was sick and had taken medication to sleep, but left "Hougang Block ABC" at 11pm.

• Jun. 10: He took a Grab from his internship workplace to "Hougang Block ABC" before meeting Kee later that night, which was when she discovered the handwritten note.

Kee also linked the Grab trips from June to August 2025 to the exact timeframe they were frequently calling on Discord.

When Kee asked her ex-fiancé to call the friend he claimed to be meeting at Hougang, the friend reportedly stated over the phone: "I'm literally always there, literally just tell me when you're free," implying he frequented the area every weekend.

Kee and her friends noted the call felt highly orchestrated.

Furthermore, despite the frequency of the trips to see this friend, Kee discovered that the friend had only started following her ex-fiancé on Instagram on Mar. 23, which was long after the 2025 Grab trips took place.

Convinced he was lying, Kee expressed confusion over why "everyone was helping him cover up".

End of the relationship

Faced with the "evidence", Kee questioned his honesty.

He maintained that he was telling the truth and asserted that the breakup was not due to the alleged cheating, but because he had simply "lost a bit of feelings" for her.

He continued to deny all allegations of infidelity.

Ultimately, Kee decided to call off the engagement, stating she "had enough of being disrespected".

Witnesses reached out

Following the split, Kee began posting cryptic messages online regarding the alleged infidelity.

She stated that individuals from her ex-fiancé's school subsequently reached out to her, claiming they had spotted her ex-fiancé and P En together on campus, allegedly "so close to the point where people thought they were dating".

Witnesses reportedly told her they had not brought it up earlier because they assumed she was already aware.

Lamenting that he had reportedly been lying to her for over a year, Kee expressed frustration that he had proposed and planned a wedding in the midst of the alleged cheating.

"This is like a humiliation ritual, genuinely. It is so embarrassing for me."

She added that she did not realise the alleged infidelity was happening so openly in public.

Kee also revealed she received a tip-off that her ex-fiancé had allegedly booked a staycation at Resorts World Sentosa from Jul. 20 to 21, 2025, to celebrate P En's birthday.

She shared the booking confirmation details in her video, alongside messages from the day showing he had reportedly told Kee he was sick.

Selling wedding planning book for S$30

Kee concluded her video by announcing that she is selling a wedding planning book she created for S$30, which compiles vendor recommendations, bouquet inspirations, and timelines.

"I was planning this wedding for months. And I think that my hard work in planning the wedding shouldn't be going to waste."

She expressed her gratitude to everyone who has offered support and encouragement during this period.

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to slap new tariffs on Canada as a result of hazy conditions affecting parts of the U.S. due to ongoing wildfires.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said, "(The) United States is being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air, the quality of which is dangerous, and totally unacceptable!"

He said he would call Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carney, about the matter and accused Canada of failing to "engage in basic Forest Management".

He added:

"This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying."

Following Trump's remarks, Canada's emergency management minister said the two countries remain in close contact and have a long history of working together on such disasters, the BBC reported.

Thus far, more than 800 wildfires have been detected in Canada, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.

The wildfires have been primarily driven by hot and dry weather, along with lightning strikes.

Haze from wildfire clouds World Cup finals

The ongoing wildfires have also cast a cloud of uncertainty over the status of the World Cup final, which is due to be played on Jul. 20, between Spain and Argentina.

According to USA Today, haze from the wildfires in Canada was seen blanketing the open-air stadium at East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Jul. 17, where the World Cup final will take place.

Moderate to unhealthy air conditions were also detected over New York City and the U.S. capital, Washington D.C., U.S. media Fox 13 News reported.

While Trump's post did not mention the World Cup final, the White House World Cup task force executive director, Andrew Giulani, said there has been discussion about the situation, Aljazeera reported.

"We have somebody with the National Weather Service that sits in FIFA headquarters there, so we’re monitoring closely," Giulani added.

The situation is expected to improve over the weekend however, given that rain has been forecasted for Jul. 18, over the region of New York and New Jersey, Reuters reported.

Former Mediacorp actress Florence Tan has graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science.

The 49-year-old took to Instagram on Jul. 16 to share the announcement, with a photo of herself in a graduation gown, in front of the logo for University of the People (UoPeople), an online university based in the U.S., California.

Thanked family and colleagues

In her post, Tan thanked her family for their "endless love, patience and sacrifices" and believing in her, "even on the hardest days".

She also thanked her colleagues and friends for their support in her professional growth as she pursued her dream, as well as the staff at UoPeople.

Tan wrote:

"Balancing family, work, dance, and studies wasn’t easy, countless sleepless nights and endless hours of rushing to meet paper deadlines. But it taught me the ultimate truth: ‘Never give up. Great things take time.’"

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Florence Tan 陈秀丽 (@florencetan.xiuli)

Tan began her studies with UoPeople in November 2020.

At that time, she put up a post in which she shared about how she felt overwhelmed by the amount of books, videos and essays she had to go through within the first week of school, and said it had left her "exhausted".

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Florence Tan 陈秀丽 (@florencetan.xiuli)

Tan relocated to Hong Kong after marrying Taiwanese businessman Jack Liu in 2006.

The couple have a pair of twin daughters, Novea and Viola. Both of whom are now aged 18.

More recently, Tan starred in a Chinese drama "The White Olive Tree".

A 40-year-old man has pleaded guilty to raping an intoxicated woman in 2022 near Tuas West Road MRT station.

Alam Foysal, a Bangladeshi foreign worker, pleaded guilty to one charge of rape on Jul. 17, reported CNA.

A second charge of kissing the woman with the intent to outrage her modesty was taken into account in court.

Ahmed Rayhan, his co-worker who was also involved in the same case, had earlier been sentenced to nine years' jail and nine strokes of the cane.

The case

The two men were working as welders on the same construction-related project and stayed in the same dormitory in Tuas.

They were 36 and 30 at the time of the incident.

On Mar. 8, 2022, between 12:30am and 2:20am, the duo took the last train back to their dormitory after meeting a mutual friend for drinks.

They met the victim, a 32-year-old Singaporean, in the train carriage next to theirs.

She was heavily intoxicated and was seen by the men walking "erratically" up and down the aisle, as well as sitting on the floor and standing up before taking a seat, CNA reported off court documents.

After Rayhan told Foysal that the victim was drunk, the two men approached her with Foysal going first.

When they tried to strike up a conversation, they found she was too drunk to be conversed with.

When the train arrived at Tuas West Road station, they decided to take the victim with them.

Foysal supported the woman and guided her out of the carriage.

The trio attracted the attention of station staff after the victim caused a commotion as she struggled to tap out of the gantry.

Foysal told them that he and Rayhan had met the victim on the train and were taking her home as she lives nearby.

After exiting the gantry, the victim walked away from the two men but Foysal followed and guided her towards a grass field underneath Tuas Viaduct, outside one of the MRT exits.

They then sat her down on the ground next to a large pillar.

Foysal made the victim lie down on her back and climbed on top of her before kissing and raping her.

He did not use a condom, the court heard, according to CNA.

After seeing Foysal rape the victim, Rayhan tried to rape the woman but failed in his attempts.

The pair them took a taxi back to their dormitory and left the woman behind on the field.

Victim found by passers-by

The victim was spotted by a passer-by, a 31-year-old migrant worker named Saddam, five hours after the ordeal.

She was reportedly found lying in her own blood and was in a trance-like state.

Together with other migrant workers, the woman was assisted into a sitting position, given a drink and an ambulance was called.

Foysal and Rayhan were arrested later that evening after the police identified them using CCTV footage from cameras near the MRT station and their dormitory.

The victim was found to have sustained minor cuts and a fresh wound on her pubic region.

Foysal's sentencing was adjourned to a later date.

If convicted of rape, he may face up to 20 years' jail and a fine or caning.

The layoffs at the Government Technology Agency of Singapore (GovTech) are not part of a wider restructuring across the public service, according to the Public Service Division (PSD).

A PSD spokesperson was quoted by CNA as saying, "GovTech's restructuring reflects its own operating needs as it adjusts to the broader changes in the technology sector."

On Jul. 15, GovTech retrenched 93 staff as part of its first phase in a shift towards a new operating model to deliver “faster, more secure, and more responsive digital services” for all Singaporeans.

The spokesperson further clarified that "significant restructuring" is undertaken only when needed and in response to "fundamental changes" in an agency's operating environment or model.

PSD: Priority is to reskill and redeploy workers during restructuring

The PSD spokesperson added that in all restructuring exercises, the top priority is to reskill and redeploy workers either elsewhere in the agency public service or within their own agency.

In the event that redeployment is not feasible, the affected officers may be offered the Special Resignation Scheme, which provides financial support and also employment assistance, as part of the support for their transition.

Background

Within GovTech, the affected roles are mainly in traditional project and vendor management, which are expected to become less necessary as more products are developed and operated in-house, GovTech chairman Chng Kai Fong explained in a note to staff.

"GovTech is changing shape, not shrinking," Chng explained that it was not a downsizing exercise. He also clarified that the decision on affected roles was not a judgement on an individual’s commitment, performance or value of their work.

Affected officers in project and vendor management roles will be offered full-salary apprenticeships and structured retraining programmes that combine technical and on-the-job training to enable them to transition into product ownership and related capabilities, GovTech said.

Those transitioning out of GovTech will be given a support package tailored in partnership with the Amalgamated Union of Statutory Board Employees (AUSBE).

Chng shared that this includes one month’s salary for every year of service, capped at 25 years, as well as a three-month ex gratia payment to provide additional support.

Affected staff will also continue to receive salary and benefits throughout the six-week handover and notice period.

A closed door session regarding the proposed residential development at Sunset Way was held at Bukit Timah Community Club on Jul. 17.

It was attended by at least 100 residents, along with Members of Parliament for Bukit Timah GRC Christopher De Souza and Sim Ann, and representatives from the Housing & Development Board (HDB).

Concerns raised at the session included deforestation, traffic congestion and overdevelopment, CNA reported.

Some residents were also quoted as saying, following the session, that they remained unsettled by the development plans and hoped that HDB would take their feedback into consideration.

HDB had announced earlier on Jul. 10 that Sunset Way, together with Gillman Barracks, would be developed for housing.

After an environment impact assessment was conducted and engaging nature groups, HDB has proposed retaining about eight hectares of the 23-hectare site within Maju Forest at Sunset Way to provide refuge for wildlife and facilitate fauna movement.

Why not brownfield sites?

Ahead of the closed door session, HDB's chief town planner Chong Fook Long told CNA that the housing plan for Sunset Way at the moment is "not final" and that HDB hopes to work further with residents and stakeholders.

Explaining the current decision, Chong shared that the recent Clementi Build-to-Order (BTO) exercise was more than four times oversubscribed indicates a "great need" for more housing supply in that area.

Chong said that their priority is to target brownfield sites.

However, within Clementi and the region, there are very few of such sites. This led to them looking at developing the site within Maju Forest, which has been largely zoned for residential use since 1980, to increase housing supply.

Brownfield sites refer to land that has been previously developed while greenfield sites refer to land that has been mostly untouched.

Chong said, "We have to make trade-offs. We have to understand how to balance housing and nature to bring about the best plan, as we always do wherever we go."

Members of the public can submit feedback on the plans until Aug. 6, 2026.

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