There were 441 cases of suicides in Singapore in 2024, an increase of 1.6 per cent from 2023, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) said in a Jul. 28 press release.

While suicide deaths showed a general decline across all other age groups, suicides among adults aged 30 to 39 rose from 66 in the previous year to 99 in 2024, a 50 per cent increase.

Findings

Other key findings were also gleaned from the numbers.

The suicide death rate is 8.23 per 100,000 Singaporean residents, an increase of 0.04.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death amongst adults aged 30 to 39.

In addition, for the seventh consecutive year, suicide is the leading cause of death amongst youths aged 10 to 29.

Among the 441 suicide deaths, 65.8 per cent are male, with 290 suicide deaths.

According to provisional data, Singapore reported a total of 256 suicide deaths in 2025.

However, the final actual number may vary substantially from the provisional number.

For 2024, the provisional figure was 314.

The final tally of 441 suicides was a 40.4 per cent increase from the provisional figure.

Complex pressures

Age and gender differences impact suicide attempts and suicide deaths.

SOS also observed through its 24-hour crisis helplines that adults aged 30 to 39 often face complex pressures and psychosocial stressors related to family, employment, and social isolation.

Meanwhile, youths aged 10 to 29 struggle with stressors related to family, education and interpersonal relationships.

For older persons aged 60 and above, key issues remain medical issues and social isolation, as they experience a decline in physical health, mobility and social connections.

While males account for the majority of suicide deaths in 2024, this trend was particularly pronounced among adults aged 60 and above, where there were three times the number of males lost to death by suicide than females.

Males more isolated, less likely to seek help

Existing research also suggests that males are more socially isolated, more reserved in seeking help when experiencing emotional distress, and are more likely to use highly lethal means in suicide attempts.

In contrast, females accounted for approximately one-third of suicide deaths.

Some 62.5 per cent of suicide-related calls and texts received by SOS in 2024 were from female service users.

This pointed to higher rates of women’s help-seeking behaviours related to pressures of differing societal roles and norms such as caregiving and gender-based violence.

“These should not just be numbers. Behind each one is a parent who still lies awake wondering what they missed, a friend who wishes they had called back," said Jared Ng, medical director, psychiatrist, and senior consultant at Connections MindHealth.

"The moments that matter most are rarely dramatic. They are small. Someone noticing a friend has gone quiet, and asking again, even when the answer was ‘I’m fine’," he explained.

Ng added that prevention happens "in the ordinary moments between people who care enough to ask twice".

Efforts

According to SOS, suicide is a complex mental health issue influenced by multiple factors.

Those factors include social determinants, such as unemployment, lower educational outcomes, income equality, housing insecurity, adverse childhood experiences, exposure to violence, physical and mental disabilities, and social isolation.

Every 13 hours, Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) de-escalates and prevents one person from risk of suicide through crisis intervention.

Over the past year, SOS responded to more than 55,000 calls and chats via its 24-hour hotline and CareText services.

Beyond its crisis helplines, SOS also provided in-person counselling services and support groups to more than 1,200 individuals experiencing emotional crisis.

SOS also seeks to strengthen early intervention through prevention efforts.

The Be A Samaritan (BAS) programme aims to equip more individuals to recognise distress early, start conversations, and guide those in need towards appropriate support.

In the past financial year, SOS has also trained over 2,000 individuals across workplaces, schools, and communities, with more than 90 per cent reporting increased literacy and confidence in responding to conversations around suicide.

SOS is also developing partnerships with several organisations to customise the BAS programme to specific needs and widen the safety nets in the community.

Recognising that suicide prevention is a shared responsibility, SOS will convene its flagship suicide prevention symposium, SONDER: Where Resilience Meets Collective Hope, on Sep. 10 in conjunction with World Suicide Prevention Day.

Local and international experts, practitioners, and community leaders will be brought together for the symposium.

Emerging trends, evidence-informed practices, and collaborative approaches to strengthen suicide prevention across Singapore and the region will be explored.

Helplines

If you or someone you know are in mental distress, here are some hotlines you can call to seek help, advice, or just a listening ear:

• National mindline.sg Hotline: 1771 (24 hours)
• National mindline.sg WhatsApp: 66691771 (24 hours)
• SOS 24-hour Hotline: 1-767
• Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
• Centre for Domestic Employees: 1800 225 5233 (24 hours)
• Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training: 1800 339 4357 (24 hours)
• HOME (migrant worker): +65 6341 5535 (WhatsApp/ Viber/ SMS)

The Michelin Guide Singapore has released its 2026 Bib Gourmand Selection on Jul. 28.

Compared to Michelin Stars, which usually looks at fine dining restaurants and higher price points (with some hawker exceptions made), the Bib Gourmand category focuses on relaxed, informal settings, ranging from street stalls to casual eateries.

According to the Michelin Guide, the latter recognises establishments that offer "high-quality food at exceptional value".

This year's edition—the 10th—consists of 97 establishments.

This includes 10 new additions, and 17 that have managed to retain their Bib Gourmand distinction across all 10 editions.

The 2026 selection is also up from 89 establishments recognised in 2025.

"The steady growth of Singapore’s Bib Gourmand selection reflects our inspectors’ continued discovery of the city’s wealth of good food, from longstanding favourites to new establishments," said Gwendal Poullennec, the International Director of the Michelin Guide.

The list comes ahead of the full Michelin Guide Singapore announcement, including the Michelin Stars and Special Awards, set for Aug. 4, 2026.

10 new eateries

10 local eateries have made the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for the very first time in 2026:

• Boon Keng Road Fish Head Bee Hoon: Blk 416, Bedok North Avenue 2, #01-53, Singapore 460416

• Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette: Newton Food Centre, #01-73, Singapore 229495

• Jia Xiang: Redhill Market, 85 Redhill Lane, #01-35,  Singapore 150085

• King of Laksa: Stall S3, 118 Aljunied Avenue 2, #02-100, Singapore 380118

• Rajarani Thosai: Tampines Round Market & Food Centre, #01-33, Singapore 521137

• Seng Kee Black Chicken Herbal Soup: Kaki Bukit 511 Market & Food Centre, #01-31/32, Singapore 460511

• Tian Nan Xing Minced Pork Noodle: Kaki Bukit 511 Market & Food Centre, #01-10, Singapore 460511

• Xiangyee: 101 Killiney Rd, Singapore 239544

• Xiu Ji Ikan Bilis Yong Tau Fu: Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, #02-87/88, Singapore 050335

• Yi Pin Wei Braised Duck Kway Chap: 137 Tampines St. 11, #01-40, Singapore 521137

The 97 eateries in total

Foodies, or anyone on the hunt for a good meal, can look forward to exploring the 97 Michelin-recognised establishments across Singapore:

It never dawned on Yun Hann and Benjamin that their baby could have a genetic disorder.

Baby Matthias is nine months old. He's the couple's third child; their two other children, aged four and six, are completely healthy.

But at seven months, Matthias' legs started to get increasingly "floppy" when they carried him in a standing position. At first, they dismissed it as an effect of his size and personality.

"I thought that maybe he's just a bit too chunky," Benjamin, 36, said. "You know, the gravitational pull is too strong."

Yun Hann, 34, added: "We always felt that maybe every child just develops differently. Maybe he's just a bit more chill...he wanted to be the baby in the family."

But the next month, he began to regress even further.

That was when they realised that something was not right.

The biggest red flag

At seven months, the couple noticed that their baby struggled to prop himself up on his elbows while lying on his stomach — a move he could do easily just a month before.

By the eighth month, he could not do it at all.

"That was the biggest red flag," Yun Hann said.

Then, the idea that her son could have Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) popped up in the back of Yun Hann's mind.

A rare genetic disease, SMA destroys motor neurons and weakens muscles.

The couple had read Mothership's previous reports on babies Ginny and Faziq, both of whom were diagnosed with SMA. These two babies' symptoms matched what they were seeing in Matthias, they thought.

When they brought Matthias to get tested at a hospital on Jul. 13, their worst fears were confirmed. He was diagnosed with Type 2 SMA.

As soon as possible

As in the cases of Ginny and Faziq, the doctors told the couple that their son urgently needed Zolgensma.

It's a one-time gene therapy that replaces the faulty gene with a new, working copy, and has been shown to stop the disease progression with just one dose.

But it's priced at S$2.4 million, and it is unsubsidised by the government.

The doctors recommended that Matthias receive the treatment before he turns 12 months old.

The longer the delay, the greater the damage to their son's neurons — an effect that is likely irreversible.

"Every day that he doesn't have the gene therapy is a day of neurons lost," Yun Hann said.

Currently, Baby Matthias is on a regimen of physiotherapy and Risdiplam, a government-subsidised oral medication that helps slow the progression of the disease.

But it will not stop it entirely.

The hope, his parents said, is for their son to get Zolgensma as soon as possible so he can grow well and have a good future.

Hanging on

Both Yun Hann and Benjamin are long-time nurses — she in the National Centre for Infectious Disease, he in Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

But neither of them had ever had a patient with SMA before, and nothing prepared them for what it is like to care for their own baby with SMA.

Both were shaken to see their baby struggle with simple mobility skills that they had "taken for granted".

The tests at the hospital, and wearing a knee gaiter at physiotherapy, also caused him some discomfort and stress, his parents said.

But thankfully, Matthias has largely maintained his sunny personality throughout treatment so far.

He still finds joy in simple things like splashing water in the bathtub, where he has more mobility.

"He's still the most calm, the most placid, the most gentle and smiley baby," Yun Hann said.

"He's very sociable. He's charming people everywhere we go, whether it's the physiotherapists or the doctors and nurses that are taking care of him."

It takes a village

As for the toll on themselves, Benjamin confessed that it has been tiring and stressful.

But he quickly went on to highlight the support he and Yun Hann have been "very blessed" to receive.

Both of them have continued to work full-time, taking leave only on days they need to bring Matthias to the hospital for therapy.

Their parents help out with Matthias's physiotherapy in the daytime, and also help ferry them to medical appointments.

Yun Hann choked up as she talked about the compassion their bosses, friends, and family members have shown.

"Like the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child," Benjamin added.

The road ahead

"I think the road ahead is going to be really long," Yun Hann said.

The gene therapy is the first step; afterwards, there will still be longer-term physiotherapy and care to help Baby Matthias grow as well as he can.

They also have their other young children to think of.

"We both definitely will still need to work in order to support all the kids," she said.

While the hospital bills are still being finalised, the other costs are already piling up — his physiotherapy brace, his daily Risdiplam medication, and so on.

But most eye-watering figure, of course, is the S$2.4 million Zolgensma he needs.

Having donated to Ginny and Faziq's fundraisers previously, they knew the amount would be "astronomical".

"For average salary workers like us, I think it's almost impossible," Benjamin said. "Even if I sell our house, I don't eat, I don't pay any bills, I don't think I will be able to save S$2.4 million within the next five to eight years."

That's why they have started an online fundraiser, hoping to get donations from the public.

The fear of fatigue

Given the media attention on Ginny and Faziq's stories, the doctors warned them that there might be some fatigue about SMA babies, making it possibly tough to raise funds.

"Our doctors [tried to] manage our expectations because this will be the third baby with SMA this year," Yun Hann said.

"But we are extremely heartened by the outpouring of love and prayers and support and messages... We try to read every single one."

As of the time of writing, they have raised over S$904,000, reaching 37 per cent of their goal.

Fellow parents of SMA babies have also reached out to share their stories, giving them comfort to know how similar their journeys are.

"The community has really rallied [around] and supported us," she said. "It's a club that nobody wants to join, but unfortunately, we are in in this club."

If you'd like to donate and help Matthias, you can do so here.

Related story

Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and Deputy Secretary General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Desmond Tan is now a grandfather.

Tan, who is also a Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Changi GRC, shared the good news in a Facebook post on Jul. 27, revealing that his grandson, Elijah, was born a day earlier on Jul. 26.

"Full circle fatherhood"

According to the 55-year-old, the arrival of his grandson marked a special family coincidence.

"28 years ago, I became a father, one year after our wedding. Yesterday, my son became a father too.

The same age. One year after his wedding. In the same month. And at the very same hospital."

He added that holding Elijah for the first time with his wife brought them back to the days when they held their own children in their arms.

"It was a moment filled with joy, gratitude and hope for the future," he recalled.

Tan congratulated his son and daughter-in-law, welcoming them to what he described as "the wonderful journey of parenthood".

"We love you both dearly, and are confident you guys are going to be amazing parents," he wrote.

"Welcome to the world, Elijah. You are loved beyond measure, and your story is already part of a beautiful family tradition."

The government has announced changes to the Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) regime to better support licensed housing developers taking on large-scale en bloc redevelopments, with effect from Jul. 29, 2026.

The changes were announced in a joint press release by the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of National Development on Jul. 28.

How the current system works

Licensed housing developers purchasing residential land are currently subject to 40 per cent ABSD.

Of this, 5 per cent is non-remittable, while the remaining 35 per cent can be remitted but only if developers meet three timelines: starting construction within two years, completing the development within five years, and selling all units within five years of acquiring the site.

What is changing

Under the revised framework, large en bloc sites are now split into two categories based on how many residential units they yield upon redevelopment.

Large sites, classified as Category 1A, cover projects yielding between 700 and 1,399 residential units. Their completion and sale timelines will be extended to six years, up from 5.5 years.

Mega sites, classified as Category 1B, cover projects yielding 1,400 units or more. These will get seven years to complete and sell, up from 5.5 years.

However, developers of mega sites must sell at least 50 per cent of residential units by the end of six years or face the full ABSD clawback on the 35 per cent remittable component with interest.

Both categories require the redevelopment to yield at least 1.5 times the number of residential units in the existing development.

The commencement timeline of 2.5 years remains unchanged for both categories.

Extra six months for complex projects

In Mar. 2025, the government introduced the ABSD Remission Timeline Extension Framework for Complex Projects, which allows qualifying developers to apply for a six-month extension to their ABSD remission timelines, or 12 months if they qualify under more than one category.

Under today's changes, projects that qualify under more than one category of the ABSD Remission Timeline Extension Framework for Complex Projects will receive an additional six-month extension on top of the ABSD remission timelines, bringing the total to 6.5 years completion and sale timeline for Large Sites, and 7.5 years for Mega Sites.

The commencement timeline for such sites would be three years.

Mega Sites under this additional extension must still sell at least 50 per cent of units by the end of year six.

Why the change

The government said the revisions are aimed at supporting housing developers in undertaking large-scale redevelopments, which can help rejuvenate older estates and increase housing supply to meet ongoing demand.

For more details, visit the IRAS website.

The restaurant which allegedly prepared and cooked marine life foraged by a group from the shores of Changi has received numerous one-star reviews on Google Maps after the issue gained attention online.

The incident has also drawn a response from Pasir Ris-Changi GRC Member of Parliament (MP) Valerie Lee, who characterised the incident as "deplorable".

Numerous one-star reviews

In the Facebook group Complaint Singapore, one user shared on Jul. 13 screenshots and a video of a group of individuals gathering and foraging in an intertidal area with pails in hand.

The user also included screenshots from the video showing the signage of the restaurant that was allegedly involved in preparing the foraged marine life for consumption.

The restaurant appears to be Havelock Palace, located at 2 Havelock Road, near Chinatown.

In the now-deleted video which was first posted to Chinese social media platform Douyin, a narrator could be heard suggesting that there was more beyond just foraging marine life from the intertidal area.

The second part involved bringing the harvests overnight to the restaurant for them to be prepared fresh.

The man behind the camera could then be heard discussing with a chef about how the numerous marine creatures laid out on the table, such as clams and crabs, could be prepared.

Checks on Google Maps showed that the first handful of one-star reviews started appearing around four days ago.

Most of the one-star reviewers expressed their disapproval at the restaurant's apparent involvement in the incident, with some pointing out the restaurant's alleged "unethical practices".

Pasir Ris-Changi GRC MP speaks out

Pasir Ris-Changi GRC MP Valerie Lee, who is in charge of the Changi division, wrote in a Facebook post that she was "extremely disappointed" after watching the video.

Characterising the behaviour as "deplorable", Lee commented that it was not about the legality of it, but about a lack of respect.

"It feels like a complete lack of respect — for the animals, for these fragile ecosystems, and even for the traditions of ancient foragers, who understood that you take only what you need so the shore can continue to provide," she wrote.

She also tagged the National Parks Board (NParks) in her post and expressed her hope that the agency would step up patrols at intertidal habitats.

"If you see people treating our intertidal life like it's a free buffet, don't be afraid to call it out respectfully. We all have a part to play in looking after these places."

Karenne Tun, Group Director at the NParks National Biodiversity Centre, previously said in response to Mothership's queries that NParks is aware of a social media post on intertidal foraging and "seeks the understanding of the public to protect our intertidal biodiversity".

According to Tun, NParks restricts the collection of animals from intertidal zones under its jurisdiction.

These zones include Sisters' Islands Marine Park, Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Labrador Nature Reserve's rocky shore and Chek Jawa Wetlands.

For intertidal areas outside its jurisdiction, Tun says it focuses on public education on best practices and how visitors can interact responsibly with marine wildlife.

Restaurant allegedly threatened legal action

In a Jul. 26 video, local science content creator Biogirl MJ, who is the host of education platform Just Keep Thinking, commented on the incident, sharing that she had also left a review on the restaurant's Google Maps listing.

She noted that the restaurant had apparently responded to the reviews, claiming that the customer in the video had purportedly said the seafood featured was purchased and placed in the sea for filming.

The restaurant also threatened legal action.

According to Biogirl MJ, she responded by sharing a link to the video which she said showed that the marine life was indeed foraged from the coastal area.

She said that the legal threat "disappeared" after her response.

Biogirl MJ noted that the group of foragers were not "doing so out of genuine sustenance". Instead, "many of these viral gan hai participants are doing it purely for entertainment".

SFA advisory against eating wild-harvested shellfish

According to an advisory on the website of  Singapore Food Agency (SFA), bivalve molluscs readily accumulate bacteria, viruses and toxins in their bodies as they eat by taking in and filtering water.

While hazards such as bacteria, viruses and parasites can be removed via thorough cooking, others such as marine biotoxins and chemicals cannot.

As such, SFA advises against harvesting and consuming shellfish from the wild, which may contain biotoxins.

Mothership has reached out to SFA for comment.

A 28-year-old man has been sentenced to 25.5 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane for raping three underage girls after offering to pay them for sex.

He was sentenced on Jul. 27.

According to The Straits Times, Edmund Tan Shi Hui had met the three girls online.

He engaged in multiple penetrative sexual acts with them on eight separate occasions over more than a year, and offered them up to S$500 each time.

Tan faced a total of 16 charges, comprising statutory rape, sexual assault by penetration, and sexual penetration of a minor below the age of 16.

He pleaded guilty to six charges of statutory rape committed between March 2022 and July 2023, and the other 10 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

Had sex at Kovan MRT station

Court documents seen by Mothership revealed that Tan was between the ages of 24 and 25 at the time of the offences.

All three victims were aged 13 then.

Sometime before Mar. 4, 2022, the first victim had posted an advertisement on a Telegram group chat stating that she was 16 to 18 years old, and was offering her services in exchange for S$200 to S$300.

Tan saw the advertisement and sent her a private message.

They agreed to meet on Mar. 4, 2022, and that Tan would pay the victim S$100.

That day, after the victim finished school, the two had sex at a handicap toilet in Kovan MRT station.

He later told her that he knew she was younger than her declared age and that he would not report her as he would get into worse trouble than she would.

After the incident, Tan texted her to say that he regretted giving her so much money and asked for a video call with her.

Initially, the first victim refused out of fear that the video would be leaked.

However, she subsequently agreed after Tan promised that he would not record the video and would pay her S$500.

She took the video call in her school's toilet, during which she performed sexual acts.

After the call, however, the first victim realised that Tan had blocked her.

She later chanced upon him on Omegle, an online video-conferencing platform, and met him again for paid sex on Dec. 26, 2022, and Apr. 18, 2023.

Met up with second victim at his house

Tan met the second victim via Omegle sometime before Sep. 8, 2022.

He asked her to meet up for sexual acts, and she agreed to do so for S$400.

On Sep. 8, 2022, the two met up at his flat.

He had booked a private-hire car for her journey from her house to his unit, and another for her return home.

He continued to text her and request for more sexual acts in exchange for cash after that incident.

Some 10 days later, on Sep. 18, 2022, Tan paid her S$500 after they had sex at a handicap toilet in Punggol.

After this incident, the second victim lied to him, saying she was 14 years old.

They met again at his flat on Dec. 15, 2022.

Had sex at staircase landing

Similarly, Tan and the third victim met on Omegle on Jul. 7, 2023.

They later moved their conversation to Telegram, and she agreed to have paid sex with him on the same day.

Later that day, Tan sent the third victim a photo of his private part and asked her to send nude pictures of herself.

She complied.

He subsequently asked her what she was busy with, to which she replied that she was 13 years old and still attending school.

That night, the two met at a bus stop near the third victim's house and engaged in sex acts at the staircase landing of a block of flats after Tan paid her S$500.

They were later interrupted by a passer-by, who asked what they were doing.

The two then moved to another staircase landing and continued.

The next day, he texted her to ask for sex again, but she said she was not free.

On Jul. 30, 2023, she texted him, stating that she had spoken to the police and told him to stop contacting her.

Tan was arrested on Aug. 4, 2023 for sexual offences committed against the third victim, and his mobile phone was seized.

Investigations later revealed that Tan had kept a detailed diary of his expenditures in relation to paid sexual acts committed with 17 girls, out of which the three victims were under 14.

Sentencing

The prosecution sought a jail term of 23.5 to 27.5 years, along with 24 strokes of the cane for Tan.

It described Tan as an "incorrigible sexual offender", noting that he had exploited the victims for "his own lustful desires" and that his offences also demonstrated predatory behaviour.

According to ST, the defence counsel called the length of the jail term "crushing", noting that Tan would be in prison for almost as long as he had been alive.

He argued that 14 years’ jail and 12 strokes of the cane were sufficient to deter Tan and others.

The lawyer also noted that the maximum jail term for commercial sex with a minor under 18 was seven years, as compared to up to 20 years for rape.

He argued that this showed that paying for sex was regarded as a less serious offence.

However, the judge rejected these arguments.

He said parliament had intended to protect minors by making paid sex with those under 18 an offence, even though non-commercial sex with those aged 16 to 18 is not otherwise an offence.

Ang Mo Kio Library’s last day of operations at 4300 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 6 will be on Jul. 31, 2026.

The new Ang Mo Kio Library will reopen at AMK Hub on Nov. 20.

The two-storey standalone building located at the fringe of the Ang Mo Kio town centre is more than 40 years old.

It was opened on Aug. 17, 1985 and known as Ang Mo Kio Branch Library.

It was renamed Ang Mo Kio Community Library in 1995.

In late 2002, the library was closed for a period of nine months for renovations that cost S$3.5 million.

Queenstown Library closing temporarily

Queenstown Library at 53 Margaret Drive will temporarily close after Aug. 30.

The library is slated to reopen in late 2028 after its revamp.

Queenstown Library first opened in 1970 and was gazetted for conservation in 2013, which requires its facade to be maintained.

A 70-year-old man who was found unresponsive in a MacPherson Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat was conveyed to the hospital after a fire broke out there on Jul. 28.

He subsequently passed away.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said via a Facebook post that it was alerted at about 2:05am on Jul. 28 to a fire at Block 39, Circuit Road.

The police told Mothership that they were alerted to the same fire at about 2am on Jul. 28.

Fire extinguished

When SCDF arrived, black smoke was emitting from the living room of a unit on the ninth floor.

Firefighters conducted forcible entry to gain access into the unit, the post stated.

The fire, which involved items in the living room, was swiftly extinguished.

Hospital, investigation

During the firefighting operation, firefighters found an unresponsive person in the living room.

Firefighters immediately carried the person out of the unit and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

The man was then conveyed unconscious to Changi General Hospital, where he subsequently passed away.

SCDF noted that together with the police, it evacuated about 80 residents from the affected block as a precaution.

The cause of the fire is under investigation and police investigations are ongoing.

People who sell their private homes to buy public flats will not need to wait 15 months to do so with immediate effect.

This was announced by National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat on Jul. 28.

In a joint statement by Ministry of National Development (MND) and Housing and Development Board (HDB) on the same day, it was announced that private residential property owners who purchase a non-subsidised HDB resale flat without an HDB housing loan will not be subjected to a 15-month wait-out period.

"This follows several quarters of price moderation in the HDB resale market, which is showing signs of stabilisation," the statement added.

The pandemic led to delays in new flats construction, causing an imbalance of supply and demand, which caused resale housing prices to rise, Chee said at the 11th Singapore Economic Review Conference, according to CNA.

With the government ramping up supply, prices have moderated significantly, he added.

Property cooling measures were introduced in September 2022.

The 15-month wait-out period was to moderate the demand for HDB resale flats at the time, the joint statement added.

Access to affordable public housing was prioritised for Singaporeans, such as first-time homebuyers, who may have more urgent housing needs.

Authorities said previously that the wait-out period was a temporary measure.

However, there were exemptions made for some segments of homeowners.

Singapore citizens aged 55 and above were exempted from the 15-month wait-out period if they moved from their private property to a four-room or smaller non-subsidised HDB resale flat.

This was to better support the retirement needs of seniors.