2023 has certainly been a year to remember for Singaporeans, leaving us with far too many memories to count.
From Shanti Pereira’s winning streak at the Asian Games to extramarital affairs between local politicians, there’s been plenty to make 2023 pretty much unforgettable.
Therefore, with the year finally coming to a close, here’s a look at the 10 most memorable moments of 2023.
In June, pop sensation Taylor Swift announced that she’ll be performing in Singapore come next year.
What ensued was a flurry of fans all scrambling to get their hands on the tickets.
The presale tickets sold out online within three hours, while some fans camped at SingPost outlets two days before general sales.
However, the concert ticket madness reached a fever pitch on 7 July when some Swifties squeezed under ION Orchard’s shutters to be the first in line.
Source: NST via TAYLOR SWIFT THE ERAS TOUR ASIA on Telegram
Though months have passed since the concert craze, this was definitely one of the unforgettable moments of 2023.
It showed the tenacity and dedication of the country’s youth — and the lengths they were willing to go to for their idols.
Next, who can forget the slew of political sagas that took the nation by storm?
In May, it was announced that two Ridout Road property rentals belonging to Ministers K Shanmugam & Vivian Balakrishnan were to be reviewed by Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean.
Source: Google Maps
This came after Reform Party secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam asked questions about the properties’ auction process.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) then found no evidence of corruption or criminal wrongdoing in the two rental transactions.
About two months later, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin was caught muttering “f**king populist” under his breath in Parliament.
A clip of the then Speaker of Parliament’s slip-up caught the attention of netizens and the media, prompting him to release a public apology.
He added that he had apologised to Workers’ Party (WP) MP Jamus Lim as well — towards whom the offensive words were directed.
Unfortunately, Mr Tan would remain in the hot seat when news of his extramarital affair with fellow People’s Action Party (PAP) member and Tampines GRC MP Cheng Li Hui broke on 17 July.
Both individuals have since resigned from their posts.
On the same day, footage of WP members Mr Leon Perera and Ms Nicole Seah apparently holding hands circulated online.
Source: Facebook
It was then revealed that the pair were also having an extramarital affair.
Both Mr Perera and Ms Seah similarly resigned from their public posts.
While all this was happening, transport minister S Iswaran had been placed under arrest to assist the CPIB in a probe.
He has since been placed on a Leave of Absence (LOA) as the bureau conducted investigations.
Back on 23 Mar, Singaporean TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi had to sit for a grueling five-hour hearing with the United States (US) Congress.
Source: @NewsBFM on Twitter
In clips that went viral online at the time, he bore the brunt of an intense grilling session by various members of the congress.
This included having to address queries on how TikTok accessed the home Wifi network, among others.
Despite the admittedly nerve-wracking position he had been in, Mr Chew kept his cool and answered each question with a straight face.
Source: @NewsBFM on Twitter
His composure under such duress had then earned him a massive fanbase online, both from Singapore and elsewhere.
Another incident that made the headlines in Singapore for months was Zoe Gabriel, a teen who was mocked online for calling a Charles & Keith bag a luxury item.
Taking to TikTok, she addressed the criticism she had received for labelling the product as “luxury”, explaining that she had not grown up with a lot.
“To you, an S$80 bag may not be a luxury, but for me and my family, it is a lot,” she pointed out.
Source: TikTok
Zoe’s masterful handling of netizens’ insensitive remarks subsequently opened up a slew of opportunities for her.
From getting to meet Charles & Keith’s founders, modelling for them, to even featuring in an AirAsia ad, it’s fair to say that Zoe definitely more than proved her haters wrong.
On 15 Aug, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) deployed over 400 officers from different departments for simultaneous raids at various locations, including residences.
They arrested 10 foreigners including three PRC nationals.
SPF had seized more than S$23 million in cash from the operation, in addition to 35 bank accounts with a total balance of more than S$110 million.
Source: Singapore Police Force on Facebook
They had also issued prohibition of disposal orders against 94 properties and 50 vehicles, which reportedly carry a value of more than S$815 million.
The case regarding the matter is still ongoing, with the latest developments stating that the accused face charges ranging from forgery to money laundering.
In October, it was reported that the amount of assets involved has since about tripled to over S$2.8 billion.
In a case of child abuse that shocked the nation, a teacher at Kinderland in Woodlands Mart, Singaporean Lin Min, was filmed roughly handling children in August.
The footage, which circulated widely online, showed Lin shouting and hitting them with a textbook, ignoring their crying.
Source: Claudia Tan on Facebook
Shortly after, police arrested her following the confirmation of her identity through follow-up investigations.
Charged for the ill-treatment of a child, Lin was under remand at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) before receiving a S$15,000 bail offer.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
Kinderland also came under fire for their treatment of children under their care, with its Woodlands Mart school fined S$5,000 and its licence tenure reduced to six months.
Addressing the matter, Minister of State for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling said the enhancement of penalties for preschool operators was under consideration.
This year, Singapore welcomed its first contested presidential election in a while.
Three candidates — Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Mr Ng Kok Song, and Mr Tan Kin Lian — made the cut, though Mr George Goh had also put up a decent fight as a hopeful.
The four hopefuls each gave Singaporeans much to talk about, from Mr Tan’s “pretty girl” comments to Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s iconic pineapple symbol.
In the end, the latter secured a landslide victory on 2 Sep with 70.4% of votes.
In a video that ended up trending online for months, 29-year-old Chinese national Han Feizi had a heated exchange with police officers at Singapore General Hospital (SGH) over an argument with a nurse.
Source: Douyin
She was then placed under arrest, with the resulting investigation revealing that her offences included lying in her work permit application, stating that she was under the employment of KDL Elements.
In reality, she admitted that her only reason for entering Singapore “was for fun.”
Source: Douyin
Han ultimately received five weeks’ jail and a S$600 fine for her offences, which included using criminal force, among others.
Upon the conclusion of her sentence, local authorities deported Han and revoked her work pass, banning her from entering Singapore.
Our athletes this year have made Singapore proud, winning accolades at competitions on the international stage.
None, however, have achieved quite as much as Shanti Pereira, who clinched gold at the 200m sprint in this year’s Asian Games with a timing of 23.03s.
Source: Singapore National Olympic Council on Facebook
In addition, she won silver at the 100m event in the Games, bringing home Singapore’s first track and field medal from the competition in 49 years.
Source: Singapore Athletics on Facebook
The dual achievements topped off a stellar year from Shanti, who broke several records with her performances across several events — including the 200m national record at the World Athletics Championships in August.
For those of us who had Flash Coffee among our go-to venues for our daily coffee fix, it definitely came as a shock when the company abruptly shut down all of its outlets in Singapore.
Source: Google Maps
The closure started with its Jurong Point outlet closing down in October. Staff at the shop had revealed they were going on strike due to late salary payouts, thanking customers for the memories.
Source: @resonancereviews on TikTok
The islandwide closure of their outlets took place on 13 Oct.
On the same day, the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union (FDAWU) released a media statement stating that the company still owed staff their salaries, Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions and leave entitlements.
With only a day or two left in the year, we can’t help but look back on some of Singapore’s most iconic events.
The new year will serve as a fresh slate for most people to embrace more memorable moments to come.
What was your most unforgettable piece of news this year? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from @NewsBFM on Twitter, Google Maps, Singapore Police Force on Facebook, and Singapore National Olympic Council on Facebook.
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