2002 in Singapore

The following lists events that happened during 2002 in Singapore.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.

← 2001 2000 1999 2002 in Singapore → 2003 2004 2005
Decades:	1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s
See also:	Other events of 2002 Timeline of Singaporean history

Incumbents

• President: S.R. Nathan
• Prime Minister: Goh Chok Tong

Events

January

• 1 January - Re-registration for NRICs will be required if anyone turns 30 and above on or after today.
• 2 January - City Gas is formed from PowerGas.[1]
• 5 January - The National Science and Technology Board is renamed to the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star).[2]
• 9 January -
  • A Passenger Security Service Charge will be introduced for passengers who use Changi Airport from 1 March. This is so as to cover security costs incurred in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.[3] In addition, Changi Airport will upgrade Terminal 2 for S$200 million.[4]
• 11 January - The new building housing the Family and Juvenile Court is officially opened, having been brought together in September 2001.[5]
• 12 January - MediaCorp channel CityTV ceases transmission after two years due to lack of viewership and poor economic climate.[6]
• 13 January - Singapore and Japan signed the Japan–Singapore Economic Agreement for a New Age Partnership, making it Singapore's first free-trade agreement FTA with a major trading partner.[7]
• 14 January - Reclamation works around Chek Jawa area will be deferred as long as development works are not required, with plans made to conserve the island instead.[8]
• 25 January -
  • Osim's new headquarters is officially opened.[9]
  • Three statutory boards under Ministry of Trade and Industry are renamed to International Enterprise Singapore, SPRING Singapore and Agency for Science, Technology and Research respectively to deal with a changing economy.[10]

February

Changi Airport MRT station

• 8 February -
  • Changi Airport MRT station is opened for revenue service.[11]
  • The SAF's new clubhouse, The Chevrons is officially opened.[12]
  • Singapore's first elected President Ong Teng Cheong dies from lymphoma cancer at 8:14pm.[13][14]
• 9 February -
  • Jack Neo's I Not Stupid is released. The film triggered a discussion on education streaming, which led to the merging of EM1 and EM2 streams in 2004, with abolishment of EM3 streams by 2008.
  • The Opera Estate Drainage Scheme is completed, having a storage tank during rains.[15]
• 11 February - The Singapore flags flew at half mast for the very first time in history as a mark of respect to mourn the passing away of the nation's first elected President Ong Teng Cheong, who died from lymphoma cancer three days earlier at 8:14pm. It was considered very inauspicious by Chinese people since it coincided with Chinese New Year's Eve.
• 16 February - The Upper Serangoon Viaduct is opened.[16]
• 25 February - Keppel TatLee Bank merges into OCBC Bank.[17]
• 27 February - During the official opening of the Changi Airport line, 15 out of 16 stations along the North East MRT line (including Potong Pasir and Punggol) will open after a review, leaving Woodleigh closed.[18][19][20]

March

• 1 March - The prefix '6' is added to all landline phones.[21]
• 3 March - TV Works is renamed to Channel i.[22]
• 8 March - Singapore Press Holdings's new headquarters (named 'News Centre' on 11 November) is officially opened.[23][24]
• 16 March - Raffles Hospital is officially opened.[25]
• 20 March - PSA Corporation acquires logistics company CWT.[26]

April

• 1 April -
  • The Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore stops issuing 1-cent coins.[27]
  • The Singapore Business Federation is launched to represent businesses in Singapore.[28]
• 10 April - The Singapore Tyler Print Institute (now STPI - Creative Workshop & Gallery) is officially opened in Clarke Quay.[29]
• 13 April - A contact-based card system used for travel, EZ-Link, is launched for sale.[30]
• 15 April - The Health Sciences Authority orders a stop on Slim 10 sales in a suit that led to one death and a high-profile liver failure case.[31]
• 25 April - The Merlion is relocated to Merlion Park, 30 years since it first launched.

May

• 5 May - Khoo Swee Chiow reaches the North Pole, becoming the first Singaporean to do so. As a result, he conquered both the North Pole and the South Pole.[32]
• 15 May - StarHub and Singapore Cable Vision agree to merge with the new entity starting operations on 1 October.[33][34]
• 19 May - The Toa Payoh Bus Interchange opens, the first air-conditioned interchange.[35]

June

• June - Zhenghua Nature Park is completed.
• 1 June - SIA's SpaceBed is launched to enhance travellers' comfort.[36]
• 16 June - The merger of Overseas Union Bank into United Overseas Bank is completed.[37]

July

• 1 July - The National Environment Agency is launched to tackle environmental issues.
• 10-21 July - The 2002 ACC Trophy is held.

August

• August - Compass Point Shopping Centre opens its doors.
• 1 August - Republic Polytechnic is established, which teaches with Problem-Based Learning.
• 24 August - The Singapore Green Plan 2012 is launched.[38]

September

• 5 September - A new Automated People Mover system (now the Changi Airport Skytrain) is announced. The system will link all three terminals, which was completed in 2006.[39][40]
• 12 September - library@esplanade is opened in Esplanade as a performing arts library.[41][42]
• 15 September - The Merlion is reopened in the new Merlion Park.[43]
• 23 September - The Heritage Trees Scheme is officially launched to conserve trees of historical value, with some of them ranging 80 to 100 years old. An initial list of 36 trees has been drawn up.[44][45]
• 30 September -
  • NRICs will not display blood types from today due to quick blood tests that can be obtained easily.
  • ElderShield is launched as an insurance plan for those with severe disabilities. It will pay S$300 over 5 years.[46]

October

The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

• 1 October - The Board of Commissioners of Currency, Singapore (BCCS) merges with Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS),[47] first announced on 1 March.[48]
• 11 October - Virgin Mobile Singapore ceases operations as a mobile virtual network operator after gaining just 3% of the mobile market in Singapore.[49][50]
• 12 October - The Esplanade is officially opened by President S. R. Nathan.[51][52]

November

• 2 November - After several accidents and two deaths, Fantasy Island in Sentosa is closed.
• 20 November - A large Chengal Pasir tree was felled by DTZ Debenham Tie Leung. After a court hearing, it was fined in 2003.[53]
• 21 November - Comfort Group and DelGro Corporation announced a merger between the biggest taxi operator and the largest public bus operator in Singapore respectively, creating a S$1 billion company.[54] The merger results in the formation of ComfortDelGro Corporation on 29 March 2003.[55]

December

• 1 December - Magnetic-stripe cards for use on Singapore's public transport system are completely phased out, completing the switchover to EZ-Link cards.[56][57]
• 5 December - A gender-quota for admission of medical school students will be abolished from the 2003 batch, allowing men and women to pursue medicine as they wish.[58]
• 21 December - The Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Transport announced that an air marshals unit will be stationed in Singapore Airlines and SilkAir for security, with the first stationed in 2003.[59][60]
• 27 December - Two police officers, on normal supervisory rounds from the Changi Neighbourhood Police Centre of Bedok division were killed when their patrol car was overrun from the rear by a large garbage truck along Tanah Merah Ferry Road.
• 30 December - The Integrated Programme is announced, allowing students to proceed directly to Junior Colleges without taking the O Level exams. The scheme takes its first students in 2004.[61]

Deaths

• 8 February - Ong Teng Cheong, former president of Singapore (b. 1936).[62]
• 23 April - Gopal Baratham, neurosurgeon, writer (b. 1935).[63]
• 18 July - Lee Siew Choh, former Barisan Sosialis leader and first Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) (b. 1917).[64]
• 27 August - Brother Joseph McNally, arts pioneer, founder of LASALLE College of the Arts (b. 1923).[65]
• 10 September - Kuo Pao Kun, theatre director (b. 1939).[66]
• Low Ing Sing, Mandarin drama and theatre pioneer (b. 1924).[67]

References

1. "Our Milestones". City Gas. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
2. "A*Star is born, Boon comes on board as MD". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 5 January 2002. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
3. "Changi Airport to Impose Security Levy (Page 5)". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 10 January 2002. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
4. Foo, Serene (10 January 2002). "$200m upgrade for Terminal 2". Today (retrieved from NLB). Retrieved 23 September 2019.
5. "History". Family Justice Courts of Singapore. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
6. Foo, Serene (10 January 2002). "MediaCorp announces City TV closure". Today (retrieved from NLB). Retrieved 23 September 2019.
7. "Japan–Singapore Economic Arrangement for a New Age Partnership". NLB. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
8. "Deferment of reclamation works at Pulau Ubin". MND. 14 January 2002. Archived from the original on 14 October 2003. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
9. "Opening Ceremony of OSIM HQ". NAS. 25 January 2002. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
10. "New names for boards". Today. 26 January 2002. Retrieved 6 June 2019 – via NLB.
11. "Next stop: Changi Airport". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 9 February 2002. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
12. "Dr Tony Tan Opens the Chevrons" (PDF). MINDEF. 8 February 2002. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
13. "Ex-President Ong dies". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 9 February 2002. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
14. "Ong Teng Cheong". National Library Board. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
15. "Completion Ceremony for the Opera Estate Drainage Scheme". NAS. 9 February 2002. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
16. "Opening Of Upper Serangoon Viaduct". MOT. 16 February 2002. Retrieved 11 July 2019.
17. "OCBC BANK AND KEPPEL TATLEE BANK ARE LEGALLY AND OPERATIONALLY ONE" (PDF). OCBC Bank. 25 February 2002. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
18. "Opening Of The Changi Airport MRT Extension". MOT. 27 February 2002. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
19. "MRT trains to stop at Potong Pasir after all". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 28 February 2002. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
20. "MRT's next stop: Potong Pasir". Today (retrieved from NLB). 28 February 2002. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
21. "Phone numbers to get extra digit". Today (retrieved from NLB). 20 January 2001. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
22. "i - Your choice for Movies and Action On Singapore's Terrestrial TV!". SPH MediaWorks. 25 February 2002. Archived from the original on 14 August 2002. Retrieved 2 August 2019.
23. "Speech by Mr David T E Lim at the Official Opening of Singapore Press Holdings Building at 1000 Toa Payoh North". MITA (now MCI). 8 March 2002. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
24. "SPH names new HQ News Centre". SPH. 11 November 2002. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
25. "Opening of Raffles Hospital". NAS. 16 March 2002. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
26. "PSA acquires CWT". Today (retrieved from NLB). 21 March 2002. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
27. "No More 1-Cent Coins from BCCS". BCCS (now MAS). 27 February 2002. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
28. "Singapore Business Federation is formed". NLB. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
29. "Launch of Singapore Tyler Print Institute". NAS. 10 April 2002. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
30. "Ez-link card". NLB. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
31. "Slim 10 saga". NLB. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
32. "First To Reach Both North Pole And South Pole". Singapore Book of Records. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
33. "StarHub and SCV Seal Merger Agreement". StarHub. 15 May 2002. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
34. "StarHub Strengthens Brand Identity with New Product Names". StarHub. 26 September 2002. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
35. "Opening Of The First Airconditioned Bus Interchange At Toa Payoh". MOT. 19 May 2002. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
36. "SIA'S First Spacebed Equipped Aircraft Takes to The Air". Asia Travel Tips. 31 May 2002. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
37. "UOB, OUB merger complete". The Business Times (retrieved from NLB). 17 June 2002. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
38. "Launch of the Singapore Green Plan 2012". NAS. 24 August 2002. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
39. "New Automated People Mover System To Link Changi Airport's Three Terminals". MOT. 5 September 2002. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
40. "Linking Changi's three terminals". Today. 6 September 2002. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
41. "Library@Esplanade". NLB. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
42. "Opening of Library@Esplanade". NAS. 12 September 2002. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
43. "Inauguration of the Merlion Park". STB. 15 September 2002. Archived from the original on 13 October 2003. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
44. "Official Launch of Heritage Trees Scheme". NAS. 23 September 2002. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
45. "Heritage Tree Scheme". NLB. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
46. "ElderShield: NTUC Income". Today (retrieved from NLB). Retrieved 21 July 2019.
47. "BCCS Merges with MAS on 1 October". BCCS (now MAS). 30 September 2002. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
48. "Merger Of The Board Of Commissioners Of Currency, Singapore (BCCS) With The Monetary Authority Of Singapore (MAS)". MOF. 1 March 2002. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
49. "Virgin, SingTel Close Venture After Mobile Flop in Singapore (premium)". The Wall Street Journal. 9 July 2002. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2019.
50. "Last call for Virgin Mobile". CNET. 11 October 2002. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
51. "It's showtime at the Esplanade". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 13 October 2002. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
52. "Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay opens". NLB. Retrieved 26 August 2019.
53. "Felling of the Chengal Pasir tree". NLB. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
54. "Comfort, DelGro merger to create $1b company". The Business Times (Zaobao). 22 November 2002. Archived from the original on 9 December 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
55. "Corporate Profile". ComfortDelGro. Archived from the original on 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
56. "Public transport system gears up for switchover to EZ-Link card". EZ-Link. 17 October 2002. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
57. "Ez-link card". NLB. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
58. "Lifted: Quota on women in medicine". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). 6 December 2002. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
59. "Joint Statement From Ministry Of Home Affairs And Ministry Of Transport". MOT. 21 December 2002. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
60. "SIA and SilkAir to deploy air marshals soon". The Star. 25 May 2003. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
61. "Integrated Programme is announced". NLB. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
62. "Ong Teng Cheong". National Library Board. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
63. "Gopal Baratham". NLB. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
64. "Lee Siew Choh". NLB. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
65. "Brother Joseph McNally". NLB. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
66. "Kuo Pao Kun". NLB. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
67. "Low Ing Sing". NLB. Retrieved 29 October 2019.