If you’ve been living under a rock, or only skipping to the entertainment news, here’s one for you.
Here’s a list of all the most important/viral current affairs news of the year. With this list, please don’t tell us that the only news you can recall is how Mbappe scored a hat trick at the world cup finals or how hot Messi’s wife looks!
Get through the entire list, and there’s a bonus for you right at the end 😉
1. Mask-off in most public areas
We’ve never realised how much grime and sweat can accumulate around our mouths until Covid-19 forced us to be wearing a mask everywhere. So of course, the announcement that we will no longer be required to wear a mask except on public transport and in healthcare facilities was pretty much the best news of 2022.
We’ve definitely come a long way from the start of Covid-19. The changes to the masking guidelines were greatly welcomed by many, especially some of the young couples who can finally PDA freely on escalators.
While we still have to wear masks on public transport and in healthcare facilities, Covid-19 seems to be under control and there’s hope that we can continue adapting to the new normal. May there be one day our chins get to see the light of the day anywhere we are!
2. Lawrence Wong promoted to DPM
It’s now pretty clear that Lawrence Wong is the candidate to succeed PM Lee. He is the Chosen One – not just by PM, but also by his party and citizens who were part of this online poll. Now, that says quite a lot about the support for him.
His promotion is hardly debatable seeing all of the hard work he’s put in and the results that it has yielded so far – just look at how we managed to come out of the crazy Covid-19 crisis. While there may be some naysayers online (typically those who hide behind a keyboard and complain about anything), DPM Wong has undoubtedly earned his promotion!
Besides, just take a minute to be impressed by his 2022 Spotify-wrapped list of top artists. Our DPM is cooler than yours!
What’s DPM Wong been up to lately? Well, amongst many of his responsibilities, he has also been busy leading the Forward SG citizen engagements.
3. NTUC launches year-long engagement exercise
Speaking of the Forward SG engagements, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) is also complementing the government’s effort and has been reaching out to Singaporeans to understand the concerns, priorities, and aspirations of workers, and how NTUC can support them in their working lives.
Known as the #EveryWorkerMatters Conversations, NTUC has since engaged a massive 10,900 participants through focus groups, roadshows, and dialogues. It will be sharing its findings and releasing its recommendations by mid-2023 while working with 4G leaders and government policymakers involved in the Forward SG exercise
If you didn’t know or would like to air your grouses feedback about the state of employment in Singapore, you can check out the ongoing engagements to be involved in here.
4. Parliament repeals Section 377A
The repealing of Section 377A, the law that criminalises gay sex was one of the most hotly debated news this year. The 10-hour parliamentary debate saw 93 MPs voting in favour of the move.
Workers’ Party MPs Gerald Giam and Dennis Tan (Hougang), along with NMP Hoon Hian Teck were the only ones to vote against the repeal.
In a Facebook post, PM Lee also shared about the work that went behind the scenes – thousands of citizens have taken part in dialogues, to give views, express concerns, and share their hopes for how our society would develop.
A key moment in Parliament was also about how Minister Shanmugam acknowledged that homosexuality is considered a sin in religions. He also went on to note that ‘some sins are crimes, but not every sin is a crime’. Well-said! And Indeed, for a conduct to be a crime, there should be a public order issue. In this case, however, it is the private lives of citizens we are talking about!
5. Cash payouts to cope with rising costs
Eligible Singaporeans will receive up to S$700 in cash payouts next month, as part of measures to help them cope with the GST increase and rising cost of living.
There’s a bunch of jargon and breakdown on the payouts announced – obviously since there are so many different schemes that have been drawn up to support Singaporeans. But the newest of them all is probably the one-off Cost-of-Living (COL) special cash payout of up to S$500. The special payout will be disbursed to Singaporeans aged 21 years old and above in 2023, with an assessable income of not more than S$100,000. They must also not own more than one property.
Hence, this really applies to most Singaporeans, including especially the middle-income group.
Here’s a handy guide to all of the payouts that are coming up here:
| Period | Details |
| Dec-22 | Assurance Package: Cash payout (up to S$200) |
| Cost-of-Living special payment (up to S$500) | |
| Jan-23 | GST Voucher S&CC rebate (0.5 month) |
| GST Voucher – USave (regular, up to S$95) | |
| Assurance Package: GST Voucher – USave (up to S$95) | |
| Assurance Package: CDC Vouchers (S$200) | |
| CDC Vouchers (S$100) | |
| Feb-23 | Assurance Package: GST Voucher – Cash (seniors’ bonus, up to S$300) |
| Assurance Package: Medisave top-up for seniors and children (S$150) |
Congratulations! You’ve made it to the end of this list and have joined the ranks of those who are informed citizens of Singapore. Now here’s a bonus piece of news to reward you.
6. The legendary Hong Lim Beer Lady is back!
After bidding farewell to Hong Lim, she opened a restaurant along Mei Ling Street in Queenstown. In a recent Facebook post, she also shared alternative locations where we can find her. Don’t say we never share hor:
If you think it’s too troublesome to travel all the way to there to ogle support her new venture, you can also check out her live stream on Facebook where she has been promoting cashew nuts. Just look at how yumi yummy the nuts look!
