3 January – TheMillennia Institute is established from a merger of other Centralised Institutes.
8 January – TheInfocomm Development Authority of Singapore announced that phone numbers starting with '8' will become available from April after high demand for phone numbers starting with '9'.[4][5]
3 February – The Braddell Flyover is opened to traffic.[6]
12 February – TheCarlsberg Sky Tower (renamed to Tiger Sky Tower) is opened.
22 February – Plans for a new hospital in Jurong were postponed in favour for one in the north. These plans were elaborated on 22 March, when theHealth Ministry announced a Northern General Hospital (nowKhoo Teck Puat Hospital) in Yishun.[7][8]
13 March – A new pre-tertiary arts school (nowSchool of the Arts) is announced during a parliamentary debate to cater for students between the ages of 13 and 18.[10]
17 March – TheMinistry of Education announced more flexibility for school admissions and an all-rounded school ranking system.[11][12]
13 April – A blackout hits several parts of Singapore includingChoa Chu Kang, affecting 80,000 households and lasting almost an hour. Investigations found that a cable fault was responsible for the event.[20][21]
10 May – SMRT and TIBS were officially merged, whereas SMRT Buses was formed.
14 May – TheMedia Development Authority (MDA) awards the 99.5FM frequency toMediaCorp under MediaCorp Radio. The new station, GROOVES 99.5FM (renamedLush 99.5FM) will broadcast local music and arts programmes, as well as jazz and programmes by tertiary students. The station will start broadcasting by end 2004.[26]
15 June –MINDEF announced thatNational Service will be cut from 2.5 to 2 years from the December 2004 batch.[31]
18 June – The thirdNEWater plant opened inSeletar. It operated for seven years until its closure in 2011.
29 June – A blackout occurred for the second time, affecting about one–third of Singapore residents. Investigations reveal that the blackout was caused by a disruption of natural gas supply from Indonesia.[32][33]
22 August – Pro-family policies were introduced during theNational Day Rally. Among the measures include an enhancedBaby Bonus scheme, increased maternity leave to 12 weeks, more childcare options, a five-day work week, among others. In addition, female civil servants can claim medical benefits for their dependant unmarried children below 18 year and spouses from 1 January 2005, as well as two-day childcare leave for each parent from 1 October.[35][36]
1 September – Punggol Plaza managed by Koufu and NTUC Fairprice is officially opened and connected to Coral Edge LRT Station in Punggol, Singapore.
2 September – TheMedia Development Authority allows the sale ofCosmopolitan, a women-oriented magazine, coming after a 22-year ban since 1982 on the grounds of nudity. However, the magazine will be shrink-wrapped with the label 'Unsuitable for the Young' to protect vulnerable consumers.[37]
15 September –Tiger Airways launches its first flights. At the same time, a newlow cost terminal will be built by 2006, with Tiger Airways being the first to use the terminal when it opens.[38][39]
17 September – In a bid to stem losses,Mediacorp andSingapore Press Holdings (SPH) announced themerging of their media operations. A new holding company Mediacorp TV will be created with Mediacorp owning 80 percent and SPH holding the remaining 20 percent. In addition, Mediacorp Press will continue to be owned by Mediacorp; holding a 60 percent stake with 40 percent to be sold to SPH.Channel i will be reviewed for commercial viability whileStreats will be merged intoToday.[40]
23 September –VivoCity, formerly known as the HarbourFront Mall, is unveiled, opening in December 2006.[41]
24 September – TheDirect School Admission was announced, allowing Primary 6 and Secondary 4 students to be guaranteed a place in asecondary school andjunior college of their choice respectively. The scheme took effect from the 2005 cohort.[42]
26 September – Reviews were announced for education awards, new school achievement tables and the scrapping of rankings for IP schools and junior colleges.[43]
2 October – TheYellow Ribbon Project and Yellow Ribbon Fund are officially launched to give ex-convicts a second chance.[45][46]
29 October – The first units ofThe Sail @ Marina Bay are launched, which is jointly developed by City Developments Limited and AIG Global Real Estate.[47]
30 November –Temasek Holdings acquires HDB Corp (present-daySurbana Jurong) as part ofHousing and Development Board's divestment, allowing it to expand overseas to new markets in Asia. Likewise, entry barriers for private companies will be lifted from July 2006 with HDB Corp allowed access into private sector projects from 2007 onwards.[49][50]
29 December – The Boon Lay Extension of theEast West MRT line is announced. The 3.8 km (2.4 miles) extension will be finished by 2009, with 2 elevated stations to be built.[54]
