December 2005 in Malaysia and Singapore

30 December 2005 (Friday)

• The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) will introduce a new scheme that requires all Islamic religious teachers to be registered and approved before being allowed to teach in mosques and madrasahs. (Kyodo News) (Islam Online)

• The United States embassy in Malaysia shuts down its operations in Kuala Lumpur due to credible security threats. (The Star)

29 December 2005 (Thursday)

• SBS Transit announces the long-awaited opening date of Buangkok MRT Station, setting it on 15 January 2006. (CNA)

• Controversy surrounding the National Kidney Foundation results in the Kidney Dialysis Foundation receiving 40% more funds. (CNA)

• Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew reiterates, that the government's position is to protect Singapore's air hub status, and not the interests of Singapore Airlines. He further encouraged the company to work together and to increase yields by splitting off its non-core businesses.(CNA) (CNA)

• The Singapore National Olympic Council has approved the largest contingent to be sent to the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. (CNA)

• Malaysians who have yet to apply for the MyKad rush to do so before the deadline expires. (The Star)

21 December 2005 (Wednesday)

• Malaysia Airlines's purchase of three paintings worth RM1.55 million raises a debate in the Dewan Negara (National Senate). (The Star)
• ...meanwhile Malaysia Airline's proposal to sell one of its buildings instead of the paintings gets a disapproval by the Senators Club. (The Star)
• A total of 18,941 residents in Kedah have been evacuated to safety due to floods, with 7,559 in the Kota Star district. (The Star)

19 December 2005 (Monday)

• Floods force an estimated 20,000 people from Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu to flee their homes. The floods also claim at least 6 lives. (The Star)

18 December 2005 (Sunday)

• A 35 year old reserve national serviceman collapses during a remedial fitness training at Maju Camp and dies about an hour later in the National University Hospital. He is the fourth serviceman to have collapsed and died this year. (CNA)
• Doctors and volunteers from the Singapore Cancer Society and the National Cancer Centre bring gifts and joy to some 200 cancer-stricken children islandwide while playing the role of Santa Claus and Santa's helpers. (CNA)
• DAP's secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and his wife Betty Chew were voted out of the DAP committee in Malacca. (The Star)

16 December 2005 (Friday)

• Malaysia Airlines announces fares hike. (The Star)
• The HIV Women and Children Fund is launched with $200,000 to help women and children who are HIV-positive. (CNA)

12 December 2005 (Monday)

• Singapore acquires 12 F-15 Eagle from Boeing with option for another 8. The fighter jets are specially configured and named as F-15SG and expected to be delivered by 2009. (Reuters)

10 December 2005 (Saturday)

• The Police Academy at Thomson Road will close after 76 years and relocate to the Home Team Academy in Choa Chu Kang. (CNA)
• The first beach volleyball court opens in suburban Singapore in Clementi. (CNA)
• The annual ZoukOut dance party at Sentosa draws 18,000 people. (CNA)

7 December 2005 (Wednesday)

• State Affair: Third President of Singapore Chengara Veetil Devan Nair died today in Canada at the age of 82. The Former President was in office between 1981 and 1985, after which his lacklustre departure was marked by allegations of alcoholism. He was also the only elected PAP member of the Federal Parliament during which Singapore was part of Malaysia. His later life was marked with disputes with the Government of Singapore and the former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. (CNA)
• Barisan Nasional wins Pengkalan Pasir by-election. The coalition defeats PAS by a small margin. (Bernama)

4 December 2005 (Sunday)

• The National University of Singapore unveils its plans for a university town catering for over 6,000 students by 2009. (CNA)

• The annual Star Awards ceremony was held by MediaCorp, awarding the best actress award to Huang Biren and the best actor award to Chen Hanwei. (CNA)

2 December 2005 (Friday)

• Australian Van Tuong Nguyen is executed by hanging in Singapore for drug trafficking. (AP via Yahoo)
• An independent commission to investigate the Malaysian prisoner abuse scandal is established by Prime Minister of Malaysia Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. (The Sun Malaysia)

1 December 2005 (Thursday)