19 January - StarHub launches its HDTV service, the first commercial HDTV service in Singapore and Southeast Asia.[7]
20 January - The University of New South Wales Asia campus is officially opened, making it the first foreign university in Singapore. However, it suddenly closed after four months.[8]
The Jurong Rock Caverns starts construction as the first underground rock cavern in Southeast Asia, used for storage of oil and chemicals. Phase 1 will be commissioned by 2011, being officially opened on 2 September 2014.[12]
9 March - The S P Jain campus is officially opened.[17]
15 March - The fourth NEWater plant is officially opened in Ulu Pandan.[18]
19 March - The Trim and Fit programme will be scrapped in favour of a Holistic Health Framework, after complaints of overweight children being teased and bullied.[19][20][21]
23 April - The NUS High School of Math and Science campus is officially opened, making it the first school in Singapore to specialise in Maths and Science, as well as providing its own lessons and diploma. In addition, the school is affiliated to the National University of Singapore.[30]
8 May - Sing to the Dawn is targeted for a release in 2008, which ultimately did on 30 October the following year. This makes it Singapore's first English animated film.[38]
11 May - Singapore acquires the rights to host the Formula One race with the first to be held either in September or October 2008, potentially being the first night race in the world. The race shall initially run for five years, with a future option for another five. Other measures are announced for the smooth running of Formula 1, with the Government covering 60 percent of costs, imposing a tiered cess of not more than 30 percent on hotels for seven days with those near to the race paying more, and setting up an interagency committee against potential inconveniences and disruptions.[39][40]
Local drinks company Out of the Box launches the "Anything" and "Whatever range of drinks. However, the campaign is married by vandalism at bus stops, leading to the campaign being scrapped. Nowadays, the drinks have disappeared from the Singapore market.[42]
20 May - The Float @ Marina Bay opens as a temporary stadium, the largest floating stage in the world.
27 May - Onepeople.sg is launched to unite Singaporeans.[43]
31 May - To cater for increased traffic due to new developments in Marina Bay, a new road system is finally opened after three phases.[44]
June
13 June - A public watersports centre will be built on the current Oasis Building site as part of the Singapore Sports Hub project.[45]
The Bukit Batok Civil Service Club is officially opened, replacing the previous facility in Dempsey Road that operated for 30 years. The facility also makes it the first to be built in a Housing and Development Board (HDB) area.[47]
24 June – 17-year-old triathlete Thaddeus Cheong Wing Kit dies after completing a triathlon, which was part of the SEA Games selection trial.[48]
Muhammad Nasir Abdul Aziz is ordered by Aniza Binte Essa, his lover, to murder her husband Manap Sarlip. Both Nasir and Aniza are arrested shortly after. Aniza is initially charged with abetting murder, a charge carrying the death penalty. This is later reduced to abetting manslaughter. A psychiatrist discovers she had a mental disorder that diminished her responsibility for the murder. She is sentenced to 9 years jail while Nasir pleaded guilty to murder. As he was under 18 years old when the murder took place, he is spared the gallows and hence indefinitely detained under the President's pleasure.[53][54][55]
7 July - The retail component of Orchard Turn Development is named ION Orchard.[56]
3 August - The Ministry of Education announced that Special and Express streams in secondary schools will merge from 2008 as content between the two streams becomes similar.[61]
9 August - Singapore held its inaugural National Day Parade at Marina Bay Floating Stadium for the first time, after the original location of National Stadium closed down for retrofitting works until 2014; the Stadium would later go on became a permanent hosting venue for the parade every year (except 2010, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2020).[62]
19 August - Punggol 21 Plus is announced, which will be transformed into a waterfront district with leisure activities and a future Punggol Waterway formed by damming two reservoirs. At the same time, a Home Improvement Programme is announced for flats built until 1986.[63]
15 October - Singapore Airlines takes delivery of the first Airbus A380 superjumbo jet.[71] It would make its inaugural commercial flight ten days later on 25 October.[72]
22 to 23 October - A debate on Section 377A ensues in Parliament, which is ultimately retained with an assurance that the law will not be used widely.[73]
23 October - Amendments to the Penal Code are passed to deal with sex crimes better, including recognition of marital rape, and dealing with wounding racial and religious sensitivities. Oral and anal sex are decriminalised, with the offence replaced by non-consensual acts criminalised.[74]
26 October -
The Singapore Sports Council announced a new permanent motorsports facility in Changi, which will be completed by 2011.[75] The facility is now known as the Changi Motorsports Hub, which is called off in 2013.[76]
20 November - The African Cheetah Enclosure is officially opened in the Singapore Zoo. A 5-year masterplan to boost the Mandai area is also unveiled too.[85]
3 December - The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore and Ministry of Health advised people to dispose off PrimaDeli's chocolate cakes after a spate of food poisoning cases caused by salmonella bacteria in cakes. These cases were first detected on 23 November, with the last case on 26 November.[88] The next day, PrimaDeli is required to stop production in its factory (which resumed on 21 December), and subsequently all shops, which reopened on 1 January the following year.[89][90][91][92] The final tally stood at 204 cases, making it Singapore's worst food poisoning outbreak before the 2009 Geylang Serai rojak stall incident. As a result, PrimaDeli is fined a maximum of $5,000 on 7 March 2008.[93]
6 to 15 December – Team Singapore participated in the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand and won 43 gold, 43 silver and 41 bronze medals.
