1985 in Singapore

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← 1984 1983 1982 1985 in Singapore → 1986 1987 1988
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	Other events of 1985 Timeline of Singaporean history

The following lists events that happened during 1985 in Singapore.

Incumbents

• President: C.V. Devan Nair (until 28 March), Wee Chong Jin (Acting) (28 to 29 March), Yeoh Ghim Seng (Acting) (29 March to 2 September), Wee Kim Wee (starting 2 September)
• Prime Minister: Lee Kuan Yew

Events

January

• January - Funan Centre opens to the public. It evolved to Funan The IT Mall, and finally Funan DigitaLife Mall, closing its doors on 30 June 2016.

February

• 1 February – The Small Claims Tribunal is established as part of the Subordinate Courts (present day State Courts of Singapore), which mainly deals with small claims. ^[1]

March

• 28 March – Singapore's third President Devan Nair resigns. ^[2] Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin and later Speaker of Parliament Yeoh Ghim Seng temporarily serve as acting president during that time.

April

• 2 April – The NTUC Pasir Ris Resort starts construction. When completed, the resort will have a wide array of recreational activities, supporting up to 1,400 people at any time. The resort is officially opened in 1988. ^[3]
• 15 April – The Feedback Unit is formed to allow people to feedback their concerns to the Government. It has since been replaced by REACH in 2006. ^[4]

May

• 16 May – The first case of HIV is diagnosed at the Communicable Diseases Centre (present day National Centre for Infectious Diseases). The patient is subsequently warded at the CDC. ^[5]
• 23 May - An 18 year old student, Winnifred Teo Suan Lie became a victim of rape and murder. Her naked body was discovered in bushes by police along Old Holland Road. It remains an unsolved case.

June

• 24 June – The National University Hospital is opened to the public, the first government-owned hospital to be privately run. ^[6]

August

• 30 August – Wee Kim Wee becomes the fourth President of Singapore. He takes office on 2 September. ^[7]

December

• 2 December – The Second Series Coins are launched, with the 5-cent, 10-cent, 20-cent and 50-cent coins the first to be issued. ^[8]

Date unknown

• Singapore slips into its first recession during that time, as well as the Pan Electric crisis. (Early 1985) ^[9]
• Shop N Save starts operations as a supermarket. ^[10]
• Sheng Siong starts operations as a supermarket, taking over from the Savewell supermarket chain, which closed down the following year due to financial problems. ^[11]

Births

• 22 January – Yan Xu, table tennis player. ^[12]
• 9 April – Romeo Tan, actor.
• 16 June – Andie Chen, actor.

Deaths

• 15 February – Chen Chong Swee, Artist (b. 1910). ^[13]
• 2 March – Runme Shaw, Founder of Shaw Organisation and philanthropist (b. 1901). ^[14]
• 21 June – Ng Aik Huan, prominent businessman, Hokkien community leader and member of the Nanyang University Council (b. 1908). ^[15]
• 26 August – S. T. Bani, former unionist and politician (b. 1934). ^[16]
• 15 December – Chew Swee Kee, former Minister for Education (b. 1918). ^[17]

References

1. "ABOUT THE SMALL CLAIMS TRIBUNALS". State Courts of Singapore. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
2. John, Alan (29 March 1985). "President resigns". The Straits Times. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
3. "Ground Breaking Ceremony of the Pasir Ris Resort for workers" (PDF). NAS. 2 April 1985. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
4. "Feedback Unit is formed". NLB. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
5. Tai, Janice (20 May 2018). "Last HIV candlelight memorial at CDC". The Straits Times. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
6. "National University Hospital". NLB. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
7. "Dr Wee Kim Wee". Istana Singapore. Archived from the original on 10 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
8. "Circulation Currency: Coins". MAS. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
9. "Singapore experiences its first post-independence recession - Singapore History". eresources.nlb.gov.sg. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
10. Lim, Jessica (3 April 2013). "Shop N Save outlets rebranded as Giant stores". Asiaone. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
11. "Sheng Siong". NLB. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
12. "XU Yan". m2006.thecgf.com. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
13. "Chen Chong Swee". NLB. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
14. "Runme Shaw". NLB. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
15. "Ex-Nantah Council member dies at 78". The Straits Times. 23 June 1985. pp. Page 11.
16. "Former unionist and politician Bani dies". The Straits Times. 27 August 1985. pp. Page 9.
17. "Swee Kee meninggal di KL". Berita Harian. 17 December 1985. pp. Page 8.