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REACH (Telegram) 133 - What are your thoughts on the ministerial statements on managing the impact of the Middle East conflict? Which issue discussed at Parliament today interests you the most?

(SK)

07 Apr 2026 (10am - 7pm)

REACH (Telegram)

[7/4/2026 9:48 am] REACH Singapore: Dear Contributors,

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[7/4/2026 10:21 am] REACH Singapore: 📢 Topic📢

Parliament will sit today (7 Apr) at 12:00pm. Measures to cushion the impact of the Middle East conflict on Singaporeans will be discussed, with three ministers scheduled to make statements on the situation.

💬 What are your thoughts on the ministerial statements on managing the impact of the Middle East conflict? Which issue discussed at Parliament today interests you the most?

📌 Impact of the Middle East situation in Singapore

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam, and Acting Transport Minister and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow are scheduled to speak, according to the order paper released on April 6.

A total of 32 MPs have filed 62 questions on the war’s impact – including rising energy prices in the Republic – and the Government’s response to it.

The first series of questions is on the war’s wider economic environment and how it relates to Singapore, with MPs asking for the Government’s assessment of how disruptions to energy production in the region will be felt here.

Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh (Aljunied GRC) has asked for the Government’s estimate of the impact of the disruption of liquefied natural gas facilities in the Middle East on household expenditure. He has also asked for the scope of the Government’s contingency plans in the event of a disruption in energy supplies or a prolonged period of high energy prices.

MPs have also asked how the Government will step in to help different segments of society, including businesses, as well as workers who have been disproportionately affected by fuel price spikes.

This comes after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced last week that some support measures announced at Budget 2026 will be brought forward to provide earlier relief and cushion the impact of the Middle East conflict on households and businesses. The Government will also provide targeted support to sectors hit hardest by the conflict, and enhance existing measures, he said on April 2.

To coordinate Singapore’s national response, PM Wong also said he has convened the Homefront Crisis Ministerial Committee (HCMC) chaired by Mr Shanmugam, who is also Minister for Home Affairs.

Outlining the scope of the HCMC to the media on April 4, Mr Shanmugam said it will address supply disruptions and price increases arising from the Middle East conflict, as well as diplomatic and security issues.

📌 Two bills to be discussed at Parliament

The House will also debate two sets of new laws – one amending the Energy Conservation Act and another on regulating the veterinary practice industry.

The first Bill seeks to extend energy performance standards and labelling for goods imported by consumers, while the second will establish a new council that provides for the registration and regulation of those practising veterinary medicine.

📌 Other Issues

Other parliamentary questions include the telecommunications network disruptions and the impact of the US Section 301 investigation of unfair trade practices on Singapore.

👉 https://www.parliament.gov.sg/docs/default-source/order-paper/order-paper---7apr2026093dee9d-b41e-43c5-8b5a-9ec128d0ce51.pdf

👉 https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/parliament-to-discuss-cushioning-spore-from-middle-east-conflicts-impact-three-ministers-to-speak

👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/lawrence-wong-iran-war-ministerial-committee-energy-6033151

👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/homefront-crisis-ministerial-committee-shanmugam-supply-shock-price-rise-fuel-food-6036461

👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singtel-service-outage-third-day-downdetector-6001511

👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/us-opens-unfair-trade-probes-section-301-trump-tariff-5987926

👉 https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/mti-ustr-section-301-investigations-unfair-trade-5989396

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[7/4/2026 11:07 am] LCL (Danny 心):

"UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait lose water, energy infrastructure to Iran strikes".

Dying of thirst and oil revenues.....

https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3349084/uae-bahrain-and-kuwait-lose-water-energy-infrastructure-iran-strikes#:~:text=UAE%2C%20Bahrain%20and%20Kuwait%20lose%20water%2C%20energy%20infrastructure%20to%20Iran%20strikes

[7/4/2026 11:09 am] LCL (Danny 心):

1. Even if the war is to end now, it will not be business as usual.

2. Oil infrastructure are destroyed or damaged, we will be facing oil shortage for 2 to 5 years as mentioned that it will take this amount of time to restore it back.

[7/4/2026 11:09 am] LCL (Danny 心):

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/iran-strait-hormuz-new-order-us-war-6038716

Iran Guards say preparing plan for new order in Strait of Hormuz.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned conditions in the strait "will never return to its former status, especially for the US and Israel".

It could means implementing tolls on passing ships.

[7/4/2026 11:11 am] LCL (Danny 心):

1. Iran guard say there will be new order along the Hormuz straits - which could mean tolls or restrictions.

2. This could impact future oil prices and commodities prices that need to travel along the Straits - translated to higher prices.

[7/4/2026 11:13 am] Nicholas: Everyone loses in this war, nobody wins. Really unnecessary for USA and Israel to start this war. Hope it ends soon and without further massive destruction and killings.

[7/4/2026 11:14 am] LCL (Danny 心):

Hence there is an urgent need for us to decide should we still place emphasis on using LNG gas to power our electricity generation or should we think of a more long structural change in which we domestically produce energy within our shore to achieve Energy self reliance and sovereignty.

Good news is, technological breakthrough have arrived.

[7/4/2026 11:15 am] LCL (Danny 心):

"US firm making thorium-fueled nuclear reactors to file for NRC license under new regulations.

Ampera’s reactor uses TRISO fuel that does not need to be refueled allowing continuous operation over decades."

https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/us-ampera-nuclear-firm-nrc-license#:~:text=US%20firm%20making,operation%20over%20decades.

[7/4/2026 11:15 am] LCL (Danny 心):

1. Multiple startups in the US are developing small- and micro-scale reactors that can be produced at scale in a factory and then transported to the installation site.

2. This helps reduce manufacturing costs, while a modular setup also allows facilities to scale up to meet variable output requirements.

3. Ampera is building thorium-enabled microreactors with outputs in the 15-30 MWe range.

4. An important feature of these microreactors is that they do not require refueling, enabling continuous operation for decades.

[7/4/2026 11:21 am] LCL (Danny 心):

Important to note the following that basically address most of our needs:-

1. The SMR Thorium based molten salt nuclear reactors - are factory made, transported in modular form and can be installed on customer site when ordered.

This shortened the implementation timeline of 2 to 5 years drastically as compared to setup based on traditional implementation.

That means if we order now, a few weeks or months, we will have a nuclear reactor operating producing electricity for us giving us 15-30 MegaWatts of electricity output.

2. If we need more electricity output, we can buy additional modules to scale up.

Eg. 300 MW, we buy 10 SMR modules.

Footprints quite small as we can see from the diagram.

[7/4/2026 11:24 am] LCL (Danny 心):

2. 2nd feature that is particularly important to us - it does not require refueling and can achieve continuous operation for decades.

a. This means, the initial input of small amount of thorium plus molten salt can produce liquid Uranium-233 of nuclear fission, generate heat, turn turbine and generate electricity for us continuously (nuclear power is almost infinite).

This could give us :-

i. Reliable continuous supply of electricity.

ii. No need to refuel periodically - save input cost.

iii. The article did not mention the need to dispose off radioactive waste - though very negligible - as it is a light uranium in liquid form but not heavy enriched uranium in fuel rod that are radioactive. Liquid uranium are recycled continuously to produce electricity and not become a resultant nuclear waste that need to be disposed.

But our nuclear scientists still need to work with foreign nuclear experts to fully address the following to reassure the public.

Eg.

1. If accident happens eg. Fire, leakage etc - how to manage the radioactive if it happens. Understand SMR designed have many safety features such as storing Radioactive waste in failsafe cast etc.

But a full information are needed to reassure public.

2. If sabotage or hostile state bomb the nuclear reactor and though the Uranium are light and in liquid form, if install in floating structure, offshore if spill into the seawater, can it neutralise the radioactive harm?

Note:- Fukushima nuclear radioactive waste are from enrich solid fuel rod whereby the nuclear waste is more harmful and yet can be neutralise by sea.

For our light liquid uranium-233, will seawater even more effective in neutralising the radioactive waste?

[7/4/2026 11:27 am] John Yong: Thorium reactors, when proved commercially viable and reliable, will prove to be a game changer. However, before using them in Singapore, there are quite a few areas to address:

1. Getting the public ready. We would not want a PR fiasco like the Simply Go issue where emotions boil over. There are especially concerns on safely, radiation, etc.

2. The reactors are not exactly plug and play and would require infra build-up and connectors.

3. Government and regulatory review - as with all things, we would need to review and go through due D, otherwise the Income Insurance issue

Not saying these cannot be overcome, but have to be planned out...

[7/4/2026 11:40 am] LCL (Danny 心):

Agree and understand.

Government need to address those points you have highlighted.

[7/4/2026 11:38 am] 365: The government needs to take sustainability more seriously, not just having a department for environmental sustainability and call it a day.

I'm referring to infrastructure and population sustainability. We are already land scarce, so much so that we don't have much to produce resources for our self sufficiency such as energy or food. Increasing population means even more land for residential, and less for self sufficiency.

Singapore is an individual organism, not multiple in a group. Everything is related and need to work together.

It was understandable to push for more immigration when Singapore had nothing and we needed the high growth, now that we have stabilized, we need to pivot to make it more sustainable and long lasting.

[7/4/2026 11:39 am] LCL (Danny 心):

1. Note:- this US version of SMR Thorium based molten salt nuclear reactors only produce 15 - 30MW of electricity.

2. This is unlike China 1st Thorium based molten salt nuclear reactor and impending Singapore based that will be installed for Indonesia - which can produce 500MW in one module.

3. Need to find out what are the differences - why so much deviation in electricity output.

4. Also which one is safer for us to implement.

[7/4/2026 11:41 am] LCL (Danny 心):

Chinese molten salt reactor achieves conversion of thorium-uranium fuel - World Nuclear News

https://share.google/WFuaSEhw2iCKWKoko

[7/4/2026 11:41 am] LCL (Danny 心):

China is the 1st country that have successfully implemented a SMR Thorium based molten salt nuclear reactor.

[7/4/2026 11:43 am] LCL (Danny 心):

The National University of Singapore (NUS) is actively involved in nuclear research through the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Initiative (SNRSI), which is housed at NUS and works to build local capabilities in nuclear safety, radiochemistry, and technology.