Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower is seeking public feedback on the upcoming Workplace Fairness Bill, which will outline procedures for resolving workplace discrimination claims. Key topics include dispute resolution, tribunal jurisdiction, and union representation. Feedback is due by 19 September 2025.
On 16 April 2024, the Trade Remedy Authority (TRA) of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) received a petition for an antidumping investigation (AD) regarding ceramic and porcelain tiles originating from India. The petitioners include nine companies representing domestic manufacturers. On 18 August 2025, the MOIT issued Decision No. 2333/QD-BCT to officially conduct the antidumping investigation with a case code of AD23. After that, on 25 August 2025, the TRA issued Notice No. 131/TB-PVTM regarding the issuance of a questionnaire for sampling foreign manufacturers/exporters in the AD23 case.
On 15 August 2025, Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) issued an update listing overseas health products found to contain potent, prohibited ingredients. These may cause harmful side effects. The HSA advises consumers to avoid such products and buy only from trusted sources. Sellers in Singapore face severe penalties for supplying adulterated products. The HSA continues monitoring global enforcement to protect local consumers and urges suppliers to assess any overseas regulatory impacts.
On 11 August 2025, Singapore’s CCCS obtained court orders against immigration consultancy businesses for misleading trade practices. The businesses used deceptive tactics to pressure customers into applying for permanent residency, including false guarantees and scripted sales pitches. The mastermind behind these practices evaded detection by operating through new entities. The court ordered cessation of these practices, public disclosure of the orders, and ongoing reporting to CCCS. This signals CCCS’s strict enforcement stance.
Singapore is considering age assurance measures for social media platforms to protect younger users online. These may include age verification systems to ensure age-appropriate content. The Online Safety Bill will be tabled soon, and a new commission to support victims of online harm is planned for next year. This aligns with global efforts to enhance digital safety for children.
Malaysia currently lacks a dedicated legal framework to effectively address the increasing scale and sophistication of spam-related activities, which have seen a nearly 200% surge in reported complaints between 2021 and 2025. In response, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is proposing a regulatory framework for Unsolicited Commercial Electronic Messages, commonly referred to as spam. On 13 August 2025, MCMC issued a public consultation paper inviting feedback on the proposed framework.
Vietnam’s new Atomic Energy Law (No. 94/2025/QH15), enacted on 27 June 2025 and effective from 1 January 2026, establishes a comprehensive legal framework for peaceful atomic energy development. It covers nuclear power plant development, licensing, radioactive waste management, safety and security, incident response, and compensation. The law replaces the 2008 version, aligns with IAEA standards, and supports future projects like Ninh Thuan’s nuclear plants.
The Companies and Limited Liability Partnerships (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2024 amended, from 16 June 2025, the Companies Act 1967 (CA) and the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005 along with related regulations, to address the risk of misuse of nominee arrangements — an area identified as vulnerable to abuse and potentially the cause of illicit activities.
These amendments enhance Singapore’s anti-money laundering regime to Enhance statutory register disclosures to meet FATF standards, prevent accidental omissions, and improve transparency and accuracy of nominee arrangements through timely and ongoing updates.
China has introduced a new tax reporting regime requiring internet platforms—both domestic and overseas—to regularly report tax-related information to Chinese authorities. This move, under State Council Decree No. 810 and STA Bulletin [2025] No. 15, aims to close tax loopholes and enforce compliance. Platforms must now implement robust systems to meet these obligations, with significant implications for data privacy and cross-border data transfers.
In response to heightened scrutiny over country of origin declarations amid ongoing global tariff tensions, Singapore Customs issued Circular No. 06/2025 on 9 June 2025 to provide important clarification on the applicable preferential and non-preferential rules of origin when declaring the “country of origin” for importation into, exportation out of, and transshipments through Singapore.