On 5 January 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore articulated a regulatory and market-development stance at the Straits Times Index 60th Anniversary celebration. The opening remarks were delivered by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for National Development and Deputy Chairman of MAS, at an event hosted by the Singapore Exchange. MAS emphasised liquidity as a supervisory and market-quality priority. It highlighted improved trading depth, rising turnover, and increased small- and mid-cap participation. MAS confirmed targeted regulatory interventions to strengthen listings, governance, and investor engagement. Policy tools referenced included the Equity Market Development Programme, the Value-Unlock Programme, and grant-backed equity research initiatives. MAS signalled strong institutional backing for higher-quality IPOs, secondary listings, and intra-Asian capital connectivity. The address underscored MAS’s intent to align market growth with disclosure discipline, governance integrity, and sustained regulatory oversight.
Singapore’s Straits Times Index (STI), which represents approximately 85% of the domestic equity market by capitalisation, operates as far more than a mere market gauge. Established in 1966, the index has matured through successive institutional partnerships, mirrored the structural evolution of Singapore’s economy, and emerged as a credible instrument for regional portfolio diversification.
Liquidity is being pursued through structural reform, not regulatory dilution. Listings are being incentivised alongside governance and transparency expectations. Cross-border initiatives, including the SGX–Nasdaq Global Listing Board and expanded secondary listing frameworks, reflect MAS’s preference for controlled openness with supervisory consistency. Singapore’s equity strategy is regulator-led, execution-focused, and enforcement-aware. Advisory strategies should be on issuer quality, investor communication, and sustained compliance as prerequisites for market access and credibility.
(Source: https://www.mas.gov.sg/news/speeches/2026/sti-60th-anniversary_writing-the-next-chapter)
