becomes the first-ever Singapore film to be shown during the Cannes Film Festival. 25 June – Changi Business Park is launched by JTC. July July – Singapore slips into recession during the Asian financial crisis. 21 July – Racial Harmony Day is celebrated for the first time, commemorating the 1964 Race Riots. 22 July – Suntec City, a mixed-use development with a convention centre officially opened. 28 July – Dover MRT station is announced to link commuters to Singapore Polytechnic, with completion by 2001. August 2 August – The Esplanade Bridge and the Nicoll Highway extension is opened to traffic, after its official opening held the day before. 5 August – The Land Transport Authority awards SMRT the licence to operate the Bukit Panjang LRT line due to its experience with the MRT. 20 August – A landmark appeal of Abdul Nasir Amer Hamsah led to the definition of life imprisonment to change from "life" to "natural life" from the day after 20 August 1997 onwards for future offences. At that time before 20 August 1997, life imprisonment in Singapore was defined as a jail term of 20 years, entitled with the usual practice of one-third remission for good behaviour. Chief Justice Yong Pung How, in the Court of Appeal, also decided that life imprisonment should be considered as a term of incarceration for the remainder of a convicted prisoner's natural life, with the possibility of parole after serving at least 20 years. September 2 September – Senoko Fishing Port starts operations, moving from Punggol for the construction of Punggol New Town. It officially opened on 6 December. 3 September – Construction starts on the Automobile Megamart, a car hub in Ubi. 12 September – Raffles Medical Group and Pidemco Land (now CapitaLand) formed a joint-venture company to convert Blanco Court into a hospital, which is the second-largest private hospital in Singapore. The hospital will be later known as Raffles Hospital. 15 September – Singapore Airlines launches KrisWorld, the world's first airline to have an inflight system. 18 September – The haze came to Singapore, which caused the Pollutant Standards Index to reach a record of 226 then (since surpassed by 401 during the June 2013 haze). 19 September – The Ministry of the Environment announced a haze management plan. In it, schools and sports complexes will shut when the Pollutant Standards Index reaches past 300. Sirens will sound when