We came across a recent post shared in a local Facebook group that linked to an article stating that Singapore’s President, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, has warned that the “next pandemic” is imminent – supposedly following a meeting with Bill Gates. Given the alarming tone of the headline, we decided to take a closer look at the claim.
The article in question, published on 14 May 2025 by Slay News, is titled “Singapore President Warns ‘Next Pandemic’ Looming After Meeting with Bill Gates.” Slay News is a US-based online outlet that describes itself as a champion of “truthful reporting” and the “free and open exchange of ideas.” However, we have previously debunked multiple misleading claims from this source.
What the article claims
The piece states that President Tharman issued a stark warning that a global pandemic will soon strike humanity. It attempts to draw a direct link between his remarks and his participation in a panel discussion with Bill Gates at the Philanthropy Asia Summit (PAS) 2025, held in Singapore from 5 to 7 May 2025—implying a causal connection without evidence.
It further alleges that President Tharman began “sounding the alarm” shortly after the summit, during a high-level dinner hosted by Singapore’s Temasek Foundation on 6 May 2025. According to the article, he stated that scientists agree the next pandemic is inevitable, asserting that it could occur “next year or in ten years,” and emphasising that “the next pandemic is a matter of ‘when,’ not ‘if.’”
The article repeatedly emphasises the recent announcement that the Gates Foundation is opening an office in Singapore—seemingly to bolster the implication that Gates is somehow orchestrating or predicting the next global health crisis.
PAS Dialogue and Gates Foundation’s presence in Singapore
Gates Foundation is set to open an office in Singapore, citing the country’s robust scientific ecosystem and dynamic philanthropic community. The move aims to strengthen partnerships and tap into research conducted locally.
On 5 May 2025, during PAS, Gates and President Tharman participated in a public dialogue. The discussion focused on reshaping the global aid landscape and how philanthropy can accelerate solutions to some of the world’s most urgent challenges, including the development and distribution of vaccines for infectious diseases.
During the conversation, Gates remarked that there are many valuable lessons from the COVID-19 pandemicthat will enable the world to respond more effectively in the future. He noted that it’s not a question of if, but when the next major pandemic challenge arises.
What President Tharman actually said
Speaking at a networking dinner titled “Building a Healthier Asia”, hosted by Temasek Foundation on 6 May 2025, President Tharman echoed the same sentiment shared by Gates. He emphasised that another major pandemic is a matter of “when, not if”—a view that is also widely supported by public health experts and international bodies like the World Health Organisation (WHO).
President Tharman’s remarks focused on proactive global cooperation, lessons from COVID-19, and the need for robust investment in healthcare systems, not a prediction of an imminent outbreak. His point was clear: future pandemics are a real possibility, and nations must prepare seriously. However, he did not issue a specific warning or claim that a pandemic is looming or soon to strike. Nor did he link his remarks directly to Bill Gates or any supposed private agenda.
Being prepared for the next pandemic is not a new talking point for President Tharman. In fact, he voiced similar concerns even back in 2021 while serving as Singapore’s Senior Minister, during a joint press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, with the WHO. At the time, he was part of a high-level panel discussing lessons from the COVID-19 crisis and the need for stronger, more sustainable funding mechanisms to prepare for future pandemics.
He emphasised that to invest in global public goods on the scale needed to prevent the next pandemic, the world must strengthen multilateralism, especially through more reliable funding for the WHO.
Hence, we rate the claim that President Tharman issued a warning that a global pandemic would soon strike humanity as partly true. While he did state that the next pandemic is a matter of “when, not if” and emphasised the importance of preparedness, there is no evidence that he predicted an imminent outbreak in the sensational or alarmist manner portrayed by Slay News.
