PRESS DIGEST - Singapore newspapers - May 19

SINGAPORE May 18 (Reuters) - The following are stories from Singapore newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not verified these stories.

THE STRAITS TIMES

- Singapore will seek new markets and develop new capabilities in emerging sectors of the economy, and the political system will evolve to keep pace with a changing world, President S.R. Nathan said. - Singapore businessman Oei Hong Leong - dubbed the "man with the Midas touch" - lost a whopping S$1 billion on foreign exchange and U.S. Treasury bond transactions last year, according to court documents.

BUSINESS TIMES

- Singapore's immediate priority is to get through the economic crisis by helping companies stay viable so they can hire workers, President S.R. Nathan said.

- Singapore's equity market attracted $50 million from offshore funds last week - the largest amount since May 2008 - a Citigroup report said.