Speaking to reporters at a bursary awards ceremony on Sunday, Mr Shanmugam, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs, did not say when the world's largest observation wheel would resume business.

He said the authorities needed to look at 'whether everything has to be in place before the operations restart or whether there is a certain level of assurance that would be adequate'.

Although he 'does not rule out an early restart of the Singapore Flyer', he added that it was 'premature' to give a timeline.

The bottom line, according to him: 'We understand the need for the Singapore Flyer to restart as quickly as possible but it has got to be balanced against public safety.'

The Flyer, which is 165m tall, was ordered by the police last Tuesday to suspend operations after a six-hour breakdown in which 173 people were trapped in its 28 capsules.

The cause was an electrical fire in the control room that cut off power to the wheel. The breakdown - the $240-million Flyer's fourth stoppage since it started running in February - led to 11 stranded passengers being rescued by rope harness.

The Flyer said last week that it is unlikely to be ready by New Year's Day, pending investigations by the police which issues the public entertainment licence needed for the Flyer to operate.

Police said operations will only resume after the Flyer's structural and mechanical systems are certified safe by an internationally recognised body that assesses standards for amusement rides - a point that Mr Shanmugam reiterated on Sunday.

He said: 'Given the nature of the incident and the fact that this is not the first time it has happened, we need to be satisfied about what exactly happened, why it happened and what are the future probabilities of it happening, and if it happens, what would be the backup plans.

'As the police have indicated in the statement, we need a proper comprehensive assurance given by international certifying bodies.'

Asked whether the authorities would consider revoking the Flyer's licence if the measures being put in place are not satisfactory, Mr Shanmugam declined to comment on 'a hypothetical situation'.