Yah Lah But

Last week in Parliament, Minister of Manpower Dr Tan See Leng chided PSP’s Leong Mun Wai with a viral Cantonese movie quote that is dividing public opinion. Was it a power move, or unnecessary condescension on his part? Meanwhile, Workers' Party MP Jamus Lim is pushing for Thaipusam to be reinstated as a public holiday, arguing that Singapore’s public holiday distribution is unequal. But will the...

We return with our first YLB Live show of 2025! In this episode, we talk about the government tightening rules on Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs), by introducing speed limits and medical certification requirements. Are these necessary safety measures, or will they unfairly penalize legitimate users? Meanwhile, a Singapore PR is offering a $2,000 “bounty” to anyone who introduces her to a suitor, and...

The NRIC unmasking saga is far from over - after a thorough investigation, a 36-page report reveals how a “confluence of shortcomings” led to the NRIC kerfuffle under ACRA’s watch. But while no "deliberate wrongdoing" was found, will there be accountability of the key personnel involved? Meanwhile, the SCDF is set to hire foreigners for emergency medical services, citing manpower shortages amid Si...

A heated GST debate erupted this week as Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh accused the government of “turbocharging inflation” with the timing of the GST hike. Academic Ben Leong pushed back on this “irritating” assertion via a social media post, and Minister Shanmugam even agreed by sharing his post. But who’s actually right? Meanwhile, the great Pickleball noise war rages on in Marine Parade...

The latest Graduate Employment Survey shows that fewer fresh graduates in Singapore are landing full-time jobs within six months of graduation, despite median starting salaries rising by 4%. Are Singapore degrees losing their value, or are AI and global competition changing the game? Meanwhile, a couple’s dream trip to Venice turned into a nightmare when they were seated next to a dead body for 4...

The Montfort Secondary School bullying incident has shocked Singapore, with a viral video showing students attacking a fellow classmate. Despite the school's claim of "appropriate disciplinary actions", the victim’s mother is speaking out, demanding transparency. Are schools doing enough, or is it time for harsher punishments? Meanwhile, a new task force report suggests grants for coffee shop owne...

A Total Defence food resilience exercise took a wrong turn when 20 students fell ill after eating ready-to-eat meals catered by SATS, a major food supplier. With 100,000 meals already distributed, should the program be paused completely? Meanwhile, a Nasi Lemak hawker has publicly questioned the requirement for hawkers to be physically present at their stalls everyday, thus putting the National En...

Budget 2025 is here, and PM Lawrence Wong delivered what many are calling an "election budget" - packed with CDC vouchers, SG60 bonuses, and support for families. While no one will say no to budget goodies, are the deeper issues such as Singapore’s cost of living and fertility woes being addressed? Meanwhile, a Dalmatian flying business class on Singapore Airlines has sparked a conversation on wea...

Pritam Singh, Singapore’s Leader of the Opposition, has been convicted of lying to Parliament’s Committee of Privileges, marking a historic first for a political leader. Even with a $14,000 fine, he still remains eligible to contest GE2025, but what does this mean for the Workers' Party? Meanwhile, a Straits Times feature on Singapore’s incels sparks heated debate among online commenters, who took...

Join us for a heartfelt episode of Yah Lah BUT that starts on the grassy patch of Crawford Heights, then transitions to a scenic ride along the Kallang River on a trishaw, because why not? From diaper disasters to dad jokes, we reflect on Haresh’s first couple of months of fatherhood, and exchange stories of the wild ride of modern parenting. We debate the perks of prime HDB locations (hello, Kall...

Former Transport Minister S Iswaran has been moved to home detention just four months into his 12-month jail term, sparking a wave of online backlash. How does the Home Detention Scheme actually work, and is this standard procedure or VIP treatment? Meanwhile, Coldplay’s new music video, filmed entirely in Singapore, is making waves, featuring everything from Marina Bay Sands to MacPherson HDB blo...

Singapore’s Parliament just passed the Maintenance of Racial Harmony Bill, marking a major legal shift in how race-related issues are handled. From new restraining orders to stricter controls on foreign influence, we break down the biggest changes. Meanwhile, a new study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) claims that racial relations in Singapore have improved since 2018. Are Singaporeans tr...

Singapore’s F&B industry is in trouble—over 3,000 food and beverage businesses shut down in 2024, the highest number in nearly 20 years. Are skyrocketing rents and changing nightlife habits to blame? We break down why bars and restaurants are struggling to survive. Meanwhile, Singapore is doubling down on its tech dreams with the Punggol Digital District—touted as our very own Silicon Valley....

Donald Trump wastes no time in blaming diversity policies for a deadly air crash, doubling down on claims that hiring standards have fallen. His controversial remarks have sparked outrage—are they grounded in fact or just another political distraction? Meanwhile, in Singapore, a self-styled ‘road vigilante’ has been fined for modifying his car with emergency lights and a stretcher to respond to ac...

On this episode, we chat with Mr. Tan Suee Chieh, former CEO of NTUC Income and NTUC Enterprise. Suee Chieh was a key voice raising concerns about the Income-Allianz deal when it first broke, and we’ve been trying to get him on the show since last October. After some scheduling delays, we finally made it happen in December 2024, and it was a super insightful conversation, where he talked about wha...

Donald Trump is officially back as the 47th President of the United States, and his inauguration speech felt more like a Game of Thrones coronation than a traditional ceremony. With Elon Musk and America’s billionaires front and center, we break down the key takeaways from Trump’s big return. Meanwhile, a scholarship ad by Hwa Chong International School sparked online outrage after netizens spotte...

In a recent speech, Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh made a bold call for one-third opposition representation in Parliament and for unity amongst Workers’ Party cadre. What does this mean for WP’s GE2025 strategy? Elsewhere, Pakistan International Airlines just had the PR fail of the year— its celebration of the resumption of flights to Paris ended up looking way too much like 9/11. How did t...

As GE2025 looms, a Blackbox Research survey reveals Singaporeans’ biggest concerns—cost of living and jobs, not political scandals. What does this mean for campaign strategies? Plus, surprising Singaporean sentiment on Donald Trump’s re-election. We dig into the data, the vibes, and the unexpected trends shaping Singapore’s political landscape. Meanwhile, a Singaporean climber raised a political f...

This week, Meta makes waves as CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces the end of third-party fact-checking in the US, shifting responsibility to users through “community notes.” President Joe Biden isn’t pleased, calling the move “shameful.” We unpack the implications for misinformation and free speech. Closer to home, a survey reveals Singapore’s most loved and hated corporate jargon, from “double confirm...

We dive into the ICA’s suspension of its online address change system after 80 unauthorized attempts exploited a glaring loophole. How is this connected to the recent NRIC unmasking drama, if at all? Meanwhile, SM Lee Hsien Loong’s speech on immigration and integration at a SINDA dinner sparks online debate. From balancing foreigner inflow to fostering inclusivity, we discuss the tension between c...

This week, we unpack the exchanges in Parliament about the recent case of unintentional NRIC unmasking by ACRA. Minister Josephine Teo and Minister Indranee fielded a bevy of questions from both sides, but some questions still remain unanswered. Is the public overreacting? Elsewhere, a political confrontation between PSP and PAP volunteers at Bukit Gombak escalated into what is now a police case....

This past November, the topic of saving hawker culture was fiercely debated in Parliament, and while we discussed it in YLB 588, we wanted to hear directly from an actual hawker who knows the issues on the ground. And we got more than we bargained for, in this deep dive with Faye Sai, a THIRD-generation young hawker running the chain Coffee Break. We got answers to all the burning questions that l...

A recent study revealed that Singapore’s adult literacy proficiency is below the OECD average. This raises concerns about the competitiveness and employability of Singaporean workers, especially older ones whose language mastery may have atrophied over their lifetimes. What can be done to stem this decline? Elsewhere, an expat tech executive was featured in the news for doing food delivery outside...

In an interview with ST to mark the start of the school year, Minister of Education Chan Chun Sing made the point that the quality of teachers is a far more important determinant of success than class sizes. In the context of the increasing difficulty of recruiting teachers, we discuss if his comparison makes sense. Elsewhere, a 38-year-old man was arrested for slapping a 6-year-old child that had...

In our last episode for 2024, we’re talking about major screw-ups. SingPost dramatically fired its CEO and two other top executives recently. The plot thickens with new details that have just emerged, involving whistleblowing and a subsequent cover-up. We discuss this with actor Andie Chen, and end up wondering: what kind of company *is* SingPost anyway? Also, a music festival on Sentosa has anger...