Yah Lah But

This week, Singapore witnessed the historic handover of the PM role from Lee Hsien Loong to Lawrence Wong, which happened on a balmy Wednesday evening at the Istana grounds. What was unique, interesting, and strange about this once-in-a-generation swearing-in ceremony? Elsewhere, an advertisement peddling a “Masterclass in Leadership” featuring Tan Chuan-Jin received flak online, to the point the...

NCMP Leong Mun Wai of the Progress Singapore Party stops by the YLB studio to tell us why he chose to return to Singapore after 18 years, why we should avoid voting with our feet,, and reveals his message to critics of his behaviour in Parliament. (00:00) Intro (02:00) Interest in Politics (07:12) Why Come Back to Singapore (10:43) The Direction of Singapore (13:09) How Society Should Be (17:30) B...

MOH is allegedly looking into tightening rules on MCs after receiving feedback about doctors issuing them improperly. What does this mean for employees who are genuinely sick? Elsewhere, it appears that surge pricing has come to concerts in Singapore, specifically for the Hamilton musical, and Laufey’s upcoming concert. Is this going to be a new paradigm for concert-going as we know it; and we deb...

In anticipation of Lawrence Wong taking over as PM next week, he sat down for a wide-ranging interview with The Economist magazine. What did we learn about the PM-designate and his leadership style in this piece? Elsewhere, Singaporeans lamented the loss of yet another local icon; this time, it’s Thambi Magazine Store at Holland Village. Are we hypocrites for reminiscing about the store and callin...

This week in Parliament, MPs debated about road safety in Singapore after the recent accident in Tampines that killed two people. While penalties under the Road Traffic Act have been deemed to be adequate vis-a-vis other countries, why are people calling for increasing them? Elsewhere, massage chair brand OSIM’s Mother’s Day ad was criticised for fat shaming and for promoting domestic violence. Wa...

In Lawrence Wong’s speech at Samaritans of Singapore’s gala dinner, he suggested that  Singapore will consider additional safeguards around excessive screen time and social media usage for children in order to protect their mental health. Is this considered government overreach? Elsewhere, actor Hossan Leong complained on social media about how a foreign musical last-minute cancellation of a show...

The impending implementation of the new ERP system has caused a ruckus online, with many criticising the new 3-piece hardware to be installed on the dashboards of all Singapore vehicles. Is the criticism justified? Elsewhere, an SGAG video commissioned by the union representing security workers has stirred up a war of words with another industry association, which lambasted the buffoonery of the c...

We had a conversation with Palestinian lawyer Hanan Sahmoud to talk about what she learnt from Singapore after spending a year here, her experience living under occupation in the West Bank, and what everyday Singaporeans can do to help the situation in Gaza. (00:00) On this episode... (00:32) Intro (03:05) Hanan's Singapore Experience (06:00) How Palestinians Travel (14:01) Singaporean Awareness o...

OCBC’s private banking arm, Bank of Singapore, allegedly fired up to 40 employees after probing claims of medical benefits abuse. Was it fair for the bank to fire these individuals even after they had returned the money from the aforementioned benefit claims? Elsewhere, a parent sounded a warning about a Sentosa hotel where his teenage daughter had attended a party with a group of guys and alcohol...

This past week, the US President signed a bill that has been described effectively as a ban on social media app TikTok. What will the next 9-12 months entail for the Singapore-headquartered business, and should content creators start moving to other platforms? Closer to home, a home-based business got flak for leaving a series of rude messages to delivery riders outside their premises, with some c...

Last week, Law and Home Affairs Minister Shanmugam clapped back at British publication The Economist with a rebuttal of their article about Lawrence Wong succeeding Lee Hsien Loong as PM. His Facebook post drew many comparisons between the UK and Singapore, and so far has seen a mixed reaction from online commentators. What could have been the impetus behind the response to the “sneer”? Elsewhere,...

Jamus Lim comes to the YLB studio for a deep dive into the Singapore education system and what Singaporeans need to do in their careers to prepare for the impending AI wave. On top of that, he talks about his expectations vs. reality as an MP (no jokes about cockles, we promise), redefining what it means to succeed in Singapore, and also destroys Terence’s One Shiok Thing with economics. (00:00) O...

Actress Oon Shu An drops by the YLB studio to talk about her latest production, Tartuffe: The Imposter, why she loves to work with young creatives, and how choosing to follow your passion as your job might not be the best idea. We also go deep into her thoughts and feelings about the conflict in Gaza, and why it’s important for people with platforms to speak up. (00:00) On this episode... (00:32)...

We knew this was coming, but it still surprised us when it was finally announced. DPM Lawrence Wong will be taking over as Singapore’s Prime Minister come 15th May. Are we ready for a new PM? What does this announcement mean for the timing of the upcoming General Elections? Elsewhere, authorities announced that all employers must institute a process for workers to make formal requests for flexible...

This past weekend, Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, supposedly in response to an earlier act of aggression on the Iranian consulate in Syria. The international response has been swift to condemn the attack, but also cautious in support for an Israeli counter strike. Why so? Also, it was announced that the Pope will be visiting our shores come September, the latest feather in the ca...

This week, some local writers voiced their objections to the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) plans to build a South-east Asia-focused large language model (LLM), even though a consultation via a survey within the local writing community is still ongoing. Why the outrage over this seemingly innocuous survey? Elsewhere, it was revealed that Singapore’s last trishaw operator had halted...

Terence Lee, Editor-in-chief at Tech in Asia joins us to share his journey of being in the tech scene for so long, and now leading one of the most influential tech publications in Asia. And which covers stories so incisive they often receive cease-and-desist letters. He also was instrumental in getting his team to cover our story of being screwed over by HOOQ, which was published in Mar 2023. Tere...

Minister Desmond Lee has been serving at the Ministry of National Development since 2013, taking over as Minister in 2020. He joins us to discuss some important questions about housing affordability and accessibility, the broader social significance of housing, and whether expectations for housing are being set too high. (00:00) On this episode (00:24) Intro (01:50) Current Housing Climate in Sing...

We got comedian Sharul Channa in to talk about her upcoming hour-long standup performances and to contribute her thoughts on some hot topics. Last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs explained the bill tabled to grant more powers to the police to apprehend suspects with mental disorders, but mental health experts are concerned it’s too heavy handed. Elsewhere, a man confronted a nearby mosque for h...

Sudhir joins us once again to share the first-hand experience of getting POFMA-ed after his company, Jom Media, received the notice in 2023. He also shares his thoughts on the local political scene, his excitement for the upcoming election as well as why “slow journalism” is important for issues like the Israel-Gaza conflict. He also shares a peek into 2 long-form pieces his team is publishing on...

This week, authorities ordered the Israel Embassy in Singapore to take down a social media post that compared mentions of Israel and Palestine in the Quran. Ministers Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan also issued strongly-worded statements in separate interviews explaining the severity of the issue. We look into their statements to understand why they felt these moves were necessary. Elsewhere, fo...

The World Happiness Report 2024 placed Singapore as the 30th happiest country in the world, which made it the top in Asia. Some online commentators were incredulous at the ranking, but is there more to the results than meets the eye? Elsewhere, a Kampong Glam bazaar food vendor was caught in a public dispute with a customer who posted a bad review of their fries. Is the customer always right, or d...

On Tuesday, WP chief Pritam Singh was charged with lying to Parliament over Raeesah Khan’s case from 2021. While he has pleaded not guilty, what is the political significance of these charges, especially in the lead up to the next General Elections? Elsewhere, a Reddit post ranting about work culture in Singapore has triggered a flurry of both supportive and dismissive comments. Why did this issue...

Singapore is currently assessing whether to bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, after Victoria pulled out last year due to its ballooning budget. What are the pros and cons of hosting these Games on such short notice? Elsewhere, the SAF is investigating a photo of a group of servicemen on a military exercise which was posted to IG stories recently. Even worse, a racist caption accompanied the...

This week, the House of Representatives in the US passed a bill that could lead to a national TikTok ban. In response, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made an impassioned plea to American users to tell their political leaders not to ban the app. Could this actually happen? Elsewhere, many Malaysians made a meal of a Top 100 Sandwiches in the World list that had “kaya toast” from Singapore at #42. These co...