Yah Lah But

It was a real pleasure this week to have Dr Janil Puthucheary, Chairman of OnePeople.sg and Senior Minister of State at MCI, swing by the YLB studio for a chat. We speak to him about his experience helming the CNA documentary, “Regardless of Race” (which we also appeared in), the secret MP’s football team, and even discuss whether Will Smith should be punished! Find us here! Our YLB Subreddit for...

The slap that was heard around the world! By now, everyone has heard or has aired an opinion about whether Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock at this year’s Oscars ceremony is justifiable. We discuss why it’s not a straightforward answer. In SG, chaos ensued at Swatch stores due to the large crowds that queued to buy the Omega x Swatch moonswatch collaboration. Why the crazy hype for this non...

Late on Sunday night, the government issued a POFMA direction correction to Wake Up Singapore regarding the alleged story of a miscarriage that occured under KKH’s watch. What is the general sentiment towards Wake Up Singapore now that the truth is out? Also, an opinion piece on Mothership about wedding ang bao market rates triggered fierce debates online; $370 for a dinner at Capella Hotel? Can w...

On Thursday, PM Lee announced the easing of COVID restrictions in Singapore, most notably the limit on group sizes and the mask mandate outdoors. We discuss some of these measures and how people are feeling about them. Elsewhere, the restaurant group Tung Lok shamed one of its customers on social media after he ordered and refused to pay for his dish, an Irish duck; the customer allegedly disputed...

Lia Thomas, a transgender collegiate athlete from the US, sparked fierce debates this past week when she competed in and won several women’s events at a NCAA swimming competition. Many called this a moment of change for the sport, while others were appealing for the NCAA to disallow transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports entirely. How can one talk about this dicey issue without gett...

The Kim-Kanye-Pete controversy took a dark turn when Kanye West used a racial slur to attack Trevor Noah, which led to the suspension of his IG account. Wait, what Kim-Kanye-Pete controversy; why are we even talking about this celebrity feud? Is it really newsworthy or is there something deeper to discuss? Closer to home, otters went on a killing spree in Yio Chu Kang and decimated a private pond...

In the run up to the Johor state elections last weekend, Malaysian politicians went back and forth about whether Singapore would have been more or less developed if it was under Umno’s rule. Why was Singapore dragged into this debate between political rivals? Elsewhere, at her second round match at the tennis tournament, the Indian Wells Masters, Naomi Osaka was reduced to tears by a fan shouting...

As we move beyond the pandemic, can the no-MC-needed sick leave policy that many employers have been practising still continue into the future? Also, the UK government sanctions Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for his close ties to the Kremlin, but is this fair for the fans of the club? Support our Folklory journey towards 100 customers in 100 days! We'll help you turn your favourite memories into...

Against the overwhelming trend of corporations pulling out of or cutting business ties with Russia, Uniqlo doubled down on its decision to keep its almost-50 stores open in the country. The CEO even justified the decision by stating that clothing is a basic human need. Does their explanation have any merit? Closer to home, a pair of dog owners refused to cancel their Gojek booking after the driver...

Last Friday, Minister Josephine Teo defended the government’s stance of financially supporting SPH Media Trust to the tune of $900 million over 5 years. She explained the government’s stance and answered questions posed by Pritam Singh and Leong Mun Wai. What underlies the concern about SPH Media Trust’s funding and business models? Also in parliament, MP Shawn Huang nearly came to tears when reco...

In parliament, Minister Shanmugam commented on the courts’ recent judgement in the constitutional challenge to Section 377A, and reinforced that the government will not proactively enforce the law. Is this a step in the right direction? In the same parliamentary sitting, MP for West Coast GRC Ang Wei Neng put forth a “radical idea” of setting expiry dates on degrees conferred by local universities...

In this episode, we speak to local creative Dew Francis of “Just Saying” fame, and discover what it takes to produce and star on Singapore’s most beloved online talk show. Known for being “raw” and “authentic” in everything he does, Dew also reveals how COVID changed him for good, including how it motivated him to get in the best shape of his life. Oh, we also have a deep philosophical debate abou...

In the past few days, the news cycle has been dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What is going on, how are people around the world responding, and how should we in Singapore think about this? We also discuss how detrimental the ban on team sports has been for the national psyche, and dissect the MTF’s decision to postpone the resumption.   Our new Sci-Fi Comedy: "Mars Poyi Sernthuttom!"  ...

To celebrate the launch of our MARS TV series, we have one of the stars from the show as a guest; today, actress/writer Malene Waters touches down on YLB’s “campsite”! In her first ever podcast, Malene goes deep about her obsession with Excel spreadsheets, her Twitter beef episodes, and why she’s so into serial killers! You can catch our awesome new TV series MARS POIYI SERNTHUTTOM starring Malene...

On Monday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung sent a letter to public healthcare workers to boost their morale and encourage resilience in the face of the Omicron wave. Did it have the desired effect? Elsewhere, SG influencer Chrysan Lee called out cyber bullies and other lewd commentators who made jokes about her chest being flat. Is this the most effective way to deal with cyberbullying today? Our new...

Last Friday, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his first-ever budget proposal, with the theme “charting our new way forward together". We talk through the major points with Reggie, founder of the Financial Coconut (TFC), whose team focuses on all things-related to money. In this episode (Part 1), we’ll cover the first 2 main talking points:(1) the GST hike and (2) new taxes on the wealthy....

Iris Koh, the founder of anti-vaccine group, Healing the Divide, raised over S$96,000 in one week to foot her legal fees in court hearings. Are there that many anti-vaxxers in SG willing to help her by donating that much money to her? Also, one of SG’s top runners, Soh Rui Yong, was excluded from the SG contingent travelling to May’s SEA Games based on his conduct. Is this a fair outcome for Soh a...

Hold up! Another star of our MARS TV series enters YLB’s orbit! This time, Vikneswary Se brings her deep philosophical thoughts about love and relationships to the podcast, plus she also talks about her work as a tutor and why she’s obsessed with teaching phonetics. Oh, we also cover other child-friendly topics like clubbing, dancing and lots and lots of alcohol! You can catch our awesome new TV s...

On Sunday night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised Singaporeans in Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible, given the threat of an imminent Russian invasion. What exactly brought about this tense political situation that has escalated so quickly? Elsewhere, a Wall Street Journal columnist wrote about her insistence on wearing shoes into others’ homes, and this enraged a lot of reade...

The Committee of Privileges released a bombshell report that recommended a $35,000 fine for Raeesah Khan, but more importantly, also referred WP’s Pritam Singh and Faisal Manap to the public prosecutor for further investigations into their role in the whole RK affair. What are the implications of this report for the political scene in Singapore? Elsewhere, a car rental company is under fire after...

American-born Chinese athlete Eileen Gu was crowned the new golden girl of China athletics after she won gold at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. But why has her meteoric rise captured the attention of both Western and Chinese media as well as online commentators? Back home, a TikTok video accusing NTUC Fairprice of mislabelling the weight of a chicken product went viral, and prompted multiple PR...

Joe Rogan came under fire recently for his choice of guests on his podcast, and now a clip of him using the N-word repeatedly on his show has surfaced. Are the calls to cancel Joe Rogan justified? Closer to home, young SG women are being targeted in new “leaked photo” scams. What does this new scheme entail? Our new Sci-Fi Comedy: "Mars Poyi Sernthuttom!" https://www.mewatch.sg/show/Mars-Poyi-Sern...

With our high vaccination and booster rates, experts say that Singapore has a window of opportunity to ease some Covid-19 measures, especially since the Omicron variant seems to be less severe. Elsewhere, New York Times’ butchering of the “Singapore Curry Chicken" recipe has sent Singaporeans into a frenzy. Why the big deal? Our new Sci-Fi Comedy: "Mars Poyi Sernthuttom!" https://www.mewatch.sg/sh...

On Monday, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised against travel to a dozen countries because of high rates of coronavirus infection, one of which was Singapore. Why is SG getting labelled with such a bad rep, in spite of the heavy lockdowns we’re still experiencing? Closer to home, pictures of BMT recruits doing push-ups on foam exercise mats were posted on social media,...

Star of our MARS TV series, James Kumar drops by YLB to talk about how he started his career as a director but ended up in front of the camera, how Forrest Gump inspires him till today, and how he thrived during the COVID lockdowns. Oh, and did we mention what a riot he was on set? The one and only James Kumar! You can catch our NEW TV series MARS POIYI SERNTHUTTOM starring James here (free to wat...