Deep Dive

In the latest SPCA data, the number of confirmed animal cruelty and welfare cases in Singapore reached its highest point in 2024. What’s driving these numbers? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert find out from Samantha Chia, owner of ChubbyBuddy Cats and Sabrina Ng, communications and advocacy manager at SPCA Singapore.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone will sit on an area four times the size of Singapore, with nine zones covering everything from manufacturing to financial services. What are the opportunities and challenges of this ambitious agreement? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Thilan Wickramasinghe, head of research in Singapore and regional head of financials at Maybank Investment Banking...

 Australia passed a law last year banning children under 16 from accessing social media, a move seen as challenging to implement. Singapore is also considering ways to protect children from harms of excessive use on social media platforms. But how realistic is this?  Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Nikki Yeo, a Gen Z and CNA TODAY journalist, and Alvin Seng, an addictions counse...

In December 2024, SingPost dismissed three top executives for mishandling internal investigations into a whistleblower report. What protections do whistleblowers have, and how can companies provide transparency and independence in investigating complaints? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert break it down with NUS Professor Mak Yuen Teen and Celeste Ang from Baker & McKenzie Wong & Leow. See o...

In a recent viral video, a  Qihua primary school student  was seen being repeatedly attacked. Is bullying getting worse in Singapore? What are the causes and why are perpetrators filming their deeds? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Dr Cheung Hoi Shan, assistant professor at the National Institute of Education, MOE master school counsellor Sean Ng and Beyond the Label ambassador Cindy Chu...

A global cybersecurity breach involving the Mobile Guardian app affected about 13,000 students from 26 secondary schools in Singapore in August, with devices being wiped remotely by the hacker. How are IT vendors assessed and who is responsible for ensuring backups are done? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert chat with May Chng, chief operating officer and co-founder of Flexxon, and Ken Soh, chair of...

The recent accident in Tampines which killed two people has raised questions about Singapore's driving culture. Speeding, beating red lights and drink driving are still stubborn issues. Bernard Tay, chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council and Julian Kho, general manager at Sgcarmart tell Steven Chia and Crispina Robert what needs to change. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

After privacy concerns were raised over ACRA's new Bizfile portal showing full NRIC numbers in search results, the Singapore government announced it intends to stop masking the numbers. How will this change the way such information is used and how can people and organisations continue to protect themselves from cybersecurity attacks? Crispina Robert speaks to Steve Tan, deputy head of technology,...

The Ministry of Health is looking to curb the "excessive issuance" of medical certificates (MCs), especially by telemedicine doctors, following feedback from employers and government agencies. But is there a deeper issue with an outdated system of needing proof of illness? Would a system of trust work better? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert chat with Dr Shravan Verma, co-founder & CEO of Speed...

Some passengers of SQ321 were given cash advances in light of injuries when the aircraft experienced severe turbulence. Are all airlines obliged to compensate? How are amounts decided and could you later sue for more? Lawyers Paul Ng, head of aviation at Rajah and Tann Singapore LLP, and Chooi Jing Yen from Eugene Thuraisingam LLP are guests. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To combat the scourge of scams in Singapore, the Protection from Scams Bill was recently introduced in Parliament. If it is passed, the police will have powers to control the bank accounts of people who insist on transferring their money to potential scammers. But is this a necessary step? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Mark Yeo, director at Fortress Law Corporation and Dr Annabelle Chow...

Some pet owners have had to pay five-figure sums when their pets fall seriously ill. Is the current system in need of greater scrutiny and regulation? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Dr Diana Chee, director at the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) and Dr Angeline Yang, a veterinarian and owner of VetMobile.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tech giant Grab has told its employees to return to the office five days a week starting in December. This follows other MNCs such as Amazon. Do the reasons for mandating full-time office work stand up to scrutiny? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert discuss this with guests Karen Teo, country manager for recruitment and talent firm Quess Singapore, and Dr Issac Lim, founder of Anthro Insights and lec...

Up to 20,000 additional certificates of entitlement (COEs) will be progressively injected across all vehicle categories from February 2025. Why is the government making this move and will this bring COE premiums down? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Arthur Wong, managing director of ACM Automobiles.  See omnystudio.com/l...

More than 35,600 applications were received in the October Build-to-Order (BTO) flat sales exercise, the highest number since August 2022. A 10-year minimum occupation period, clawback rules and rental restrictions did not deter strong demand for Prime and Plus HDB flats. Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at MOGUL.sg and Professor Sing Tien Foo from the...

Cases of people falling seriously ill after eating contaminated food have been in the spotlight. Why does severe food poisoning happen and are caterers the only one to clean up their act? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Dr Richard Khaw, deputy director of the School of Applied Sciences at Nanyang Polytechnic and Chris Loh, creative director of Purple Sage and Rasel Catering. See omnystudi...

The latest edition of Miss Universe Singapore was made more inclusive, with a single mother and a transgender woman as contestants. But how relevant are beauty pageants? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert take a beauty deep dive with Angela Tay, managing director of ERM Singapore which organises Mrs Singapore World and Manhunt Singapore and Mrs Veronica Lee, this year's winner of Mrs Singapore World....

In a recent viral video, a Qihua primary school student was seen being repeatedly attacked. The case is under police investigation but is bullying getting worse in Singapore? What are the causes and why are perpetrators filming their deeds? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Cheung Hoi Shan, assistant professor at the National Institute of Education, MOE master school counsellor Sean Ng and...

Former transport minister S Iswaran was handed a one year sentence by Judge Vincent Hoong on five charges, including obtaining gifts as a public servant. Why did he get more than what the prosecution asked for? Head of criminal law at Quahe Woo and Palmer, Sunil Sudheesan, explains the rare move. Plus, Crispina Robert gets a firsthand account from senior journalist Koh Wan Ting who covered the cou...

The Enabling Masterplan 2030 aims to increase the employment of people with varying disabilities. What are the biggest challenges and what does it take to get more companies onboard? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Ho Geok Choo, founder and CEO of Human Capital Singapore and DG Carole Ann, a multiple amputee who works at ServLink Technology Resources. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Bus and train fares in Singapore will go up by 10 cents per journey for adult commuters from Dec 28. How are public transport fees calculated and what is the role of government subsidies? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert get Assistant Professor Terence Fan from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at the Singapore Management University, and Dr Raymond Ong, from the Department of Civil and Environm...

On Tuesday (Sep 10), Singapore passed the Platform Workers Bill, which legislates stronger protections for delivery riders, private-hire car and taxi drivers. Why was legislation needed and what does this mean for customers of platforms offering services like food delivery and transportation? Yeo Wan Ling, assistant secretary-general of NTUC and Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapo...

Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs) are meant for those with medical conditions or who have mobility issues. But some able-bodied people use them. How much of an issue is this? PMA user Michael Kuan, founder and CEO of Project Elev8, and Florence Cheong, an Active Mobility Advisory Panel member weigh in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since the announcement that Singapore's Gifted Education Programme (GEP) will be revamped to cater to more students, questions about equal distribution of resources and the added burden on teachers have come up. Steven Chia and Crispina Robert put these questions to Education Minister Chan Chun Sing and Ong Kong Hong, divisional director of curriculum planning and development at the ministry. See...

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong sketched out his government's priorities in his first National Rally address, with a focus on parents, education and housing. Do the announcements show a significant shift towards a different kind of Singapore? SMU Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan and Assistant Professor Elvin Ong from the political science department at NUS give their assessment. See omnystudio.c...