Deep Dive

Living in a high-density society like Singapore makes friction with neighbours almost unavoidable. But with more than 90,000 noise complaints reported in the past three years, it raises the question: Are we becoming bad neighbours or are we less tolerant now? What can we do when misunderstandings and inconveniences turn into disputes that require mediation or legal action? Steven Chia and Tiffany...

Following Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh’s removal as the Leader of the Opposition, the nation now waits to see whether a new nominee will step into the role. In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University and independent political observer Dr Felix Tan to unpack whether the role of Leader o...

Lack of time, too many courses to choose from and a difficult to navigate website – these are some of the reasons why Singaporeans are not using up their SkillsFuture credits to upskill. But with lifelong learning now a national push to keep workers relevant and employable, is there a “right” or “wrong” way to use our SkillsFuture credits? Steven Chia and Ti...

US military strikes on Venezuela and the dramatic seizure of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have sparked international outrage and discussions about a new global order. Where does this leave countries like Singapore? In this Deep Dive episode, Tiffany Ang speaks with Professor Joseph Liow of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Kevin Chen from the S. Rajarat...

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) accused three students of academic fraud this year, saying that they used generative AI tools in their assignments. What are the limitations around AI use, when does it cross the line and is it time to rethink the way assignments are designed and assessed? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak with Associate Professor Ben Leong, director of the AI Centre f...

Singapore reported 314 suicides in 2024, with the sharpest increase among adults aged 30 to 39. Nearly two-thirds were men. What pressures do these groups face? And what are the warning signs? Otelli Edwards and Steven Chia speak with Dr Jared Ng, a psychiatrist and the former chief of emergency and crisis care at the Institute of Mental Health, and Eugene Chong, counselling psychologist at Seedin...

Amid rising rents and growing competition, some Singapore businesses are closing down or relocating to cheaper premises. A local bakery in Siglap announced on social media it was moving out after its rent was increased by 57 per cent. Are commercial rent hikes spiralling out of control, or is this simply market forces at work? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak to Ethan Hsu, head of retail at Kn...

The number of elderly Singaporeans living alone has doubled in the past decade. With Singapore on the cusp of becoming a “super-aged” society, the numbers will only climb further. While support systems exist, are they enough when an elderly person needs urgent medical help or even just someone to talk to? Steven Chia speaks with Karen Wee, executive director of Lions Befrienders, and D...

After Singapore beat Hong Kong to qualify for the Asian Cup, interim head coach Gavin Lee was handed the top job, with a mammoth task – to turn Singapore football around. He reveals how he's staking his 18-month contract on a bold strategy to strengthen the Lions. Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak to him about how he measures success on the football field and how challenging better national...

When local bakery chain Twelve Cupcakes abruptly announced that they were closing and going into liquidation, about 80 employees were suddenly left jobless. Can more be done to strengthen Singapore’s employment laws without hurting our competitive edge? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Patrick Tay, assistant secretary-general of NTUC and Amarjit Kaur, head o...

A mother was recently sentenced to jail for faking her home address to get her child into a primary school, raising the question - just how far will parents go to secure a spot in their school of choice and how can we tighten the process? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang unpack the pressures some parents face with Primary 1 registration with Junda Ong, founder of SG Schooling and Assistant Professor Ja...

Singapore has revised its ambitious "30 by 30" goal, now aiming to produce 20 per cent of its fibre needs and 30 per cent of its protein requirements by 2035. But with high costs, limited land and a small farming base, how realistic are these farming targets? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang unpack what it’ll take to build a resilient food supply chain and get Singaporeans to buy local...

With English dominating daily life in Singapore, some parents say they lack the confidence or motivation to speak and teach their mother tongue at home. So how can we help children appreciate and learn their mother tongue languages — and can we see them as more than just another school subject? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Dr Tan Ee Ling, owner of Shiawase Books and Hayati Abdul...

An independent review panel into the death of 4-year-old Megan Khung revealed multiple lapses and shortcomings across agencies. The findings cited a “lack of clear understanding and communication” among officers, child protection specialists and social workers. What must change to strengthen the child protection sector? How can society as a whole prevent another tragedy like Megan&rsqu...

A recent survey showed that teachers in Singapore work longer hours and grapple with more stress than their global peers. Besides teaching, they also plan learning journeys and school events, break up arguments and counsel students, and sometimes field after-hours messages from parents. Steven Chia speaks to former teacher Heidi Tan and Associate Professor Jason Tan from the National Institute of...

Insurance riders that cover nearly all private hospital bills have created a situation where patients go for tests they may not need, insurers lose money and premiums spiral upward. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung tells Steven Chia how the government is looking into setting benchmarks for private hospital charges - similar to what has been done for surgeon fees. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Thirteen primary and secondary schools will adopt a central kitchen model from January 2026, in a move aimed at addressing a shortage of canteen stall operators. What does this mean for students? And what parts of the traditional recess experience might get left behind? Steven Chia speaks to school canteen stall owner Rayner Tan and Ben Airey of Victus...

In just the last few months, Singapore has seen at least 15 disruptions to the rail network. At the same time, rail reliability according to a key measure is at its lowest point since 2020. Is it time for the authorities to rethink the way they measure our network's reliability and find new connectivity solutions when the when train services are down? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia sp...

A 14-year-old student was recently issued a restriction order after being self-radicalised by a “salad bar” of extremist ideologies. The boy also identified as an incel, short for "involuntary celibate" - a subculture of mostly men who believe that they are unable to find a romantic partner. How did the incel culture take root and what conversations should we have with youths before th...

Pickleball is catching on fast in Singapore, but complaints over noise and space are growing just as quickly. In land-scarce Singapore, how much room is there for a new sport? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak to Ganesh Ramalingam, founder of the Pickleball Social Crew and Assistant Professor Tan Shin Bin from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

US comedian Sammy Obeid says his show in Singapore was cancelled because of censorship. Authorities say it was because of a late licence application. How does arts entertainment licensing really work, especially for unscripted formats like stand-up comedy? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak with local veteran entertainer Kumar and Heazry Salim, co-founder of The Comedy Club Asia, about the rules...

With authorities cracking down on vaping and drug-laced Kpods, parents are struggling to have conversations with children who may think that vaping is not a big deal. How can families navigate this when young people are coping with message fatigue and peer pressure? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards get insights from Cherie Tseng, a mother of three, and Alvin Seng, a counsellor from We Care. See omny...

In his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called on parents to be more mindful about their children's screen use and online behaviour. But with no clear playbook for parents on how to raise kids to thrive in an age of AI, how can the government and society step in to help? Steven Chia speaks with Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo and mother-of-two...

BlueSG’s abrupt decision to suspend its car-sharing service has surprised both customers and industry experts. What does this mean for Singapore’s car-lite ambitions? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak with GetGo co-founder Toh Ting Feng and Dr Samuel Chng from the Singapore University of Technology and Design. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With extended liquor hours and plans to allow new nightlife venues, authorities are trying to inject more life into the city’s after-dark scene around the Boat Quay, Upper Circular Road and Clarke Quay areas. But with rising costs and customers who want experiences and not just alcoholic drinks on their nights out, will these initiatives be enough to bring back the crowds? Steven Chia and Ot...