Deep Dive

A recent Internal Security Department report warns of an increasing risk in extremist ideologies in Singapore, with AI now as a powerful enabler. How is AI changing the radicalisation process and what can be done to combat this? Steven Chia sits down with Kenneth Yeo from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies and Associate Professor Razwana Begum from the Singapore University of Social...

Singaporeans lost a record S$1.1 billion to scams in 2024 - with a majority of victims under the age of 50. As scammers get smarter and more sophisticated, can technology keep up or will it always be one step behind? In this week’s Deep Dive, Li Hongyi and Hygin Prasad Fernandez from Open Government Products talk to Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards about whether it’s possible at all to o...

When footage of a woman and her car plunging into a sinkhole on Tanjong Katong Road went viral, it raised questions on whether Singapore is susceptible to more sinkholes. With underground construction expanding and climate change reshaping our environment, what are engineers doing to keep our ground stable? Otelli Edwards speaks to David Ng at the Institution of Engineers Singapore and Dr Stephen...

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...

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...

Certis came under scrutiny recently for a controversial policy requiring officers on medical leave to share their “live” location if they were not at home. While the company has since rolled back the mandate, the debate over workplace sick leave policies continues. How far should companies go to prevent abuse of the system and where does trust fit in? Steven Chia speaks with Hao Shuo,...

The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) recently accused three students of academic fraud, 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...

When insurer Great Eastern suspended pre-authorisation for admission to Mount Elizabeth hospitals, it raised questions about the way health insurance is managed in Singapore. With increased medical bills and insurance premiums, who is paying for what and where are the gaps? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak with Associate Professor Jeremy Lim of Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and Dr Yoon...

Jetstar Asia will cease operations on Jul 31, a move unsurprising to experts because the low-cost carrier was struggling to turn a profit in a tough aviation market. Otelli Edwards speaks to Shukor Yusof from aviation consultancy Endau Analytics and Dr Nitin Pangarkar from NUS Business School to find out what the future holds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Electric vehicle sales hit a new high in the first three months of 2025, accounting for 40 per cent of total car registrations. Yet concerns about charging networks and capacity remain. Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak with transport economist Walter Theseira and Stephanie Tan, CEO of EV-Electric Charging. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Non-life-threatening 995 calls will be directed to NurseFirst, a triage helpline, under a six-month nationwide trial aimed at easing the burden on emergency services. How exactly does it work, and will the public adapt? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards find out from Col Dr David Pflug, chief medical officer of the Singapore Civil Defence Force and Dr Jade Kua, clinical lead for the NurseFirst helpli...

Amid rising rents and growing competition, some Singapore businesses are closing down or relocating to cheaper premises. A local bakery in Siglap recently 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 ret...

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled his Cabinet and one surprise was the lack of a second deputy prime minister. Instead, the new Cabinet includes three coordinating ministers. What does that signal? And will there be more changes to come? Steven Chia speaks to independent political observer Dr Felix Tan and Dr Elvin Ong of the National University of Singapore. See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

For the first time in 53 years, an independent candidate received more than 35 per cent of vote share, performing better than some smaller opposition parties. Jeremy Tan, who ran in Mountbatten SMC, and Darryl Lo who contested in Radin Mas SMC, join Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards to talk about lessons learnt from their campaigning and their future after GE2025. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv...

Voters gave the People's Action Party and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a clear mandate in GE2025. What accounted for the result and why couldn't the opposition parties make good on gains from the last election? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak to Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University and Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. See omnystudi...

East Coast GRC candidate for the Workers’ Party Jasper Kuan admits this may not be the right “season” for him to jump into politics because of his three young children. But he tells Steven Chia how a three-hour conversation with Low Thia Khiang changed his mind and why as a former Gifted Education Programme teacher, he believes the education system needs structural changes. See o...

Politics was never part of Elysa Chen’s plan, who used to think of the PAP as “paternalistic” and “out of touch”. But one tea session with the PAP led to another, and now, the party’s new face is standing in GE2025. She tells Steven Chia on the Deep Dive podcast why contesting in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC feels like a “homecoming”. See omnystudio.com/list...

After years of being a lawyer, Stephanie Tan became a stay-at-home mum to care for her two daughters. She has used her experience in law to help the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) with their parliamentary work over the last two years. Now a first-time candidate contesting Pioneer SMC, Stephanie tells Otelli Edwards how party chairman Dr Tan Cheng Bock inspired her to join politics and ho...

PAP new face Jasmin Lau, who is contesting in Ang Mo Kio GRC, went from government scholar to rising up the ranks in the civil service. She tells Otelli Edwards on this special series of the Deep Dive podcast how she copes with self-doubt and why she said yes to entering politics.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When he decided to be actively involved as a Workers’ Party candidate, Dr Ong Lue Ping, a senior principal child psychologist, decided to move out of a director position at the Institute of Mental Health. The WP candidate for Tampines GRC tells Steven Chia why staying could present a conflict of interest and what prompted him to join the opposition party. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

He took a significant pay cut and declined a private sector job to join the Health Ministry to fight the pandemic. Now Dinesh Vasu Dash is running on the PAP ticket as the new face contesting in East Coast GRC in what he describes as a journey with "too many points of twists and turns". He tells Otelli Edwards on this special series of the Deep Dive podcast what he has learnt from working with sen...

 A last minute move to a brand new GRC, a rare walkover and a four-cornered fight. Steven Chia speaks to SMU Law professor Eugene Tan and Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to get some perspective on the state of play of GE2025. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former vice-president of the Law Society Chia Boon Teck resigned after he was heavily criticised for his comments about a rape victim. Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak to Mark Yeo, director at Fortress Law Corporation and Sugidha Nithiananthan, director of advocacy and research at AWARE, about the dangers of victim-blaming. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The sweeping Trump tariffs are a signal that a new world order is taking shape and one that may affect wages and jobs in Singapore. Education Minister Chan Chun Sing tells Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards what the government plans to do and why he doesn't lose sleep over things he cannot control. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are still families stuck in an intergenerational cycle of poverty and while the government can provide essential safety nets, real sustained change can only happen when society pitches in too, says Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli. Mr Masagos and senior social worker at Care Corner, Flora Tan, join Crispina Robert for a discussion on tackling poverty in Singapore....