Deep Dive

In just a decade, the number of malls in Singapore has doubled and they usually have a set list of tenants - an anchor retailer, supermarket, pharmacy and several floors of eateries. Why do our malls look the same and what do we need to do better? Steven Chia speaks to Associate Professor Lynda Wee from Nanyang Business School and Winnie Chan, Founder & CEO at Bynd Artisan which has three reta...

Why are teenagers as young as 14 becoming more interested in extremist religious content? What do online games have to do with this trend and how can family members spot red flags? Steven Chia speaks to Dr Omer Ali Saifudeen from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Dr Mohamed Ali, co-chairman and counsellor with the Religious Rehabilitation Group and Nicholas Khoo, co-founder and former c...

Anglo Chinese School (Primary) is moving from Barker Road to the upcoming Tengah estate in 2030. Is this move the start of something significant? Will this reduce elitism and social inequality in Singapore and should other so-called "elite" schools follow suit? Steven Chia puts these questions to Ian Tan, an ACS alumni, Dr Teng Siao See from the National Institute of Education who has written abou...

Did the Valentine's Day Budget give help where help was really needed? Steven Chia asks associate professor Walter Theseira, entrepreneur and mother of two Dawn Cher, and Kurt Wee, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, for their take on handouts, CPF changes, Baby Bonuses and grants for homeowners and businesses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2023 will be announced on Tuesday (Feb 14) and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong dangled the prospect of it as his “Valentine’s Day present” to all Singaporeans. So how does the average citizen hope to benefit? In this Heart of the Matter podcast, Steven Chia asks three guests - one from each generation about their wish list. Guests: Benny Koh, 26, June Yong, 42 and W...

Median salary figures show a large gap between those who graduate with degrees and those with polytechnic or ITE diplomas. In an era where skills are prized, why have salaries not kept pace? Is it just perception? Steven Chia speaks to Mark Li, head of client solutions at Randstad Singapore, Christine Kunasekaran, sales operations analyst at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and an ITE graduate, as well...

Singapore’s consumption of sugar and salt is above the recommended global limits and it is making us sick. The Government is introducing measures to curb this – from new labels to a drive to use alternatives. But will this take away the joy of all that is delicious about local food? Will these food labels work? Steven Chia speaks to Jaclyn Reutens, dietitian from Aptima Nutrition and Damian D'Silv...

A resounding yes, say our guests. Its scale, accessibility and sophistication underline some fundamental problems with the current education system. How will it change the way students learn and teachers teach and test? Steven Chia speaks to Toby Walsh, a professor of artificial intelligence and Jonathan Sim who teaches at the National University of Singapore. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Overloaded sockets, cheap batteries and cluttered homes - these are some of the factors driving fires in homes. What's missing in our understanding of fire safety and who should be responsible? Steven Chia speaks to Benedict Koh, president of Fire Safety Managers’ Association Singapore, Yong Teck Meng, director at Habitat for Humanity Singapore and Tang Kok Zuea, lecturer at the NUS College of Des...

Young people are embracing a new way of working by making thousands of dollars as content creators on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok or OnlyFans. Is this eco-system feeding a new generation who only want to earn quick cash, and eschew the traditional nine-to-five job? Steven Chia gets answers from Joanne Liew, Chief Studios and Content Officer at Gushcloud and Nicholas Lim, from the S R Nathan School...

The need to increase social protections for platform workers is clear but things get complicated when it comes to who pays for it and how this will work in a way that is sustainable for all stakeholders. Steven Chia gets answers from Mathew Mathews, Head of IPS Social Lab, Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Jason Parke, President of the Digital Pl...

From 2020 to 2022, the number of people caught vaping has more than tripled. The use of e-cigarettes has entrenched itself, not just among the young who are attracted by the lower costs and different flavours, but also by adults who are convinced that this is less harmful compared to cigarettes. What does the research say and why aren’t current enforcement measures working? Steven Chia speaks to A...

In his speech at this year's People's Action Party Central Executive Committee's meeting, PM Lee Hsien Loong said Singaporeans cannot "have it both ways" - voting in more opposition yet keeping the PAP Government in power. Is this a likely reality and how soon could that come to pass? And what does the opposition need to do to win a stronger mandate? Steven Chia gets views from Ja-Ian Chong, Assoc...

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has issued a fresh round of regulations to restrict retail investors from investing in what it calls "a highly risky" product. Why is cryptocurrency dangerous to the average investor and how does this sit with Singapore's position as a fintech hub? Steven Chia speaks to Zann Kwan co-founder and CEO of Bitcoin Exchange and Ben Charoenwong, assistant profess...

In the latest 2021 Marriage and Parenthood Survey, half of the singles surveyed said they were not currently dating, and among them, 38 per cent had never dated before. Is technology making things worse? How have expectations changed and why is there a fear of commitment? Steven Chia speaks to Violet Lim, CEO of Lunch Actually and two 22-year-old students, Vanessa Chan and Alan who prefers to be a...

A nationwide health plan aims to fundamentally shift the way we look at healthcare in Singapore. But what burdens will general practitioners have to bear, will costs go up and will people's behaviour change? Steven Chia speaks to Professor Benjamin Ong, former Director of Medical Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Raymond Ong, from Doctor Anywhere and Dr Chua Hshan Cher, medical director at Ph...

The latest round of property cooling measures announced in Singapore has raised questions about affordability, and whether an HDB flat is for home ownership or an asset. Host Steven Chia is joined by Chua Beng Huat, Professor of Social Sciences (Urban Studies) at Yale-NUS College,  Walter Theseira, Associate Professor of Economics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences and property agent J...

Long wait times, the big difference in cost between private and public services and a lack of trained professionals are some critical issues facing us as we tackle mental health issues. Otelli Edwards speaks to Dr Soo Shuenn Chiang, head of psychiatry at Alexandra Hospital and senior consultant at NUH , Asher Low, executive director at Limitless, a non-profit organisation that works with young peo...

Big names like Netflix, Paypal and Tesla have either shed jobs or cooled on offers. At home, the conglomerate Sea Limited has run into rough waters with management suspending salaries. What's going on? Has growth at all costs come home to roost and what does this mean for tech jobs in Singapore? Otelli Edwards speaks to Yorlin Ng, chief operating officer of Momentum Works and assistant professor N...

The new Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) plans to draw rainmakers globally. How is it different from other visas? Why do we need such talent now and how will they help Singaporean workers? Steven Chia gets answers from Manpower Minister Tan See Leng, co-founder of Carousell, Marcus Tan and Jaya Dass, managing director of Permanent Recruitment in Asia Pacific at Randstad. See omnys...

When news broke that ORTO leisure park in Yishun will make way for housing, residents expressed sadness and disappointment. They asked: Why are we building so many flats? Why can't we keep spaces that matter to a community? Steven Chia puts these questions to Dr Woo Jun Jie, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies and Dr Liu Thai Ker, former chief planner. See omnystudio.com/list...

Viral videos of students displaying poor discipline in classrooms or beating up fellow classmates have made the rounds recently. Have things gotten worse? How can teachers be better supported? Steven Chia speaks to Dr Wong Hwei Ming, senior research scientist at the National Institute of Education, Ryan Ong, a 24-year-old university student and founder of The Catalyst Collective and Sarah, an ex-t...

When Olympic medalist Joseph Schooling and fellow swimmer Amanda Lim admitted to cannabis use, some said "go easy" on them because it's "just weed". Is Singapore's strict zero-tolerance approach a case of "swimming against the tide" of more liberal attitudes? Finally, does this signal an end to Schooling's sporting career? Steven Chia gets answers from Nicholas Fang, managing director of Black Dot...

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's announcement repealing Section 377A during this year's National Day Rally was widely anticipated. Are matters about to get messier before they get clearer? What could make things worse for all the key stakeholders involved? Steven Chia rakes it over with Gillian Koh, Deputy Director (Research) at the Institute of Policy Studies, Terence Ho, Associate Professor in P...

Workplace accidents have been in the news and the numbers have been climbing. What’s driving this trend? Are companies cutting corners? Or is there a deeper issue with the safety culture? Steven Chia gets answers from Akbar Kader, Managing Director of Nan Guan Construction, Dipa Swaminathan, Founder of charity, ItsRainingRaincoats and Chong Kee Sen, Emeritus President of the Institution of Enginee...