New Naratif's Political Agenda

The partition of Malaya in 1946, separating Singapore from the rest of Malaya, was directly influenced by British failures in Palestine, and led to the creation of two artificial nation-states that were riddled with contradictions, particularly around three crucial questions: “What is decolonisation?”, “How do we end capitalist exploitation?”, and “What is Malayan identity?” This lecture, delivere...

Roy Ngerng was just a blogger writing on Singapore using publicly available information when, in 2015, he was sued by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for defamation. The court found him guilty and he was ordered to pay SG$215,000 in damages and costs. His life destroyed, he eventually left Singapore for Taiwan. He talks to PJ Thum about the sheer injustice of his case, which is covered in...

PJ Thum talks to Irie and Muhammad, two founders of Quasa, a peer support and community network for queer Muslims in Singapore. They talk about Quasa, what it does, why it’s needed, and what they want to achieve. They also discuss the lives of Queer Muslims, what they want, their relationship to their faith, the challenges the face, and the banality of their lives and desires in contrast to how ot...

New Naratif held a contest inviting people to tell us who they thought the next Prime Minister of Singapore should be, and why. The winner, with 57 votes, was Yeo Kian Hwee, who (presciently) picked Lawrence Wong. He speaks to PJ Thum about his thoughts on the succession and a Lawrence Wong premiership. As Yeo was born in Malaysia, they also have a discussion about the difference between Malaysian...

Dr Chee Soon Juan is the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and one of the most respected and feared opposition leaders in Singapore, so it was a little inexplicable when he decided to start up a restaurant, "Orange & Teal". Singapore's food & beverage industry is notoriously difficult and competitive, and on top of this he started his venture in June 2021 in the mid...

New Naratif invited people to tell us who they thought the next Prime Minister of Singapore should be, and why. PJ Thum interviews the four finalists: Roderick Foo, for Louis Ng; Joel Wong, for Prof Teo You Yenn; Yeo Kian Hwee, for Lawrence Wong; Steven Yeong, for Teo Chee Hean.  Read their written arguments and vote for who you think made the best argument at https://newnaratif.com/NextSinga...

Ahead of the publication of the revised and updated edition of her memoirs, legendary Singaporean civil society activist Constance Singam sits down with PJ Thum to talk about her long career in activism. They talk about the "AWARE Saga", when it was taken over by a group of fundamentalist Christians, which she was a direct participant in as the then-outgoing President of AWARE. They discuss the ra...

Leong Mun Wai is a Non-constituency Member of Parliament for the Progress Singapore Party and the CEO of private equity firm, Timbre Capital. He explains to PJ Thum about Singapore's financial reserves, where it comes from, and how it is spent. They talk about the need for more transparency and accountability over how it is spent, and the inherently political nature of the trade offs between savin...

Mysara Aljaru talks to PJ Thum about her research into narratives about Singapore's Malay community in the mainstream media in Singapore. They discuss racial stereotypes, the challenges facing the Malay community, the systemic and historical underpinnings of racism, and how racism can be overcome. In particular, they argue about whether racism is a cause or a symptom of the oppression of Malays in...

In defiance of its own laws and the UN Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Singapore government intends to hang a man with borderline intellectual functioning for smuggling 42.72 grams of diamorphine—a form of heroin used to treat severe pain. PJ Thum speaks to Emmy Charissa, a disability rights activist; Kokila Annamalai, an anti-death penalty activist; and Mila Rockey, sister...

What is the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill? How will it impact our lives? How do we avoid running afoul of it? Why is this law so important? Lawyer Carol Yuen, NCMP Leong Mun Wai, and Progress Singapore Party Women's Wing leader Wendy Low will discuss this mammoth, complicated law with New Naratif managing director PJ Thum and unpack its far reaching implications. This interview was r...

On today's episode, PJ Thum speaks to Faris Joraimi about his book, Raffles Renounced . They talk about how the book came about, how it rejects the orthodoxy of Singapore’s history, its national myth, and how it challenges the Raffles-centric view of the country’s history. They also discuss race and what it means to be Malay in a hyper-racialised society. This interview was recorded on 8 May 2021...

The Online Citizen has been banned in Singapore via the government's suspension of its class license under the Broadcasting Act. Editor-in-Chief Terry Xu joins New Naratif managing director PJ Thum to discuss the banning of TOC, what Terry plans to do next, and the proposed new anti-foreign interference law and how it will impact both TOC and New Naratif. This interview was recorded live on 15 Sep...

Ryaihanny Sahrom is a legal professional and a freelance writer with a passion in human rights for marginalised genders. Speaking to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han, she argues that effectively addressing crime requires a societal shift in how we define justice, moving from retribution towards abolishing the environmental conditions that create it in the first place. This, she argues, is also an Isla...

Content warning: This podcast includes references to sexual assault 19-year-old Elijah Tay is already a veteran activist, having started at just 14. They return to Political Agenda to talk to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up, Singapore) about their personal life journey, their founding of My Queer Story SG and LGBTQIA+ activism, and their advice for other young people who are trying to create...

Up and Out is an Instagram page dedicated to better quality sex education for Singaporean youth, while also speaking out against the outdated sex-ed curriculum of the Singapore education system. PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up, Singapore) talk to the founders, Vanessa and Vivian, about the importance of uncensored, inclusive, and holistic sex education and how it can be achieved. They also d...

Malaysia is falling apart: people are struggling with hunger in their homes, their healthcare system is falling apart, their leaders are bickering amongst themselves , and their parliament is failing to hold those leaders accountable. How did a prosperous country end up in such dire straits? Lim Wei Jiet , a human rights lawyer, speaks to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up, Singapore) about the...

Aleesha Khan works on sexual violence and mental health in Singapore and she runs Self_ally, an Instagram page which provides resources to survivors of trauma and abuse. She talks to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up, Singapore) about her life story, her activism, and her work. They discuss some of the psychology of racism in Singapore, from both the viewpoint of those who perpetuate racism an...

Content warning: This podcast includes references to suicide. Shaza Ishak is the managing director of Teater Ekamatra, Singapore's leading ethnic minority theatre company. She talks with Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) and PJ Thum about her life story and the challenges she faced as a female Indian Muslim professional in Singapore. They go into detail about Teater Ekamatra, minority represent...

Trigger Warning: Sexual violence and self-harm At seven, Devika Satheesh Panicker was sexually assaulted. After a year of abuse, her parents learnt of the matter and the perpetrator was arrested and incarcerated. Yet this was only the beginning of a long journey for her, first as a survivor and subsequently as an advocate for sexual violence awareness. Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) and PJ T...

Heckin' Unicorn sells subtle & unique LGBTQIA+ merchandise, such as enamel pins, socks, and notebooks, that allow people to express their identity. Its founder, Teo Yu Sheng, talks to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) about the origins of Heckin' Unicorn, its ethos and mission, his personal journey, and how he reconciles capitalism and activism. They also discuss his personal ph...

Min Cheong and Jufri Salim of the Singapore Democratic Party sit down with Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) and PJ Thum to talk about why they decided to join politics, what they hope to achieve, and their vision for Singapore. They also talk about the evolving challenges of politics in Singapore, the false dichotomy between democratic values and "bread and butter" issues, and about housing, i...

Innovative musician and activist Subhas Nair released his new album, Tabula Rasa/Tak Boleh Rasa, direct to fans via Telegram. He talks to Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) and PJ Thum about the music on this album, unpacks its complex commentary of politics and society, and explains his decision to bypass conventional distribution channels - even streaming platforms - to sell his music direct t...

Jolene Tan is author of "After The Inquiry", a new novel on censorship, propaganda, idealism, and everyday authoritarianism in Singapore. She discusses the novel with PJ Thum, and they go into detail in particular about the protagonist, Teck, and what the novel might reveal about Singapore. In the non-spoiler discussion, they delve into depth about the unseen forces which shape how Singaporeans th...

The Substation, Singapore's foremost experimental arts space, is due to be evicted from its building. Its board consequently and controversially decided to close the space. T. Sasitharan, former Artistic Director of The Substation (1996-2000) joins PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han to talk about The Substation, its importance, and the problem with how the arts are funded and censored in Singapore. They...