Yah Lah But

Recently, the Economist Intelligence Unit released a report that revealed Singapore to be tied for the world’s most expensive city alongside Zurich. Is this global #1 ranking worth celebrating? Elsewhere, Sembawang Town Council sealed off a void deck in response to complaints about kids playing football, triggering angry responses from some residents. What should they have done instead to curb the...

The SG government announced that it is studying the feasibility of an ambitious new land reclamation project off the East Coast, named “Long Island”, which will change the face of East Coast Park forever. Do we really need that much more space? Elsewhere, a Chinese restaurant in Alexandra is facing backlash for charging for its cai png dishes by weight, leading to sticker shock from its patrons. I...

Last week, MAS moved to curb crypto speculation with a tightening of regulations around retail investors. Will this throw a spanner in Singapore’s plans of becoming a digital asset hub for the world? Elsewhere, 2 contestants from the reality TV show “Squid Game: The Challenge” are suing the Netflix production for inhumane conditions that allegedly led to them suffering hypothermia and nerve damage...

This past week, Parliament debated and ultimately passed a law that allows the President and Ministers to hold international roles in their private capacity. They even backdated the law to Tharman’s inauguration date, prompting questions from Opposition MPs about the urgency of the constitutional change. Why the rush? Elsewhere, a private-hire driver clocked 22 hours of driving within a day to win...

A recent Straits Times op-ed on the Israel-Hamas war, written by retired senior diplomat Bilahari Kausikan, triggered a response from Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam, who disagreed with Bilahari’s views, and also directed people to read another op-ed with a differing perspective. Why was there a need for a Minister to come forward and push back on a paywall-blocked op-ed accessible only to S...

A Deepavali banner that asked revellers to clean up after themselves caused disquiet on social media, prompting the MP in charge of the area to remove the sign to avoid misunderstandings. Was it really necessary to get rid of the banner? Also, in-person social mixers are becoming popular among Singapore youth, in a strange reversion to a world before social media and Tinder. Why are we heading bac...

The Ministry of Home Affairs reminded the public that displaying or wearing symbols linked to the Israel-Hamas war is an offence punishable with jail time. Why the need for such strict policing? Elsewhere this week, a new law was proposed that would allow the President and ministers to hold roles in foreign and international organisations in their private capacities. Why has this come up suddenly?...

At a PAP Conference over the weekend, PM Lee revealed the timeline for PAP’s leadership succession plans. What was interesting about his announcement, and Lawrence Wong’s speech as the incoming PM? Elsewhere, people were up in arms over the inclusion of Japanese sex toy giant Tenga at Singapore’s largest anime festival, scheduled for the end of November. Why the commotion? Find us here! YLB Subred...

As part of the penalties for the recent outage of DBS’ digital services, MAS will disallow DBS from making new acquisitions for 6 months. Will this really help restore confidence in the bank? Elsewhere, it was first reported that a lucky Swiftie between the age of 13-35 will be selected to watch Taylor Swift in concert alongside Senior Minister of State Mr Tan Kiat How, as part of a youth festival...

We wade into the complex Israel-Hamas war, and talk about why opinions in Singapore are so charged and divided. Elsewhere, a photo of an Indonesian coffee shop that won an international photography competition was alleged to have been staged, calling into question the ethics of the photographer and the competence of the judges. Who’s wrong? Find us here! YLB Subreddit   YLB TikTok   YLB IG YLB You...

Actresses Xenia Tan and Farah Lola join us in the YLB studio to talk about acting in our horror-comedy podcast series (After) Life Support, their personal spooky encounters at work or on livestreams, plus why visiting a haunted house is a great way to find a significant other. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube (After) Life Support It’s time to binge! The last episode of the...

A recent consultation paper by iMDA and MAS proposed a framework for banks and telcos to take a share of the responsibility in scam victims’ losses. Why was this surprising to us? Elsewhere, Manchester United player Alejandro Garnacho was caught up in a furore over a gorilla emoji he used in a social media post praising his Cameroonian teammate, André Onana. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok...

A recent survey found that 2 in 3 Singaporeans go on vacation with the goal of making up for their sleep debt. What does this say about our stress levels? Elsewhere, it was announced that Prince William will try dragon boating when he next visits Singapore in November. What other activities should he try while he’s here? Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube (After) Life Suppor...

Kyle and Wayne, the creators of the Ghost Maps podcast, join us to talk about all things paranormal. We discuss why people want to believe in ghosts, where the most haunted places in Singapore are, and why you should eat at mamak stalls after visiting a cemetery. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube (After) Life Support Ep8 of our horror comedy audio series is out now, and it’...

This past week, Singapore’s competition watchdog pumped the brakes on the Grab-Trans-cab merger, voicing concerns over how Trans-cab taxi drivers’ usage of other ride-hailing platforms would be affected. Would this merger really lessen competition in the industry? Elsewhere, the Foodpanda CEO was shown the door after allegations of leaking confidential information on a potential sale of the compan...

Over the weekend, retailers and consumers had their plans disrupted by a major outage of DBS’ banking services, which was allegedly caused by an issue at a data centre. Why did one bank’s outage have such a big ripple effect on Singapore? This same week, Flash Coffee suddenly shut down all 11 local outlets, leaving its workers with unpaid salaries and CPF. Did they do anything wrong in filing for...

A US think tank’s analysis of a 2022 survey hailed Singapore’s high levels of interreligious tolerance and acceptance. Why are these results worth celebrating for Singaporeans? Elsewhere, out of safety concerns, NParks captured and put down a nearly-3m long crocodile that had been spotted on Marina East beach. Some groups asked why the crocodile had to be put down, and not relocated instead. Was t...

Last week, a bakery owner called out food portal SethLui.com for soliciting payment to be featured in one of their food guides, going as far as to call it a “scam”. Seth Lui defended his business practices in a press release, but was this really something worth getting so heated over? Elsewhere, the government will impose restrictions on the value of arcade prizes at $100 come March 2024. Why the...

A debate about whether perfume should be classified a basic necessity or aspirational good took place in Parliament this week, as part of a discussion about what constitutes a minimum living standard in Singapore. Why does Jamus Lim think so highly of perfume? Elsewhere, the use of LKY’s likeness in LKY100 campaigns came under scrutiny this week, as people questioned whether Yeo’s packet drinks be...

In light of recent announcement of price increases for water and transport, DPM Lawrence Wong reassured Singaporeans that the Government is monitoring businesses to stop them from using increased costs as excuse to profiteer. Will the measures be enough? In Australia, an RSAF trainee based there made news when the plane’s flight route was interpreted to look like a phallic symbol in the air. Was i...

One half of Malaysia’s OG YouTubers The Ming Thing, Ming Yue, drops by the YLB studio on his way to performing 2 SOLD OUT stand up comedy shows in Singapore. Is The Ming Thing ever going back to YouTube? What existential crisis did he experience during the pandemic that led him to stand up comedy? Will he juggle a flaming canine as part of his next comedy routine? Find us here! YLB Subreddit   YLB...

A WW2 relic was discovered in a construction site in Upper Bukit Timah, leading to a quickly-arranged on-site disposal of the 100kg bomb, and over 4,000 residents and shopkeepers vacating the area for one day. What was shocking about the blast? Elsewhere, a survey about our attitudes towards global uncertainty showed that Singaporeans might be a bit more pessimistic than expected.  Our Survey Here...

Last month, a Japanese tourist made a police report over the price of an Alaskan King Crab dish that she and her group had consumed at Seafood Paradise at Clarke Quay. She claimed that the restaurant was not upfront about the price of the dish - a claim that has been refuted by the Paradise Group via a social media posting. We wade into the deep waters to discuss who’s in the wrong here. Elsewhere...

Rishi is back as guest co-host, this time with Haresh while Terence is away. We dive into the latest Parliamentary sitting where MPs voted against the motion filed by NMP Hazel Poa to suspend MP Iswaran. This was after a 2+ hour debate in Parliament, but does the outcome make sense? Elsewhere, star comedian Hasan Minhaj is facing the heat after he admitted to embellishing the stories of discrimina...

Ian Tan and his co-founders at Ritual Gym revolutionised the fitness space in Singapore when they launched their trademark “20-minute workout sessions” back in 2012. Since then, they have expanded beyond Singapore, to locations as far as Spain and Brazil. Having been in the fitness space for so long, Ian is now keen to share his learnings as well as some very introspective thoughts about “healthsp...