Yah Lah But

K Shanmugam recently jousted with British journalist and presenter Stephen Sackur on a 24-minute BBC podcast interview for the programme HardTalk. While the interview had some coverage on mainstream media, it has generally gone under the radar… until now, because we listened to it, and highly recommend that everyone listen to it. Why? Elsewhere, the judge’s ruling for influencer Rachel Wong’s defa...

In a recent speech, DPM Lawrence Wong unveiled the ‘Forward Singapore’ roadmap to review and refresh the country’s social compact by engaging Singaporeans through 6 pillars. We go through some of the details and what we think about this new exercise. Separately, it was announced that Singapore will host the first Tour de France criterium race in South-east Asia in October this year. We discuss whe...

Over the weekend, the US Supreme Court overturned the historic 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that recognised a woman's constitutional right to an abortion. This ignited a political firestorm within the country and also sent shockwaves around the world. We break down the reasons why. Closer to home, at an AIA insurance roadshow event, an insurance agent reversed her decision to gift a toddler with a ballo...

As the economy continues to shock everyone, it’s getting increasingly confusing to figure out what to do about our personal finances. So we speak to someone at the forefront of the industry, Wenbin Wong, head of GrabFin Singapore. We dive deep into his thoughts on the current economy, the newly-launched GrabFin brand, and everything they are trying to do to help their users financially. But we als...

Just in time for Pride Month, a recent study on Singaporeans’ attitudes towards same-sex relationships by market research firm Ipsos found that 44% of respondents still support 377A, which was a drop from 55% in 2018. What does this mean for the future of the controversial law, and Pink Dot? Elsewhere, the internet split into two camps over an incident at Le Jardin, where a disgruntled customer co...

On our 300th episode, we want to thank everyone by answering the hottest questions as chosen by YOU! Do we believe in ghosts? How does Haresh prepare his mercurial mouth for acting roles? Did Terence’s voice give him trouble in terms of making friends while growing up? Are kids on the horizon? These and many more other questions in this EPIC 2-hour episode! SubReddit thread for AMA #4 Find us here...

A viral Facebook post from an ex-police officer alleged pregnancy discrimination at her former workplace, which prompted the Singapore Police Force to respond with their own statement. Does she really have a case here, or is there more to this story? Elsewhere, SIA and Scoot announced a new scheme to allow customers to reduce their carbon footprint while travelling by paying for “SAF Credits”. Wha...

Earlier this week, PM Lee announced several Cabinet changes, the most prominent being Lawrence Wong’s promotion to Deputy Prime Minister. While this wasn’t unexpected, were there any other surprises? In the local courts, a judge ruled that a $1 million red packet presented at a wedding tea ceremony is to be included in the matrimonial assets to be split between the couple as they go through their...

Johnny Depp emerged victorious in the defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard. We discuss the trial and the verdict, and ask what the future holds for their Hollywood careers. Who is the real winner here, or is there even one? Elsewhere, a Singaporean woman heard that her mother had been disrespected by a Sales Associate at a Dior outlet in Italy, and decided to return to the store to s...

A graduate from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine was filmed in an interview sharing how physically and mentally draining his current job as a junior doctor is. Once the video was published on the school’s Facebook page, reactions and comments started pouring in from all sides. What are people making a fuss about with regards to the video? In Japan, a man paid approximately $21,600 to create...

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) announced that Gillman Barracks would be getting a $2 million facelift to rejuvenate the locale. However, several current F&B tenants were left high and dry, as they were asked to retender or leave, in spite of having ultimately survived COVID. How is this fair? Elsewhere, Simu Liu sparked an internet war about the casting of Crazy Rich Asians with his commen...

Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang announced that the Ministry of Manpower will be implementing a mandatory rest day every month for migrant domestic workers. We discuss why this new rule is being implemented, and how it will impact labour conditions for migrant workers. Elsewhere, Malaysian influencer/model Ms Puiyi has caused more controversy by posting an IG picture of her wearing a...

Fresh off winning 2 gold medals at the SEA Games, Joseph Schooling called for a national dialogue on expectations of athletes serving their National Service. We discuss why this call is more significant than a similar rallying cry from Soh Rui Yong a few weeks ago, and why it’s necessary to talk about it now. On Instagram, the organisation behind Pink Dot was singled out by the account SGbrownquee...

Elon Musk said on Tuesday that the purchase of Twitter would not go ahead unless he was given further assurances on the extent of fake/spam accounts on the platform. Some critics have derided this as a convenient excuse in light of the global stock market tumble, but is there merit to his demands? Back home, Singapore companies are starting to throw parties and offering perks to encourage workers...

In early May, a man who was part of a Catholic religious order that established a school in Singapore was convicted of sex crimes with two teenage boys that occurred in the ‘00s. Online commentators are still asking a lot of questions about this case, so we dissect what these questions are and why they’re being asked. Elsewhere, a 4-year-old girl was severely scalded on her thighs by a cup of hot...

The age-old debate of women donning green as SAF conscripts came up in Parliament via the new MPs Carrie Tan and Poh Li-San. Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen shot down the suggestion very quickly, but we discuss whether there’s any merit to his answer. Elsewhere, Elon Musk declares that Twitter permabans need to be gotten rid off as they are anti free-speech. This action would  include reinstating Trum...

What a long weekend full of kerfuffles! The Ministry of Communications and Information removed its Hari Raya ad after it faced criticism for its supposed stereotyping of Malay families. Is it really stereotyping though? Also, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong’s Hari Raya post was deemed by many to be “tone-deaf” as it featured him taking a picture with a scarecrow dressed in traditional Malay...

In a stunning reversal, a High Court Judge publicly released the names of 6 trainee lawyers who had been caught cheating in the Bar exam. Is the punishment commensurate with the crime? Also, a former Grab driver accused of attempted rape of his intoxicated 19-year-old passenger in 2018 was acquitted. Contrary to what you might expect from the circumstantial evidence, a large number of online comme...

According to a recent IPS working paper, a majority of workers prefer to continue flexible work arrangements going forward, even as Singapore lifts its COVID restrictions. What will employers need to look out for in these results? Elsewhere, Netflix announced its first decline in subscribers, and at the same time also revealed that they will be launching an ad-supported tier of subscription. What...

A recent video featuring a Singaporean man, Jonathan Neo, singing a Christian worship song in the middle of a flight has gone viral, with critics and detractors calling for tolerance from the other side. What do we make of both sides’ arguments? Closer to home, an ugly spat between a clinic assistant and an irate customer spilled onto social media when CCTV footage showed the mother throwing items...

In line with Singapore’s nightlife industry opening up, we go through an opinion piece about the F&B industry’s woes in increasing productivity amidst a manpower crunch. Are AI kitchens and robot servers the way forward? Also, we discuss the viral image of a grandmother helping her grandson urinate into a bottle in the open at Tiong Bahru Plaza’s food court. Do we have a right to be outraged?...

We discuss the bombshell announcement that caught everyone by surprise, right before the long weekend: Lawrence Wong has been anointed the leader of the 4G leadership in the Government. Was it really a surprise though? How are the other candidates reacting to the news? Elsewhere, Elon Musk’s flirtations with Twitter came to a head when he announced an audacious bid to acquire the public company fo...

Another viral CCTV video showing a collision between an errant cyclist and an unsuspecting pedestrian has once again renewed calls for greater regulation of cyclists. Is there a deeper reason why we haven’t nipped the problem of dangerous cyclists in the bud? Also, investigations of PAP’s ex-candidate Ivan Lim have been completed, and it appears that he’s been cleared of any wrongdoing. Still, wha...

In a dialogue with The Wall Street Journal editorial board in early April, PM Lee warned that the US should not define the war in Ukraine as a battle between democracies and autocracies, as that would immediately place China on the defensive. This was just one of many truth bombs he dropped; what other interesting nuggets of knowledge did he share? Closer to home, Malaysian influencer and Penthous...

According to a study conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and CNA, Singaporeans have become more open to having a non-Chinese prime minister or president. Having just appeared in the topically-relevant CNA documentary “Regardless of Race”, we break down the study’s findings and figure out what it means for our future. In the United States, a Minnesota-based eBay seller was discovered...