Heart of the Matter: Recent Episodes
CNA
You know the headlines. Now take a deeper dive into the Heart of the Matter with CNA each week as we talk to newsmakers, experts and contributors to CNA’s Commentary section, who give us their take on the some of the most talked about news developments every Friday.
The recent arrests of three self-radicalised teenagers under the Internal Security Act (ISA) have sent shockwaves through Singapore, with attacks in schools planned in two cases. What makes young people vulnerable to extremist ideologies? And what more can parents, schools and friends do as the online world increasingly shapes their exposure and belief? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Professor Kumar Ramakrishna, dean of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, and Dr Mohamed Feisal Hassan, secretary and counsellor at the Religious Rehabilitation Group, to unpack the evolving threat of radicalisation, the warning signs to watch for, and what you should do if you suspect someone may be at risk.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The government has lowered the minimum age to apply for Community Care Apartments from 65 to 55 and cut the cost of the basic service package to encourage more take-up. But will these changes meet the needs of a fast ageing society that still want their freedom and independence? In this week’s Deep Dive, Tiffany Ang and Steven Chia sit down with associate professor Kelvin Tan from the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Nicholas Mak, chief research officer from MOGUL.sg, to explore who these apartments are really designed for and whether they can sufficiently fill the gap to house an ageing nation.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The resignation of former Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim, after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said his interactions with a woman fell short of standards expected of a political office holder, shocked many Singaporeans. What do these standards look like in Singapore's political system? How do they shape expectations and what impact could this have on attracting the next generation of political leaders? Tiffany Ang speaks with Dr Norshahril Saat, principal fellow at the ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute and Nicholas Fang, managing director of strategic consultancy Black Dot and former nominated member of parliament, on what the resignation reveals about political accountability and public trust.
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The release of Chinese film Dear You has reignited the debate over dialects in Singapore after the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) approved limited screenings of its Teochew original version. Has the time come to rethink Singapore's approach to dialects, or are they destined to fade away in the next generation? In this week's Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with assistant professor Luke Lu from Nanyang Technological University and Hokkien content creator Ong Yi Ting (@yitinggoyt) to explore whether dialects are worth preserving or are they fast becoming relics of Singapore's past.
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As Singapore becomes a super-aged society, more families are facing the difficult decisions about long-term care. But after two nursing homes had their licences revoked over serious lapses in resident safety and care, how can families know which homes to trust? Beyond regular spot checks and audits, should inspection results be publicised for greater transparency? Tiffany Ang and Steven Chia unpack this issue with Dr Raymond Chua, Deputy Director-General of Health (Health Regulation) at the Ministry of Health, and gerontology expert Professor Andy Ho from NTU.
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Singapore's security is not just built on military spending and might. With the security landscape evolving and the nature of warfare changing, what does it take to strengthen the country's defence? How can the state deter potential threats without unnecessarily raising tensions? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing in a wide-ranging interview on the role of defence diplomacy behind closed doors, the global arms race in military spending and how the Singapore Army is evolving to prepare soldiers for future conflicts.
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Pritam Singh has been re-elected as leader of the Workers' Party after surviving a resignation call at a special cadres conference and party elections on Sunday. While the results appear to draw a line under years of intense public scrutiny, does it also come with higher expectations of his leadership going forward? And what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for the Workers' Party as it celebrates its 70th year in 2027? In this week’s Deep Dive, Tiffany Ang sits down with Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University and independent political observer Dr Felix Tan to unpack what the latest developments mean for Mr Singh, the party and the future of opposition politics in Singapore.
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More Singaporean fathers are leaving the workforce to become stay-at-home dads and take on more caregiving responsibilities. Amid concerns about lower household income, slower career progression and higher cost of living, is this a realistic choice for most families? How should couples decide who stays home and who goes to work? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Eugene Lim and Ryan Kong, two stay-at-home dads on the challenges and rewards of their decisions and what advice they would give to other dads who are thinking of making the switch.
Are you an avid listener of the Deep Dive podcast? Share your thoughts on what you enjoy, how we can improve, what you would like to see in future episodes and stand to win a S$50 Grab voucher: channelnewsasia.com/cna-podcasts
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A complaint led to the removal of power washing artist Marcus Pang’s street artwork on a pavement outside Mountbatten MRT station, sparking a debate on who gets to decide how shared spaces should be used in Singapore. Why do Singaporeans prefer to turn to authorities to resolve disagreements instead of talking to one another first? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Pang, the street artist and assistant professor George Wong from the Singapore Management University on Singaporeans’ attitudes towards public spaces, social norms and navigating social differences.
Are you an avid listener of the Deep Dive podcast? Share your thoughts on what you enjoy, how we can improve, what you would like to see in future episodes and stand to win a S$50 Grab voucher: channelnewsasia.com/cna-podcasts
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From 2027, all tertiary and ITE students will be taught AI skills relevant to their courses. But AI is already transforming classrooms and workplaces today, even as educators and employers scramble to keep pace. How can today's graduates stand out and prove they're AI-ready? Steven Chia speaks with Nanyang Technological University lecturer Ian Tan and university student Susan Khoo to discuss the gaps, expectations and opportunities in the AI era.
Are you an avid listener of the Deep Dive podcast? Share your thoughts on what you enjoy, how we can improve, what you would like to see in future episodes and stand to win a S$50 Grab voucher: channelnewsasia.com/cna-podcasts
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A recent survey by the Institute of Policy Studies found a growing acceptance of Singlish among Singaporeans, with many viewing it as an important part of national identity that is worth preserving. But like any living language, Singlish is constantly evolving, shaped by new generations and changing ways of speaking. Does this signal a shift in what it means to be Singaporean? Steven Chia speaks with associate professor Tan Ying Ying from Nanyang Technological University and Dr Melvin Tay from the Institute of Policy Studies about how Singlish has changed over the years, and why change may not be something to fear.
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Three online retailers were recently flagged for using misleading marketing tactics known as “dark patterns” such as fake countdown timers or low-stock alerts designed to create a sense of urgency among shoppers. But when these nudges cross the line to become unethical or even fraudulent, how do we maintain a safe shopping environment? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Professor Sharon Ng from the Nanyang Business School and Liew Sai Ming from Behavioural Insights Team to discuss the psychology behind shopping habits and the challenges in outmaneuvering these rapidly evolving marketing tactics.
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Singapore's falling fertility rate is now framed as a national problem to solve. But for a growing number of couples, having children simply isn’t part of their plans. How have our attitudes towards parenthood changed and what does the rise of the "dual income, no kids" or DINK lifestyle say about the country's future? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Alisa Chopard, a 39-year-old who has chosen not to have children, and 31-year-old Alicia Lim, who hopes to start a family soon, to unpack the pressures surrounding couples in Singapore today.
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As the conflict in the Middle East drags on, Singapore along with the rest of the world, is feeling the strain: rising oil prices, disrupted supply chains and deepening uncertainty. Singapore has long prided itself on being principled, following the rules of the global order. But in a changing new world, how long can a small nation hold that line? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim on why this issue poses an existential challenge for a maritime nation like Singapore and what’s being done to keep our waters open and running smoothly.
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Relationships are being redefined with AI chatbots on the rise. These digital companions are always available, always agreeable - but at what cost? And with the younger generation growing up as AI natives, how will this affect their ability to communicate and form relationships with another human? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Associate Professor Swapna Verma from the Institute of Mental Health and Associate Professor Jennifer Ang from the Singapore University of Social Sciences to unpack the pros and cons of forming close connections with our AI companions.
WHERE TO SEEK HELP
If you or someone you know is struggling and needs support, please consider reaching out to one of the helplines below.
Youthline: +65 6436 6612 (call), 8533 9460 (text) and over email at hello [at] youthline.sg (hello[at]youthline[dot]sg). Youthline provides free mental health support to youth via phone, email or a live chat service. It runs from 9am to midnight daily. Calls outside of operating hours are redirected to Samaritans of Singapore or the Singapore Civil Defence Force for emergency medical services.
Samaritans of Singapore: 1767 (call), 9151 1767 (WhatsApp text) and over email at pat [at] sos.org.sg (pat[at]sos[dot]org[dot]sg). Samaritans of Singapore provides round-the-clock confidential emotional support for individuals in crisis, thinking about or affected by suicide. The call and text-based services are operational 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
National Mindline: 1771 (call), 6669 1771 (WhatsApp) and through online webchat on the http://mindline.sg/fsmh website. This is a round-the-clock confidential national-level helpline. Beyond immediate counselling, those who require more support can be directed to the appropriate care and resources.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Employees in Singapore are prioritising work-life balance over pay and benefits, and younger workers are switching careers fast. With attitudes toward work shifting, how can companies and workers close the expectation gap? In a post-COVID world shaped by AI, the challenge is clear: how do we maximise talent, find meaningful jobs while staying competitive? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with recruiter Lee Shulin from Aslant Legal and Edwin Tan from the Institute for Adult Learning to explore why expecting a 1990s-era commitment from workers is no longer possible.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A restaurant recently faced a barrage of negative reviews which affected its Google rating. It sparked a conversation on how we leave and read online reviews. Are we too quick to criticise from behind our screens? And as consumers, are we able to tell the difference between thoughtful feedback and unfair criticisms? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Dr Elmie Nekmat from the National University of Singapore and online food reviewer Leong Yong Xin aka @foodbaby.sg, to unpack what it means to give and recognise an authentic review in a noisy digital space.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Countries are feeling the ripple effects of the Middle East conflict, some bearing the brunt more than others. Are rising food and fuel prices only the tip of the iceberg? What is the hidden fallout we should be watching out for? Is there a silver lining for Singapore in this crisis? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Denise Cheok from Moody’s Analytics to find out what will happen if the conflict drags on.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Homegrown companies like Yeo's and Tiger Beer maker Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore are shifting their operations to neighbouring countries and some jobs will be cut as part of the move. What does this signal about Singapore’s competitiveness in the region and what other jobs do we want to create? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Karen Teo, country manager for recruitment firm Quess Singapore and Professor Sumit Agarwal from National University of Singapore to examine which jobs will be hit the hardest when companies move overseas.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With Singapore's beverage container return scheme (BCRS) now underway, the next few months will test how well consumers, retailers and producers adapt to the new refundable deposit system. Will a 10-cent refund be enough to change recycling habits, or will convenience and confusion get in the way? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Stephanie Yip, chief executive officer of scheme operator BCRS Ltd, and Lionel Dorai, executive director of ZeroWaste SG, to unpack the mechanics of the scheme and how it could foster a broader culture of waste awareness.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Running a business in Singapore is no easy feat, especially in the fiercely competitive F&B scene. For every outlet that closes, another quickly steps in. But does this constant churn signal a thriving industry or does it point to a growing challenge for local entrepreneurs competing against well-funded foreign players? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia speaks with co-founder of The Black Hole Group Mustaffa Kamal and restaurant industry watcher Debbie Yong to unpack what it really takes for F&B establishments to stay relevant and profitable in one of the toughest dining landscapes around.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
AI is already transforming the classroom by reshaping the way students learn and teachers teach. But as AI becomes more powerful, how do we protect space for original thought and creative thinking? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Senior Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary to unpack AI's role in the classroom, and how the recent merger of SkillsFuture and Workforce Singapore will better align training with future job needs.
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The war in Iran has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, leaving nations scrambling to secure their oil and gas reserves. For Singapore - which generates 95% of its electricity using imported natural gas - the timing couldn't be more critical. In the race to become an AI hub, our power demands are skyrocketing. How do we keep the lights on and feed our AI ambitions without derailing our 2050 net-zero emission goals? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology, Dr Tan See Leng, to find out if Singapore has what it takes to power through.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Crow shooting is set to resume after an increasing number of reported crow attacks, highlighting the ongoing tension between humans and wildlife. If Singapore wants to be a City in Nature, what needs to change so that people and animals can co-exist peacefully? Tiffany Ang and Steven Chia unpack the issue with Soh Ze Bin from the National Parks Board and Kalai Vanan Balakrishnan from ACRES in this week’s Deep Dive podcast.
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The joint attack against Iran by the United States and Israel has sent shockwaves across the Middle East and the rest of the world. Why did they decide on military action and how is Iran going to respond? How could the war impact the global economy? Tiffany Ang speaks with Dr Jean-Loup Samaan from the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore and Eddy Loh from Maybank on what US President Donald Trump hopes to achieve and the ripple effect on fuel and shipping prices.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Where does your five-cent plastic bag charge actually go? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang unpack Singapore's supermarket carrier bag fee after reports that some retailers used the proceeds for business operations. Cheang Kok Chung from the Singapore Environment Council and Professor Lawrence Loh from NUS Business School join this week’s Deep Dive podcast to talk about what "green" spending should look like and how transparency shapes public trust in Singapore's green efforts.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This year’s Budget placed a strong emphasis on jobs and AI, with the government identifying key sectors to propel the economy forward. But can workers keep pace with the shifting dynamics? In this week’s Deep Dive, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance Jeffrey Siow sits down with Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang to discuss preparing Singaporeans for AI and what lies ahead.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jobs and AI took centre stage in this year’s Budget, with the government committing significant resources to ensure no Singaporean is left behind. What are the concrete steps to propel Singapore forward and can they help build a truly “we first” society? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy to unpack the plans and implications of Budget 2026.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong will deliver his speech for Budget 2026 on Feb 12, addressing key concerns from cost of living to remaining competitive in a tough labour market. In this week's Deep Dive episode, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with final-year undergraduate Shaza Daliela Rahmat and business owner Beatrice Liu to discuss their hopes for this year’s Budget.
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Living in a high-density society like Singapore makes friction with neighbours almost unavoidable. But with more than 90,000 noise complaints reported in the past three years, it raises the question: Are we becoming bad neighbours or are we less tolerant now? What can we do when misunderstandings and inconveniences turn into disputes that require mediation or legal action? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with mediator and senior lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences Melvin Loh and research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Nicholas Thomas.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Following Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh’s removal as the Leader of the Opposition, the nation now waits to see whether a new nominee will step into the role. In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University and independent political observer Dr Felix Tan to unpack whether the role of Leader of Opposition is necessary in Singapore and what lies ahead for the Workers’ Party.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Lack of time, too many courses to choose from and a difficult to navigate website – these are some of the reasons why Singaporeans are not using up their SkillsFuture credits to upskill. But with lifelong learning now a national push to keep workers relevant and employable, is there a “right” or “wrong” way to use our SkillsFuture credits? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang unpack this with Associate Professor Victor Seah from Singapore University of Social Sciences and career development specialist Dr Yvonne Kong-Ho.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
US military strikes on Venezuela and the dramatic seizure of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have sparked international outrage and discussions about a new global order. Where does this leave countries like Singapore? In this Deep Dive episode, Tiffany Ang speaks with Professor Joseph Liow of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Kevin Chen from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies to examine the broader geopolitical stakes.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) accused three students of academic fraud this year, 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 of the AI Centre for Educational Technologies at NUS, and Jeremy Soo, co-founder of Nex AI.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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 Seeding Minds.
WHERE TO SEEK HELP
If you or someone you know is struggling and needs support, please consider reaching out to one of the helplines below.
Youthline: +65 6436 6612 (call), 8533 9460 (text) and over email at hello [at] youthline.sg (hello[at]youthline[dot]sg). Youthline provides free mental health support to youth via phone, email or a live chat service. It runs from 9am to midnight daily. Calls outside of operating hours are redirected to Samaritans of Singapore or the Singapore Civil Defence Force for emergency medical services.
Samaritans of Singapore: 1767 (call), 9151 1767 (WhatsApp text) and over email at pat [at] sos.org.sg (pat[at]sos[dot]org[dot]sg). Samaritans of Singapore provides round-the-clock confidential emotional support for individuals in crisis, thinking about or affected by suicide. The call and text-based services are operational 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
National Mindline: 1771 (call), 6669 1771 (WhatsApp) and through online webchat on the http://mindline.sg/fsmh website. This is a round-the-clock confidential national-level helpline. Beyond immediate counselling, those who require more support can be directed to the appropriate care and resources.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Amid rising rents and growing competition, some Singapore businesses are closing down or relocating to cheaper premises. A local bakery in Siglap 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 retail at Knight Frank Singapore, and Terence Yow, managing director of Enviably Me Group of Companies and chairperson of the SG Tenants United for Fairness.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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 Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After Singapore beat Hong Kong to qualify for the Asian Cup, interim head coach Gavin Lee was handed the top job, with a mammoth task – to turn Singapore football around. He reveals how he's staking his 18-month contract on a bold strategy to strengthen the Lions. Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak to him about how he measures success on the football field and how challenging better national teams is part of the big plan.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When local bakery chain Twelve Cupcakes abruptly announced that they were closing and going into liquidation, about 80 employees were suddenly left jobless. Can more be done to strengthen Singapore’s employment laws without hurting our competitive edge? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Patrick Tay, assistant secretary-general of NTUC and Amarjit Kaur, head of employment at Withers KhattarWong on tightening safeguards when companies fail their employees.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A mother was recently sentenced to jail for faking her home address to get her child into a primary school, raising the question - just how far will parents go to secure a spot in their school of choice and how can we tighten the process? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang unpack the pressures some parents face with Primary 1 registration with Junda Ong, founder of SG Schooling and Assistant Professor Jacqueline Ho from Singapore Management University.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Singapore has revised its ambitious "30 by 30" goal, now aiming to produce 20 per cent of its fibre needs and 30 per cent of its protein requirements by 2035. But with high costs, limited land and a small farming base, how realistic are these farming targets? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang unpack what it’ll take to build a resilient food supply chain and get Singaporeans to buy local with Professor Paul Teng from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and Ray Poh from Artisan Green.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With English dominating daily life in Singapore, some parents say they lack the confidence or motivation to speak and teach their mother tongue at home. So how can we help children appreciate and learn their mother tongue languages — and can we see them as more than just another school subject? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Dr Tan Ee Ling, owner of Shiawase Books and Hayati Abdullah from NUSA Malay Language Tuition and Enrichment Centre on this week’s episode of Deep Dive.
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An independent review panel into the death of 4-year-old Megan Khung revealed multiple lapses and shortcomings across agencies. The findings cited a “lack of clear understanding and communication” among officers, child protection specialists and social workers. What must change to strengthen the child protection sector? How can society as a whole prevent another tragedy like Megan’s? Steven Chia sits down with Cindy Ng-Tay, director of Melrose Home at Children’s Aid Society and Dr Hana Alhadad, adviser at EveryChild.sg.
If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship, contact the National Anti-Violence and Sexual Harassment Helpline at 1800-777-0000 or report it online.
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A recent survey showed that teachers in Singapore work longer hours and grapple with more stress than their global peers. Besides teaching, they also plan learning journeys and school events, break up arguments and counsel students, and sometimes field after-hours messages from parents. Steven Chia speaks to former teacher Heidi Tan and Associate Professor Jason Tan from the National Institute of Education to find out what can be done to ease our educators' workloads.
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Insurance riders that cover nearly all private hospital bills have created a situation where patients go for tests they may not need, insurers lose money and premiums spiral upward. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung tells Steven Chia how the government is looking into setting benchmarks for private hospital charges - similar to what has been done for surgeon fees.
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Thirteen primary and secondary schools will adopt a central kitchen model from January 2026, in a move aimed at addressing a shortage of canteen stall operators. What does this mean for students? And what parts of the traditional recess experience might get left behind? Steven Chia speaks to school canteen stall owner Rayner Tan and Ben Airey of Victus Catering.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In just the last few months, Singapore has seen at least 15 disruptions to the rail network. At the same time, rail reliability according to a key measure is at its lowest point since 2020. Is it time for the authorities to rethink the way they measure our network's reliability and find new connectivity solutions when the when train services are down? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia speaks with transport economist Walter Theseira and Tin Pei Ling, chair of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, on what needs to be done to get our trains back on track.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A 14-year-old student was recently issued a restriction order after being self-radicalised by a “salad bar” of extremist ideologies. The boy also identified as an incel, short for "involuntary celibate" - a subculture of mostly men who believe that they are unable to find a romantic partner. How did the incel culture take root and what conversations should we have with youths before they turn to extremist ideologies? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards discuss with Yasmine Wong, associate research fellow at the Centre of Excellence for National Security at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies and Devendra Bisaria, counsellor from Incontact Counselling.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Pickleball is catching on fast in Singapore, but complaints over noise and space are growing just as quickly. In land-scarce Singapore, how much room is there for a new sport? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak to Ganesh Ramalingam, founder of the Pickleball Social Crew and Assistant Professor Tan Shin Bin from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
US comedian Sammy Obeid says his show in Singapore was cancelled because of censorship. Authorities say it was because of a late licence application. How does arts entertainment licensing really work, especially for unscripted formats like stand-up comedy? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak with local veteran entertainer Kumar and Heazry Salim, co-founder of The Comedy Club Asia, about the rules, the risks and how much freedom performers actually have on stage.
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With authorities cracking down on vaping and drug-laced Kpods, parents are struggling to have conversations with children who may think that vaping is not a big deal. How can families navigate this when young people are coping with message fatigue and peer pressure? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards get insights from Cherie Tseng, a mother of three, and Alvin Seng, a counsellor from We Care.
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In his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called on parents to be more mindful about their children's screen use and online behaviour. But with no clear playbook for parents on how to raise kids to thrive in an age of AI, how can the government and society step in to help? Steven Chia speaks with Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo and mother-of-two Jane Foo.
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BlueSG’s abrupt decision to suspend its car-sharing service has surprised both customers and industry experts. What does this mean for Singapore’s car-lite ambitions? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak with GetGo co-founder Toh Ting Feng and Dr Samuel Chng from the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
With extended liquor hours and plans to allow new nightlife venues, authorities are trying to inject more life into the city’s after-dark scene around the Boat Quay, Upper Circular Road and Clarke Quay areas. But with rising costs and customers who want experiences and not just alcoholic drinks on their nights out, will these initiatives be enough to bring back the crowds? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak with Danny Loong, president of the Singapore Nightlife Business Association, and Mogan Vithilingam, co-founder of the Singapore Pub Crawl.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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 Sciences to unpack this troubling issue.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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 outsmart scammers.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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 Chua from the Earth Observatory of Singapore at NTU.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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 Seeding Minds.
WHERE TO SEEK HELP
If you or someone you know is struggling and needs support, please consider reaching out to one of the helplines below.
Youthline: +65 6436 6612 (call), 8533 9460 (text) and over email at hello@youthline.sg. Youthline provides free mental health support to youth via phone, email or a live chat service. It runs from 9am to midnight daily. Calls outside of operating hours are redirected to Samaritans of Singapore or the Singapore Civil Defence Force for emergency medical services.
Samaritans of Singapore: 1767 (call), 9151 1767 (WhatsApp text) and over email at pat@sos.org.sg. Samaritans of Singapore provides round-the-clock confidential emotional support for individuals in crisis, thinking about or affected by suicide. The call and text-based services are operational 24 hours a day, every day of the week.
National Mindline: 1771 (call), 6669 1771 (WhatsApp) and through online webchat on the http://mindline.sg/fsmh website. This is a round-the-clock confidential national-level helpline. Beyond immediate counselling, those who require more support can be directed to the appropriate care and resources.
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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 Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
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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, CEO of the Singapore National Employers Federation, and Alvin Goh, CEO of Singapore Human Resources Institute.
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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 of the AI Centre for Educational Technologies at NUS, and Jeremy Soo, co-founder of Nex AI.
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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 Yoong Siew Lee, a health services consultant.
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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.
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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.
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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 helpline and senior consultant at the emergency medicine department in Woodlands Health.
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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 retail at Knight Frank Singapore, and Terence Yow, managing director of Enviably Me Group of Companies and chairperson of the SG Tenants United for Fairness.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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”.
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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 how being a parent helps her connect better with residents.
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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.
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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.
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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 seniors and lessons on raising resilient children.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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With S$1 billion set aside for upgrades and new hawker centres over the coming decades, the Singapore government is tackling issues ranging from infrastructure and hygiene to keep the trade alive. Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu tells Steven Chia and Crispina Robert why she's optimistic.
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From 2028, students who want to go to a junior college will only need a total of five subjects instead of six. The change is meant to ease academic load but whether it reduces stress for students and parents remains to be seen. Singapore's Education Minister Chan Chun Sing sits down with Steven Chia and Crispina Robert to unpack the changes.
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Some cinemas which have existed for decades have shut as some people prefer to watch films at home. Can the experience of watching a movie on the big screen be saved? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert discuss with Karen Tan, co-founder of The Projector and Ben Slater, senior lecturer at NTU’s School of Art, Design and Media.
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The government is providing more resources in this year’s Budget for parents who choose to have three or more children. Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah sits down with Steven Chia and Crispina Robert to talk about families, jobs and what ideal ageing looks like.
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A bigger tranche of vouchers, more generous rebates and more investments in the local workforce were some of the hallmarks of Budget 2025. Professor Emeritus of Finance at Singapore Management University Annie Koh and Assistant Professor Chua Yeow Hwee from Nanyang Technological University tell Steven Chia and Crispina Robert why the “budget goodies” are not just about the upcoming elections.
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It’s an SG60 Budget in an election year with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong set to lay some priorities for this year. What could be on the list? Business owner Pulse Tan, parent of two and elderly caregiver Serene Chew, and labour economist Walter Theseira give their take in a conversation with Steven Chia and Crispina Robert.
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An AI model developed by a little-known Chinese hedge fund that reportedly rivals OpenAI's ChatGPT at a significantly lower cost has triggered a deep “freak out” among the global tech industry. Why was there a big reaction to DeepSeek and what are the implications for Singapore? Dr Leslie Teo, senior director of AI products at AI Singapore and Jianggan Li, founder and CEO of venture outfit Momentum Works break it down for Steven Chia and Crispina Robert.
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In the latest SPCA data, the number of confirmed animal cruelty and welfare cases in Singapore reached its highest point in 2024. What’s driving these numbers? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert find out from Samantha Chia, owner of ChubbyBuddy Cats and Sabrina Ng, communications and advocacy manager at SPCA Singapore.
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The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone will sit on an area four times the size of Singapore, with nine zones covering everything from manufacturing to financial services. What are the opportunities and challenges of this ambitious agreement? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Thilan Wickramasinghe, head of research in Singapore and regional head of financials at Maybank Investment Banking Group and Serina Rahman, lecturer at the department of Southeast Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore.
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Australia passed a law last year banning children under 16 from accessing social media, a move seen as challenging to implement. Singapore is also considering ways to protect children from harms of excessive use on social media platforms. But how realistic is this? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Nikki Yeo, a Gen Z and CNA TODAY journalist, and Alvin Seng, an addictions counsellor at We Care.
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In December 2024, SingPost dismissed three top executives for mishandling internal investigations into a whistleblower report. What protections do whistleblowers have, and how can companies provide transparency and independence in investigating complaints?
Steven Chia and Crispina Robert break it down with NUS Professor Mak Yuen Teen and Celeste Ang from Baker & McKenzie Wong & Leow.
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In a recent viral video, a Qihua primary school student was seen being repeatedly attacked. Is bullying getting worse in Singapore? What are the causes and why are perpetrators filming their deeds?
Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Dr Cheung Hoi Shan, assistant professor at the National Institute of Education, MOE master school counsellor Sean Ng and Beyond the Label ambassador Cindy Chu to understand the complex issue of bullying.
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A global cybersecurity breach involving the Mobile Guardian app affected about 13,000 students from 26 secondary schools in Singapore in August, with devices being wiped remotely by the hacker. How are IT vendors assessed and who is responsible for ensuring backups are done? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert chat with May Chng, chief operating officer and co-founder of Flexxon, and Ken Soh, chair of SGTech Cyber Security Chapter and CEO of Athena Dynamics.
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The recent accident in Tampines which killed two people has raised questions about Singapore's driving culture. Speeding, beating red lights and drink driving are still stubborn issues. Bernard Tay, chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council and Julian Kho, general manager at Sgcarmart tell Steven Chia and Crispina Robert what needs to change.
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After privacy concerns were raised over ACRA's new Bizfile portal showing full NRIC numbers in search results, the Singapore government announced it intends to stop masking the numbers. How will this change the way such information is used and how can people and organisations continue to protect themselves from cybersecurity attacks? Crispina Robert speaks to Steve Tan, deputy head of technology, media and telecommunications from Rajah & Tann Singapore and Aaron Ang, chief information security officer at Singapore-based IT services company Wissen International.
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The Ministry of Health is looking to curb the "excessive issuance" of medical certificates (MCs), especially by telemedicine doctors, following feedback from employers and government agencies. But is there a deeper issue with an outdated system of needing proof of illness? Would a system of trust work better?
Steven Chia and Crispina Robert chat with Dr Shravan Verma, co-founder & CEO of Speedoc and Christine Chan, Senior Professional at Institute for Human Resource Professionals and Chief Human Resource Officer of Nudgyt.
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Some passengers of SQ321 were given cash advances in light of injuries when the aircraft experienced severe turbulence. Are all airlines obliged to compensate? How are amounts decided and could you later sue for more?
Lawyers Paul Ng, head of aviation at Rajah and Tann Singapore LLP, and Chooi Jing Yen from Eugene Thuraisingam LLP are guests.
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To combat the scourge of scams in Singapore, the Protection from Scams Bill was recently introduced in Parliament. If it is passed, the police will have powers to control the bank accounts of people who insist on transferring their money to potential scammers. But is this a necessary step?
Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Mark Yeo, director at Fortress Law Corporation and Dr Annabelle Chow, principal clinical psychologist at Annabelle Psychology.
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Some pet owners have had to pay five-figure sums when their pets fall seriously ill. Is the current system in need of greater scrutiny and regulation? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Dr Diana Chee, director at the Animal & Veterinary Service (AVS) and Dr Angeline Yang, a veterinarian and owner of VetMobile.
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Tech giant Grab has told its employees to return to the office five days a week starting in December. This follows other MNCs such as Amazon. Do the reasons for mandating full-time office work stand up to scrutiny? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert discuss this with guests Karen Teo, country manager for recruitment and talent firm Quess Singapore, and Dr Issac Lim, founder of Anthro Insights and lecturer at NUS Business School.
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Up to 20,000 additional certificates of entitlement (COEs) will be progressively injected across all vehicle categories from February 2025. Why is the government making this move and will this bring COE premiums down? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Arthur Wong, managing director of ACM Automobiles.
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More than 35,600 applications were received in the October Build-to-Order (BTO) flat sales exercise, the highest number since August 2022. A 10-year minimum occupation period, clawback rules and rental restrictions did not deter strong demand for Prime and Plus HDB flats. Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at MOGUL.sg and Professor Sing Tien Foo from the NUS Business School.
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Cases of people falling seriously ill after eating contaminated food have been in the spotlight. Why does severe food poisoning happen and are caterers the only one to clean up their act? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Dr Richard Khaw, deputy director of the School of Applied Sciences at Nanyang Polytechnic and Chris Loh, creative director of Purple Sage and Rasel Catering.
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The latest edition of Miss Universe Singapore was made more inclusive, with a single mother and a transgender woman as contestants. But how relevant are beauty pageants? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert take a beauty deep dive with Angela Tay, managing director of ERM Singapore which organises Mrs Singapore World and Manhunt Singapore and Mrs Veronica Lee, this year's winner of Mrs Singapore World.
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In a recent viral video, a Qihua primary school student was seen being repeatedly attacked. The case is under police investigation but is bullying getting worse in Singapore? What are the causes and why are perpetrators filming their deeds? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Cheung Hoi Shan, assistant professor at the National Institute of Education, MOE master school counsellor Sean Ng and Beyond the Label ambassador Cindy Chu.
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Former transport minister S Iswaran was handed a one year sentence by Judge Vincent Hoong on five charges, including obtaining gifts as a public servant. Why did he get more than what the prosecution asked for? Head of criminal law at Quahe Woo and Palmer, Sunil Sudheeson, explains the rare move. Plus, Crispina Robert gets a firsthand account from senior journalist Koh Wan Ting who covered the court proceedings.
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The Enabling Masterplan 2030 aims to increase the employment of people with varying disabilities. What are the biggest challenges and what does it take to get more companies onboard? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Ho Geok Choo, founder and CEO of Human Capital Singapore and DG Carole Ann, a multiple amputee who works at ServLink Technology Resources.
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Bus and train fares in Singapore will go up by 10 cents per journey for adult commuters from Dec 28. How are public transport fees calculated and what is the role of government subsidies? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert get Assistant Professor Terence Fan from the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at the Singapore Management University, and Dr Raymond Ong, from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NUS to explain.
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On Tuesday (Sep 10), Singapore passed the Platform Workers Bill, which legislates stronger protections for delivery riders, private-hire car and taxi drivers. Why was legislation needed and what does this mean for customers of platforms offering services like food delivery and transportation?
Yeo Wan Ling, assistant secretary-general of NTUC and Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences speak to Crispina Robert.
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Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs) are meant for those with medical conditions or who have mobility issues. But some able-bodied people use them. How much of an issue is this?
PMA user Michael Kuan, founder and CEO of Project Elev8, and Florence Cheong, an Active Mobility Advisory Panel member weigh in.
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Since the announcement that Singapore's Gifted Education Programme (GEP) will be revamped to cater to more students, questions about equal distribution of resources and the added burden on teachers have come up. Steven Chia and Crispina Robert put these questions to Education Minister Chan Chun Sing and Ong Kong Hong, divisional director of curriculum planning and development at the ministry.
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Prime Minister Lawrence Wong sketched out his government's priorities in his first National Rally address, with a focus on parents, education and housing. Do the announcements show a significant shift towards a different kind of Singapore? SMU Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan and Assistant Professor Elvin Ong from the political science department at NUS give their assessment.
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A global cybersecurity breach involving the Mobile Guardian app affected about 13,000 students from 26 secondary schools in Singapore, with devices being wiped remotely by the hacker. How are IT vendors assessed and who is responsible for ensuring backups are done? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert chat with May Chng, chief operating officer and co-founder of Flexxon, and Ken Soh, chair of SGTech Cyber Security Chapter and CEO of Athena Dynamics.
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Nothing gets Singaporeans more united or emotionally riled up than our hawker food and prices. To help alleviate cost of living pressures, all coffee shops leased from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will need to offer budget meal options by 2026. But how do such meals affect hawkers? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Dr Teo Kay Key, research fellow at IPS Social Lab, and Fabian Lim, co-owner of JOFA Meepok, JOFA Grill and JOFA-Oji Donburi.
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News that German insurance company Allianz is planning to buy a majority stake in Income Insurance has led to sharp criticism. Questions are being asked - is Income Insurance, formerly an NTUC co-operative, prioritising profit over people? Or is it moving as all corporations do? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Professor Lawrence Loh, director of Centre for Governance and Sustainability at the NUS Business School and Eddy Cheong, CEO of Havend Pte Ltd, an insurance advisory firm.
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Health Minister Ong Ye Kung recently said that rising medical claims enabled by insurance policies are leading to an unhealthy "buffet syndrome", which in turn increases costs. Steven Chia and Crispina Robert sit down with Liaw Yit Ming, CEO of Foundation Healthcare Holdings and Christopher Tan, CEO of Providend, to break it down.
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One bad software update by cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike unleashed global chaos last week with flights cancelled, hospital systems down and banking applications going offline. How did a routine update become a full-blown crisis, and will we see more in future? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert ask Gaurav Keerthi, head of advisory and emerging business at Ensign InfoSecurity and Benjamin Ang, head of Digital Impact Research at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
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A mural of a young samsui woman smoking led to weeks of discussion about the artwork and the approval process. When it comes to public art, how can artists balance creativity and regulation? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert chat with Audrey Wong, a programme leader at LASALLE College of the Arts, and artist Belinda Low.
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Singaporean Audrey Fang, who was found dead in Spain, had nominated her alleged killer to be the beneficiary of her Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings. How does the autonomy of choice balance with checks against bad intentions when it comes to CPF nominations? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert get answers from Liang Weirong, senior deputy director of nominations and accounts closure from the CPF Board, and Javern Sim, family lawyer and managing director at Populus Law Corporation.
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The taxi industry in Singapore has undergone major shifts since the rise of ride-hailing apps, with passengers swapping standing in line for confirmed rides and flat fees. Are metered taxis still relevant? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert put the questions to transport economist Walter Theseira and the general secretary of the National Taxi Association, Ban Kum Cheong.
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Singapore has reduced its waste but domestic recycling rates are falling, according to the latest data by the National Environment Agency. Why aren't more people using the blue recycling bins? When we recycle, does our waste end up being incinerated for other reasons?
Steven Chia and Crispina Robert get answers from Professor Tong Yen Wah from the National University of Singapore and Tan Huileng, executive director of Zero Waste SG.
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Some passengers of SQ321 were given cash advances in light of injuries when the aircraft experienced severe turbulence. Are all airlines obliged to compensate? How are amounts decided and could you later sue for more? Lawyers Paul Ng, head of aviation at Rajah and Tann Singapore LLP, and Chooi Jing Yen from Eugene Thuraisingam LLP are guests.
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X, formerly Twitter, recently announced its official policy to allow consensual production and distribution of adult content. While the company says there are safeguards for those under 18, what impact does access to pornography online have on young people and whose job is it to deal with the consequences? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert get the facts from Tham Yuen Han, addictions specialist and executive director of WE CARE Community Services and Dr Shobha Avadhani, senior lecturer in communications and new media at the National University of Singapore
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Food security is a critical issue for Singapore because it imports more than 90 per cent of its produce. The 30 by 30 goal - to grow 30 per cent of food locally by 2030 - aims to mitigate this but local farming is still struggling to create a viable ecosystem. Is it cost, consumers or commitment?
Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Kenny Eng, a fourth-generation farmer and founder of The Local Farm, and Professor William Chen, director of the NTU Food Science and Technology Programme.
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The closure of Thambi magazine store after 80 years was met with shock and sadness. But is it unrealistic to expect heritage businesses to survive in a competitive, ever-changing world? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert speak to Singapore University of Social Sciences' Dr Lye Kit Ying and Edmond Wong, a third-generation business owner of Kim Choo Kueh Chang.
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The Ministry of Health is looking to curb the "excessive issuance" of medical certificates (MCs), especially by telemedicine doctors, following feedback from employers and government agencies. But is there a deeper issue with an outdated system of needing proof of illness? Would a system of trust work better? Steven Chia and Crispina Robert chat with Dr Shravan Verma, co-founder & CEO of Speedoc and Christine Chan, Chief Human Resource Officer of Nudgyt.
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Newly appointed Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced his Cabinet line-up ahead of his inauguration. Why didn't he pick a 4G peer as his deputy? And what is the PAP's game plan as it heads into the next General Election? Assistant Professor Walid Jumblatt and Zulkifli Baharudin, former Nominated Member of Parliament, tell Steven Chia and Crispina Robert that the moves are strategic.
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The recent accident in Tampines which killed two people has raised questions about Singapore's driving culture. Speeding, beating red lights and drink driving are still stubborn issues. Bernard Tay, chairman of the Singapore Road Safety Council and Julian Kho, general manager at Sgcarmart tell Steven Chia and Crispina Robert what needs to change.
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In our second part on the issue of falling fertility rates in Singapore, Minister Indranee Rajah gives Steven Chia and Crispina Robert an inside look at why the financial incentives matter and what else might help. Business owner and father of three, Mark Lee, gives his input too.
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Singapore’s total fertility rate has fallen to a historic low of 0.97. Citizens aren’t having enough children to sustain population numbers and all the money spent to encourage procreation doesn’t seem to work. Steven Chia and Crispina Robert talk about what’s causing the decline with Dr Norman Li, psychology professor at the Singapore Management University, and mother of one, Holly Fang.
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Come Dec 1, all companies in Singapore must have a formal process in place when their staff ask for flexible work arrangements. This has become a major talking point centred around balancing business realities and employee needs. Steven Chia and Crispina Robert cut through the weeds with Gan Siow Huang, Minister of State for Manpower and Education, Aslam Sardar, CEO of the Institute for Human Resource Professionals and Tan Wan Ting, founder and CEO of digital marketing agency Weave Asia.
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In this first episode of a brand-new CNA podcast called Deep Dive, hosts Steven Chia and Crispina Robert talk sports. How has the Singapore sporting infrastructure changed since Joseph Schooling won gold in 2016? Former national swimmer Mark Chay and CEO of Sport Singapore Alan Goh are guests.
Previously called Heart of the Matter, Deep Dive is now hosted by Steven Chia and Crispina Robert.
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Your favourite news podcast Heart of the Matter returns for a new season with a brand new look and sound. Called Deep Dive and hosted by Steven Chia and Crispina Robert, the podcast continues to give fresh perspectives on the hottest news.
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Australia is the latest country to propose legislation around the right for workers to disconnect after office hours. Changing work patterns and 24/7 availability have produced issues like burnout. But would legislation create more problems for companies or could this effect an important shift in Singapore’s work culture? Steven Chia moderates the discussion with Raj Joshua Thomas, a lawyer and nominated member of Parliament, Dr Brandon Koh, an organisational psychologist at the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Dr Jaclyn Lee, chief human resources officer at Certis Group.
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Feedback on littering offences has increased, and rat-related problems are on the rise. Coffee shop toilets continue to rate poorly. Will plans to increase surveillance and name and shame litterbugs work? How long can Singapore rely on an army of cleaners? Steven Chia speaks to Andrew Khng, chairman of the Public Hygiene Council, Dr Serene Koh, director of The Behavioural Insights Team; and Rosie Ching, Principal Lecturer of Statistics from the Singapore Management University.
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Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) lessons in Singapore schools came under public scrutiny recently because of discussions on the Israel-Hamas war. How can contentious issues be discussed in classrooms and what skills do teachers need to navigate children in an increasingly polarised world? Steven Chia explores this with Dr ThavamKanagaratnam, master specialist at the CCE branch of the Education Ministry, Philibert Leow, principal of Jurongville Secondary School and clinical psychologist Dr Annabelle Chow.
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Some of the first batch of residents who moved into Singapore's newest HDB town have complained of lack of shops, poor internet connection, condensation issues with the centralised cooling system - the first of its kind in a residential estate. Are teething problems to be expected when building a new town or have buyers' expectations changed? Woo Jun Jie from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, and Nicholas Mak, a real estate analyst, discuss with Steven Chia.
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It was recently announced that casual racism allegations will be investigated as disciplinary breaches in the police force. But are guidelines always so clear cut? Where are the grey areas and how can organisations deal with it? Dr Mathew Mathews, head of the Institute of Policy Studies Social Lab, Aamir Bana, an undergraduate at Yale-NUS College and Jerviel Lim, head of people and culture at Tatsu Works have an honest conversation about how we should deal with casual racism in our society and workplaces.
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There’s been a worrying rise in the number of young people arrested for drug abuse, with the youngest just 14 years old, says the Central Narcotics Bureau. Despite Singapore’s zero tolerance on drugs and years of intensive messaging, liberal attitudes among young people appear to be stubbornly sticky, with cannabis the choice of drug. How should anti-drug messaging be tailored better to suit a generation that’s consuming a largely social media diet? Otelli Edwards finds out from Dr Lambert Low, deputy chief of the department of addiction medicine in the Institute of Mental Health, Ravindran Nagalingam, board member at the National Council Against Drug Abuse and Tham Yuen Han, clinical director at WE CARE Community Services.
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From significant top-ups to SkillsFuture credits to ITE students getting incentives to upskill, Budget 2024 is a shift in the kind of society the new fourth generation, or 4G, leadership wants to shape. Steven Chia gets views from Terence Ho, associate professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Professor Lawrence Loh, director of Centre for Governance and Sustainability, National University of Singapore.
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The number of retrenchments went up in 2023 and workers are facing the brunt of a more volatile business environment. What kind of help do workers need? And what's on their Budget 2024 wishlist? Steven Chia speaks to Cheng Hing-Nan, lead coach at Workforce Singapore, Gerald Tan, projects director at Avodah Solutions and Lai Yong Liang, an urban farmer with Grobrix.
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Out of 81 countries, 15-year-olds in Singapore topped the Pisa table in reading, math and science. But how important are these metrics in a world where social and creative skills have become critical and artificial intelligence is taking centre stage?
Steven Chia gets answers from Liew Wei Li, director-general of education at the Ministry of Education, associate professor Jason Tan from the National Institute of Education, and parent of two and lecturer, Ian Tan.
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E-commerce giant Lazada’s retrenchment exercise resulted in criticism of how it was handled, including its lack of consultation with the union. But what role can unions play when companies need to let employees go and what happens when employers don’t fulfill their tripartite obligations? Steven Chia sits down with Patrick Tay, assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress and Sim Gim Guan, executive director of the Singapore National Employers Federation.
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Commuters have expressed frustration since the Land Transport Authority announced that EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards cannot be used on buses and trains from June. Why is there a shift to the SimplyGo system? What is the difference in payment types? And what could the authorities do better to communicate the change? Steven Chia gets answers from Sumit Agarwal, professor at the School of Business at the National University of Singapore and Walter Theseira, who heads the urban transportation programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
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Patients have reported waiting for days to get a bed at a public hospital. Health experts say the biggest reason is that there are issues transiting to proper care after discharge. Otelli Edwards speaks to public health specialist Dr Jeremy Lim, Duke-NUS Medical School's Dr David Matchar and Jeremy Lee, assistant chief operating officer at the National University Hospital.
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In the last of our top three episodes from the archives, we look at the scourge of scams in Singapore. With increasing sophistication from the fraudsters, is public education enough? Should banks pay for some of the losses? If so, how can liability be fairly decided? Steven Chia speaks to Jansen Chow, co-head of fraud, asset recovery and investigations practice at Rajah & Tann law firm, Assistant Professor Nydia Remolina, from the Singapore Management University’s Yong Pung How School of Law and Ho Geer How, whose mother lost over S$190,000 to a scam.
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In the second of our top three episodes from the archives, we explore how bad actors operate in money laundering crimes. How do property agents and bank staff separate a legitimate transaction from a shady one? And what makes this type of crime especially tough to crack down on? Steven Chia speaks to Adam Maniam, director of dispute resolution at law firm Drew and Napier, Associate Professor Soh Kee Hean from the Singapore University of Social Sciences and former director of the CPIB, and Fabrizio Fioroni, adviser on anti-money laundering/counter financing of terrorism at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
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In the first of our top three episodes from the archives, we ask - why are teenagers as young as 14 interested in extremist religious content? What do online games have to do with this trend and how can family members spot the 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 chairman of the Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association.
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With its lease not renewed, Raffles Town Club is the latest in a line of private clubs whose land is being repurposed by the government for other uses. Aside from land restraints, is there a future for clubs like these in Singapore where generational aspirations are changing? Steven Chia speaks to Desmond Tay, president of the Club Managers' Association (Singapore), Jean Low, CEO of social club 1880 and chief research officer at Mogul.sg, Nicholas Mak.
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A recent CNA investigation showed that it is easy for kids under 18 to go on dating apps and chat with strangers online, making them more vulnerable to sexual predators. Should there be greater legislation to protect children and what can parents do to prevent their children from becoming victims? Steven Chia speaks to Shem Yao, manager of digital wellness at TOUCH Wellness Group, Jiow Hee Jhee, associate professor and programme leader at the Singapore Institute of Technology and Marilyn Low, a parent coach and mother.
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From groceries to electricity and water prices, many Singaporeans are feeling the pinch as inflation stays stubbornly high. Is the sandwiched generation hit as hard as those in the lower-income group? And how far can government support go? Otelli Edwards gets answers from Ong EeCheng, senior lecturer at NUS, Ava Gao, a parenting coach and mum, and Loh Yong Cheng, lead of the advisory team at Providend.
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In a recent CNA Commentary, Dr William Wan from the Singapore Kindness Movement argued for some regulation in dealing with inconsiderate behaviour on public transport which drew some strong reaction from readers. But why do some people behave badly in a public space? What stops others from confronting them and should more be done? Michelle Tay, director of the Singapore Kindness Movement, and Associate Professor Ho Kong Chong, head of Urban Studies at Yale Nus College are this week's guests.
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According to the Forward SG report, people want more than just material success in life. Has the idea of a good life evolved? What impact will that have on the way the country is governed? Steven Chia gets answers from June Yong, Lead, Insights at Focus on the Family and mother of three, Dr Mathew Mathews, head of IPS social lab and Ho Ching Wee, a 25-year-old software developer.
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The recent DBS and Citibank outage in October left many people unable to pay for their transactions and draw money from the ATMs. What goes on when critical banking infrastructure goes black? How are data centres part of this and should we really revert to carrying cash again? Steven Chia gets answers from Dr Patrick Thng, director of the Master's programme for financial technology and analytics at the Singapore Management University and Ashish Kakar, research director for IDC Financial Insights, Asia Pacific.
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Young people aged 18 to 29 and the elderly over 70 are two groups who are showing the greatest signs of mental health distress in Singapore. What are the triggers, and what is the journey to seek help like? Steven Chia speaks to 23-year-old university student "Rae", 44-year-old father of teenagers Mak Kean Loong and senior clinical psychologist Chris Wong.
This episode of Heart of the Matter discusses suicide ideation. Listener discretion is advised.
Where to get help:
Samaritans of Singapore Hotline: 1767
Institute of Mental Health’s Helpline: 6389 2222
Singapore Association for Mental Health Helpline: 1800 283 7019
You can also find a list of international helplines here. If someone you know is at immediate risk, call 24-hour emergency medical services.
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Nine in 10 Singapore residents exceeded the recommended salt intake and daily calorie intake is also up, according to the latest National Nutrition survey. The findings also show that more people are at risk of obesity and hypertension. Can a food paradise like Singapore deliver delicious food which is less salty? Or are busy lifestyles making it harder for people to eat better? Steven Chia speaks to Dr Kalpana Bhaskaran, president of Singapore Nutrition and Dietetics Association, clinical dietitian at Parkway MediCentre Candy Goh and Terence Koh, a father who lost 35kg in 8 months for his then newborn son.
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In the last decade, child abuse cases involving neglect and physical or sexual abuse have gone up from around 300 in 2012 to 2,141 in 2021. Several high profile cases before the court involved the death of young children. Steven Chia gets answers on how the system works and why some cases slip through with Soh Ying Si, deputy manager at the Melrose Home, Yogeswari Munisamy, senior principal social worker at the Ministry of Social and Family Development and C Amutha, deputy head of Punggol Family Service Centre.
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With premiums on Certificate of Entitlement (COE) soaring to over $140,000 for larger cars, should people simply give up on the idea of owning cars? What about those who need the convenience of having a vehicle to ferry their children and the elderly? What other options do they have? Steven Chia gets answers from Julian Kho, general manager of Sgcarmart, Toh Ting Feng, CEO and founder of GetGo, and Lim Chong Tee, co-founder of a start-up and father of a four-month old baby.
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The scourge of scams continues unabated in Singapore with nearly 23,000 people falling victim in the first six months of this year. With increasing sophistication from the fraudsters, is public education enough? Should banks pay for some of the losses? If so, how can liability be fairly decided? Steven Chia speaks to Jansen Chow, co-head of fraud, asset recovery and investigations practice at Rajah & Tann law firm, Assistant Professor Nydia Remolina, from the Singapore Management University’s Yong Pung How School of Law and Ho Geer How, whose mother lost over S$190,000 to a scam.
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The preschool sector has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks, after videos of Kinderland teachers allegedly mistreating their young charges went viral. What are the challenges teachers face in classroom management? How are rules and guidelines applied on the ground? Steven Chia puts these questions to Caroline Seng, director of professional development and standards at the Early Childhood Development Agency, Cara Lee, deputy director at the Anglican Preschool Services and Fiona Cher, a mother of two preschool children.
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When Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam ended his presidential race with a landslide victory of 70.4 per cent, political analysts expressed their surprise, calling the win "unthinkable" and "remarkable". What do the results say about how the Singaporean voter thinks? And what lessons can political parties draw from Mr Tharman's win as they look ahead to the next General Election? Steven Chia breaks it down with Walid Jumblatt Abdullah, Assistant Professor at the Nanyang Technological University and Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University.
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Since news broke on the billion-dollar money laundering case in Singapore, there have been questions on how bad actors operate. How do property agents and bank staff separate a legitimate transaction from a shady one? And what makes this type of crime especially tough to crack down on? Steven Chia speaks to Adam Maniam, director of dispute resolution at law firm Drew and Napier, Associate Professor Soh Kee Hean from the Singapore University of Social Sciences and former director of the CPIB, and Fabrizio Fioroni, adviser on anti-money laundering/counter financing of terrorism at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
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New HDB flats will be classified under Standard, Plus or Prime from next year - dropping the decades-long mature and non-mature categorisation. With increased subsidies and tighter restrictions, what will be the impact on the property market? Will home ownership aspirations change with what is affordable? Steven Chia chats with Christine Sun, senior vice president of research and analytics at OrangeTee & Tie, Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at real estate platform MOGUL.sg, and Sarah Lin, a 27-year-old who successfully balloted for her flat after seven tries.
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The attrition rate for nurses has stabilised post-COVID but with a fast greying population, the hunt for a solid pipeline of nursing talent continues. Aside from better salaries, can concerns over high home rentals and allowing foreign nurses to bring their families here be addressed? Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mdm Rahayu Mahzam, group chief nurse of the National Healthcare Group Yong Keng Kwang and CEO of recruitment agency People360 Services Jordache Keith share their thoughts with Steven Chia.
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It has been described as an “intractable” problem: The transportation of migrant workers to and from their worksites. Why is this issue so complex? How can safety and business realities find common ground? Steven Chia breaks it down with Debbie Fordyce president of migrant rights group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) and Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
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The annual Primary 1 registration season is back and parents are strategising how to get their children into choice schools. Despite tweaks done to the system, brand name schools are still being oversubscribed. Why are parental attitudes so hard to shift? And can the system meet everyone's needs? Steven Chia speaks to Ong Junda, father and founder of SGschooling.com, Associate Professor Jason Tan from the National Institute of Education and Tan Hui Min, a mother of two.
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When global music acts arrive in small Singapore, there's a mad scramble for tickets. Should seats be reserved for residents? Can resellers who charge exorbitant prices be taken to task? How does the ticketing system work? Heart of the Matter podcast host Steven Chia gets answers from Joe Ow, CEO of SISTIC Singapore, economist Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Adelyn Aidzil, a Taylor Swift fan.
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Cancelled contracts, a critical lack of drivers and spiralling costs. Parents, schools and bus companies are now caught in a jam, with questions on how to ferry our primary school children. How will the challenges in the school bus system play out? Steven Chia sits down with Adrian Yeap, CEO of bus company Yeap Transport , Alvina Chin, from MUMs for Life and Darry Lim, spokesman from the Singapore School Transport Association.
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It isn’t just the number of road rage incidents that make the news, it is the type of angry encounters that go viral on social media – punching, kicking, climbing on bonnets or ripping out licence plates. What is behind the intensity of feelings when it comes to these road incidents? Otelli Edwards finds out from Pearlene Lim, senior clinical psychologist at Promises Healthcare, and Clarence Lee, driver and cyclist at 05AM Cycling Club.
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The announcement that the Singapore Turf Club will cease operations next year dropped like a bombshell, say horse trainer Jason Ong and apprentice jockey Jerlyn Seow. Now, there are staff and horses caught in bind with an uncertain future. Steven Chia gets their accounts and Low Peck Kem from the Singapore Human Resource Institute weighs in on what reskilling for this industry will look like.
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Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has announced he intends to run for the presidency which will be held within the next three months. What exactly is the role of the President, why is the bar set so high in Singapore, and what do voters want from candidates in an open election? Steven Chia gets answers from Eugene Tan, associate professor of law at the Singapore Management University, Felix Tan, associate lecturer at the Nanyang Technological University and Nur Ridhuan, a business analyst who will be voting for the first time.
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Singapore's adoption rate of cashless payments is one of the highest in Asia. But there are pockets of the population who still struggle to adapt. And there's the ever present threat of scams and payment service breakdowns. What can the government, merchants and the public do? Steven Chia has a chat with Faye Sai, a third-generation hawker, Lawrence Chan, group CEO of NETS and Lim May-Ann, director of the Fair Tech Institute at Access Partnership.
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The humiliating 7-0 defeat of the Young Lions to Malaysia at the recent SEA Games has renewed calls for the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) to get to the bottom of what ails the sport. Is it the coaching, the lack of talent, or even parents who pick academics over sports? Steven Chia has a no-holds barred conversation with acting president of FAS Bernard Tan, SPRG general manager Edwin Yeo and sports journalist Philip Goh.
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Recent statistics released by the Central Narcotics Bureau show a clear trend - over 60 per cent of those caught with cannabis use are under 30. Some perceptions of cannabis among the young are hard to scrub out - that it's not as harmful as other drugs, celebrities use it, other countries legalise it and it is used for medical reasons. Steven Chia plays moderator as 27-year-old copywriter Kimberley Jeremiah puts the burning questions to Dr Melvyn Zhang, a consultant with the National Addictions Management Service at the Institute of Mental Health and Firdaus Daud, from the National Council Against Drug Abuse.
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In a bid to curb the cost of cancer treatment, the Singapore government announced an approved drug list where the most cost-effective drugs can be claimed by the national insurance schemes. Yet, the cost of treatment can spiral - in part thanks to rising insurance premiums. Are people paying too much? How has this new drug list shifted things and should you worry if you don't have insurance? Steven Chia speaks to Associate Professor Ravindran Kanesvaran, chairperson of Singapore Cancer Society's Cancer Treatment Fund Committee, Evelyn Goh deputy CEO and chief advisory officer of Providend and Gina Ho, a 43-year-old general manager and cancer survivor.
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In the latest round of property cooling measures announced on Apr 26, what stood out was the 60 per cent additional buyer's stamp duty (ABSD) for foreigners looking to buy in Singapore. While they form only a small fraction of the entire group of buyers, how big of an impact do they have on the general market? Why are these moves considered pre-emptive and will it stop foreigners from sinking their roots in Singapore? Steven Chia speaks to Dr Lee Nai Jia, head of real estate intelligence, data and software solutions at PropertyGuru Group and Aric Lim, a real estate consultant at Huttons Asia.
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The options confronting parents of special needs children after they complete formal schooling in Singapore can be dismal - leading some to stay home and the burden on caregivers to increase. What are the gaps in the system and what more needs to be done? Steven Chia sits down with Bernard Chew, St Andrew’s Autism Centre CEO, Clement Phua Neo, father of a 47-year-old son with an intellectual disability and Jean Loo, Deputy Director, Advocacy and Community Engagement, Rainbow Center.
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To kick off Season 4, Heart of the Matter host Steven Chia gets to the heart of what it takes to be a Singapore citizen. Does being proficient in English matter? If not, what other markers should matter? His guests are Yorlin Ng, chief operating officer of Momentum Works who is applying for citizenship and Dr Gwee Li Sui, poet, graphic artist and literary critic.
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Caring for patients in the day, meeting global experts at night, racing against time to get a workable vaccine off the ground – NCID chief Professor Leo Yee-Sin and Duke-NUS Medical School Professor Ooi Eng Eong recall working round-the-clock on the frontlines in the battle against COVID 19. They share the highs and lows of being in the “fog of the war” with CNA's Otelli Edwards.
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It started with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and was followed swiftly by the emergency rescue of beleagued Credit Suisse by UBS. How does a bank go bust? What drives panic and fear that leads to a bank run and can it happen in Singapore? Steven Chia gets answers from Sumit Agarwal, Low Tuck Kwong Professor at the School of Business at the National University of Singapore and Thilan Wickramasinghe, Head of Research Singapore & Regional Head of Financials at Maybank Investment Banking Group.
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More cases of family violence are being reported in Singapore, but few are because bystanders called the authorities. Why do we complain about party noises but hesitate if we suspect someone is being abused? Who should we call and what should we say? Steven Chia speaks to Marcus Lim, head of TOUCH Family Support, psychiatrist Dr Joseph Leong from Promises Healthcare and Mohamed Fareez, deputy director at AMKFSC Community Services.
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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 retail outlets.
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Recently, two self-radicalised Singaporean youths – aged 15 and 16 – were picked up under the Internal Security Act (ISA). 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 chairman of the Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association.
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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 about education reforms in Singapore and Clarence Ching, founder of Access Singapore.
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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.
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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 William Wan, 76.
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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 as Wong Kai Xian, a Temasek Polytechnic graduate.
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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'Silva, Masterchef Singapore Judge and owner of Rempapa.
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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.
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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 Design and Engineering.
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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 of Human Development at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
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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 Platforms Industry Association and Hasteven, a 25-year-old platform rider.
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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 Associate Professor Bibhas Chakraborty from Duke-NUS Medical School, Sean Ang, a smoking cessation specialist and “Sarah”, who vapes.
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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, Associate Professor at the National University of Singapore, Walid Jumblatt Abdullah, Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University and 24-year-old political science student Jaye Seah.
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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 professor at the National University of Singapore Business School.
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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 anonymous.
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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 Phoenix Medical Group.
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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 Jooann Tay.
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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 people and Chow Yen Lu, founder of Over the Rainbow and a parent who lost his only child to suicide.
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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 Ng Weiyi at the NUS Business School.
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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.
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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.
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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-teacher who requested anonymity.
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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 consultancy, Eugene Tan, associate professor of law at Singapore Management University and Dr Omer Ali Saifudeen, senior lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences and former CNB officer.
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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 Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, and Associate Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University, Eugene Tan.
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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 Engineers.
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The Forward Singapore exercise was launched by DPM Lawrence Wong to review and refresh our social compact. As Singapore faces a new, post-pandemic future, what exactly should go into this social compact? What hard truths and tough conversations do we need to have? Steven Chia gets unfiltered views from three generations of Singaporeans: Ambassador at Large Professor Tommy Koh, President of PPIS Hazlina Halim, and 21-year-old university student, Laura Sim.
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Millions of dollars change hands every day over online platforms in Singapore. But there's an ugly side to the thriving e-commerce ecosystem as shown by a couple who allegedly cheated people out of their luxury items to the tune of S$32 million. Why does this happen? What motivates sellers to cheat? And what makes us believe them? Steven Chia gets the ins and outs from a former scammer and insights from clinical psychologist Annabelle Chow and Carousell's policy and escalation manager Jessica Chen.
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Recently a school staff was reprimanded for using discriminatory information against the LGBTQ community during a sexuality education talk. Why is sexuality education critical for a generation that lives online? What should be taught and who should teach it? Steven Chia puts some uncomfortable questions to Associate Professor Jason Tan from the National Institute of Education, educational psychologist Hayley Su, and Junel Seet who started ShySG to provide fact-based information on sexual health for young people.
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This week, the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) premium hit a record S$114,001 for the Open Category. In this episode, we pop the hood to explore what's driving demand, whether the system remains relevant and if people should just accept the high cost of cars. Steve Chia speaks to Assistant Professor Terence Fan of the Singapore Management University, Arthur Wong, managing director at ACM Automobiles and Aaron Tan, CEO of start-up Carro, an online car marketplace.
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In May, Singapore's core inflation hit a 13-year high and, many of the factors driving rising costs are out of our control. Could things get much worse for the average household with the impending GST hike? Do offsets help? What more can or should the Government do? Host Steven Chia gets some answers from Associate Professor Walter Theseira of the Singapore University of Social Sciences and Selena Ling, head of treasury research and strategy at OCBC Bank.
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The Workers' Party is facing its toughest political test yet. Will its reputation take greater damage from the Raeesah Khan saga than from other storms it has weathered? Yet, would it be premature to count out Singapore's main opposition party? Lin Suling speaks to Gillian Koh, Deputy Director of Research at the Institute of Policy Studies and Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University.
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A big announcement is expected on Friday (Feb 18) - on when the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be raised. It is a lightning rod but only one tool in the Government's revenue kit. What is its value, how will people be impacted, and will offsets like GST vouchers sufficiently aid low-income families? Lin Suling puts these burning questions to Simon Poh, Associate Professor at the NUS Business School, Ajay Kumar Sanganeria, Head of Tax at KPMG Singapore and Terence Ho, Associate Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
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Do younger Singaporeans have stronger and different views from an older generation about race? Yale-NUS student co-host Adriel Yong and Lin Suling talk to Institute of Policy Studies' Mathew Mathews and podcast host Sabrina Shiraz about SAP schools, the Ethnic Integration Policy, workplace discrimination and what a true multiracial Singapore would look like.
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The struggles of mental illness among a younger generation has dominated discussions since COVID-19 hit. In this no-holds-barred discussion, guest co-host Jaime Han and CNA's Lin Suling speak to CEO of IMH Dr Daniel Fung and Daryl Soh, President of the Singapore University of Social Sciences' Peer Support Group to unpack stigma, self-harm, social media and the weight of crushing expectations.
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Youth-led climate action has mushroomed in Singapore in the last decade and activists are unafraid to make their voices heard. But can they make a real, practical difference in what is their generation's existential crisis? NUS student Ng Chia Wee and CNA's Lin Suling put unpopular opinions to Singapore Youth for Climate Action's Nor Lastrina Hamid and SMU's Winston Chow.
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Do you spam resumes or tailor each one? Should you negotiate your salary? Do having contacts help? Even as the economy finds its footing amid the pandemic, the job market remains tough for fresh grads. How can first-time jobseekers increase their chances of landing their dream job? Lin Suling and guest co-host, Nicholas Sim, get tips, tricks, dos and don’ts from regular CNA commentary contributor Adrian Tan and NUS graduate Cheryl Sin. This episode is part of a four-part Heart Of The Matter special covering topics close to the heart of youths.
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Singapore has already placed orders for paediatric vaccines, trials are planned for at KK Hospital and the multi-ministry task force will announce its decision soon. Yet, among some parents there seems to be a niggling fear despite clinical trials showing good outcomes for children aged five to 11. Lin Suling sits down with Dr Lim Yang Chern, Paediatrician at Thomson Paediatric Centre, Ashley St John, Associate Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School, and Cherie Tseng, Chief Operations Officer at a local fintech company and mother of three kids aged four to 11 to find out what the data shows about side effects, if dosing amounts are safe and why parents don’t hesitate in getting themselves vaccinated but seem to wring hands when it comes to younger children.
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The rise of e-commerce has been nothing short of spectacular on the back of a pandemic. Yet, as the biggest climate conference COP26 takes place in Glasgow, how do staggering online shopping figures sit with a growing consciousness over sustainability, packaging waste and unnecessary consumption? What does a sustainable Singles’ Day look like if not lower sales or fewer advertisements to attract shoppers? Lin Suling finds out from Lazada Group’s Chief Business Officer James Chang and Sharon Ng, Professor and Head of the Marketing Division at NTU Nanyang Business School.
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Their numbers are not small and they take us where we want to go and deliver us food and groceries. As more turn to gig work – amidst a pandemic, can platform companies treat them like employees with CPF top ups and insurance? But what impact would that have on bottom lines and will consumers pay higher prices? Lin Suling unpacks the complex topic of compensating flexible work with Managing Director of Grab Singapore Yee Wee Tang.
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Is 2021 the year when employees take back control over work amid predictions of a great resignation wave, not to mention complaints of bad bosses, long working hours and unfair demands? Are our expectations as workers unrealistic? How much responsibility should managers shoulder and what does a good balance look like? Lin Suling checks back with Adrian Tan, strategist at the Institute for Human Resource Professionals, and Leong Chee Tung, co-founder of EngageRocket one year and many work-from-home months later.
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Is the launch of more Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) a turning point for travel and an end to restrictive quarantines? CNA’s Lin Suling speaks to sociologist at the Singapore University of Social Sciences Omer Ali Saifudeen, Expedia Asia-Pacific Head of Communications Lavinia Rajaram and business journalist Raini Hamdi to find out how safe VTLs are amid smaller planes and crowded airports, how long more before travel reverts to pre-COVID levels and what’s behind hesitant public attitudes towards travel.
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In the eye of a storm, Singapore hospitals are fighting off a fresh wave of infections, after being on the frontlines of COVID-19 for 20 months. How have hospitals reorganised themselves to deal with this surge? Can doctors, nurses and other staff go on leave? Have more community facilities, additional beds and the shift towards home recovery helped in easing the load? Lin Suling speaks to Associate Professor Melvin Chua Peng Wei, Deputy Chairman, Division of Medicine and Inpatient Care, Sengkang General Hospital and Dr Stephanie Sutjipto, Senior Resident at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases.
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The vast majority of Singapore residents are vaccinated and worldwide, nearly 6 billion shots have been given. Yet, barely nine months later, the first call for booster shots has gone out. But what does the data say? Why are there mixed scientific views? Will this confusion create even more uncertainty and affect eventual uptake? Lin Suling gets Dr Leong Hoe Nam, infectious disease specialist at Mount Elizabeth Novena Hospital and Dr Hsu Li Yang of NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health to break it down.
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Singapore is one of the world's most vaccinated countries but the unvaccinated remain at risk with every infection surge. Is it time to stop persuading people and consider mandates especially for those without legitimate medical reasons? Could a sharper differentiation of measures for the unvaccinated nudge more to get the shot? And what are the drawbacks of making COVID-19 vaccination compulsory? Lin Suling gets answers from David Lye, Director of the Infectious Disease Research and Training Office at NCID, and Ashley St John, Associate Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School’s Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases.
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With one of the world’s highest vaccination rates and the ability to quickly test for COVID-19 infections, some questions were raised this week when the Singapore Government said it would not rule out a circuit breaker as it navigates a path towards opening up further. Is it possible to have a clean, clear exit strategy from the pandemic? And how close is Singapore to being able to live normally with an endemic COVID-19? CNA's Lin Suling speaks to Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, member of the Expert Committee on COVID-19 Vaccination, and Professor Ooi Eng Eong of the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School.
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Penalised for breaking COVID-19 rules and refusing to wear a mask, Benjamin Glynn and Paramjeet Kaur claimed rules are not for "living people" with "sovereign rights". Where did such ideas come from? Are they a nuisance fringe group with little traction, or could there be a more serious undercurrent gathering steam slowly? Tan Ern Ser, Associate Professor of Sociology at NUS and Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law at SMU unpack this phenomenon with CNA's Lin Suling.
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Malaysian politics has been nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. With prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob now at the helm, ready to appoint a Cabinet, CNA’s Lin Suling asks ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute’s Dr Francis Hutchinson and Singapore Institute of International Affairs’ Dr Oh Ei Sun: Will the new government survive a confidence vote? Will UMNO seize this chance to redeem itself? What are the implications when the monarchy, which was never meant to be a backstop against politics crises, steps in? And are these dynamics simply part of Malaysia’s journey towards becoming a “normal” democracy?
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Millions have downloaded and streamed movies, plays and sitcoms to survive the pandemic. But what is like on the other side of the screen? Has COVID-19 compromised what the big screen can bring across and shaken up the movie industry? Lin Suling speaks to veteran filmmaker Juan Foo and Kew Lin, a full-time independent filmmaker on the challenges of production, the rise of streaming and how far passion can go in making movies in Singapore.
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One has been a competitive swimmer since 11 while the other switched out her nurse's uniform to train for hours on the water. Swimmer Quah Ting Wen and rower Joan Poh talk to Lin Suling about taking part in the unprecedented Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the extraordinary pressures of competing for international sporting glory, dealing with criticism and why despite it all, they will always choose the tougher life of an elite athlete.
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Since the death at River Valley High School, mental health has become a key issue in Singapore. Education Minister Chan Chun Sing outlined efforts to enhance mental health literacy and recruit more school counsellors. Do the suggested solutions go far enough? Or are they simply a band-aid, when deeper systemic and mindset shifts are needed? Lin Suling speaks to Minister of State for Education Sun Xueling, Principal Counsellor at Care Corner Bettina Yeap, and Adrian Tan, parent of four.
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Eateries are on their knees with the latest round of Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) restrictions. What has it been like to be in the eye of the storm for more than a year? Have billions of dollars in relief made a difference? What are diners looking for in the post-pandemic dining experience? And are eateries ready to implement potential rules allowing only the vaccinated to dine in? Lin Suling talks to Anthony Yeoh, chef-owner of Summer Hill restaurant and Jesher Loi, Ya Kun’s Director of Branding and Market Development.
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Do these curbs suggest Singapore is further away from a new normal? What will it take to get there? Why not differentiate between those vaccinated and those who are not? And does living normally with COVID-19 hinge on getting seniors vaccinated? Lin Suling speaks to Dale Fisher, Senior Consultant at the Division of Infectious Disease, National University Hospital, and Jeremy Lim, Associate Professor at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
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For new parents, particularly breastfeeding mums, the days and nights can become one incoherent blur. Why does postnatal depression happen? Might it start later and even affect dads? Lin Suling explores the big challenges that lurk beneath parenthood with new mother Elizabeth Quek and Associate Professor Helen Chen, Head and Senior Consultant of the Department of Psychological Medicine at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
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The Ministry of Social and Family Development has floated “an amicable divorce option” for public consultation. Couples can jointly file for a dissolution of marriage without assigning blame. But how does a no-fault divorce work? How different is this from how Family Justice Courts treat uncontested cases? And will it mean divorce becomes an easy option? Lin Suling speaks to family lawyer Gloria James-Civetta and family counsellor Benny Bong.
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Since COVID-19 hit, the people who fed a nation for decades have seen their fortunes tumble. In a world dominated with food apps, online delivery and cashless payment, going digital should be the norm but is no silver bullet. What's stopping hawkers? What's their future in a pandemic world? And will younger Singaporeans be discouraged from taking up this UNESCO-recognised craft? Lin Suling speaks to Makansutra's KF Seetoh and second-generation hawker Melvin Chew.
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During the circuit breaker last year, calls to mental healthcare hotlines shot up - Singaporeans were stressed, anxious, lonely and struggling. Who are the people on the other end of the line who answer these anguished calls for help? How do they manage burnout and the burden of caring for those who call? Lin Suling speaks to Porsche Poh, Executive Director of Silver Ribbon Singapore, and Tan Li Jen, Senior Principal Clinical Psychologist and Deputy Head of the National CARE Hotline at the Ministry of Social and Family Development.
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For decades, the news industry had a watertight business model until the Internet and social media swept advertising and other revenue streams away. How can news organisations keep afloat and fulfill their mission of providing credible and timely journalism? Lin Suling finds out from Elmie Nekmat, Associate Professor, and Natalie Pang, Senior Lecturer, both from the NUS Department of Communications and New Media.
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First it was the rise of ride-hailing. Then came COVID-19, wiping out tourists and reducing passenger numbers. How have taxi drivers survived the onslaught of change and continued to put food on the table for their families? Lin Suling speaks to Watson Wong and Sivalingam Subramaniam about common complaints, frustrations and being forced to adapt.
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Singapore is back to tighter restrictions after the biggest rise in community cases in nine months. Lin Suling talks to Duke-NUS professors David Matchar and Gavin Smith about variants on the loose, their effect on vaccines and how current restrictions stack up. They also explain why they think this pandemic will be a chronic problem for a while.
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Record prices have been set in the private residential market and HDB prices have been rising steadily over the past year. What’s behind these trends and who is driving demand? Significantly, does this point to a creeping wealth gap making HDB flats unaffordable for young first-time home buyers? Lin Suling speaks to Ismail Gafoor, CEO of PropNex and Dr Lee Nai Jia, Deputy Director of the Institute of Real Estate and Urban Studies (IREUS) at the National University of Singapore.
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Primary school girls posing with their friends, intimate pictures leaked by ex-lovers and even innocent personal Instagram videos. Thousands of images and videos were bartered in shady online chat groups. Who are these people and what goes on in this sleazy Internet underworld? Nisha Rai, an NUS undergraduate who uncovered the latest tranche of 60 such chat groups, gives Lin Suling a harrowing account and AWARE volunteer and lawyer Priscilla Chia explains what needs to change.
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The 4G leaders called DPM Heng’s decision to step aside a setback to succession planning. What’s behind the decision? What implications does this delay have for the ruling party, the Government and the country? And could the upcoming Cabinet reshuffle provide clues on the kind of leader a post-COVID Singapore needs? Lin Suling sits down with Dr Gillian Koh, Deputy Director of the Institute of Policy Studies and Dr Eugene Tan, law professor at the Singapore Management University.
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She’s a distinguished diplomat with a string of honours to her name. Professor Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large at Singapore’s foreign affairs ministry and chair of the Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities at the Singapore University for Technology and Design speaks to Lin Suling on her new book World In Transition: Singapore’s Future, women in leadership and the changes she sees in Singapore society.
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How effective can such diets be for weight loss, reducing your cholesterol or burning fat? Can they be dangerous? And what role does culture play in weight management? Lin Suling finds out from Aptima Nutrition’s Jaclyn Reutens and NUH Director of the Centre for Obesity Management and Surgery Asst Prof Asim Shabbir.
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As Singapore becomes greener, could there be more man-versus-wild episodes in places near forested areas? Lin Suling tackles culling, fencing and the feeding of wildlife with NParks' wildlife management director How Choon Beng and conservationists Andie Ang and Shane Chiok.
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COVID-19 was a shot in the arm for food delivery platforms. One year on, have apps and restaurants gotten their systems in order? Why do we still hear of wrong, cancelled or late orders? And what does this demand and supply dance mean for the future of these services in Singapore? Lin Suling speaks to Momentum Works’ Jianggan Li and NUS Business School Visiting Professor Sherri Kimes to find out.
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Budget 2021 afforded huge support to businesses and workers in riding out COVID-19. But what must give as Singapore switches priorities from providing relief to preparing for a post-pandemic world and doubling down on transformation? Lin Suling speaks to Associate Professor Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC, Patrick Tay and Lam Yi Young, CEO of the Singapore Business Federation.
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Ambitious targets in Singapore’s Green Plan 2030 on the adoption of electric vehicles announced on Wednesday (Feb 10) have signalled a bigger national commitment toward phasing out petrol and diesel cars. But how and when will it all come together – with a good range of affordable models of different sizes, enough charging stations and safe, fast-charging batteries? And where do hybrid vehicles fit in? Lin Suling drills into the details with Sanjay Kuttan, Executive Director of the Singapore Maritime Institute and Nitin Pangarkar, Associate Professor at the NUS Business School.
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January 2021 will go down as one of the most bizarre months in Wall Street's 200-year history where a video-game company found itself in the middle of what some call a modern day David-versus-Goliath stock market battle. What happened? What drove GameStop stock’s astronomical rise? What part did online trading platforms like Robinhood play? And can this happen in Singapore? Lin Suling speaks to David Kuo, Co-Founder of finance website The Smart Investor and former CEO of Motley Fool Singapore, and Joseph Cherian, Practice Professor of Finance at NUS Business School.
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Two weeks before Chinese New Year, what’s behind Singapore’s new restrictions? What is the outlook for the country’s COVID-19 fight amid a raging pandemic, new mutated variants and rising imported cases? And are there conditions under which the rules can be peeled back as mass testing and nation-wide vaccinations get underway? Lin Suling speaks to Professor Hsu Li Yang, Vice Dean (Global Health) at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and Professor of Health Services and Systems Research David B Matchar from the Duke-NUS Medical School.
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In recent months, Singapore’s forests have been in the public eye after stunning drone shots of Clementi Forest went viral. Now, Dover’s lush corridor has seen residents and green groups petition and appeal to authorities to keep it away from the bulldozers. This week, Lin Suling speaks to Ho Hua Chew of the Nature Society (Singapore), NTU Asian School of the Environment's Ngo Kang Min and Institute of Policy Studies' Woo Jun Jie on zoning, land-use planning and whether a middle ground can be found in space-starved Singapore.
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Singapore has been abuzz this week over updates to WhatsApp’s data policy with scores of users turning to alternatives like Telegram and Signal. What’s behind this change, how is it different from previous rounds and what does giving consent really mean in the broader Big Tech world? In this week’s episode, Lin Suling gets answers from Natalie Pang, Senior Lecturer at the NUS Department of Communications and New Media, and Rajesh Sreenivasan, Head of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at Rajah and Tann.
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Developed and manufactured at an unprecedented pace, how did authorities in Singapore ensure safety isn’t compromised amid Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and Sinovac’s differing practices and company cultures? How safe are they given news about side effects and anaphylactic reactions? Associate Professor Lim Poh Lian, member of the Expert Committee for COVID-19 Vaccination and Prof Teo Yik Ying, Dean of Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health discuss why choosing your vaccine is complicated, the considerations behind why it’s not mandatory and why you should get vaccinated.
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Every year, thousands of 12-year olds and their parents fret for days over a slip of paper they believe will seal their fate for the rest of their lives. But how much do Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scores and academic achievement matter in the long run? Where does all the stress from PSLE come from? Lin Suling has a no-holds barred conversation with Rae Fung, Marvin Kang and Jonathan Teo on how their results shaped their journeys in life.
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In October, private home sales fell by 50 per cent. What does that say about the health of the Singapore property market? Have government curbs and cooling measures since 2013 come home to roost? And what are the prospects for the long-term appreciation of property prices? PropNex Realty CEO Ismail Gafoor and NUS Professor of Real Estate Sing Tien Foo share their outlook for the housing market beyond 2020.
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Despite an early Movement Control Order and other restrictions earlier this year, Malaysia's infection numbers have surged this month. This prompted another round of restrictions, with schools shut and Malaysians hunkering down. Lin Suling speaks to Tho Xin Yi in Kuala Lumpur, Serina Rahman in Johor and Dr Khor Swee Kheng in Sabah to find out how Malaysians are coping and what's next in the country's battle with coronavirus.
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A day after Nov 3, neither Donald Trump nor Joe Biden has been declared the winner in what has been called the most polarised US presidential race in memory. How did America become this 50-50 nation? What are the prospects for the US and the world if either wins? And will the winner be decided by the courts? Lin Suling sits down with Ambassador-at-Large Chan Heng Chee and Managing Director of BowerGroupAsia James Carouso to break it all down.
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Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic and some countries are working out how to extend foreign travel to more people, with Singapore negotiating a travel bubble agreement with Hong Kong. But what will the experience be like when flights start, and what are the risks? David Bottomley speaks to Dale Fisher, Senior Consultant at NUH and Chair of the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, and Borame Dickens, Senior Research Fellow at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health.
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With more people confined to their homes, complaints about second-hand smoke have increased by 20 per cent. The divide is deep on this argument. On the one hand are those who suffer health issues or simple inconvenience when smokers puff by the window. On the other are those who say people should have the right to do what they want at home. Lin Suling speaks to Member of Parliament Louis Ng who is lobbying for legislation and Dr Yvette van der Eijk from the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health who gives a public health perspective.
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Apple has just launched the new iPhone 12 and fans are excited. We take a hard look at not just the latest phone Apple has rolled out but whether its playbook is looking tired, if 5G is all it is cracked out to be and how the world’s most valuable company can keep making money. Lin Suling speaks to IMD Business School’s LEGO Professor of Management and Innovation Howard Yu and Vice President of Client Devices research at IDC Bryan Ma.
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OCBC's Selena Ling and NUS Business School's Professor Sumit Agarwal share with CNA's Lin Suling their thoughts on the Progressive Wage Model (PWM) and how it differs from a minimum wage. We discuss what more can be done to increase the incomes of this group, raise their productivity and tackle inequality.
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With coronavirus community cases tapering down and with Phase 3 of Singapore’s reopening around the corner, is it time to reverse this biggest work-from-home experiment? Lin Suling speaks to EngageRocket CEO Leong Chee Tung and PeopleStrong Practice Leader Adrian Tan to find out why firms are urging workers to return to the office, what exceptions can be made for those concerned about the risks of catching COVID-19 and whether employers should pay for related expenses incurred to transform homes into workplaces since the circuit breaker.
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After launching a series of public engagements on women’s issues in a move towards greater gender equality on Sunday (Sep 20), Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam sits down with Lin Suling to talk about gender relations, the law and sexual offences, and women in the workplace. He also gives his take on whether quotas would work and responds to comments about women serving National Service.
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Amid the latest round of layoffs by Singapore Airlines and other flag airlines around the world, aviation analyst Brendan Sobie and NUS Business School Associate Professor Nitin Pangarkar tell us whether government support has been excessive, how long can they go on for and how aviation titans will need to rethink their futures.
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The relationship between foreign domestic workers and their employers has been in the spotlight. How do they and their employers navigate blurred boundaries and bargain the dos and don'ts of work fairly? Lin Suling speaks to Shamsul Kamar, Executive Director at the Centre for Domestic Employees and President of the Association of Employment Agencies (AEAS), K Jayaprema.
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Banking-related phishing scams have spiked more than 2,500 per cent in the first half of 2020 alone in Singapore, with police warning of increasingly sophisticated tactics involving emails, texts and even hacking. Lin Suling speaks to Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of Policy Studies and Vice-Chair of Singapore's Media Literacy Council, Carol Soon, and McAfee Head of Consumer Business (Southeast Asia) Shashwat Khandelwal to find out who the targets of these crimes are and how to get ahead of this cybercrime curve.
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In her speech at the opening of parliament, President Halimah Yacob said younger Singaporeans want to discuss issues of race and ethnicity more candidly. How distinct are the views of young people from older generations of Singaporeans? Are we seeing a change in the way Singapore approaches multiculturalism? Lin Suling speaks to the Institute of Policy Studies' Dr Mathew Mathews, the Singapore Management University's Associate Professor Eugene Tan and Roses of Peace founder Mohamed Irshad on social media, safe spaces and sensitive areas.
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After seeing one of the deepest recessions in the second quarter, has the Singapore economy bottomed out? What’s the outlook after Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat’s latest S$8 billion stimulus package and four previous Budgets to prevent businesses from collapsing? And which sectors and workers will be impacted most in this restructuring exercise and reshaping of the global economy? Listen to two economists give their report card. Lin Suling speaks to Associate Professor of Economics at the Singapore University of Social Sciences and former Nominated Member of Parliament Walter Theseira and CIMB economist Song Seng Wun.
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As Singapore stares down its worst economic performance on record, Lin Suling speaks to NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Patrick Tay and Managing Director of the Economic Development Board Chng Kai Fong to find out how Singapore can remain competitive in attracting investments and what it means to preserve a “Singapore core” in these tough times. They also discuss the prospects of rising unemployment and what’s behind calls to take tougher action against firms for suspected discriminatory retrenchment practices.
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Singapore and Malaysia are ready to lift some entry restrictions and reopen travel via the Periodic Commuting Arrangement and Reciprocal Green Lane. Lin Suling speaks to Assistant CEO for Global Business at the Singapore Business Federation Darius Lim and Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute Dr Serina Rahman to understand the disruption wrought by the border closures over the past few months since the Movement Control Order was imposed. They explore the consequences of this interdependent relationship and what will change post COVID-19.
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Moderna, Pfizer and over 100 pharmaceutical firms and research institutes are racing towards developing the first coronavirus vaccine. Lin Suling speaks to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Jacqueline Ying-Ru Lo and Duke-NUS Medical School's Professor Ooi Eng Eong who is involved in human trials in Singapore, to find out when and how a vaccine will move from labs to patients. They also get to the bottom of who should get priority and how that will be decided.
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As Singapore sinks into a technical recession, companies like RWS are among the latest to lay off staff, with some upset they were not told earlier. When they need to, how should companies manage the process of letting employees go? And what should retrenched workers do next? Lin Suling discusses the Singapore jobs market outlook for 2020 in a time of COVID-19 with SMU Associate Professor Tan Hwee Hoon and PeopleStrong practice leader Adrian Tan.
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Singaporeans awoke on Saturday (Jul 11) to find the People’s Action Party firmly in power with 83 seats but with a slide in their vote share and the loss of Sengkang GRC to the Workers’ Party. What do the results reveal about what Singaporeans want of their government? What does it mean for the new PAP government and the role of the opposition going forward? Lin Suling sits down with political scientist Dr Lam Peng Er and Deputy Director at the Institute of Policy Studies Gillian Koh who give their take.
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Singapore's transition into Phase 2 of COVID-19 restrictions will see shops, restaurants and schools open once more. What’s the thinking behind all the rules for different activities and organisations? Is Singapore prepared for a second wave of infections? And how can we avoid another circuit breaker? Lin Suling speaks to Teo Yik Ying, Dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and Dale Fisher, Senior Consultant at the National University Hospital and Chair of the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.
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The TraceTogether token, a wearable contact tracing device will soon be rolled out. The government has said that it will not collect personal data, but why are some Singaporeans still unconvinced? And how does a device like this work with all the existing data gathering methods like Safe Entry? Lin Suling puts these questions to Janil Puthucheary, Minister-in-Charge of GovTech, Hannah Clapham, Associate Professor at the NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health and lawyer Bryan Tan, Partner at Pincent Masons.
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In the midst of Singapore's battle against COVID-19, the Government has announced plans to construct new migrant worker dormitories and repurpose unused sites, with some potentially close to residential areas. Just how has COVID-19 furthered the discussion on Singapore’s approach to migrant worker welfare? Are Singaporeans ready to welcome them into our neighbourhoods? Lin Suling speaks to Gillian Koh, Deputy Director (Research) of IPS and Michael Cheah, Executive Director of HealthServe.
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The Fortitude Budget announced in Parliament this week brings the total bill of Singapore's COVID-19 packages to just under S$100 billion. Will payouts and other measures help businesses and workers tide the recession? What is the outlook for jobs and SMEs, and what does the path to economic recovery look like?
Lin Suling speaks to Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Education, Joanne Guo, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Business Federation and Sumit Agarwal, Low Tuck Kwong Distinguished Professor of Finance at the NUS Business School.
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Many of us may not think twice about throwing away old gadgets and buying new ones. It's one thing to talk about Zero Waste and reusing, reducing and recycling, but are we wishing for something that cannot happen in a wired, wealthy city where no one has time to repair a faulty TV or smartphone? Lin Suling dives into the issue of consumer culture with Lim Sun Sun, Nominated Member of Parliament and Professor at SUTD, Hannah Chang, Associate Professor of Marketing at SMU, and Pek Hai Lin, Manager of Zero Waste SG.
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As countries around the world begin to emerge from strict stay-home restrictions, there have been setbacks and successes. Lin Suling speaks to SMU Professor Paulin Tay Straughan, NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health’s Associate Professor Alex Cook and correspondent in London Olly Barratt who break down the strategies, politics and practicalities of exiting lockdowns.
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The coronavirus pandemic has made ghost towns of airports around the world. Airlines have slashed flights. Crew have been furloughed. Berkshire Hathaway’s pulling out of investments in US airlines has underlined the severity of the long-term disruption. We break down the key issues: What will be left of airports, airlines and the aviation industry once the COVID-19 storm has calmed? Are we expecting air travel to be in deep freeze for the next two years, until a vaccine can be widely distributed and countries have brought the virus under control? And will money makers for airlines, business travel, recover with the surge in use of video conferencing tools?
Lin Suling speaks to International Air Transport Association Regional Vice President for Asia Pacific Conrad Clifford, Nitin Pangarkar, Professor at the National University of Singapore’s Business School and Endau Analytics founder Shukor Yusof.
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There’s no let-up on the bleak projections for the Singapore economy this year and one big sector Singaporeans will be watching closely is the property market. What impact will COVID-19 have on the private and HDB markets? What choices can homeowners make and when should they move? Is it possible for the property market to crash or have previous government cooling measures mitigated these big swings?
Lin Suling puts these questions and more to Christine Sun, Head of Research and Consultancy at OrangeTee & Tie, and Alan Cheong, Executive Director of Research and Consultancy at Savills Singapore.
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During this pandemic, Singapore’s food and beverage sector has had to grapple with immense challenges from embracing food delivery and take-away fully, to meeting changing rules to stem the outbreak. Industry watchers have said the coronavirus pandemic is the F&B’s biggest test. Who will be left standing when COVID-19 ends? How can owners save jobs, their businesses and still keep Singapore fed? And amid concerns over high commission fees charged to eateries, what does a sustainable business model look like?
Jakob Angele, CEO of foodpanda APAC and Andrew Chan, Managing Director of The Soup Spoon join Lin Suling to tackle these issues.
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As companies around the world make the leap to embrace digital transformation and remote working amidst a worsening COVID-19 outbreak, we break down the challenges and impact on personal productivity, leadership, team work and innovation.
This week, Lin Suling speaks to Boston Consulting Group Managing Director and Partner Michael Tan and IMD Business School LEGO Professor of Management and Innovation Howard Yu who give advice on what bosses need to do to navigate this transition.
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Singapore kicked off the biggest national learn-from-home exercise as schools shifted into home-based learning, one of the circuit breakers measures pulled to stem the COVID-19 spread. How prepared were we? What lessons can teachers, parents and students take away from this uncertain period? How are parents reacting to this front-row seat experience to their kids’ educational journey?
This week’s guests are Crystal Lim-Lange, Co-Founder and CEO of ForestWolf and Cherie Lim-Tseng, COO of Secur Solutions Group and Founder of Rie Ink Training.
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Safe distancing: A buzzword that has entered Singapore’s vocabulary this COVID-19 outbreak, but are we getting it right? With tighter restrictions, including limits on gatherings and calls to defer non-essential trips to the mall, do we understand what’s at stake, and why we wouldn't want a total lockdown? This week's guests are Hsu Li Yang, Associate Professor at NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and Gillian Koh, Deputy Director of Research at the Institute of Policy Studies.
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The Singapore Government recently highlighted a new drugs threat – the rise of rogue chemists producing new psychoactive substances, which mimic the effects of traditional drugs. What are the challenges, and how are authorities dealing with this new trend? Jaime Ho speaks with Senior Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Razwana Begum of the Singapore University of Social Sciences on what may be behind the trend, and what needs to be done.
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As healthcare systems around the world ramp up measures amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, Jaime Ho speaks to Hsu Li Yang and Natasha Howard of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health about how governments make decisions, and what "flattening the curve" really means.
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The Government announced that it will be forming the SG Clean Taskforce to raise standards of public hygiene. Was COVID-19 the jolt we needed to make us rethink our hygiene habits? Is it true that Singapore is not a clean city, but a cleaned one? What would make us assume more personal responsibility for keeping shared spaces clean?
Jaime Ho speaks with Edward D'Silva of the Public Hygiene Council and Jack Sim of World Toilet Organization.
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Larger local mixed-breed dogs can now be rehomed in HDB flats under revised rules. But why is there a size limit in the first place? Why not lift the ban on keeping cats? More importantly, what are the bigger issues on responsible pet ownership?
Jaime Ho speaks with Jaipal Singh Gill, Executive Director of SPCA, and Kelvin Ho, Veterinarian at AVS.
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During Budget 2020, the Singapore Government unveiled an ambitious target to phase out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2040. Can technology and charging infrastructure catch up to support a fleet of electric vehicles? Will a shift towards cleaner vehicles move the needle on climate action?
Jaime Ho speaks with Walter Theseira of the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Sanjay Kuttan of the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore, and Jenny Lim of BlueSG.
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Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat unveiled the 2020 Singapore Budget on Tuesday (Feb 18). How are businesses responding to the Stabilisation and Support Package to help with headwinds caused by the COVID-19 outbreak? Are businesses and workers ready to press on with digitalisation and transformation?
David Bottomley, Deputy Chief Editor of CNA Digital discusses these issues with Patrick Tay of NTUC, Kurt Wee of SBF, and Suan Teck Kin of UOB.
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Last week, authorities raised the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) to orange, following several cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) with no links to other cases. How did organisations and people react and cope? How well is Singapore adjusting to this new phase in battling the virus?
Jaime Ho discusses these issues with Jeremy Lim of Oliver Wyman, Clarence Tam of NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, and Adrian Tan of PeopleStrong.
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On Feb 4, Singapore confirmed its first locally transmitted cases of the novel coronavirus, which has so far sickened over 24,000 people and killed 490 worldwide. Is the worst yet to come as the virus makes its way to the community? How are authorities and healthcare experts responding to the evolving situation? And also, what goes into the naming of a virus? Jaime Ho speaks to Dr Chia Shi-Lu of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Health, Prof Tikki Pangestu of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and Prof Dale Fisher of NUH, and the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.
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The Wuhan coronavirus has infected close to 8,000 people, resulting in over 170 deaths. How is this outbreak different from SARS? Will it be an international emergency? How effective are masks in the fight against the virus? Jaime Ho speaks to Prof Leo Yee-Sin of the National Infectious Diseases Centre, Dr Ying-Ru Jacqueline Lo, WHO Representative to Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore, and Prof Dale Fisher of NUH and the WHO Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.
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As celebrations for the Lunar New Year begin, many of us will be preparing red packets to give out to family and friends. But will the rise of e-hongbaos and mobile wallets change this tradition? What do our perspectives on this say about prospects for digital banking? Jaime Ho talks to Professor Sumit Agarwal of NUS Business School and Cherie Lim-Tseng of Secur Solutions Group.
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Women in Singapore earned 6 per cent less than men for similar work in 2018, down from 8.8 per cent in 2002. What are the obstacles to narrowing the gender pay gap further? How can employers adopt flexible work arrangements and encourage healthy work-life balance? Jaime Ho speaks to Shailey Hingorani, Head of Advocacy and Research at AWARE, and Junie Foo, Co-Founder and Chair of BoardAgender.
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Big-name retailers have announced they'll be closing up shop in Singapore, all within weeks of each other. Do these exits reflect the slow death of traditional retail? How can brands and malls keep up with e-commerce and changing customer preferences?
Jaime Ho speaks to Lau Kong Cheen, Senior Lecturer at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and Lynda Wee, Adjunct Associate Professor at Nanyang Business School.
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Two weeks of UN climate talks in Madrid left many wanting. Was it all doom and gloom? What can youth passionate about climate change learn from the latest round of negotiations?
Jaime Ho discusses these questions with Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, and Melissa Low, Research Fellow at the Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore.
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A month after the footpath ban, the Singapore government announced new rules for e-scooters, including an age restriction and a theory test. Should regulations have been rolled out differently? What next can we expect, for e-scooter users and pedestrians?
Jaime Ho discusses these questions with Nominated Member of Parliament Walter Theseira from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Steven Lim from the Singapore Cycling Federation, and Samuel Chng from the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
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