November 26, 2021
#237 - Actor and entrepreneur Andie Chen talks about acting, fatherhood and the future of the metaverse
Actor, father, entrepreneur, and now metaverse evangelist Andie Chen tells us about relocating during a pandemic, the differences between Singapore and Taiwan, and how the metaverse is going to take over! Find us here! Our YLB Subreddit for detailed s...
November 24, 2021
#236 - Lawrence Wong discusses identity politics and tribalism & SG Army gets rid of 5BX
In a speech about “identity” at the Institute of Policy Studies, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong acknowledged the struggles of marginalised groups and assured them that they were all part of the “Singapore family”. Does this truly signal an upcoming chang...
November 22, 2021
#235 - Violent COVID protests erupt across Europe & Pew survey reveals: what do SGeans find meaningful in life?
Protests broke out across Europe over the past weekend, as Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark all saw demonstrations against the latest COVID restrictions meant to curb the “fourth wave” of the virus hitting Europe. We compare ...
November 20, 2021
#234 - SG obesity rate balloons in 2020 & transgender actress named ‘Amanda Man‘ in latest Jack Neo movie
Based on MOH's latest National Population Health Survey, which collected data from over 6,000 Singaporeans and PRs aged between 18 to 74, SG’s obesity rate has risen to the highest level since 2010. Is this really a surprise, given the COVID situation? E...
November 17, 2021
#233 - SG extending F1 contract & Shanmugam calls Amos Yee‘s supporters “hypocrites”
Minister of Transport S Iswaran recently revealed that SG is in talks to continue hosting the F1 night race next year. Having only discussed this topic on YLB #165 in June, we revisit the debate of whether SG should move on from the F1 race. Elsewhere, S...
November 14, 2021
#232 - Kaws art showcase stopped by court order & Kendall Jenner’s dress at BFF’s wedding ignites debate
A court injunction was served at the VIP preview of a new Kaws showcase at Marina Bay that featured a 42-metre-long inflatable created by the artist. We run through all the key players involved in this debacle and try to make sense of the situation. Else...
November 11, 2021
#231 - SG allows “soft” music in F&B outlets & YouTube removes “Dislike” numbers
SG has finally allowed F&B outlets to play background music, albeit only “soft recorded music”. This comes alongside the easing of several other measures that signifies SG’s move towards living with COVID, so we discuss what the next couple of weeks will...
November 10, 2021
#230 - Impending execution of M’sian drug trafficker draws international attention & anti-vaxx group‘s videos removed from YouTube
This past week, the impending execution of a convicted Malaysian drug trafficker who allegedly has “severe mental disabilities" drew criticism from activists, international NGOs and even billionaire Richard Branson. Nagaenthran Dharmalingam’s execution h...
November 07, 2021
#229 - Healthcare workers to receive $4K reward & F45 studio posts racially insensitive video
To recognise their “courage and invaluable work”, the Ministry of Health will be awarding 100,000 public healthcare workers $4,000 each. We discuss what this gesture means, and if it’s enough to stem the tide of healthcare workers leaving the industry in...
November 05, 2021
#228 - Pro wrestler “The Statement” Andrew Tang on the future of wrestling in Singapore
Eeeeeyakkkkk! There was a lot of buzz recently when WWE unveiled their first ever Singaporean wrestler, Dante Chen. But what does it really take to make it to the pinnacle of the wrestling business? We speak to the pioneer of the local wrestling scene, A...
November 03, 2021
#227 - Opposition MP Raeesah Khan admits to lying in Parliament & Elon Musk ends world hunger
There was a bombshell revelation in Parliament on Monday, as Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan admitted that her past account of accompanying a sexual assault victim to the police station had been fabricated. What’s next for the youngest ever MP? Also, Elon...
October 31, 2021
#226 - Local football prodigy offered Premier League contract but unable to skip NS obligations
It's a short one today, folks! Singapore-born footballing talent Harry Birtwhistle, 17 years old, has been offered a professional contract to play with the Wolverhampton Wanderers of the Premier League, but has been disallowed from skipping his National ...
October 28, 2021
#225 - HDB’s new Prime Location Public Housing & writers slam Wang Lei as choice of speaker
National Development Minister Desmond Lee unveiled the new PLH model under HDB, which aims to keep public housing in prime locations “affordable, accessible and inclusive for Singaporeans”. What difference will it make for the average SGean? Also, to the...
October 26, 2021
#224 - Special dine-in rules for Bloomberg Forum & Xiaxue interviews Sylvia from NOC
Over the weekend, it was revealed that local and foreign delegates at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum (NEF) to be held from 16th-19th November would be allowed to dine together in groups of up to 5 at pre-designated restaurants in the city, in spite of t...
October 24, 2021
#223 - Alec Baldwin’s prop gun misfires on Hollywood set and kills cinematographer & no guilty plea for man behind livestreamed row with bus driver
On the movie set of “Rust”, in which Alec Baldwin is acting and a producer, a prop gun in the actor’s hands misfired and killed their cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Does Hollywood have a problem with safety? Also, the courts rejected a man’s guilty ple...
October 21, 2021
#222 - SG electricity retailers suddenly shut down & another NOC exposé reveals even worse allegations beyond employee abuse
The liberalisation of the SG energy market that began in 2018 was supposed to herald a bright new future for consumers. However, 3 electricity retailers have suddenly thrown in the towel in the past week, leaving their customers back at square one. Was t...
October 19, 2021
#221 - Comedian Dave Chapelle’s Netflix special ignites “transphobia” controversy & Hooters staff complain that their new uniforms are inappropriate
Recently, streaming platform Netflix came under a firestorm of criticism from the LGBTQ+ community both outside the company and internally, with transgender Netflix staff planning a walkout on 20th October. All this was caused by the launch of Dave Chape...
October 16, 2021
#220 - SGeans itching to travel on VTL crash SIA website & unvaxxed NBA star Kyrie Irving banned from playing
Recently, with the announcement of VTLs with 11 different countries, SGeans have been flocking to travel agents and airline offices to plan their year-end trips. But as Haresh personally discovers, the VTL isn’t as attractive a prospect as it looks on pa...
October 14, 2021
#219 - Viral sensation Jaze Phua reveals how to get 1.5 million TikTok followers in a month and addresses the toxicity on YouTube
Content creator Jaze Phua recently exploded on TikTok, gaining 1.5 million followers in a month, largely based on his Squid Game videos. We discuss how TikTok differs from other platforms he’s been on, and where he sees the future of entertainment and so...
October 12, 2021
#218 - Study discovers what makes Singaporeans happy & NOC claps back at allegations of toxic work environment
A study by a social enterprise, Happiness Initiative, uncovered that several socio-demographic factors such as household income and sexual orientation had a disproportionately large impact on Singapore residents’ happiness. Also, YouTube channel Night Ow...
October 09, 2021
#217 - Marathoner Soh Rui Yong gets real about his “arrogance”, what hate comments rile him up the most, and why 700 packets of chicken rice is the best thing ever
This week, we come face to face with the outspoken and controversial Singapore athlete and SEA Games gold medalist, Soh Rui Yong. Never one to mince words, he reveals what he thinks about comments that he’s arrogant, the origins of his competitive drive,...
October 07, 2021
#216 - Whistleblower claims Facebook puts profits before people & government chatbot “Jamie” doles out safe sex advice
Recently, an ex-employee of Facebook, Frances Haugen, testified at a US Senate hearing about how there is no accountability within Facebook’s leadership with regards to the harm caused to users of the social media platform. Is Facebook really as evil as ...
October 05, 2021
#215 - Police to interview Raeesah Khan over claims in Parliament & wild chickens divide the community at Dover Close
Recently in Parliament, Minister Shanmugam pressed opposition MP Raeesah Khan to divulge more details about a claim she had made about the police’s poor management of a case of sexual assault. Khan refused, reasoning that she needed to maintain confident...
October 02, 2021
#214 - SG panel rejects the idea of bicycle registration & social worker lambasts Mediacorp talk show as “immoral”
The Active Mobility Advisory Panel, tasked by the SG government with reviewing rules for on-road cycling, has concluded that bicycle registration and licensing of cyclists are not recommended. Why was this done in spite of the increasing number of incide...