#295 - Gillman Barracks F&B tenants asked to re-tender or leave & Simu Liu stirs debate about Henry Golding’s casting in CRA
May 25, 2022
The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) announced that Gillman Barracks would be getting a $2 million facelift to rejuvenate the locale. However, several current F&B tenants were left high and dry, as they were asked to retender …
#294 - MOM mandates monthly rest day for migrant domestic workers & Ms Puiyi wears see-through top in London Museum
May 23, 2022
Minister of State for Manpower Gan Siow Huang announced that the Ministry of Manpower will be implementing a mandatory rest day every month for migrant domestic workers. We discuss why this new rule is being implemented, and…
#293 - Joseph Schooling calls for national dialogue on NS & Pink Dot called out for lack of inclusivity
May 20, 2022
Fresh off winning 2 gold medals at the SEA Games, Joseph Schooling called for a national dialogue on expectations of athletes serving their National Service. We discuss why this call is more significant than a similar rallyi…
#292 - Elon Musk puts Twitter bid on hold & companies luring workers back to office with food and parties
May 18, 2022
Elon Musk said on Tuesday that the purchase of Twitter would not go ahead unless he was given further assurances on the extent of fake/spam accounts on the platform. Some critics have derided this as a convenient excuse in l…
#291 - Singapore Catholic order member convicted of sex crime & young passenger scalded by boiling tea on Qatar Airways flight
May 14, 2022
In early May, a man who was part of a Catholic religious order that established a school in Singapore was convicted of sex crimes with two teenage boys that occurred in the ‘00s. Online commentators are still asking a lot of…
#290 - Should Singaporean women do NS & Elon Musk wants to reverse Twitter ban on Donald Trump
May 12, 2022
The age-old debate of women donning green as SAF conscripts came up in Parliament via the new MPs Carrie Tan and Poh Li-San. Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen shot down the suggestion very quickly, but we discuss whether there’s a…
#289 - Gov.sg Hari Raya Ad pulled after backlash & Goh Chok Tong’s scarecrow photo ruffles feathers
May 6, 2022
What a long weekend full of kerfuffles! The Ministry of Communications and Information removed its Hari Raya ad after it faced criticism for its supposed stereotyping of Malay families. Is it really stereotyping though? Also…
#288 - Names of trainee lawyers who cheated revealed & ex-Grab driver acquitted of sexual assault
May 1, 2022
In a stunning reversal, a High Court Judge publicly released the names of 6 trainee lawyers who had been caught cheating in the Bar exam. Is the punishment commensurate with the crime? Also, a former Grab driver accused of a…
#287 - Most workers still prefer flexible work arrangements & Netflix to display ads
April 26, 2022
According to a recent IPS working paper, a majority of workers prefer to continue flexible work arrangements going forward, even as Singapore lifts its COVID restrictions. What will employers need to look out for in these re…
#286 - Singaporean draws flak for singing worship song on flight & clinic assistant kicks stroller
April 21, 2022
A recent video featuring a Singaporean man, Jonathan Neo, singing a Christian worship song in the middle of a flight has gone viral, with critics and detractors calling for tolerance from the other side. What do we make of b…
#285 - F&B industry faces manpower shortage & boy urinates into bottle at food court
April 19, 2022
In line with Singapore’s nightlife industry opening up, we go through an opinion piece about the F&B industry’s woes in increasing productivity amidst a manpower crunch. Are AI kitchens and robot servers the way forward? Als…
#284 - Lawrence Wong primed as next PM & Elon Musk tries to buy Twitter
April 16, 2022
We discuss the bombshell announcement that caught everyone by surprise, right before the long weekend: Lawrence Wong has been anointed the leader of the 4G leadership in the Government. Was it really a surprise though? How a…
#283 - Viral video of accident sparks debate about cyclists again & PAP ex-candidate Ivan Lim gets name cleared
April 14, 2022
Another viral CCTV video showing a collision between an errant cyclist and an unsuspecting pedestrian has once again renewed calls for greater regulation of cyclists. Is there a deeper reason why we haven’t nipped the proble…
#282 - PM Lee warns US about Russia-Ukraine war & Penthouse model Pui Yi’s sexy photos enrage Vietnamese
April 12, 2022
In a dialogue with The Wall Street Journal editorial board in early April, PM Lee warned that the US should not define the war in Ukraine as a battle between democracies and autocracies, as that would immediately place China…
#281 - S’poreans more open to non-Chinese PM & life-sized LKY wax figure appears on eBay
April 4, 2022
According to a study conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and CNA, Singaporeans have become more open to having a non-Chinese prime minister or president. Having just appeared in the topically-relevant CNA docu…
#280 - Dr Janil Puthucheary dissects our appearance in “Regardless of Race”, his political awakening, and Will Smith’s slap
April 1, 2022
It was a real pleasure this week to have Dr Janil Puthucheary, Chairman of OnePeople.sg and Senior Minister of State at MCI, swing by the YLB studio for a chat. We speak to him about his experience helming the CNA documentar…
#279 - Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at Oscars & Omega x Swatch collaboration causes chaos in SG
March 30, 2022
The slap that was heard around the world! By now, everyone has heard or has aired an opinion about whether Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock at this year’s Oscars ceremony is justifiable. We discuss why it’s not a stra…
#278 - POFMA issued to Wake Up SG over KKH allegations & wedding ang bao rates spark discussion
March 28, 2022
Late on Sunday night, the government issued a POFMA direction correction to Wake Up Singapore regarding the alleged story of a miscarriage that occured under KKH’s watch. What is the general sentiment towards Wake Up Singapo…
#277 - Singapore eases COVID restrictions & Tung Lok shames customer for ducking bill
March 25, 2022
On Thursday, PM Lee announced the easing of COVID restrictions in Singapore, most notably the limit on group sizes and the mask mandate outdoors. We discuss some of these measures and how people are feeling about them. Elsew…
#276 - Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas sparks fierce debate & Russia replaces McDonald’s
March 22, 2022
Lia Thomas, a transgender collegiate athlete from the US, sparked fierce debates this past week when she competed in and won several women’s events at a NCAA swimming competition. Many called this a moment of change for the …
#275 - Kanye West’s IG suspended for using racial slur on Trevor Noah & otters go on killing spree in Yio Chu Kang
March 18, 2022
The Kim-Kanye-Pete controversy took a dark turn when Kanye West used a racial slur to attack Trevor Noah, which led to the suspension of his IG account. Wait, what Kim-Kanye-Pete controversy; why are we even talking about th…
#274 - M’sia politicians drag Singapore into Umno debate & Naomi Osaka rattled by heckler at Indian Wells
March 14, 2022
In the run up to the Johor state elections last weekend, Malaysian politicians went back and forth about whether Singapore would have been more or less developed if it was under Umno’s rule. Why was Singapore dragged into th…
#273 - Can Singapore deal with honour-based MC system & Chelsea football club faces sanctions because of Russian owner
March 11, 2022
As we move beyond the pandemic, can the no-MC-needed sick leave policy that many employers have been practising still continue into the future? Also, the UK government sanctions Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich for his close t…
#272 - Uniqlo defends decision to stay in Russia & Gojek driver clashes with dog owner about cancellation of ride
March 9, 2022
Against the overwhelming trend of corporations pulling out of or cutting business ties with Russia, Uniqlo doubled down on its decision to keep its almost-50 stores open in the country. The CEO even justified the decision by…