Deep Dive

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.