Heart of the Matter

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.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 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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Sudheesan, explains the rare move. Plus, Crispina Robert gets a firsthand account from senior journalist Koh Wan Ting who covered the court proceedings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.