We had the privilege of speaking to Lavaniyah Ganapathy, an inspiring mother whose daughter was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at the age of 6 last year. Since the diagnosis, Lavaniyah has started a blog to share her experience and to educate other families about facing childhood cancer head-on. She tells us how she stays positive even through the most emotional moments of the journey, and why she believes that sharing her story is important. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTo...
Aug 19, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 324
In a recent CNA podcast, Singapore's ambassador-at-large Tommy Koh called Singapore a "very snobbish and hierarchical society". We break down his comments and why it needs to be taken in context. Elsewhere, Naomi Neo faced an intense backlash over a prank she played on her son that she subsequently posted as a TikTok video. Is the outrage warranted? Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB YouTube YLB IG Did Tommy Koh really say SG is snobbish? Tommy Koh: S'pore is snobbish & 'look down on...
Aug 18, 2022•54 min•Ep. 323
The Singapore police announced that licences for club and bar operators in Orchard Towers will not be renewed beyond May 2023 due to concerns about law and order. What does this mean for the Orchard Road nightlife scene? Also, at NDP, the image of an audience member crying during the singing of the national anthem went viral, sparking discussions online about how appropriate a reaction it is. Is it OK for a grown man to wear his heart on his sleeve in 2022? Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok...
Aug 15, 2022•51 min•Ep. 322
It’s been a long time coming, but we finally managed to get writer/commentator and now Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh onto YLB to tell us about his exciting new media outfit, Jom, and about his explosive e-book about the Lee family Oxley Road saga, THE BATTLE OVER LEE KUAN YEW’S LAST WILL. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB YouTube YLB IG Find Sudhir here! Sudhir's personal blog, MUSINGS FROM SINGAPORE Jom.media PDF download link: THE BATTLE OVER LEE KUAN YEW’S LAST WILL One Shio...
Aug 06, 2022•2 hr 1 min•Ep. 321
Get your own Folklory at www.Folklory.com ! On Monday, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong detailed the rationale behind terminating the public-private partnership with Sports Hub Pte Ltd, and taking over the management of Singapore Sports Hub. We discuss what’s ahead for the sporting facility. Also, a road cyclist who got thrown off his bicycle when his front wheel got stuck in a drain cover is suing PUB for negligence. We break down the chances of success in his lawsuit. Find ...
Aug 03, 2022•58 min•Ep. 320
And after our short COVID holiday, we are back! And so is Will Smith, who got us to “take a minute, just sit right there” to watch his apology video on his YouTube channel, 4 months after slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars. We discuss the backlash to his video, and what he really needs to do to get out of this PR nightmare. Closer to home, people got angsty when a seafood stall in a Bishan kopitiam announced that it will start charging GST and service charge come 1st August. Is this the start of ...
Aug 01, 2022•59 min•Ep. 319
We get honest (and humbling) thoughts from Rishi about the behind-the-scenes of NDP 2022 and being hand picked as one of the 4 hosts. We also chat about the motivation behind his 110-day physical transformation, the future of SG comedy & more. And we also discuss the recent 1,200-person ”Protect Singapore” town hall against repealing 377A. Did they do anything wrong? What about the LGBTQ+ community? And what happens next? Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB IG YLB YouTube YLB TikTok The Anti-Rep...
Jul 27, 2022•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 318
An annual audit of government agencies conducted by the Auditor-General's Office found lapses in the procurement processes of the Ministry of Communications and Information and the Ministry of Home Affairs. We run through the report and discuss how these lapses might have happened. Also, an NDP video segment featuring several aunties dancing to a K-pop tune has divided opinions on the internet. We discuss how much we loved (or hated) the dance. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB YouTube ...
Jul 22, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 317
This week, a Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) school counsellor was suspended from conducting further sex-ed lessons after making a presentation containing anti-LGBTQ content to students. Since then, HCI, Pink Dot, truelove.is and other organisations have come out with their official responses, so we dissect the content of their statements. Down under in Melbourne, a viral TikTok video featuring a content creator gifting flowers to a Melbourne lady backfired when the subject of the video claimed that...
Jul 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 316
The Woke Salaryman is Singapore’s top personal finance webcomic, and in this episode, we got to pick the brains of the founders, Goh Wei Choon and He Ruiming, for almost 2 hours! Hear about how spitefulness motivated them to start, why they believe generational wealth creates problems, and why Singapore is “f***ing awesome”! Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB YouTube YLB IG One Shiok Thing Ten Hag's First Game In Charge! 🔥 | Man Utd 4-0 Liverpool | Highlights Our Great National Parks | ...
Jul 18, 2022•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 315
On 18th July, Grab will officially cut the grace waiting time for ride-hailing bookings from 5min to 3min.This announcement stirred a lot of unhappiness among customers, but was cheered by drivers. Is this really the best way to address the pain points faced by Grab drivers? Also, the Government revealed their proposal to protect young social media users from harmful content. We weigh in on how successful we think their efforts will be. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB YouTube YLB IG F...
Jul 16, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 314
And we’re back from the fresh COVID wave! The woman at the center of the viral road rage incident at Tuas Second Link has called for the harassment of her and her son to stop. How did she end up in this situation anyway? Elsewhere, an NUS student to tried to protest the death penalty while receiving his graduation certificate. Was NUS justified in cutting him from the video of the event? Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB YouTube YLB IG Woman and son in road rage video doxxed Woman who r...
Jul 13, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 313
In parliament, Opposition MP Jamus Lim suggested some government actions, like letting the currency appreciate, to counter the rising cost of living in Singapore. Sounds easy, but is it really? We discuss whether Minister of State Alvin Tan said enough in his rebuttal to calm anxious Singaporeans. Also, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee stated that “by controlling rent, we could end up reducing the incentive for coffee shop owners to invest in improving their coffee shops to provide ...
Jul 07, 2022•57 min•Ep. 312
The chairman of Chang Cheng Group, the new owner of the Yishun coffeeshop which was recently sold for $40 million, has promised not to raise coffee and cai png prices when he takes over in October. We examine the recent trend of coffeeshops being sold for staggering sums of money, and discuss what this means for your average cai png customer. Elsewhere, Cathay busker Jeff Ng’s viral rise to fame has been tempered by social media exposés of his past from his ex-girlfriend and other music industry...
Jul 04, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 311
K Shanmugam recently jousted with British journalist and presenter Stephen Sackur on a 24-minute BBC podcast interview for the programme HardTalk. While the interview had some coverage on mainstream media, it has generally gone under the radar… until now, because we listened to it, and highly recommend that everyone listen to it. Why? Elsewhere, the judge’s ruling for influencer Rachel Wong’s defamation case set a lot of tongues wagging. We dive into the murky waters of alleged infidelity, weddi...
Jul 02, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 310
In a recent speech, DPM Lawrence Wong unveiled the ‘Forward Singapore’ roadmap to review and refresh the country’s social compact by engaging Singaporeans through 6 pillars. We go through some of the details and what we think about this new exercise. Separately, it was announced that Singapore will host the first Tour de France criterium race in South-east Asia in October this year. We discuss whether this will lead to a deluge of spandex on Singapore roads. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTo...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 309
Over the weekend, the US Supreme Court overturned the historic 1973 Roe v Wade ruling that recognised a woman's constitutional right to an abortion. This ignited a political firestorm within the country and also sent shockwaves around the world. We break down the reasons why. Closer to home, at an AIA insurance roadshow event, an insurance agent reversed her decision to gift a toddler with a balloon, which infuriated the child’s mother. Some have come forward to defend the agent’s actions, while...
Jun 27, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 308
As the economy continues to shock everyone, it’s getting increasingly confusing to figure out what to do about our personal finances. So we speak to someone at the forefront of the industry, Wenbin Wong, head of GrabFin Singapore. We dive deep into his thoughts on the current economy, the newly-launched GrabFin brand, and everything they are trying to do to help their users financially. But we also ask some hard questions, like “Why should we trust a company like Grab with our money?” Find us he...
Jun 24, 2022•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 307
Just in time for Pride Month, a recent study on Singaporeans’ attitudes towards same-sex relationships by market research firm Ipsos found that 44% of respondents still support 377A, which was a drop from 55% in 2018. What does this mean for the future of the controversial law, and Pink Dot? Elsewhere, the internet split into two camps over an incident at Le Jardin, where a disgruntled customer complained about an additional $50 fee to bring his own cake to his friend’s birthday dinner at the re...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 306
On our 300th episode, we want to thank everyone by answering the hottest questions as chosen by YOU! Do we believe in ghosts? How does Haresh prepare his mercurial mouth for acting roles? Did Terence’s voice give him trouble in terms of making friends while growing up? Are kids on the horizon? These and many more other questions in this EPIC 2-hour episode! SubReddit thread for AMA #4 Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB YouTube YLB IG Support our Folklory journey towards 100 customers in ...
Jun 17, 2022•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 305
A viral Facebook post from an ex-police officer alleged pregnancy discrimination at her former workplace, which prompted the Singapore Police Force to respond with their own statement. Does she really have a case here, or is there more to this story? Elsewhere, SIA and Scoot announced a new scheme to allow customers to reduce their carbon footprint while travelling by paying for “SAF Credits”. What on earth is this unfortunately-named scheme about, and does it really do any good for the environm...
Jun 11, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 304
Earlier this week, PM Lee announced several Cabinet changes, the most prominent being Lawrence Wong’s promotion to Deputy Prime Minister. While this wasn’t unexpected, were there any other surprises? In the local courts, a judge ruled that a $1 million red packet presented at a wedding tea ceremony is to be included in the matrimonial assets to be split between the couple as they go through their divorce. We discuss why this case is a warning to those looking to flex their wealth at their weddin...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 303
Johnny Depp emerged victorious in the defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard. We discuss the trial and the verdict, and ask what the future holds for their Hollywood careers. Who is the real winner here, or is there even one? Elsewhere, a Singaporean woman heard that her mother had been disrespected by a Sales Associate at a Dior outlet in Italy, and decided to return to the store to seek revenge. She ended up spending lavishly under the watch of another Sales Associate in the same s...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 302
A graduate from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine was filmed in an interview sharing how physically and mentally draining his current job as a junior doctor is. Once the video was published on the school’s Facebook page, reactions and comments started pouring in from all sides. What are people making a fuss about with regards to the video? In Japan, a man paid approximately $21,600 to create a hyper-realistic dog costume that he can wear, and therefore fulfil his fantasy of being a dog. Hi...
May 30, 2022•58 min•Ep. 301
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 or leave, in spite of having ultimately survived COVID. How is this fair? Elsewhere, Simu Liu sparked an internet war about the casting of Crazy Rich Asians with his comments on a podcast. We look into this war of words and whether Simu Liu actually deserved to be casted ...
May 25, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 300
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 how it will impact labour conditions for migrant workers. Elsewhere, Malaysian influencer/model Ms Puiyi has caused more controversy by posting an IG picture of her wearing a see-through top in a London Museum. We question: who was really offended? Are there any taboos about...
May 23, 2022•54 min•Ep. 299
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 rallying cry from Soh Rui Yong a few weeks ago, and why it’s necessary to talk about it now. On Instagram, the organisation behind Pink Dot was singled out by the account SGbrownqueers for its apparent lack of inclusivity, and turning a blind eye to other anti-discrimination causes...
May 20, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 298
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 light of the global stock market tumble, but is there merit to his demands? Back home, Singapore companies are starting to throw parties and offering perks to encourage workers to return to the office. Will Singapore workers bite? Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB You...
May 18, 2022•54 min•Ep. 297
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 questions about this case, so we dissect what these questions are and why they’re being asked. Elsewhere, a 4-year-old girl was severely scalded on her thighs by a cup of hot tea on a Qatar Airways flight. The mother blames the poor design of the tray table, even though she ...
May 14, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 296
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 any merit to his answer. Elsewhere, Elon Musk declares that Twitter permabans need to be gotten rid off as they are anti free-speech. This action would include reinstating Trump’s account. We discuss the likelihood of this happening and speculate about Twitter’s future under E...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 295
