In the last couple of days, Tharman and Ng Kok Song engaged in a back-and-forth through the media about their respective independence from the establishment, which was a marked change from the general decorum of proceedings thus far. What do we make of this sudden change, and Tan Kin Lian’s cancellation of his walkabouts? Elsewhere, opinions are divided about an ex-teacher turned OnlyFans creator who talked about her experience in a TikTok video. Why are people getting so heated about her career...
Aug 30, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 437
Over the weekend, Tan Cheng Bock, a former presidential candidate in 2011 and founder of the Progress Singapore Party, came forward to endorse his ex-rival Tan Kin Lian for the presidency. This action drew flak from presidential candidate, Ng Kok Song, who called it “gutter politics”, and many questioned what backlash PSP would face as a result. What’s the big issue? Elsewhere, Japan started releasing nuclear wastewater from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean, causing a big ruckus among its immedi...
Aug 28, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 436
Weekend timeout from all the election buzz! Our guest this time is Kevin Pereira, MD of Blu Artificial Intelligence from Hong Kong, who’s here to tell us how to approach ethical issues in AI, how to ensure you’ll have a job in the future, and whether he believes human artists are a dying breed. Find us here! - YLB Subreddit | https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/ - YLB TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@yahlahbut - YLB IG | https://www.instagram.com/yahlahbut/ Folklory Get 25% OFF this Teacher’s Day...
Aug 26, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 435
The three-way race in the presidential election officially began when all the candidates and their supporters gathered at the nomination centre on Tuesday morning. However, there have already been a slew of controversies, most notably around Tan Kin Lian’s “pretty girls” social media posts. What other surprises will there be in the race ahead? Elsewhere, opinion online is divided about the appearance of gender-neutral toilets for an event at Suntec City. Why the divide? Find us here! YLB Subredd...
Aug 24, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 434
Another Presidential special! Aspiring Presidential candidate Mr Tan Kin Lian stops by the YLB studio to tell us why he feels confident about his chances, why he thinks NS should be shortened, and what he thinks about all the recent political scandals. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com One Shiok Thing Why Peter McKinnon Is BAD For ...
Aug 21, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 433
This week, the Singapore Police Force arrested a group of foreigners who had amassed approximately S$1 billion worth of assets in the country, as part of one of the largest anti-money laundering operations ever. The arrests took place across multiple affluent neighbourhoods in Singapore, and the catalogue of the items seized was jaw-dropping. Why did we feel a little worried by this turn of events? In other news, Leong Mun Wai has filed a formal complaint against Murali Pillai to the Speaker of ...
Aug 17, 2023•57 min•Ep. 432
Presidential hopeful Mr Ng Kok Song joins us in the YLB studio to talk about why he’s running for President, why he didn’t join politics earlier, and how he’ll continue to serve Singapore even if he doesn’t become President. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com One Shiok Thing Leonard Cohen - Anthem (Live in London) The Last of Us | O...
Aug 16, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 431
This past weekend, the Elections Department said that rallies are “not encouraged” for the Presidential Election as they may be divisive and incongruent with the unifying role of Singapore's head of state. This decision hasn’t been well-received, but is there any merit to these directives? Elsewhere, it was revealed in a survey that the Singaporean Premier League was the 3rd-most popular football competition after the EPL and the Champions League. Are Singaporeans getting into local football aga...
Aug 14, 2023•53 min•Ep. 430
This week, OCBC introduced a new anti-scam measure which prevents customers from using their mobile banking app if there are unofficial apps installed on their Android phones. Many customers were furious, but is there merit to OCBC’s actions? Elsewhere, some people questioned why Grab had a marching contingent at NDP. Is Grab truly a pillar of Singapore society that requires a presence at the parade? Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube Folklory If you’re looking for a meani...
Aug 12, 2023•51 min•Ep. 429
Tropic Monsters’ Jeremiah Chen, fresh off directing and producing his first ever sitcom, “Living With An Expat”, stops by the YLB studio to tell us about the difficulties he faced producing the series, why TikTok is so important to him, and what he’s learnt about himself in his content creation journey. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklor...
Aug 10, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 428
Recently, American publication Washington Post accused Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao of deferring to “Beijing narratives”. This prompted a rebuke from the Chinese newspaper, and now Singapore’s ambassador to the US has also spoken out against it. Is our local newspaper really taking sides in the US-China divide? Elsewhere, HDB’s approval will no longer be required for CCTVs that face corridors of HDB flats. Why the change, and does it mean we will become a surveillance state? Find us here! YLB Subre...
Aug 07, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 427
Hard to believe, but the latest parliamentary sitting got even more heated than the previous one on the Ridout Road issue. PM Lee delivered a ministerial statement to address the recent political scandals, then Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh came out swinging in his clarification questions, leaving no stone unturned. And as always, YLB was present at Parliament to observe the proceedings for ourselves! What did we see that surprised us? What was the biggest difference between this sitting...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 426
Irfan Kasban, a transdisciplinary artist whose work spans multiple mediums, platforms and genres, steps into the YLB studio to talk about directing Jo Tan in the award-winning theatre production, “King”. We also discuss gender identity in Singapore, and whether everyone will be using pronouns one day! Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory....
Aug 01, 2023•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 425
Ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan have sent lawyers’ letters to Lee Hsien Yang after he doubled down on his comments about the Ridout Road issue, even after getting POFMAed. What happens when someone decides to ignore a POFMA order? Also, Tharman Shanmugaratnam officially launched his platform for the presidential bid on Wednesday. What stood out at this event, and what did we think of his “Respect For All” slogan? Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help y...
Jul 28, 2023•43 min•Ep. 424
On 19 Jul, a third individual announced his plan to run for presidency - Ng Kok Song, the ex-CIO of GIC. There has been lots of chatter online about his qualifications, and also his family, but what do Singaporeans think about him? Elsewhere, Elon Musk yielded his might (again) and changed the Twitter logo almost overnight - bye bye blue bird, hello “X”. But why? Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folk...
Jul 26, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 423
Over the weekend, a police officer’s death sparked a national conversation about workplace bullying and racial discrimination. What happened, and what happens next? Elsewhere, a same-sex kiss by the lead singer of The 1975 got the entire Good Vibes Music Festival in Malaysia cancelled. Were the organisers being too uptight, or did The 1975 go too far? Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com ! A...
Jul 24, 2023•49 min•Ep. 422
It’s been a bombshell few weeks as scandals have poured out. Here is our take… Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com ! Article Links - Serious Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and MP Cheng Li Hui resign over affair PM Lee Hsien Loong at Press Conference on Resignations of Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and MP Cheng Li Hui 13 WP top leaders, including Low ...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 421
We got Jom Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Thomas Vadeketh back onto YLB to talk about the publication’s first year of operations, the challenges facing young journalists in Singapore, and why we might see more political kerfuffles like Ridout Road bubbling to the surface in the near future. Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com ! Article Links How I nudged myself into losing 10kg in 10 months, as my ...
Jul 17, 2023•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 420
This past week’s news headlines have been dominated by the reveal that Transport Minister S. Iswaran has been arrested by the CPIB, alongside billionaire Ong Beng Seng. In this episode, we go through news articles, forums, and boomer conspiracy theorist Whatsapp groups to try and make sense of this shocking situation. Elsewhere, childcare centres will no longer be required to operate on Saturdays from 2025. While this move is meant to help teachers achieve work-life balance, will it help solve t...
Jul 14, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 419
A Redditor recently discovered that Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan Jin had muttered "f*cking populist" under his breath after a speech by opposition MP Jamus Lim during a parliamentary sitting in April. Tan has since come forward to apologise, and Jamus Lim has accepted his apology, but why do some still feel that his gesture was not enough? Elsewhere, a recent survey found that 35% of Singapore workers have “quiet quit” their job, which is 4% higher than the global average. Is this a real caus...
Jul 11, 2023•55 min•Ep. 418
The fiery nature of the recent Parliament sitting spilled onto social media, with Leader of the House Indranee Rajah compelling Progress Singapore Party’s Leong Mun Wai to take down a video from PSP’s Facebook page, and to issue a public apology. What was this entire “sia suay” PSP video about, and how did it spark one of the most peculiar exchanges in Singapore Parliamentary history? Elsewhere, a pop-up tsundere maid cafe event to be held at a location at Singapore Management University had to ...
Jul 07, 2023•54 min•Ep. 417
We finally did it! Yesterday, we showed up and observed the Parliament debate on Ridout Road! Rather than give our usual take on the issue based solely on what we read or watch in the media, we decided to go down to Parliament in person and see it for ourselves. What did we take away from the experience? What issue left Haresh dispirited? Were we convinced? Who else showed up to observe the session? Do we think it was worth the time? Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube Folk...
Jul 05, 2023•55 min•Ep. 416
From 1st July, a flat owner will be presumed guilty of high-rise littering if he cannot prove within 14 days that he is not responsible for the offence. This makes it easier to catch offenders, but brings up the question of overreach as well. Elsewhere, people called out some adults for washing themselves at a public fountain at Kallang, and even took pictures of them washing their armpits and butts. Should we ban people from using these facilities to clean themselves? Find us here! YLB Subreddi...
Jul 03, 2023•51 min•Ep. 415
We got Entomologist Foo Maosheng in our studio today to talk about the new cockroach species he discovered in Singapore & named after a Pokemon! We covered this story back in May 2023 (YLB #374), and now we get to hear about his love for creepy crawlies, the passion for Pokemon shared by him & his co-author and his estimate that we’ve only discovered about 30% of the insects in Singapore! A big thanks to Foo Maosheng, Entomologist from the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National ...
Jun 27, 2023•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 414
The entire world has been riveted by the search and rescue effort for the missing Titanic submersible, but some have already started questioning the apparent lack of safety features on the underwater tourist vessel. We take a look at whether their critiques are justified. Closer to home, Singapore plays host to the inaugural Olympic Esports Week, which has riled up some in the gaming community for the exclusion of some of the most popular Esports games. Why the discontent? Find us here! YLB Subr...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 413
Last week, Ho Ching, PM Lee’s wife, ignited online debate after posting a lengthy Facebook post about the role of the President in Singapore’s political infrastructure. What did she say that caused such a ruckus? Elsewhere, a man knocked on doors along Nassim Road, with the intention to interview “owners from the richest neighbourhood in Singapore” for his TikTok video. Why did his actions rub so many people the wrong way? Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube Folklory If you...
Jun 20, 2023•58 min•Ep. 412
With Haresh away this week, comedian Rishi Budhrani steps in to be the supersub once again! And the timing couldn’t have been better, as we talk about the ongoing fallout from the Jocelyn Chia controversy, and how the local standup comedy scene is feeling about this incident. Rishi also weighs in on entrepreneur George Goh’s announcement of his intention to run against Tharman for President. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gif...
Jun 14, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 411
[NOTE: This podcast was recorded 2 weeks ago, on 30 May 2023] Marathoner Soh Rui Yong, fresh from his men’s 10,000m medal win and viral show of sportsmanship at the SEA Games in Cambodia, joined us in the YLB studio to talk candidly about the entire experience back in Singapore colours. Find us here! YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB YouTube Folklory If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com ! Article Links SEA Games...
Jun 12, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 410
This week, Singapore-born comedian Jocelyn Chia incurred the wrath of furious Malaysians after posting a video of her stand-up comedy performance, in which she insulted Malaysia and made a joke about the missing airliner MH370. Government officials from both countries have released statements, protests have been planned, and even other comedians, like Dr. Jason Leong, are facing blowback from this incident. Was the joke really THAT bad? Also, Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam announced his ...
Jun 09, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 409
This past week, ex-NMCP Daniel Goh announced his expulsion from the Workers’ Party. While it was not unexpected, we discuss what this move means for public perception of the internal workings of the WP. Elsewhere, MP Sun Xueling shared a Punggol resident’s rude and vulgar email addressed to her, underlining the needlessness of verbal abuse in giving feedback. However, we questioned the need for her post, as it might have unintended consequences. Find us here! YLB Subreddit YLB TikTok YLB IG YLB ...
Jun 05, 2023•56 min•Ep. 408
