★ Our GE2025 Plans!! ★ Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.yahlahbut.com to find out firsthand where we'll be during each day of the campaigning period. It's gonna be epic! Singapore’s GE2025 rallies are officially underway, and we dive into the energy, tactics, and speeches from five parties—WP in Sengkang, SDP in Marsiling, PSP in Marymount, PAP in Woodlands, and PBP in Tampines. From Chee Soon Juan’s crowd control to WP’s tightly-run lineup and Minister Ong Ye Kung mentioning Yah Lah Bu...
Apr 25, 2025•49 min•Ep. 657
★ Our GE2025 Plans!! ★ Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.yahlahbut.com to find out firsthand where we'll be during each day of the campaigning period. It's gonna be epic! This is our first on-the-ground episode of our Yah Lah But GE2025 coverage, where we’re travelling to all 33 constituencies over 8 days in our APolitical Party Bus. We break down WP’s shock withdrawal from Marine Parade GRC, leaving over 130,000 voters uncontested - and setting off a wave of criticism. Then we unpack PM...
Apr 24, 2025•48 min•Ep. 656
★ Our GE2025 Plans!! ★ Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.yahlahbut.com to find out firsthand where we'll be during each day of the campaigning period. It's gonna be epic! GE2025 is officially underway - and your daily hustings coverage starts NOW. In this special kickoff to this series, Haresh and Terence unpack the biggest Nomination Day headlines: Marine Parade’s surprise walkover, WP’s absence, Harpreet Singh in Punggol, and a last-minute PAP three-way trade. We talk WP’s strategy, Ga...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 655
★ Our GE2025 Plans!! ★ Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.yahlahbut.com to find out firsthand where we'll be during each day of the campaigning period. It's gonna be epic! Minister Chan Chun Sing opens up on Singapore’s most emotional pressure points: PSLE, streaming, tuition, and our obsession with comparison. He challenges the idea that we should do more to build resilience - maybe we should do less. We also talk about the need for political diversity as well as its misconceptions. He w...
Apr 22, 2025•2 hr•Ep. 654
★ Our GE2025 Plans!! ★ Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.yahlahbut.com to find out firsthand where we'll be during each day of the campaigning period. It's gonna be epic! Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng joins YLB to talk about Singapore’s economic anxieties, the role of foreign workers, and how his business background shapes his policies. From his COVID-era baptism of fire to recent controversies on speaking Cantonese in Parliament and the internship exposure vs pay debate, Dr. Tan an...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 653
★ Our GE2025 Plans!! ★ Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.yahlahbut.com to find out firsthand where we'll be during each day of the campaigning period. It's gonna be epic! After 30 years in opposition politics, Dr. Chee Soon Juan is still in the fight. In this candid, wide-ranging interview, the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) discusses why he’s contesting again, his thoughts on cost-of-living issues, and how mainstream media unfairly shaped public perception of ...
Apr 19, 2025•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 652
Koh Buck Song, poet, writer, and country brand advisor, has helped shape how the world sees Singapore. He joins us to unpack the essence of what it means to be Singaporean and how we see ourselves. We also discuss how our shared identity as Singaporeans makes us unique. We explore why multiculturalism is our secret sauce, how hawker centres are more than food courts, and what we’re missing when it comes to soul and identity. Our Sponsor - Singapore International Foundation (SIF) This episode was...
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 651
★ Our GE2025 Plans!! ★ Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.yahlahbut.com to find out firsthand where we'll be during each day of the campaigning period. It's gonna be epic! Donald Low, Professor of Practice at the HKUST Institute for Public Policy, joins us to talk about his new book on COVID’s lasting impact on China, the consequences of Donald Trump’s tariffs & counterintuitive facts about the global economy. And of course, with his decade’s long experience in the Singapore civil ser...
Apr 17, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 650
★ Our GE2025 Plans! ★ Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.yahlahbut.com to updates and to find out firsthand where we'll be during each day of the campaigning period. It's gonna be epic! In this candid conversation that took place right after the Writ of Election was issued, former PAP MP and serial entrepreneur Inderjit Singh joins us to reflect on his time in Parliament, his business journey, and his outspoken and controversial views on key policies. And given the upcoming election, we t...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 649
Red Dot United’s Secretary-General Ravi Philemon opens up about why he left the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) to start Red Dot United just weeks before GE2020, and even more shockingly, contested against now-President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. He shares how RDU is positioning itself differently from other opposition parties ahead of GE2025, why discipline and data matter for his team, and the challenges of building a new party from scratch. Plus, he lays out the reason why smaller opposition part...
Apr 14, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 648
PM Lawrence Wong’s speech on US tariffs and global trade shockwaves didn’t just make headlines in Singapore - it went viral around the world, earning praise from political commentators and international audiences. But is it a true rallying cry that will inspire confidence? Elsewhere, the saga regarding former NMP Calvin Cheng’s comments about sending a group of activists to Gaza has triggered a series of negative reactions, with the latest one from PM Wong himself. Calvin Cheng has since apologi...
Apr 11, 2025•59 min•Ep. 647
Arguably the biggest catch of the upcoming election, Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh joins Yah Lah BUT for a candid, wide-ranging conversation. He reveals why an accomplished legal professional would join opposition politics under the Workers’ Party. He tells us about the instances in his life when he spoke truth to power, and what policies that he believes need to change to prepare young Singaporeans for the future. He also reflects on his infamous 1996 public exchange with Lee Kuan Yew and how a...
Apr 09, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 646
Last Friday, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong released a video warning Singaporeans to brace for global economic instability in light of US-imposed tariffs. The 5-minute address sparked mixed reactions - some lauded the call for unity, others slammed it as vague and fear-mongering. We unpack what he actually said and how the opposition parties responded. Over the weekend, a community event in the East revealed a slew of new perks and grants available only to residents of the Marine Parade Cluster. I...
Apr 07, 2025•56 min•Ep. 645
We come full circle, as the Speaker who first introduced Yah Lah BUT to Parliament now comes to our studio as a guest! Seah Kian Peng shares his candid views about his role as Speaker, what he thinks about the recent kerfuffles in Parliament, and the biggest misconception about his longstanding MP role at Braddell Heights. This episode was recorded on 17 March 2025. (00:00) Intro (02:01) Background and Career (07:16) Social Mobility and Inequality (15:06) Role and Responsibilities (24:52) Challe...
Apr 04, 2025•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 643
Two Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) recently stepped down to join political parties, raising eyebrows about the role’s neutrality. Minister Shanmugam addressed the issue, clarifying that the Constitution allows it, and that it’s up to public judgment to assess the move. Meanwhile, Minister Tan See Leng’s comment that undergraduates should focus “exposure, not pay” didn’t go down well online. Or are we just a bunch of snowflakes? (00:00) Folklory (00:55) Intro (11:03) NMPs Joining Politica...
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 644
He’s an internationally-renowned infectious diseases expert who became an opposition politician with the Singapore Democratic Party. In this candid conversation, Dr Paul Tambyah joins YLB to talk about the public healthcare system, his motivation for staying in opposition politics, and why Singapore’s response to the the global pandemic was surprising in many ways. Walking us through his days of activism to party politics to international COVID-19 crisis meetings, Dr Tambyah shares his unfiltere...
Apr 01, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 642
Singapore's Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung delivers a no-holds-barred conversation in this YLB episode - tearing into US-Asia power shifts, Singapore's healthcare time bombs, and his own political war stories after losing Aljunied GRC in 2011. He explains why he believes the Opposition isn't going anywhere, drops truth bombs about how char kway teow could sink his career, and reveals when government should - and shouldn't - step in. The discussion also turns personal as he reflects on the famil...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 641
She’s the journalist who sparked the NRIC unmasking saga, and she’s back on Yah Lah BUT. Bertha Henson joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about Singapore’s political state of play. From the EBRC Report to the recent NMP resignations, from Edwin Tong’s viral walkabout video to whether opposition “mosquito parties” should just call it quits - Bertha gives her no-holds-barred take on what’s broken, what needs fixing, and what voters should look out for this GE2025. And she also tells us why s...
Mar 26, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 640
The GE2025 season is heating up - barely 2 weeks in and it’s already spicy. A video of Minister Edwin Tong’s walkabout in Marine Parade went viral for seemingly showing an uncle in a wheelchair flipping him off, but was it actually a middle finger? A PAP volunteer also got implicated for looking stand-offish in the video. We dissect the footage and the clarifications from all the parties involved, and ask if this foreshadows the aggressive campaigning to come. Elsewhere, a Buddhist society’s job...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 639
Singapore is no longer the happiest country in Asia, according to the latest World Happiness Report. We dropped from 29th to 34th globally, losing our regional crown to Taiwan. What’s behind this decline, and does it match how Singaporeans actually feel? Elsewhere, a standoff between residents in Bukit Batok has sparked debate after a woman complained about her neighbour walking along the corridor in only boxers. Is it indecent, or just awkward? (00:00) Folklory (00:55) Intro (06:30) Singapore D...
Mar 21, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 638
In this special episode, we sit down with Dr. Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information & Ministry of Health, to discuss the FutureYOUth Movement - a youth parallel of the Forward Singapore exercise to understand sentiments and aspirations on issues that youth resonate with. From education and AI to civic participation and social challenges, we break down what young Singaporeans are really concerned about and what has be done. If you want to...
Mar 19, 2025•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 637
A video of Minister K. Shanmugam verbally clashing with activists at a Meet-the-People Session last week has gone viral, with the activists in question drawing widespread condemnation for their provocative actions. The activists revealed their side of the story over the weekend, and alleged that they were unfairly portrayed by the Minister’s team and mainstream media. Who’s winning this war of words? Meanwhile, supermarkets in Singapore are finally rolling out unit pricing, making grocery shoppi...
Mar 17, 2025•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 636
In this special episode, we sit down with Hazel Poa, Non-Constituency MP from the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), to discuss her unexpected journey into opposition politics, her views on Singapore’s leadership, and why she believes education reform is key to the country’s future. We cover everything from the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) report, to why she thinks the GRC system should be abolished, to how Singaporeans can take more control of their own lives, starting with the upc...
Mar 14, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 635
Singapore’s Electoral Boundaries Review Committee has released its long-awaited report, remaking constituencies ahead of the imminent GE2025. With more MPs, redrawn boundaries, and reconstituted double-barrel GRCs, are these justified adjustments? Or are online commentators’ accusations of gerrymandering valid? Meanwhile, Lady Gaga has chosen Singapore as her only Asia tour stop - sparking excitement and, of course, disappointment from Little Monsters around the region. In Parliament, Minister E...
Mar 12, 2025•57 min•Ep. 634
Last week in Parliament, Minister of Manpower Dr Tan See Leng chided PSP’s Leong Mun Wai with a viral Cantonese movie quote that is dividing public opinion. Was it a power move, or unnecessary condescension on his part? Meanwhile, Workers' Party MP Jamus Lim is pushing for Thaipusam to be reinstated as a public holiday, arguing that Singapore’s public holiday distribution is unequal. But will the government ever consider adding another day off? (00:00) Intro (07:30) Tan See Leng’s Cantonese Catc...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 633
We return with our first YLB Live show of 2025! In this episode, we talk about the government tightening rules on Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs), by introducing speed limits and medical certification requirements. Are these necessary safety measures, or will they unfairly penalize legitimate users? Meanwhile, a Singapore PR is offering a $2,000 “bounty” to anyone who introduces her to a suitor, and if they date for at least six months. Is this a brilliant dating hack or just another sign of our u...
Mar 07, 2025•55 min•Ep. 632
The NRIC unmasking saga is far from over - after a thorough investigation, a 36-page report reveals how a “confluence of shortcomings” led to the NRIC kerfuffle under ACRA’s watch. But while no "deliberate wrongdoing" was found, will there be accountability of the key personnel involved? Meanwhile, the SCDF is set to hire foreigners for emergency medical services, citing manpower shortages amid Singapore’s declining birth rate. Are these valid reasons for searching for foreign talent? (00:00) Fo...
Mar 05, 2025•59 min•Ep. 631
A heated GST debate erupted this week as Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh accused the government of “turbocharging inflation” with the timing of the GST hike. Academic Ben Leong pushed back on this “irritating” assertion via a social media post, and Minister Shanmugam even agreed by sharing his post. But who’s actually right? Meanwhile, the great Pickleball noise war rages on in Marine Parade, with frustrated residents forcing changes to court usage hours. Are we killing the kampung spirit ...
Feb 28, 2025•54 min•Ep. 630
The latest Graduate Employment Survey shows that fewer fresh graduates in Singapore are landing full-time jobs within six months of graduation, despite median starting salaries rising by 4%. Are Singapore degrees losing their value, or are AI and global competition changing the game? Meanwhile, a couple’s dream trip to Venice turned into a nightmare when they were seated next to a dead body for 4 hours on their Qatar Airways flight. How did this happen, and what do airlines actually do when some...
Feb 26, 2025•56 min•Ep. 629
The Montfort Secondary School bullying incident has shocked Singapore, with a viral video showing students attacking a fellow classmate. Despite the school's claim of "appropriate disciplinary actions", the victim’s mother is speaking out, demanding transparency. Are schools doing enough, or is it time for harsher punishments? Meanwhile, a new task force report suggests grants for coffee shop owners to clean their infamously dirty toilets. But should taxpayers foot the bill for this? (00:00) Int...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 628
