Shows / The Usual Place
The Usual Place
Synopsis: Join host and correspondent Natasha Ann Zachariah every Thursday, as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.
Podcaster: Natasha Ann Zachariah
Executive producer: Danson Cheong
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media
Episodes
The Usual PlaceS1E116: “They treat us like dogs”: Xiaxue on the reality of being a live seller
Would you eat 2kg of durian in one go to sell a batch of the fruit? How about yapping for eight hours straight to hit your sales numbers? Live-streaming is…
The Usual PlaceS1E115: Can Singapore take Indonesia to the International Court of Justice over the haze?
Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) has been criticised for being toothless, but is that criticism fair? And if the anti-haze law is not…
The Usual PlaceS1E115: This man can order TikTok and Facebook to take posts down - Singapore's online safety commissioner
In the first two months after the Online Safety Commission (OSC) started operations, the agency handled more than 500 reports of online harms. Doxing and…
The Usual PlaceS1E114: Will LTA’s proposed changes fix the COE system?
Will COE prices for cars fall if there is just one COE category for cars, with a tiered surcharge or rebate depending on the vehicle’s open market value?…
The Usual PlaceS1E113: Ex-RI teacher and sociologist unpack Singapore’s primary school race
Parents have long complained that the education system in Singapore is too stressful for children. To address their concerns, the Ministry of Education has…
The Usual PlaceS1E112: Something bigger will have to happen before people take AI safety seriously: AI safety researcher
Will AI eventually be able to kill us, or are AI doomsayers being alarmist? Recently, employees at AI frontier companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have voiced…
The Usual PlaceS1E111: True Fitness closure: Why most members will get $0 back
If you’re a customer with a pre-paid package with a business and it closes, will you ever get your money back? True Fitness and True Yoga customers and…
The Usual PlaceS1E110: Singapore ministerial pay debate: Paying top talent competitive salaries is in the ‘soul of the PAP’
Will the increase in ministerial salaries cost the People’s Action Party (PAP) votes at the next General Election? On Sept 8, Prime Minister Lawrence…
The Usual PlaceS1E109: Lifting of wait out period for private home owners could flood HDB market with cash-rich buyers
If you own a private condominium unit and are looking to downgrade, or a family considering buying a BTO flat, the two recent housing policy changes would have…
The Usual PlaceS1E108: Can cash, childcare leave and BTO priority get Singaporeans to have kids? | National Day Rally 2026
If you’ve been thinking about having kids, last night’s National Day Rally might have given you something to rally about. Parents - and those who…
The Usual PlaceS1E107: What the Maju Forest and Gillman Barracks debate showed about policy making and consultation
What kind of involvement do Singaporeans want in policymaking? The Maju Forest-Gillman Barracks issue has seen Singaporeans making their voices heard, offering…
The Usual PlaceS1E106: Will the new National Library Board campaign get more people to read books?
Would you read regularly if you were paid to do so? The National Library Board (NLB) is hoping that people will develop a consistent reading habit by giving…
The Usual PlaceS1E105: 2 out of 3 suicide deaths are men, a psychiatrist explains why
Millennials are the generation that changed the conversation around mental health. They normalised mental health talk, encouraged self-care and made going to…
The Usual PlaceS1E104: JB-Singapore RTS Link: Singaporeans will spend $1bn more in JB
Will the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link sound the death knell for smaller, home-grown businesses when it opens in a few months? A new…
The Usual PlaceS1E103: Faishal Ibrahim’s exit: Are the PAP’s moral standards turning people away from politics?
It has been quite a week in Singapore politics, with adjustments to the Cabinet line-up and the surprise resignation of Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim…
The Usual PlaceS1E102: 1 in 3 employers are hiring contract workers. Are contract jobs the new norm for Singapore grads?
Should young job seekers start their careers with contract roles? With stiff competition for full-time roles, a tight job market and employers being more…
The Usual PlaceS1E101: Singapore lawyers are facing bullying and burnout, why hasn’t anything changed in 30 years?
Are Singapore’s lawyers doing ok? The Legal Profession Sustainability Study, which was released on June 23, suggests that lawyers were leaving the…
The Usual PlaceS1E100: Were unhappy WP veterans behind the challenge to Pritam Singh?
Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh fobbed off talk that he would face a challenge to his position at the party’s proceedings on June 28. The results…
The Usual PlaceS1E99: Dear You debate: Is it time to relook rules on Chinese dialects?
The Chinese film Dear You, shot almost entirely in Teochew, is not only a box office hit - it has ignited intense debate among Chinese Singaporeans. From…
The Usual PlaceS1E98: Lure of traffic drives millions of Chinese content creators to target Singapore
Independent content creators in China are making online posts disparaging Singapore, its politicians and minorities. The latter, in particular, has made the…
The Usual PlaceS1E97: Is modern dating in Singapore broken?
A recent Straits Times survey of 1,000 unmarried people explained why the dating scene is so bleak: it’s hard to meet new people, dating can be expensive…
The Usual PlaceS1E97: Hands-on dads look great because the bar is low: Singapore father on unfair parenting expectations
Do fathers in Singapore get a bad reputation for being hands-off? Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah, who chairs the new Marriage and…
The Usual PlaceS1E96: Singapore forensic psychologist explains why voyeurs and molesters commit crimes
Will a new bystander campaign by the police get more people to speak up for victims for molest and voyeurism? In this episode of The Usual Place, I chat with…
The Usual PlaceS1E95: Is caning an appropriate way to discipline school bullies?
By 2027, every school will have to follow standard disciplinary measures such as detention and conduct grade adjustment for different types of misbehaviour…
The Usual PlaceS1E94: Sky high condo prices: are sales being funded by parents' retirement savings?
Never mind that it’s way out west - Tengah’s first private condominium development sold out almost all its units over its launch weekend at the end…
The Usual PlaceS1E93: Are people not having children because of PSLE stress and the education arms race?
Would changes to Singapore’s education system fix our low fertility rate? A new work group, comprising political office holders from various ministries…
The Usual PlaceS1E92: New signs on MRT trains spark debate on how to behave on public transport in Singapore
An ongoing SMRT campaign, meant to inspire a gracious commute culture, has laid down the law on what’s acceptable, or not, on the train. Two bubble-like…
The Usual PlaceS1E91: What happens when single-sex schools go co-ed?
Over the last couple of years, several of Singapore’s well-known boys’ schools have opened their doors to girls. The latest to join the list is…
The Usual PlaceS1E90: Have we hit the panic button over the Iran war?
After US President Donald Trump walked back his threats to wipe Iran off the map, there’s now a two-week ceasefire in place. Hours before this kicked in…
The Usual PlaceS1E89: New IP rider rules just kicked in. Are you actually better or worse off?
If you have private medical insurance, April 1 would have been on your radar. Private health insurers have put out new Integrated Shield Plan (IP) riders…
The Usual PlaceS1E88: How can recycling be sexy?
Will lucky draws, monetary rewards or ‘sticks’ work when it comes to getting Singapore residents to recycle? A new recycling initiative called the…
The Usual PlaceS1E87: Should the Government fund condo repairs?
More than 1,000 private residential developments in Singapore are hitting their 30s, and some are starting to show signs of wear and tear. But if residents…
The Usual PlaceS1E86: What does the war in Iran change for Singapore?
The way the Iran war began has reinforced the growing feeling that the rules-based international order, which Singapore stands by and bases its foreign policy…
The Usual PlaceS1E85: Traffic deaths hit a 10-year high: What's happening on our roads?
A recent report card of our behaviour on the road has shown that we’ve become worse motorists. Traffic deaths have hit a 10-year high, the number of…
The Usual PlaceS1E84: Is owning a car in Singapore now out of reach?
Will the recent changes to the preferential additional registration fee (PARF) rebate and the current COE prices turn away car buyers? Prime Minister Lawrence…
The Usual PlaceS1E83: Budget 2026: Will AI lead to more inequality?
The conversation over the key announcement from Budget 2026 continues. On Feb 12, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled a record $154.7 billion Budget, how the…
The Usual PlaceS1E82: Budget 2026: Why is Singapore betting big on AI?
The strong push towards artificial intelligence and support for vulnerable groups such as lower-income families were two big themes that emerged at Budget…
The Usual PlaceS1E81: She became a plumber, he chose the woodworking life. What drew them to blue-collared work?
When it comes to charting their career paths, it’s likely most young Singaporeans would opt for white-collared jobs. Hands-on skilled trades? Not so…
The Usual PlaceS1E80: Has Trump ‘ruptured’ the global order? What can Singapore do?
After the World Economic Forum in Davos, it’s clear that global diplomacy has grown more confrontational and transactional. So what’s the game plan…
The Usual PlaceS1E79: Are central kitchen meals coming to every Singapore school?
There has been a buffet of discussion as pre-packed food for students have been in the spotlight recently. Some schools have had to turn to prepared meals from…
The Usual PlaceS1E78: Pritam Singh no longer Leader of the Opposition, what next for WP?
Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh has been removed as Leader of the Opposition by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, a day after Parliament debated his…
The Usual PlaceS1E77: New year, new job? What’s in store for job seekers in 2026?
Finding a new job may be on your resolution list this year, but will it be the right move in 2026? Much of the job market in 2025 was dominated by uncertainty…
The Usual PlaceS1E74: Why are buyers willing to pay $900,000 for 3-room resale HDB flats?
At least four three-room resale Housing Board flats were sold for between $900,000 and $935,000 in the first 11 months of 2025. What’s driving these…
The Usual PlaceS1E76: SEA Games 2025: Athletes Kerstin Ong and Amanda Lim on chasing their sporting dreams despite struggles
It’s been about 10 days of excitement at the SEA Games, and Team Singapore has been going all out to make their mark. Hurdler Kerstin Ong and swimmer…
The Usual PlaceS1E75: Why are Singaporeans still falling prey to scams? An expert explains
Frequent police advisories, daily news stories, a repeated “Add, Check, Tell” mantra – Singaporeans should be better at recognising scams by…
The Usual PlaceS1E73: Primary 1 registrations: Should kids be automatically assigned to schools?
How far would you go to get your child enrolled at a primary school of your choice? One woman repeatedly lied about her home address to get her daughter a spot…
The Usual PlaceS1E72: Will AI take our jobs? Jasmin Lau, Goh Hanyan say what they think
It has been about six months since Jasmin Lau and Goh Hanyan stepped into politics after careers in the civil and public service. Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann…
The Usual PlaceS1E71: How can we get Singapore consumers to buy locally farmed produce?
Dig deeper into why Singapore's food sustainability targets have changed. Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every Thursday as she unpacks…
The Usual PlaceS1E70: What’s with the fixation over brand-name schools?
This follows a debate over a school's alumni reaction to an ST report on a major scam operation. Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every…
The Usual PlaceS1E69: Megan Khung abuse case: How can we fix the system that failed her?
Megan Khung would have turned 10 a few weeks ago, if she were still alive today. Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every Thursday as she…
The Usual PlaceS1E68: The ex-vaper who had to ‘wash’ his lungs multiple times: Here's his story
Many people switch from smoking to vaping for different reasons. Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every Thursday as she unpacks the…
The Usual PlaceS1E67: What's PSP chief Leong Mun Wai up to now that he’s no longer in Parliament
Parliament convened in September, but a familiar face from the previous term wasn’t there. Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every…
The Usual PlaceS1E66: WFH vs WFO: Why are more companies making employees return to office?
Hybrid work arrangements were once widely seen as the future of work, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic upended the daily grind we were used to. Synopsis…
The Usual PlaceS1E65: WP offers S’poreans distinct alternatives to the PAP, say the party’s new MPs
A marathon Parliament session unfolded last week, as MPs debated the President’s Address over five days. A total of 81 MPs spoke in support of the…
The Usual PlaceS1E64: 15 disruptions in 3 months: Can a task force fix our MRT woes?
Public transport operators SMRT and SBS Transit have been catching some heat lately, following a spate of at least 15 instances of rail delays and…
The Usual PlaceS1E63: The pickleball pickle: Loud nuisance or fun pastime?
Pickleball has been a smash hit in Singapore over the past couple of years, but not everyone’s a fan. Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual…
The Usual PlaceS1E62: No alcohol, just vibes: How are Singapore’s Gen Zs partying differently?
Gen Zs are out here skipping the alcohol, but not the party. Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every Thursday as she unpacks the latest…
The Usual PlaceS1E61: Is it just a rent issue? What’s really killing Singapore’s F&B businesses?
As a nation of foodies, we watch the food and beverage (F&B) scene closely to see who comes and goes. Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place…
The Usual PlaceS1E60: ‘It makes me want to spam-apply’: Fresh grads tell Tan See Leng about tough job market
Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every Thursday as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests. Headlines about the job prospects…
The Usual PlaceS1E59: PM Wong’s NDR speech lacks ‘bitter medicine’: Jeremy Tan
How Singapore can truly be a ‘we first’ society. Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every Thursday as she unpacks the latest…