Shows / Yah Lah But
Yah Lah But
A thrice weekly podcast on conversations Singaporeans are having but not saying out loud – politics, culture, identity. Haresh Tilani and Terence Chia consider every side, never quite agree, and never play it safe. Honest, informed, always worth arguing about. Subscribe so you don’t miss new episodes.
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Episodes
- Yah Lah But
#888: Jensen Huang Admits Affair With Alleged Spy & SMRT Tests Two-Sided Escalators
Jensen Huang tells Nvidia staff he’s “deeply sorry” for an affair with an alleged Chinese spy. SMRT asks City Hall commuters to share escalator steps; they…
- Yah Lah But
#887: Shanmugam Slams WP’s Fadli on Israel Questions & Open-Concept Massage Shops Face Licensing
Minister Shanmugam calls WP MP Fadli Fawzi’s Israel stance “absurd” and brings in race and religion into the debate. Elsewhere, police end massage licence…
- Yah Lah But
#886: The Pantry Boy’s Journey from 16-Year-Old Microwave Chef to TikTok Food Creator of the Year
From microwaving food at 16, to working in a French kitchen under a Michelin-trained chef, and now getting nominated TikTok Food Creator of the Year, The…
- Yah Lah But
#885: S’pore Schools Hire Discipline Officers & Ex-PAP MP Amrin’s Foodpanda Costume Sparks Debate
At least 20 S’pore schools will hire outside discipline officers. Meanwhile, ex-PAP MP Amrin Amin dresses as a Foodpanda rider at Chip Bee Gardens Halloween…
- Yah Lah But
#884: Shanmugam, Grace Fu and Gan Kim Yong Meet CEOs & NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang Defends SG Company
Shanmugam, Grace Fu and Gan Kim Yong summon 10 S’pore haze firms for probing. MegaSpeed’s Alice Huang and NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang implicated in Chinese spy plot…
- Yah Lah But
#883: S’pore Hikes Retirement Age To 65 & Ho Ching Praises Iswaran Despite Conviction
S’pore lifts retirement age to 65 on 1 January 2029, a year early. Meanwhile, Ho Ching thanks ex-minister Iswaran for his LNG “foresight”, adding that we all…
- Yah Lah But
#882: Jamus Lim Slams PM Wong’s WP Critique & Are S’poreans Leaving Recycling to Migrant Workers?
The PAP re-elects 14 leaders to its CEC with no new names; ministers Jeffrey Siow and Jasmin Lau miss out. Migrant workers queue at Woodlands Recreation Centre…
- Yah Lah But
#881: Ex-Indonesian Minister Takes On GIC and Temasek & Restaurant Defends Its "War Zone" Post
Ex-Indonesian minister Lutfi accuses GIC and Temasek of pressuring MSCI to downgrade Indonesia; both deny it. Upper Thomson restaurant Woodsmen calls a table a…
- Yah Lah But
#880: Shanmugam Finally Takes a Stand on Haze & GovTech Now Cares About 45-Year-Olds
Shanmugam says SGX is questioning seven listed firms over Indonesia's haze fires. Meanwhile, GovTech lifts FirstDate's cap from 35 to 45, explaining the old…
- Yah Lah But
#879: Can Grace Fu's Haze Task Force Keep Up? & HDB Defends ‘Pathetic’ Tengah BTO Kitchen
NEA serves notices on seven Indonesian firms as Grace Fu says haze could last weeks. Reno Scout calls a Tengah kitchen “very tiny” and it goes viral; HDB…
- Yah Lah But
#878: Maxwell Stall Gets Record $7,911 Rent Bid & Diner Says Uncles Harassed Her At People's Park?
Maxwell Food Centre stall draws a record $7,911 monthly bid. Older men at People's Park food court allegedly drink, kiss and tip women; a diner says one…
- Yah Lah But
#877: Is Grace Fu's Response To S'pore's Haze Strong Enough & Why Is PAP’s Foo Cexiang Wrestling?
Grace Fu offers Indonesia fire-fighting help as PSI nears "very unhealthy". MP Foo Cexiang wrestles at Tanjong Pagar CC, wins with an elbow drop; caption…
- Yah Lah But
#876: Breast Cancer, Muay Thai & Why Do People Ask Such Intrusive Questions? ft. Shermin Shu
In 2025, Muay Thai fighter Shermin Shu was thriving at work, training for her first pro fight and newly engaged to her partner, comedian Jacky Ng, at Hong Kong…
- Yah Lah But
#875: Winning S’pore First MMA Gold & Do S’pore’s Athletes Still Fall Through The Cracks? ft. Tiffany Teo
Years before Asian Games gold, Tiffany Teo was the schoolgirl who skipped PE and joined choir because it was a chill CCA. Now the MMA champion and Homeground…
- Yah Lah But
#874: MOM’s Jasmin Lau On Highest Retrenchments Since 2020 & Punggol’s Tenants Get One More Year
Retrenchment numbers hit the highest since 2020 says MOM’s Jasmin Lau. Punggol East Container Park's four main tenants get a lease to end-2027. 🔔 Enjoyed this…
- Yah Lah But
#873: SG Sports Officials Defend Asian Games Athletes & Man Faces 10 Years in Jail for AI-Photo
Officials say Team S'pore met internal medal projections with 2 golds at the Nagoya Asian Games. Meanwhile, a Myanmar man gets charged for sending a colleague…
- Yah Lah But
#872: David Neo Says Scrapping PSLE Could Backfire & GovTech Plays Cupid With A Viral New App?
David Neo tells the IPS Forum scrapping PSLE could shift the pressure to Primary 1 admission. GovTech launches FirstDate for public officers, one match at a…
- Yah Lah But
#871: S’pore’s Deepest MRT Tunnel & What About Our Nature Reserves? ft. Alvin Sim
What does it take to build Singapore’s rail network deep underground? Alvin Sim, LTA’s Deputy Director of Tunnelling, started his career as a fresh graduate…
- Yah Lah But
#870: Vivian Balakrishnan Tells UN It’s Too Late On AI & Why Does Primary 1 Involve Property Agents?
Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, tells the UN General Assembly it's too late to pause AI. P1 registration now includes property…
- Yah Lah But
#869 ft. Gavin Lee - Is This A New Era For S’pore Football?
Recorded on 4 Sep 2026, National coach Gavin Lee opens up on a crazy past year, building belief through culture, his newfound fatherhood and the Jalan Besar…
- Yah Lah But
#868: Jeffrey Siow Backs Waymo’s Driverless Taxis In S’pore & LTA’s $500 Bus Fines for Loud Music?
Waymo picks Singapore for its first Southeast Asia robotaxi launch by 2028. Meanwhile, bus commuters blasting music or resting feet on seats now face $500 LTA…
- Yah Lah But
#867: Macklemore Row Splits Ed Sheeran’s Tour & Should S’pore Punish Speak Seah For Sleeping?
Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” gets him dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour; every other opener quits. Speaker Seah Kian Peng dozes off mid-Parliament, a clerk wakes…
- Yah Lah But
#866: NMP Kenneth Goh Challenges Ministerial Pay Debate & Why Athletes Are Blamed For Losing
Kenneth Goh, current NMP, SMU Assoc. Prof & President of Singapore Aquatics, argues ministers' pay shouldn't be benchmarked against the top 1,000 earners. He…
- Yah Lah But
#865: Study Accuses SG Civil Servants Of ‘Informed Trading’ & Soiled Hyrox Athlete Sparks Global Outrage
The Singapore Government is reviewing a Stanford-Columbia paper alleging civil servants bought homes near MRT stations before they were announced. In Beijing…
- Yah Lah But
#864: US Ambassador Defends Trump’s Tariffs & Says S’pore Can Trust The US | Kevin Kim
US Ambassador to ASEAN Kevin Kim defends Trump’s tariffs as a fight for lost American factory jobs and refuses to call ASEAN cooperation "Make ASEAN Great…
- Yah Lah But
#863: Minister’s Pay Rise Long Overdue? & S’pore Creators Cause Offence With A Prank
Parliament’s new $1.8m entry-minister benchmark backed by several MP speeches only left us with more questions. Meanwhile, ‘Excuse Me Singapore’ pranks a dance…
- Yah Lah But
#862: Is PM Wong Avoiding SG’s Population Question? & The Real Cost of Clean Energy ft. Sudhir Vadaketh
Jom Media's Co-founder and Editor-In-Chief Sudhir Vadaketh returns to discuss the podcast PM Wong declined to join, plus why Singapore's Western Island…
- Yah Lah But
#861: Shanmugam And WP’s Tiong Tangled In Racism Debate? & SMU Survey Says S’pore Feels Dirtier
Shanmugam calls in police over racist comments, WP’s Kenneth Tiong denies his Air India questions are racist. Meanwhile, an SMU survey finds cleanliness…
- Yah Lah But
#860: Ex-Wah!Banana Actor Acquitted & Yishun Water Bottle Fight Turns Ugly ft. Frankyslates
Ex-Wah!Banana actor Lev Panfilov's conviction on four charges is overturned by the Court of Appeal over inconsistencies in the complainant's testimony…
- Yah Lah But
#859: Fake AI Photos Of Missing S’poreans In Nepal & LTA Responds to Viral Kneeling Cyclist Clip
Fake AI photos of Singaporeans missing in Nepal's floods spread on TikTok; a husband slams the false image of his wife as disrespectful. At Aljunied Crescent…
- Yah Lah But
#858: An Oscar-worthy SG Film, His Viral NDR Tears & AI's Threat to Animation ft. Ervin Han
Ervin Han's animated feature The Violinist just won the top prize at the Annecy Animation Festival, animation’s version of the Oscars. He walks through the…
- Yah Lah But
#857: AWARE Exposes What S'pore Men Really Think of Women & A Kebaya Dance Sparked A Culture War?
AWARE’s new survey finds 55% of S'porean men believe provocatively-dressed women are partly to blame if harassed. Meanwhile, a China troupe's kebaya dance at…
- Yah Lah But
#856: S’pore Singles Targeted By PM Wong’s Policies? & TikTok Sellers Slam Fake AI Ads
Recruiters warn Singapore employers that new childcare leave could punish singles and breed resentment amongst them. Meanwhile, Shopee's AI video describes…
- Yah Lah But
#855: What PM Wong’s NDR Speech Left Out & Did He Forget Singles? | Red Dot Perspective
At ITE College Central, PM Wong ties childcare leave to family size, raises BTO ceilings to $16,000, tightens social media age checks, lifts the cap on dialect…
- Yah Lah But
#854: Taiwan Hits Back at PM Anwar's "One China" Stance & Halimah Yacob Weighs In on Roxy Square
Beijing praises Anwar Ibrahim after he tells Al Jazeera that Taiwan is "part of China, period," and Taipei condemns him. Former president, Halimah Yacob…
- Yah Lah But
#853: Roxy Square Head Pat Divides S'pore & You Can Now Drink Till 4am At Clarke Quay
Boat Quay and Clarke Quay get permanent 4am liquor hours, with 92 bars approved. Wanton noodle hawker Yeo, 73, pats a girl's head at Roxy Square; her father…
- Yah Lah But
#852: S’pore Has “No Time” For Movies? & Getting Coldplay In A S’pore Film | Anthony Chen
Camera d'Or winner Anthony Chen closes his Growing Up trilogy that began with Ilo Ilo and Wet Season, with We Are All Strangers, out August 20th. He convinced…
- Yah Lah But
#851: Grace Fu Says MSE Has No Role in Maju Forest Plans & AI-Slop Film Premieres On National Day?
After 57,000 sign a petition against clearing Maju Forest, Grace Fu goes to social media to say that land use isn't MSE's call. Meanwhile, Trace Project, an…
- Yah Lah But
#850: PAP’s Janil vs. WP’s Jamus Over O-Level Oral Exam Glitch & CNA Called Out For Misleading Video
MOE clears the O-Level oral exam of errors despite 432 students reporting a different prompt, sparking a Parliament debate between Janil and other MPs…
- Yah Lah But
#849: Alvin Tan Clashes With WP On Maju Forest & Massive Attack To Blame For Their Own Ban?
Alvin Tan confirms Gillman Barracks and Maju Forest housing will proceed despite pushback. Massive Attack's founders get permanently banned from Singapore…
- Yah Lah But
#848: A Russian's Real View On S'pore & What Money Can't Buy Billionaires ft. Max Chernov
He's sat across from billionaires who told him the same secret, every time. From Singapore's former Foreign Affairs Minister, George Yeo, to comedy legend…
- Yah Lah But
#847: French Teen Fined $600 For iJooz Straw Lick & Jeffrey Siow Uses CDC Vouchers On Date Nights?
A French teen films himself licking a straw at an iJooz kiosk, puts it back, and gets fined S$600. Meanwhile, Minister Jeffrey Siow says he personally spends…
- Yah Lah But
#846: Exposing Cambodia’s Scam Industry & Is S’pore’s Money Behind It? | Shibani Mahtani
Investigative journalist, Shibani Mahtani reveals the darker secrets from inside Cambodia's scam compounds, where 200,000 trafficked workers were freed this…
- Yah Lah But
#845: $1,800/Month Is 'Affordable' For SG Youth? & Outrage As Foragers Endanger Changi Marine Life
President Tharman and David Neo launch the SG Youth Plan: $500 Curiosity Credits for youths in self-help groups, 12 free "third spaces," and 30,000 annual job…
- Yah Lah But
#844: Biggest Shocks of PM Wong's Cabinet Shake-Up & Seniors Blamed for Botched AI Banner
PM Wong promotes first-term MPs Jeffrey Siow and David Neo to full minister and brings Ng Chee Meng back into Cabinet. Meanwhile, an AI-generated National Day…
- Yah Lah But
#843: Faishal Ibrahim Resigns Over Harassment Claims & GovTech Layoffs Mean No Jobs Are Safe?
Faishal Ibrahim resigns as MP for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights and Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs after a woman's complaint to PMO and mutual…
- Yah Lah But
#842: Economist on China's Growing Influence Over SG & S'pore's AI Obsession Problem | Donald Low
Economist Donald Low unpacks why the viral "anti-Indian" TikTok videos were designed to provoke Chinese Singaporeans, and revisits the Speak Mandarin…
- Yah Lah But
#841: Quitting Banking For Theatre & Why S’pore Isn’t Being Honest About Race | Shaza Ishak
Teater Ekamatra’s Artistic Director, Shaza Ishak, restages Charged, its 2010 play on racism in the SAF, at Funan from 23rd July till 2nd August. Ishak recounts…
- Yah Lah But
#840: HDB Clearing Maju Forest Sparks Protest & David Neo Watches Dear You Amidst Backlash
HDB spark petitions amidst proposals to clear parts of Maju forest and to turn Gillman Barracks into a new housing estate. Elsewhere, David Neo joked ministers…
- Yah Lah But
#839: MHA Wants Stricter Driving Penalties & Retiree Uses Zoom Camera To Spy On Neighbours
The Road Traffic Bill more than halves the alcohol limit to roughly 1.5 drinks, adds roadside evidential breathalysers and makes holding a phone while moving…
- Yah Lah But
#838: Why S’pore Fails Its Men & Gen Z To Blame For SG’s Dead Nightlife? | MenToo Founder
Timbre Group CEO Danny Loong recently started MenToo, encouraging Singaporean men to talk about mental health, loneliness and suicide. As president of the…
- Yah Lah But
#837: Indranee Says No Further Action For WP & David Neo Is Too Busy To Watch Dear You
Indranee Rajah rules out action against WP's Sylvia Lim and Faisal Manap over COP's Raeesah Khan findings, citing a time bar. Kenneth Tiong presses for Teochew…
- Yah Lah But
#836: PM Wong Wants People Who Disagree With PAP & FIFA Overturns US Red Card Due To Trump
At Young PAP's 40th anniversary, PM Wong says the PAP needs fresh voices to keep governing well, while MOS Alvin Tan launches a new leadership academy…
- Yah Lah But
#835: LTA Flip-Flops On Circle Line Signs Again & Richest OCBC Clients Use AI Avatars to Bank?
LTA shrinks Circle Line's clockwise labels after commuter backlash, just over a week before the full loop opens. OCBC unveils AI avatars Wendy and Wayne, then…
- Yah Lah But
#834: Chinese S’poreans Staying Single Longer & Malaysia Minister's S'pore Joke Coming True?
The General Household Survey found Singapore women are staying single well past their twenties, men into their thirties and singlehood is steepest amongst…
- Yah Lah But
#833: Pritam Singh Re-elected as WP Sec-Gen & IMDA Approve 50 More Teochew Screenings of Dear You
Pritam Singh wins the WP's secret cadre vote with a supermajority despite his conviction for misleading Parliament and his removal as Leader of the Opposition…
- Yah Lah But
#832: Yeo Whee Jim - The Diagnosis That Changed Ex-Civil Servant & Single-Dad’s Perspective Forever
Yeo Whee Jim won a coveted government scholarship, entered the civil service and lived the Singapore dream. In 2013, he lost his wife to breast cancer, leaving…
- Yah Lah But
#831: Boo Junfeng - From Pink Dot to Directing NDP & Why 377A’s Repeal Is Not The End
Boo Junfeng was a founding member of Pink Dot in 2009, when attendees feared being professionally marked for just showing up. By 2016, MNC sponsors were banned…
- Yah Lah But
#830: London Mayor Inspired by S’pore’s HDB & SM Lee Receives MBS Bomb Hoax
London Mayor Sadiq Khan commits £100m to Singapore-style state-led housing after touring the SkyResidence @ Dawson. Meanwhile, Andie Tan sends a doctored…
- Yah Lah But
#829: MOM Reveals Degree Holders are Retrenched Most & SG Dubs Teochew Blockbuster in Mandarin
MOM's Q1 2026 report: retrenchments rise to 3,830 with degree holders being hit hardest of any education group. Higher education and seniority seems to…