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#288 - Names of trainee lawyers who cheated revealed & ex-Grab driver acquitted of sexual assault
In a stunning reversal, a High Court Judge publicly released the names of 6 trainee lawyers who had been caught cheating in the Bar exam. Is the punishment…
Yah Lah But#287 - Most workers still prefer flexible work arrangements & Netflix to display ads
According to a recent IPS working paper, a majority of workers prefer to continue flexible work arrangements going forward, even as Singapore lifts its COVID…
Yah Lah But#286 - Singaporean draws flak for singing worship song on flight & clinic assistant kicks stroller
A recent video featuring a Singaporean man, Jonathan Neo, singing a Christian worship song in the middle of a flight has gone viral, with critics and…
Yah Lah But#285 - F&B industry faces manpower shortage & boy urinates into bottle at food court
In line with Singapore’s nightlife industry opening up, we go through an opinion piece about the F&B industry’s woes in increasing productivity amidst a…
Yah Lah But#284 - Lawrence Wong primed as next PM & Elon Musk tries to buy Twitter
We discuss the bombshell announcement that caught everyone by surprise, right before the long weekend: Lawrence Wong has been anointed the leader of the 4G…
Yah Lah But#283 - Viral video of accident sparks debate about cyclists again & PAP ex-candidate Ivan Lim gets name cleared
Another viral CCTV video showing a collision between an errant cyclist and an unsuspecting pedestrian has once again renewed calls for greater regulation of…
Yah Lah But#282 - PM Lee warns US about Russia-Ukraine war & Penthouse model Pui Yi’s sexy photos enrage Vietnamese
In a dialogue with The Wall Street Journal editorial board in early April, PM Lee warned that the US should not define the war in Ukraine as a battle between…
Yah Lah But#281 - S’poreans more open to non-Chinese PM & life-sized LKY wax figure appears on eBay
According to a study conducted by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and CNA, Singaporeans have become more open to having a non-Chinese prime minister or…
Yah Lah But#280 - Dr Janil Puthucheary dissects our appearance in “Regardless of Race”, his political awakening, and Will Smith’s slap
It was a real pleasure this week to have Dr Janil Puthucheary, Chairman of OnePeople.sg and Senior Minister of State at MCI, swing by the YLB studio for a…
Yah Lah But#279 - Will Smith slaps Chris Rock at Oscars & Omega x Swatch collaboration causes chaos in SG
The slap that was heard around the world! By now, everyone has heard or has aired an opinion about whether Will Smith slapping comedian Chris Rock at this…
Yah Lah But#278 - POFMA issued to Wake Up SG over KKH allegations & wedding ang bao rates spark discussion
Late on Sunday night, the government issued a POFMA direction correction to Wake Up Singapore regarding the alleged story of a miscarriage that occured under…
Yah Lah But#277 - Singapore eases COVID restrictions & Tung Lok shames customer for ducking bill
On Thursday, PM Lee announced the easing of COVID restrictions in Singapore, most notably the limit on group sizes and the mask mandate outdoors. We discuss…
Yah Lah But#276 - Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas sparks fierce debate & Russia replaces McDonald’s
Lia Thomas, a transgender collegiate athlete from the US, sparked fierce debates this past week when she competed in and won several women’s events at a NCAA…
Yah Lah But#275 - Kanye West’s IG suspended for using racial slur on Trevor Noah & otters go on killing spree in Yio Chu Kang
The Kim-Kanye-Pete controversy took a dark turn when Kanye West used a racial slur to attack Trevor Noah, which led to the suspension of his IG account. Wait…
Yah Lah But#274 - M’sia politicians drag Singapore into Umno debate & Naomi Osaka rattled by heckler at Indian Wells
In the run up to the Johor state elections last weekend, Malaysian politicians went back and forth about whether Singapore would have been more or less…
Yah Lah But#273 - Can Singapore work with honour-based MC system & Chelsea football club faces sanctions because of Russian owner
As we move beyond the pandemic, can the no-MC-needed sick leave policy that many employers have been practising still continue into the future? Also, the UK…
Yah Lah But#272 - Uniqlo defends decision to stay in Russia & Gojek driver clashes with dog owner about cancellation of ride
Against the overwhelming trend of corporations pulling out of or cutting business ties with Russia, Uniqlo doubled down on its decision to keep its almost-50…
Yah Lah But#271 - Minister Josephine Teo defends SPH Media Trust & MP Shawn Huang cries about SG science and tech
Last Friday, Minister Josephine Teo defended the government’s stance of financially supporting SPH Media Trust to the tune of $900 million over 5 years. She…
Yah Lah But#270 - Minister Shanmugam comments on 377A & MP Ang Wei Neng suggests expiry date for degrees
In parliament, Minister Shanmugam commented on the courts’ recent judgement in the constitutional challenge to Section 377A, and reinforced that the government…
Yah Lah But#269 - “Just Saying” producer Dew Francis reveals his motivation behind the talk show, how COVID changed him for good, and why he hates Single’s Inferno
In this episode, we speak to local creative Dew Francis of “Just Saying” fame, and discover what it takes to produce and star on Singapore’s most beloved…
Yah Lah But#268 - What the Russia/Ukraine war means for Singaporeans & SG postpones resumption of team sports
In the past few days, the news cycle has been dominated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What is going on, how are people around the world responding, and how…
Yah Lah But#267 - Actress/writer Malene Waters talks about serial killers, Excel spreadsheets and Twitter beef
To celebrate the launch of our MARS TV series, we have one of the stars from the show as a guest; today, actress/writer Malene Waters touches down on YLB’s…
Yah Lah But#266 - Ong Ye Kung pens letter to healthcare workers & SG influencer names and shames online trolls
On Monday, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung sent a letter to public healthcare workers to boost their morale and encourage resilience in the face of the Omicron…
Yah Lah But#265 - GST hikes, wealth taxes & more from Budget 2022, with Reggie from The Financial Coconut
Last Friday, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong delivered his first-ever budget proposal, with the theme “charting our new way forward together". We talk through…
Yah Lah But#264 - Healing The Divide’s Iris Koh raises almost $100K for legal fees & runner Soh Rui Yong excluded from SEA Games
Iris Koh, the founder of anti-vaccine group, Healing the Divide, raised over S$96,000 in one week to foot her legal fees in court hearings. Are there that many…
Yah Lah But#263 - Actress Vikneswary Se discusses her love of love, dancing and phonetics
Hold up! Another star of our MARS TV series enters YLB’s orbit! This time, Vikneswary Se brings her deep philosophical thoughts about love and relationships to…
Yah Lah But#262 - Singaporeans in Ukraine advised to evacuate & WSJ writer gets backlash about wearing shoes indoors
On Sunday night, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised Singaporeans in Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible, given the threat of an imminent…
Yah Lah But#261 - Raeesah Khan gets fined but WP leadership could face criminal charges & leaked screenshots show staff making lewd comments
The Committee of Privileges released a bombshell report that recommended a $35,000 fine for Raeesah Khan, but more importantly, also referred WP’s Pritam Singh…
Yah Lah But#260 - US-born Chinese athlete Eileen Gu wins Olympic gold & NTUC Fairprice accused of fowl play with chicken weight
American-born Chinese athlete Eileen Gu was crowned the new golden girl of China athletics after she won gold at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. But why has…
Yah Lah But#259 - Joe Rogan apologises for using N-word & SG women targeted in “leaked photo” scam
Joe Rogan came under fire recently for his choice of guests on his podcast, and now a clip of him using the N-word repeatedly on his show has surfaced. Are the…
Yah Lah But#258 - Experts call for easing of SG’s COVID restrictions & NYT’s “Singapore Chicken Curry” recipe causes outrage
With our high vaccination and booster rates, experts say that Singapore has a window of opportunity to ease some Covid-19 measures, especially since the…
Yah Lah But#257 - US warns against travel to SG & BMT exercise mats raise online furore
On Monday, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised against travel to a dozen countries because of high rates of coronavirus infection…
Yah Lah But#256 - Actor-musician-funnyman James Kumar talks about MARS, Forrest Gump and why he loved CB
Star of our MARS TV series, James Kumar drops by YLB to talk about how he started his career as a director but ended up in front of the camera, how Forrest…
Yah Lah But#255 - SG extends F1 race another SEVEN years & Dee Kosh says he’s not a pedophile
On Thursday, it was revealed that Singapore has renewed the contract to host the F1 race by another whopping 7 years, which is the longest extension since this…
Yah Lah But#254 - Unvaxxed allowed to worship in groups of 5 & Peter Dinklage calls out Disney for “Snow White” remake
It was recently announced that concessions would be made for unvaccinated worshippers to attend private worship in small groups of 5. This was due to appeals…
Yah Lah But#253 - Our first-ever LIVE podcast, where we talked through YOUR favourite Yah Lah But episodes in 2021!
Welcome to our first ever LIVE podcast recording, which was recorded as part of Funny Fridays at the National Gallery! And for this momentous occasion, we…
Yah Lah But#252 - President Halimah calls out employers for penalizing workers taking COVID leave & SG crowned “Most Instagrammable Place In The World”
President Halimah Yacob posted on Facebook on 8th Jan about the recent case of a pest control technician who was jailed for potentially exposing the public to…
Yah Lah But#251 - Should OCBC be held responsible for phishing scams & Razer gets called out for misleading N95 mask claims
In December 2021, around 469 OCBC customers were conned of a total of $8.5 million by an SMS phishing scam, leaving many bewildered victims stripped of their…
Yah Lah But#250 - Another ASK-ME-ANYTHING episode where we answer your BURNING questions
It’s our 250th episode, and to commemorate the occasion we’ll answer the deepest and most exciting questions, as chosen by YOU! How we deal with rejection, how…
Yah Lah But#249 - WHO now says boosters are not a viable strategy & Bentley driver tries to run down security officer
WHO experts warned that repeating booster shots of the COVID vaccines is not a viable strategy going forward against emerging variants. In Singapore though…
Yah Lah But#248 - Djokovic wins Australian visa battle & Soh Rui Yong is beaten at 2.4km challenge
So after a protracted back and forth between Australian authorities and his legal team about his medical exemption from vaccination, tennis superstar and…
Yah Lah But#247 - Police combing through CCTV footage of Clarke Quay NYE revelers & actress Jacelyn Tay talks sex with her son
HELLO 2022! We can’t think of a better way to welcome the new year than by defying COVID restrictions, which is what a few hundred revelers did on NYE when…
Yah Lah But#246 - A look back at 2021: Singapore’s Top 10 Trending News topics
So this is 2021! In a look back at this crazy year, we deep dive into the Top 10 Trending News as collated by Google Trends. Some of these topics might be…
Yah Lah But#245 - Tennis player Peng Shuai retracts sexual assault allegations in Zaobao interview & Loh Kean Yew is SG’s first badminton world champion
Today we discuss tennis and badminton, and how SG has made waves in both racquet sports in the last couple of days. First, the mysterious case of Peng Shuai…
Yah Lah But#244 - Photos of escaped Changi lions’ treatment provokes discussion & Ms Universe 2021 made to meow by host Steve Harvey
2 lions broke free of their enclosures at Changi Airport this week and had to be tranquilized by a team from Mandai Wildlife Group. While they are currently…
Yah Lah But#243 - Pritam Singh testifies to Committee of Privileges & New Zealand to ban smoking for future generations
Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh finally gave his side of the story in the Raeesah Khan saga to the Committee of Privileges, in a 9-hour grilling session…
Yah Lah But#242 - Straw poll reveals SGeans “not confident” of their skills & Better.com CEO faces backlash for firing workers over Zoom
At a panel discussion on future skills featuring an appearance by Minister Chan Chun Sing, a straw poll showed that a majority of the attendees were only…
Yah Lah But#241 - Former MP Yaw Shin Leong says WP asked him to “stay silent” & will MOE allow teachers to be ”sugar babies”?
In another twist in the Raeesah Khan saga, former MP Yaw Shin Leong came out on Facebook to dispute Pritam Singh’s account of events surrounding his expulsion…
Yah Lah But#240 - Raeesah Khan’s testimony opens can of worms for WP leaders & Grab’s share price tumbles after going public
On Friday evening, an interim report featuring Raeesah Khan’s testimony was released by the Committee of Privileges, and it painted the Workers’ Party in a bad…
Yah Lah But#239 - Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan resigns & Singapore crowned world’s second most expensive city
Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan abruptly resigned from her position as an MP and from the party on Tuesday afternoon, just hours before she was due to face an…
Yah Lah But#238 - Are the vaccines effective against Omicron & MrBeast’s viral Squid Game video sparks discussion
In the past week, a new variant of COVID was identified in South Africa, and it was named the Omicron variant. The CEO of Moderna has said that the current…
Yah Lah But#237 - Actor and entrepreneur Andie Chen talks about acting, fatherhood and the future of the metaverse
Actor, father, entrepreneur, and now metaverse evangelist Andie Chen tells us about relocating during a pandemic, the differences between Singapore and Taiwan…
Yah Lah But#236 - Lawrence Wong discusses identity politics and tribalism & SG Army gets rid of 5BX
In a speech about “identity” at the Institute of Policy Studies, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong acknowledged the struggles of marginalised groups and assured…
Yah Lah But#235 - Violent COVID protests erupt across Europe & Pew survey reveals: what do SGeans find meaningful in life?
Protests broke out across Europe over the past weekend, as Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Denmark all saw demonstrations against the…
Yah Lah But#234 - SG obesity rate balloons in 2020 & transgender actress named ‘Amanda Man‘ in latest Jack Neo movie
Based on MOH's latest National Population Health Survey, which collected data from over 6,000 Singaporeans and PRs aged between 18 to 74, SG’s obesity rate has…
Yah Lah But#233 - SG extending F1 contract & Shanmugam calls Amos Yee‘s supporters “hypocrites”
Minister of Transport S Iswaran recently revealed that SG is in talks to continue hosting the F1 night race next year. Having only discussed this topic on YLB…
Yah Lah But#232 - Kaws art showcase stopped by court order & Kendall Jenner’s dress at BFF’s wedding ignites debate
A court injunction was served at the VIP preview of a new Kaws showcase at Marina Bay that featured a 42-metre-long inflatable created by the artist. We run…
Yah Lah But#231 - SG allows “soft” music in F&B outlets & YouTube removes “Dislike” numbers
SG has finally allowed F&B outlets to play background music, albeit only “soft recorded music”. This comes alongside the easing of several other measures that…
Yah Lah But#230 - Impending execution of M’sian drug trafficker draws international attention & anti-vaxx group‘s videos removed from YouTube
This past week, the impending execution of a convicted Malaysian drug trafficker who allegedly has “severe mental disabilities" drew criticism from activists…
Yah Lah But#229 - Healthcare workers to receive $4K reward & F45 studio posts racially insensitive video
To recognise their “courage and invaluable work”, the Ministry of Health will be awarding 100,000 public healthcare workers $4,000 each. We discuss what this…