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
#528 - PM Lawrence Wong Takes Over & Tan Chuan-Jin Masterclass Draws Flak
This week, Singapore witnessed the historic handover of the PM role from Lee Hsien Loong to Lawrence Wong, which happened on a balmy Wednesday evening at the…
- Yah Lah But
#527 ft. Leong Mun Wai - Why Governments Cannot Lead All the Way & Why Gen Z Will Be Successful
NCMP Leong Mun Wai of the Progress Singapore Party stops by the YLB studio to tell us why he chose to return to Singapore after 18 years, why we should avoid…
- Yah Lah But
#526 - Rules on Taking MC to Be Stricter & Dynamic Pricing for Concerts Comes to Singapore
MOH is allegedly looking into tightening rules on MCs after receiving feedback about doctors issuing them improperly. What does this mean for employees who are…
- Yah Lah But
#525 - Can Lawrence Wong Make Unpopular Decisions? & How to Save Holland Village Magazine Store
In anticipation of Lawrence Wong taking over as PM next week, he sat down for a wide-ranging interview with The Economist magazine. What did we learn about the…
- Yah Lah But
#524 - Penalties for Dangerous Driving Scrutinised & OSIM Mother’s Day Ad Fat Shames Mothers?
This week in Parliament, MPs debated about road safety in Singapore after the recent accident in Tampines that killed two people. While penalties under the…
- Yah Lah But
#523 - Less Screen Time for Singapore Children & Hossan Leong Takes Shot at Hamilton Musical
In Lawrence Wong’s speech at Samaritans of Singapore’s gala dinner, he suggested that Singapore will consider additional safeguards around excessive screen…
- Yah Lah But
#522 - New ERP System Causes Frustration & Security Industry Bickers Over SGAG Video
The impending implementation of the new ERP system has caused a ruckus online, with many criticising the new 3-piece hardware to be installed on the dashboards…
- Yah Lah But
#521 ft. A Palestinian in West Bank - “Calling it the Israel-Hamas war is misleading”
We had a conversation with Palestinian lawyer Hanan Sahmoud to talk about what she learnt from Singapore after spending a year here, her experience living…
- Yah Lah But
#520 - Bank Employees Fired for Medical Claims Abuse & 14-y.o. Girls Found With Guys and Alcohol in Sentosa Hotel
OCBC’s private banking arm, Bank of Singapore, allegedly fired up to 40 employees after probing claims of medical benefits abuse. Was it fair for the bank to…
- Yah Lah But
#519 - TikTok Ban is REAL & Business Slammed for Rude Message to Riders
This past week, the US President signed a bill that has been described effectively as a ban on social media app TikTok. What will the next 9-12 months entail…
- Yah Lah But
#518 - Shanmugam Rebuts “Sneering” From The Economist & Singaporean Workers Threatening to Quit if Forced to Return to Office?
Last week, Law and Home Affairs Minister Shanmugam clapped back at British publication The Economist with a rebuttal of their article about Lawrence Wong…
- Yah Lah But
#517 ft. Jamus Lim - Why Straight-A Students Never Rise to the Top & Rethinking Our Education System
Jamus Lim comes to the YLB studio for a deep dive into the Singapore education system and what Singaporeans need to do in their careers to prepare for the…
- Yah Lah But
#516 ft. Oon Shu An - Social Media is Making Us Less “Weird” & How Palestine is Liberating Us
Actress Oon Shu An drops by the YLB studio to talk about her latest production, Tartuffe: The Imposter, why she loves to work with young creatives, and how…
- Yah Lah But
#515 - Lawrence Wong to Take Over PM Lee in May & Companies Must Allow Workers to Request Flexi Work Arrangements
We knew this was coming, but it still surprised us when it was finally announced. DPM Lawrence Wong will be taking over as Singapore’s Prime Minister come 15th…
- Yah Lah But
#514 - Iran Attacks Israel & Pope to Visit Singapore
This past weekend, Iran launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, supposedly in response to an earlier act of aggression on the Iranian consulate in Syria…
- Yah Lah But
#513 - Writers Object to IMDA Using Their Works to Train AI & No More Trishaws for Singapore?
This week, some local writers voiced their objections to the Infocomm Media Development Authority’s (IMDA) plans to build a South-east Asia-focused large…
- Yah Lah But
#512 ft. Terence Lee - Highlighting the Darker Side of Tech & Why Founders Need to be Held Accountable
Terence Lee, Editor-in-chief at Tech in Asia joins us to share his journey of being in the tech scene for so long, and now leading one of the most influential…
- Yah Lah But
#511 ft. Minister Desmond Lee - Confronting the Challenges of Public Housing in Singapore
Minister Desmond Lee has been serving at the Ministry of National Development since 2013, taking over as Minister in 2020. He joins us to discuss some…
- Yah Lah But
#510 ft. Sharul Channa - More Power for Police to Arrest Mentally Ill & Man Confronts Mosque
We got comedian Sharul Channa in to talk about her upcoming hour-long standup performances and to contribute her thoughts on some hot topics. Last week, the…
- Yah Lah But
#509 ft. Sudhir Vadaketh - What it Feels Like to Get POFMA-ed & Why “Slow Journalism” is Important
Sudhir joins us once again to share the first-hand experience of getting POFMA-ed after his company, Jom Media, received the notice in 2023. He also shares his…
- Yah Lah But
#508 - Singapore Orders Takedown of Israel Embassy Post & Iswaran Slapped With Additional Charges
This week, authorities ordered the Israel Embassy in Singapore to take down a social media post that compared mentions of Israel and Palestine in the Quran…
- Yah Lah But
#507 - Is Singapore REALLY the Happiest Asian Country? & Kampong Glam Bazaar Stall Spars with Customer Over Review
The World Happiness Report 2024 placed Singapore as the 30th happiest country in the world, which made it the top in Asia. Some online commentators were…
- Yah Lah But
#506 - WP’s Pritam Singh Charged with Lying & Debate About Singapore Work Culture
On Tuesday, WP chief Pritam Singh was charged with lying to Parliament over Raeesah Khan’s case from 2021. While he has pleaded not guilty, what is the…
- Yah Lah But
#505 - Should Singapore Host Commonwealth Games? & Army Boys Post Photo with Racist Caption
Singapore is currently assessing whether to bid to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, after Victoria pulled out last year due to its ballooning budget. What are…
- Yah Lah But
#504 - TikTok Banned in the US & Is Kaya Toast Malaysian?
This week, the House of Representatives in the US passed a bill that could lead to a national TikTok ban. In response, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew made an…
- Yah Lah But
#503 - Do Men Think Women’s Equality Has Gone Too Far? & Kate Middleton’s Photo Scandal
A recent Ipsos survey of 500 Singaporeans revealed that 57% of Singaporean men agree with the statement "we have gone so far in promoting women's equality that…
- Yah Lah But
#502 - Italian Ambassador Calls Out Restaurant for Mafia Theme & Wendy’s Backtracks on Surge Pricing for Fast Food
Over the weekend, the Italian ambassador to Singapore went on social media and called out Italian restaurant Gotti Italiano for bearing the name of an infamous…
- Yah Lah But
#501 - Pritam Singh Wades into Leong Mun Wai POFMA Case & MP Tests Electric Dog Collars on Himself
This week in Parliament, it was revealed that Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh was the one who referred the West Coast couple in the recent POFMA case to…
- Yah Lah But
#500 - World’s First TRISHAW Podcast 🚲
CHECK OUT our new Ministry of Funny website at https://www.ministryoffunny.com/! It's the world's first TRISHAW PODCAST! We’ve sped through 499 episodes of Yah…
- Yah Lah But
#499 - Should Taylor Swift Belong With Singapore EXCLUSIVELY & Should NSmen Be Paid a “Salary”?
It’s Taylor Swift Week! And alongside the buzz about her sold out series of concerts at the Sports Hub, officials in the Philippines have called out…
- Yah Lah But
#498 ft. Shibani Mahtani - Why This Singaporean Journalist Dug Into China’s Influence on Lianhe Zaobao
Shibani Mahtani is the Washington Post journalist who published an article last year which alleged that local Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao “now routinely…
- Yah Lah But
#497 ft. Jacky Ng - Did MOE Really Need Lessons on Israel-Hamas? & Leong Mun Wai Steps Down as PSP Chief
This week, we got comedian Jacky Ng in the studio to talk about his upcoming hour-long standup performance, and to contribute his thoughts on a couple of funny…
- Yah Lah But
#496 ft. Clarence Sim - Why NTU Scientist Called Out Sterra for Misleading Water Ad
Clarence Sim AKA @clarencesimple, the NTU scientist who went viral after highlighting filtration company Sterra’s misleading ad on tap water in Singapore…
- Yah Lah But
#495 - Did Taylor Swift and STB Strike Deal for Exclusivity? & Messi’s China Backlash Continues
In response to recent rumours of a Southeast-Asia exclusivity deal, STB and the Ministry of Community, Culture and Youth (MCCY) clarified that a grant had been…
- Yah Lah But
#494 - Budget 2024: What the Media Missed Feat. Reggie From The Financial Coconut
For the first “instalment” of the Forward SG social compact, DPM Lawrence Wong delivered Budget 2024, which leaned in on preparing workers for uncertain times…
- Yah Lah But
#493 - Leong Mun Wai issued POFMA & PUB Calls Out Sterra for “Misleading” Ad
This past week, NCMP and PSP leader Leong Mun Wai was issued a POFMA for publishing false information about an elderly West Coast couple who were allegedly…
- Yah Lah But
#492 - Police Investigate Events Related to Israel-Hamas War & Ubisoft Video Game Features Singapore Accent
The police announced that they are looking into 2 events related to the Israel-Hamas war that took place in Singapore over the last couple of weeks, including…
- Yah Lah But
#491 - Parliament Debates on Singapore’s Reserves & Mr Coconut Shows Receipts in Employee Dispute
This week, PM Lee and members of the Opposition were engaged in a marathon debate about Singapore’s reserves, with PSP putting forward a motion to use more of…
- Yah Lah But
#490 - Does Police Officer Suicide Deserve Inquiry & NTU is Now a Tourist Attraction?
The 2023 suicide case of police officer Uvaraja Gopal and related discrimination allegations were addressed by Minister Shanmugam in Parliament this week…
- Yah Lah But
#489 - Foreign Interference Law Invoked Against Businessman & Hong Kong Left Outraged by Messi
Last week, a Singaporean businessman, Phillip Chan, became the first person to be designated a “politically significant person” under the recently implemented…
- Yah Lah But
#488 - TikTok CEO’s Ties to China Questioned & Theatre Company’s New Name “Disrespectful”?
TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi was grilled by US senators on his personal ties to China; one senator even asked pointedly about the status of his Singapore…
- Yah Lah But
#487 - Janil Puthucheary Tells LGBTQ Youths to “Stay” & Should Migrant Workers Get Free Coldplay Tickets?
Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and for Health Dr Janil Puthucheary said that young LGBTQ people should “stand up for what you…
- Yah Lah But
#486 - Vizzio CEO’s Fake Degree Fallout & CDC Vouchers Used at Massage Parlours
The fallout from the revelation of the CEO’s fake credentials at the AI startup Vizzio continues, with an interim CEO being appointed to take over. But who…
- Yah Lah But
#485 - Chinese SG Teen Identifies as White Supremacist & Should We Use New Notes for CNY?
A self-radicalized Chinese teenager was detained by the ISD for his white supremacist views. What caused this strange turn of events? Elsewhere, queues formed…
- Yah Lah But
#484 - Was SimplyGo U-turn the Right Move & Old Chang Kee Costs $7 in London?
The U-turn that came out of nowhere! Fresh from being sworn in as the Minister of Transport, Chee Hong Tat announced that the plan to transition fully to…
- Yah Lah But
#483 - Singaporeans Not Ready for Umbrella-Sharing & SUTD Students Proud of Ridiculed Chinatown Dragon
A free umbrella sharing service for Joo Chiat residents to use in the event of sudden downpours was stopped because people did not return the umbrellas after…
- Yah Lah But
#482 - Transport Minister Iswaran Charged for Corruption & Otters Return to Torment Fish Owner in Bukit Timah
S Iswaran resigned from his cabinet position as Transport Minister and MP, in light of being formally charged for 27 offences including corruption on Thursday…
- Yah Lah But
#481 - Donald Trump Returns to Spotlight in Iowa & Government Crowdsourcing Website Highlights Budget Meals in Singapore
This week, Donald Trump cemented his frontrunner status within the US Republican party as President Joe Biden’s most likely opponent. Why does this matter for…
- Yah Lah But
#480 - EZ-Link to SimplyGo Transition Goes Off Track & KTV Job Ad Appears on Government Portal
The recent announcement that all adult commuters will have to use the SimplyGo platform for public transport payments by June sent the public into a frenzy…
- Yah Lah But
#479 - Jamus Lim Calls MAS Proposal “Unfair” for Scam Victims & Why Bus 167 was Reinstated
In Parliament this week, WP MP Jamus Lim called the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s proposed loss-sharing framework for phishing scams “fundamentally…
- Yah Lah But
#478 - Time to Review Ministerial Salaries & Tourist “Steals” Disposable Chopsticks?
Minister Chan Chun Sing revealed that the Ministerial salary review due in 2023 has been deferred because of “other pressing issues”. What does this mean?…
- Yah Lah But
#477 - Lazada Layoffs Ruffles Union & Closure of Street Soccer Court Sparks Debate
In the first week of 2024, Lazada employees were welcomed back to work with the shocking news of company-wide layoffs. Even NTUC and the workers’ union…
- Yah Lah But
#476 ft. Andie Chen - What Taiwan Taught Him About Singaporeans, Winning a Star Award (or NOT) & Why He Loves YLB
Friend and regular guest on YLB Andie Chen drops by the studio for the first time in a while to talk about his recent AACA acting award win, what he’s learnt…
- Yah Lah But
#475 - Chan Chun Sing Advises Parents to Give Kids Space & 17yo Vietnamese Bride Seeks Husband Earning $4,800
In an interview marking the start of the school year, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing gave blunt advice to parents of young children. Why is his advice…
- Yah Lah But
#474 - A Look Back at 2023: Singapore’s Top 10 Trending News Topics
It’s that time of the year again, where we look back at the Top 10 Trending News Stories as collated by Google Trends. In a year rife with political scandals…
- Yah Lah But
#473 - People’s Park Complex to be Conserved & Residents Gripe about New Columbarium
People's Park Complex is being considered for conservation by the Government, a move which has been praised by heritage experts. However, some of the owners…
- Yah Lah But
#472 - Israeli Folk Dance Class Sparks Debate & IKEA Singapore to Absorb GST Hike
An Israeli folk dance class offered by the People’s Association online portal has sparked debate online about whether such an activity should be promoted at…
- Yah Lah But
#471 - Catholic Church in Singapore Clarifies Stance on Same-Sex Unions & Tengah BTO Residents’ Struggles
This past week, the Vatican said in a landmark ruling that Roman Catholic priests can administer blessings to same-sex couples. The Catholic Church in…
- Yah Lah But
#470 - Prism+ Xiaxue Air-con Ad Deemed Misleading & Are Ang Baos at Weddings Necessary?
An Instagram ad for Prism+ air-conditioners was deemed to be “misleading” by Singapore’s advertising watchdog, and was forced to be taken offline. Is…
- Yah Lah But
#469 - Mobility Scooters Might Face Stricter Regulations & COVID-19 Medals Listed on Carousell
The Active Mobility Advisory Panel, in a proposal presented to the Ministry of Transport, has suggested limiting the use of personal mobility aids only to…