The Weekly Wrap-Up

The world's largest democracy underwent a significant political shift in its 2024 general election. Political pundits and exit polls predicted a landslide victory for India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party but the surprise result of the election reaffirmed the unpredictable nature of Indian politics. Although Prime Minister Modi has secured a third term, his BJP failed to achieve outright parliamentary majority in the 543-seat lower house of parliament. Nirmala Ganapathy, The Straits Times' India bureau chief discussed the factors that contributed to the shock election outcome and the priorities the new government will focus on.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Foreign-registered cars entering Malaysia to use VEP from October, big tech bolsters its presence in Malaysia and other major events happening in Singapore and the region. On the Weekly Wrap, The Straits Times' Associate Foreign Editor Lim Ai-Leen discusses recent developments in Malaysia, the world's biggest election in India and the annual defence and security forum International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue 2024 taking place in Singapore from 31 May to 2 June.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has called on Singaporeans to join him in the ambitious goal of building a society where everyone matters “and a Singapore that matters to all Singaporeans”.Some political analysts have said that PM Wong wants to set himself apart from his predecessors and be measured against his own words So how will PM Wong be a different type of Prime Minister? And how will our foreign policies be re-shaped under his leadership? Nicholas Fang, Managing Director, Black Dot and Director for Security and Global Affairs, Singapore Institute of International Affairs shares his view. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivered his last major political speech as head of government at the annual May Day Rally.  This comes a fortnight before he is set to pass the baton to Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who will be sworn in as the Republic’s fourth prime minister, at a ceremony to be held at the Istana on May 15. Did PM Lee's last major speech in a way mark the start of DPM Lawrence Wong's tenure as PM? Dr Felix Tan, Independent Political Observer tells us more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) is looking for an anti-scam mascot to serve as a visual rallying call to bank customers to “stop and check before clicking”. It launched its anti-scam mascot design competition on April 16, offering $10,000 for the top entry, and $3,000 and $2,000 for the second- and third-placed designs, respectively. But how will a mascot help in the fight against scams?  Ong-Ang Ai Boon, Director, The Association of Banks in Singapore tells us more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After nearly 20 years heading Singapore’s government, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is set to step down on May 15. And as part of a long-planned succession, Singapore will be ushering in a new era led by current Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong as our fourth prime minister. So what can we expect from DPM Wong when he takes over the reins of Prime Minister? Based on his leadership style, what have we learnt about him, how will he lead Singapore? How will he position Singapore moving forward?  Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unsold units at The Residences at W Singapore Sentosa Cove will be up for sale at more than 40 percent off their initial 2010 launch price. Cityview Place Holdings will be releasing 58 units for sale on April 15, with prices starting from $1,648 per square foot.  But will this move however result in rapid sales for those vacant units? Is a unit there worth your investment?  Nicholas Mak, Chief Research Officer, Mogul.sg shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No Signboard Holdings has resumed the trading of its shares on March 15 after obtaining concurrence from Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) on March 14.  But shares of No Signboard Holdings slid after opening at 2.7 cents, the stock was down 1.6 cents, or 51.6 percent.  Will such sentiments continue for No Signboard shares? Willie Keng, Founder, Dividend Titan shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Swift mania sweeps the parliament! Economically, how will her concerts benefit Singapore? And recently announced in parliament, Singapore’s retirement age to go up to 64 in 2026.  Dr Felix Tan, Independent Political Observer gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For the first time ever, Singapore’s resident total fertility rate has dropped below 1.0. Preliminary estimates show that the total fertility rate fell to 0.97 in 2023, declining further from the previous record of 1.04 in 2022 and 1.12 in 2021. What are the factors leading to the new low? And should we be worried?  Dr Mathew Mathews, Head, Social Lab, and Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Singapore Tourism Board and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth said on Feb 20 that Taylor Swift’s sold-out concerts in Singapore in March had received support from the authorities in the form of a grant. This comes after Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin's comments on Feb 16 that the Singapore Government offered subsidies in exchange for Swift agreeing not to perform elsewhere in South-east Asia.Is paying for concert exclusivity a common practice? How does it benefit Singapore's economy and does it make financial sense to give a grant? Dr Kevin Cheong, Managing Partner, Syntegrate LLP weighs in. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Retrenchments in Singapore more than doubled in 2023 from the previous year to 14,320, even as the overall unemployment rate fell slightly. Total employment growth for the full year of 2023 slowed amid weaker economic conditions, following a sharp post-pandemic rebound in 2022. So should we expect this trend to stay? Rahul Chawla, Partner & Head of Human Capital Solutions, Southeast Asia, Aon shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The move to discontinue the NETS FlashPay card and some adult EZ-Link cards for use on buses and trains was announced earlier in January. But in an intereting turn of events, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has U-turned its decision to phase out the old ticketing system in favour of SimplyGo.  So could SimplyGo make a proper comeback after such a debacle?  Terence Fan, Assistant Professor of Strategy & Entrepreneurship (Education); Academic Director, Accreditation, Singapore Management University shares his perspective. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

S Iswaran has resigned as Transport Minister and a member of the People's Action Party (PAP).He has been charged with 27 offences yesterday, two of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act, one of obstructing justice and 24 of obtaining a valuable thing as a public servant. So what happens next? Will it be hard to replace him at West Coast GRC?  Dr Felix Tan, Independent Political Observer shares his analysis. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to a bill submitted to parliament this week, Singapore is proposing to hold “dangerous offenders” indefinitely, even after they complete their jail sentences. Called the Sentence for Enhanced Public Protection (Sepp), it was introduced as part of the Criminal Procedure (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill. So why has such a sentencing regime been proposed only now? Stefanie Yuen Thio, Joint Managing Partner, TSMP Law Corporation shares her views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Finalised Ministry of Manpower (MOM) data for the third quarter of 2023 has shown that the number of job vacancies was at 78,400 in September. The data also revealed that Singapore retrenchments numbers saw an increase in 3Q2023.  As we embark into a new year, will Singapore’s job market continue to cool? Song Seng Wun, Economic Consultant, CGS CIMB Securities shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore's largest taxi operator ComfortDelGro has announced that it will increase its cab fares to help cabbies defray higher operating costs. The last time this was done was back in March 2022. A new peak hour surcharge will also be implemented from 10am to 1.59pm on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. But is there a real need for them to do so again?  Walter Theseira, Associate Professor, Economics & Head, Master of Management (Urban Transportation) Programme, Singapore University of Social Sciences shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

According to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) advance report of how Singapore’s labour market fared in the whole of 2023, with high inflation this year eating into the spending power of Singapore residents, the real incomes for workers at the 20th percentile fell by 3 percent compared with the same period last year, while that for median workers dipped by 2.3 percent, even as nominal wages grew. Rahul Chawla, Partner and Head of Talent Solutions for Southeast Asia, Aon discusses with the report with us and the reason why employers are not keeping up pace with the rate of inflation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s Presidents will be able to accept appointments at international organisations in a “private capacity”, allowing them to act and express views independently under constitutional amendments that were passed in Parliament this week.  But could any time spent serving private interests be time taken away from the President’s national duties and his constituents? Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 8th edition of the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) has wrapped up and this year’s theme centered around “The Application of AI in Financial Services”. Many talks were lined up from industry leaders and experts who shared the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities. Sopnendu Mohanty, Chief Fintech Officer, Monetary Authority of Singapore gives us a roundup of SFF 2023 and the highlights from this year's festival. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 We discuss our nation’s pride and joy, Singapore Airlines. SIA has posted a 55.4 percent-higher net profit of S$1.4 billion for the first six months of its financial year ended Sep 30, from S$926.9 million a year earlier.  So what does this mean for the future of our national airline?  Ven Sreenivasan, Associate Editor & Senior Columnist, The Straits Times shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has imposed a six-month pause on DBS Bank's non-essential IT changes to ensure that the bank keeps sharp focus on restoring the resilience of its digital banking services. DBS will not be allowed to acquire new business ventures during this period or reduce the size of its branch and ATM networks in Singapore. But why are such serious actions only taken now despite the bank facing major disruptions multiple times in the last year.  Benjamin Ang, Senior Fellow & Head, Centre of Excellence for National Security and Future Issues in Technology, RSIS NTU shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the past, Singaporeans talked about chasing the Five ‘C’s but nowadays we no longer focus on them anymore. More than materialism, Singaporeans now chase meaning and the evolving Singapore Dream must be reflected in key shifts around how its citizens define success across all areas of life. This was outlined in the Forward SG report, which laid out a roadmap for a new way forward for Singapore. Dr Tan Ern Ser, Sociologist, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology; Academic Convener, Singapore Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS) shares his thoughts on this report. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The certificate of entitlement (COE) premium for the Open category breached the $150,000 mark at the latest tender exercise to close at a new all-time high of $152,000. What has caused prices of COEs to skyrocket over the last few years? And is it time for the government to review the system?  Walter Theseira, Associate Professor, Economics & Head, Master of Management (Urban Transportation) Programme, Singapore University of Social Sciences shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From being labelled 'Israel’s 9/11' to the culmination of a '50-year time bomb', the world is reacting to the Hamas-Israel recent conflict. Singapore has come forward to strongly condemn the rocket and terror attacks and our Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K. Shanmugam has also spoken to the media with regards to this matter. Why does this surprise attack matter to a country like Singapore? Will there ever be a conclusion for the turmoil in that particular region?  Dr Samir Puri, Visiting Lecturer in War Studies at King's College London and author of 'Russia's Road to War with Ukraine shares his reactions and thoughts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 2023 has seen the rental markets for both condos and HDBs in Singapore go through a significant shift.  We analyze these statistics and look ahead for potential future movements for the rest of the year with Nicholas Mak, Chief Research Officer, Mogul.sg.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An overhaul of the classification system for mature and non-mature estates and a new retirement support package for workers born in 1973 or earlier are among the key announcements in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech last weekend.  Were there any topics that should be covered but were not? What reactions are we getting from the ground so far? Paulin Tay Straughan, Professor of Sociology (Practice), Singapore Management University shares more.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will deliver his 2023 National Day Rally speech at 6.45pm this weekend. But after all the political roller coaster Singapore has gone through the last few months, how would the tone of this National Day Rally be like?  Dr. Felix Tan, Political Observer, Nanyang Technological University shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has given a ministerial statement to address concerns over the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau’s (CPIB) investigation into Transport Minister S Iswaran and the resignation of Members of Parliament (MPs) Tan Chuan Jin and Cheng Li Hui. But were all the burning questions answered in his statement?  PN Balji, Political Commentator & Veteran Journalist shares his thoughts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Divorce statistics showed that the highest proportion of break-ups came between the 5th and 10th years of marriage. What factors are contributing to this and is there anything that these couples can do to face this issue? We speak to Paulin Tay Straughan, Professor of Sociology (Practice), Singapore Management University more about this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the recent resignation by a few members of parliament over their extramarital affairs, there is doubt cast upon the trustworthiness of our political leaders. However, should we be judging these politicians based on their personal affairs this harshly even though they dutifully carry out their responsibilities as members of parliament? We speak to Dr. Felix Tan, Political Observer, Nanyang Technological University more about this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Transport Minister S Iswaran is assisting the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) with an investigation into a case uncovered by the agency. These investigations invoke doubts about Singapore's incorruptibility. Moreover, Mr Iswaran's involvement would make the PAP need to reassess his role in the upcoming election as the MP of West Coast GRC. We speak to Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University more about this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Malaysia will be holding its elections in six states on August 12. The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) have decided not to contest the upcoming polls. Lastly, how will the outcome of the election affect the Malaysian public's view of PM Anwar? We speak to Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs more about this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On 27 June, a nature enthusiast spotted mass oil slicks on the shores of East Coast Park. In Singapore, where shipping is an essential part of economy, this occurrence is not completely avoidable. There are already measures put in place to reduce the chances of this happening but what more can be done? We speak to Kua Kay Yaw, Former chairman of Marine Conservation Group, Nature Society (Singapore) more about this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With big headliners making their way to our shores, ticket scalpers are back in ‘business’. Can ticket scalping be an issue we will ever overcome? Could legislation be put to play in this instance?  Khelvin Xu, Partner, Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP shares his views on this. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A battle of CV’s? On what basis are we looking at to elect our next president? Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Mr George Goh look like the two most promising candidates for the upcoming election. However, without a savvy media team Mr Goh would have trouble putting his name forward and ensuring eligibility for running. Moreover, should we keep an eye on ‘hopefuls’ such as former secondary school teacher Seng Soon Kia as potential contenders? We speak to  Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law, Singapore Management University more about this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has offered himself as a candidate in the upcoming Presidential Election. This will also mean he will stand down from his government positions including Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore on July 7.But with a political heavyweight like Mr Tharman running for the presidential election, will it deter others from contesting now? Dr. Felix Tan, Political Observer, Nanyang Technological University shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore sports scene has evolved a lot over the last few decades. We have seen the country winning various major medals including an Olympic gold medal with Joseph Schooling. But why are we not supporting our own athletes more?  Nicholas Fang, Managing Director, Black Dot and Director for Security and Global Affairs, Singapore Institute of International Affairs shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As announced late on Wednesday night, foreigners buying any residential property in Singapore from yesterday (April 27) will have to pay an additional buyer’s stamp duty (ABSD) of 60 percent after it was doubled from 30 percent. While Singaporeans buying their second residential property will pay an ABSD rate of 20 percent, up from 17 percent, while those buying their third and subsequent residential property will have to pay an increased rate of 30 percent, up from 25 percent. Dr Lee Nai Jia, Head of Real Estate Intelligence, Data and Software Solutions, PropertyGuru Group shares his analysis and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab Singapore has introduced a feature on its app that allows passengers and the driver to record audio for safety purposes. But how would such a feature help passengers and drivers in any dispute? Privacy out of the window?  Jeremiah Chew, Associate Director, Ascendant Legal shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Singapore transitions into a new endemic Covid-19 normal, the government has released the White Paper on Singapore's response to Covid-19. But was there a need to release such a white paper? Does the paper strike a balance between being both candid and self-critical? Dr. Felix Tan, Political Observer, Nanyang Technological University shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People will soon be paying for plastic at more places, with most supermarkets set to charge at least five cents per bag from July 3.The move, part of a bid to reduce the use of disposables in Singapore, comes in tandem with efforts to ramp up recycling efforts in homes. But is this enough? What more can be done to ramp up recycling efforts in Singapore?  Tan Huileng, Executive Director. Zero Waste Singapore shares her views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past few weeks, some residents of a Bishan HDB estate scrambled to find ways to shield themselves from attacks from crows. And to counter that issue, the National Parks Board (NParks) has said it is working with the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council to reduce the crow population. Tan Gim Cheong, Bird Group Chairman, Nature Society (Singapore) shares with us his views on how such instances can be avoided. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Green is the new orange and we are back at Dorscon green! From February 13, commuters will no longer have to wear masks when taking public transport as community regulations are progressively lifted. But are Singaporeans ready to go back to 'normal'?  Dr Asok Kurup, Infectious Disease Expert, Mount Elizabeth Hospital shares his views. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore has lost its top spot for being the most Instagrammable place in the world and taking the top spots are Milan, London and Paris. Dr Kevin Cheong, Managing Partner, Syntegrate (he was formerly Chairman, Association of Singapore Attractions) shares his views on what can be done for Singapore to come back on top. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.