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Our guests discuss if parenthood is an expectation or choice.
Synopsis: The Straits Times’ Natasha Ann Zachariah explores contemporary societal choices and youth perspectives and digs deeper into issues of the day.
In Singapore, where preliminary estimates indicate its Total Fertility Rate hit a record low of 0.97 in 2023, some are opting to remain child-free.
In the first episode of our new podcast series, The Usual Place’s host Natasha Ann Zachariah brings together two guests who hold opposing views on being parents.
Joan Chong, 35, never wants kids. She never yearned for them before she got married, and flat out told her partner when they started dating, that she did not want to be a parent.
Meanwhile, Dainial Lim is a passionate voice in favour of embracing the joys of parenthood. To him, having children is a natural path in life after getting married, and it would have been a relationship dealbreaker for him if his wife was not for it.
They sit down with Natasha to dissect their personal choices in a candid and unfiltered conversation. What unfolds is a discussion about their choices and dissecting the misconceptions that come with it.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:56 Is it still taboo to say you want to be childfree
6:48 Do women still bear the burden of raising children?
9:44 Joan’s realities of being childfree
14:31 The scary part about having children
17:16 How kids changed Dainial’s life
23:05 Does Joan feel left out for not receiving government incentives?
25:17 Are Singaporean parents entitled?
31:25 If anyone’s on the fence about having children, what would Joan and Dainial tell them?
DM Natasha your thoughts on this topic at her IG: https://str.sg/8Wav
Watch the video version of this episode: https://str.sg/nZDz
Produced by: Natasha Zachariah ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Lynda Hong and Studio+65
Edited by: Teo Tong Kai & Eden Soh
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Feedback to: [email protected]
Read Natasha Zachariah's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN
---
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Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
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Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
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With Singapore’s resident total fertility rate dropping below 1 for the first time - hitting a historic low at 0.97 last year in 2023 - we discuss how the birth rate can be boosted.
Synopsis: Every second Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
For many years in Singapore, we have not had enough babies to replace ourselves, with the Total Fertility rate, or TFR, remaining below the replacement rate of 2.1.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Indranee Rajah - who assists in oversight of the National Population and Talent Division in the PMO - said in Parliament on Feb 28, that preliminary estimates indicate a resident TFR of 0.97 in 2023, posing twin demographic challenges for Singapore alongside an ageing population.
In this episode, ST podcast assistant editor Lynda Hong hosts Ms Indranee to find out how workplaces here can become more family-friendly, and debates what an “excellent parent” should ideally mean in this day and age.
Two young parents - unmarried to each other - are also in the studio to ask Ms Indranee about how Singapore's workplaces can be made friendly for parents juggling child-rearing responsibilities.
Mr Daniel Lim, a 31-year-old research analyst, is a father of three. Ms Deniece Grace Foo, 37, runs Emerge Arts and Media Academy, a performing arts school for children. She has two young children.
They also share their personal challenges and joys in raising a family.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:40 The government-paid paternity leave has just been doubled to four weeks on a voluntary basis; Minister Indranee on how the take-up rate is at just over 50% for now
2:33 Deniece asks the Minister: What can be done to support manpower challenges faced by SMEs?
7:38 Minister Indranee addresses the fear of a lack of mobility in one's career due to flexible work arrangement requests, and why Singapore employers who are hesitant to adopt such practices, should see it as a competitive advantage in hiring
9:20 Daniel’s experience as a "young parent employee", on "wanting to succeed at home and at work", and Deniece’s experience as an young employer helping "young parent employees"
23:24 Daniel asks the Minister: Would there ever be a form of grandparents childcare leave, especially if they will be the new "young working seniors" in future? Can Singapore be branded as one of the most "family-friendly nations" globally?
31:20 Minister Indranee on a line in her Parliament speech, on how “pressures to be an excellent parent” is one of the concerns to having children;
35:10 Daniel and Deniece on juggling pressures to be "excellent" young parents
Produced by: Lynda Hong ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and rate us:
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Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
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Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Read ST's Budget 2024 coverage: https://www.straitstimes.com/tags/budget-2024
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
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Two young hawkers chat about the profession in this era of high inflation - how to maintain profitability while still serving that affordable meal.
Synopsis: Every second Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
The cost of living has gotten more expensive in the last two years. Inflation measured by a basket of consumer goods was 4.8 per cent higher in 2023 than 2022, more than in 2021 when the price increase was at 2.3 per cent.
For young hawkers who also have their families to care for, maintaining a profit margin while resisting raising prices, can be challenging.
Cost differences between running a stall in private coffee shops vis a vis hawker centres managed by NEA, could make a stark difference in profitability, according to two hawkers.
In this episode,ST podcast assistant editor Lynda Hong speaks with Jeevan Ananthan, 32, who sells Li Na noodles - bak chor mee - in three stalls in coffee shops with a central kitchen.
Also in the studio is Cornelius Tan, 38, vice-chairman of the Chinatown Complex Hawker association. He is also a second-generation hawker of Chai Wee Cuttlefish stall in a hawker centre managed by the NEA.
They also talk about how the government subsidy waives the 0.5 per cent transaction fee that stallholders will have to pay for each digital transaction – those made via QR code payments under the Singapore Quick Response Code (SGQR) platform.
The new subsidy window, under the Hawkers Go Digital initiative to spur more merchants to digitalise, continues until Dec 31, 2024 – the second time it has been extended. It was initially extended to the end of 2023 to support stallholders during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Highlights (click/tap above):
7:34 “Let hawkers increase prices without guilt”? How rentals in hawker centres managed by NEA are charged differently from private coffee shops and food courts
13:20 Juggling manpower costs: Hiring Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs)
15:19 Is there "greed" when it comes to rent in private coffee shops and food courts?
16:13 Why the SGQR unified payment code method has helped many hawkers survive lately
17:30 Jeevan's and Cornelius' journey from the corporate world to the hawker profession; did their university degrees help in current hawker profession?
24:32 Overseas ventures: How will the Lina Noodles empire strike out next?
26:01 Advice for young and aspiring hawkers or “hawkerpreneurs”
Produced by: Lynda Hong ([email protected]), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and rate us:
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Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
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This Budget 2024 special analysis examines how measures announced would benefit Singaporean youth, from education, to housing, childcare and inflation.
Synopsis: Titled “Building our Shared Future Together”, Budget 2024 was delivered by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong in Parliament on Feb 16, 2024.
The plan for revenue and expenditure of the Singapore government was laid out to address immediate challenges like cost-of-living pressures while investing in longer-term goals of strong economic growth, better jobs and a culture of lifelong learning.
We examine how Budget 2024's measures announced would benefit Singaporean youth, from education, to housing, childcare and inflation.
In this special episode, ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong hosts two guests:
Ms Cherlyn Ng, 35, a video producer who has two young children. Ms Ng is also a young union leader with Creative Media Publishing Union, which is affiliated to NTUC.
Mr Jod Gill is global employer services partner at Deloitte Singapore.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:46 Should the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, which gives $4,000 to a Singaporean worker aged 40 and above, also in future, include workers in their 30s?
4:38 Cherlyn on how the new SkillsFuture Level-Up programme might in future, help young mothers restart their careers for example; Jod on the impact on younger workers
7:40 Thoughts on the financial support from the (Open Market) Voucher under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme for young couples waiting for Build-To-Order (BTO) homes.
9:08 Would new subsidies for pre-schools be enough to push Ms Ng to consider having a third child? Pre-school subsidy indicative of inflation pressures on younger families?
11:25 Cherlyn on renewed support for cost-of-living measures like CDC vouchers and U-save rebates; Jod on how personal tax rebates can help cushion higher cost of living
15:40 Reacting to how ITE graduates will get S$5,000 when enrolling for a diploma, and a S$10,000 CPF top-up when attaining it
Read ST's Budget 2024 coverage: https://str.sg/6kzj
Produced by: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
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Empathy for the generation divide and user behaviour patterns may need to be studied more as Singapore digitalises itself rapidly.
Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at social issues of the day with guests.
The hard deadline for full transition from an older card-based ticketing system to the account-based SimplyGo public transport payment system by June 1, 2024 eventually went away. This is after public outcry over SimplyGo’s inability to display fares and card balances at fare gates and bus card readers.
Such negative reactions have raised questions how impactful nationwide policies, like the adoption of SimplyGo, can be better communicated to the public. And is a one-size-fit-all approach even possible for Singapore’s rapidly ageing population that must constantly overcome the first hurdle in adapting to technology?
ST podcast editor Ernest Luis and assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong host two guest speakers in this episode:
Associate Professor Helen Ko from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) for her insights on ageing issues
Ms Neeta Lachmandas, founder of ConsciousService, a training and consulting company, and also a former executive director of the Institute of Service Excellence at SMU and assistant chief executive of STB.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:33 Technology and convenience versus customer experience and communication
4:55 Selling people the upside on digital policies as well as how to handle major changes; was this just an issue for the 'older' generation?
8:05 Tailoring "instructional design" - the art and science of teaching seniors
11:25 Understanding the need for bite-sized info in small steps across older generations, "empathy" in designing public policy for an increasingly ageing population
18:08 Contradictory "digital transformation" messaging not an issue exclusive to only Singapore
20:45 Why it's good to aim for "universal design"; why seniors are a highly diverse group
Produced by: Ernest Luis ([email protected]), Lynda Hong ([email protected]) and Hadyu Rahim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and rate us:
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Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
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Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#inyouropinion
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
How can community spaces co-exist with competing demands while fostering spontaneous and free play?
Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at social issues of the day with guests.
Managing the use of void decks in Singapore is like a cagey board game – one where Sembawang Town Council played the ultimate “no ball games” card, recently barricading Block 638 Woodlands Ring Road's void deck due to noisy school kids, stirring both controversy and reflection.
This was not a solo act; similar void deck blockades have hit Jalan Kayu and Tampines, creating a recurring match between communal play and resident grievances in recent years.
The incident sparked a lively online commentary, with opinions ranging from “Give kids space!" to "Stray balls are public enemy #1."
The barricades may have been taken down, but bigger questions persist: Have we taken for granted the community spaces we share? Do we still value conviviality, or have we become too individualised? Is there still room for spontaneous play and social cohesion, or are Singaporeans becoming more intolerant?
As the city evolves, the challenge remains – how can we rejig our infrastructure requirements to preserve the magic of free-access public spaces? The game is afoot!
In this episode, ST journalist Gabrielle Chan and assistant ST Now editor Sazali Abdul Aziz delve into this discussion with Professor Laavanya Kathiravelu, who specialises in sociology with a focus on urban planning in cities at the National Technological University of Singapore.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:37 Why has the discussion of this issue evoked such strong emotions among Singaporeans?
7:44 Is too much balance and structure limiting the creativity of Singaporeans?
11:39 The “Not In My Backyard” syndrome
16:07 Are playgrounds still a good tool for social integration?
21:02 Are authorities too heavy-handed in dealing with complaints?
27:22 What other solutions are there to balance the needs of the community when it comes to shared spaces?
Read Gabrielle Chan’s article: https://str.sg/iYrX
Read Sazali Abdul Aziz’s opinion column: https://str.sg/iggq
Produced by: Gabrielle Chan ([email protected]), Sazali Abdul Aziz ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here twice a month and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Read Gabrielle Chan’s articles: https://str.sg/nYBZ
Read Sazali Abdul Aziz’s articles: https://str.sg/Jbxq
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why more evidence is needed to break down the cost of transitioning migrant workers away from being ferried on lorries.
Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at social issues of the day with guests.
Migrant workers have been transported in the backs of lorries here for decades, with an ongoing debate about whether the practice should be banned. Yet, despite the platitudes and petitions signed, employers and the authorities have stopped short of doing so, citing knock-on effects on society.
Besides delays to various construction projects, higher costs for businesses and consequently all Singaporeans, are often cited as a justification for why a ban should not be imposed.
But are Singaporeans really unwilling to fork out more money to ensure that the lives of migrant workers are better protected? Especially when more are stepping up now to call for an end to the unsafe practice?
In this episode, ST journalists Ang Qing and Aqil Hamzah examine the age-old debate with their guests - labour economist and associate professor Walter Theseira, who heads the master of management in urban transportation programme at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and Suraendher Kumarr, an activist with workers’ rights group Workers Make Possible.
They discuss a survey recently commissioned by The Straits Times and conducted by market research firm Milieu Insight, on how young people in Singapore feel about the practice of ferrying workers on lorries and how much they are willing to pay to stop it.
The survey of 1,000 residents aged 16 to 35, found that while most young people here think that migrant workers should be transported safely to work, more than half surveyed are unwilling to pay more to ban the practice of ferrying migrant workers on lorries.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:05 Why are businesses reluctant to adopt alternative transport methods?
4:51 Who should bear the brunt of any increase in costs if other forms of transport besides lorries are used?
7:45 What are the challenges businesses face in making such a decision?
16:34 Young people in Singapore appear more concerned about whether current infrastructure can support migrant workers taking public transport
22:29 Why organisations wrote letters to the government in July 2023, calling for a ban on migrant workers being transported on the backs of lorries
34:27 Policy, not just individual action, needed to enact change
Produced by: Ang Qing ([email protected]), Aqil Hamzah ([email protected]), Ernest Luis, Fa’izah Sani & Amirul Karim
Edited by: Amirul Karim
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here twice a month and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Read Ang Qing's articles: https://str.sg/i5gT
Read Aqil Hamzah’s articles: https://str.sg/i5gS
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Hear how you can donate in terms of financial assistance or even in other ways if you can set aside your time.
Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
The Forward Singapore exercise began in June 2022, and over 16 months, more than 200,000 Singaporeans from all walks of life have taken part in engagement sessions on a wide range of topics. The engagement exercise ended with the Forward Singapore Report released by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Oct 27, 2023.
The report reflects Singaporeans’ collective aspirations and shared understanding of our roles and vision for the future.
Today, about 14,000 families with children who live in public rental housing are supported by the Community Link programme – in housing, employment and education. It’s a programme to support lower-income families in all HDB towns, with a focus on those living in public rentals with children under 21.
In this episode, we’ll look at the new and boosted ComLink+ programme.
ST's podcast editor Ernest Luis hosts three guests in this episode:
This podcast is brought to you by the Ministry of Communications and Information, in support of Forward Singapore: https://str.sg/wFbY
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:35 Why Mr Manas became a "befriender" to a low-income family, and how they have interacted with him
5:30 Mr Malminderjit on how the financial assistance scheme was crucial in shaping his own life, and what low-income families actually want, what moves the needle
10:56 Mr Lim explains how the new ComLink+ programme will work
16:05 Ensuring longer-term financial support and reducing gaps in early childhood development - befrienders can also link the dots for ComLink+ new "family coaches"
18:30 Can potential donors reach out financially? Also, can the community chip in more, besides just financial donations, such as in mentorships, internships, jobs
21:50 The ComLink+ programme's new “family coaches”: How this new role works, and other volunteer partnerships
More on how you can help in ComLink+:
ComLink+ programme: https://str.sg/ixLQ
Select your preferred cause: https://str.sg/ixLM
MSF website: https://str.sg/ixLY
Listen to other instalments of this Forward SG-themed series:
Pt 1: Jobs & upskilling - https://str.sg/iqXa
Pt 2: Youth panels - https://str.sg/iqXR
Pt 3: End of profit-flipping BTO mentality - https://str.sg/ixLf
Produced by: Ernest Luis ([email protected]), Hadyu Rahim & Amirul Karim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here twice a month and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
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Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
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Each follow on the audio apps below and a rating really helps us! Happy listening!
Synopsis: A brand new feature is within The Straits Times app, which you can download from the Apple app store or the Google Play store. For those of you who already have it, the latest version update now has a dedicated Podcast Section, where you can listen to our latest incoming show episodes and check out back episodes too.
You can also choose to follow our podcast RSS feeds, or the shows on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
If you have a smart home speaker like the Google Home or Nest device, or your Android phone, just say: “Hey Google, play me (name of any of the shows below) or The Straits Times Podcasts.”
Get The Straits Times app from
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
Produced & edited by: Ernest Luis ([email protected]) & Teo Tong Kai
Follow ST Podcasts:
Channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukK
Spotify: https://str.sg/wukH
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
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Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
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Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
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Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#stpodcasttr
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Will new systemic changes make first-time couples adopt a new "forever home" mentality?
Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
The Forward Singapore exercise began in June 2022, and since then, many Singaporeans from all walks of life have taken part in engagement sessions on a wide range of topics, including housing. This is the third of four podcast discussions, and part of the ongoing conversation to refresh our social compact for the next lap of Singapore's journey.
At these Forward Singapore engagements, participants agreed that Singapore should continue to be an affordable home-owning society.
To get their reactions towards tighter restrictions and additional subsidies for new Plus and Prime flats, to start from the second half of 2024 under the recently-announced new classification for public housing, ST's podcast editor Ernest Luis hosts three guests in this episode:
This podcast is brought to you by the Ministry of Communications and Information, in support of Forward Singapore: https://str.sg/wFbY
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:35 Do youths like Mr Soh, and their peers, feel that public housing flats will probably not be as huge a "pot of gold" as it was seen previously?
5:25 Could the reclassification of flats mean a new reality for aspiring homeowners? Ms Sun on whether it could be the end of the "flipping-for-profit" mentality among young people?
8:15 Why Mr Chua chose a resale flat in the end
14:55 With the new classification of flats from the second half of 2024, what will be the impact on million-dollar public flats?
17:45 First-time public flat owners: Will their buying behaviours change, and will such systemic changes help stabilise long-term property market?
25:10 HDB resale prices: Could there be uneven price growth for different segments?
More on:
New BTO Plus Housing Model: https://str.sg/iqXb
Public housing budget calculator: https://str.sg/iqXE
Listen to other instalments of this Forward SG-themed series:
Pt 1: Jobs & upskilling - https://str.sg/iqXa
Pt 2: Youth panels - https://str.sg/iqXR
Produced by: Ernest Luis ([email protected]), Hadyu Rahim & Paxton Pang
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here twice a month and rate us:
Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb
Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: [email protected]
Read ST's Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH
Read Isabelle Liew's articles: https://str.sg/iqDq
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Discover more ST podcast channels:
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
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Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (new): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
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Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#inyouropinion
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From the publisher's feed
Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.
Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong
A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.