The Usual Place

Would you eat 2kg of durian in one go to sell a batch of the fruit? How about yapping for eight hours straight to hit your sales numbers?

Live-streaming is booming, and for some, it looks like an easy gig with easy money. But seasoned live-sellers say the market is saturated and only the top sellers get high commissions.

In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha chats with social media personality Xiaxue (@xiaxue) and fellow live-streamer Yin Peiying (@officially.poopa) about the reality of selling on platforms like TikTok or Shopee.

We talk about banned words, “violations” that can hurt your viewership numbers, and why not every live-seller makes it big.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:45 Most extreme thing Peiying has done on a livestream

3:49 Why did live streaming get so big?

7:14 Why merchants give huge discounts

11:15 Can you sell anything in a live stream?

13:55 No idea if I’m a good live streamer: Xiaxue

26:04 $20k-$30k commission possible, but outlier

34:33 Why live streamers are treated differently from influencers

41:18 Does live streaming encourage drama?

45:26 Uneven rules on who gets flagged: Xiaxue

48:50 The words that you can’t say on a stream

51:10 Is the “limited stock” warning always true?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:   / theusualplacepodcast 

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

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Singapore’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) has been criticised for being toothless, but is that criticism fair?

And if the anti-haze law is not working, can Singapore take Indonesia to the International Court of Justice?

As Singapore finds ways to tackle its worst haze crisis in over a decade, Scott Tan, a partner in the International Arbitration practice of Rajah & Tann, says diplomacy - not litigation - would be a more durable solution to this perennial problem.

In this episode, he joins Audrey Tan, assistant news editor at The Straits Times and host of ST’s environment podcast, Green Pulse, to talk about why Singapore’s anti-haze law has been criticised, and whether that’s warranted.

We also chat about other possible ways to penalise haze-causing companies and how consumers can put pressure on such firms.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:57 What’s unique about the THPA?

7:24 Is the THPA ‘toothless’?

12:48 The “Asean way” of handling the haze

15:52 Getting banks to stop financing polluters

18:50 Can Singapore take Indonesia to the International Court of Justice?

23:25 The Government’s response: now vs 2015

29:03 Does the soft diplomatic approach work?

31:46 Addressing the root cause: peatlands and cash crops

33:39 Will climate change make the haze worse?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:   / theusualplacepodcast 

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: [email protected]

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

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In the first two months after the Online Safety Commission (OSC) started operations, the agency handled more than 500 reports of online harms. Doxing and online harassment made up the bulk of eligible reports.

The OSC is a new avenue - it launched on June 29 - that helps victims by compelling platforms and group administrators to remove harmful content quickly.

Can the OSC make the internet a safe space for users in Singapore?

Singapore’s Commissioner of Online Safety Francis Ng drops in on The Usual Place to talk about how the OSC has the power to tackle online harms, and why removing harmful content can give victims relief.

Also, if Ng could personally ban one harmful online behaviour, what would it be?

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:30 What does the Online Safety Commission do?

4:30 500+ cases, some of the material “very, very disturbing”

7:02 The AI sextortion case that stayed with Ng

9:54 Is there too much onus on social media platforms?

13:40 Is it always clear-cut that harm has been caused?

21:43 The “eat slipper rice” case: when context matters

23:52 Can you report content that’s already disappeared?

31:47 Why is “justice” important for victims?

35:01 The one online habit we would each ban

If you are a victim of intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxing, online harassment and online stalking, you can make a report directly on OSC’s website at www.osc.gov.sg.

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:   / theusualplacepodcast 

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: [email protected]

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

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Will COE prices for cars fall if there is just one COE category for cars, with a tiered surcharge or rebate depending on the vehicle’s open market value?

These are some changes that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) proposed on Oct 8, as part of a review of the COE system.

This comes as the gap between Category A and B premiums has narrowed, making the distinction between mass-market and higher-end cars less clear.

In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha speaks to ST’s senior transport correspondent Lee Nian Tjoe and NUS associate professor Timothy Wong, who researches transportation and urban economics.

How will the proposed changes affect the market? Will car dealers game the system?

And if you’re in the market for a new car, should you buy now or wait until proposed changes kick in? Watch or listen to the podcast to find out.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:20 What is LTA is proposing and why?

5:21 Will COE prices come down?

7:13 How would a rebate and surcharge system work?

12:07 Can dealers game the system to get into lower OMV tiers?

17:03 More ‘feebate’ bands could ensure greater fairness

25:24 Will LTA ever tackle high COE prices?

29:24 Should private hire cars get a surcharge?

35:31 Is owning a car now a luxury?

If you would like to give feedback on LTA’s proposal, go to: https://go.gov.sg/coe-pcd-feedback

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG:   / theusualplacepodcast 

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Yang Jiesan Cruz

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: [email protected]

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Parents have long complained that the education system in Singapore is too stressful for children.

To address their concerns, the Ministry of Education has made policy changes over the years, including scrapping PSLE T-scores and removing weighted assessments and examinations at certain levels.

But have these measures worked?

A recent survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) showed that parents are more stressed than 10 years ago, and they are spending more on tuition and enrichment classes.

The Straits Times also reported that some property agents now explicitly market themselves as Primary 1 strategists or consultants, and advise their clients to plan ahead so their children can get into the school of their choice.

If the system has been easing up, what’s driving parents to continue taking part in the education “arms race”? And are the tuition and property industries capitalising on their anxiety?

In this episode, Natasha chats with:

• Jacqueline Ho, assistant professor of sociology at the Singapore Management University, who researches the Singaporean education system, and

• Prab Nathan, a property agent and former school teacher, and a father of two. His eldest daughter will be in Primary One next year.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:46 Are property agents feeding parents’ anxiety?

9:18 Is it smart to move for a school?

11:45 School status should not be a priority: Prab

25:42 Why parents get FOMO over extra tuition

28:30 Are parents who send their kids for tuition really kiasu?

34:00 Is being a “relaxed parent” a luxury?

43:39 What’s wrong with having a shadow education system?

49:50 Parents strategise to cope with inequality

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: [email protected]

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Will AI eventually be able to kill us, or are AI doomsayers being alarmist?

Recently, employees at AI frontier companies like Anthropic and OpenAI have voiced serious concerns - and made doomsday predictions - about the technology getting out of control.

What made people pay attention: Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon publicly quit the AI giant in September, writing on X that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade”.

His warning comes after the high-profile OpenAI-Hugging Face incident: OpenAI models broke out of an isolated testing sandbox and hacked into Hugging Face, an AI model repository.

In this episode, Natasha speaks with Clement Neo, a research advisor at SASH, a non-profit organisation that looks at policy-relevant governance work.

He also founded Neo Research, an independent AI safety evaluation lab, and was previously a research engineer with the Singapore AI Safety Institute under NTU Digital Trust Centre, which looks at AI models and figures out how to reduce the risks they pose.

We talk about why AI models are being trained to be relentlessly “persistent”, if we should stop assigning human-like qualities to a software programme, and what’s the worst that could happen?

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:36 How Clement got into AI safety research

6:34 AI feels helpful, so how is it dangerous?

10:14 How could AI kill us?

11:48 Why it’s difficult to rein in the AI agents

16:23 Why not limit the models’ capabilities to avoid risk?

22:12 Why the OpenAI-Hugging Face incident rattled the industry

25:36 What does ‘aligning’ the AI models mean?

29:40 Does projecting human intent onto AI make the issue worse?

33:57 Are we close to recursive self-improvement?

39:10 What would it take for an industry-wide AI slowdown?

45:28 Are AI companies being self-serving about the AI risks?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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If you’re a customer with a pre-paid package with a business and it closes, will you ever get your money back?

True Fitness and True Yoga customers and employees were left in the lurch last week after the businesses shuttered. Many have unused memberships, packages and services, and members have reported losses of more than $609,000.

And it’s not just gyms. Prepayment packages are common at nail salons, spas, interior design and renovation firms, and bridal studios.

When these businesses close, what happens to consumers’ money, and are there ways consumers can be better protected?

In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha chats with:

• Jeremy Ko, a fitness entrepreneur who has opened 25 fitness gyms and three climbing gyms, and had to close three of them, and

• Debby Lim, a senior partner in Dentons Rodyk’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group. She was also affected by the recent closure of True Fitness, having been a member since June 2025.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:08 What’s happening with the fitness industry?

6:44 Red flags that customers could possibly look out for

10:17 Is this the end of the “mega-gym” concept?

14:11 Why are True Fitness and True Yoga under “provisional liquidation”?

18:25 Why Jeremy’s gyms don’t offer prepayment packages

21:15 The hard-selling vs just saying no

26:08 Law reform needed to “save us from ourselves”?

30:10 Why aren’t more businesses signing up for CaseTrust accreditation?

34:39 Is consumer protection anti-business?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Hadyu Rahim

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

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Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Will the increase in ministerial salaries cost the People’s Action Party (PAP) votes at the next General Election?

On Sept 8, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that political office-holders will get a one-off pay increase of up to 9 per cent.

This will take effect from Oct 15 - an entry-level grade MR4 minister getting the full adjustment will see his annual pay rise from $1.1 million to $1.2 million.

The changes to salaries come after the Government accepted the recommendations of a committee convened to review political salaries. One of its recommendations is that the MR4 benchmark will also be updated from $1.1 million to $1.8 million.

Existing ministers’ salaries will continue to be adjusted based on performance, and PM Wong expects most MR4 ministers to earn about $1.35 million – the lower end of the new salary range – by the end of this term of government.

In this episode of The Usual Place, Natasha speaks with Straits Times’ senior columnist Bhavan Jaipragas, and Rebecca Grace Tan, a senior lecturer in Political Science at the National University of Singapore.

We discuss whether there is the “right” formula to calculating ministers’ salaries, and whether alternative performance reviews of ministers’ and MPs work is now necessary to account to the public for the pay raises.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:24 How did PM Wong fare in explaining the salary increases?

5:38 Was the debate “subdued” as compared to 2012?

8:44 Have S’poreans come to accept the million-dollar salaries?

13:45 Why didn’t the Workers’ Party oppose more strongly?

18:00 Growing divide between political elites and the rest of us?

21:09 Is the top 1,000 earners benchmark still fair?

26:20 Money, motive and minimising opportunity costs

32:15 How can we assess ministers’ performance?

41:44 Has public office become unattractive?

47:22 Is S’pore just another corporation?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh, Hadyu Rahim & Teo Tong Kai

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

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If you own a private condominium unit and are looking to downgrade, or a family considering buying a BTO flat, the two recent housing policy changes would have brought some relief.

In July, the 15-month wait-out period for private residential property owners who want to buy a non-subsidised HDB resale flat was lifted.

In his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that the income ceiling for BTO flats and new executive condominiums will be raised, and more ballot chances for first-timers with children.

How will these moves affect housing prices, and will there be more million-dollar flats as demand goes up? Also, with more people qualifying for a BTO, will it be harder to get a flat?

Chief researcher and strategist at Realion (Orange Tee & ETC) Group Christine Sun, and chief research officer at Mogul.sg Nicholas Mak, share their views on what moves we could possibly see in the property market.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:55 Three groups who will benefit

6:40 Will BTO application rates surge?

9:00 Why million-dollar flats still sell

12:55 Did the income ceiling for ECs need to be raised?

17:14 Should the Govt claw back EC subsidies?

25:48 Will BTOs get more expensive?

30:35 Why Nicholas doesn’t see the singles eligibility age dropping

37:36 Will there be an oversupply in ‘ulu’ areas?

41:32 Why so many 2-room flats?

44:53 No 3-room flats is ‘a bit too extreme’: Nicholas

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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If you’ve been thinking about having kids, last night’s National Day Rally might have given you something to rally about.

Parents - and those who are considering having children - were the focus of PM Wong’s address on August 23.

In a nutshell, parents will get more help: more childcare leave and financial support, along with lower pre-school fees and more ballot chances when buying their first BTO flat.

But will this move the needle on our Total Fertility Rate, which now stands at 0.87?

Natasha asks Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth why the Government shifted its stance to consider every child equally.

Dr Reuben Ng, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and a father of four, shared his thoughts on when the Government needs to roll out more measures for this reset to count.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:17 Were the parenthood measures good enough?

6:56 Why tackle the cost concerns first?

12:15 Should mothers get medals for having more kids?

17:24 Why not taking leave is sometimes seen as a “badge of honour”

20:41 Hanyan’s experience juggling political office and being a mother-of-three

25:14 What about colleagues who cover parents on leave?

28:20 Are singles getting the short end of the stick?

33:41 Politically risky to invest so much public funds into parenting?

38:21 How fast does the Government need to roll out the measures?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah ([email protected])

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Natasha Liew

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: [email protected]

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Follow more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

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Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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