WTF is Up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong

It has been an especially somber week in the region, with the tone set by the terrifying incident at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Indonesia, where at least 131 soccer fans died in a stampede. Regional Managing Editor and WTF host Andra Nasrie takes us through what we know so far about the devastating tragedy while offering theories as to who to blame (spoiler: it’s not the spectators). Tune in!

Other stories include:

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

While Dota 2 is a game beloved by all ages, you should probably keep the young’uns away from the Southeast Asia server – a cesspool of cuss words from across the region. It got so bad that Japanese gamer and Twitch streamer Xiinya collected all of these into a banging tune. Coconuts Regional Managing Editor Delfina Utomo hops onboard to talk to us exactly which countries were represented with their colorful language, and why this has sparked a bizarre sense of patriotism among the region’s players. Tune in!

Other stories include:

5 rescuers in Bulacan killed during typhoon ‘Karding’ flash flood | Oh Noru! Typhoon about to hit storm-battered Bangkok | Government mascot apologizes for insensitive post about near-escape of transgender woman from police | Sweet tax: Indonesia mulls excise on sugary drinks | Japanese gamer turns Singapore cuss words into a song, now on Spotify | Angry dad in your area: Man allegedly burns daughter’s precious K-pop merchandise, gets trashed by Internet | New Canggu eatery Inklusiv Warung, with its Deaf wait staff, is about more than just great food

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

Muslims saying “rest in peace, Queen Elizabeth” is apparently a big no-no, according to a Malaysian Islamic jurist who this week warned against asking God for “forgiveness” for deceased non-Muslims. Coconuts KL reporter Aminah Farid came on this week’s episode to explain that while not every Muslim in the country is that narrow-minded about their faith, attempts to otherize non-Muslims remain alarmingly common. Tune in!

Other stories include:

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

That old kidney for iPhone joke again + more top stories | WTF SEA + HK | September 15, 2022

For pioneers in the legalization of weed in Asia, Thailand sure can’t take a joke. Just take a look at the Thai Red Cross, who had to warn citizens the obvious: don’t sell your kidney in exchange for the latest iPhone 14, after a photo of individuals (who aren’t even Thai) showing off their fake post-surgery bandages went viral. We checked in with Coconuts Bangkok’s Nicky Tanskul and asked him if he would ever consider bartering his organ for the latest premium device. Tune in!

Other stories include:

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

How dare Joseph Schooling smoke pot… was the reaction we thought Singaporeans would make when their Olympic hero admitted to cannabis use during a moment of weakness. Instead, the nation has been supportive of the athlete. Coconuts Regional Managing Editor Delfina Utomo makes her maiden WTF SEA + HK splash as we dive deep into the controversy. We also discuss a Singaporean law forbidding citizens from drug use abroad. Tune in!

Other stories include:

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

Rodrigo Ventosilla touched down in Bali in early August for a honeymoon with his new husband Sebastian Marallano. The Peruvian couple’s trip immediately turned into a nightmare when police arrested Rodrigo after finding cannabis-derived products in his luggage. Rodrigo soon died in police custody, prompting his family to accuse Bali authorities of arbitrarily detaining him on the grounds of transphobia and racial discrimination.

Coconuts Bali’s Amahl Azwar has been relentlessly pursuing this story for weeks in order to get to the truth. We caught up with him in this week’s podcast to get an update and his insights into this major case. Tune in!

Other stories include:

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

After years of delaying serving his corruption sentence with appeals, former Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is finally going to prison after some major courtroom drama. Coconuts KL reporter Aminah Farid, who was on location during the verdict, takes us on a play-by-play of the historic event, while trying to grasp how Najib’s supporters still anguished despite the former leader stealing billions from the country. Tune in!

Other stories include:

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

In Singapore, middle-aged men airing their anti-LGBT sentiments is nothing new — but when they come up with an 82-page manifesto, it’s bound to garner some attention. Coconuts Singapore’s Carolyn Teo comes onboard to shed light on the opposition behind the repeal of the controversial Section 377A in the city-state’s penal code, and the nasty and tired clichés this group has leaned on.

Also, Coconuts KL’s Aminah Farid is in the co-host seat as Andra pillow fights his way through Indonesian Independence Day. Tune in!

Other stories include:

Singapore’s anti-LGBT summit organizers pack manifesto with culture war cliches | Najib begins final appeal to overturn 1MDB-linked conviction | Kuta hotel room, thought to be online gambling HQ, deserted ahead of police raid | Bacteria levels of 6 masks sold in Hong Kong exceed EU standards: Consumer Council | Woman lawyers up after she was caught stealing chocolate bars from convenience store | Thai teens get stupid on date rape drug for TikTok laughs (Videos) | Jollibee Chickenjoy named the best fast-food fried chicken in the US

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

We here try not to take the words of someone who is basically Australia’s Donald Trump seriously. But when far-right politician Pauline Hanson called for a border closure to Bali (which she referred to as a country, by the way) amid foot-and-mouth disease concerns because apparently there’s cattle shit everywhere, this was too hard to ignore. Coconuts Bali Managing Editor Amahl Azwar came on this week’s episode to debunk Hanson’s claims, while telling us what the cattle poop situation really is like in Bali. Tune in!

Other stories include:

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!

Chicken shortages are never fun, but after months of short supply, Malaysia now apparently has an oversupply of poultry in the country. This chicken crisis is making us go ‘What the bok?’ so Coconuts KL reporter Aminah Farid joins us to shed some light on the situation. Tune in!

Other stories include:

Yahoo!, Steam, PayPal now accessible in Indonesia as IT Ministry feels the heat | Hong Kong gov’t advisors recommend Covid-19 vaccines for children as young as six months old | 2 killed after U-turn bridge on Rama II Road collapses | Carmelite nuns slam Maid in Malacañang movie for ‘malicious’ depiction of them playing mahjong at height of 1986 revolution | Macca-scuse me? Australian fined AUD2,664 over undeclared McMuffins bought in Bali | Tiesto and Zedd to headline ZoukOut Singapore in December

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong delivers impactful, weird, and wonderful reporting by our journalists on the ground in eight cities: Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, and Bali. Listen to headline news on matters large and small, designed for people located in – or curious about – Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

WTF is up in Southeast Asia + Hong Kong is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe today!