In Your Opinion

The Straits Times
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Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

  1. A focus on one-child couples is an easier baby booster than large families 

    5 days ago

    A focus on one-child couples is an easier baby booster than large families 

    Targeting one-child couples to have a second child is lower-hanging fruit than trying to get families to have a third under the Large Families Scheme, says a researcher who studies the modern parent. Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. Stopping at one or two children is such a norm in Singapore that a 'large family' now means having three or more children.  This definition comes after the government launched the large families scheme in 2025, in a bid to encourage Singaporeans to expand their households.  In its first year alone, the scheme has already stepped in to help about 5,000 Singaporean children. Each of them received up to $16,000 in additional grants to ease the financial load of multi-child parenting.   But can money alone shift a couple’s mindsets to having more children?  Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies Kalpana Vignehsa joins assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong to discuss the modern realities, anxieties, and choices of raising children in Singapore. Highlights (click/tap above):  7:27 Why focus on one-child family instead of two-child families under Large Families Scheme 25:48 BTO Co-Living: Building a Child-Raising Community with 12 Families 28:16 $300,000? $500,000? The value of child-raising to society  36:04 Why a family with 3 kids is usually on a single income 50:14 Youth prioritising education, NS and BTO, leaving no room for marriage, let alone babies Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg)  Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast  --- 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 --- #inyouropinion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    57 min
  2. Deepfakes, $50 intimate photos amid new digital regulations

    16 Jun

    Deepfakes, $50 intimate photos amid new digital regulations

    Singapore's new Online Safety Commission (OSC) rolls out to combat cyberbullying, deepfakes, and online harms. But will this law protect victims, or will trolls simply hide in darker corners? Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.Imagine discovering that your face and voice have been hijacked, manipulated into a deepfake, and broadcast across the internet. It is a chilling violation of privacy, and it proves a terrifying point: no one is immune to online harms. As digital abuse, cyberbullying, and image-based violence become increasingly normalised, the rules of engagement are also shifting. Enter the Online Safety Commission (OSC) that Singapore is officially rolling out in June 2026. This new regulatory watchdog is designed to force tech giants to take down harmful content and give victims some respite from the harassment and bullying. But will this new law actually have the teeth to protect us? Or will trolls quickly invent new ways to circumvent it? In this episode of In Your Opinion, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with legal expert and founder of SG Her Empowerment (SHE) Stefanie Yuen Thio. Yuen Thio shares her personal ordeal as a deepfake victim and uncovers the severe realities of digital abuse facing youths in Singapore today – including the alarming normalisation of teenagers selling intimate photos for $50. Highlights (click/tap above):  3:14 Her personal experience surviving a deepfake attack 7:43 How "trusted flaggers" like SHE get harmful content taken down faster than standard reporting  9:57 What the new Online Safety Commission (OSC) actually means for victims of cyberbullying  24:36 The disturbing reality of youths commodifying their bodies and selling intimate photos for $50  27:22 Beyond the law: The urgent need for age assurance technology and bystander intervention Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg)  Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast  --- 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 --- #inyouropinion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    32 min
  3. P1 registration: How did the parent volunteer scheme become an arms race?

    9 Jun

    P1 registration: How did the parent volunteer scheme become an arms race?

    The scheme was meant to build closer ties between parents and schools. Has it achieved its intended purpose, or outlived its usefulness?  Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. Would you volunteer your time and effort to get your child into a primary school of your choice? For many parents, it’s a no-brainer - even if it involves a huge commitment.  Parent volunteering was introduced as part of the P1 registration system as a way to encourage parents to be more involved in their child’s education and build closer ties between parents and the school. Schools also benefitted from the extra help in their programmes and events.  In 1998, it was announced that parent volunteers would have to complete at least 40 hours of service to the school to register their child in an earlier phase of P1 registration.  But the scheme’s immense popularity among parents has caused it to become increasingly competitive. Some parents ballot to have a chance to volunteer. Others prepare detailed curriculums or send CVs to schools. Some schools no longer accept parent volunteers.  It’s raised questions: Given that volunteering requires time, effort and skills, does the scheme really only benefit parents who have resources?  And isn’t volunteering meant to be something done out of a genuine desire to do good, rather than expecting something in return?  How did the parent volunteer scheme turn into an arms race? Has it outlived its usefulness? Is it time to scrap the scheme entirely?  In this episode of In Your Opinion, Assistant Opinion Editor Lianne Chia speaks with Associate Professor Jason Tan from the National Institute of Education to understand the original intentions of the scheme, what happened along the way - and why choosing a child’s primary school has become such a high-stakes, high anxiety exercise.  Highlights (click/tap above):   4:20 Has the parent volunteer scheme achieved its initial purpose?  5:59 Does the scheme turn volunteering into a transaction?  9:33 How did the P1 volunteering scheme become an arms race?  16:22 Can we really blame parents?  23:59 Is there a way we can return the scheme to its original intention?  27:32 Should we scrap the volunteering scheme - or double down on it?   Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Host: Lianne Chia (liannechia@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim  Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong  Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast  --- 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 --- #inyouropinion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    38 min
  4. ‘The more you know, the more wonderful it becomes’: Brian Cox on science and awe

    2 Jun

    ‘The more you know, the more wonderful it becomes’: Brian Cox on science and awe

    In an age where information is readily available and where we're fed an unending stream of content, have we lost our sense of wonder? Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. We live in a time where technology has made information more readily available than ever. Curiosity has been the main driver of human discovery since the beginning of time but when faced with a barrage of information, have we stopped wanting to know more?  In this episode of In Your Opinion, senior columnist Rohit Brijnath speaks with celebrated physicist, educator and rock star Brian Cox. Currently on a world tour with his live show, Emergence, he takes us on a journey across the cosmos, civilisation and human curiosity all while attempting to answer the question: how do we find wonder? Emergence will be in Singapore on June 10.  Highlights (click/tap above):   4:46 Should people be more curious?  8:51 Keeping a sense of wonder through life 10:36 Are there aliens out there?  15:38 There are things I don't actually know 19:55 Kepler, Galileo and Einstein around a table 29:13 Two weeks in space is ideal 32:46 Why world leaders should go to space 36:11 Are there mysteries that should remain?  38:29 What to look for in the night sky 41:31 Can you see planets in Singapore? 42:06 Is an uncurious person a failure? 47:21 Brian Cox's top musical highlight 55:06 The AI revolution and social change Books Brian Cox recommended: The Six-Cornered Snowflake by Johannes Kepler  The Invention of Science: A New History of the Scientific Revolution by David Wootton  The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle In The Dark  Read Rohit’s columns: https://str.sg/wFu2 Host: Rohit Brijnath (rohitb@sph.com.sg)  Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim and Teo Tong Kai Executive producers: Elizabeth Law and Danson Cheong  Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast  --- 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 --- #inyouropinion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1 hr
  5. Think you're safe from cyber crooks? Why 99% of companies are exposed

    26 May

    Think you're safe from cyber crooks? Why 99% of companies are exposed

    As AI supercharges cyber threats, how can the "missing 99%" of small and medium enterprises protect themselves? Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. Cybersecurity is undergoing a fundamental shift. For a long time, it was treated as a dark art – a deeply technical problem left to IT teams and discussed in jargon few others understood. But as the threat landscape has evolved, major breaches are forcing the conversation into the boardroom, turning cyber risk into a critical matter of corporate governance and liability. While multinational corporations can afford elite digital defences, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – the 99 per cent of our economy – are often left exposed. Increasingly, SMEs are targeted not just for their own data, but as backdoors into the larger corporate and national networks they serve. If our current security playbook only works for the biggest players, how do we protect the rest? In this episode, ST’s Deputy Opinion Editor Bhavan Jaipragas speaks with Gaurav Keerthi, co-founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm StrongKeep, and former Deputy Commissioner of the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore. Highlights (click/tap above):  1:55 Why does cybersecurity switch people off? 5:06 Are boards stepping up to AI threats? 7:25 Why are SMEs still exposed to threats? 10:05 The "Ikea model" for affordable cybersecurity 15:45 Can state-linked cyber threats be solved? 25:12 Cyber risks and opportunities of agentic AI 28:27 Critical actions for boards, SMEs, and users. 31:41 Balancing online security and everyday usability Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Host: Bhavan Jaipragas (bhavan@sph.com.sg)  Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast  --- 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 --- #inyouropinion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    34 min
  6. Autonomous Vehicles in SG: Are we ready to surrender the wheel to AI?

    19 May

    Autonomous Vehicles in SG: Are we ready to surrender the wheel to AI?

    In an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) crash, should AI save the young instead of the elderly? Germany banned this, but a pragmatist asks: why not let algorithms choose based on age?Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.Traffic accidents in Singapore have hit a 10-year high. Every day, motorists are caught speeding, running red lights, and looking at their phones. The proposed solution is radical: take the steering wheel away from humans and hand it entirely to Artificial Intelligence. But as Singapore drafts the legal framework to roll out autonomous vehicles (AVs), where are the dangerous lines we are crossing? From programming algorithms to decide who lives and dies in a split-second crash, to the terrifying threat of a hacked network, are we actually ready to surrender our safety to a machine we don't fully understand?In this episode, ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with the man building the robot's brain: Professor Marcelo Ang from the Advanced Robotics Centre at the NUS Mechanical Engineering Department, a researcher who first tested an AV in 2013. They debate the ethics of the trolley problem about picking who to collide with in an unavoidable crash, the liabilities in the event of a driverless car crash, and the brutal reality awaiting thousands of middle-aged drivers whose jobs are about to be automated.   Highlights (click/tap above): 2:47 Tesla vs. true driverless - the different levels of self-driving  9:04 The "Guardian Angel" - an underlying physics algorithm that overrides bad AI decisions 11:48 Why level 3 autonomous driving can be dangerous 14:20 Should the algorithm hit the 80-year-old or the 10-year-old in an unavoidable crash 23:55 The hardest engineering challenge: Predicting irrational human behaviour Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg)  Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast  --- 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 --- #inyouropinion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    31 min
  7. 12-year-olds in therapy - the silent rise in youth porn addiction

    13 May

    12-year-olds in therapy - the silent rise in youth porn addiction

    The dopamine trap: Is Asia’s conservative culture driving a porn addiction crisis? Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.Asia holds the highest rate of problematic pornography use in the world at nearly one in five people, according to a study which researchers term 'Asian Paradox'. While casual viewing can be healthy for adults in some instances, this taboo weaponises the dopamine hit for tech-savvy youths. In this episode, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with Dr Peter Chew, Associate Professor of Psychology at James Cook University Singapore, to unpack this silent epidemic.They explore the neuroscience behind the digital dopamine trap, why a teenager's developing brain is vulnerable, and why symbolic website bans are failing. Dr Chew also dismantles common misconceptions, explaining the crucial difference between clinical addiction and religious guilt; how sex education should change; and why abstinence-only programmers cause higher unwanted pregnancies. Highlights (click/tap above): 4:25 Why is porn so devastating to a teenager?  6:40 Does porn addiction lead to sex crimes? 10:05 What does treatment entail?  12:38  Approaching the topic of sex and pornography with youths 16:24 Moral implications towards sex education Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg)  Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast  --- 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 --- #inyouropinion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    21 min
  8. What's the property agent's role in this age of AI?

    5 May

    What's the property agent's role in this age of AI?

    As AI changes everything, can the property agents’ most valuable asset - trust - keep them relevant? Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at key issues of the day with newsmakers. Singapore's property market has transformed over the last few decades. From an opaque, relationship-driven industry, it has evolved into one reshaped by online listings, price transparency, and regulatory tightening. Yet the ethical tensions have endured, with commission conflicts, trust gaps, information asymmetry still persisting. And as property prices have climbed, so have agent commissions.  With the advent of AI and digitalisation, some sharper questions have surfaced. As technology changes or replaces roles across industries, can it do the same for the property sector and finally resolve the conflicts and contradictions that have been constant bugbears? Will buyers and sellers still need to depend on an agent? How will the role of the property agent change? In this episode, opinion deputy editor Mubin Saadat speaks to real estate agency ERA’s CEO Marcus Chu.  Highlights (click/tap above):  2:05 What’s fundamentally changed about the agent’s role? 7:06 Are property agents earning more now than they ever did? 10:36 Should we rethink agents’ commissions? 20:42 Should property agents be giving financial advice? 23:40 Will AI replace property agents? 30:40 Preparing property agents for AI 33:28 The important conversation the industry should be having Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Host: Mubin Saadat (mubin@sph.com.sg)  Produced and edited by: Amirul Karim Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast --- 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 --- #inyouropinion See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    37 min
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About

Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Information

  • Creator
    The Straits Times
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    88
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Straits Times
  • Show Website
    In Your Opinion

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