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.
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S1E89: Denise Phua on motherhood, advocacy and support for people with autism
Season 1 · Episode 89
Wednesday, September 2, 2026 • Duration 56:33
Denise Phua raised an autistic son and spent decades championing greater inclusion.
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.
The Straits Times Deputy Opinion Editor Mubin Saadat sits with Member of Parliament and President of Autism Resource Centre Denise Phua to discuss her personal journey raising a son with autism and the lessons it has taught her about inclusion.
The podcast explores the “post-18 cliff” faced by many adults with autism and their families, and what needs to change in learning, employment and living arrangements.
Denise also discusses the anxieties caregivers face about their children’s futures, especially when parents are no longer around. The conversation examines whether Singapore’s disability policies are keeping pace with the needs of people across their entire lives – and what a truly inclusive society should look like.
Highlights (click/tap above):
0:55 Motherhood and personal advocacy journey
5:55 Evolving support systems and challenges
15:55 Bridging gaps in learning, working and living
22:55 Creating inclusive employment opportunities
29:35 What would you say to employers to embrace inclusivity?
37:25 Will AI take over jobs meant for people with special needs?
40:35 Personalised support and living models
47:10 On straddling between advocacy and her role as MP
51:05 Grappling with life without parents for people with autism
S1E88: Sleep earlier: NUS scientist Dean Ho on the top thing people can do to live longer
Season 1 · Episode 88
Wednesday, August 26, 2026 • Duration 57:17
An NUS scientist reversed his own biological age after stress-testing his diet, sleep and exercise in a longevity study
Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each week, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day.
Strict bedtimes, daily exercise and cutbacks to fat and sugar intake are usually gleaned from big data as standard advice for better health. But what if you could effectively tailor these rules for your own body?
To find out more about how an individual’s biological baseline shifts over time, Dean Ho, director of the Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM) at NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine), embarked on a two-year study on himself to develop a technology that analyses the data from wearables.
Known as DELTA, this study had helped reverse the 47-year-old's biological age by 15 years, after undergoing a series of lifestyle interventions, including varying fasting durations, exercise routines and nutrition adjustments. Throughout the process, this biological response was monitored in real-time to track a biological baseline shaped by age, stress, sleep, food, exercise and illness.
His intense regimen included around 20 hours of fasting each day, multiple 48-hour fasts, 90 minutes of strength or cardiovascular training every morning, and a structured diet centred on leafy greens, seeds, olive oil, lean protein, and other Mediterranean-style foods. His beverages were limited to water, electrolytes, and black coffee or tea without milk and sugar.
In this episode of In Your Opinion, Lynda Hong, assistant podcast editor from The Straits Times, sits down with Ho, who is also provost’s chair professor at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. They delve into why he embarked on this study with just himself as the study sample, and how he can still eat everything from chicken rice, and pizza to five chendols in 2.5 days when he went on a trip to Penang with his son.
Highlights (click/tap above):
7:48 Technology aspect to DELTA study in analysing vitals and biological age
S1E87: Lee Kuan Yew arrowed me to face JB Jeyaretnam: Ex-SM S Jayakumar on being in LKY’s Cabinet
Season 1 · Episode 87
Wednesday, August 19, 2026 • Duration 54:52
The former senior minister unveils the robust Cabinet debates over three defining institutions published in a new book.
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.
Governing Singapore today is a tough task, made more difficult by frequent comparisons with the immediate post-independence decades - a period dominated by the towering figure of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Yet was Lee more open to persuasion than we realise? Was governing Singapore far more complex, nuanced and more akin to a team sport? What enabled the Singapore Cabinet to have vociferous debates on policy including the Elected Presidency, the Group Representation Constituency and the Non-Constituency Member of Parliament?
And after recent developments and the power of hindsight, would one of their chief architects say they’re due for a refresh?
These are the subjects of the book Creating Three Unique Singapore Laws: An Inside Story by S. Jayakumar, launched on Aug 12.
In an exclusive hour-long podcast with The Straits Times opinion editor Lin Suling, he opens up on Cabinet deliberations and sheds light on a milieu in Singapore’s history after the 1981 Anson by-election, which sparked the creation of three powerful institutions that have become indelible parts of Singapore’s political system.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:44 Are recent resignations of minority Members of Parliament a setback for the GRC system? Is the GRC system due for a review?
12:58 Has public understanding on the limits of the Elected Presidency improved?
21:21 Was the NCMP scheme created to secure the ruling People’s Action Party’s dominance in Parliament?
29:26 Do PAP backbenchers pull their punches in Parliament? What was it like being J B Jeyaretnam’s “sparring partner”?
S1E86: Dinesh Vasu Dash on Singapore’s dependence on migrant workers
Season 1 · Episode 86
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 • Duration 50:41
Migrant workers - we discuss the unpaid wage saga and their role in our economy.
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.
The Straits Times columnist Tan Dawn Wei sits down with Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash to discuss his transition to the Cabinet and how his background in healthcare for vulnerable groups shapes his approach to labour policy.
The conversation tackles a major wage crisis where over 400 migrant workers went unpaid, sparking a debate on whether Singapore’s system is adequate in picking up early warning signs.
The Minister of State also outlines a future with fewer but better paid migrant workers and better living conditions, concluding with a call for stronger social integration and mutual empathy between Singaporeans and migrant workers.
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:38 Transitioning to the manpower portfolio: Dinesh Vasu Dash discusses how his previous role in integrated healthcare shaped his focus on safeguarding low-wage and vulnerable workers.
10:06 The unpaid wage crisis: An update on the tripartite intervention that recovered salaries for the workers left stranded.
17:37 Why ground-level officers didn't pick up the unpaid wage case earlier.
26:43 NGO recommendations and their feasibility.
28:45 Regulating recruitment debt: Examining the high upfront fees workers pay in source countries.
35:13 Foreign worker levies: Has it achieved its objective?
39:04 What will Singapore’s manpower landscape look like in 20 years?
45:26 Social integration as a two-way street.
Read ST’s Opinion section:
S1E85: Inside disguised retrenchments: An employment lawyer on how companies force workers out
Season 1 · Episode 85
Wednesday, August 5, 2026 • Duration 44:17
Retrenchment payouts, mental health claims & the Workplace Fairness Act: How S’pore’s new law rewrites the rules.
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.
With the landmark Workplace Fairness Act (WFA) set to take full effect in late 2027, the rules of the corporate game are about to change. But will the new laws actually protect the everyday worker, or just create new legal loopholes?
In this episode of In Your Opinion, ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with veteran employment lawyer Jonathan Yuen, Partner at Rajah & Tann.
They peel back the curtain on the dark side of HR tactics, from weaponised Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) to the 24-hour ultimatum room. Plus, an insider look at the new $250,000 Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) limit, and why the upcoming legal changes might force unrepresented employees into a David and Goliath battle against corporate HR.
Highlights (click/tap above):
8:46 Myth busted: The '1 month per year' severance rule
20:41 Should Singapore introduce a mandatory cooling-off period for severance offers?
25:30 What is the most practical change from the Workplace Fairness Act?
32:44 Genuine struggles vs weaponising mental health against employers
39:06 The $250,000 claim limit and the ban on lawyers under the new law
S1E84: The surprising reason Singaporeans complain but don’t correct bad public behaviour
Season 1 · Episode 84
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 • Duration 25:00
While strict laws enforce behaviour, building a gracious society requires mutual trust rather than constant rules.
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
Singapore seems to be introducing more laws to police everyday behaviour - from tray returns to using mobile phones while driving. But can legislation really make people more gracious, or does it simply expose a deeper trust deficit in society? And when should citizens confront bad behaviour themselves instead of reporting it to the authorities?
Opinion Editor Lin Suling speaks with sociologist Dr Tan Ern Ser, Adjunct Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, about whether Singapore is becoming a nation that relies too heavily on rules, complaints and punishment — and what it would take to build a genuinely high-trust, "We First" society.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:35 Why does seemingly ordinary, considerate behaviour disappear once people get behind the wheel?
5:40 Does criminalising phone use while driving mean public education has failed?
12:25 Have we outsourced everyday conflict resolution to the state instead of correcting bad behaviour ourselves?
13:55 Is Singapore's complaint culture undermining trust and creating online vigilantism?
16:46 When is reporting someone the right thing to do? When should it be the last resort?
19:52 Thirty years after the Singapore Kindness Movement, have we become kinder or simply better at enforcing rules?
21:28 How can Singapore encourage people to speak up against antisocial behaviour without leaving them to stand alone?
23:11 Can Singapore realistically become a 'We First' society? What would a genuinely high-trust society look like?
Read ST’s Opinion section:
S1E83: Singapore footpath wars: Why reclaiming car space could solve the PMD and PMA problem
Season 1 · Episode 83
Tuesday, July 14, 2026 • Duration 42:45
While more car lanes induce congestion, reclaiming road space for micro-mobility would make for a highly efficient transport.
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
New rules for Personal Mobility Aids (PMAs) kicked in on June 1, slashing speeds to 6 km/h and requiring medical certificates to crack down on able-bodied riders.
But as pedestrians, e-bikes, and gig workers continue to squeeze onto narrow pavements, are we fighting over the wrong patch of concrete as Singapore embarks on a car-lite journey?
In this episode of In Your Opinion, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with associate professor Yap Fook Fah from Transport Research Centre@NTU. They discuss why it is unsafe for micro-mobility devices to travel on Singapore’s roads, and his argument for allocating more space to transport modes that take up less room but have the capacity to ferry more people.
Yap also discusses why regulations alone won't fix our active mobility woes, the illusion of induced demand for cars, and how aggressively reclaiming car lanes might be the ultimate, sweat-free solution to Singapore’s last-mile commute and congested feeder buses.
Highlights (click/tap above):
6:27 The mobility gap: why able-bodied commuters are using PMAs
14:07 Cars take up more space but ferry fewer people
16:30 Why fewer cars would not slow the economy
17:57 How allocating more space for cars would induce traffic congestion
26:22 How integrating micro-mobility transport could save hundreds of millions of dollars in commute time
29:42 The weather isn’t hot for the first and last mile commute
34:19 Shifting the mindsets to view roads as public space instead of car space
S1E82: Can the Lions deliver? SG football’s future, World Cup ambitions & career pathways
Season 1 · Episode 82
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 • Duration 37:37
Can the Lions unleash the roar in World Cup 2034?
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
With the World Cup frenzy gripping nations, the performances of Asian powerhouses and small-population underdogs have sparked a familiar question: What will it take for Singapore to get there?
For the first time in a long time, the conversation around Singapore football feels less about what we lack, and more about what we might yet achieve. Following a historic qualification for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup Finals, the Lions have given a football-crazed nation a renewed sense of optimism. But is this a genuine turning point, or are expectations running ahead of reality?
In this episode, deputy opinion editor Mubin Saadat sits down with Lions’ head coach Gavin Lee. They kick off by extracting lessons from the global stage, analysing how countries with tiny populations are making World Cup history, and what that means for Singapore’s Goal 2034 ambitions.
They also discuss Gavin’s rapid career rise, balancing brand-new fatherhood with national expectations, and his immediate priorities for the upcoming ASEAN Championship. Finally, Gavin dismantles the ultimate Singaporean dilemma, proving exactly why our youth do not have to choose between academic success and a career in professional sports.
Highlights (click/tap above):
00:19 World Cup 2026: What Singapore can learn from South Korea & Brazil vs Japan
10:38 Coach Gavin Lee on fatherhood & national team duties
17:44 Should parents let their children pick football as a career in Singapore?
19:45 With DSA, is football still a social leveller in Singapore?
26:18 Gavin’s immediate priorities for Asean Championship on 24 Jul 2026
30:44 The goal for Singapore to qualify for 2034 World Cup
S1E81: Singapore's lonely seniors: Why the super-aged feel isolated even when living with family
Season 1 · Episode 81
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 • Duration 48:42
Seniors are increasingly feeling lonely. Learn why preventing elderly loneliness starts in your 20s.
Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.
The shift from open kampungs to closed-door HDB flats has left many Singaporean seniors socially isolated—often feeling invisible even while living with their own families. This chronic loneliness takes a severe toll on psychological well-being, acting as a major risk factor for cognitive decline and conditions like dementia.
How can our seniors age with dignity, connection, and purpose?
In this episode, assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong speaks with Karen Wee, executive director of Lions Befrienders. The social service agency leverages both high-touch human interventions and innovative technology, like Gen AI, to rebuild the kampung spirit in its transformative, relationship-centred approach to eldercare.
Crucially, Karen emphasises that preparing for a healthy old age cannot wait until retirement; it must begin decades earlier through the social habits and personal passions we develop in our 20s and 30s. This requires a societal shift away from purely economic achievements, toward teaching the younger generation how to form deep human relationships that will give them purpose long after they leave the workforce.
Highlights (click/tap above):
13:00 Scams are one reason why seniors refuse to open their doors
18:14 Why social loneliness develops from a young age
21:48 How seniors are benefiting from talking to Gen AI
42:04 Why pursuit of personal passions improves ageing
45:58 How social isolation progresses and worsens over time
S1E80: A focus on one-child couples is an easier baby booster than large families
Season 1 · Episode 80
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 • Duration 56:33
Targeting one-child couples for a second child is lower-hanging fruit than pushing for a third under the Large Families Scheme, says a researcher.
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
31:36 Was Lee Kuan Yew actually more open to persuasion than Singaporeans realise?
33:10 What allowed Lee’s Cabinet to have such vociferous debates? Does S Jayakumar worry about political correctness dampening discussions? What does it take to recruit capable Cabinet Ministers?
40:45 Why did a proposal on constitutional design go through DEFCO - the defence council overseeing national security?
44:00 Are any of Singapore's constitutional institutions due for a refresh?
46:59 How did S Jayakumar balance heavy ministerial portfolios with constituency duties in Bedok and family life?
Creating Three Unique Singapore Laws: An Inside Story is published by Straits Times Press and available for $38.90 (excluding GST) at major bookstores and online at https://www.stbooks.sg/
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