Yah Lah BUT... – Details, episodes & analysis

The weather’s been hot lately, but our studio got even hotter this week when veteran journalist and political commentator Bertha Henson dropped by with a delivery of flaming hot takes on the state of journalism in Singapore, Pritam Singh’s trial, our new PM, and the Oxley Road saga. But lest we bury the lede (journalism reference), we spoke with her about her new ebook, When Mama Fell, a manual on navigating elderly healthcare in Singapore, told through her experience of helping her mother through a difficult episode.

(00:00) Folklory
(01:18) Intro
(04:53) The Cost of Good Journalism
(09:57) Challenges in Modern Journalism
(13:21) Impact of Journalism Education
(25:39) Public Discourse and Transparency
(28:43) Public Awareness and Communication
(30:36) Media's Role and Responsibility
(32:09) Challenges in the Media Industry"
(44:27) Personal Reflection and Caregiving
(45:24) Publishing Experience and Approach
(57:39) Fair Distribution in Healthcare
(01:00:44) Public Transport System Changes
(01:08:54) Character in Politics
(01:17:33) Views on Younger Generation
(01:23:24) Bertha's e-Book 'When Mama Fell'
(01:25:32) One Shiok Thing

Find Bertha here! 

• Read her Ebook “When Mama Fell” - www.whenmamafell.com 
• Order the physical book - Link to order 
• Website - berthahenson.com 
• Facebook

Folklory

• If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com

Our New Podcast, TELL YOU FIRST

• Check out our new edutainment podcast that dives into a fascinating array of topics you never knew you needed to know! This week, we talk about the monster cult leader from Singapore, Comrade Bala…
• Listen on melisten
• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple

Find us here!

• Our Website: https://www.ministryoffunny.com
• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/
• Telegram: https://t.me/YahLahButPodcast
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yahlahbut
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/yahlahbut/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yahlahbut

One Shiok Thing

• Tinariwen - the Saharan rock band
• OB Markers: My Straits Times Story by Cheong Yip Seng
• Stephen Merchant and Martin Freeman break down The Office Christmas special, 20 years later

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

The Meat Club: Use the code “YLB20” for $20 off your order at https://themeatclub.com.sg/yahlahbut 

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak

Imagine the Singapore zoo being attacked by Zombies. Now imagine talking animals trying to survive it! That's our adult-themed animated TV series called "Zombie Safari"! We chat with Munah Bagharib, who plays Grace the Flamingo as well as Jerrold Chong, one of the co-creators of the show and also a co-founder of Finding Pictures, the animation studio we worked with to bring the story alive. We talk about how much effort goes into animation production (this show took over 2 years to make) as well as the challenges (and awesomeness) of voice acting.

(00:00) Intro
(03:30) Voice Acting Challenges
(06:08) Animation & Indie Inspiration
(18:30) Evolution of Munah's Acting Career
(19:41) Balancing Acting and YouTube
(28:40) Pursuing Auditions and Theater
(31:29) Creative Community and Support
(36:05) Finding Pictures' Origin
(45:18) Animation vs Live Action
(51:37) Directing and Confidence
(57:54) Discussion On Wildlife and Animation
(59:17) Future of Animation and Technology
(01:07:54) One Shiok Thing

Our New Adult Animated Series, ZOMBIE SAFARI

• ZOMBIE SAFARI follows a ragtag group of zoo animals battling a zombie apocalypse, and is filled with the craziest things you’d never expect out of a local TV show! 
• Check them all out on MeWatch and on YouTube

Find us here!

• Our Website: https://www.ministryoffunny.com
• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/
• Telegram: https://t.me/YahLahButPodcast
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yahlahbut
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/yahlahbut/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yahlahbut

Check out Munah & Finding Pictures

• Munah, the voice of Grace the Flamingo!
• Finding Pictures, our partner animation studio!

One Shiok Thing

• House of the Dragon Season 2 | Official Trailer | Max
• Was starting a product business a mistake? | Simone Giertz
• Scavengers Reign | Official Trailer | Max
• If Moses Had a Podcast | thenickpeterson

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak 

Oh Iswaran, we wish we knew how to quit you. Just when we thought we’d packed the former Transport Minister off to prison and closed that chapter, details of his cell emerge… along with a photo of him in prison uniform!!!??? Okaaay, should we be seeing this? We discuss the treatment he will get in Changi Prison, the reasons behind it, as well as the ethics of the photo, which has now been published on several mainstream media outlets. Speaking of seeing inappropriate things, a Qantas flight recently screened a movie for all its passengers without realising it was sexually explicit. We discuss the perfect storm of factors that could have made such a mistake possible…

(00:00) Tell You First
(00:48) Intro
(09:55) That Photo of Iswaran in Prison Garb
(25:54) Qantas Makes Passengers Watch R-Rated Movie
(42:33) One Shiok Comment
(48:54) One Shiok Thing

Our New Podcast, TELL YOU FIRST

• Check out our new edutainment podcast that dives into a fascinating array of topics you never knew you needed to know! This week, we talk about the founding of the Night Safari, the world’s first nocturnal zoo!
• Listen on melisten
• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple

Folklory

• If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com

Find us here!

• Our Website: https://www.ministryoffunny.com
• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/
• Telegram: https://t.me/YahLahButPodcast
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yahlahbut
• IG: https://www.instagram.com/yahlahbut/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@yahlahbut

That Photo of Iswaran in Prison Garb

• Iswaran housed in single-man cell due to 'higher safety and security risk': Singapore Prison Service
• Iswaran’s single-cell placement: Reflections on prison life in solitary vs shared cells
• Iswaran housed in single-man cell due to ‘higher safety and security risk’: S’pore Prison Service
• Singapore’s Indian-origin former minister gets 6.9 sq m single-cell in Changi Prison to serve jail term

Qantas Makes Passengers Watch R-Rated Movie

• Qantas Apologizes for Showing R-Rated Film With Nudity to Entire Flight
• ‘No headphones, no movie, no water’: Why some travellers are ‘raw-dogging’ on flights
• DADDIO | Official Trailer (2024)

One Shiok Comment

• Comment on YLB #569 feat. Rishi Budhrani
• Comment by Mediocre-Loquat-69

One Shiok Thing

• Roy Keane meets Roy Keane - SKY Mobile!!!
• Phil Jones On Rangnick, Erik ten Hag & José Mourinho At Man United

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak  

A free umbrella sharing service for Joo Chiat residents to use in the event of sudden downpours was stopped because people did not return the umbrellas after using them. After deploying more than 1,180 umbrellas, the program became unsustainable, which begs the question: are Singaporeans really just an inconsiderate lot? Elsewhere, people took to social media to ridicule the CNY Dragon decor at Chinatown, saying that it had “human-looking” feature. How did the university students who designed the decor feel about this criticism?

Find us here!

• YLB Subreddit 
• YLB TikTok
• YLB IG
• YLB YouTube

Folklory

• If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com

Singaporeans Not Ready for Umbrella-Sharing

• 'Not sustainable': Joo Chiat’s free umbrella-sharing service to stop due to low return rates by inconsiderate users
• R[2018] Raining on their parade, ungracious users put dampener on umbrella-sharing project

SUTD Students Proud of Ridiculed Chinatown Dragon

• Despite online criticism, SUTD students proud of annual CNY lantern designs in Chinatown
• Shrek or Pikotaro? CNY dragon decor in Chinatown fires up social media
• S’pore Chinatown dragon looks like famous HK actor & Pen-Pineapple-Apple-Pen guy

One Shiok Comment

• Comment by chrislim7615
• Comment by internetlurker96

One Shiok Thing

• Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Meet the Disney Imagineer Behind the VR Breakthough That Is the 'HoloTile'

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

Desk from @castlerysg

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak

S Iswaran resigned from his cabinet position as Transport Minister and MP, in light of being formally charged for 27 offences including corruption on Thursday. The list of charges included details about concerts, football matches and even a private jet to Doha. What happens now? Elsewhere, a Bukit Timah resident’s fish pond was brutally ravaged for the 2nd time in just over a year by a group of otters. This time, the resident’s 16 arowanas were decimated. What should be done about these killer otters?

(00:00) Intro
(04:28) Minister Iswaran Charged for Corruption
(53:33) Otters Back to Torment Fish Owner in Bukit Timah
(01:02:17) One Shiok Comment
(01:06:25) One Shiok Thing

Find us here!

• YLB Subreddit
• YLB TikTok
• YLB IG
• YLB YouTube

Transport Minister Iswaran Charged for Corruption

• Iswaran charged with multiple offences including corruption, resigns as Transport Minister
• Iswaran charged: A timeline of CPIB's probe - TODAY
• Penal Code 1871 - Singapore Statutes Online
• Prevention of Corruption Act 1960 - Singapore Statutes Online
• What are Iswaran's charges and what happens next?
• AGC to make decision about CPIB's investigations into Ong Beng Seng after Iswaran’s case - CNA
• PMO | Statement by PM Lee Hsien Loong on the Resignation of Mr S Iswaran
• S. Iswaran handed 27 charges including corruption following CPIB investigation; resigns as Transport Minister and MP
• Civil servants cannot retain gifts over S$50, same 'spirit' applies to political office holders: Chan Chun Sing - CNA

Otters Return to Torment Fish Owner in Bukit Timah

• 1 year after 40 of her fishes killed, otters kill Bukit Timah resident's arowanas, left 1 dead inside house
• Otters kill over 40 koi & fishes leaving Bukit Timah resident too 'traumatised' to rear fish again

One Shiok Comment

• Comment by singaporeing

One Shiok Thing

• American Nightmare | Official Trailer | Netflix
• BEEF | Official Trailer

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

Desk from @castlerysg

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak

This week, Donald Trump cemented his frontrunner status within the US Republican party as President Joe Biden’s most likely opponent. Why does this matter for the rest of the world? Elsewhere, the Singapore government’s BudgetMealGoWhere portal allows the public to search for budget meal options at nearby HDB coffee shops. Why did this leave a bad taste in people’s mouths?

Find us here!

• YLB Subreddit
• YLB TikTok
• YLB IG
• YLB YouTube

Folklory

• If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com

Donald Trump Returns to Spotlight in Iowa

• Donald Trump wins Iowa caucus, taking first step toward a Biden rematch
• Analyzing Trump’s Iowa caucus win using precinct results and entrance polls - POLITICO
• Explained: How US elects its President? A look at the electoral process | Mint
• Iowa caucuses: What Trump's dominant win means for his rivals - BBC News
• Donald Trump’s win in Iowa shows his appeal is expanding beyond his base
• Mary Trump Flags Setback For Donald Trump Despite Iowa Win | HuffPost
• Small states should unite to call out big powers for violating international law: Shanmugam

Government Crowdsourcing Website Highlights Budget Meals in Singapore

• Found a budget meal at a coffee shop? Add it to this government crowdsourcing website
• The Great Budget Meal Hunt

One Shiok Comment

• Comment by munster1440
• Reddit poll by Majestic-Economist-6

One Shiok Thing

• Life on Our Planet | Official Trailer
• Atarashii Gakko!

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

Desk from @castlerysg

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak

The recent announcement that all adult commuters will have to use the SimplyGo platform for public transport payments by June sent the public into a frenzy, with many lamenting the confusing nature of the transition. Of course, it didn’t help that the SimplyGo app was overwhelmed by downloads not long after the announcement, bringing the robustness of the system into question. Why the big hoo-ha? Elsewhere, a job ad for a KTV performer appeared on a Singapore government job portal, searching for locals to fill the role. Are KTVs now going legit?

Find us here!

• YLB Subreddit
• YLB TikTok
• YLB IG
• YLB YouTube

Folklory

• If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com

EZ-Link to SimplyGo Transition Goes Off Track

• Non-SimplyGo EZ-Link, NETS FlashPay cards not valid for public transport from June
• Fare display using SimplyGo EZ-Link cards 'technically possible' but would create longer queues: LTA
• SimplyGo app overwhelmed by downloads after move to phase out older cards
• SimplyGo away, leave Singapore's travel tech alone, and don’t blame commuter traffic for unhelpful payment system

KTV Job Ad Appears on Government Portal

• Job ad for KTV performer fluent in Vietnamese & Thai appears on S'pore govt portal, part of fair hiring search for locals to fill role

One Shiok Comment

• Comment by rosegold_cat
• Comment by internetlurker96

One Shiok Thing

• NYAD | Official Trailer
• "You F*cking Racist" - Bassem Youssef's HEATED Debate Over Israel vs Palestine

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

Desk from @castlerysg

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak

In Parliament this week, WP MP Jamus Lim called the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s proposed loss-sharing framework for phishing scams “fundamentally unfair”, and suggested that scam victims should bear no more than $500 of the cost. Many rushed to call him a populist and other names, but is there any merit to his suggestion? Elsewhere, some numbers were revealed in Parliament to explain why Bus 167 linking Sembawang to the CBD was discontinued, then reinstated. Why the sudden U-turn?

Find us here!

• YLB Subreddit
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• YLB IG
• YLB YouTube

Folklory

• If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com

Jamus Lim Calls MAS Proposal “Unfair” for Scam Victims

• WP MP proposes scam victims should bear no more than S$100-S$500 of losses
• Singapore's 'Money Lock' Safeguards S$3.2 Billion Across 38,000 Bank Accounts
• Written reply to Parliamentary Question on the take-up rate of the "Money Lock" feature in local banks
• MOM clarifies CPF Board has no intention to consider scheme to insure members against scam losses
• Singapore telcos offer call blocking from international numbers to combat scams
• [Oct 2023] $1.4 trillion lost to scams globally; S’pore victims lost the most on average: Study
• Yah Lah But 452: Banks and Telcos to Share Responsibility for Scams & Man U Players Gorilla Emoji Debacle

Why Bus 167 was Reinstated

• Reducing frequency of bus service 167 saves S$2.6 million in subsidies every year: MOT
• Written Reply to Parliamentary Question on Rationale for Reinstating Bus Service 167 after Discontinuation Announcement
• LTA Media Statement on Bus Service 167
• Bus service 167 ends, routes shortened amid 'almost tripled' ridership on Thomson-East Coast Line

One Shiok Comment

• Comment by ewmurphy
• Comment by edwardxad

One Shiok Thing

• The Internet Sucks. Neal Agarwal Is on a Quest to Save It.
• 3 Body Problem | Official Trailer | Netflix

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

Desk from @castlerysg

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak

Minister Chan Chun Sing revealed that the Ministerial salary review due in 2023 has been deferred because of “other pressing issues”. What does this mean? Elsewhere, a tourist was accused of stealing disposable cutlery from a hawker stall, and took to social media to vent. Is there any merit to the tourist’s complaint?

Find us here!

• YLB Subreddit
• YLB TikTok
• YLB IG
• YLB YouTube

Folklory

• If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com

Time to Review Ministerial Salaries

• Ministerial salary review due in 2023 deferred because of 'other pressing issues'
• Singapore ministerial salary review due in 2023 deferred, says Chan Chun Sing
• Here’s How Much Singapore’s President And Cabinet Ministers Are Paid In Salary
• Median Income in Singapore (2023): What It Means & Where You Stand
• [Jan 2023] Review of political office holders’ salaries likely to take place in 2023: Chan Chun Sing
• [Mar 2018] Singapore Budget 2018: Ministerial salaries to stay put, but will be reviewed again - DPM Teo
• [2012] Salaries for a Capable and Committed Government (White Paper)
• [Nov 2023] Japan PM to return part of salary ahead of proposed hike | HRD Asia

Tourist “Steals” Disposable Chopsticks?

• Tourist takes disposable chopsticks without buying food from Maxwell hawker stall, gets accused of 'stealing'

One Shiok Comment

• Comment by Humorousguy64

One Shiok Thing

• Ja started dancing after catching a lob 🤣
• Huberman Lab Podcast

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

Desk from @castlerysg

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak

In the first week of 2024, Lazada employees were welcomed back to work with the shocking news of company-wide layoffs. Even NTUC and the workers’ union expressed their “disappointment” at not being informed about the unfortunate turn of events. Is there anything that can be done to mitigate the situation? Elsewhere, the recent closure of a street soccer court has sparked debate about whether football has a future in land-scarce Singapore. But is it really THAT important to allow kids to play football?

Find us here!

• YLB Subreddit
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• YLB IG
• YLB YouTube

Folklory

• If you’re looking for a meaningful gift, we’d love to help you create a personal podcast for a loved one. Get started at Folklory.com

Lazada Layoffs Ruffles Union

• Sudden layoffs at Lazada left people crying, baffled, say employees
• NTUC ‘deeply disappointed’ over Lazada layoffs, says union was not consulted
• Lazada S'pore retrenches staff at start of 2024 ahead of possible IPO, fails to notify union
• Workers' union accepts Lazada's apology over layoffs; talks on better retrenchment benefits ongoing
• MOM’s Mandatory Retrenchment Notifications

Closure of Street Soccer Court Sparks Debate

• Temporary closure of Kampong Chai Chee street soccer court sparks debate online
• Commentary: It’s time to think about where kids can freely play football in Singapore
• If we don’t tolerate kids and let them play freely, Singapore will pay the eventual price

One Shiok Comment

• Comment by user-ey5xz8hn9i
• Comment by ogapagoda2
• Comment by HelloEira

One Shiok Thing

• Single's Inferno 3 | Official Trailer
• BLACKkKLANSMAN - Official Trailer [HD]

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

Desk from @castlerysg

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak