Singapore This Week
Most want NMPs to be elected; understanding our food better; Singapore’s red hot electric vehicle market; the role of submarines in SEA legends and myths; Ken Liu and RF Kuang at the Singapore Writers Festival; and more.| Jom
Dear reader, It’s one of those weeks when there’s arresting or tragic news every few hours. Trump, Goodall, synagogue. We discuss the first two in “Singapore This Week”, alongside some lesser-known people, such as Nathan Law and Pannir Selvam. On the ground, we’| Jom
Young Singaporean men beset with economic anxiety, navigating changing gender norms, and fed on a social media diet of conspicuous consumption are charting new career paths both worrying and brave.| Jom
What next for Gaza; SG treads a fine diplomatic line with HK activist; new scheme to support mums; Jane Goodall, primate extraordinaire; the first demo of human flight in Singapore; a death row poet; and more| Jom
Dear reader, Several issues in the news this week are indicative of the importance of societal discourse, of our fledgling democracy’s growth. Unemployment support, once anathema in this welfare-averse society, is now a thing. Though far from ideal, it’s a start, and we assess the early| Jom
Deterrence and public opinion are used as justification for retaining the death penalty. We interrogate both notions, as we argue for abolition.| Jom
The growing-up pains of a fifth-generation jet; Nepal’s uprising; still no recognition for Palestine; update from parliament; support schemes in a tumultuous job market; the great Boys’ Love craze; and more.| Jom
Dear reader, How should we talk about complex social issues, from migration and race to transgender rights? At what point does an individual’s right to free inquiry and speech threaten the safety of vulnerable groups in society? This is one of the thorniest issues facing open societies. And| Jom
Despite colonialism’s incessant efforts to conjure and enforce new categories to better exploit vast populations, Malaya’s dizzying plurality could not be contained.| Jom
Most want NMPs to be elected; understanding our food better; Singapore’s red hot electric vehicle market; the role of submarines in SEA legends and myths; Ken Liu and RF Kuang at the Singapore Writers Festival; and more.| Jom
Dear reader, The US is a tinder box following the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the incredibly popular right-wing Christian commentator, whose youth outreach immeasurably helped close ally Donald Trump at the ballot box. The impact has been felt in Singapore. Conservatives, including a number of Christian pastors, have published tributes.| Jom
When the state brings itself to relinquish some control, tantalising new possibilities of being, living and thriving emerge.| Jom
Charmaine Poh in Berlin; a tribute to tribute bands; many oddities revealed in public audit; new tools for better discourse around suicides; the stigma endured by cancer survivors returning to work; gendered household work affecting women's health; and more.| Jom
Dear reader, Vapes and heated tobacco products should not be made available, let alone marketed, to the young. Also, vapes and heated tobacco products are potentially useful cessation tools, and possibly safer alternatives, for current cigarette smokers. Given medium-term global evidence, this is what’s fair to say. (Long-term| Jom
What if your favourite packet of Maggi isn’t just comfort food, but a mirror of global capitalism, cultural loss, and nostalgia? The writer unpacks how a Swiss invention became a South-east Asian staple; redefining taste, memory, and the meaning of home in just two minutes.| Jom
Indonesia, interrupted; nothing happened in Bukit Gombak; our contortions to avoid recognition of Palestine worthy of Olympic gold; the quandaries of long-term planning in an ageing society; Lawrence, the mellow; closure of the storied Cathay cineplexes; and more.| Jom
Professor Wong lectures on AI; the erstwhile "nothingness" of Punggol; more youths opting for plastic surgery; our vaping policy; cooking oil in the skies; memories of Alhambra, classic theater of yore; and more| Jom
Local firms give workers day off to watch Tamil superstar’s latest release; the art of (really) listening; Malay representation at NDP; hawker woes in the news, again; Singaporeans besotted with Chinese brands; Prabowo government mangles history; things going swimmingly for Sea; and more.| Jom
PAP draws Khairy’s ire; new parliamentarians sit for economics exam; public transport losing steam?; solving childhood education a group project; Singapore’s many pasts and futures; The Projector on the move, again; BlueSG’s shocking suspension; and more.| Jom
Lui Hock Seng, photographer extraordinaire; Singapore fetes sinkhole heroes; AI, friend or foe?; latest IPS survey a window into minority and elderly lives; the newly opened Bidadari Park; Carousell’s bid for reinvention; and more.| Jom
Our cyber sentinels; a potential new vaccine for dengue; recycling woes; the scourge of teenage vaping; the other Padang; some good news for bookworms; academic institutions trying to prop up sagging venture funding; and more.| Jom
Marina Bay Sands and the amorality of capital; ST’s past and future; mental health among primary schoolers; preserving animal species through cryo-conservation; unboxing 19th century Malaya; Amanda Heng in Venice; the rise of eSIMs; and more.| Jom
Singapore criticises Israel; the lowly cogs propelling the global scam juggernaut; a promising clinical trial for a cure for Parkinson’s disease; ASEAN powers up; mermaids, sirens, and Terumbu Pandan; local theatre interrogates masculinity; Circles targets ambitious double listing; and more.| Jom
Amid the fusillade of dings, buzzes and pings; and the quick dopamine hits fed to us by social media, reading has almost become a rebellion against technology and biology. This is an invitation to rediscover its joys.| Jom
Debates about Singapore’s pre-1819 significance, sparked by Ho Ching, offer us a chance to question the very notion of a national history| Jom
Dear reader, Jom Cakap. 7-9pm, Tuesday, June 24th 2025. The Economist’s Sue-Lin Wong in conversation with Jom’s Corrie Tan about “Scam Inc”. We’re down to our last 30 tickets. Get yours now. For a taste of what to expect, check out our blurb below on money mules| Jom
Israel at the Singapore Airshow, PAP’s control of the PA, incoming career bureaucrat to head SPH Media, potential new law to help curb food waste, works in progress at Singapore International Festival of Arts, Singapore brand Allies of Skin adds glow to lucrative US skincare market, and more.| Jom
