Episodi
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Roy Ngerng was just a blogger writing on Singapore using publicly available information when, in 2015, he was sued by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for defamation. The court found him guilty and he was ordered to pay SG$215,000 in damages and costs. His life destroyed, he eventually left Singapore for Taiwan. He talks to PJ Thum about the sheer injustice of his case, which is covered in the new book "Ridiculous: Untold Tales of Singapore". In the first half, they discuss the political situation in Singapore, and the impact of decades of harsh oppression on Singaporeans' mental health and society. In the second half (39:44), they talk about his five years in Taiwan, its economic and social policies, and how they compare to Singapore.
Buy "Ridiculous: Untold Tales of Singapore": https://www.wordimagesg.com/product-page/ridiculous-untold-stories-of-singapore
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PJ Thum talks to Irie and Muhammad, two founders of Quasa, a peer support and community network for queer Muslims in Singapore. They talk about Quasa, what it does, why it’s needed, and what they want to achieve. They also discuss the lives of Queer Muslims, what they want, their relationship to their faith, the challenges the face, and the banality of their lives and desires in contrast to how others perceive them. They also ponder religious and cultural discrimination, and the extent to which power structures and discrimination within the Muslim community replicate the power structures and discrimination in the Singapore socio-political system as a whole.
https://www.instagram.com/quasasg/
https://twitter.com/quasasg/
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Episodi mancanti?
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New Naratif held a contest inviting people to tell us who they thought the next Prime Minister of Singapore should be, and why. The winner, with 57 votes, was Yeo Kian Hwee, who (presciently) picked Lawrence Wong. He speaks to PJ Thum about his thoughts on the succession and a Lawrence Wong premiership. As Yeo was born in Malaysia, they also have a discussion about the difference between Malaysian and Singaporean politics, and PJ also gives a brief impromptu history lesson about two of the PAP's big policy missteps, "Stop at Two" and the Second Industrial Revolution. Thank you to everyone who voted in the contest!
You can watch the episode of "The Show of PJ Thum" referred to in the conversation (on Singapore's economic quandary) at: https://youtu.be/ZFI8GJI0hUo
New Naratif explains and explores the forces which shape Southeast Asia. Find out more about our movement at https://www.newnaratif.com/hello. Please join our movement at https://newnaratif.com/join/ or donate at https://newnaratif.com/donate/ - your funds support all our original, hard hitting, independent research and journalism.
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Dr Chee Soon Juan is the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and one of the most respected and feared opposition leaders in Singapore, so it was a little inexplicable when he decided to start up a restaurant, "Orange & Teal". Singapore's food & beverage industry is notoriously difficult and competitive, and on top of this he started his venture in June 2021 in the middle of a pandemic! PJ Thum visited his restaurant to talk to him about why he started Orange & Teal, his experience in his first year, and what he hopes to achieve. They also talk about the future of Singapore, his vision for the SDP, and its changing perceptions and role in Singapore politics.
Transcript available at https://newnaratif.com/dr-chee-soon-juans-orange-teal/
To learn more, please visit: https://orangeandteal.sg/
https://www.facebook.com/orangeandtealsg/
https://www.instagram.com/orangeandtealsg/
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New Naratif invited people to tell us who they thought the next Prime Minister of Singapore should be, and why. PJ Thum interviews the four finalists: Roderick Foo, for Louis Ng; Joel Wong, for Prof Teo You Yenn; Yeo Kian Hwee, for Lawrence Wong; Steven Yeong, for Teo Chee Hean.
Read their written arguments and vote for who you think made the best argument at https://newnaratif.com/NextSingaporePM!
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Ahead of the publication of the revised and updated edition of her memoirs, legendary Singaporean civil society activist Constance Singam sits down with PJ Thum to talk about her long career in activism. They talk about the "AWARE Saga", when it was taken over by a group of fundamentalist Christians, which she was a direct participant in as the then-outgoing President of AWARE. They discuss the race, nationalism, and identity; the intersections of Singam's life with so many historical events; and how identity is fluid and ever-changing. They conclude with a discussion on activism in Singapore, what she's learned from a long career, and her hopes for a better life for Singaporeans and all peoples.
"Where I Was: A Memoir About Forgetting and Remembering" is available for pre-sale at https://www.ethosbooks.com.sg/products/where-i-was. You can also follow Ethos Books' Facebook and Instagram page for more information.
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Leong Mun Wai is a Non-constituency Member of Parliament for the Progress Singapore Party and the CEO of private equity firm, Timbre Capital. He explains to PJ Thum about Singapore's financial reserves, where it comes from, and how it is spent. They talk about the need for more transparency and accountability over how it is spent, and the inherently political nature of the trade offs between saving Singaporean income and investing it in social welfare and Singapore's future. They also talk about the recent Monetary Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill, how it suggests a loosening of financial discipline and responsibility, and why it is potentially very troubling for Singapore.
Leong's speech in Parliament on the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill can be found here.
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Mysara Aljaru talks to PJ Thum about her research into narratives about Singapore's Malay community in the mainstream media in Singapore. They discuss racial stereotypes, the challenges facing the Malay community, the systemic and historical underpinnings of racism, and how racism can be overcome.
In particular, they argue about whether racism is a cause or a symptom of the oppression of Malays in Singapore, the role of neoliberal capitalism and nationalism in that oppression, and whether it is possible to end discrimination over identity.
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In defiance of its own laws and the UN Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Singapore government intends to hang a man with borderline intellectual functioning for smuggling 42.72 grams of diamorphine—a form of heroin used to treat severe pain. PJ Thum speaks to Emmy Charissa, a disability rights activist; Kokila Annamalai, an anti-death penalty activist; and Mila Rockey, sister of death row prisoner Syed Suhail and also an anti-death penalty activist, about Mr Nagaenthran’s case, the lack of a fair trial that accommodated his disabilities, and drug trafficking and the death penalty in Singapore.
Things you can do to help #SaveNagaenthran:
Sign this petition Write to President Halimah Yacob Write to your local MPs Support the Transformative Justice Collective -
What is the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill? How will it impact our lives? How do we avoid running afoul of it? Why is this law so important? Lawyer Carol Yuen, NCMP Leong Mun Wai, and Progress Singapore Party Women's Wing leader Wendy Low will discuss this mammoth, complicated law with New Naratif managing director PJ Thum and unpack its far reaching implications. This interview was recorded live on 30 September 2021.
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On today's episode, PJ Thum speaks to Faris Joraimi about his book, Raffles Renounced. They talk about how the book came about, how it rejects the orthodoxy of Singapore’s history, its national myth, and how it challenges the Raffles-centric view of the country’s history. They also discuss race and what it means to be Malay in a hyper-racialised society.
This interview was recorded on 8 May 2021 and has been edited for clarity. Please visit New Naratif's Youtube channel for the full interview.
Purchase Raffles Renounced at https://www.ethosbooks.com.sg/products/rafflesrenounced
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The Online Citizen has been banned in Singapore via the government's suspension of its class license under the Broadcasting Act. Editor-in-Chief Terry Xu joins New Naratif managing director PJ Thum to discuss the banning of TOC, what Terry plans to do next, and the proposed new anti-foreign interference law and how it will impact both TOC and New Naratif. This interview was recorded live on 15 September 2021.
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Ryaihanny Sahrom is a legal professional and a freelance writer with a passion in human rights for marginalised genders. Speaking to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han, she argues that effectively addressing crime requires a societal shift in how we define justice, moving from retribution towards abolishing the environmental conditions that create it in the first place. This, she argues, is also an Islamic approach to transformative justice.
Resources to start your journey on abolitionist politics:
http://criticalresistance.org/resources/
Are Prisons Obsolete?
Why I Believe Prison Abolition is a Muslim Issue
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Content warning: This podcast includes references to sexual assault
19-year-old Elijah Tay is already a veteran activist, having started at just 14. They return to Political Agenda to talk to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up, Singapore) about their personal life journey, their founding of My Queer Story SG and LGBTQIA+ activism, and their advice for other young people who are trying to create positive change in the face of familial, societal and institutional resistance.
For more, please visit this link.
This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up, Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
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Up and Out is an Instagram page dedicated to better quality sex education for Singaporean youth, while also speaking out against the outdated sex-ed curriculum of the Singapore education system. PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up, Singapore) talk to the founders, Vanessa and Vivian, about the importance of uncensored, inclusive, and holistic sex education and how it can be achieved. They also discuss their own lives and how they became activists. This podcast was recorded on 21 January 2021.
You can donate to them here. To learn more and support their cause, please visit:
Shop Catalogue
Survivor Waitlist
LinktreeIf you are a business owner or an artist of any kind, and you want to collaborate, you can DM them on Instagram or send an email to [email protected].
This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up, Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
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Malaysia is falling apart: people are struggling with hunger in their homes, their healthcare system is falling apart, their leaders are bickering amongst themselves, and their parliament is failing to hold those leaders accountable. How did a prosperous country end up in such dire straits? Lim Wei Jiet, a human rights lawyer, speaks to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up, Singapore) about the ongoing humanitarian and political crises in Malaysia, how it happened, and where it might go. They also discuss lessons that Singapore can draw from this and how Singaporeans can help their Malaysian brothers and sisters.
This interview was recorded on 27 July 2021
For more information on how you can help, please visit this website.
This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up, Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
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Aleesha Khan works on sexual violence and mental health in Singapore and she runs Self_ally, an Instagram page which provides resources to survivors of trauma and abuse. She talks to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up, Singapore) about her life story, her activism, and her work. They discuss some of the psychology of racism in Singapore, from both the viewpoint of those who perpetuate racism and those who experience it, and what might be done about it.
This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up, Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
For more, please see instagram.com/self_ally
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Content warning: This podcast includes references to suicide.
Shaza Ishak is the managing director of Teater Ekamatra, Singapore's leading ethnic minority theatre company. She talks with Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) and PJ Thum about her life story and the challenges she faced as a female Indian Muslim professional in Singapore. They go into detail about Teater Ekamatra, minority representation, and its role in Singapore; and, more broadly, the role and sustainability of the arts in the country, and how it can survive and adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To learn more and support Teater Ekamatra, please visit ekamatra.org.sg/
This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up, Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
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Trigger Warning: Sexual violence and self-harm
At seven, Devika Satheesh Panicker was sexually assaulted. After a year of abuse, her parents learnt of the matter and the perpetrator was arrested and incarcerated. Yet this was only the beginning of a long journey for her, first as a survivor and subsequently as an advocate for sexual violence awareness. Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) and PJ Thum talk to her about her life and experiences, her career and advocacy, and her experience as an actress and Vasantham beauty pageant winner. In particular, she discusses the issues and challenges around sexual violence in Singapore (particularly around the issue of consent) and provides crucial advice for how to listen and help survivors.
This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up, Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
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Heckin' Unicorn sells subtle & unique LGBTQIA+ merchandise, such as enamel pins, socks, and notebooks, that allow people to express their identity. Its founder, Teo Yu Sheng, talks to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) about the origins of Heckin' Unicorn, its ethos and mission, his personal journey, and how he reconciles capitalism and activism. They also discuss his personal philosophy, the Unicorn Library, and his hopes for the future.
This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up, Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.
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