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

Read more:

• Going beyond tackling misconceptions about autism: https://str.sg/xaFs
• When you’re told you’re ‘not autistic enough’: https://str.sg/sXC4
• Walk a mile in my shoes as mother of two children with autism: https://str.sg/EpUu
• Autism lasts a lifetime. Can support stay the course?: https://str.sg/LR3om
• Autism in the workplace is about more than job placement: https://str.sg/apLC
• We are more aware of autism, but how well do we understand it?: https://str.sg/ejLE
• Schools have integrated children with autism. Have they included them?: https://str.sg/qgmz

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Mubin Saadat on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/brVx

Host: Mubin Saadat (mubin@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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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With DAP committed to the unity government, can Anwar Ibrahim reform his coalition before the next general election?

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the hottest political and trending talking points, alternating between its Malaysia and China bureaus.

For our August episode, ST's Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh and host Zurairi A.R. are joined by Dr Ong Kian Ming, a former deputy minister and adjunct professor at Taylor’s University.

Highlights (click/tap above):

5:20 DAP members vote to stay in government: Is it the right choice?

8:40 Is the DAP grassroots divided over call to stay in government?

17:40 What is the ideal situation for DAP? Is it time to return to the opposition?

19:50 Should Anwar Ibrahim step back to allow Pakatan Harapan to rebuild for 16th general election?

24:40 Anwar’s strategy: Tactical survival or a genuine long-term plan?

31:00 Are Anwar’s advisers listening? Here’s what we have to say to them

37:10 Side note: Formula 1 is back in Sepang, but what sporting events do we want Malaysia to host?

Read more:

Malaysia’s DAP votes to stay in government, easing pressure on PM Anwar after state polls setbacks: https://str.sg/3Tr5u

Malaysia keeps voting for change. Is Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan running out of time to deliver?: https://str.sg/mUbA

F1 race in Malaysia: Country eyes a rise in tourists, increased business for small traders: https://str.sg/xboz

Read Zurairi A.R.’s articles: https://str.sg/DCfr

Read Shannon Teoh's articles: https://str.sg/wzyK

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz

Host: Zurairi A.R. (zurairi@sph.com.sg)

Produced and edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Executive producer: Ernest Luis

Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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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

10:00 How DELTA differs from Project Blueprint

12:52 Have your pizza and eat it too - understanding 'your delta' to optimise your biology

15:24 Ho’s interaction with Bryan Johnson

15:52 Ho on Bryan Johnson: ‘His dedication to sleep is inspiring’

17:46 Did Ho take any testosterone replacements, HGH, supplements?

20:30 Why a sample size of one is enough for the DELTA study

27:08 The function of a ‘digital twin’ in tailoring strategies to improve health

30:05 ‘Human behavior is more powerful than the most powerful medicines on the planet’

39:00 Taking small steps to drinking Kopi ‘O’ Kosong and sleeping more

43:00 Beyond the wrinkles and cutting sugar to the real reason why Ho pursues longevity

52:10 The Pursuit of Longevity vs. Quality of Life

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: Hadyu Rahim

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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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If you’ve been thinking about having kids, last night’s National Day Rally might have given you something to rally about.

Parents - and those who are considering having children - were the focus of PM Wong’s address on August 23.

In a nutshell, parents will get more help: more childcare leave and financial support, along with lower pre-school fees and more ballot chances when buying their first BTO flat.

But will this move the needle on our Total Fertility Rate, which now stands at 0.87?

Natasha asks Senior Parliamentary Secretary Goh Hanyan from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth why the Government shifted its stance to consider every child equally.

Dr Reuben Ng, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and a father of four, shared his thoughts on when the Government needs to roll out more measures for this reset to count.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:17 Were the parenthood measures good enough?

6:56 Why tackle the cost concerns first?

12:15 Should mothers get medals for having more kids?

17:24 Why not taking leave is sometimes seen as a “badge of honour”

20:41 Hanyan’s experience juggling political office and being a mother-of-three

25:14 What about colleagues who cover parents on leave?

28:20 Are singles getting the short end of the stick?

33:41 Politically risky to invest so much public funds into parenting?

38:21 How fast does the Government need to roll out the measures?

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Natasha Liew

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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What kind of involvement do Singaporeans want in policymaking?

The Maju Forest-Gillman Barracks issue has seen Singaporeans making their voices heard, offering counter-proposals, and demanding more transparency from the Government.

This isn’t the first time Singaporeans have made their views known - remember issues including the Dear You bilingual policy debate, the SimplyGo roll out, and the scrapped NTUC Income-Allianz deal.

Are we in a new era of civic participation, and does the way the Government engages Singaporeans need to change? Also, would too much consultation hamper policymaking?

In this episode of The Usual Place, I speak with:

• Assistant Professor of Sociology George Wong, who researches grassroots organisations in urban governance and politics in Asia at Singapore Management University, and
• Jonathan Ng, an independent consultant with more than 20 years of experience in policy advocacy and regulation, and a former civil servant. He also creates social media content about how government and businesses work.

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:17 Reactions to S’poreans speaking up about Maju Forest

6:33 Has the Government responded well?

9:38 Citizens must trust that their voices matter: Jonathan

11:00 S’poreans want to “see how the sausage is being made”: George

13:54 Should policies satisfy every stakeholder?

16:18 Presenting trade-offs without being defensive

18:54 No more “Trust me bro!”

24:09 How does the Government choose whom to listen to?

28:18 Is active citizenry fuelled by social media?

31:43 Do name-calling, political labels hurt engagement?

34:34 Can S’poreans disagree agreeably?

36:19 Is another iteration of Our Singapore Conversation needed?

39:46 Why you shouldn’t scream to be heard

Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Follow The Usual Place podcast on IG: https://str.sg/8KNT

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by: Eden Soh & Natasha Liew

Executive producer: Danson Cheong

Producers: Natasha Ann Zachariah, Elizabeth Law & Zachary Lim

Follow The Usual Place Podcast and get notified for new episode drops every Thursday:

Channel: https://str.sg/5nfm

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/9ijX

Spotify: https://str.sg/cd2P

YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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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”?

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/

Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH

Follow Lin Suling on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/hiLQ

Host: Lin Suling (linsuling@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

YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Would you reveal your salary to your colleagues? What to do if you are underpaid?

In this episode, ST’s own manpower correspondent Sharon Salim talks about navigating conversations around salary transparency and how being too transparent can affect workplace dynamics.

Hosts Kai Wen and Sue-Ann discuss transparency being crucial to benchmarking against peers in the same industry, and whether firms discourage employees from salary transparency to maintain an advantage in salary negotiations.

Highlights (click/tap above):

0:00: Intro

3:55 Utilising salary guides & public sector disparity

7:58 The impact on workplace dynamics

11:52 Downsides of transparency

15:34 Job interviews to check “market rate”

19:59 Is sharing your salary against rules

23:29 Negotiating a pay raise

27:42 Track your monthly career milestones

Follow See Kai Wen on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/qfwqQ

Follow Sue-Ann Tan on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/A86X

Read Sue-Ann Tan's articles: https://str.sg/mvSa

Hosts: See Kai Wen (seekw@sph.com.sg) and Sue-Ann Tan (suetan@sph.com.sg)

Produced & edited by: Eden Soh, Fa’izah Sani and Amirul Karim

Executive producer: Elizabeth Law

Follow the Headstart On Record Podcast here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wB2m

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wuN3

Spotify: https://str.sg/wBr9

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Get business/career tips in ST's Headstart newsletter: https://str.sg/headstart-nl

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Watch Headstart On Record Podcast on YouTube: https://str.sg/3psqrx

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Do note: All analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast are for your general information only. You should not rely on them in making any decision. Please consult a fully qualified financial adviser or professional expert for independent advice and verification. To the fullest extent permitted by law, SPH Media shall not be liable for any loss arising from the use of or reliance on any analyses, opinions, recommendations and other information in this podcast. SPH Media accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever that may result or arise from the products, services or information of any third parties.

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What more should we know now about this country that is central to the global economy and is playing an ever greater role in geopolitics?

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, The Straits Times’ senior columnist Ravi Velloor distils 45 years of experience covering the Asian continent, with expert guests.

In this first-ever joint episode of Asian Insider and Radio Davos, he is joined by the World Economic Forum’s Robin Pomeroy as they speak with Qian Liu, whose Wusawa Advisory helps companies understand China.

It was recorded in late June at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026 in Dalian, China.

Ravi and Robin discuss with Qian about how a Chinese economy built on innovation and scale is impacting the world, the mainland’s internal worry lines such as high youth unemployment and lagging consumption, and why female power could drive China’s next growth phase.

Highlights (click/tap above)

4:00 Exports, joblessness, property in a slowing economy

9:00 China’s property market prospects

11:10 ‘Ageing concubine’ Europe ‘cooking up’ negativity

15:00 EVs, cognac and bubble tea

19:40 You don’t need to get fat on Chinese ice-cream

23:10 ‘Involution’ and its imperatives

25:00 Shrugging off Hormuz

27:00 China’s watching US destroy itself

33:00 Female power in China

More at wef.ch/amnc26 and across social media using the hashtag #AMNC26

Produced and edited by Radio Davos:

Editing - Seamus Hart, Louie Carroll

Studio production: Gareth Nolan

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Read Ravi's columns: https://str.sg/3xRP

Follow Ravi on X: https://twitter.com/RaviVelloor

Sign up for ST’s weekly Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/sfpz

Host: Ravi Velloor (velloor@sph.com.sg)

Follow Asian Insider Podcast on Fridays here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

YouTube: https://str.sg/rF3qR

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

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Discover more Radio Davos podcasts:

From 'US innovates, China imitates' to 'Opportunity 2.0' - lessons from Summer Davos: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/strategic-intelligence-amnc26-debrief-china-innovation/

The Hormuz shock, AI and China: the state of global energy, with Jason Bordoff: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-energy-china-hormuz-oil-gas-renewables-bordoff/

AMNC26: What just happened at the Summer Davos?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/amnc26-what-just-happened-summer-davos/

All podcasts: wef.ch/podcasts:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

Radio Davos: https://pod.link/1504682164

Meet the Leader: https://pod.link/1534915560

Agenda Dialogues: https://pod.link/1574956552

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