Deep Dive - Best of: Silent expectations and fatal outcomes - the suicide risk men face
Singapore reported 314 suicides in 2024, with the sharpest increase among adults aged 30 to 39. Nearly two-thirds were men. What pressures do these groups face? And what are the warning signs? Otelli Edwards and Steven Chia speak with Dr Jared Ng, a psychiatrist and the former chief of emergency and crisis care at the Institute of Mental Health, and Eugene Chong, counselling psychologist at Seeding Minds. WHERE TO SEEK HELP If you or someone you know is struggling and needs support, please consider reaching out to one of the helplines below. Youthline: +65 6436 6612 (call), 8533 9460 (text) and over email at hello [at] youthline.sg (hello[at]youthline[dot]sg). Youthline provides free mental health support to youth via phone, email or a live chat service. It runs from 9am to midnight daily. Calls outside of operating hours are redirected to Samaritans of Singapore or the Singapore Civil Defence Force for emergency medical services. Samaritans of Singapore: 1767 (call), 9151 1767 (WhatsApp text) and over email at pat [at] sos.org.sg (pat[at]sos[dot]org[dot]sg). Samaritans of Singapore provides round-the-clock confidential emotional support for individuals in crisis, thinking about or affected by suicide. The call and text-based services are operational 24 hours a day, every day of the week. National Mindline: 1771 (call), 6669 1771 (WhatsApp) and through online webchat on the http://mindline.sg/fsmh website. This is a round-the-clock confidential national-level helpline. Beyond immediate counselling, those who require more support can be directed to the appropriate care and resources.
Deep Dive - Best of: Have rising commercial rents reached a tipping point?
Amid rising rents and growing competition, some Singapore businesses are closing down or relocating to cheaper premises. A local bakery in Siglap announced on social media it was moving out after its rent was increased by 57 per cent. Are commercial rent hikes spiralling out of control, or is this simply market forces at work?Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak to Ethan Hsu, head of retail at Knight Frank Singapore, and Terence Yow, managing director of Enviably Me Group of Companies and chairperson of the SG Tenants United for Fairness.
Deep Dive - Best of: More elderly Singaporeans are living alone – should we be concerned?
The number of elderly Singaporeans living alone has doubled in the past decade. With Singapore on the cusp of becoming a “super-aged” society, the numbers will only climb further. While support systems exist, are they enough when an elderly person needs urgent medical help or even just someone to talk to? Steven Chia speaks with Karen Wee, executive director of Lions Befrienders, and Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
Deep Dive - New Lions head coach Gavin Lee lays out national football plan
After Singapore beat Hong Kong to qualify for the Asian Cup, interim head coach Gavin Lee was handed the top job, with a mammoth task – to turn Singapore football around. He reveals how he's staking his 18-month contract on a bold strategy to strengthen the Lions. Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak to him about how he measures success on the football field and how challenging better national teams is part of the big plan.
Deep Dive - Should Singapore introduce penalties for companies that mishandle layoffs?
When local bakery chain Twelve Cupcakes abruptly announced that they were closing and going into liquidation, about 80 employees were suddenly left jobless. Can more be done to strengthen Singapore’s employment laws without hurting our competitive edge? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Patrick Tay, assistant secretary-general of NTUC and Amarjit Kaur, head of employment at Withers KhattarWong on tightening safeguards when companies fail their employees.
About
Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang unpack Singapore news. Listen in as they take a deep dive into hot button issues that matter so that you are always in the know.
Host and Guest
Steven Chia
