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Deep Dive - The good and the bad of online reviews - and how to read them

Deep Dive

A restaurant recently faced a barrage of negative reviews which affected its Google rating. It sparked a conversation on how we leave and read online reviews. Are we too quick to criticise from behind our screens? And as consumers, are we able to tell the difference between thoughtful feedback and unfair criticisms? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang sit down with Dr Elmie Nekmat from the National University of Singapore and online food reviewer Leong Yong Xin aka @foodbaby.sg, to unpack what it means to give and recognise an authentic review in a noisy digital space.

Steven Chia

Steven Chia

Tiffany Ang

Tiffany Ang

Resume Pause 27 min
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Deep Dive - Do civil servants need tighter safeguards against misuse of confidential information?

Eight public officers have been referred to the police following a Public Service Division review of 191 officers’ property transactions near then-unannounced MRT stations. While this does not mean that wrongdoing has been established, the case raises questions about the use of confidential government information and public trust. Where is the line between legitimate personal decisions and the misuse of privileged information? Are Singapore's existing public service safeguards enough to prevent and detect potential abuse? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with lawyer and former deputy public prosecutor Marshall Lim and Dr Celia Lee, Senior Research Fellow at the Nanyang Centre for Public Administration, about the legal and ethical issues, the higher standards expected of civil servants and whether tighter safeguards could unfairly limit their personal choices.

Resume Pause 26 mins
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Deep Dive - Why is dental care so expensive in Singapore?

Is the cost of dental care stopping Singaporeans from going for preventive checks or getting timely treatment? With almost 80 per cent of dental care provided by the private sector, those who cannot afford private fees may face longer waits for subsidised care. Tiffany Ang and Steven Chia speak with Dr Yeo Kok Beng, CEO of Royce Dental Group, and Associate Professor Jeremy Lim from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine about what drives dental fees, why dental care has not received the same level of public support as medical care and whether the local dental industry's current public-private mix is leaving some people behind. Related: I'm Turning 55 With 24 Teeth Left: What Would Losing More Cost Me? | Talking PointReference: MOH Guide to Dental Treatment Costs and fee benchmarks

Resume Pause 41 mins
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Deep Dive - Renovation red flags: What to know from start to finish

Ghosted by your interior designer, left with unfinished renovation work or stuck waiting for your furniture to be delivered? For some homeowners, creating their dream home can quickly turn into a costly nightmare. So, what can homeowners do to protect themselves from renovation woes? What red flags should they look out for before signing a contract, and what can they do when things go wrong? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with interior designer Shaun Fong and litigator Pang Khin Wee from IRB Law to unpack the risks, red flags and safeguards that every homeowner should know before embarking on a home renovation.

Resume Pause 31 mins
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Deep Dive - North-South Corridor delay: Was it avoidable – and can businesses survive the impact?

Another delay to the construction of the North-South Corridor means two more years of dust, noise and disruption for affected residents, businesses and pedestrians. For an engineering project of this scale and complexity, are delays simply part of the process or could more have been done to prevent them? And as businesses grapple with declining footfall and mounting losses, what can be done to help them ride out the prolonged disruption? In this week’s Deep Dive, Steven Chia speaks with Dr David Ng from The Institution of Engineers, Singapore - who has worked on major infrastructure projects from the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) to MRT lines - and business owner Alvin Lin about the challenges surrounding the Corridor project, from the engineering difficulties to the business fallouts.

Resume Pause 24 mins
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Deep Dive - Do racist comments online really reflect what Singaporeans think?

Recent controversies over the Nepal-Tibet floods and the debate over Singapore Airlines’ investment into Air India have once again put Singaporeans’ attitudes towards race and immigration in the spotlight. Does this reflect growing racist views in society, or is social media amplifying the racism of a minority? Are we also up against something more sinister, like AI bots creating divisions? Can we have meaningful discussions about hot-button immigration or social issues without resorting to racism and stereotypes? And will the new racial harmony law – which took effect on Sep 15 – put the brakes on racist commentators online, or will it drive them underground? Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang speak with Dr Mathew Mathews from the Institute of Policy Studies and associate professor Natalie Pang from the National University of Singapore about what’s driving these conversations, where the lines should be drawn and how we can do better.

Resume Pause 33 mins
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