Asian Insider

Synopsis: Every Friday, get our distinct take on global issues with an Asian perspective, with ST’s globally-based correspondents. Produced and edited by: Fa'izah Sani Executive producer: Ernest Luis A podcast by The Straits Times, SPH Media.

Latest episodes

Apr 11, 2021 • 15min

S1E6: 'I’ve lived here for decades but I still can’t call myself a Hong Konger': Invisible Asia Ep 6

Apr 11, 2021 • 15min

S1E6: 'We've lived here for decades, but we still can't fit in,' say Hong Kong's silent outsiders

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of. Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts. The Straits Times' Hong Kong correspondent Claire Huang speaks to India-born Steven and Chinese mainlander Amy Zhang about the discrimination they face daily in Hong Kong, despite having lived there for decades. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning. The discrimination they face in public tends to be more subtle. Find out how. Micro-aggressions faced by Steven due to the colour of his skin (1:04) How Steven copes with discrimination (3:46) Amy remembers when mainlanders like her were treated better (7:09) How Hong Kong's education policies may have contributed to the situation (9:33) Chinese mainlanders still have a long way to go to gain wider acceptance (12:22) Read the full story by Claire Huang: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/i-still-cant-call-myself-a-hong-konger Produced by: Magdalene Fung, Tan Jia Ning, Penelope Lee, Ernest Luis & Adam Azlee Edited by: Adam Azlee Discover ST's Invisible Asia podcast series: Channel: https://str.sg/wuZn Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3s Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJH SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Invisible Asia Videos: https://str.sg/wuTU --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 ST Podcasts website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX ---See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 8, 2021 • 14min

S1E67: Asians in US speak out against racism: Asian Insider Ep 67

Apr 4, 2021 • 12min

S1E5: 'What's worse than the job is the humiliation,' say India's sewer cleaners

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of. Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts. The Straits Times' India correspondent Rohini Mohan shines the spotlight on India's sewer cleaners. As many as a million Dalits - the lowest of the low in India's caste-ridden society - still ply the dangerous trade despite it having been outlawed for years. And they are powerless to escape it. In a country plagued with millions of choked toilets and drains, these indispensable workers go about their jobs daily without professional equipment, risking death from toxic fumes or drowning in liquid human waste, all to eke a living. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning: Pedanna speaks of clearing out human waste in the streets, homes and offices, and of the abuse he faces daily for being a sewer cleaner (0:55) The Indian government’s efforts to outlaw the dehumanising practice of manual scavenging has served only to force these workers underground (3:24) Few police complaints are ever filed when a sewer cleaner dies at work, and the workers are often powerless to fight for compensation (5:54) Senior sewer cleaner Munisamy shares how he copes with the daily disgust and humiliation he faces on the job (9:03) Munisamy's 17-year-old granddaughter Chandana is among a new generation of Dalits who refuse to be silenced (9:50) Read the full story by Rohini Mohan: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/whats-worse-than-the-job-is-the-humiliation-we-face Produced by: Magdalene Fung, Tan Jia Ning, Sazali Abdul Aziz, Rohit Brijnath, Penelope Lee, Ernest Luis & Adam Azlee Edited by: Adam Azlee Discover ST's Invisible Asia podcast series: Channel: https://str.sg/wuZn Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3s Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJH SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Invisible Asia Videos: https://str.sg/wuTU --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 ST Podcasts website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX ---See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 4, 2021 • 12min

S1E5: ‘What’s worse than the job is the humiliation we face’: Invisible Asia Ep 5

Apr 2, 2021 • 16min

S1E65: Asean's Myanmar dilemma: Asian Insider Ep 66

Mar 28, 2021 • 10min

S1E4: ‘We’ve always lived here, yet we don’t belong’ : Invisible Asia Ep 4

Mar 28, 2021 • 10min

S1E4: 'We've always lived here, yet we don't belong,' say Thailand's sea gypsies

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of. Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts. The Straits Times' Indochina bureau chief Tan Hui Yee explores the lives of the Urak Lawoi, aboriginal Malays from Thailand’s sea gypsy community, who are battling the authorities and developers for their right to stay on in their long-time coastal homes on the resort island of Phuket. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning: Jitti Pramongkit speaks of the discrimination and difficulties her people face daily (1:20) The Urak Lawoi fight a losing battle against rich developers and authorities for their land in Phuket (2:33) Patcharaphon Pramongkit recounts how being mocked and bullied led her to drop out of school eventually (5:07) The Urak Lawoi struggle to make a living and maintain their ways of life, especially during the pandemic (6:32) Why Jitti prays for tourists to return to Phuket once more (7:50) Read the full story by Tan Hui Yee: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/weve-always-lived-here-yet-we-dont-belong Produced by: Tan Hui Yee, Magdalene Fung, Ernest Luis, Adam Azlee, Penelope Lee Edited by: Adam Azlee Discover ST's Invisible Asia podcast series: Channel: https://str.sg/wuZn Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3s Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJH SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Invisible Asia Videos: https://str.sg/wuTU --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 ST Podcasts website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX ---See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 25, 2021 • 11min

S1E64: Time not Asean's side as it scrambles for strategy for Myanmar crisis: Asian Insider Ep 65

Mar 21, 2021 • 9min

S1E3: 'I felt so alone in Singapore': Invisible Asia Ep 3

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