Deep Dive

To kick off Season 4, Heart of the Matter host Steven Chia gets to the heart of what it takes to be a Singapore citizen. Does being proficient in English matter? If not, what other markers should matter? His guests are Yorlin Ng, chief operating officer of Momentum Works who is applying for citizenship and Dr Gwee Li Sui, poet, graphic artist and literary critic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Caring for patients in the day, meeting global experts at night, racing against time to get a workable vaccine off the ground – NCID executive director Professor Leo Yee-Sin and Duke-NUS Medical School Professor Ooi Eng Eong recall working round-the-clock on the frontlines in the battle against COVID 19. They share the highs and lows of being in the “fog of the war” with CNA's Otelli Edwards.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It started with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in the US and was followed swiftly by the emergency rescue of beleagued Credit Suisse by UBS.  How does a bank go bust? What drives panic and fear that leads to a bank run and can it happen in Singapore? Steven Chia gets answers from Sumit Agarwal, Low Tuck Kwong Professor at the School of Business at the National University of Singapore and  Thilan Wickramasinghe, Head of Research Singapore & Regional Head of Financials at Maybank Investment Banking Group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More cases of family violence are being reported in Singapore, but few are because bystanders called the authorities. Why do we complain about party noises but hesitate if we suspect someone is being abused? Who should we call and what should we say? Steven Chia speaks to Marcus Lim, head of TOUCH Family Support, psychiatrist Dr Joseph Leong from Promises Healthcare and Mohamed Fareez, deputy director at AMKFSC Community Services.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In just a decade, the number of malls in Singapore has doubled and they usually have a set list of tenants - an anchor retailer, supermarket, pharmacy and several floors of eateries. Why do our malls look the same and what do we need to do better? Steven Chia speaks to Associate Professor Lynda Wee from Nanyang Business School and Winnie Chan, Founder & CEO at Bynd Artisan which has three retail outlets.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are teenagers as young as 14 becoming more interested in extremist religious content? What do online games have to do with this trend and how can family members spot red flags? Steven Chia speaks to Dr Omer Ali Saifudeen from the Singapore University of Social Sciences, Dr Mohamed Ali, co-chairman and counsellor with the Religious Rehabilitation Group and Nicholas Khoo, co-founder and former chairman of the Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anglo Chinese School (Primary) is moving from Barker Road to the upcoming Tengah estate in 2030. Is this move the start of something significant? Will this reduce elitism and social inequality in Singapore and should other so-called "elite" schools follow suit? Steven Chia puts these questions to Ian Tan, an ACS alumni, Dr Teng Siao See from the National Institute of Education who has written about education reforms in Singapore and Clarence Ching, founder of Access Singapore.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did the Valentine's Day Budget give help where help was really needed? Steven Chia asks associate professor Walter Theseira, entrepreneur and mother of two Dawn Cher, and Kurt Wee, president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises, for their take on handouts, CPF changes, Baby Bonuses and grants for homeowners and businesses.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budget 2023 will be announced on Tuesday (Feb 14) and Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong dangled the prospect of it as his “Valentine’s Day present” to all Singaporeans. So how does the average citizen hope to benefit? In this Heart of the Matter podcast, Steven Chia asks three guests - one from each generation about their wish list. Guests: Benny Koh, 26, June Yong, 42 and William Wan, 76.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Median salary figures show a large gap between those who graduate with degrees and those with polytechnic or ITE diplomas. In an era where skills are prized, why have salaries not kept pace? Is it just perception? Steven Chia speaks to Mark Li, head of client solutions at Randstad Singapore, Christine Kunasekaran, sales operations analyst at Hewlett-Packard Enterprise and an ITE graduate, as well as Wong Kai Xian, a Temasek Polytechnic graduate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.