online shopping

You Are What You Shop

WHAT we buy or how we choose to shop is often a reflection of our values. It is a social phenomenon that has been discussed for hundreds and hundreds...

Hot-potato Issues – HDB, CPF, Salaries

  THREE issues have gained prominence in Singapore’s social media landscape in recent weeks, and the conversations about them don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. These issues relate to...
Hegelian dialectic

Problems With Convenient Solutions

  The chief executive of a private company, Changi Airport Group (CAG), said something recently that may have raised some eyebrows. Talking about the planned new airport terminal and expansion of...
5

No. 5 Is Alive!

FIVE. This is the magic number that is making Singaporeans relatively happier as dining in capacity increases from a meagre (unless you’re a couple) two starting today (12 July).  Incidentally, five...
BTS

Fan Power And The Rise Of Super Bands

IN the era before social media, a British quartet with spelling issues ruled the music world. Wherever the Beatles performed, they were met with hordes of screaming fans —...
Perils of populism

The Perils Of Populism

IN both of the previous Global Trends reports, Paradoxes of Progress and A More Contested World, the National Intelligence Council highlights front-and-centre that perhaps one of the greatest threats to Western countries...
cpf vs epf

Why Does Malaysia’s EPF Pay A Better Return Than The CPF?

  MALAYSIA'S Employees Provident Fund (EPF) paid a 6.9% dividend for 2017 recently. That immediately refocused attention on the 2.5% that is typically doled out by the Singapore Central Provident Fund...
Trump-Kim Summit

Using 7 Names To Escape From North Korea

NORMALLY, celebrations mark the culmination of a successful event. The recent Trump-Kim Summit in Singapore reversed the process and served as a media spectacle that gave very little insight into...
Tony Tapir and Patricia Chew

Children’s Books With Real-World Issues

EVERYONE has a story or few forming in their heads. For most, they will never get past the formative stages, eventually being locked away, fading even from recall. Patricia Chew...
WED WEB CHAT cost of living

The Challenges Of Living And Working In Singapore

CAN Singapore continue to build on a strong past and build a bright future that is often promised? The past and today are two very different worlds. The make up...