Can There Be A Moderate Middle in Singapore’s Public Discourse?

All images: RICE File Photos Last week, I interviewed a friend for their views on why they supported the PAP. (Some readers who did not read it carefully attributed those views to me. To the twenty plus people who have added me on Facebook hoping for a female version of Critical Spectator, I am s

by Poh Yong Han

July 23, 2020

“This Is Why I Support The PAP”

Disclaimer: RICE does not support or endorse any political party.  This election season, I noticed a curious phenomenon. Almost none of my friends were posting about their support for the ruling party on social media. Either  a) all my friends happen to be part of the 39%, b) I live in a

by Poh Yong Han

July 14, 2020

That Feeling Is Called Hope

Top image credit: Workers' Party Disclaimer: RICE does not support or endorse any political party.  This morning I rolled out of bed, sleepy, confused, not sure if last night was a dream. I checked my phone again, just to confirm that the Workers’ Party did win Seng Kang, and it wasn’t me

by Poh Yong Han

July 11, 2020

An Attempt To Make Sense of The Migrant Worker Debate Thus Far

Covid-19 has ignited a national conversation about Singapore’s migrant worker policy, particularly as the migrant worker community has been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.  Yet, the migrant worker issue has remained conspicuously absent from the campaign trail thus far. It remains

by Poh Yong Han

July 9, 2020

To Singapore, With Love: How Overseas Singaporeans View Singapore

Disclaimer: RICE does not endorse or support any political party in Singapore. This is a series of voter profiles by RICE where we speak to Singapore’s many disparate communities and find out the issues that matter to them. There are currently 217,200 Singaporeans living overseas, a small

by Poh Yong Han

July 8, 2020

Will GE 2020 Mark the Rise of Personality Politics?

Top image credit: @r.izqqq Disclaimer: RICE does not endorse or support any political party in Singapore.   The internet elections have upended politics. One wrong word, and you risk having your slip-ups amplified and circulated as memes, comics, and lo-fi beats. At the same time,

by Poh Yong Han

July 3, 2020

A Regular Singaporean’s Guide To Each Party’s Vision For The Economy

Top image: RICE File Photo My highest qualification in Econs was the time I thought it would be a good idea to take H2 Economics in JC and was forced to draw supply and demand graphs to prove basic competency for A-Levels. Yet, my editor in his infinite wisdom tasked me with assessing each party�

by Poh Yong Han

June 29, 2020

Should Singapore Let Foreign Investors Buy Permanent Residency?

Singapore is currently debating our migrant worker policy, but the other end of migration—investment migration by High Net Worth (HNW) individuals, has received far less scrutiny. Most might not even be familiar with what “investment migration” means, or aware that Singapore has investment mig

by Poh Yong Han

June 26, 2020

What Is The Role And Value Of Singapore’s Opposition Parties Today?

For the longest time, voting for the opposition was framed as a “protest vote” against the PAP.  People cast their votes for the opposition to signal unhappiness with high costs of living, liberal immigration policies, and strains in public transport. It didn’t matter who the opposition pa

by Poh Yong Han

June 26, 2020

The Progress Singapore Party Offers A ‘Progressive’ Vision for Singapore

Disclaimer: RICE does not endorse or support any political party in Singapore. The Progress Singapore Party (PSP), founded by Dr Tan Cheng Bock, unveiled six new candidates this morning, making it one of the first political parties to introduce candidates ahead of an impending election.  The

by Poh Yong Han

June 19, 2020

The Jobs May Be Essential, But The People Doing Them Are Not

The recent Sunday Times survey on the public’s perception of “essential” work caused quite a lot of buzz.  Source: ST Digital Edition Notably, most people picked jobs like "cleaners" and "garbage collectors" as among the top 5 most essential jobs to keep Singapore going. I

by Poh Yong Han

June 15, 2020

Singapore’s Top Astrologer Shares Insights For A Post-Pandemic Future

Amidst this pandemic, I found myself returning to astrology, in the hopes that the stars could offer some semblance of certainty.  Co-star, an AI-powered astrology app with hyper-personalized horoscopes, became my best friend. Co-star is unique in that it avoids being overly prescriptive or pred

by Poh Yong Han

June 12, 2020