Tell You First

In 1992, Singapore was relegated to Division 2 of the Malaysian football, and publicly humiliated. The Kallang Roar was fading as fans stopped showing up, and the once-dominant team looked finished. Then came brutal training sessions, shock resignations, a match-fixing scandal, and an eight month season that could have collapsed at any moment. Instead, 1994 ended up being the year that saved Singaporean football.In this episode, 987FM DJ and lifelong football fan Joakim Gomez joins us to trace the story of how the “Dream Team” clawed their way from rock bottom back to the top of Malaysian football, and cemented themselves as Singaporean football legends. Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny). Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Guest - Joakim Gomez (@joakimgomez)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You might know Bugis Street today as a tourist hotspot selling anything and everything, from souvenirs to clothes and jewelry. But before all that, Bugis Street was known for its midnight drag shows, gang activity, and a notorious dance that involved sticking flaming torches up certain holes. This episode traces how Bugis Street became Singapore’s most popular tourist attraction, why authorities tolerated it for decades, and how it has since been wiped off the map both literally and figuratively.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They carried bricks, cleared rubble and helped build modern Singapore, yet most people barely know anything about them. Samsui women arrived on our shores as poor immigrants and worked brutal jobs in construction until the 80s, while living on the margins of the city they helped construct. In this episode, Lynn Wong, founder of Bridging Generations, joins us to trace the history of Samsui women, why they chose this life, and how an entire generation of builders will fade from public memory unless we preserve and pass down their stories.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Guest - Lynn Wong (@_bridginggenerations_)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s land reclamation story is not a smooth tale of engineering triumph. It began with failed seawalls, ten year delays and costs that multiplied sixfold, before evolving into a strategy that has reshaped the landscape. In this episode,  we trace how Singapore has spent the past two centuries pushing the coastline outwards, and why the same methods are now hampered by rising costs, environmental damage and political limits. Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny). Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the mouth of the Singapore River once stood a massive inscribed stone that may have been the oldest written record ever found here. No one could decipher its inscriptions, but its historical significance was never in doubt. This episode tells the baffling story of how the colonial British administration blew up the fabled Singapore Stone in 1843 to make way for a fort. We cover how that single decision erased 500 years of our early history, but also contributed to the  aura of one of Southeast Asia’s greatest archaeological mysteries. Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny). Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There was a moment when YouTube felt like the most exciting place in Singapore. YouTube channels creating slapstick listicles became media conglomerates overnight, cross-genre collaborations were everywhere, and videos on the Trending tab were the talk of the town.   So why did this ecosystem crash and burn as quickly as it came to prominence? In this episode, OG YouTuber Noah Yap joins us to revisit that short-lived golden age of YouTube, unpack how it inspired (and excluded) a generation of Singaporean creators, and why the same magic would be impossible to recreate today.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)   Guest - Noah Yap (@onlynoah)   Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)   Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On a quiet Tuesday night in 1991, the routine Singapore Airlines shuttle flight SQ117 from Kuala Lumpur to Changi Airport turned into a nine-hour hostage nightmare. As hijackers flung crew out of the plane, issued ultimatums and set fires in the cockpit, authorities in Singapore made a call that would cement its place in counterterrorism operations history. In this thrilling episode, we walk through the events leading up to when elite SAF commandos stormed SQ117, ending the crisis in just 30 seconds without losing a single hostage. We also highlight some of the lesser known civilian heroes of the story who were instrumental in the safe and sudden end to the crisis. Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny). Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple PodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Orchard Towers opened in the 1970s with food competitions judged by Lee Kuan Yew’s mother and dreams of clean modern retail. Over time, bars, massage parlours, and underground economies moved in. We explore how this transformation happened, the crimes that cemented its reputation, and why its past refuses to disappear even as the building has rebranded.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yellow boots, a giant mole, and broken English. Phua Chu Kang has cemented his place as a household name across Singapore, JB, and some say Batam. But the story behind how the sitcom came to be is far less known. From rehearsing in storerooms with no sponsors, to sweeping major Asian television awards and becoming a regional phenomenon, Gurmit Singh joins us to unpack how Phua Chu Kang was created and why the show almost did not make it past its first season. Along the way, he shares some of the creative risks and struggles that transformed the show into one of the most memorable TV series of its time.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Guest - Gurmit Singh (@gurmit.65)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the 1980s, Singapore was openly labelled the world’s leading producer of pirated tapes, exporting millions of counterfeit cassettes across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In this episode, we trace how piracy became a full-blown industry with factories, retail shops, and global supply chains, and how Singapore shed its past to become global intellectual property hub.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That reinforced room within your HDB flat is not just for luggage and old fans. It’s a blast resistant capsule meant to keep you alive through bomb shocks, debris and even chemical attacks. From British era tunnels to modern HDB shelters stacked like a concrete spine through every block, we explore how Singapore turned everyday homes and MRT stations into a nationwide survival system.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Surrounded by modern estates and valued at over a hundred million dollars on paper, residents here still pay rent in the tens of dollars and leave their doors open to neighbours. Behind it all stands one woman and her resistance to commercialisation. This episode explores why Kampong Lorong Buangkok still exists, how the kampong spirit endures, and why some residents refuse to trade for a flat.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore has never banned alcohol outright, but after the Little India riot it built a maze of rules that changed Singapore’s drinking culture and stopped people from buying rum raisin ice cream after 1030pm. We explore the incident that sparked the law, the backlash from businesses and residents, the absurd enforcement stories, and whether the crackdown actually fixed the problem or simply moved it out of sight.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before Chinatown became known for its historic temples and colourful shophouses, its streets were controlled by secret societies fighting over turf, vice money, and influence. What began as migrant aid networks slowly morphed into violent gangs, stretching their reach from Chinatown’s back alleys to European drug routes. In this episode, we explore how Singapore’s underworld grew deeper and more organised than most people realise, the rise of infamous figures like Lim Ban Lim and “Mr Big,” and the brutal turf wars of the 1970s and 80s before sweeping new laws finally pushed the scene underground.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What began as a celebrity Muay Thai match featuring Steven Lim spiralled into one of Singapore’s darkest sporting moments when bodybuilder Pradip Subramanian collapsed after stepping in as a last minute replacement. Together with Julian Wong from Rice Media, author of Steven Lim: One Last Shot at Fame, we uncover the rushed decisions, the missing safeguards and the tragic chain of events that transformed a publicity stunt into a national tragedy.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Guest - Julian Wong Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Katong had cafes and condos, it had a cattle baron who built a seaside palace complete with a tower, fountains and a private football field. Step inside the strangest building in Katong and discover how a teenage money changer became Singapore’s Cattle King, and the scandals that turned his mansion into a site of glamour and crime.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few know that Christmas Island was once run from Singapore, complete with Singaporean schools, homes, and food. But in 1958, a $20 million deal was struck with Australia to transfer ownership of the island. In this episode, we tell the story of the island’s colonial tug-of-war, the politics behind its “sale,” and why visiting today feels like stepping into a 1960s version of home. Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny). Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know Singapore’s most famous creature wasn’t born from myth, but a government-led marketing effort? Over the years, it’s been loved, mocked, and endlessly reimagined, but it remains as one of Singapore’s national icons. In this episode, we uncover the story behind the creature that was engineered to sell Singapore and accidentally became its soul. Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny). Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A packet of tissues on a table means one thing in Singapore: it’s reserved. But how did this strange system of trust and order evolve in a city obsessed with efficiency? We explore how “chope culture” has stirred debates about kindness and convenience… and even becoming avant-garde artwork in Paris??Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).Credits:Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Guest - Denise Tan (@dizzie_t)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny KoordiIf you're a fan of our work, you can follow the podcast on the meLISTEN app, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. You can also watch this episode first on the meLISTEN app, or on YouTube one week later through the Mediacorp Entertainment channel.   https://www.melisten.sg/podcast/playlist/Tell-You-First-2577946 Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a quiet corner of Toa Payoh lies a dragon that has seen presidents, queens and generations of children. Once a symbol of modern design and national pride, it now guards memories of sand-filled adventures and scraped knees. We awaken the legend of how this mosaic creature came to define an era of Singaporean imagination and what its survival says about our nation’s playfulness. Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny). Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardeniseSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.