Invisible Asia series

Listen to our news commentary podcasts on the go every week. Podcasts have become part of the global media landscape these days. The audio-on-demand format allows many listeners to often do other chores or hobbies, while hearing the shows in the background over headphones or bluetooth speakers Almost every weekday, check out our discussions on Singapore current affairs and social issues, geopolitics through an Asian lens, health, climate change, personal finance and career. Follow our shows on your favourite audio apps Apple Podcasts, Spotify or even ST’s app, which has a dedicated podcast player section. Trailer narrated by: Podcast editor Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg); edited by: Elsa Goh --- Discover more ST podcast channels: 'All-in-one' ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Headstart On Record: https://str.sg/wB2m Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt Wheel Insights: https://str.sg/iTtE ST Podcasts website: https://www.straitstimes.com/st-podcasts (*New) The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg --- Special edition series: Green Trails (4 eps): https://str.sg/bMyx This series clinched the gold award for Best Podcast at the Digital Media Awards Asia 2025 on April 23, organised by the World Association of News Publishers (Wan-Ifra). True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T This series clinched the gold award for Best Podcast at the Digital Media Awards Asia 2024 in April, and third place for Best Podcast at the Digital Media Awards Worldwide 2024, both organised by Wan-Ifra. The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 This series also won The Best Podcast/Digital Audio Project category at the 2022 Digital Media Awards Asia, organised by Wan-Ifra. Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX --- 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 #stpodcasttrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each follow on the audio apps below and a rating really helps us! Happy listening! Synopsis: A brand new feature is within The Straits Times app, which you can download from the Apple app store or the Google Play store. For those of you who already have it, the latest version update now has a dedicated Podcast Section, where you can listen to our latest incoming show episodes and check out back episodes too. You can also choose to follow our podcast RSS feeds, or the shows on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. If you have a smart home speaker like the Google Home or Nest device, or your Android phone, just say: “Hey Google, play me (name of any of the shows below) or The Straits Times Podcasts.” Get The Straits Times app from The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX Produced & edited by: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) & Teo Tong Kai Follow ST Podcasts: Channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukK Spotify: https://str.sg/wukH SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Discover more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX --- ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- 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 #stpodcasttrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Journey into the darkest corners of the internet, where a deadly connection was forged in 140 characters or less. Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. This is the sixth and final episode of True Crimes Of Asia, a special edition podcast series that started on April 25, 2023. Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. This episode specifically covers themes of suicide and details of death and traumatic sexual acts. Listener discretion is advised, and helplines for mental well-being are provided further below. Nine heads and 240 bones were found in a tiny apartment just outside Tokyo on Halloween in 2017, in one of Japan's most shocking crimes in history. Takahiro Shiraishi baited suicidal victims on Twitter who wanted to die but lacked the courage to end their own lives. He posed as an expert in hanging but his real motives were sex and money. Shiraishi has been sentenced to death – by hanging – and is now in a maximum-security prison. The case had sparked conversations about social media scrutiny and suicide in Japan. ST's Japan correspondent Walter Sim narrates this podcast. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:16 Shiraishi's motives and modus operandi 5:47 What led Shiraishi down this path 9:28 Shiraishi meets his first victim 16:43 Justice catches up with Shiraishi  22:19 Social implications of Shiraishi's crimes, and how not much has changed since then Interviews & narration by: Walter Sim Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) and Tan Tam Mei (tammei@sph.com.sg) Podcast Producers: Eden Soh and Fa’izah Sani Voiceovers: Paxton Pang, Li Yi, Aqil Hamzah, Hadyu Rahim, David Sun, Edeh Soh, Mubin Saadat Copy editor: Choo Li Meng Reference for research: “Report: Nine Murders in Zama - Why were victims drawn to it?” by Tetsuya Shibui (『ルポ　座間９人殺害事件～被害者はなぜ引き寄せられたのか～』) MENTAL WELL-BEING Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours) Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 (24 hours) /1-767 (24 hours) Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928 Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788  Chat, Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health: 6493-6500/1  COUNSELLING TOUCHline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252 TOUCH Care Line (for seniors, caregivers): 6804-6555 Care Corner Counselling Centre: 6353-1180 Counselling and Care Centre: 6536-6366 ONLINE RESOURCES mindline.sg eC2.sg tinklefriend.sg chat.mentalhealth.sg carey.carecorner.org.sg (for those aged 13 to 25) limitless.sg/talk (for those aged 12 to 25) Aware’s Sexual Assault Care Centre: 6779-0282 (weekdays, 10am to 6pm) Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:Channel: https://str.sg/i44TApple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44qSpotify: https://str.sg/i44cSPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/Website: http://str.sg/stpodcastsFeedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Walter Sim's articles: https://str.sg/ws6J  --- 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 --- #truecrimesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Even the perpetrator's own parents asked for their son to be put to death. Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023. Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised. A random stabbing spree in a Taipei metro in 2014 resulted in four dead and 24 injured. There was no apparent motive for the shocking killing, and the assailant Cheng Chieh displayed no remorse. Cheng’s childhood, which was fraught with isolation, his public threats against classmates and plans to kill detailed on his blog, also ignited debate about troubled youth and gaps in mental health care. This case also restarted conversations about capital punishment in Taiwan. ST’s Taiwan correspondent Yip Wai Yee interviews and narrates this podcast. Highlights (click/tap above): 4:49 Cheng's mental state the subject of intense legal dispute 6:28 How Cheng planned his stabbing spree 11:23 He would not have spared anyone, even if his parents had been on board the metro train 14:40 Cheng executed on May 10, 2016; political motivations behind the extraordinary speediness of his execution? 21:51 Why Taiwanese often choose to ignore social problems; health ministry establishes new department dedicated to mental health programmes in May 2022 Interviews & narration by: Yip Wai Yee Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) and Tan Tam Mei (tammei@sph.com.sg) Podcast Producers: Eden Soh & Fa'izah Sani Voiceovers: Fa'izah Sani, Eden Soh, Ang Qing, Samuel Devaraj, Jeremy Au Yong, Jean Iau, Teo Tong Kai, Lee Hup Kheng, Clara Chong, Lee Su Shyan Copy editor: Choo Li Meng Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:Channel: https://str.sg/i44TApple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44qSpotify: https://str.sg/i44cSPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/Website: http://str.sg/stpodcastsFeedback to: podcast@sph.com.sgRead Yip Wai Yee's articles: https://str.sg/i5yX --- 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 --- #truecrimesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How the gruesome 1998 incidents paved the way for black magic to be criminalised last year in 2022, in the predominantly Muslim country of Indonesia. Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023. Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised. Sorcery is against Islamic teachings, but today, many in Indonesia still consult black magic practitioners for advice. In 1998, a series of killings by unknown masked 'ninjas', targeting suspected sorcerers in East Java, launched the community into a period of mass hysteria, violence and retaliation-attacks. The killings triggered discussions on the need and ways to regulate sorcery, to prevent similar instances and to stop people from taking the law into their own hands. The legal gap was finally plugged last year in 2022, when laws on sorcery were included in the revised Criminal Code passed by the Parliament. The government is also seeking to settle the case, along with 11 other human rights abuses, by non-judicial means.    ST’s Indonesia Bureau Chief Arlina Arshad narrates this podcast. The reporting and scripting for this episode was done by ST’s Indonesia Correspondent Linda Yulisman. Highlights (click/tap above): 4:20 Why sorcery has long been part of Indonesia’s life and culture, even among the nation's notable figures 10:05 From 1998 till 1999, a ferocious wave of hysteria spreads against purported black magic practitioners 20:15 Larger motives behind attacks? Understanding Banyuwangi region's history and Indonesia’s period of political transition 28:40 Were attacks likely carried out by trained assassins with links to the military? 33:35 Why it took decades to criminalise witchcraft and sorcery in Indonesia Interviews by: Linda Yulisman (ylinda@sph.com.sg) Narrated by: Arlina Arshad (aarlina@sph.com.sg) Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) and Tan Tam Mei (tammei@sph.com.sg) Podcast Producers: Hadyu Rahim & Fa'izah Sani Voiceovers: Hairianto Diman, Deepanraj Ganesan, Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Dominic Nathan, Lee Nian Tjoe, Colin Tan, Eddino Abdul Hadi, Ernest Luis, Hadyu Rahim Copy editor: Choo Li Meng Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:Channel: https://str.sg/i44TApple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44qSpotify: https://str.sg/i44cSPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/Website: http://str.sg/stpodcastsFeedback to: podcast@sph.com.sgRead Linda Yulisman's articles: https://str.sg/iif5 Read Arlina Arshad's articles: https://str.sg/iifS --- 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 --- #truecrimesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since Ms Piang Ngaih Don’s death in 2016, a slew of measures have been introduced to stem domestic worker abuse. Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023. Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised. In 2016, the abuse and eventual death of a young Myanmar domestic worker led to shock and an outpouring of grief in Singapore. Ms Piang Ngaih Don left her hometown in Chin State, Myanmar, to work for Gaiyathiri Murugayan and her then-husband and suspended police officer Kevin Chelvam in 2015. The details and extent of her torture, at the hands of Gaiyathiri and her mother Prema S. Naraynasamy, brought about heightened checks and health screenings for domestic workers in Singapore. Yet activists say more can be done. ST's Singapore journalist Jean Iau interviews and narrates this podcast. Highlights (click/tap above): 4:23 "Their attitude is like animal attitude", says Mr Tin Maung Win who runs an NGO for migrant workers 6:35 Verbal abuse turns physical: CCTV footage captures the assaults on Ms Piang Ngaih Don over the last 35 days of her life 9:05 Chilling events the night before she died; Gaiyathiri and Prema now serving sentences 15:25 Reactions from Ms Piang Ngaih Don’s family; hundreds take to the streets in Yangon to mourn her 21:06 Revisiting the scene: A young neighbour recalls hearing shouting from Gaiyathiri's flat and avoiding her 22:48 In February 2021, then-Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said Singapore "must do better"; Manpower Ministry spells out some measures introduced since 2021 28:10 Should foreign domestic workers be given option to "live out", regardless of higher costs to employers? Ms Jaya Anil Kumar, senior research and advocacy manager at Human Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) believes so Interviews & narration by: Jean Iau (jeaniau@sph.com.sg) Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) and Tan Tam Mei (tammei@sph.com.sg) Podcast Producers: Hadyu Rahim & Fa'izah Sani Voiceovers: Leonie Teo, Vimalaraj Rajaratnam Copy editor: Choo Li Meng Audio clip of Ms Piang Ngaih Don's sister reproduced with permission from Al Jazeera (see full documentary - https://str.sg/iUQz) Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:Channel: https://str.sg/i44TApple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44qSpotify: https://str.sg/i44cSPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/Website: http://str.sg/stpodcastsFeedback to: podcast@sph.com.sgRead Jean Iau's articles: https://str.sg/iUAz --- 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 --- #truecrimesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the 2010 case that became a turning point in Thailand's debate over abortion.   Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023. Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised. Be transported back to the events of 2010, when the discovery of thousands of rotting foetuses, hidden in a Bangkok temple - led to more awareness and debate over illegal abortions in Buddhist-majority Thailand. The grisly remains at Wat Phai Ngern were traced to a network of clinics. The case uncovered the scale of the illegal abortion industry at a time when the procedure was still largely illegal and heavily stigmatised. ST's Thailand correspondent Tan Tam Mei interviews and narrates this podcast. Highlights (click/tap above): 2:03 A dog chews on something in the middle of a Bangkok temple; long-time temple worker Supote Leangbamrong recalls the stench and discovery by authorities in 2010 5:52 Shockwaves throughout Thailand; abortion hardly discussed and was largely illegal and taboo back then 08:57 Nursing assistant Lanchakorn Janthamanas's underground operation; roping in two temple undertakers to dispose of the bodies 11:40 Abortion activist Supeecha Baotip on how voices of women were missing in the discussion on abortion, her own story and how much has changed since the crime case17:44 Restrictions against abortion relaxed in 2021, sweeping legal changes in Thailand20:00 Cultural beliefs: Why some doctors don't perform abortions because they are afraid of karma23:09 Expanding availability of legal abortions and to change mindsets; abortion offered as a tele-health service in Thailand 25:05 Rumours about the souls of the aborted foetuses haunting the temple still linger, even more than a decade later Interviews & narration by: Tan Tam Mei (tammei@sph.com.sg)Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) and Tan Tam MeiPodcast Producers: Teo Tong Kai and Fa’izah SaniVoiceovers: Raul Dancel, Shahrena Hassan, Lee Nian Tjoe, Joel Chng Copy editor: Choo Li Meng Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:Channel: https://str.sg/i44TApple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44qSpotify: https://str.sg/i44cSPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/Website: http://str.sg/stpodcastsFeedback to: podcast@sph.com.sgRead Tan Tam Mei's articles: https://str.sg/iJxJ --- 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 --- #truecrimesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Find out about the insidious 'Nth room' crimes in one of Asia's most highly-wired countries. Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023. Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised. Digital sex crimes have become so common in highly-wired South Korea, leading to several copycat versions of what have become known as the 'Nth room' crimes. Why does this keep happening, and what are the underlying causes of these cases? Despite government efforts to crack down on these cases, they return again and again. This is the side of South Korean society that the world may not know as well, away from the global appeal of its K-drama series and glamour of its K-pop music. ST's South Korea correspondent Chang May Choon interviews and narrates this podcast. Highlights (click/tap above): 2:00 The year was 2019; blackmail and even making victims engrave their names or IDs on their bodies, using knives 5:15 Student journalist Park Ji-hyun and college friend aiming to "pull out the roots of evil", expose published in September 2019; hear the actual voice of the ringleader Cho Ju-bin 10:00 Activist Summer Cha (her voice in Korean is digitally altered to protect her identity) on why digital sex crimes are trending upwards 13:38 Lewd and disgusting reactions in male-only sites towards victims in the recent Itaewon crush incident 14:38 Big cities such as Seoul, Busan and Incheon have now set up their own digital sex crime centres to provide support for victims; Seoul centre director Lee Eun-jeong explains SOPs 17:22 New 'anti-Nth Room Bill' was passed in Korean parliament and went into effect in December 2021; why encrypted messaging app Telegram has slipped through the net 22:17 Park Ji-hyun now a young politician; more Nth room copycats still emerging 25:18 ST correspondent Chang May Choon wraps up, having lived and worked as a Singaporean woman in South Korea for the past eight years Interviews & narration by: Chang May Choon (changmc@sph.com.sg) Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) and Tan Tam Mei (tammei@sph.com.sg)  Podcast Producers: Teo Tong Kai and Fa’izah Sani Voiceovers: Fa’izah Sani, Friday Farzanah, Joyce Teo, Jean Iau, Kim Jin-ha, Samuel Devaraj and Paxton Pang Copy editor: Choo Li Meng Follow ST's True Crimes Of Asia Podcast: Channel: https://str.sg/i44T Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg Read Chang May Choon's articles: https://str.sg/ioon --- 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 --- #truecrimesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Headphones are recommended for this series. Synopsis: A 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.  From April till September 2023, listen to the events surrounding a spine-chilling find in a Bangkok temple. Or the gruesome death of a domestic helper in Singapore. But for the first episode dropping on April 25, you will discover a 21st-century crime that could well happen in more countries in an increasingly interconnected world. This was the insidious cybersex underbelly in South Korean society that trapped girls in a digital prison in 2019. We at The Straits Times, investigate how these tragedies left their mark on victims and communities, and also exposed the dark side of societies.  Get notifications of new episodes on your favourite audio apps - Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts - when you follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia. Executive producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) and Tan Tam Mei (tammei@sph.com.sg) Edited by: Fa'izah Sani Follow ST's True Crimes Of Asia every month here: Channel: https://str.sg/i44T Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/i4Y5 SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/ Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Discover more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7 Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE #PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX --- ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa --- Special edition series: True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2 Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa --- 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 #truecrimesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition 9-episode 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.  The Straits Times' South Korea correspondent Chang May Choon closes our series as she casts the spotlight on the South Korean Muslim minority. As many as 3,000 South Koreans convert to Islam each year, according to the Korea Muslim Federation.  But a lack of understanding of Islam among the country’s general populace, contributes to the daily difficulties that they face for their belief.  In this podcast, listen to translated testimonies from South Korean Muslim converts Song Bo-ra, Lee Seul and Yu Hong-jong. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning. How Bo-ra counters misconceptions about the way the hijab is viewed (2:01) Lee Seul still uneasy in public after her own conversion to Islam (4:33)  South Korean government working to change its people's mindsets about Islam as Muslim tourist numbers rose pre-Covid (5:51) Hong-jong on the difference between the way Christians and Muslims are viewed in South Korea (8:14) Booming demand for halal Korean food from Muslim students, workers and tourists (9:28) Lee Seul and Song Bo-ra helping to make South Korea a more Muslim-friendly country (11:20)  Read the full story by Chang May Choon: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/many-koreans-have-big-misunderstandings-about-islam Produced by: Magdalene Fung, Tan Jia Ning, Adam Azlee, Fa'izah Sani, Penelope Lee & Ernest Luis 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.

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' Philippines correspondent Raul Dancel casts the spotlight on sexual abuse and domestic violence against vulnerable children in the Philippines. He speaks with Filipino Erick Reyes, 44, on his early experience with abuse, which left him fighting his demons well into his adulthood.  Professor Zenaida Rosales, executive director of the Centre for Prevention and Treatment of Child Sexual Abuse in the Philippines, also discusses deep-seated issues related to child abuse. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning.  Erick and his siblings view their violent and often-absent father with fear, loathing and anger (0:49) Five-year-old Erick is sexually abused by an older boy and left feeling hurt, guilty and confused (2:30) At age 12, he decides to enrol in a seminary to escape his "demons" (4:39)  Dropping out of the seminary (6:33) Why sexually abused boys seldom report or discuss their experiences in the Philippines, where the crime of rape applies only to women (8:00) Erick finds understanding, catharsis and healing in a group similarly trying to reconcile their gender preferences with their religious faith (11:24) Erick speaks out to prevent more voiceless young people from going through the same painful journey he did as a youth (12:26)  Read the full story by Raul Dancel: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/i-was-afraid-id-be-rejected-if-i-told-people-of-my-abuse Produced by: Magdalene Fung, Tan Jia Ning, 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.

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' Japan correspondent Walter Sim speaks with Japan's "untouchables", known as the burakumin. They are descendants of a shunned caste from a long-gone era, who are still ostracised in modern times purely because of their lineage. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning. Official estimates number the burakumin at 900,000, but activists says there are as many as 3 million across the country who have moved out of the hamlets their ancestors once lived in. Risa Kumamoto - emerging from discrimination against burakumin to become a respected academic (0:30) History of Japan's burakumin (2:00) Emotionally scarred while growing up as a burakumin (3:59) Taro Murasaki: From monkey trainer to monkey theme park owner (7:46) The late Japanese politician blocked from becoming Japan's Prime Minister in 2001, chiefly because of his ancestry (9:58) How burakumin such as abattoir worker Yuki Miyazaki still live in fear of their ancestry being exposed in public (10:23) Read the full story by Walter Sim: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/i-wanted-to-escape-this-life-by-hiding-who-i-was Produced by: Magdalene Fung, Tan Jia Ning, Toh Wen Li, Yeo Sam Jo, 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 audio apps - Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts. The Straits Times' senior social affairs correspondent Theresa Tan speaks to two foreign brides in Singapore on their struggles to adapt to life in a new city, far from their loved ones back at home. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning:  Once a financially independent woman in Indonesia, Siti finds her movements restricted by her controlling husband in Singapore (0:31) A timely programme and a buddy system prove a lifeline for lost, lonely Vietnamese bride Anna in the early years of her marriage (2:36)  Anna pays it forward by befriending other Vietnamese women newly married to Singaporean men (3:33) The collective plight of the many “voiceless", "invisible” migrant brides in Singapore (5:06)  Read the full story by Theresa Tan: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/i-felt-so-alone-in-singapore Produced by: Magdalene Fung, Tan Jia Ning and Ernest Luis 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.

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' China correspondent Danson Cheong explores the hardships that short-term labourer Wei Xiaoqiang faces daily. Xiaoqiang is one among China’s 290 million rural migrants who have moved to the big cities to seek a better life. But a lack of skills has kept such migrants out of most employment opportunities, forcing them into an endless cycle of grabbing whatever temporary jobs are hawked their way, at places such as the Majuqiao labour market in the outskirts of Beijing. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning: Xiaoqiang on what it's like to have to find a new job each day and struggle to keep up to earn his wages (2:27)  He yearns for a better life, doing something different, but his dreams still seem far out of reach to him (3:44)  Why China's rural migrants are stuck at the bottom of the "food chain" (4:51)  With short-term labour romanticised for the "gig worker lifestyle", Xiaoqiang says it's in fact 'an incredibly lonely life' (6:52)  Challenges mounting for such workers in China, and what the government has done to alleviate the problem (7:38)  Read Danson Cheong's story here: https://str.sg/Jj9a Produced by: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung, 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.

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, unheard and little talked about.  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' regional correspondent Tan Jia Ning narrates and also speaks to Muhammad In’am Amin, 44, in Indonesia. He is the founder of Kopi Gandroeng in Jogjakarta, the base for his counter-terrorism organisation Yayasan Lingkar Perdamaian (Peace Network Foundation). In'am's brother, Wildan Mukhollad, was the first Indonesian to die fighting for the Islamic State terrorist group in the Middle East, in 2014. Wildan was only 19.  In'am recalls how Wildan became radicalised soon after leaving to study in Egypt  (2:25) Their family is labelled as "terrorists" and ostracised in their village after Wildan's death (3:28) In'am rebuilds life in Jogjakarta, helping to pull vulnerable youth back from the brink of religious extremism (4:49) His strategy proves an effective alternative to the government’s deradicalisation programmes (6:17) The Quran's words of tolerance, mercy and kindness must ring louder than those of war and jihad, In'am says (8:35) Read Tan Jia Ning's story here: https://str.sg/Jjhe Produced by: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung, 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.