In Your Opinion

The Republican Party’s crushing defeat could reshape American politics, but Asia should not expect US politics to return to what it was before President Donald Trump, says the Blackbox Research CEO David Black.  In this conversation with The Straits Times' senior columnist Bhavan Jaipragas - recorded on Nov 4, hours after polls closed - Black explains why he sees Trump's defeat as an extraordinary act of political self-sabotage.  With Democrats projected to take control of both chambers of Congress, what comes next for President Donald Trump? Will he moderate his approach, or become even more combative? Black also discusses what this means for Asia, and how Beijing might read the election results. Highlights (click/tap above):  3:48 Republican midterm loss is the worst result since 1974  7:21 Why voters turned up in large numbers  9:32 Why Trump might ditch MAGA 11:47 Are Republicans distancing themselves from Trump?  13:03 Trump’s scapegoat: Pete Hegseth  14:40 Potential Democrat front-runners for the US presidency 20:22 Democrats “can’t do much about” tariffs  23:47 Impact of midterm results on the Iran war and US foreign policy  26:03 Would Asian diplomats and leaders change their approach towards the US?  28:05 China’s response to the US midterm election results Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Host: Bhavan Jaipragas ([email protected])  Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai, Eden Soh, Hadyu Rahim and Yang Jiesan Cruz Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT Feedback to: [email protected] --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  --- 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 --- #inyouropinionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IPS research fellow Melvin Tay discusses the changing nature of religion in Singapore. More Singapore residents report having no religious affiliation, rising from one in five in 2020 to one in four in 2025, according to the Department of Statistics’ latest General Household Survey 2025.  But a separate report by US-based think tank Pew Research found that almost nine in 10 Singapore adults surveyed still believe in God or unseen beings, higher than other South-east Asian countries such as Cambodia and Thailand.  Is this growth in non-affiliation a cause for concern for Singapore, one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world? And what does religion do for us today? In this episode, host Zachary Lim speaks with Dr Melvin Tay, a research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, to examine the changing religious landscape in Singapore. They also discuss whether religious institutions are losing relevance, and the implications of alternative spiritual practices gaining traction among young people. Highlights (click/tap above):  1:40 Changes in perception of religion over time 5:59  Shift away from institutionalised religion 10:41 Changing modality of engaging with faith 16:05 Singapore’s fast pace of life on religious affiliation 18:37 Young residents on needing tangible benefits from religious experiences  20:32 The global push towards secularisation  26:28 Is Singapore’s religious diversity in jeopardy? 29:46 Emergence of alternative divination and spiritual avenues in Singapore 37:42 Morality, healing, and community beyond institutionalised religions 47:00 Is increasing non-affiliation to religion a cause for concern?  Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Host: Zachary Lim ([email protected])  Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai Editorial producer: Elizabeth Law Executive producers: Danson Cheong, Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT Feedback to: [email protected] --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  --- 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 --- #inyouropinionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After 16 years at McDonald's, Chagee APAC CMO shares how Chinese companies operate differently in the global arena Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day. What does it take to turn a Chinese tea chain into a global brand? And what can China's new generation of consumer companies learn from the likes of McDonald's and Starbucks? Eugene Lee has seen both sides of the divide. After 16 years at McDonald's, where he rose to become international chief marketing officer, he joined Shanghai-headquartered Chagee as its Asia-Pacific chief marketing officer in 2025. In this conversation with The Straits Times’ senior columnist Tan Dawn Wei, Lee describes the culture shock of moving from an 86-year-old American multinational to a fast-moving young Chinese company, where ideas can become reality within days. He explains how Chagee uses automation, standardisation and lessons borrowed from competitors to expand rapidly, and why building emotional connections with consumers matters as much as selling a good product. He also addresses Chagee’s falling market valuation, slowing sales and the risk of becoming another passing fad in the food and beverage industry. Beyond tea, the conversation explores China's remarkable transformation from the world's factory into a creator of increasingly ambitious - and desirable - global brands. Highlights (click/tap above):  2:40 A culture shock from McDonald’s to Chagee 5:12 The Chinese lack of fear of failure 15:01 Becoming “the Starbucks of tea” 18:26 The secret behind scaling a business quickly 23:14 How Chagee localises for different markets 28:19 Is Chagee expanding faster than consumer demand can keep up? 31:15 Taking lessons from other successful Chinese F&B brands  34:05 Will Chagee be yet another F&B fad? 39:57 The influx of Chinese retail brands to Singapore and the anxiety it brings  42:50 How China is building global brands Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Host: Tan Dawn Wei ([email protected]) Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT Feedback to: [email protected] --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  --- 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 --- #inyouropinionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A behavioural scientist unpacks the dark psychology of why smart people fall for the Nanning pyramid scheme Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day. We often hear this saying: “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Yet, 52 Singaporeans were recently arrested in China over the notorious Nanning pyramid scheme. So why do highly educated, financially literate people continue to fall for frauds that seem so obvious from the outside? In this episode of In Your Opinion, Lynda Hong sits down with Dr Serene Koh, director of the Behavioural Insights Team (BIT) in Singapore, to deconstruct the dark psychology behind massive investment scams.  Moving past the surface-level blame of describing victims as greedy and gullible, Dr Koh explains how sophisticated syndicates architect fake realities, weaponise our closest family networks, and use our own intelligence against us.  Highlights (click/tap above):  00:52 Why behavioural science is the key to understanding scam victims  1:55 How the Nanning Ponzi scheme differs from other scams  4:15 How pig-butchering scams work   7:57 Why scammers target the human desire for family security rather than pure greed  13:11 Why shame and cognitive dissonance keep victims silent 15:42 Using inoculation programmes and survivor stories to build public resistance against scam syndicates  18:31 The sunk cost fallacy and social ties that prevent victims from walking away  22:12 How trust and personal relationships override logical due diligence  25:42 Why higher financial literacy and education can increase scam vulnerability 31:29 The social cost of fraud, eroded trust, and why people have stopped picking up phone calls anymore Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected])  Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT Feedback to: [email protected] --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  --- 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 --- #inyouropinionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IPS' Mathew Mathews unpacks why a high salary can't protect you like a wealth buffer can. Synopsis: Conversations and interviews that give you something to think about. Each Wednesday, In Your Opinion speaks to thinkers, leaders, and the people shaping our lives and the issues of the day. The average wealth held by the top 20% of households stands at $5.3 million. That is 18 times more than the bottom 20%, whose average wealth sits at $293,000, according to an occasional paper titled Income Growth, Inequality, and Social Mobility Trends in Singapore published by the Ministry of Finance (MOF) in February 2026. While government policies and wage initiatives have successfully lowered income inequality, MOF's 2026 occasional paper reveals that Singapore’s wealth Gini coefficient now stands at 0.55. In this episode of In Your Opinion, host Lynda Hong sits down with Mathew Mathews, principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore (NUS), to unpack the critical difference between earning and owning. They explore why real income growth alone cannot bridge the mobility gap if lower-income families lack the disposable cash needed to invest in property or compounding assets. Mathews explains how accumulated wealth acts as a vital psychological and practical buffer against economic shocks, particularly for lower-income households. The conversation dives into the future of the Singaporean social fabric, tackling the threat of AI-driven job disruptions, the dangers of retail investing without financial literacy, and the potential for a universal basic capital model. Finally, they discuss whether slowing relative mobility means the traditional status symbols — like car ownership — are irrelevant, or simply being revisioned by a new generation. Highlights (click/tap above):  00:48 Why did MOF focus on wealth inequality recently  2:16 Income vs wealth: When what you own matters more  3:52 Can two families with the same income but varying wealth withstand economic shocks?  5:05 How wealth protects children’s opportunities for the future 5:35 Impact of AI on widening income inequality  8:49 Why salary growth doesn't equal social mobility  12:00 How to generate wealth apart from property and CPF  15:12 The hidden risks of retail investing for the lower-income  25:05 Does moving up the economic ladder mean more comforts in life? 29:20 The threat to Singapore's social cohesion Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Host: Lynda Hong ([email protected])  Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai Executive producers: Danson Cheong & Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV YouTube: https://str.sg/GjMT Feedback to: [email protected] --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7  Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts  --- 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 --- #inyouropinionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.