New Naratif's Political Agenda

PJ Thum talks to Irie and Muhammad, two founders of Quasa, a peer support and community network for queer Muslims in Singapore. They talk about Quasa, what it does, why it’s needed, and what they want to achieve. They also discuss the lives of Queer Muslims, what they want, their relationship to their faith, the challenges the face, and the banality of their lives and desires in contrast to how others perceive them. They also ponder religious and cultural discrimination, and the extent to which power structures and discrimination within the Muslim community replicate the power structures and discrimination in the Singapore socio-political system as a whole.

https://www.instagram.com/quasasg/ 

https://twitter.com/quasasg/

New Naratif held a contest inviting people to tell us who they thought the next Prime Minister of Singapore should be, and why. The winner, with 57 votes, was Yeo Kian Hwee, who (presciently) picked Lawrence Wong. He speaks to PJ Thum about his thoughts on the succession and a Lawrence Wong premiership. As Yeo was born in Malaysia, they also have a discussion about the difference between Malaysian and Singaporean politics, and PJ also gives a brief impromptu history lesson about two of the PAP's big policy missteps, "Stop at Two" and the Second Industrial Revolution. Thank you to everyone who voted in the contest!

You can watch the episode of "The Show of PJ Thum" referred to in the conversation (on Singapore's economic quandary) at: https://youtu.be/ZFI8GJI0hUo  

New Naratif explains and explores the forces which shape Southeast Asia.  Find out more about our movement at https://www.newnaratif.com/hello​​​. Please join our movement at https://newnaratif.com/join​/​​ or donate at https://newnaratif.com/donate​​/​ - your funds support all our original, hard hitting, independent research and journalism.

Dr Chee Soon Juan is the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and one of the most respected and feared opposition leaders in Singapore, so it was a little inexplicable when he decided to start up a restaurant, "Orange & Teal". Singapore's food & beverage industry is notoriously difficult and competitive, and on top of this he started his venture in June 2021 in the middle of a pandemic! PJ Thum visited his restaurant to talk to him about why he started Orange & Teal, his experience in his first year, and what he hopes to achieve. They also talk about the future of Singapore, his vision for the SDP, and its changing perceptions and role in Singapore politics.

Transcript available at https://newnaratif.com/dr-chee-soon-juans-orange-teal/

To learn more, please visit: https://orangeandteal.sg/

https://www.facebook.com/orangeandtealsg/

https://www.instagram.com/orangeandtealsg/

New Naratif invited people to tell us who they thought the next Prime Minister of Singapore should be, and why. PJ Thum interviews the four finalists: Roderick Foo, for Louis Ng; Joel Wong, for Prof Teo You Yenn; Yeo Kian Hwee, for Lawrence Wong; Steven Yeong, for Teo Chee Hean. 

Read their written arguments and vote for who you think made the best argument at https://newnaratif.com/NextSingaporePM!

Mysara Aljaru talks to PJ Thum about her research into narratives about Singapore's Malay community in the mainstream media in Singapore. They discuss racial stereotypes, the challenges facing the Malay community, the systemic and historical underpinnings of racism, and how racism can be overcome.

In particular, they argue about whether racism is a cause or a symptom of the oppression of Malays in Singapore, the role of neoliberal capitalism and nationalism in that oppression, and whether it is possible to end discrimination over identity.

The Online Citizen has been banned in Singapore via the government's suspension of its class license under the Broadcasting Act. Editor-in-Chief Terry Xu joins New Naratif managing director PJ Thum to discuss the banning of TOC, what Terry plans to do next, and the proposed new anti-foreign interference law and how it will impact both TOC and New Naratif. This interview was recorded live on 15 September 2021.

A recording of a livestream with PJ Thum and Terry Xu, Editor-in-Chief of The Online Citizen Asia (TOCA), about the 8 March 2021 raid on Terry's home, his interrogation by the Singapore police, excessive/unchecked police powers, and the impending law against "foreign interference" that will target both TOCA and New Naratif.

Reetaza "Reetz" Chatterjee is the founder of Your Head Lah!, a mental health collective that aims to centre and amplify marginalised voices. YHL believes that being able to tell our own stories on our own terms and building community with one another are central to collective healing and liberation work. Reetz talks to PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) about her own experiences with mental illness and her journey in figuring out her role in activism. Together, they break down the dominant narrative of mental illness being individualised, "disordered" responses, instead reframing mental health issues as valid responses to living in a capitalist world that is deeply unjust and violent. They also talk about the mental health landscape in Singapore and how YHL is making change through community care and fun.

This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up, Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.

Content warning: Mentions of self-harm and suicide.

Fidellithy Tan is writer and host of the "History of Colonisation" podcast. Beginning with the Portuguese colonisation of Ceuta in 1415, at the start of the so-called “Age of Discovery”, she aims to provide an introduction to Western colonisation of Latin America, Africa, and Asia and how colonialism continues to impact our lives today. She discusses with PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore) about how she came up with the podcast, what she aims to achieve, and her thoughts on history, colonialism, and education in Singapore.

For more information, visit hocpodcast.wordpress.com.

This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up, Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.

Charles Yeo skyrocketed to fame in Singapore's recent General Election with his courageous and relatable performance on the party political broadcasts. He subsequently was elected Chairman of the Reform Party at just 30 years of age, and has gained a devoted following online. He sits down with PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (WakeUp Singapore) to talk about that infamous broadcast, his life and how he came to enter politics, and his political beliefs. They engage in a robust disagreement about immigration policy, and discuss Charles' plans and vision for the future as Chairman of the Reform Party.

This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.

Note: New Naratif has been made aware of previous misogynistic comments by Charles Yeo. We were unaware of these comments, and we thank everyone who brought our attention to it. We apologise for failing to do our due diligence and challenging Mr. Yeo on those comments. Misogyny is a form of hate speech and we don’t tolerate any form of misogyny. We are sorry for this error and will do better. Read the full statement here: https://newnaratif.com/podcast/charles-yeo-the-chairman-of-the-reform-party/ 

Every 4-5 years, the human rights record of every member state of the United Nations is reviewed. Stakeholders, including the government, civil society, and international organisations, can submit reports to the UPR to be taken into consideration in the review. Singapore's next review is coming in mid 2021. Jolene Tan and Emmy Charissa, who contributed to Singapore's civil society reports for previous and upcoming iterations of the review, sit down with PJ Thum to explain the UPR, why it matters, and how the process and outcome impacts Singapore in many ways. They discuss the importance of human rights to Singapore, the recently submitted report from a coalition of Singapore civil society groups, and the limits of their reporting capability.

The Climate Crisis is the greatest existential threat that humanity faces, and yet we are collectively unable to deal with it adequately due to a whole host of systemic forces which incentivise exploitation and destruction of the planet. Annika Mock and Kristian-Marc James of SG Climate Rally join PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (WakeUp Singapore) to talk about the global, Singaporean, and human context of the climate crisis, how structural change can occur, how SG Climate Rally seeks to create change and sustain itself, and how Singaporeans can make a difference.

This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.

With the election of a new President, how will US foreign policy change and how will this affect Singapore? Prof Ian Chong, an expert in the international relations who studies China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and USA-Southeast Asia relations, joins PJ Thum to talk about Trump’s existing foreign policy and Singapore’s role in it; whether Trump has been beneficial to Singapore; the place of small states in an international order; the impact of a Biden Presidency on Singapore's foreign relations; the repercussions of domestic behaviour on international relations; and the balance countries take between political, economic, strategic, cultural, and human rights interests (and why all those are interlinked)

Why is American politics so divisive? Why does it seem like nothing gets done? Why are Americans so obsessed with their Constitution? If you're befuddled and puzzled about the nature of American politics, this is the podcast for you. Antonio Peronace, a longtime political insider in Washington D.C. who directed media operations for the Democratic Caucus first in the House of Representatives and then in the Senate, sits down with PJ Thum to answer questions crowdsourced from the New Naratif membership, about what American politics is really like from the perspective of those who practice it.

Theme music: "Utopia" by Subhas Nair (subhasmusic.com).

We live amidst crises: The fast moving and lethal COVID-19 pandemic; the slow moving but ultimately, even more lethal climate crisis; the crisis in neoliberal capitalism, which has created massive inequality between rich and poor; the crisis in liberal democracy, which has created illiberal outcomes; the crisis in nationalism, which has sown massive conflict globally. How do activists cope with these complicated and interwoven crises to fight for a better world? How do they develop solidarity? How can they unpack and challenge the fundamental assumptions which underpin the modern world? The "Activism in Crisis" online conference sought to discuss all these questions and more. Two of the organisers, Tim Min Jie and Suraendher Kumarr, join PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (WakeUp Singapore) to discuss these and also the challenge of organising an online conference while making it fully accessible to people of very different abilities and needs.

This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.

Preetipls (Singapore’s TOP everything!) has made waves as a viral internet sensation with videos ranging from her parody of 'Orchard Road’s Fashion Police' to videos poking fun at more serious topics such as 'racial harmony' in Singapore. She discusses her life, comedy, and philosophy with PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (Wake Up Singapore). In particular, she discusses her political awakening and how she became an activist and how she is trying to create positive political change in Singapore.

This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up Singapore. You can find out more about them online on their website, Facebook and Instagram.

Philosopher Farhan Idris returns to Political Agenda to discuss how liberation of the mind goes hand in hand with liberation of the body, and how Bras Basah Open tries to create spaces where people can come together and engage in new modes of humanistic inquiry, discussion and critique for collective freedom. He also discusses his life, being a philosopher in Singapore, his experiments with truth, and Bras Basah Open’s upcoming events at the Singapore Writers Festival.

Singapore is, by many measures, one of the richest countries in the world with a government famous for efficiency and extensive intervention in society. Yet experts estimate that up to one third of the country lives in poverty, and civil society has organised, independently of the government, to help those in need by matching them to other independent donors. PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han (WakeUpSingapore) talks to a volunteer with Wares Mutual Aid, a community-run spreadsheet which aims to help connect individuals or groups of people in Singapore who have needs with offers of support, who explains how it works and why it exists. In support of the principle that the community and system should be the focus, not the people involved, the volunteer has requested to be anonymous.

For more information, please go to  gg.gg/waresmutualaid or instagram.com/p/B_69uR_nVtW/

On 1 October 2020, PJ Thum delivered the keynote lecture at the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) fundraising dinner. In it, he outlines three major ideologies which underpin People's Action Party (PAP) governance in Singapore and explains how the PAP has tied these to Singapore's national identity.

Further, reflecting on GE2020, PJ explains how the Worker's Party has positioned itself in relation to these ideologies. He challenges the PSP (and all other political parties) to articulate a coherent alternative. Until a political party has formed a coherent platform and articulated clearly what the party's values are, PJ argues, it cannot attract loyal members, have committed supporters, or develop a coherent, sustainable party. Please note that the opinions expressed in this speech are PJ's personal views and are not endorsed by the Progress Singapore Party.

The trial of Parti Liyani rocked Singapore and brought down Liew Mun Leong, one of Singapore’s most powerful businessmen. She had been accused of stealing from members of the Liew family, and a first trial convicted her. This sentence was then overturned in the High Court. Serious questions were raised in the High Court judgement about the police handling of the investigation and the conduct of the first trial.

Dr Stephanie Chok, a H.O.M.E. (www.home.org.sg) volunteer who has been part of the team supporting Parti Liyani from the beginning of her ordeal, gives PJ Thum an inside view on the case, the possible mishandling of the investigation by the police, the problems with the trial, and how this is not an isolated incident but related to broader structural issues plaguing Singapore.

To donate to HOME, go to www.home.org.sg/donate/

Subhas Nair is a musician, activist, philosopher, athlete, and renaissance man. He came from truly humble beginnings and worked hard, going from New Town Secondary to Hwa Chong, and then to university to study urban planning. He’s well known as a rapper but he’s also an activist who campaigns for social justice and most recently campaigned about the injustice of the death penalty. He also volunteers with children. He discusses his life, his music, his philosophy, and all the positive change he wants to bring to the world with PJ Thum and Sean Francis Han.

This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up Singapore. 

Yesterday, on 21 September 2020, New Naratif Managing Director PJ Thum was interrogated for four and a half hours, had his mobile phone and laptop seized, and his home invaded by the Singapore police. Today, he sits down with Sean Francis Han to explain what exactly the Elections Department of the Prime Minister's Office is accusing New Naratif of having done, how this is an abuse of the law and demonstrates the accuracy of New Naratif's criticisms of Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP) government, and how this is part of a long standing campaign of harassment and intimidation by the PAP government against New Naratif.

This episode is a collaboration with Wake Up Singapore.