Talkback

Singapore’s median monthly household income in 2025 crossed $12,000 – rising 6.8 per cent from the previous year, after adjusting for inflation. That’s according to the Key Household Income Trends 2025 paper, released today by the Singapore Department of Statistics (Singstat). Daniel Martin discusses further with Terence Ho, Adjunct Associate Professor in Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS. He’s also Executive Director (Designate) at the Institute for Adult Learning, SUSS.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SP Mobility and Huawei have launched Singapore’s fastest public EV charger at Temasek Polytechnic. The ultra-fast, liquid-cooled charger can deliver up to 480 kilowatts, adding around 200 kilometres of range in just five minutes for compatible vehicles. Daniel Martin speaks with Dean Cher, Managing Director of SP Mobility at SP Group.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore is set to fully switch to the ERP 2.0 system from January next year, following the passing of new legislation in Parliament. This means on-board units will be mandatory for all Singapore-registered vehicles. Daniel Martin speaks with transport analyst Terence Fan, Assistant Professor in Strategy and Entrepreneurship at the Singapore Management University.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Education Ministry says it has no intention of scaling its central kitchen model to every school, and it is only reserved for those that face difficulties securing stallholders. Do you want a central kitchen providing the food for your child’s school? Daniel Martin discusses further with Esther Foong–Tan, Family Life Education Specialist and a mother of two.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Land Transport Authority has uncovered 3,200 more vehicles with defective Takata airbags — recalled worldwide over a decade ago. These were traced through authorised dealers after their parallel importers had shut down. What if you bought from a parallel importer that’s no longer in operation? Daniel Martin speaks with Associate Professor Victor Kwan, Deputy Director at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

217 people are under investigation for suspected involvement in scam operations that have cost victims over S$7.6 million. From job and investment scams to impersonations of government officials, the cases span all types and cut across every demographic. Daniel Martin speaks with Benjamin Ang, Senior Fellow and Head of the Centre of Excellence for National Security, as well as Head of Digital Impact Research at RSIS.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 22-year-old man was sentenced to seven months’ jail, after using a charger that was incompatible with his PMD battery - causing a fire in a HDB flat. In sentencing him, the judge said the offender’s negligence produced devastating consequences, and that he demonstrated an indifference to safety risks and a complete disregard for the safety of his household occupants. Daniel Martin discusses further with Ray Louis, Managing Director of Ray Louis Law.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ho Su-Fen, Principal Research Fellow at NAFA and director of its Cultural Policy and Evidence Lab, studies arts education and cultural policy. She explains why youths choose MRT linkways to rehearse, how spontaneous performances activate public space, the balance between informal creativity and shared urban use, and practical compromises like avoiding peak commute times.

The Consumers Association of Singapore says it has received a total of 1,065 reports regarding the sudden closure of massage and foot reflexology chain Wan Yang. Customers have also reported losses of about S$1.29 million in unused prepaid packages as of 23 Jan 2026. Daniel Martin discusses further with Associate Professor Lau Kong Cheen, Head of Marketing Programme, Singapore University of Social Sciences, School of Business.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In light of Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow sharing at this year’s Singapore Perspectives conference that our nation should balance racial and religious harmony through more inclusive practices, adding a point on having more integration efforts as immigration rates increase, Daniel Martin discusses what you see affecting social cohesion in your work / neighbourhood / life, with Shahrany Hassan, Founder and Director of the Whitehatters.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.