Author: Vera Leng

Many might recognise M-pop singer Farhan Shah from his run on competition series Singapore Idol, and today, Farhan has blossomed into an established name in the arena of Malay pop music. Inspired by artistes such as Justin Timberlake and Daniel Caesar, Farhan’s music boasts a fusion of soul and pop. His Malay singles have managed to capture the hearts of many, and top the Singapore Malay radio charts—RIA 89.7FM. His latest single, Pertama, was released earlier this year. This week, we sat down with Farhan on the top five songs of his life. Tell us your name, and how you’d describe…

If spending an extended period of time at home has gotten you sick and tired of your current set up, and it’s hard to go two seconds without wanting to gag at the sight of your boring ole’ work chair. Here’s a solution that might tickle your fancy. Instead of tossing out perfectly good furniture that you’ve simply gotten bored of, give them a new lease of life by trading them in. Trade-in programmes for items such as gadgets and clothes are aplenty, but the idea of repurposing one’s furniture might be new to many. Maxi Home Living is offering…

Talk about a major throwback—playing Super Mario in 8-bit on a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) made out of LEGO? It definitely doesn’t get any more retro than that. The 80s style LEGO TV aesthetic is making a comeback, and we’re all here for it. Gamer geeks would be delighted to know that the package includes the classic NES-style controller, a wire that connects the console, as well as a cartridge slot for your game, topped off with a locking feature. This mimics the original NES system that used to be all the rage. What might surprise many though, is that…

Gone are the days when you had to toggle between your Spotify app and Genius tab in your web browser just to sneak in a couple of secret karaoke minutes at home. The new lyrics feature in Spotify’s latest update allows you to have an unabashed crooning session at a convenience you never knew you needed. The function is now available in various regions including Southeast Asia, with Singaporean users already having access to it. Here’s how you can use this new feature: 1. If you haven’t updated your Spotify app since 30 June, head on to your respective app…

The low hum of my alarm goes off—actually it’s more of a jarring scream, but okay. 10th July, 10.30 am. It’s my very first Polling Day and I feel myself swelling with ambivalence. It’s a flurry of emotion as I get dressed and leave my house to vote. My allocated voting time slot is from 5 to 7pm, but it’s barely noon now and I’m on my way. I’m a rebel like that. I live in East Coast GRC, and though I’m still patiently awaiting the infamous East Coast plan, voting for the first time is still exciting nonetheless. While…

Holding a general election amidst a global pandemic has been challenging enough as it is, and GE2020 has not been without its hurdles. Many polling stations earlier today saw long waits and snaking queues, and in a surprising turn of events at close to 7pm, the ELD had called for an extension of voting hours to 10pm. This was a highly irregular move that has evoked conflicting reactions from candidates and voters alike. A record of 11 opposition parties are contesting over the nation’s 31 constituencies this year, and all eyes are especially on particular constituencies such as East Coast GRC, West…

10 July 2020—ever since its announcement, 10th July, aka Polling Day, has been the date to anticipate. Leading up to Friday, contesting candidates have been walking the ground, canvassing, and taking to social media platforms to campaign, seeing how COVID-19 has made elections a little different this year. Citizens, likewise, find it hard to escape the “elections talk”, so we might as well embrace it. No matter who you’re rooting for, watching the results of the election can be an extremely exciting activity—the whole nation clinging to the edge of their seats, waiting with bated breath. So, why not make…

A singer, composer, and producer rolled in one, Imran Ajmain is a nothing short of a prominent figure in the regional music scene. His single Seribu Tahun catapulted him to the top of Malaysia’s pop charts in 2006, where he stayed at for six weeks. Other popular songs of his include Aidilfitri, Selamat Ulang Tahun… Sayang, and Ghaibmu. Imran has also worked with the likes of Hady Mirza, Taufik Batisah, SleeQ, and other famed music artistes. Tell us your name, and how you’d describe yourself to someone whom you’re meeting for the first time.  Hi! Imran Ajmain here. I’m a…

With Polling Day just around the corner, Singapore has seen no shortage of drama involving unfortunate electoral candidates who have fallen victim to election pressures, or whose mistakes of the past have come back to haunt them. East Coast GRC’s Jessica Tan has already been in the spotlight once for a far-from-ideal reason—wearing her mask upside down on nomination day. This time, she’s once again in hot soup, albeit on different grounds. “No need la, pretty already!” jessica tan from east coast grc came over to my house while i was having a meeting and so my mum talked to…

Supermajority. Blank cheque. Incumbent. These three buzzwords have been on nearly every Singaporean’s lips and social media feeds as of late as Polling Day draws near. As always in politics, the populace is often loosely divided into two camps—for and against the ruling party.In Singapore, the People’s Action Party is, and always has been, the incumbent party. It is widely accepted that it will stay this way for at least the near future. “There’s no doubt that PAP will still form the government,” says opposition candidate Leong Mun Wai of PSP. While that is a pill that’s hard but necessary…

When it comes to the radio scene in Singapore, Jean Danker is often thought of as one of the OGs in the field. The Mediacorp CLASS 95 DJ is loved by many, as evident from her large following of 62.3k on Instagram. She’s also actively involved in voiceover work as well as hosting. Jean currently hosts the #1 evening show Cartunes on weekdays from 5–8 pm. This week, Jean tells us the five songs that make up her life. Tell us your name, and how you’d describe yourself to someone whom you’re meeting for the first time. Hi I’m Jean Danker…

At the sagely age of 80, Tan Cheng Bock undoubtedly has an impressive resume under his belt. From a career in medicine to entering the political arena back in 1980, Dr Tan went on to serve Ayer Rajah as an MP for 26 whole years. However, the ward is now part of West Coast GRC. Having left the PAP, Dr Tan started his political party—the Progress Singapore Party, in hopes of evoking change while still holding steadfast to his values. He has since been critical of the ruling party’s governance, citing an “erosion of transparency, independence, and accountability” on their…

Just about everyone around me was tuned into Tuesday’s live stream of Nomination Day. Typically, candidates are given until Nomination Day to decide whether they will be campaigning for a seat in parliament. Come Nomination Day, they must fill in the necessary forms and paperwork, and once everything has been inspected and submitted, they are then free to campaign until Polling Day. Usually, it is common to see rallies and walkabouts during this crucial period, as many make a last ditch attempt to rally for as many votes as possible. However, things are a little different this year. Because COVID-19…

The campaigning spirit runs high as Nomination Day continues into full swing for the rest of today. Since noon, all candidates have filed their paperwork, and have begun their campaigning trail. As candidates continue to get air time on National Television to deliver their thanks and rallies, some have succinctly summed up their speeches, while others have had… less than ideal moments on air. DPM Heng Swee Keat fell victim to Nomination Day stress and unfortunately delivered the second half of his English speech in a manner that was probably less eloquent than he’d liked. In a video snippet that…

For many millennials like me, this election will be our first time voting—and boy am I excited. Though we’re still awaiting more details of the campaigns to unfold, that hasn’t stopped the coffee shop talk surrounding contesting parties, candidature, and our political climate. From Ivan Lim’s withdrawal to the rise of Desmond Tan, there’s never a dull day in Singapore’s politics scene. As polling day draws near and we gear ourselves up for elections fever, here are 6 Netflix shows about politics to put you in a rallying mood. 1. Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj Hosted by Hasan Minhaj, Patriot…