Hello!
Stay up to date with New Naratif’s latest stories and upcoming events with our weekly newsletter. No spam, just good content.
Latest Episode
Episode 9 – How the use of POFMA against Episode 8 proves I was right about POFMA
Historian Thum Ping Tjin (“PJ”) responds to the POFMA order by Minister of Law K Shanmugam against Episode 8 of “The Show with PJ Thum”, by analysing how Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019 (POFMA) was used against Episode 8. He notes how the POFMA order did not challenge any of the fundamental conclusions of Episode 8; and demonstrates how its use against Episode 8 proves his arguments correct. He also shows how the PAP government have not kept their word. They have used the law against interpretations; against statements which do not cause public harm; and against Singaporean critics – all of which they said they would not do.
Previously Released Episodes
Episode 1 — The Elected Presidency and the Political Economy of Race in Singapore
With Singapore’s first racially reserved Presidential election looming, historian Thum Ping Tjin (“PJ”) observes that the government’s much vaunted “Chinese-Malay-Indian-Others” model of managing race has historically increased racial tension and strife. So why do they cling to it? (Aired 9 September 2017)
Episode 2 — How Singapore’s Elections are Structurally Unfair
Historian Thum Ping Tjin (“PJ”) explains how Singapore’s electoral system is deeply unfair. It is designed to maximise the seats and votes for the governing People’s Action Party (PAP), and the point of the system is to legitimise PAP rule, not to reflect popular will or ensure democracy. (Recorded 28 January 2020; Introduction filmed 26 March 2020; Aired 27 March 2020)
Pressed for time? Watch the highlights in just two minutes!
Episode 3 — How Singapore’s Elections are Qualitatively Unfair
Historian Thum Ping Tjin (“PJ”) comments on the oppression of peaceful climate change activists, Lee Hsien Loong’s continued teasing of us about an election amidst the coronavirus crisis, and continues his explanation of how the electoral system is deeply unfair. The historic use of arrests and lawsuits, the threats of punishment, and the slanted media coverage create an atmosphere of fear in which people are afraid of voting against the governing People’s Action Party (PAP). Lisa the Clairvoyant Malayan Sun Dog then predicts the result of the next Singapore General Election (Recorded 28 January 2020, Introduction filmed 2 April 2020, Aired 3 April 2020).
Pressed for time? Watch the highlights in just two minutes!
Episode 4 — How the PAP Nanny State creates Dependence and Controls Citizens
Historian Thum Ping Tjin (“PJ”) explains how the People’s Action Party in Singapore, through purposeful social design since the 1960s, has created a system through which the state is able to intimately interfere in peoples lives and create public dependence on the state; and how this dependence on the state then makes people afraid to speak up or oppose the government (Recorded 31 January 2020, Aired 10 April 2020).
Pressed for time? Watch the highlights in just two minutes!
Episode 5 — How the PAP Government Abuses “Rule of Law” to Control Singapore
Historian Thum Ping Tjin (“PJ”) explains how the People’s Action Party in Singapore uses/abuses the concept of the “Rule of Law” to control all forms of political activity, by criminalising all behaviour but selectively investigating, harassing, and charging only its critics and opponents. Also, he tries to sell you some cologne (Recorded 31 January 2020, Aired 17 April 2020).
Episode 6 — Singapore’s Dependence on Foreign Funding and our Economic Quandary
Historian Thum Ping Tjin (“PJ”) explains how Singapore’s economy has evolved over time, how it is heavily dependent on foreign funding, and how the PAP tried to wean Singapore off foreign funding and failed miserably, leading to Singapore’s current economic quandary (Recorded 31 January 2020, Aired 24 April 2020).
Episode 7 – How Oxley Road Shows the Weakness of Public Institutions in Singapore
Historian Thum Ping Tjin (“PJ”) explains Singapore’s Oxley Road dispute between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his siblings, Lee Wei Ling and Lee Hsien Yang; how Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy is crucial to the PAP continuing to win elections and monopolising power; how this demonstrates the weakness of public institutions in Singapore; and how Singapore has the appearance of the form of public accountability and transparency but not the substance (Recorded 31 January 2020, Aired 1 May 2020).
Episode 8 — How bad laws are created and abused in Singapore (A POFMA case study)
PJ uses the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019 (POFMA) as a case study, to demonstrate how Singapore’s People’s Action Party government writes poorly worded laws that give themselves immense amounts of power, while misleading the Singaporean people by saying the laws will be used responsibly and for good purposes but then using the law chiefly to silence critics and suppress opposition.
Episode 8.5 – The POFMA Cut of Episode 8, 100% lawyer approved!
Singapore’s oppressive Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019 (POFMA) was used against Episode 8 of “The Show with PJ Thum”. However, the POFMA order did not challenge any of the fundamental conclusions of Episode 8. We have edited and re-released it as Episode 8.5, (“The POFMA Cut”) to demonstrate that the PAP government is unable to challenge these fundamental points using POFMA because they are not false statements of fact. As the description for Episode 8 noted, “POFMA demonstrates how Singapore’s People’s Action Party government writes poorly worded laws that give themselves immense amounts of power, while misleading the Singaporean people by saying the laws will be used responsibly and for good purposes but then using the law to silence critics and suppress opposition.”
New Naratif explains and explores the forces which shape Southeast Asia. Find out more about our movement at https://newnaratif-staging.ue1.developbb.dev/hello. Please join our movement at https://newnaratif-staging.ue1.developbb.dev/join – your fees support all our original, hard hitting, independent research and journalism.
