Latest news with #InYourOpinion
Straits Times
22-06-2025
- Straits Times
Minor Issues: My son lost $15,000 to scammers in one night
The writer told his son that the road ahead is always about redemption and reform. ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA SINGAPORE – In February, my son and I gave an interview on The Straits Times' In Your Opinion podcast. The topic was: 'Do Gen Zs really tackle life, work differently compared with their parents?' My son told journalist Lynda Hong that he ended up as the victim of a scam while surfing mindlessly on the internet. I was rather surprised that he shared it. It happened in the middle of 2024 and we had been keeping it within the family to respect his privacy. Get the ST Smart Parenting newsletter for expert advice. Visit the microsite for more
Straits Times
11-06-2025
- Straits Times
Inside an animal abuser's mind: What drives such cruelty and why some say penalties aren't enough
In Your Opinion Podcast Inside an animal abuser's mind: What drives such cruelty and why some say penalties aren't enough SINGAPORE – In May, four gruesome cat deaths in the neighbourhoods of Yishun, Punggol and Tampines occurred within a month, stoking fears that a killer was on the loose. While the authorities have since attributed three of these deaths to road accidents instead of deliberate acts of cruelty, the string of cases re-ignited calls for Singapore to toughen its laws and enforcement against animal abuse. Some have even suggested heavier penalties like mandatory jail time and caning. But can such stiff punishment deter a person bent on hurting animals? On May 27, I sat down with psychiatrist Lim Boon Leng and criminal lawyer Josephus Tan to unpack these dark impulses and how society can help to curb them. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation. Why would anyone want to harm animals? Dr Lim: It's quite important to understand that not everyone who is an animal abuser has a mental illness. A lot of people do it out of malice, anger or boredom, or they are just thrill-seeking. This can come from a place of unresolved trauma or they are displacing their anger. There are three categories of people: The first are impulse abusers who lash out because of their poor ability to regulate emotions. The second are neglectful abusers. I suspect that most animal abusers fall within this group. They fail to care for pets due to ignorance and indifference. The last group is the sadistic abuser, which I think accounts for a minority of cases. This is the group that we tend to worry about because they really derive pleasure or a sense of control from inflicting pain. Individuals with antisocial personality disorder, commonly known as psychopaths, are more likely to resort to animal cruelty. They are typically quite deceitful. They are also quite emotionally distant. Therefore, if they inflict pain on animals or other people, they do not have empathy. Are there any red flags that indicate a person is more likely to abuse animals? Dr Lim: History is the best way to predict the future. So when children or adolescents harm pets, stray animals or even insects, when there are repeated incidents – these are very big warning signs. Then there are people who show very little empathy towards other human beings and animals. They have this indifference, and fail to recognise animals as sentient beings. They could feel that animals are objects and treat them as such. Another red flag is someone who finds violence fascinating. Most of us will cringe when watching violent videos, but these people actually enjoy them and sometimes even seek them out. There is the risk that they will re-enact these acts, which I think can be quite dangerous. Many times when you talk to them, they may lack remorse. Mr Tan: Legally speaking, based on cases that I have handled and heard about, there can be no tell-tale signs. A person can look really normal and yet have an antisocial personality disorder. You would not be able to tell until something triggers it, and this probably occurs in a private setting. You would not know unless you are living with that person – that's when you can pick up certain habits that can appear different from others. Where do you think the gaps are in how Singapore tackles cases of alleged animal cruelty? Mr Tan: If you have a designated community space for feeding, then maybe that's where surveillance cameras can be targeted at so you know who is in that area. If you understand cats, they are quite skittish in nature. So I think, within calculated speculation, that a killer or a group of killers probably have to lower a cat's guard with food and toys before committing a cruel act, or torture or kill them. There are police community cameras everywhere, but they do not cover every corner. There are blind spots. So that is where, when I read about all these cases over the years, I think more can be done by having surveillance cameras at designated feeding areas. Dr Lim: My concern as a psychiatrist is that as our society progresses, if we are better educated as a whole, why are numbers not coming down? Why is it that such acts continue to be prevalent? A lot of times we have to question if this is the tip of the iceberg. Is our society too stressed out? Are people venting their anger on animals? What are we teaching our children? They may be top mathematicians and scientists, but are they taught empathy? Are they top in values? Mr Tan: If people want to own a pet, we should make sure that they are serious about it. In countries where the rights of animals are heavily protected, there are many hurdles to cross to buy a puppy or a kitten. But in Singapore, I can just walk into the shop right now and pay a few hundred dollars, and I can just get a young life. So I think that is something which only legislation can overcome. Apart from increasing punishment against animal abuse, I think we should go a step further to do away with selling live animals at pet shops in the shopping mall. Do you think the law needs to be tougher? Dr Lim: Laws are actually quite a good way of education as well. It defines what we think is right and wrong in society. Laws are just one aspect of it. So I think there are those who can be rehabilitated and do better. For young children and youth, there's a greater propensity for them to be rehabilitated. I suppose we have to look at animal abuse in a more holistic way. So basically, animal abuse is basically just a gateway behaviour. I think there's a deeper symbolic meaning to it for the whole of society. Are people becoming more cruel and non-empathetic as a whole? And how much of this empathy education are we having? We do not have to teach people how to be kind to animals. We just have to teach people how to be kind. Mr Tan: I feel that it's timely to introduce caning. The whole idea about caning is to instil pain. We inflict pain on you so that you can register the lesson. Right? This is really the long and short of it. Dr Lim: I think in terms of cognition, if you are going to commit an act, and you know that the consequences are severe, you will have a second thought. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:45 Inside an animal abuser's mind 5:29 Understanding psychopathy and spotting red flags 10:19 Gaps in enforcement and how criminals exploit them 15:30 Do some abusers have a sadistic desire to get caught? 18:58 What animal abuse says about Singapore and its people 24:06 Can tougher laws and caning make a difference? 32:59 What the ordinary citizen should or shouldn't do Read ST's Opinion section: Follow Ang Qing on LinkedIn: Read her articles: Host: Ang Qing (aqing@ Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim Executive producer: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: Feedback to: podcast@ Follow The Straits Times Podcasts on YouTube: Turn on notifications 🔔 to stay updated. -------------------- Discover more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel ➤ Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store ➤ Google Play ➤ Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Game of life: Must success always be about good grades and jobs?
Is Singapore ready for diverse pathways to success so that young people can feel accomplished in their own ways? In Your Opinion Podcast Game of life: Must success always be about good grades and jobs? Synopsis: Every month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests. In this special edition of In Your Opinion - filmed in front of a live audience - two youths share their experiences in starting up a business, and whether school grades would determine success at the workplace. About 100 people attended two recordings at indie cinema The Projector at Golden Mile Tower on the evening of April 15. The special In Your Opinion podcast live recording was organised in partnership with the National Youth Council (NYC), in support of the SG Youth Plan – an action blueprint created by youths, for youths and the world that they will lead. About 100 people attended the live broadcast at indie cinema The Projector at Golden Mile Tower. PHOTO: JASPER YU The 45-minute dialogue (including a 15-minute Q&A session) was a part of The Straits Times' In Your Opinion podcast. Hosted by ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong, the podcast features two young entrepreneurs - Ms Adella Yeo and Mr Nabill Shukury. The session on April 15 is the second instalment of ST Podcasts Live. PHOTO: JASPER YU Currently an account manager at a software company, Ms Adella Yeo Rae-Nyse had co-founded MatcHub, a startup that matched fellow NUS students to find suitable job roles based on their personality. A part-time student with SUSS studying marketing, Nabill Shukry Johary juggles school with a business he started up in 2021 with his father - Cheekies, a home-based delivery service of healthy meals for the Muslim market - in a bid to help his family move out of their one-room rental apartment in Tampines. Highlights (click/tap above): 1:56 Journey to entrepreneurship 7:35 The point of going to university is not just for the paper qualifications 10:28 How academic grades play a part post-school 16:15 Challenge the conventions of success 27:10 Advice for youths to forge their own success The audience were also treated to finger food and free merchandise. PHOTO: JASPER YU Every voice matters, and if you want to share ideas and have your voice heard, you can do your bit in the SG Youth Plan Quest at: To find out more about NYC's upcoming engagement sessions, you can head over to: Read ST's Opinion section: Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@ Produced and edited by: Hadyu Rahim Executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: Feedback to: podcast@ --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: ST Podcasts website: ST Podcasts YouTube: --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: Google Play: ---
