Advertise on podcast: Tell You First

In the 1980s, Singapore was openly labelled the world’s leading producer of pirated tapes, exporting millions of counterfeit cassettes across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. In this episode, we trace how piracy became a full-blown industry with factories, retail shops, and global supply chains, and how Singapore shed its past to become global intellectual property hub.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That reinforced room within your HDB flat is not just for luggage and old fans. It’s a blast resistant capsule meant to keep you alive through bomb shocks, debris and even chemical attacks. From British era tunnels to modern HDB shelters stacked like a concrete spine through every block, we explore how Singapore turned everyday homes and MRT stations into a nationwide survival system.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Surrounded by modern estates and valued at over a hundred million dollars on paper, residents here still pay rent in the tens of dollars and leave their doors open to neighbours. Behind it all stands one woman and her resistance to commercialisation. This episode explores why Kampong Lorong Buangkok still exists, how the kampong spirit endures, and why some residents refuse to trade for a flat.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore has never banned alcohol outright, but after the Little India riot it built a maze of rules that changed Singapore’s drinking culture and stopped people from buying rum raisin ice cream after 1030pm. We explore the incident that sparked the law, the backlash from businesses and residents, the absurd enforcement stories, and whether the crackdown actually fixed the problem or simply moved it out of sight.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Long before Chinatown became known for its historic temples and colourful shophouses, its streets were controlled by secret societies fighting over turf, vice money, and influence. What began as migrant aid networks slowly morphed into violent gangs, stretching their reach from Chinatown’s back alleys to European drug routes. In this episode, we explore how Singapore’s underworld grew deeper and more organised than most people realise, the rise of infamous figures like Lim Ban Lim and “Mr Big,” and the brutal turf wars of the 1970s and 80s before sweeping new laws finally pushed the scene underground.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What began as a celebrity Muay Thai match featuring Steven Lim spiralled into one of Singapore’s darkest sporting moments when bodybuilder Pradip Subramanian collapsed after stepping in as a last minute replacement. Together with Julian Wong from Rice Media, author of Steven Lim: One Last Shot at Fame, we uncover the rushed decisions, the missing safeguards and the tragic chain of events that transformed a publicity stunt into a national tragedy.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Guest - Julian Wong Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Katong had cafes and condos, it had a cattle baron who built a seaside palace complete with a tower, fountains and a private football field. Step inside the strangest building in Katong and discover how a teenage money changer became Singapore’s Cattle King, and the scandals that turned his mansion into a site of glamour and crime.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Few know that Christmas Island was once run from Singapore, complete with Singaporean schools, homes, and food. But in 1958, a $20 million deal was struck with Australia to transfer ownership of the island. In this episode, we tell the story of the island’s colonial tug-of-war, the politics behind its “sale,” and why visiting today feels like stepping into a 1960s version of home. Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny). Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know Singapore’s most famous creature wasn’t born from myth, but a government-led marketing effort? Over the years, it’s been loved, mocked, and endlessly reimagined, but it remains as one of Singapore’s national icons. In this episode, we uncover the story behind the creature that was engineered to sell Singapore and accidentally became its soul. Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny). Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A packet of tissues on a table means one thing in Singapore: it’s reserved. But how did this strange system of trust and order evolve in a city obsessed with efficiency? We explore how “chope culture” has stirred debates about kindness and convenience… and even becoming avant-garde artwork in Paris??Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).Credits:Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Guest - Denise Tan (@dizzie_t)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny KoordiIf you're a fan of our work, you can follow the podcast on the meLISTEN app, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. You can also watch this episode first on the meLISTEN app, or on YouTube one week later through the Mediacorp Entertainment channel.   https://www.melisten.sg/podcast/playlist/Tell-You-First-2577946 Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a quiet corner of Toa Payoh lies a dragon that has seen presidents, queens and generations of children. Once a symbol of modern design and national pride, it now guards memories of sand-filled adventures and scraped knees. We awaken the legend of how this mosaic creature came to define an era of Singaporean imagination and what its survival says about our nation’s playfulness. Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny). Credits: Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts. Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From banning Playboy and pinball to cutting the hair of foreign pop stars, Singapore once waged a full-blown crusade on what it called “yellow culture.” This episode dives into the secret morality purge that started with tabloid scandals in the 1950s and spiralled into raids, bans, and a nationwide obsession with purity and control.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Legally recognised under British colonial rule, polygamy was rife in the early days of Singapore. Many men chose not to register their marriages, using this loophole to avoid financial or legal responsibility. In this episode, we discover how Singapore’s first generation of women activists set out to rewrite the law, and improve the rights of women in Singapore.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It started in April 2004 with a newspaper article about a bathroom tap. By the time it ended, the National Kidney Foundation’s (NKF) CEO was in jail, its board resigned, and the majority of Singaporeans had cancelled their donations to NKF. In this episode we break down the scandal that stunned Singapore.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Originally Singapore’s first coal-fired power station, St James has been many things, a warehouse, a nightclub, and now Dyson’s global headquarters. We follow its 100-year journey from fuelling the island’s first lights to powering late-night discos and high-tech innovation, and how it became a symbol of Singapore’s evolution from industrial grit to modern cool.   Tell You First is an original podcast produced by Mediacorp and Ministry of Funny (@ministryoffunny).   Credits:   Hosted and Produced by Terence Chia (@tchia) and Haresh Tilani (@hareshtilani)Sound Engineering - Tristen Yeak (@yeakstreet)Commissioning Editor - Danny Koordi   If you would like to listen to more, you can follow the podcast on the Melisten App, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts.   Podcast artwork by Denise Nicole Yap, you can reach her on Instagram @deniseardenise See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.