Terry Xu

Minister Masagos Zulkifli’s apology for the death of four-year-old Megan Khung was necessary but misplaced. The failures that led to her death occurred under former minister Desmond Lee and with the police under K. Shanmugam. True accountability requires names, consequences, and the courage to take responsibility—not just policy reviews and regret.

The acquittal of three women accused of organising a peaceful walk for Palestine exposes how the 2009 Public Order Act reshaped Singapore’s approach to public assembly — turning peaceful expression into a punishable offence unless state-approved, and dismantling long-standing legal protections.

Having sold Asian wines for many years, I've witnessed that the very mention of Chinese wine is often met with skepticism, even in a trendy London wine bar.

K Shanmugam’s ministries have used POFMA more than any others, with 23 directions from MHA and 13 from MinLaw before the handover to Edwin Tong. Yet recent orders often go out under Second Ministers’ names, raising questions about whose reputation is really on the line.

Ministry of Home Affairs' handling of Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff's posts underscores how one ministry has come to dominate the Government's enforcement of discourse. More than a legal choice, it reflects a tightening grip on speech framed as a threat to harmony.

The Law Society’s leadership dispute was never just about titles. It was about mandate: whether ministerial nominees—who did not stand for election by the Bar—should hold executive power. A “compromise” that shifts a ministerial appointee from President-elect to Vice-President risks bypassing that principle and deferring it to 2026, while process and accountability questions continue to hang over the Council.

Human rights lawyer M. Ravi fought where few would: death penalty appeals, public-interest cases, and equality matters. His opposition to hanging—set out publicly as far back as 2016—was never about excusing drugs, but about the moral and legal limits of state power and the irreversibility of death. Even after being struck off, he spoke of rebuilding and one day seeking reinstatement—still a lawyer at heart.

In episode 258 of the The Drinking Hour, John Hoskins MW joins host David Kermode to discuss the terroir, grape varieties and styles that currently define the wines of China as a growing number of premium Chinese wines reach drinkers around the world