Growing Together: A Guide to Collective Care
In the struggle for equality and justice, collective care among peers can save lives and make our activism work more sustainable.
LATEST
Minxi and Namsai on Crafting a Comic About Care
Ever wondered how a New Naratif comic takes shape? Find out in this conversation with the team behind our collective care guide.
The PAP’s Long and Bloody History of Foreign Interference
Singapore’s PAP government has long meddled in the domestic affairs of its neighbours. If the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (FICA) applied to PAP activities abroad, most of its efforts would be illegal. This is hypocrisy of the highest order.
In Suharto’s Anti-Communist Purge, Prisoners Made an Island Bloom
In his 2020 memoir “Pearls on the Prairie, A Survivor’s Story”, the late author Tedjabayu recounts his 14 years as a political prisoner and shares part of Indonesia’s history that government-sanctioned schoolbooks do not tell.
What the FICA?
What is the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill? How will it impact our lives? How do we avoid running afoul of it? This episode unpacks the law’s far reaching implications.
TOPICS
- Freedom of Expression
- LGBTQIA+
- Human Rights and Freedom from Tyranny
- Transparency and Accountability
- Freedom of Association
Our movement needs members to remain independent and sustainable.
New Naratif is independent, ad-free and pro-democracy. Your membership fees help us produce high-quality, independent journalism, create positive change in our communities and pay our team fair wages. Membership starts at US$5/month.
FEATURES >
Singapore’s Anti-Foreign Interference Law: The FAQ
What is Singapore’s proposed Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act? How does it actually work? What are the problems with it? And how does one avoid running afoul of it? We explain why this law is problematic and why Singaporeans should be very worried about it.
Shanmugam’s Stealth Coup in Singapore
The Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Bill will give Minister for Home Affairs K Shanmugam the power to demand information about any Singaporean’s private life and finances, all based on the suspicion of foreign interference—no evidence required.
Malaysia’s Drug Law Condemns Vulnerable Women to Death
Most women on death row in Malaysia have been sentenced under a strict drug trafficking law that fails to take their vulnerable socioeconomic realities into account. For justice to be possible, this law needs to change, writes Ngeow Chow Ying.
COMICS >
I Was Never Alone
When I left my Indonesian hometown for the big city, I asked myself: what am I? The answer lay beyond the gender binary.
RESEARCH >
The False Scarcity in Singapore’s Meritocracy
Meritocracy is marketed as a system for the management of scarce resources but is in fact the imposition and justification for scarcity. This article examines university education in Singapore as the prime site for the production of meritocratic ideology and considers the consequences more generally on the Singapore polity.
PODCASTS >
“Raffles Renounced” With Faris Joraimi
On today’s episode, PJ Thum speaks to Faris Joraimi about his book, Raffles Renounced. They talk about how the book came about, how it rejects the orthodoxy of Singapore’s history, its national myth, and how it challenges the Raffles-centric view of the country’s history.
VIDEOS >
How the Use of POFMA Against Episode 8 Proves I Was Right About POFMA
PJ responds to the POFMA order against Episode 8 by analysing how POFMA was used; 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.
As Cambodia Sheds Factory Jobs, Family Farms Lose a Lifeline
Hammered by years of debt, drought and desperation, Cambodia’s smallholder farmers have long supported themselves by sending family to work in Phnom Penh factories. But the pandemic has upended the arrangement, forcing unemployed workers back to failing farms.
Stateless Fishers Cast Out by Cambodia, Shut Out by Vietnam
Long marginalised and stateless, ethnic Vietnamese fishers in Cambodia have once again been evicted from their floating dwellings on Phnom Penh waterways. Now, hundreds have tried to migrate to Vietnam, but amid the pandemic, they have been left adrift.
Undocumented and Unvaccinated: Malaysia’s Unequal Vaccine Rollout
Deborah Augustin speaks to Adrian Pereira from North South Initiative and Mohammed*, an undocumented migrant from Bangladesh, about how the Malaysian government’s decision to deprive undocumented migrants of vaccines endangers not only this marginalised community, but also Malaysia’s chances of reaching herd immunity.
A movement is only as strong as its members. If you believe in democracy and want to be a part of our movement for Southeast Asian democracy, please join New Naratif as a member.
As a non-profit organisation, your donations help pay for our team members, freelancers, events and advocacy. Help keep New Naratif independent with a donation today.
Get the latest narratives.
Subscribe to our newsletter.