The Straits Times’ top 10 podcast episodes of 2022

ST's foreign editor, Bhagyashree Garekar (second from left) and senior health correspondent, Joyce Teo (far right) with the ST Podcast Team's podcast producers (from left) Fa'izah Sani, Hadyu Rahim, Eden Soh, Teo Tong Kai and podcast editor, Ernest Luis.

Front row (from left) Podcast hosts - ST's foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar and senior health correspondent Joyce Teo. Back row (from left): Podcast producers Fa'izah Sani, Hadyu Rahim, Eden Soh, Teo Tong Kai and podcast editor Ernest Luis.

PHOTO: ST PODCASTS

Fa'izah Sani, Podcast Producer

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1. The Unsolved Mysteries of South-East Asia: The plane that vanished into thin air

In this episode, we revisit the mystery of Malaysian flight MH370, the plane that vanished into thin air on 8 March, 2014. ST’s Malaysia correspondent Hazlin Hassan narrates and also speaks with the following guests - French journalist Florence De Changy, who has written her book called The Disappearing Act: The Impossible Case of MH370, and ST’s Malaysia bureau chief Shannon Teoh.

2. The Unsolved Mysteries of South-East Asia: The screaming schoolgirls of Kelantan

In this episode, we revisit the spate of mass hysteria in Malaysia’s north-eastern state of Kelantan to find out why the disorder is more prevalent among schoolgirls. ST regional correspondent Jia Ning Tan speaks to Ustaz Abd Rashid Ahmad, faith healer and spokesman of an Islamic medical facility called Darussyifa, and Mr Robert Bartholomew, a medical sociologist and co-author of Mass Hysteria in Schools: A Worldwide History Since 1566.

3. Health Check Podcast: Why we are all going to eventually catch Covid-19

In this episode, ST’s senior health correspondent Joyce Teo hosts Professor Teo Yik Ying, the dean of the NUS Saw Swee Hock of Public Health. Prof Teo trained as a mathematician at Imperial College, London, and did his masters and PhD in statistics at Oxford University in the UK.

4. The Unsolved Mysteries of South-East Asia: The Mekong River’s ‘serpent’ fire

In this episode, we investigate the source of the red and orange fireballs that emerge from the Mekong River once every year. ST Indochina bureau chief Tan Hui Yee speaks to Dr San Sunthornthanakul, mayor of Phon Phisai municipality, and biologist from Chulalongkorn University Dr Jessada Denduangboripant.

5. Asian Insider Podcast: Widespread civil disobedience testing Myanmar’s Tatmadaw or military

In this episode, ST’s US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh hosts Khin Zaw Win, director of the Tampadipa Institute in Yangon, Gautam Mukhopadhaya, former Indian Ambassador to Myanmar; and ST’s Indochina bureau chief Tan Hui Yee on the crisis in Myanmar and worries over the future of the conflicted country.

6. Singapore’s War On Covid: How 24 people saved one life

In this first episode of six instalments, ST’s senior health correspondent Joyce Teo tells the story of the ordeal, that Madam Irene Tan went through, after catching Covid-19 in the early days of the coronavirus outbreak in Singapore, and how, a team quickly rallied around her to save her life.

7. Singapore’s War On Covid: Inside Singapore’s Covid-19 War Room

In this third episode of six instalments, ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan tells the exclusive story of how the decision-makers in Singapore’s Covid-19 “war room” managed the pandemic and why it decided to be as transparent as they could with the public.

8. Singapore’s War On Covid: The global hunt for masks

In this second episode of six instalments, ST’s health correspondent Timothy Goh tells the story of how Singapore secretly and quickly despatched individuals and teams overseas from late January 2020, to procure masks and other essential items in the early days of the pandemic.

9. Stop Scams Podcast: Near impossible to recover your money once scammers transfer it out of Singapore

In this episode, ST deputy news editor Andre Yeo hosts fellow journalists David Sun, Jessie Lim and Wong Shiying as they share their biggest behind-the-scenes revelations for the articles they have covered on scam tactics so far.

10. Health Check Podcast: How to help parents who have special needs children

In this episode, ST’s senior health correspondent Joyce Teo hosts Dr Lim Hong Huay, an epidemiologist and developmental paediatrician who has two children with ADHD and mild autism, about how parents of special needs children can avoid burnout.

She also talks about how friends and family can help parents of special needs children and what the public should (and should not) do when they encounter a parent having a challenging episode with a special needs child.

Discover ST’s special edition podcasts:

True Crimes Of Asia (new):

https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps):

https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps):

https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps):

https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore’s War On Covid (5 eps):

https://str.sg/wuJa

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