Pandan Brief

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Singapore's democratic growing pains
Singapore's ruling PAP scored a landslide win in the latest general election, which also cemented the role of the country's main opposition party.
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Robin Vochelet
Is this the appropriate venue?
A recent altercation between activists and K. Shanmugam has shed light on the increasingly tightening space for political dialogue in Singapore.
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Robin Vochelet
Bodies without a person: a look at Singapore's foreign domestic workers
A Facebook group for employers of foreign domestic workers sheds a new light on the treatment of migrant workers in the city-state.
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Robin Vochelet
Navigating accountability and rehabilitation in rave subcultures
Gabber Modus Operandi are making a comeback in the Southeast Asian scene. Are people too quick to move on from the band's past actions?
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Robin Vochelet
Letter from the heartlands
Reflections from a foreigner experiencing public housing and social stratification in Singapore.
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Robin Vochelet
End of the line for Golden Mile Complex?
Possible plans for the mixed-use development that will replace Singapore's landmark Golden Mile Complex sparked frustration online.
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Robin Vochelet
Troubled waters: reflecting on Singapore's latest oil spill
Singapore's latest oil spill incident sheds light on the limits of environmental policy without a more robust systemic framework.
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Robin Vochelet
So you want to talk about free speech?
Insights into Pew Research Center's latest survey on government criticism and free speech across Asia.
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Robin Vochelet
From Gaza to Southeast Asia: how does ASEAN score on ethnic cleansing and genocide?
Amid Southeast Asia's growing support for Palestinians in Gaza, treatment of minority groups at home is brought into the spotlight.
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Robin Vochelet
The Pearl of Chinatown: a visual journey through Pearl's Hill Terrace
Initially earmarked for closure next year, Singapore's most iconic arts enclave just had its lease renewed. How do we make the case to ensure its…
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Robin Vochelet
We found rave in a hopeless place: meet the DJs shaking up Singapore's everyday spaces
From HDB flats to Orchard Road and Marina Bay Sands, the members behind Four Teh are pushing the boundaries of grassroots rave in land-scarce Singapore.
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Robin Vochelet
© 2025 Robin Vochelet
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