The Straits Times Podcasts
The Straits Times
Synopsis: Our ALL-IN-ONE channel showcases our discussions on Singapore youth perspectives and social issues, geopolitics through an Asian lens, health, climate change, money, career, sports, pop culture and music.
Follow our shows on your favourite audio apps Apple Podcasts, Spotify or even ST's app, which has a dedicated podcast player section.
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media.
Categories: News & Politics
Listen to the last episode:
Why action is needed to avoid some countries being labelled as 'scam states'.
Synopsis: Every third and fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' global contributor Nirmal Ghosh shines a light on Asian perspectives of global and Asian issues with expert guests.
With their heavy security, territorial control and global reach, we look at South-east Asia’s industrial-size scam compounds, where thousands are lured from low-employment countries to work as forced labour stealing billions of dollars from victims worldwide. They are a national security threat to the countries they are based in as well as to the countries they target.
The criminal organisations running these centres emanate mostly from China, and are physically located mainly in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar but across the region in other countries as well. Sporadic crackdowns of the type recently seen in Laos’ Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone, are often choreographed ahead of time, enabling kingpins to evade them.
According to a report released in May by the US Institute of Peace (USIP), as at the end of 2023, scam centres operating out of Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos had accounted for US$39 billion (S$50.1 billion) in stolen funds.
Jason Tower, Myanmar country director at USIP, joins host Nirmal Ghosh in this episode of Asian Insider to talk about the many aspects of this criminal industry, from human trafficking to forced labour and cybercrime.
He suggests that Malaysia - as the next chair of Asean - has an opportunity to exercise leadership as 2025 will mark the 10th anniversary of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Combating Transnational Crime.
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:37 Victims from over 100 countries, with the average scam victim losing more or less all of their assets
5:17 Why Chinese police are becoming more proactive and responding to the situation
7:19 How scam compounds are extremely well-networked around the globe and can get advance information about an upcoming crackdown
11:22 The amounts brought in by these online scams can rival countries’ formal GDPs
15:50 Role of sanctions in combating scams - such as one on Ly Yong Phat, a notorious business figure involved in online scam compounds
19:32 A global crisis that demands action now
Follow Nirmal Ghosh on X: https://str.sg/JD7r
Read Nirmal Ghosh's articles: https://str.sg/JbxG
Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters
Host: Nirmal Ghosh (nirmal@sph.com.sg)
Produced and edited by: Studio+65 and Fa’izah Sani
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Asian Insider on Fridays here:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8
Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
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All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7
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The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
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Previous episodes
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2258 - S1E114: South-east Asian scam centres a growing regional security threat Thu, 26 Sep 2024
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2257 - S1E15: Singaporean switches banking studies for music; debut album on US jazz chart Tue, 24 Sep 2024
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2256 - S1E1: Workers aren't loyal anymore, why train them? Mon, 23 Sep 2024
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2255 - S1E17: Has pricey car ownership killed youths' desire for cars? Sun, 22 Sep 2024
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2254 - S1E11: Why parents should not see teachers as service providers: Chan Chun Sing Fri, 20 Sep 2024
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2253 - S1E113: Veteran diplomat Kishore Mahbubani's career: A front row seat to the Asian century Thu, 19 Sep 2024
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2252 - S2E2: How do young workers view pay? Sun, 15 Sep 2024
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2251 - S2E2: Bezos Earth Fund's menu for Asia: Bugs, slaughter-free meat and fermented protein Sat, 14 Sep 2024
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2250 - S1E34: What future for the famed Gurkhas? Thu, 12 Sep 2024
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2249 - S1E10: Bye-bye 5Cs. Hello, purpose: how we redefine success Wed, 11 Sep 2024
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2248 - S1E20: What is working in F1’s Red Bull Racing team like? Tue, 10 Sep 2024
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2247 - S1E2: Sumiko at 60: Friendship isn't about age groups Tue, 10 Sep 2024
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2246 - S1E46: BNPL: Buying power or financial trouble? Sun, 08 Sep 2024
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2245 - S1E36: Chinese sauces are popular in India; less so are their purveyors Thu, 05 Sep 2024
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2244 - S1E127: The war on salt and saturated fats Tue, 03 Sep 2024
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2243 - S1E9: Flexibility at work: The secret sauce to more babies? Tue, 03 Sep 2024
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2242 - S2E1: Investing with $100 a month as an undergrad? Why not! Sun, 01 Sep 2024
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2241 - S2E1: Eco-nomics: Putting a value on nature is also key to saving it Sat, 31 Aug 2024
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2240 - S1E1: Get a headstart in your finances & career from our new ST podcast Thu, 29 Aug 2024
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2239 - S1E14: Despite his elimination from Rap Of China, Shigga Shay stills sees it as a win Tue, 27 Aug 2024
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2238 - S1E14: Shigga Shay - Overachieve (Live) Tue, 27 Aug 2024
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2237 - S1E3: Visit to Windsor Nature Park: Can insects in SG's backyard be foraged? Mon, 26 Aug 2024
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2236 - S1E112: Understanding China-Philippines' dangerous South China Sea face-offs Thu, 22 Aug 2024
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2235 - S1E16: The influence of Haidilao on our appetite for Chinese cars Tue, 20 Aug 2024
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2234 - S1E129: Are climate and environment disclosures helping to cut carbon? Sat, 17 Aug 2024
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2233 - S1E1: Why does it feel like Singaporeans are angry all the time? Thu, 15 Aug 2024
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2232 - S1E19: A look back at Paris Olympics 2024 with Max Maeder Tue, 13 Aug 2024
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2231 - S1E17: The art of picking out a good job fast Sun, 11 Aug 2024
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2230 - S1E45: Are you paying too much for your resale HDB flat? Sun, 11 Aug 2024
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2229 - S1E28: Kamala Harris and Indo-Americans’ stunning rise in US national life Wed, 07 Aug 2024
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2228 - S1E126: The difference between Asian and Caucasian skin Tue, 06 Aug 2024
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2227 - S1E1: Sumiko At 60: Former actor Edmund Chen and daughter Yixin on ageism Mon, 05 Aug 2024
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2226 - S1E32: Can mid-lifers use social media to boost dormant careers? Sun, 04 Aug 2024
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2225 - S1E128: Hundreds of dams endangering the Mekong Sat, 03 Aug 2024
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2224 - S1E1: What makes a National Day song a classic? Tell us your favourites Fri, 02 Aug 2024
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2223 - S1E1: Which old building or space in Singapore would you not want to see go? Wed, 10 Jul 2024
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2222 - S1E1: How do you translate "tumpang" into standard English? Fri, 05 Jul 2024
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2221 - S1E1: Singaporeans can code-switch. Sure anot? Wed, 26 Jun 2024
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2220 - S1E35: Micro-drama boom: In this town, Chinese youths chase their showbiz dreams Thu, 01 Aug 2024
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2219 - S1E15: Why Singaporeans should expect a lot from the transport system Wed, 31 Jul 2024
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2218 - S1E111: Why Myanmar’s crisis scuppers India’s Act East Policy Thu, 25 Jul 2024
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2217 - S1E14: Why non-drivers are also paying the price of high COEs Wed, 24 Jul 2024
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2216 - S1E13: How young Singaporean singer Hongjoin aims to make his mark in the US Tue, 23 Jul 2024
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2215 - S1E13: Hongjoin - Komorebi (Live) Tue, 23 Jul 2024
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2214 - S1E127: Every tool in the climate shed: How CO2 removal is a step towards net-zero Sat, 20 Jul 2024
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2213 - S1E34: Japan fights to save its beloved bookshops Thu, 18 Jul 2024
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2212 - S1E8: The FOMO over old buildings in Singapore Thu, 18 Jul 2024
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2211 - S1E26: Analysing Catalist: A segment of the Singapore market Sun, 14 Jul 2024
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2210 - S1E32: ‘Judo, botox and yoga’ – what’s Putin up to in Asia? Thu, 11 Jul 2024
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2209 - S1E18: Why are the Olympics so special? Tue, 09 Jul 2024