Singapore’s General Election 2025 took the nation by surprise—unexpected swings, shifting loyalties, and a brand new Cabinet lineup. In this candid fireside chat, Crystal Lim-Lange sits down with political scientist, podcaster and bestselling author Prof Walid Jumblatt Abdullah to unpack the shocks, surprises, and silent messages behind the vote.

We talk about :

• What were the most unexpected outcomes of GE2025?
• Is the new Cabinet a sign of real change—or business as usual?
• How do we elevate civil discourse in a polarizing climate?
• What does this election say about the maturity of Singapore’s electorate?
• And why is Walid’s new book, Why Palestine, flying off the shelves?

Walid is an associate professor at NTU, political commentator, and author of the bestselling book Why Palestine. Known for his sharp analysis and refreshing candor, he is a rare voice of reason in Singapore’s political discourse.

🔗 Follow Walid here:

- Buy Walid's bestseller Why Palestine

⁠https://www.ethosbooks.com.sg/products/why-palestine⁠

- Youtube : ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@tehtarikwithwalid⁠

- Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/walidj.abdullah⁠

- Google Scholar page: ⁠https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=oLLVN-QAAAAJ&hl=en⁠

Zachary Young is an empire builder whom I nicknamed the "Scaling King", and if you're a founder or in sales or marketing, you will not want to miss out his invaluable business advice!

As the Founder of Foundry & Co., Zach helps scale startups and SMEs into industry leaders.

He is also the author of the Amazon bestseller The Slingshot Maneuver, a strategic playbook for business acceleration, and an active angel investor in the AI and Web3 space, backing next-gen technologies and founders.

Currently, Zachary serves as Chief Growth Officer at Cryptoknight Academy, where he's leading the charge to make crypto education simple, practical, and profitable for everyone.

Get Zach's book here:

⁠https://www.amazon.com/Slingshot-Maneuver-small-businesses-competitors-ebook/dp/B09Y5D8SYX⁠

Follow Zach:

IG: @thisiszachyoung

Linkedin: ⁠linkedin.com/in/thisiszachyoung⁠

Threads: ⁠ https://www.threads.net/@thisiszachyoung⁠

Recorded live at Deep Human Club, Crystal has a frank, funny and inspiring conversation with new opposition politician-activists, Ariffin Sha from the Singapore Democratic Party, and Jeremy Tan, Independent Candidate for Mountbatten in the GE2025.

Follow Ariffin on IG at

https://www.instagram.com/ariffin_sha

Follow Jeremy on IG at https://www.instagram.com/jeremytan.sg

By popular request from our community - Crystal shares about her top psychology-based fengshui tips for positive energy, more harmony in the bedroom and more success in life!

Some resources:

Find fengshui master community recommendation in Crystal's IG profile "Fengshui" highlights - @crystallimlange
and my fengshui friend Jason who was mentioned is at jasonwee8@gmail.com

Examples of space clearing and healing frequency music

⁠https://youtu.be/RmJUuorNtDE?si=uMS44zoI-i0_xOU6⁠

⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uR5yfLkxjA⁠

⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys-1ae9YWcI⁠

My fave modern fengshui youtube channel:

⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thetaoofdana⁠

How do you keep your passion and creativity alive through major career transitions?

In this inspiring and insightful episode, we chat with Jon Max Goh, an award-winning Design Manager who has spent years crafting compelling visual stories for renowned brands. With deep experience in the fast-paced fashion and creative industry, Jon has successfully navigated multiple pivots in his career, each time emerging more resilient and inspired.

Jon shares practical advice and wisdom on:

• How to recognize when it’s time to move on and embrace new challenges
• The power of cultivating a flexible mindset to adapt to industry changes
• Staying creatively energized and avoiding burnout in demanding environments
• Building and leveraging your personal brand beyond any one role
• Balancing ambition with authentic living and self-care

Tune in to discover Jon’s journey, his design philosophy, and valuable insights for anyone facing professional change or seeking fresh inspiration in their careers.

Whether you’re at a crossroads professionally or simply looking to maintain your creative spark, Jon’s thoughtful approach to life and career is sure to resonate deeply.

Connect with Jon Max Goh:

Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe to Comfort & Growth—your support helps us continue bringing meaningful conversations and insights your way!

This week, we speak to James Cheo, banking veteran and my fellow LinkedIn Top Voice, about his career choices, approach to social media, and candid advice for working professionals.

James Cheo is the Chief Investment Officer, Southeast Asia for Private Banking and Wealth Management at HSBC. Prior to re-joining HSBC Private Banking, James was Senior Investment Strategist at Bank of Singapore, responsible for asset allocation and thematic research.

James has also served as Senior Economist at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, where he was part of the team that formulated policy actions for Singapore during the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.

With his knowledge and wealth of experience, his investment views are frequently sought after. James graduated with First Class Honours in Finance from Nanyang Technological University.

Follow James on LinkedIn here:

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-cheo-cfa-caia-frm-9677031/⁠

This week, Adrian Williams-Brett shares his wisdom on speaking in public with courage and authenticity, drawing on his experience from being in the performing arts for 30 years as an actor, director and trainer, and now working as a counsellor, facilitator, executive coach and voice coach.

Adrian is a Hoffman Process teacher and as a facilitator in presentation and communication skills with organisations across Asia-Pacific.

You can find out more about Adrian’s work from his website: https://www.bravespeaking.com.au/

This week, we have a fascinating guest on the pod - Anna Haotanto, the Founder of Zora Health and a passionate advocate for women's empowerment.

Anna's personal experiences with egg-freezing, PCOS and the challenges of fertility have fueled her mission to provide high-quality information, financing, and support to help women and couples navigate their fertility journeys with confidence.

Anna is also recognised for her achievements in finance, entrepreneurship, and women's empowerment, and you can follow her on ⁠Linkedin⁠ or ⁠Instagram⁠.

Resources:

https://zorahealth.co/ Zora Health is Asia’s leading fertility, reproductive and family health platform.