Bhavan Jaipragas

Asia–Pacific (APAC)

Journalist and Editor at Freelance

Deputy Opinion Editor at The Straits Times

Deputy Opinion Editor, The Straits Times. Previously Asia Editor of South China Morning Post in HK. Opinions my own. https://t.co/yEiIHMCn6s

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Articles

Shangri-La Dialogue drama: The vital issues that deserve a bigger spotlight

4 days ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

At the Shangri-La Dialogue, some tell-tale signs from the cramped media centre give away what will be the main story. When keyboard clattering intensifies and people crowd around screens, you know the alerts are going to fly. But when the nattering pipes up, you know there’s little interest in whatever is emerging from the sideline sessions. News veterans of this security summit know the drill and the headlines were predictable.
Our Singlish still got future or not? The kids will tell you

6 days ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

In Singapore, if you’re feeling particularly pugnacious – itching to stir up some fuss at a stale dinner party, revive a fading family gathering, or jolt awake a sleepy WhatsApp group – you could always talk politics or food. Both reliably spark strong opinions, though admittedly they’re a bit predictable. Here’s something better: Singlish.
Hegseth faces ‘vibe check’ from Asian peers in Shangri-La Dialogue debut

1 week ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

The recent video by the US mission in Singapore that likened the South China Sea dispute to neighbourhood squabbles in the city-state was telling – not only in its diplomatic insolence, but also in how its subtext revealed a patronising caricature of Singaporeans. Those behind the video seemed to imagine an audience with a rudimentary understanding of the world requiring major dumbing down, rather than one of the most literate societies more than able to grasp complexities.
What’s next for the Philippines’ zigzag politics after Marcos’ stunning setback

1 week ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

The midterm elections were to have been a referendum on Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s administration – and a favourable one. The results were underwhelming. PHOTO: ST FILEIn Philippine politics, never write off any possibility. Such unpredictability is the hallmark of the country’s famously byzantine internal affairs. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
PKR’s rancorous election threatens to subvert Malaysia itself

2 weeks ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

What, from the outside, can only be described as signs of deep polarisation within PKR, sends the wrong message at exactly the wrong time, says the writer.PHOTO: NSTPPUBLISHED May 20, 2025, 05:00 AMWe are familiar with high-stakes national elections: clashes between competing world views on governance. Even within parties, we occasionally witness fierce battles for leadership – particularly after crushing defeats, as recently demonstrated by Britain’s Conservatives.
Inside the PAP’s GE2025 playbook - and why rivals should take notes

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

Victory has a thousand fathers, as they say, while defeat is an orphan. Yet for Singapore’s ruling PAP, one of the world’s most successful political parties, such is its reality that even when a strong win materialises, there is every chance it is dismissed as not that big a deal. Why praise the political equivalent of a serial championship-winning team for securing another trophy? Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. GE2025PAPSingapore General Election
GE2025: Trump fears, unrivalled ‘ground game’ hand PAP the mandate it wanted

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

Follow our live coverage here. Donald Trump’s chaotic presidency has wreaked havoc on global governance since taking office – but this week, three incumbent governments are quietly grateful for how he focused their voters’ minds. Among them: Singapore’s PAP, led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who pitched himself and his lieutenants as the steady hands needed for uncertain times. Voters listened intently.
GE2025: A nation of champion grumblers finds its groove in memes

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

Boisterous rallies, candidates glad-handing constituents at markets, MRT stations and bus interchanges, endless door-to-door visits – these are classic hallmarks of election hustings in Singapore, and this year’s polls are no different. But there’s another side to the 2025 campaign period. A parallel universe where politicians aren’t in control but are definitely centre stage: the unpredictable, wildly entertaining world of memes, viral clips and cheeky online banter.
Sharp political rhetoric in campaign’s final stretch is healthy - if within bounds

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

SINGAPORE – If there is a pattern emerging in this election’s main campaigns – between the ruling PAP and its rival WP – it follows a clear arc: a steady, almost equanimous start, followed by a decisive sharpening at the midpoint. This tougher stance will likely hold until campaigning concludes at the end of May 1, though I expect a certain restraint will prevail throughout. One has seen electoral campaigning in other countries descend into ugly mud-slinging as Polling Day nears.
The social cohesion ballad in Little India’s buzziest new restaurant

1 month ago | straitstimes.com | Bhavan Jaipragas

Everyone must have a dining spot that, to them, is more than just a place for food – a gathering spot, a signifier of your identity or values, a place where, even if you might not know the other patrons, you feel you are dining with extended family. If asked, even today, I would reflexively name the nondescript Chongqing noodle restaurant, Yu, in Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.