Amanda Oon

Amanda Oon

Amanda Oon is a managing editor at Southeast Asia Globe. Originally from the UK, Amanda moved to Singapore at the end of 2019. She has experience in managing editorial and events, and has launched a number of B2B content platforms. She has also written articles for various publications and clients, including DXC THRIVE and Huawei, and interviewed several senior public and private sector figures. 

Before moving to Singapore, Amanda was a Deputy Editor at a B2B media company specialising in events and editorial in cybersecurity.

TWITTER @amanda_oon

Articles by Amanda Oon

Jul 26, 2023 • 9 min read
Feature

As global economy slows, SEA growth fights on

Amidst concerns over rising costs and continuing inflation, a new report from the Asian Development Bank and economic experts are finding optimism amongst bleak economic outlooks
By Amanda Oon - Jul 26, 2023

Jul 17, 2023 • 10 min read
Interview

Behind ‘Riot Island’: Filmmaker talks Singapore prison documentary

Director Tom St. John Gray sought to explore the historical events of Pulau Senang, a penal experiment gone terribly wrong. In this interview following last week’s feature story on the riot’s anniversary, Gray describes his process and why he thinks the prison-island’s collapse is an almost “Shakespearean” tale
By Amanda Oon - Jul 17, 2023

Jul 14, 2023 • 12 min read
Long-form

‘Riot Island’: The brutal arc of Singapore’s prison experiment

Established in the last years of colonial Singapore, Pulau Senang was supposed to be a different, more progressive kind of prison. Six decades after the island collapsed into nightmarish conditions, a recent documentary has pulled its story back into the city-state’s public memory
By Amanda Oon - Jul 14, 2023

Jun 13, 2023 • 7 min read
Interview

For big business, a puzzle: How to cut carbon while keeping profits

Pushed to go beyond greenwashing, corporations are looking for answers on how to reduce emissions along their value chains. In her latest role as climate chief of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, former U.K. Energy Minister Claire Perry O’Neill wants to turn investment for good
By Amanda Oon - Jun 13, 2023

May 18, 2023 • 6 min read
Sports

SEA Games end with a bang in Phnom Penh

The 32nd iteration of the region’s largest sporting event ended Wednesday night, following more than a fortnight of heated competition, intense rivalry and the foundations for future diplomatic relations between the 11 participants
By Amanda Oon - May 18, 2023

May 11, 2023 • 8 min read
Interview

Malaysia’s UMNO turns 77 today. But how long can it last?

Though now in decline, the party was a dominant force for decades thanks to its loyal Malay base. On the anniversary of the founding of the “Grand Old Party”, the Globe caught up with Professor James Chin, a Malaysian politics expert with the University of Tasmania and Sarawak native, for a Q&A on UMNO's past, present and possible future
By Amanda Oon - May 11, 2023

May 07, 2023 • 4 min read
Interview

The U.K. has a new king. What does that mean for ASEAN?

The 6 May coronation of Charles III marked a new era for the British monarchy as the ceremonies caught some interest in parts of its former colonies in Southeast Asia. In this Q&A, the Southeast Asia Globe caught up with analyst and new author Charles Dunst to talk about the U.K.’s modern relevance in the region
By Amanda Oon - May 07, 2023

Apr 26, 2023 • 3 min read
Belt & Road Initiative

The Anakut podcast: China’s Belt & Road Initiative in Cambodia

In the third episode of Anakut Season Three, the team debut a new format and head out to the Phnom Penh - Sihanoukville expressway and speak to residents and experts about what the BRI really means for Cambodia's economic relationship with China
By Amanda Oon - Apr 26, 2023

Apr 24, 2023 • 8 min read
Death penalty

Activists scrutinise Singapore’s rights record as first 2023 execution looms

As other countries move towards abolition of the death penalty, the city-state announces its first execution of the year. The case of Tangaraju Suppiah is one campaigners say is full of holes and questions over the country's harsh capital punishment laws
By Amanda Oon - Apr 24, 2023

Feb 15, 2023 • 5 min read
Economics

Singapore’s budget touts family values but overlooks single parents

Singapore's 2023 budget, announced by Finance Minister Lawrence Wong on Valentines Day, held increased grants and support for new families and working mothers as living costs rise. But some fear single parents may miss out and are calling for greater inclusivity
By Chia Chi Hsu - Feb 15, 2023

Feb 03, 2023 • 6 min read
Interview

Mapping Southeast Asia’s literary landscape with Penguin SEA

In an exclusive interview Globe sat down with Nora Abu-Bakar, publisher at Penguin Random House Southeast Asia, to discuss bringing regional authors to the international stage and how social media is driving a love for reading
By Amanda Oon - Feb 03, 2023

Dec 20, 2022 • 9 min read
Migrant workers

Remembering Singapore’s Little India Riots

Nine years on from Singapore’s worst case of public violence in decades, the city-state’s migrant workers still face exploitation at the hands of profiteering employers and precarious job security
By Amanda Oon - Dec 20, 2022

Jul 18, 2022 • 7 min read
Impact investing

International funds eye impact investments in Southeast Asia

Experts are hailing an "Asian decade" in investment for social and environmental benefit as governments call on private sector help to rebuild pandemic-stricken economies
By Amanda Oon - Jul 18, 2022

Jun 17, 2022 • 8 min read
Interview

Cambodian court cements loss of democracy

Human rights leader Sopheap Chak says she was not surprised by a Phnom Penh court verdict imprisoning activists in what she calls a government ‘show of force’
By Amanda Oon - Jun 17, 2022

Apr 07, 2022 • 12 min read
Ukraine-Russia Conflict

ASEAN youths speak out about the conflict in Ukraine

ASEAN's youth share their perspectives on the war in Ukraine and how digital connectivity is driving the generational gap but bringing global events closer
By Amanda Oon - Apr 07, 2022

Feb 28, 2022 • 4 min read
National Animals

Singapore: Lion

A case of mistaken identity has formed the basis of a widespread national identity and contributed to conversations on conservation
By Amanda Oon - Feb 28, 2022

Feb 08, 2022 • 9 min read
Celebration

Singapore and Malaysia tread carefully into Year of the Tiger

Lunar New Year is a highly-anticipated celebration in the two countries. But as pandemic restrictions linger, this year’s celebrations mix optimism with caution
By Ashley Yeong and Amanda Oon - Feb 08, 2022

Dec 01, 2021 • 8 min read
Startups

Singapore’s small business ecosystem goes beyond startup glamour

While some startup entrepreneurs enjoy venture capitalist backing and government support in Singapore’s innovation-friendly ecosystem, other small businesses struggle with onerous audit processes and competition for talent
By Amanda Oon - Dec 01, 2021

Nov 18, 2021 • 7 min read
Interview

Events platform CEO on making virtual connections

The pandemic transformed the events industry with the boom of virtual platforms. As physical meetings return, Hubilo CEO Vaibhav Jain discusses the next era of networking and relationships that helped build his business
By Amanda Oon - Nov 18, 2021

Nov 01, 2021 • 8 min read
Interview

Singapore sports exec is spearheading sustainable business

The Singapore leader of one of the world’s largest sporting goods retailers looks at life in the Lion City in an increasingly digital world and how to keep sport sustainable and socially conscious.
By Amanda Oon - Nov 01, 2021

Oct 12, 2021 • 7 min read
Art

Redesigning Malaysia’s religious narratives through art

A growing trend of censorship and suppression in the name of religion is cracking down on Malaysia’s creative sector. The country’s artists are finding ways to fight back and speak out
By Amanda Oon - Oct 12, 2021

Oct 07, 2021 • 7 min read
Community

Eurasians tackle identity issues in Singaporean society

One of Singapore’s oldest ethnic communities is also its smallest. Eurasian Association members open up about making a cultural mark and fighting for recognition as an overlooked ethnic group
By Amanda Oon - Oct 07, 2021

Jun 23, 2020 • 6 min read
Recycling

Singapore’s green thinkers discuss the pandemic, sustainability and recycling

As Singapore eases its circuit breaker measures and life returns to some semblance of normality, green thinkers explain how the Covid-19 pandemic has, and will continue to, impact attitudes towards sustainability and recycling in the City-State – for both good and bad
By Amanda Oon - Jun 23, 2020

Apr 13, 2020 • 5 min read
Singapore economy

Singapore’s struggling bars and eateries having to adapt to survive

As Singapore goes into full lockdown, the city-states once-bustling food and beverage establishments are having to find innovative ways to stay afloat. Will the pandemic change the way the sector operates for good?
By Amanda Oon - Apr 13, 2020

Apr 01, 2020 • 9 min read
Gender in Singapore

Breaking up the boys’ club

Finance has long been a boys' club, with Singapore no different. Today, FinTech offers more women a way in, but there remains a lack of diversity at its highest levels. Here, two of Singapore's most successful female financial figures offer their reflections on the sector
By Amanda Oon - Apr 01, 2020