The Afternoon Update with Lynlee Foo

As electric vehicles gain traction in Singapore, motor insurance is undergoing a quiet transformation. In this episode of Industry Insight, Lynlee Foo speaks with Cecilia Siah, Vice President and Head of Motor Business at Income Insurance, to explore how the EV boom is reshaping insurance policies, premiums, and customer expectations. We unpack the risks unique to EVs — from high battery replacement costs to range anxiety — and how new motor insurance solutions are evolving to meet the needs of a growing community of EV drivers. Listen to this conversation and find out more about electric vehicles cover, or how insurers are preparing for a fully electric future.

Medical Social Workers are on the frontlines of patient care—navigating not only complex health situations but also emotional, financial, and social struggles. Yet, after each patient conversation, they face another demanding task: translating these deeply personal stories into clinical documentation. With heavy caseloads and a growing admin burden, burnout is becoming an all-too-common reality. Lynlee Foo speaks with Caleb Chiam, Senior Software Engineer at Open Government Products and the tech lead behind Scribe—a digital tool designed to reduce the documentation burden for social workers. Caleb shares how Scribe uses technology to streamline note-taking, freeing up social workers to spend more time where it matters most: with their patients. Tune in to learn how one innovation is helping heal the healers, and why rethinking paperwork could transform the future of care.

Consumers in Southeast Asia expect payments to be fast, seamless — and increasingly, intelligent. On Industry Insight, Ben Wong, General Manager for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong at Adyen, joins Lynlee Foo to explore how AI, embedded finance, and unified infrastructure are transforming the way businesses manage payments and customer experiences. From invisible checkouts to data-driven fraud prevention, discover the new rules of retail and what it takes to stay competitive in one of the world’s most dynamic regions.

Nanyang Polytechnic has introduced Singapore’s first cross-school Common Entry Programme across Business, IT, and Engineering — giving students more flexibility to discover their interests before choosing a diploma. But could this also reflect a broader shift in how education prepares students for the future of work? Russell Chan, Principal and CEO of NYP, joins Lynlee Foo to explore how this new approach could reshape the intersection of education, industry, and employability.

In this episode of Good Tech, we shine a spotlight on Better.sg — the volunteer-driven non-profit harnessing the power of technology to solve real-world social challenges in Singapore. Since 2020, they’ve been quietly building bridges between skilled professionals and causes that need them most. Joining us is Xin Yi Yap, Projects and Operations Manager at Better.sg, who shares how the organization mobilizes designers, developers, and domain experts to co-create impactful digital tools for communities in need. From matching volunteers to meaningful missions, to creating platforms that address everything from mental health to elder care, we explore how purpose and innovation come together — and how you can be part of the movement.

Institutional DeFi is no longer just a thought experiment—it’s taking shape behind closed doors and in pilot projects across the globe. On Industry Insight, Xin Song, CEO of GSR, a global leader in digital asset markets joins Lynlee Foo to unpack why major financial institutions are getting serious about decentralised finance. From Singapore’s Project Guardian to BlackRock’s tokenised funds, we explore the forces accelerating institutional DeFi adoption—and what’s still holding it back. Xin explains how GSR is bridging the gap between traditional and decentralised markets, what tokenised real-world assets mean for liquidity and risk, and why regulatory progress is key to unlocking scale. Whether you’re in finance, fintech, or just DeFi-curious, listen to this conversation to find out what’s really happening behind the buzz.

Why are non-tech players—from real estate developers to sovereign wealth funds—pouring billions into data infrastructure across Asia? On Industry Insight, Jennifer Tay, PwC Asia Pacific Infrastructure leader and PwC Singapore Partner joins Lynlee Foo todiscuss the forces reshaping the market: from AI-driven demand and energy constraints to ESG mandates and sovereign fund strategies. She shares insights into why Asia’s data centre market is heating up, how connectivity and grid capacity are now mission-critical, what roles non-tech players are stepping into, and whether the boom in capital is heading toward consolidation.

What happens when AI goes viral — but the rules haven’t caught up? From Ghibli-style art generators to powerful large language models, generative AI is raising big questions around copyright, consent, energy use, and accountability. As businesses race to deploy these tools, who’s thinking about governance? IBM’s Stephen Braim, Vice President Governmental & Regulatory Affairs, Asia Pacific joins Lynlee Foo on Industry Insight to unpack the risks, regulations, and regional responses that could shape the future of AI governance in Asia and beyond.

Is your next home climate-resilient? Do rental listings reveal hidden bias? And how much influence do digital platforms have over what we see — or don’t — in the housing market? As cities across Southeast Asia expand and temperatures rise, property listings are no longer just about price and location. Increasingly, they reflect deeper concerns—like climate risk, rental bias, and long-term liveability. On Industry Insight, we dive into the future of sustainable and inclusive housing with PropertyGuru's Head of Sustainability, Cecile Corda. Learn about the role PropTech platforms play in urban transformation and how digital tools influence what homes people see, and which ones they trust.

What does “good government” look like in an age of complex global challenges? As geopolitical tensions rise, governments face growing pressure not just to lead, but to perform. OnViewpoint, Wu Wei Neng, CEO of the Chandler Institute of Governance, shares findings from the 2025 Chandler Good Government Index. From Singapore’s rise to the top, to surprising leaps from the UAE, Vietnam and Rwanda, discover what sets high-performing governments apart—and why financial stewardship and global influence are slipping in others.