Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Singapore announced that the AI-driven Intelligent Driving Circuit will be rolled out at SSDC in 2028, allowing learners to take the wheel on a controlled circuit without a human instructor in the car. The system uses image-recognition AI to analyse driver behaviour and vehicle status, offering objective feedback and potentially reducing dependence on human trainers. On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to William Lee, Robotics & Embodied AI Scientist-Engineer, Stealth AI, to discuss whether this marks a new era for driver training and if AI can match the judgement and nuance of a human instructor.

APAC’s wealth market is expanding faster than anywhere else, yet growth is outpacing the ability to manage it. Investors are becoming more sophisticated, portfolios are increasingly complex, and expectations are shaped by everyday consumer technology. Despite this momentum, large segments remain underserved, with 40-45% of assets still held in cash. On The Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to James Verner, Head of Aladdin Wealth Tech APAC at BlackRock, about what is holding wealth management back across the region and what needs to change to move investors from cash into meaningful portfolio conversations.

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh take you from out-of-this-world luxury to high-stakes online chaos. First, we explore the mind-boggling concept of a Moon hotel, where a five-night stay will set you back over S$10 million. Then we pivot back to Earth with a look at the new Chinese video game “Blood Money: Lethal Eden”, where players are forced into the shoes of a scammer trapped in a compound. It’s a game about moral choices, survival, and confronting ethical dilemmas, inspired by real-life scam operations in Southeast Asia. From lunar luxury to online moral chaos, we ask the big questions: Would you pay millions for a Moon getaway? Would you betray a stranger to survive?

Singapore shares moved lower today as investors continued to monitor the global trade situation. The Straits Times Index was down 0.53% at 4,823.26 points at 2.07pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$744.02M seen in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Yangzijiang Maritime, after the maritime financial solution provider today announced its proposed share buyback, as part of its broader capital management plans.  Elsewhere, from how US President Donald Trump threatened to slap extra tariffs on eight European nations until the U.S. was allowed to buy Greenland, to how China’s economic growth slowed to a three-year low in the fourth quarter, more international headlines remained in focus.  Also on deck – what to watch out of the World Economic Forum held in Davos this week. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with David Kuo, Co-founder, The Smart Investor.

4 matches, 21 goals, 2 Red Cards, a host of debuts and a ton of talking points! The Singapore Premier League is well and truly back, and it takes centre stage on Sports Minutes! Zia-ul Raushan and Deepanraj Ganesan unpack all that went down across the weekend - including contentious decisions and cracking goals. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

According to the 2025 Graduate Employment Survey, most Singapore polytechnic graduates secure employment within six months of graduation, with starting salaries showing modest growth. Beyond these statistics, emerging trends indicate that more graduates are pursuing freelance work, entrepreneurial ventures, and contract roles, reflecting a shift in early-career priorities. On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Sriram Iyer, Managing Director and Business Head of TeamLease Digital Global, to explore what these trends mean for the future of graduate employment.  

Family offices are no longer the quiet preserve of old-money dynasties. Nearly 40% of them have been set up in just the past 15 years, driven by new wealth and entrepreneurial success, and they’re reshaping how capital is managed, invested and passed on. How do families protect generational wealth while still pursuing innovation and higher returns? And what does succession planning look like when the next generation has very different values, risk appetites and ambitions? To help us navigate this evolving landscape, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Neil Synnott, Chief Commercial Officer, Asia at IQ-EQ, for a deep dive into the future of family offices on The Wealth Tracker.  

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh, and Alexandra Parada dive a mysterious YouTube video that claims to run for over 140 years, a viral Dubai chewy cookie craze in South Korea that’s sending pistachio prices through the roof, and a virtual idol auditioning on a real-life rap survival show.

Singapore shares inched higher today as investors continue to set their sights on the AI trade as well as the ongoing situation in Iran. The Straits Times Index was up 0.15% at 4,840.70 points at 2.41pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$930.26M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Keppel, after the asset manager announced yesterday that it secured a 720 megawatt (MW) power bank for an artificial intelligence data-centre campus near Melbourne, Australia.  Elsewhere from how official advance estimates out today showed Malaysia’s economy grew 5.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2025 from a year earlier, to how TSMC will try to accelerate the transfer of its advanced chipmaking expertise to the US in the future, more economic and corporate headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments for the day.

As the Singapore Premier League resumes in earnest, it’s time for Tanjong Pagar United to turn promise into points. With just one win so far, much of the Jaguars’ hopes rest on Spanish striker Youssef Ezzejjari - a journeyman forward with a proven eye for goal. From Catalonia to Indonesia, Thailand to Cambodia, how did “El Matador” end up on Singapore’s shores? Tune in to find out. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg