Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

In 2024, Singapore made significant strides in EV adoption, outpacing many of its regional counterparts. According to a report by Bloomberg, Singapore leads Southeast Asia in EV market penetration, with electric vehicles making up nearly 20% of all new car registrations. This shift comes amid government initiatives to encourage sustainable mobility, but a question lingers: is progress as smooth as it appears? This is where Watt steps in with innovative solutions. Watt has developed a unique model to bridge these gaps, making EV charging accessible without the financial burden on property management.  On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Ivan Quek, Chief Commercial Officer and Co-founder, Novowatt to find out more.   

It’s a deep dive into the private equity landscape as we speak to an investment firm that’s indirectly owned by Temasek Holdings.  Set up in 2015, our guest Azalea Investment Management defines itself as being in the business of PE investments, with a focus on the development and innovation of new investment platforms and products.  The firm said its goal is to bring private assets to a wider investor base through a phased approach, while educating the investing public at the same time. Azalea Investment Management achieves this through two investment programmes or platforms, (1) the Altrium programme as well as the (2) Astrea Platform.  Under the Altrium programme, accredited investors can co-invest with Azalea and access strong performing private equity fund managers globally, but with lower barriers to entry.  The Astrea Platform, on the other hand, is a series of investment products developed based on diversified portfolios of PE funds. The platform is said to target long-term minded investors including Singapore retail investors looking to co-invest in private equity with the asset managers.  But why are we speaking to Azalea Investment Management you might ask? Well the firm had closed a number of funds of late. In July 2024, the firm’s Astrea 8 PE bonds closed 2.8 times subscribed at over S$1 billion, with bonds distributed to diversified investors across institutions such as endowments, pensions and insurance companies as well as accredited investors. More recently, it had in October closed two funds at over US$480 million as a whole, higher than the US$400 million target for both funds combined.   But how does the firm assess the outlook for private markets in 2025 and what is next for its product line up?  On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Chue En Yaw, Chief Investment Officer, Azalea Investment Management.

After many years of delays, Malaysia and Singapore have signed a deal to establish the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). This comes as the two nations seek to develop a new economic growth area centered on one of the busiest land crossings in the world. Modelled after China’s Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, the JS-SEZ will provide tax breaks and ease the transit of goods and people between Johor and Singapore, which are separated by a 1km causeway. The target of this agreement is to hit 100 projects in the first 10 years, creating 20,000 skilled jobs for people on both sides of the Causeway. Is this an achievable target? What benefits will this SEZ bring to both nations?  On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Sumit Agarwal, Low Tuck Kwong Distinguished Professor of Finance at the Business School and a Professor of Economics and Real Estate at the National University of Singapore to find out.   

Singapore shares started trading in positive territory this morning, even as global markets ended the previous day mixed. The Straits Times Index (STI) opened 0.2 per cent higher at 3,836.94 points after 28.1 million securities changed hands in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Centurion, after the accommodation assets operator said yesterday that it is exploring the establishment of a real estate investment trust (Reit) comprising some of its workers and student accommodation assets.  Elsewhere, from Micron investing US$7 billion in Woodlands advanced packaging site, to Samsung Q4 profit outlook missing estimates by a large margin, more corporate and international headlines remain in focus.   Also on deck – big techs rolling out the red carpet for US president-elect Donald Trump and Amazon Web Services’ plan to invest US$11 billion in Georgia. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Thilan Wickramasinghe, Head of Equity Research, Maybank Securities.

Joke crypto Fartcoin started as a parody, and now it is on a tear. Fartcoin’s market cap of nearly $800 million now exceeds that of several well-known brands. The memecoin has even surpassed Dogecoin’s all-time highs and blown fellow memecoin Shiba Inu completely out of the water. What exactly is Fartcoin, and why is it surging?  On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Carly Reilly, Co-host of the Moniify Daily Show, Moniify to find out more.   

Having spent close to 5-years with BG Tampines Rovers, scoring 110 goals in 138 appearances to become the club's ALL-TIME top scorer - Boris Kopitovic sent shockwaves through the fraternity when news broke of his departure to Bali United. So how and why did this mid-season move materialise, what are his ambitions in Indonesia, and how close was he to attaining PR status in Singapore? Boris himself speaks to Sports Minutes to tell us more. READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/goal-machine-boris-kopitovic-leaves-bg-tampines-rovers-in-surprise-move Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

TRST01, founded in 2019, began with food traceability, offering insights into a product’s journey from farm to fork. Its mission has since evolved to empower businesses and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint and drive a sustainable future. Using blockchain-powered tools, TRST01 enhances supply chain transparency, helps businesses meet ESG compliance, and creates measurable impact for farmers, brands, and consumers. Active in nine markets, its solutions boost farmer incomes, reduce compliance costs, and optimize operations for brands like OVO Farm. On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Manoj Vembu, Director of TRST01 to share more.   Presented by: Hongbin Jeong Produced and Edited by: Alexandra Parada (alexparada@sph.com.sg) Want to get featured on our show? Drop me an email today!

China is experiencing a surge in infections of a respiratory virus, leading to public concerns about an outbreak. The virus, identified as human metapneumovirus or HMPV, has seen cases spiking across northern Chinese provinces this winter, particularly among children. India, Malaysia and Kazakhstan are also among other countries that have also reported cases of this virus. How does HMPV compare to COVID-19 and how can we protect ourselves? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Professor Dale Fisher, Director, Centre for Infectious Disease Emergency Response at NUS to find out.   

Investment in precious metals is seen as a protection from enduring inflation, shifts in the prevailing market and economic recession and sustainably helps wealth creation in the run.  Precious metals hit record highs in 2024 as detailed in the World Bank's Commodity Markets Outlook.  So can this bullish momentum continue to build for Gold, Silver, Platinum? What’s the outlook like for these precious metals in 2025?  On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Kon How, Founder, Weipedia Pte Ltd, to find out more.   

Singapore shares began trading in the positive territory today as overseas markets closed mixed. In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) was up 0.1 per cent at 3,826.88 points after 32.6 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  In terms of companies to watch today, we have The Straits Trading Company, after the investment firm launched the second series of its three-month commercial paper in digital securities on Singapore’s Digital Assets Exchange.  Elsewhere, from Tencent Singapore Depository Receipts falling nearly 7 per cent this morning to what we should know about the keynote speech by Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang at the CES 2025 yesterday – more corporate and international headlines remain in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Dan Chang, Investment Specialist and Trading Representative, PhillipCapital.