Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has announced that Singapore’s MRT network will see more planned closures in the coming years as major upgrades and critical maintenance works are carried out. With the current nightly maintenance window no longer sufficient, authorities say longer shutdowns are necessary to ensure the rail system remains safe, reliable, and future-ready. But what will these planned closures mean for commuters, businesses, and the wider economy? And how will Singapore balance immediate inconvenience with long-term rail improvements? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Timothy Wong, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, NUS, to find out more.

The tide is turning for private equity in Southeast Asia. After months of muted activity, dealmaking is roaring back, powered by billion-dollar bets in tech and infrastructure, and a surge of investor confidence. But as liquidity tightens and exit routes remain elusive, the real question is: is this a true revival, or just a rebound on borrowed time? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Luke Pais, EY-Parthenon Asean Private Equity Leader, to find out more. 

Reforged Labs is a gaming-focused AI company that helps mobile game studios understand and improve their advertising performance. After evolving from in-game content generation to video ad creation, the company now builds creative intelligence tools that analyze gaming ads across networks, identify emerging trends, and produce data-driven creative briefs. With Boa, their AI research tool powered by proprietary datasets and multiple state-of-the-art language models, Reforged Labs enables marketers to make smarter creative decisions, uncover audience insights, and optimize return on ad spend. On Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Robert Huynh, Co-Founder & CEO, Reforged Labs, to find out more.  

Singapore shares nudged higher today as investors remained laser focused on the outlook of the global AI boom. The Straits Times Index was up 0.25% at 4,516.51 points at 12.04pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$664.71M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have the Singapore Exchange. That’s after the Monetary Authority of Singapore yesterday announced plans to allow companies to list on both SGX and Nasdaq using a single set of listing documents under a new “dual-listing bridge”.  Elsewhere, from blowout earnings from chip powerhouse Nvidia to the outlook for Hong Kong stocks as year-end expirations of share-sale restrictions threaten to spur volatility – more corporate and international headlines remain in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director, Azure Capital. 

Today we’re going to welcome you aboard Singapore Airlines as it reaches out to greater skies in a fast changing business environment.  Founded some 50 years ago through the demerger of the Malaysia-Singapore Airlines in 1972, SIA has evolved into one of the most recognised and respected travel brands globally.  The Singapore flag carrier and its low cost subsidiary Scoot now fly to over 120 destinations, and operates the world’s longest non-stop flight –  a 19-hour ride from Singapore to New York City.  SIA has long been presented in business schools as a textbook example of “cost-effective service excellence”, combining premium service with rigorous efficiency to deliver profitability and brand prestige.  But how is this playbook evolving as SIA navigates an intensifying competitive landscape?  For one thing, the ongoing US-China trade war, Middle East tensions and oil price volatility continue to weigh on airlines such as SIA. At the same time, Gulf carriers appear to have grown in prominence on long-haul flows and now capture sizable shares on some key city pairs, given the Middle East’s status as a gateway to Europe.  To stay ahead, SIA appears to be re-engineering parts of its product and network. In 2024, SIA said it will spend S$1.1 billion to retrofit 41 Airbus A350-900 long-haul and ultra-long-range aircraft with newer cabin products.  There were also adjustments to mileage redemption policies in 2025, which prompted conversations among customers and industry watchers. So how does the airline distill the changes into a single, condensed strategy for the future?  Professor Jochen Wirtz, Vice Dean of MBA Programmes and Professor of Marketing at the National University of Singapore has been studying the firm for over two decades, writing extensively about how the firm manages the tension between achieving product differentiation and cost leadership.  And Lee Lik Hsin, is Chief Commercial Officer at Singapore Airlines.  In this “In the Community” Special episode of Under the Radar, the duo share their thoughts with Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian.

Singapore’s national football team, the Lions, created a moment of national pride as they came from behind to beat Hong Kong 2-1, securing a historic qualification for the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia. The star of the night, Ilhan Fandi, turned the game around in just four minutes with an assist and a goal during his 28-minute cameo, dedicating the triumph to the nation despite leaving the field with an ankle injury. Interim coach Gavin Lee praised the team’s collective effort, calmness, and resilience, highlighting the pivotal role of senior players and acknowledging the contributions of past coaches who helped shape Singapore football.  On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Zia-ul Raushan, Presenter of Sport Minutes, to delve deeper into this historic achievement and what it means for the future of Singapore football.

The ringgit’s strengthening, and analysts say it could stay this way. So what does this mean for your wallet? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research, ANZ, to unpack what’s behind the ringgit’s rise, whether it’s sustainable, and what it means for Singaporeans on both sides of the Causeway.

Bluente is an AI translation platform designed specifically for professional use. Unlike generic translation tools, Bluente delivers accurate, format-preserving translations across 120+ languages, making it easy for teams in legal, finance, consulting, HR, and other industries to translate complex documents without losing meaning or structure. With Bluente, professionals can work faster, reduce manual formatting time, and communicate confidently across borders. On Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Daphne Tay, Founder & CEO, Bluente, to find out more.

Singapore shares were little moved today as Asian markets traded lower. The Straits Times Index was down 0.03% at 4,503.46 points at 12.53pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$703.45M seen in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have for you Singtel, after the telco was hit by an outage yesterday, with more than 1,600 users affected at its peak at 4.55 pm.  Elsewhere, from how Microsoft and Nvidia are committing to invest up to a combined US$15 billion (S$19.5 billion) in Anthropic, to Temasek’s CEO Dilhan Pillay’s comments on hedging costs amid the US dollar’s recent weakness, more corporate and international headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with James Cheo, Chief Investment Officer, Southeast Asia and India at HSBC Global Private Banking and Wealth.

An historic night, an historic feat. Singapore are through to the 2027 Asian Cup after securing a 2-1 win away in Hong Kong. We hear from the jubilant camp post-match, and also wonder if Gavin Lee and Hariss Harun will be the ones to lead our Lions at the 2027 Asian Cup. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg