Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

The SPL season has kicked off, and Balestier’s Daniel Goh is back for his third spell with the Tigers. Fresh from a 2-2 draw against former club Albirex, he joins Sports Minutes to talk comebacks, adapting to Marko Kraljevic’s style, and the challenges locals face amid foreign influx. At 26, is this the make-or-break stage of his career? Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg

It is all about software companies today, and this time, we’re going to talk about a company that builds and improves on the open-source Linux operating system – Red Hat.  The history of Red Hat takes us all the way back to 1993, when software was distributed through physical CDs in retail stores. That was when a small businessman named Bob Young, met tech geek Marc Ewing at a tech conference.  Young had been running a computer supply catalogue business out of his home at that point, and Ewing had been geek-hacking and spinning his own distribution (or his own improved rendition) of Linux operating systems on CDs from his home. Young decided to buy Ewing’s CDs to tap a growing interest in the Linux operating system, and he sold out of them so many times that the duo teamed up to found Red Hat Software in 1995. At Red Hat, the firm pursued a stable and accessible distribution of a constantly evolving, community-developed Linux operating system, instead of protecting trade secrets and filing patents for expensive proprietary products taken by most industry players.  The firm reached multiple milestones through the years, going public with a record setting IPO in 1999. It also became the first open source technology company to exceed US$1 billion in revenue in 2012.  Then came 2019, when IBM acquired Red Hat for US$34 billion in one of the largest software acquisitions in history.  Today, RedHat is the world’s leading provider of enterprise open source software solutions, using a community approach to deliver what’s said to be reliable and high performance Linux, hybrid cloud, container and Kubernetes technologies. But how is Red Hat faring at this moment in time? Also – how is it evolving in the age of generative AI? How far are partnerships with chip titans AMD and Nvidia key to future success? On Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Daniel Aw, Vice President of Enterprise Sales, Asia Pacific at Red Hat.

Slang words like skibidi, inspo, delulu and tradwife have been popularized by Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and they’re spreading fast through social media, memes, and even professional settings. They’re so popularised that the Cambridge University Press recently announced that those words, among the 6,000 entries, have been added to the online edition of the Cambridge Dictionary. According to the publisher, such words reflect on growing trends and how the internet culture is shaping the English language in ways both playful and serious. But should Gen Z slang like this be officially added to the dictionary? Or, should dictionaries maintain a boundary between casual, online language and the formal language used in professional and academic settings? On The Hot Seat, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Daniel Chan, Former Deputy Director and Senior Lecturer of French at the NUS Centre for Language Studies, and Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Sascha Stollhans, Professor of Language Education and Linguistics & Pro-Dean for Student Education (Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures) at University of Leeds, to find out more. 

As 2025 unfolds, the global economy is caught between easing trade tensions, slowing growth, and shifting monetary policies. At the heart of this complex landscape is Asia, a vibrant and diverse region facing its own set of challenges, but also brimming with new opportunities. What’s really driving the current macro environment? Which emerging trends are reshaping Asia’s investment scene? And what key themes should investors keep on their radar this year and beyond? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Laura Cooper, Head of Macro Credit and Global Investment Strategist at Nuveen, to find out more. 

Marie Cheong leads Wavemaker Impact, a venture builder focused on climate tech in Southeast Asia. Through the 100x100 approach, the firm supports startups that aim to abate 100 million tonnes of carbon while building $100 million revenue businesses. And Wavemaker Impact combines commercial discipline with climate ambition, bridging entrepreneurship, innovation, and measurable environmental impact. On this month’s The Peak special on The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Zat, Editor-in-Chief, The Peak Singapore, to explore what makes Wavemaker Impact’s approach stand out and why it could reshape the future of climate tech and entrepreneurship in the region.

Singapore shares moved higher today as all eyes remained on US interest rate movements for September and beyond. The Straits Times Index was up 0.44% at 4,249.32 points at 2.05pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$668.43M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Singapore Post, after the postal service provider’s operating profit for the first quarter ended June came in at S$3.4 million, a 60 per cent year-on-year drop from S$8.4 million. Elsewhere, from Tesla raising the price of its Cybertruck Cyberbeast in the US, to how postal services across the world are cutting off parcel deliveries to the US given the fast-approaching end of a tariff exception for low-value packages, more corporate and international headlines remained in focus.  Also on deck, what to watch when Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks at the Jackson Hole Symposium in a couple of hours’ time. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

Three Primary 3 boys from Sengkang Green Primary School were suspended after bullying a female classmate, with one caned for sending violent death threats to her mother. The girl was so distressed by the incidents that she temporarily stopped attending school, and has since returned under a safety plan. The case has sparked public debate about how bullying escalates, how schools respond, and the role of parents in ensuring children’s safety. On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong spoke to Jean Tan, Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Psychology Associates, to find out more about the psychological factors behind such extreme bullying, why children might engage in hurtful behaviour at a young age, and what steps schools and parents can take to prevent and address these incidents effectively.

As global markets brace for more tariffs, shifting rates, and political uncertainty, Asia’s bond markets are quietly holding their ground. Could this be the region’s moment to shine for fixed income investors? Or are hidden risks about to surface?  On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Omar Slim, Co-Head of Asia Fixed Income at PineBridge Investments, to dive into where the real opportunities and vulnerabilities lie in Asia’s evolving credit landscape.

Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, is strengthening its presence in Singapore with a fifth weekly flight to Addis Ababa. The move signals deeper business and tourism ties, positioning Singapore as a key Asian gateway to Africa. With Ethiopia’s economy set to grow nearly 9% this year, the timing couldn’t be better. So why Singapore and why now? What’s at stake in this growing connection? On The Right Business, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Telila Deressa Gutema, Regional Manager for Singapore and ANZ at Ethiopian Airlines, to find out more.

Singapore shares rose today, tracking a broadly positive day in Asia. The Straits Times Index was up 0.18% at 4,227.21 points at 12.53pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$630.67M seen in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch, we have Sats, after the airline caterer yesterday reported a 9.1 per cent year-on-year rise in net profit to S$70.9 million for the first quarter ended Jun 30, 2025, on the back of growth in aviation cargo and food service volumes.  Elsewhere, from more on share price movements in Great Eastern, to how South Korea is reportedly set to unveil about US$150 billion in US investment plans by private companies during a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump – more corporate and international headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director, Azure Capital.