Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Singaporeans expect app makers to protect them from all cyber-security threats, no matter what type. Consumers who feel protected are more likely to become advocates for those brands as well. With this strong link between cyber-security and loyalty, it is all the more important for companies to invest in efforts to counter cyber threats. We speak to Jan Sysmans, Mobile App Security Evangelist, AppDome more about this.

Singapore shares started today on a muted, albeit positive, note following overnight gains on Wall Street and in Europe. The Straits Times Index (STI) was up 0.04 per cent to 3,191.34 points in early trade after 33 million securities changed hands in the broader market.  Elsewhere, investors continue to keep their eyes on a number of key developments including China’s latest export numbers and the impact on its high-tech industries.  On Market View, the Drive Time team dived into the details with Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research at ANZ. 

Pita Limjaroenrat's continues taking efforts on his road to becoming Prime Minister. PAS' Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang continues to push for Malay-Muslim superiority in Malaysia. A revival of the KL-Singapore High Speed Rail is in the offing. Lastly, Myanmar's military regime will let 'loyal' citizens carry weapons, with certain political agendas in mind. We speak to Dr. Felix Tan, Political Observer, Nanyang Technological University more about this.

Can you imagine that it has been about three-and-a-half-years since the pandemic started and when all of us had to work remotely from home using video conferencing tools?  As the dust settles and as face-to-face meetings resume, we want to find out what’s next for companies providing video conferencing solutions, such as Zoom.  Speaking of Zoom, the company seems to be betting big on AI and enterprise customers for post-pandemic growth, with its venture arm Zoom ventures investing in Google-backed Anthropic to build reliable AI systems. It also recently launched key features of its next generation AI smart companion called Zoom IQ, which help users generate summaries or even emails based on the content discussed in meetings. But to what extent will a focus on AI help position the company for future growth?  On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these burning questions to Ricky Kapur, Head of Asia Pacific, Zoom.

Singapore shares opened lower this morning following overnight losses in the global markets.  In early trade, the Straits Times Index (STI) was down 0.3 per cent to 3,180.09 points after 46.5 million securities changed hands. Within Singapore, Reits continue to be in focus after Mapletree Industrial Trust announced that its third-largest tenant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US.  Elsewhere, from Saudi Arabia raising crude prices to Apple’s new Vision pro headset and Japan’s real pay falling for the 13th month – global developments continue to make the headlines today.  On Market View, the Drive Time team dived into the details with Jeff Ng, Senior Currency Analyst, MUFG.

From 18 May through September, Singapore Art Museum (SAM) at Tanjong Pagar Distripark will present three new contemporary art exhibitions by local and international artists that will invite unique art encounters for all. Kenneth Tay, Assistant Curator, Singapore Art Museum (SAM) shares with us more details of these exhibitions. 

The beginning of online banking enabled customers to access their accounts and conduct transactions from their personal computers and smart gadgets. This was followed by the introduction of mobile banking in the 2000s which allows customers to perform transactions using their smartphones.  And now we are going to witness the rise of Generative AI on this front.  Chris Huff, Chief Growth Officer, Kofax discusses with us on how automation and Generative AI can offer innovative and lasting solutions to the financial services sector. 

What comes to mind when you put shopping and the airport together? How does duty free shopping sound?  Well, our guest for today is from The Shilla Duty Free Singapore, which operates over 20 Cosmetics and Perfume stores across four terminals in Singapore’s Changi International Airport.  The company is part of Shilla Duty Free, and an affiliate of Samsung. In South Korea, Shilla Duty Free operates five duty free outlets including in downtown Seoul, Jeju island, and Incheon, offering over 1,300 world famous brands.  With borders reopening last year and international travel returning in full swing, we want to find out if airport sales revenues are back to pre-pandemic levels, and what that means for Shilla Travel Retail in terms of their expansion plans. Also – with a Euromonitor study tipping China to be the leading source market for duty-free destinations like South Korea, Singapore and Hong Kong by 2027, how concerned should duty-free retail operators be? On Under the Radar, Drive Time’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian chatted with Sok Ling Chan, Head Of Commercial, The Shilla Duty Free Singapore to find out more.

In this edition of China Perspective, we focus on headlines China has made at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.  Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs gives us an analysis of those headlines and more. 

Amongst rising sea levels and climate change, water scarcity is seen to be an issue that will only become more pressing as time goes on. Investing in sustainable water is a must to cope with these issues. In Southeast Asia, Singapore is leading in this field using sources such as local catchment water, imported water and NEWater, but what more can we do and what does the future of sustainable water look like? We speak to Dr Beverley Stinson, Global Water President, AECOM more about this.