Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

With just two days left of 2025, attention now turns to how we’re getting ready to ring in the New Year, and what you need to know before heading out. From countdown celebrations and fireworks to road closures and enhanced security measures, we’ll walk you through what to expect as Singapore gears up for New Year’s festivities, so you can plan ahead and celebrate safely. Whether you’re heading out, staying in, or still deciding, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada discuss the details on The Big Story. 

We’re taking a step back to look at the property market as 2025 draws to a close. How did the market perform this year? What surprised buyers and investors, and what trends are likely to carry into 2026? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Nicholas Mak, Chief Research Officer at MOGUL SG, as we take stock of where the property market stands heading into the new year.

Singapore shares inched higher today in the last full trading day of 2025. The Straits Times Index was up 0.51% at 4,657.14 points at 2.39pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$499.98M seen in the broader market. In terms of companies to watch today, we have ST Engineering, after the group today said that it expects to report a positive net profit for the second half of 2025, after taking into account all the one-off effects for the period.  Meanwhile, from how Meta Platforms has agreed to acquire Singapore-based startup Manus, to how the US government has reportedly granted an annual licence to Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to bring in chip manufacturing equipment to their facilities in China for 2026, more corporate and international headlines remained in focus.   On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Dan Chang, Investment Specialist and Trading Representative, PhillipCapital.

As we head into the new year, on What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada talk about stories that got us thinking about both everyday habits and the future ahead.  With shoppers still buying millions of plastic bags despite a five-cent charge, an NUS professor has suggested raising the fee to 10 cents, reigniting the debate over convenience versus sustainability. And zooming out even further, as listeners shared their predictions of life 27 years from now, we looked back at how people in 1998 imagined 2025, getting some things right like online shopping, remote work and even a deadly new disease, but missing others, reminding us that when we predict the future, we may be revealing more about our hopes and anxieties today than what tomorrow will actually bring.

With schools set to reopen in the new year, so are the sniffles, coughs, and fevers. But are you really protecting your kids, or just going through the motions?  On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong busts common myths about infections, from hand sanitisers to vitamins, and showing what actually works to keep your family safe.

Singapore shares were little moved today as investors kicked off the last trading week of 2025. The Straits Times Index was up 0.04% at 4,638.14 points at 2.47pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$423.31M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Keppel and Keppel DC Reit. That's after the two entities said on Dec 26 that the authorities have conditionally green-lit a 10-year lease extension for Keppel Data Centre Campus, which is owned by a Keppel-led joint venture (JV).  Elsewhere, from how China is about to start paying interest on its official digital currency, to how Bitcoin rose in Asia trading to top US$90,000, more international headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the key developments to watch for the day.

We’re looking back at a big one for Singapore - the Singapore dollar. How did it really perform in 2025, what shaped its moves, and what should we be watching as we head into a brand-new year? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Sim Moh Siong, Currency Strategist at Bank of Singapore, to break it all down.

From K-pop drama to everyday struggles and holiday surprises, today’s stories have us talking. On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada dive into how NewJeans member Danielle Marsh was dropped by her agency ADOR after a year of legal battles, injunctions, and public disputes.. Next, in Singapore, a viral TikTok sparked debate over whether the monthly $750 allowance for full-time national servicemen is enough in today’s economy. And finally, wedding season brings its own eyebrow-raising moments: a Hong Kong netizen was invited to a classmate’s wedding after 10 years, only to receive a pricey wish list of appliances and electronics, and discover they were invited just for the ceremony, with no banquet.

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has been found guilty of abuse of power in the biggest trial yet to emerge from the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal. He was charged with four counts of corruption and 21 counts of money laundering over the alleged illegal transfer of about RM2.2 billion from the state fund. What does this verdict now mean for Najib’s remaining political influence? And how could it shape Malaysia’s political landscape under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Associate Professor Chong Ja Ian from the Department of Political Science at the National University of Singapore, to analyse the ruling and what it means for Malaysia’s political future.

Singapore shares dipped today with investors now back from the Christmas Day holiday. The Straits Times Index was down 0.06% at 4,633.73 points at 2.42pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$426.90M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Sembcorp Industries, after Sembcorp Green Infra, an Indian unit of Sembcorp Industries, today completed the acquisition of a 100 per cent stake in solar power company ReNew Sun Bright for about S$246 million.  Elsewhere, from how Singapore’s factory output jumped 14.3 per cent year on year in November, to how Japan’s industry ministry is set to nearly quadruple its budgeted support for cutting-edge semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI) development to about 1.2 trillion yen (S$9.9 billion) for the fiscal year starting in April, more economic and international headlines remained in focus. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.