Money Matters with Hongbin Jeong and Chua Tian Tian

Singapore’s education system has seen multiple reforms aimed at reducing academic pressure, from changes to streaming and PSLE scoring to a greater focus on holistic development. Yet, high-stakes exams continue to influence school placements, family decisions, and significant spending on tuition and enrichment. This week, the Ministry of Education announced it is reviewing both exam difficulty and how PSLE results are used in secondary school admissions, as part of a wider effort to curb what it calls an education ‘arms race’. What could these potential changes mean for students and families? Will they actually reduce stress, or will competition simply take a new form? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Jonathan Sim, Lecturer at the NUS Learning & Development Academy and Fellow at the NUS Teaching Academy, to find out more.

Bitcoin just can’t seem to catch a break, after losing ground as investors shifted into gold and silver, it’s now sliding alongside precious metals in a broader risk-off move. Prices have fallen below US$85,000 for the first time in two months, raising fresh questions about where crypto goes from here. On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Zann Kwan, Managing Partner & CIO, Revo Digital Family Office, to find out more.

On today’s episode of What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Alexandra Parada dive into the TikTok sensation “turning Chinese,” a playful trend where non-Chinese users adopt Chinese-inspired wellness and lifestyle habits, drinking hot water, making herbal teas, and cooking traditional breakfasts, sparking conversations about cultural appreciation versus appropriation. Then, we shift gears to a cautionary tale for K-pop fans in Singapore: over 50 fans were scammed out of more than $70,000 by an online seller claiming to offer rare and sold-out idol merchandise.

Singapore shares dipped today as investors continue to mull global earnings out this week.  The Straits Times Index was down 0.18% at 11.36am Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$794.05M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Keppel DC Reit, after the manager of the data centre-focused Reit today announced a DPU of S$0.05248 for the second half ended Dec 31, 2025, up from S$0.04902 for the corresponding period a year earlier. Elsewhere, from how Apple forecast a surge of ‍up to 16% in revenue for the March quarter, to how core consumer prices in Tokyo rose 2.0% in January from a year earlier, more corporate and international headlines remained in focus. Also on deck, how US President Donald Trump said he would unveil his pick to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell later today. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian unpacked the developments with Benjamin Goh, Head of Research and Investor Education, SIAS.

The Nipah virus, which has once again made the news following an outbreak in India’s West Bengal. While the number of confirmed cases is still small, the outbreak has prompted countries in the region, including Singapore, to strengthen precautions. Singapore has introduced enhanced measures at Changi Airport and stepped up hospital surveillance to catch any potential cases early. But how does this outbreak compare to previous Nipah incidents, such as the 1999 outbreak in Singapore and Malaysia? What lessons can we draw from history, and what practical steps can we take to protect ourselves today? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Professor Paul Tambyah, former president of the Asia-Pacific Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infection, to break down the facts, explain the risks, and share advice on staying safe.

Asian currencies are surging. The US dollar is sliding. And political signals are shaking up global FX markets. Is this the start of a new currency regime, or just a temporary trade? On Wealth Tracker, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Khoon Goh, Head of Asia Research, ANZ, to find out more.

From humans doing math by hand for NASA to waking people up by shooting peas at their windows, some jobs from history are so bizarre they sound made up, but they actually existed. On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh take you on a wild ride through the strangest jobs that have officially gone extinct, including pinsetters, leech collectors, and even royal shoe testers. And if that wasn’t enough, they meet the internet’s newest superstar: a 10-day-old lamb from China that plays dead on cue; so convincingly that people have offered $24,000 just to take it home. Yes, this drama queen of the animal world has captured hearts, gone viral, and turned the local market into a spectacle.

Singapore shares nudged higher today as investors mull the US Federal Reserve’s move to hold interest rates as expected. The Straits Times Index was up 0.15% at 4,916.55 points at 1.31pm Singapore time, with a value turnover of S$918.03M seen in the broader market. In terms of counters to watch, we have Sembcorp Industries, after the company said yesterday that its wholly owned subsidiary Sembcorp Power will supply memory chip giant Micron with an additional 150 megawatts of power to support a new Woodlands plant in capturing artificial intelligence demand.  Elsewhere from how investors are making sense of earnings out of Microsoft and Meta, to how June is seen as the next likely window for a Federal Reserve rate cut, more corporate and international headlines remained in focus.  Also on deck, how a report by The Information revealed that NVIDIA, Amazon and Microsoft are in talks to invest up to US$60 billion in OpenAI. On Market View, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian dived into the details with David Chow, Director, Azure Capital.

We’re going to talk all about a hotpot ingredient that is sure to be on your reunion dinner table on Chinese New Year eve – the humble, inexpensive, yet comforting fishball that completes the meal. Speaking of fishballs, one must talk about Thong Siek Food Global, who’s also better known as the parent company of Dodo fishballs. Founded in 1976 as a family run backyard operation, Thong Siek Food Global has since evolved into a leading manufacturer, distributor and retailer of surimi (or minced fish paste) based seafood products in Singapore. At its factory in Senoko spanning over 150,000 square feet, Thong Siek Global processes well over 28,000 kg of fish meat daily and more than 60 varieties of fish-based products including fishballs, prawn balls, cuttle fish balls and crab flavoured sticks. These are exported to markets across Europe and Southeast Asia as well as the US, Canada, Dubai, Qatar, Australia and more. But how is Thong Siek Global positioning its supply chain to grow internationally? Which are the key global markets for the firm? Also – what are the key product trends that Thong Siek Global is tapping to relate with next generation consumers?  In this Special, “On the Go” episode of Under the Radar, Money Matters’ finance presenter Chua Tian Tian headed down to Thong Siek Food Global’s factory floor to seek some answers from Novelle Lim, CEO of Thong Siek Global and Fayy Lim, Chief Operating Officer of Thong Siek Global.

Gen Z has officially retired the term 'Karen', the infamous label for entitled or rude behavior, and crowned this new name as its modern replacement. For Millennials, many of whom are now entering the 'prime Karen age', this shift hits close to home.  Meanwhile, the Doomsday Clock now sits at 85 seconds to midnight, the closest humanity has ever come to potential nuclear, climate, or biological disaster. What does it mean, and what can we do to turn back time? On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh break down viral memes to global existential threats.