Let's Talk, Singapore

The Breakfast Huddle speaks to Keith Kam, Journalist, BFM89.9 in KL on the latest developments leading up to Malaysia's 15th general election.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore and its gradual becoming of a global arts hub has been recognised by the international arts scene and Christie’s is no stranger to this news. Returning to the island of youthful, affluent and swiftly growing art collector base, the world leading auction house Christie’s lands itself in Singapore and brings with it a new auction category.  Francis Belin, President, Christie’s Asia Pacific...

Despite the rapid pace at which the crypto market is growing, it is still a relatively new asset class prone to volatility. Dialogues on the need for regulation have been generating buzz recently with the most major ones being how unregulated it is and potential security risks with it being an attractive target for hackers.  Diogo Mónica, Co-Founder and President, Anchorage Digital shares more wit...

From Singapore's new agreement with Vietnam to Malaysia possibly another budget by the end of the year.  Dr. Felix Tan, Political Observer, Nanyang Technological University shares his analysis on these headlines and more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's Breakfast Brief we discuss how UK Finance Minister has torn up most of the mini-Budget to restore some calm to markets in a bid to revive the country's credibility. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrea Choong, Equity Research Analyst, CGS-CIMB discusses what the nett impact will be from rising rates which helps improve interest margins but also potentially deters borrowing with higher costs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sprinklr has recently announced that the company will expand operations in Singapore.  Supported by EDB, Sprinklr plans to more than quadruple the size of the company’s Research and Development (R&D) Center to up to roughly 100 skilled professionals over the next 36 months. Ragy Thomas, Founder & CEO, Sprinklr shares more on the company's expansion plans here.  See omnystudio.com/listener...

From key highlights of the Communist Party Congress (CPC) so far and what to expect from CPC this week.  Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Fellow, Singapore Institute of International Affairs shares his analysis.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our next door neighbour has been pretty busy in the last two weeks or so. First Malaysia’s Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz recently tabled the national budget for 2023, the second-largest ever budget in the country’s history. And now the country is heading into their general elections.  Dawn Lai, CEO, Experian Information Services Malaysia shares more on how the happenings in Mala...

In today's Breakfast Brief, we unpack the pressure on the Japanese currency now at 32-year lows as well as the main highlights from President Xi Jinping's 2-hour speech to kick off China's National Congress. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Azeem Sheriff, Markets Analyst, CMC Markets APAC & Canada discusses the key takeaways from China's National Congress as well as the political and economic turmoil pressuring the British pound. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore-based shopping and rewards platform ShopBack has recently announced that it has entered into a subscription agreement with 65 Equity Partners for $80 million of equity capital in an extended Series F funding round. The announcement follows an earlier $80 million tranche led by Asia Partners in July 2022, bringing its ongoing Series F round to a total of $160 million. Julian Foo, General...

According to MediaPost and Standard Media Index’s global ad market tracker, the month of July was the worst month for ad spending in 2 years. And so, for brands and marketers, this truly begs the billion-dollar question, should Southeast Asia’s brands cut their ad spend amid a potential recession? Rene E. Menezes, Co-Founder & President, Involve Asia shares his thoughts on this matter.  See om...

From Pakistan's foreign minister summoning US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome in relations to US President Joe Biden’s latest comment to China’s apparent conciliatory message to the US.  Steven Oliver, Assistant Professor of Social Sciences (Political Science), Yale-NUS College shares his analysis on those headlines and more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's Breakfast Brief, we look at the likely factors driving the massive comeback for US stocks as well as the potential U-turns in the UK around its mini-Budget we might see that is giving the British pound some relief. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Selena Ling, Chief Economist, OCBC Bank discusses the bright spots from Singapore's Q3 GDP advanced estimates which rose 1.5% qoq, reversing a drop of 0.2% in Q2, as well as MAS's 5th tightening move this year which was more measured than widely expected. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you remember heading to Changi Airport just for Popeyes? While there are a few outlets now in Singapore, it looks like we will be seeing more of Popeyes in the coming years!  F&B operator Fei Siong Group has recently snagged an exclusive franchise deal to take over the operations of the fried-chicken chain in Singapore. Jedrick Tan, Senior Vice President, Group Strategy & Business Devel...

It looks like the call for businesses to be more socially conscious grows in today’s context are becoming more than ever. So how can a business integrate social impact strategically into their business model to become a key value differentiator for consumers and investors alike? Kevin Quah, Co-Founder & CEO, Tictag shares more on how businesses can do so.  See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Bus and train fares in Singapore will increase by up to 5 cents from December 26 due to rising energy prices. To help some families, a total of 600,000 public transport vouchers worth $30 each will be available for lower- to lower-middle-income households from December 28. But how much can these vouchers help?  Walter Theseira, Associate Professor, Economics & Head, Master of Management (Urban...

Synopsis: Every second Friday of the month, join The Straits Times' associate editor Ravi Velloor, as he distills his experience from four decades of covering the continent. In this episode, he hosts Mr Drew Thompson, a former top official in the Pentagon who helped handle military to military relations with China and Taiwan. Mr Thompson, now Senior Visiting Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Pu...

In today's Breakfast Brief, we discuss what PepsiCo's solid quarterly earnings might mean for the rest of the earnings season, as well as a new perfume called "Burnt Hair" that Tesla CEO Elon Musk is selling for $100. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sani Hamid, Director of Wealth Management, Financial Alliance  analyses the latest FOMC minutes and if much has changed since the meeting three weeks ago, as investors brace for September's Consumer Price Index data - which threatens to sink market sentiment if it is again hotter than expected. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The MICE industry is on its way to recovery from the impact of Covid-19. And just recently, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has inked three MoUs to reinforce Singapore’s position as a Global-Asia Node for Meetings, Incentive, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) and businesses across growth and priority sectors. Poh Chi Chuan, Executive Director of Exhibitions & Conferences, Singapore Tourism...

Singapore has recently unveiled a new special work visa in a bid to lure more workers from across the world. The visa, dubbed the Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass) is a personalised pass that aims to attract worldwide talent across all sectors to Singapore. Puay Lim Yeo, Managing Director, Glints shares more details on ONE and how it will impact Singapore's job market.  See omnystu...

From leaders of the G7 nations pledging to help Ukraine “for as long as it takes”, to why the Bank of England is struggling to address the UK’s market concerns.  Antonio Fatas, Professor of Economics, INSEAD shares his analysis and more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.