Let's Talk, Singapore

In a surprising move, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has boosted its support for the Singapore dollar in an off-cycle policy decision to cool inflation, which is expected to rise faster than previously anticipated. This is the fourth tightening move by MAS since October 2021 causing fear among Singaporeans of a looming recession ahead. To better understand this situation, we speak to Sa...

From the beginning, an entrepreneur should expect to experience failures and encounter challenges. It is along that journey that they understand the things required to build a successful company.  We speak to Wong Wai Jeat, CEO & Co-Founder, Ximple about the importance of maintaining good dynamics with partners, having good funding, and other lessons he has learnt through his entrepreneurial v...

In Breakfast Brief , we take a look at Wall Street, with both Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan reporting their second-quarter investment revenue which came in weaker than expected. Chinese properties which accounts for about a quarter of China's economy, are under stress over homebuyers refusing to pay for mortgages on stalled projects affecting China's credit markets, the nation’s bank stocks and com...

Sanjay Gulgani, CIO, Silverdale Capital, discusses the implications of the decades-high US inflation reading for June at 9.1%, and the implications for investors amid rising expectations of more aggressive monetary tightening. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: On the third Friday of every month, The Straits Times examines various facets of the US-China rivalry and its implications for Asia. Join Charissa Yong and Danson Cheong - ST’s US and China correspondents respectively based in Washington DC and Beijing - as they chat about the prospect or possibility of an "Asian Nato". Nato is the well-known US-led military alliance in Europe. But how l...

Synopsis: Every fourth Friday of the month, The Straits Times' US bureau chief Nirmal Ghosh presents an Asian perspective of the biggest global talking points with expert guests. In this episode, Nirmal Ghosh hosts Dr Aparna Pande, Research Fellow & director of Hudson Institute's Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia, and ST's Japan correspondent Walter Sim.  When news of former Jap...

Selena Ling, Chief Economist, OCBC Bank, discusses why the Monetary Authority of Singapore sees enough urgency to act now ahead of its scheduled October meeting, and what the latest Q2 GDP advanced reading at 4.8% missing consensus forecast tells us about the economic trajectory. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In T he Breakfast Brief, we discuss US latest red-hot inflation figures which has soared to 9.1 percent, the largest gain since 1981. The price pressures has reaffirmed the central bank to hike another 75 basis points. According to a survey by the Monetary Authority of Singapore(MAS) , Singapore’s economy  is expected to grow higher in the second quarter than the first quarter of 2022. See omnystu...

Essential foods in Singapore such as eggs and chicken have seen price increase this year and Singaporeans have been struggling to cope with these rising costs of living. Hence, it has become important for Singaporeans now to manage their grocery budget. Lee Yik Hun, Marketing Director for Food and Own Brand, Southeast Asia, DFI Retail Group will shed light on some of these trends, and how DFI Reta...

The Covid-19 pandemic hit the travel industry hard and many turned to technology to cope with the situation. However, as restrictions ease and borders reopen, these businesses are recovering and the focus is shifting from simply trying to stay afloat back to standing out in the industry to attract consumers. We speak to Paul Er, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Millennium Hotels & Resort...

Singapore’s digital economy has gained notoriety given its large energy consumption. Corporations and governments have the responsibility to manage this in whatever way they can. However, there are many challenges involved in the shift towards more energy efficient technology. We speak to Matthew Oostveen, Chief Technology Officer & VP, Pure Storage about creating a sustainable data centre foo...

In The Breakfast Brief , we take a look at the outlook of some companies such as PepsiCo, ServiceNow and Microsoft. The dollar index strengthens but several Wall Street strategists have warned that this strength in the U.S. currency could spell trouble for corporate earnings ahead. Singapore's Temasek holdings replaced China as the top investment destination   in its last financial year, when the...

The Orthopaedic scene has seen a huge evolution since the covid-19 pandemic and the digitalisation of the healthcare industry. The use of robotic assistance in an Orthopaedic surgery can potentially lead to a faster post-surgery recovery with a more natural feel for patients.  However, will the industry be welcoming to embrace more tech in their workflow and where does Southeast Asia stand in the...

Synopsis: The Straits Times analyses South-east Asia's top news developments in this weekly podcast. The Straits Times' regional correspondent Leslie Lopez chats with Money FM's Elliott Danker. They discuss Malaysia and Philippines' respective ongoing struggles with Covid-19, the battle between Malaysia and Indonesia in palm oil exports, and the future of leadership in Sri Lanka following the curr...

Abhilash Narayan, Senior Investment Strategist, Standard Chartered Private Bank talks about the cautious mood hanging over markets as investors await US CPI June data, amid various companies raising red flags around slowing down their hiring and headwinds from a stronger USD.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: The Straits Times' foreign editor Bhagyashree Garekar hosts ST’s Indochina bureau chief Tan Hui Yee. They talk about China’s presence especially in this region in light of Hui Yee's recent reporting trip to Cambodia. She visited Sihanoukville, a quiet coastal town which has been transformed by Chinese investment. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, a flood of Chinese casino and hotel investmen...

In The Breakfast Brief,  we discuss big report earnings due out from PepsiCo, Delta Air Lines, and Taiwan Semiconductor. In the retail sector, Amazon Prime Day will be competing to dominate online sales while in China, jitters over fresh Covid-19 curbs might stall market recovery which will set the pace for the monetary and fiscal stimulus for the rest of the year. In view of the Russian's nationa...

This month marks 20 years since REITs made their debut in Singapore. With the popularity of REITs among investors today, it might be hard to imagine that the first attempt to launch of a REIT actually failed. Let’s take a look at some of the lessons learnt with Choo Oi Yee, CEO, ADDX who also shares how blockchain is emerging as the future for property investments. See omnystudio.com/listener for...

Healthcare systems around the world are becoming increasingly overwhelmed and more implementation of AI solutions could help cope with this by improving efficiency and providing accessibility to those who require these healthcare services. Recognizing this, more government based and corporate bodies are adopting these measures. George Tomeski, Co-Founder, Helfie.ai  tells us more about this. See o...

Vasu Menon, Executive Director, Investment Strategy, OCBC Bank, discusses if the negatives have been fully priced in yet in the upcoming earnings season, as well as the events that will have the energy narrative this week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Synopsis: The Straits Times analyses the latest developments in China in this weekly podcast. The Straits Times' China bureau chief Tan Dawn Wei chats with Money FM 89.3's Elliott Danker. They review the results of a survey that illustrated the public's willingness to stay in China, and the discussion US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the topic of R...

As borders are being lifted and economies pick up, Singapore faces strong pressure to bridge the divide between new digital realities and skills gap of its workforce, a necessity to pull off this transition. So how can one ensure they are taking the right steps in their skills development journey?  Eric Sim, Author, Small Actions & Founder, Institute of Life shares his life philosophies and ti...

In this week's Weekly Wrap Up, Workers' Party MP Jamus Lim and Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan were sparring in parliament about the rising cost of living in Singapore. Should we depend on the government solely to ease these rising costs? What can we do on an individual level? Terence Ho, Associate Professor in Practice, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS discusses with u...

In The Breakfast Brief , we look at what Boris Johnson's resignation as UK Prime Minister has set in motion, including potential successors and the fate of Larry the Cat, 10 Downing's long time resident. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Shekhar Jaiswal, Head of Equities Research, RHB Singapore, discusses why he favours ComfortDelgro in the second half of 2022, as it benefits from border restrictions easing and return to pre-pandemic transport demand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.