Southeast Asia is in the early stages of a takeoff in e-wallet adoption that is likely to transform the financial industry. The competition for market leadership is wide open and furious. But for digital finance to make the next big leap in scale, both incumbent banks and new digital challengers must overcome obstacles. We speak to Aparna Bharadwaj, Managing Director & Partner, Boston Consulting Group; Global Leader for BCG’s Center for Consumer Insight on how we are driving the digital payment revolution here in South East Asia.

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After months of trying to stave off the impact of COVID-19, major companies are now starting to feel the long-term effects of the virus on the economy. Ride-hailing firm Grab has cut 5% of its staff to cope with the increasing pressure of the pandemic. Because the service is tied to the incomes of eateries and other outlets, one has to think about the widespread implications of such layoffs. 

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It’s fair to say that the way in which we interact with public spaces will be changed forever due to the impact that COVID-19 has had on our lives. We can no longer just head out to a restaurant, a park, a gym or even a workspace without considering extra precautions in these times that we’re now calling the ‘new normal’. But what’s going to be different? And how can we embrace this change?

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The latest Workmonitor survey conducted by Randstad Malaysia revealed that 49% of employees in Malaysia are likely to leave their jobs to start their own business. Interestingly, more than 4 in 5 Generation-Z respondents (82%) and 76% of Millennials said that being an entrepreneur would give them more opportunities. We speak to Jaya Dass, Managing Director, Malaysia and Singapore at Randstad on how organisations can help spur the entrepreneurial mindset at the workplace.

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Often it can be difficult to reimagine your home as your primary workspace; but for those who have excelled in working from home, here are 5 habits they’ve adopted to maximise productivity.

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Let’s be honest, these are probably the worst times in recent history to be looking for a job. Many people are already finding themselves unemployed, so there’s a lot of competition. But also due to social distancing, in-person interviews, job fairs and networking events are all cancelled.

That doesn’t mean that there aren’t other ways of finding a job. You need to adapt and be flexible.

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With Malaysia’s unemployment rate at the highest it's ever been for over 30 years, with more than 750,000 Malaysians now unemployed, is the worst still yet to come? So how best do you prepare for the uncertainty that lies ahead? Upskill & reskill! We speak to Latt Omar Shariman, Co-Founder of Ruang Cikgu on how they are capitalising the dire need to be equipped with the tools to run your own business with a learning platform that’s available in Bahasa Melayu.

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There’s no denying that online shopping is up worldwide. Afterall, many of us have been stuck inside for months and needed to find a way to grab the products and services that we needed. What might come as a surprise however, is that customer satisfaction for some of these platforms - especially Amazon, is at an all time low.

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While most pasar malam traders are eager to restart their business after a string of ‘dry’ months, 80% of the 200 KL-based night markets won’t be able to reopen due to strict SOPs. Many traders are struggling to comply with the rules set in place, saying that it hinders the way a normal pasar malam operates. 

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As barbershops and hair salons begin their operations after securing a green light from the ministry, many of them have been found to increase their charges in-light of the new SOPs in place. Are these prices justified and what’s the reasoning behind it? We speak to Lex Low, Founder and Chief Barber of Othrs. Barbers on how they’ve coped since reopening and Jeevan Sahadevan of Leverage Labs on strategies for a price increment. 

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