Your Way Home with Hongbin Jeong

Singapore’s central bank is keeping monetary policy unchanged, even as it warns that inflation could remain elevated well into 2027 amid persistent energy price pressures linked to the Iran war.

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Sheana Yue, Senior Economist for Macro Forecasting at Oxford Economics, to find out why the Monetary Authority of Singapore is holding its current stance, how much a stronger Singdollar can do to cushion rising import costs, and when consumers might see some relief.

With Singapore’s economy growing 5.4% year on year in the third quarter, largely driven by technology-related sectors, they also examine why strong economic growth may not translate into relief for households, and what lies ahead for inflation and the cost of living.

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In a world of instant gratification, some young people are finding fulfilment in hobbies that demand time, patience and skill. From mechanical watchmaking to other traditional crafts, could a generation raised on speed be learning to slow down?

On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Tristan Ho, founder of Singaporean watch label LOTH, about his journey into horology while working full-time as a biomedical research assistant.

We explore what draws younger people to traditional crafts, whether these pursuits offer an alternative to the pressure for instant results, and what it takes to turn a slow-burning passion into a business.

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Would you be allowed to work from Bali, Bangkok or even Singapore if your company says you can work from home?

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Alexandra Parada discuss whether employees should be allowed to work remotely from another country, as long as they get the job done.

The conversation takes a turn with the case of an Australian currency trader who was fired after allegedly working from Singapore without his employer’s approval, despite being told he could not relocate there. He later won an unfair-dismissal case, although the commission found there were valid grounds for his dismissal and awarded him no compensation.

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From November 2027, all full-time preschool teachers in Singapore will be guaranteed at least two hours of non-teaching time each week, giving them dedicated time to plan lessons, prepare resources, document children’s development and engage with parents.

The move comes as workload remains the top factor affecting preschool educators’ well-being, according to an ECDA survey released in August.

But with some centres already stretched for manpower, how will the new requirement work on the ground? And will two hours a week be enough to ease teachers’ workload and improve the quality of care for children?

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Su Fen Cheong, Founder and CEO of Preschool Market and Associate Faculty at the Singapore University of Social Sciences, to find out more. 

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Have you ever experienced a lift breakdown in your HDB block?

Both lifts at Block 516 Bedok North Avenue 2 broke down on October 4, leaving residents to climb multiple flights of stairs for hours.

One lift had already been out of service for more than a week before the second lift failed, raising concerns about the impact on elderly residents and those with mobility issues.

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Alexandra Parada discuss the incident and how residents cope when lifts break down.

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Singapore plans to roll out a new national system in 2027 to block access to websites linked to phishing and malware, as part of its refreshed cybersecurity strategy.

On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr. Weihan Goh, Associate Professor at the Singapore Institute of Technology, about how the Protective Domain Name Service will work and whether it can offer meaningful protection against cyber threats.

With malware-infected computer systems detected in Singapore more than doubling from about 117,000 in 2024 to over 284,000 in 2025, they also examine how AI is changing the cyber threat landscape and whether this new approach can help Singapore get ahead of increasingly sophisticated attacks. 

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Stocks, crypto and digital investments might be what you associate with Gen Z, but two young Singaporeans are making a case for something more traditional: gold and silver.

On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Big Bullion co-founders Charmaine Chua and Ian Chan about building a precious metals business in their mid-20s, from starting out online to opening a physical store at Golden Mile Tower.

They also discuss the growing interest in gold and silver among younger Singaporeans, why these traditional assets are catching their attention, and what this reveals about how Gen Z approaches investing and financial security.

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Singaporeans often head to Johor Bahru for cheaper food, groceries and everyday essentials. But what if moving across the Causeway doesn’t actually save you money?

On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh discuss the experience of a 37-year-old Singaporean father whose family’s monthly expenses rose by 10 to 20 per cent after relocating to Johor in 2022. 

So, is moving to JB really about saving money, or getting more out of what you spend? Would you take on the commute and immigration queues for a bigger home and more space, even if your expenses went up? 

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Earlier in June, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian headed down to Miami, USA, to catch Match 71 of the FIFA World Cup and to see how global technology solutions provider Lenovo helped its organiser run the tournament seamlessly behind the scenes.

But the FIFA World Cup is not the only sporting event featuring the firm’s technology. 

Lenovo is also powering Formula 1 races with solutions from workstations to even a Track-side Event Technical Centre that processes between 350,000 and 400,000 timing transponder passing events over a race weekend.

At the Singapore Grand Prix 2026, Tian Tian sat down with Sumir Bhatia, Chief Commercial Officer of Asia Pacific at Lenovo, and Amie Smith, Head of IT Systems and Support at Formula 1, to dive into the technologies turbocharging the motorsport event, before seeing everything coming together in an F1 practice race. 

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Millennials are often associated with the rise of “kidult” culture, with many continuing to collect the toys, characters and childhood favourites they grew up with from Pokémon and LEGO to plushies, blind boxes and Labubu.

In Singapore, Millennials are becoming a visible part of the collectibles scene, with greater spending power allowing them to turn childhood interests into long-term hobbies.

So what sets Millennial collectors apart from other generations and why has “kidult” culture resonated so strongly with them?

On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Jonathan Jiang, Vice-Principal of St Francis Methodist School (International) and a millennial collector, about what drives the hobby and what his generation’s collecting habits reveal about the way millennials navigate adulthood.

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