MONEY FM 89.3 - Prime Time with Howie Lim, Bernard Lim & Finance Presenter JP Ong

What if your next relationship didn’t come from a dating app — but from TikTok? One Singaporean woman has taken an unconventional approach to finding love after spending more than S$1,000 on premium dating apps. Instead of swiping through more profiles, she turned to TikTok and created a matchmaking form for men who are serious about dating, marriage and starting a family. On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar discuss this viral story and dive into modern dating, compatibility, deal-breakers and just how far you’d go to find “the one”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For generations, internships have been seen as a stepping stone for university students entering the workforce. But increasingly, teenagers as young as 15 or 16 are seeking out internships to gain experience and build their portfolios. So, what’s changed? Are Gen Alpha students simply more career-conscious than previous generations, or are they feeling pressure to get ahead? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Pedro Aguirre, Co-Founder, Make the Change to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

MOE will begin a pilot in January 2027 to explore smaller classes in six schools, with the aim of giving teachers more opportunity to provide individual attention and timely feedback. But will having fewer students in a classroom actually lead to better learning? And with teachers already facing significant workloads, could smaller classes simply mean more classes to teach? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Jason Tan, Associate Professor in Policy, Curriculum and Leadership at the National Institute of Education to discuss what MOE is testing, how smaller classes could change the classroom experience, and what needs to happen for the pilot to work for both students and teachers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do you build a great football stadium? Singapore may soon get another chance to find out, with plans for a new South Stand at Jalan Besar. But could The Kallang be doing more? Zia-ul Raushan went behind the scenes at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and sat down with Spurs commercial director Alex Scotcher to explore what makes a modern football venue, one that is regarded as Europe's finest, tick - and what lessons Singapore can take home.READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/jalan-besar-stadium-could-get-a-new-south-stand-additional-1500-seats?ref=latest-headlinesGot a story to tell? Get in touch!raushan@sph.com.sgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if you could pay someone else to take out your rubbish, pick up your parcels or deal with other annoying little tasks? A growing 'lazy economy' in China is seeing people pay for exactly that, including rubbish collection from their doorstep. But is it really about being lazy, or are people simply willing to pay a little to save time and hassle? On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar discuss the things we’d happily outsource and ask: what are Singaporeans willing to pay someone else to do because we just can’t be bothered?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s haze situation appears to be easing, with four of the five regions returning to the moderate range after all five recorded unhealthy PSI levels yesterday, the first time that has happened since 2019. But does that mean the air quality is genuinely improving, or could conditions worsen again in the days ahead? And why has the Central region consistently recorded the highest PSI readings this season? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Professor Rajasekhar Balasubramanian, Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, NUS, to find out what’s behind the latest readings, what could happen next, and what the changing PSI levels tell us about Singapore’s haze situation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When we talk about retirement, the question is usually pretty straightforward: have you saved enough? But the reality is a little more complicated. There are clearly Singaporeans entering retirement with significant assets, but having money and knowing how to use it in retirement are two very different things. At this year's National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said the government is looking at giving seniors with healthy MediSave balances more flexibility in how they use those funds, while also making it easier for seniors to unlock the value of their homes while continuing to live in them. So how do you bring together CPF, property, investments and cash into a retirement strategy? And when should you start thinking about turning your wealth into an income? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Zac Ng, Senior Financial Services Director, PhillipCapital, to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the best way to deal with school stress was to literally eat your homework? Students in China are going viral for buying edible workbooks made from rice paper, with the snacks designed to look like textbooks, dictionaries, certificates and even scholarship cards. On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar look into why this bizarre trend has taken off, whether it could catch on in Singapore, and what piece of homework they would have happily eaten back in school. And because homework doesn't exactly disappear when you grow up, we also ask: if you could eat one stressful thing from your adult life, what would it be?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A student in the US was suspended after bringing a cup of coffee to class and refusing to throw it away. Both student and parent argue that this new rule was not properly communicated to them as there was no 'official' announcement. On What's Trending, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar discuss the incident, which has sparked a debate over strict school rules, discipline, and whether some rules go too far. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oil prices have surged back above US$100 a barrel as attacks disrupt key energy and shipping routes across the Middle East. A drone strike has shut down part of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, threatening a route that can move Saudi crude without passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, vessels have come under attack in the Strait of Hormuz, with tensions also rising around the Bab el-Mandeb, two critical chokepoints for global energy shipments. So how serious is the threat to global oil supplies? And if higher oil and shipping costs persist, how could this ripple through to Singapore? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Mukesh Sahdev, Founder and CEO of XAnalysts, to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore is ageing fast, with seniors aged 65 and above now making up more than one in five residents. But while much of the conversation around an ageing population focuses on who will care for our seniors, what if we also asked what our seniors can contribute? Seniors at Lucky Haven are teaching carrom, running AI workshops and connecting with younger generations, showing that growing older doesn't mean stepping away from society. Could Singapore start seeing seniors not just as recipients of care, but as people with skills, experience and plenty to give back? Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Tan Cheng Kok, a senior volunteer and AI trainer at Lucky Haven, and Dixon Lim, Executive Director of Antica Community Development and Services, to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if gossip wasn’t just something you whispered to your friends, but an actual business? On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong and Nadiah Koh dive into the strange world of paid gossip, after a 67-year-old woman in Colombia says she makes money by collecting and selling neighbourhood secrets. She even says her gossip business has helped her buy two houses. And if you’re worried about your own secrets getting out? Apparently, she’ll take money to keep those quiet too. So, is gossip an untapped business opportunity? Would you pay to find out someone else’s secret or pay even more to make sure your own stays buried?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this “On the Go” Special episode of Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian hit the factory floor of a company that is turning 100 years old in 2026! Bingo if you’ve guessed Polar Puffs & Cakes! Then called the Polar Cafe, the firm opened the doors of its first outlet on 51 High Street in 1926, serving up curry puffs, ice-cream and chilled beverages. The cafe soon became the go-to-place for politicians, lawyers and businessmen due to its strategic location near the trading harbour. And among them, according to the firm, is prominent Hokkien businessman Lim Bo Seng. Today, Polar Puffs & Cakes adopts mostly a takeaway concept and boasts a network of 37 stores and cafes across Singapore, with six more outlets set to open their doors in 2026 and 2027. The company also made its first step to expand abroad by opening a new store in Gurney Plaza, Penang in 2025. But how is Polar Puffs & Cakes spicing up the business looking into its next 100 years of operations? Tian Tian headed down to the firm’s factory in Woodlands Link, where she spoke with Chan Kok Yew, Executive Chairman of Polar Puffs & Cakes for more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s political office holders are getting a one-off pay increase of up to 9%, the first revision since 2011. But is higher pay really the key to attracting and retaining political talent? The bigger debate goes beyond the salary figure: if money shouldn’t be the main reason people enter politics, how should political office holders be paid and what actually makes public service attractive to capable people from different backgrounds? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Malminderjit Singh, Founder and Managing Director of Terra Corporate Affairs, about what Singapore’s latest salary revision means for political talent, incentives and the future of public service.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of us think about our health through an annual health screening: a blood test, some measurements, maybe a chat with the doctor? But what if that once-a-year snapshot is missing the bigger picture? A new study by NUS Medicine is taking a much more personalised approach to ageing, tracking how one person’s physiology changes in response to sleep, food, exercise, fasting and other lifestyle changes. And the person being studied? The researcher himself. Professor Dean Ho became the sole subject of the DELTA study. And after months of intensive lifestyle interventions, his estimated biological age came in at around 32, nearly 15 years younger than his actual age. So what does this actually tell us about ageing? Can we meaningfully change our biological age? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Professor Dean Ho, Director of the Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM) at NUS Medicine, to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Grab has jumped on the microdrama trend with “I Fell In Love With My Grab Driver” — but the romantic storyline has sparked mixed reactions online. While some viewers are entertained by the premise, others are questioning whether it crosses the line by romanticising passenger-driver interactions. On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar dives into this viral story that has now received backlash online, and whether Grab made the right move with this.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kai Whitmore has done the sightseeing, (tried to) learn Singlish and watched plenty of Singapore football. Now, it’s time to play. With Young Lions desperately hoping to improve on their sorry showings - Kai arrives with ambition, experience, pedigree and a rather obvious long-term target - the national team. But first, will the Young Lions roar in the season ahead?

The Singapore Premier League is finally back this weekend - and Balestier Khalsa are coming into the new season with plenty to talk about. A squad overhaul, big-name departures, a Japanese recruitment revolution, new sponsors and a new-look management team. At the heart of it all is veteran coach Marko Kraljevic, joined by fresh energy in the boardroom courtesy of Navin Nambiar. So is this the Tigers’ long-awaited reboot?

DBS is facing a lawsuit seeking around $1.3 billion in damages linked to the 1MDB scandal. The claim was filed by liquidators of four companies trying to recover money tied to the Malaysian state fund. DBS has rejected the claim and says it will fight the lawsuit. So why is DBS being drawn into the 1MDB saga more than a decade later, and what could this mean for the bank? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Soh Wee Boon, Trading Representative, UOB Kay Hian to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cancer is often seen as a disease that comes with age. But in Singapore, more teenagers and young adults are now being diagnosed with cancer. So, what’s driving this trend, how worried should we really be, and should younger Singaporeans be thinking differently about cancer prevention and early detection? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Dr Eileen Poon, Medical Lead, Adolescent and Young Adults Oncology (AYAO) Programme and Senior Consultant, Division of Medical Oncology, National Cancer Centre Singapore to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore is HOT. So hot that apparently, a regular swimming pool just isn’t enough. Three men in China have gone viral after turning the back of a pickup truck into a makeshift swimming pool, complete with watermelons, drinks and a drive around town. Sounds shiok… until the police got involved. On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar talk about the wildest ways people try to escape the heat, whether a mobile pool could ever work in Singapore, and the heat survival hacks we’d actually be willing to try. Plus, would you pay $20 for a Grab just to avoid walking outside in the afternoon?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India is facing fresh scrutiny after the Indian carrier reportedly sought around US$1.5 billion in fresh funding from its owners. SIA holds a 25.1 per cent stake in Air India, and its share of the airline’s losses came to about $945 million in the last financial year. Air India and Air India Express, meanwhile, recorded combined losses of more than US$2 billion. So why does SIA remain committed to the investment? Is Air India still a strategic long-term bet worth backing or is it time for SIA to cut its losses and walk away? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Shukor Yusof, Founder and Analyst at Endau Analytics, to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

AI is becoming the first place some young people turn when they feel anxious, overwhelmed or simply need someone to talk to. It’s private, always available and doesn’t come with the fear of being judged. But why are young people choosing an AI chatbot over a trained therapist — and what does this say about how we view mental health support today? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Colin Toh, Counsellor, Nook Counselling and Therapy to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s students have once again proven they’re among the world’s top performers — ranking first in reading and second in mathematics and science in the latest OECD PISA study. But how would the rest of us fare if we had to sit the same test today? On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong puts Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar to the test, taking on questions inspired by the actual assessment to see if they can match the brainpower of Singapore’s 15-year-olds.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singapore’s job market is getting tighter, with employers becoming more selective about who they bring on board. Nearly half of companies surveyed plan to keep their headcount unchanged in the fourth quarter, while graduate employment has also softened. Yet Minister Ong Ye Kung says graduates can remain confident that Singapore is still creating jobs. So, what does this changing labour market mean for fresh graduates, and what will it take to stay competitive? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Sam Neo, Founder of Stories of Asia to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A man missed the birth of his second child after choosing to attend an important client meeting while his wife was in labour. He says his supervisor pressured him to prioritise work, warning that missing the meeting could affect his performance and promotion prospects. The next morning, he went to work — only to return to the hospital after 20 missed calls and discover that his son had already been born. Now, with his wife refusing to see him and his father-in-law blaming him for not being there, he is left questioning whether he made the wrong choice. On Your Agenda, Hongbin Jeong and content creator Fauzi Azzhar dives into this story submission and weighs the decision made by the man.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From gym routines and Strava screenshots to productivity hacks and “looksmaxxing”, self-improvement has become a major part of online culture. But when every achievement is posted, measured and compared, are young people still improving for themselves — or competing with everyone else? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to content creator Fauzi Azzhar to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Singaporeans love a good home renovation, but how kaypoh is too kaypoh? A property agent has taken to social media to question whether walking into someone’s home while it’s being renovated has become the norm. The post sparked debate after several neighbours allegedly entered a house undergoing renovation, taking photos and checking out everything from the kitchen to the ceiling, apparently without permission. So why are we so fascinated by other people’s homes? Would you sneak a peek if your neighbour’s door was open? On What’s Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar get into the debate and ask where we draw the line between being curious and being downright kaypoh. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mount Anak Krakatau is disrupting air travel across Indonesia, with volcanic ash affecting eight airports, including two serving Jakarta. As authorities monitor the ongoing volcanic activity, thousands of passengers are facing flight disruptions, while the ash continues to affect communities across parts of Java and Sumatra. So how widespread is the disruption, and what are authorities monitoring as the situation develops? And what does this mean for those flying between Singapore and Indonesia? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Karina Tehusijarana, Indonesia Correspondent, The Straits Times to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gaming isn’t just for teenagers anymore.More seniors are picking up controllers, discovering video games and even stepping into the world of esports. But beyond the fun, could gaming help older adults stay mentally active, socially connected and engaged? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dennis Ooi, President of the Singapore Cybersports and Online Gaming Association and Founder of the Esports Academy, about what’s driving seniors into gaming, what healthy gaming looks like at an older age, and how we can make gaming spaces less intimidating for those who have never touched a controller.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

No head coach no problem for the Lion City Sailors, as Ilhan Fandi bagged a memorable brace on his debut to help the Sailors clinch the 26/27 Playback Community Shield at the expense of Tampines Rovers. But now in search of their a SIXTH head coach in SEVEN years, will the choppy waters smell trouble for the domestic season ahead? Plus, who makes your team in the SPL Fantasy League? Our picks might surprise you!

On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar discuss a very unexpected family reunion over the radio. A father and daughter working as commercial pilots happened to cross paths while preparing for separate flights — and what started as a sweet “Pops?” moment quickly turned into a very relatable conversation about moving out, staying on the family phone plan and, eventually, being single! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For decades, software applications were built around a relatively straightforward premise. Businesses stored information in structured tables, rows and columns neatly organised inside relational databases. But the internet has changed everything, with modern applications now expected to process vast amounts of structured and unstructured data, scale across millions of users and integrate with hundreds of services. Not to mention that they’re also increasingly being used to power artificial intelligence. What this means is that traditional databases that bound information by parameters in rows and columns are now struggling to keep pace. This change has given rise to a new generation of database platforms such as MongoDB that aims to help developers build modern applications faster. Instead of storing data in rows and columns, MongoDB stores them like documents, making it easy to model data the same way the application code uses it. This allows developers to change their data model quickly and also handle non-uniform data. Today, MongoDB serves over 67,000 customers across almost every industry, and counts about 75 per cent of Fortune 100 firms under its belt. Other notable clients include L’Oreal, Wells Fargo, Cathay Pacific Airways and Novo Nordisk. The Nasdaq-listed company had also in May 2026 reported better-than-expected first quarter results for fiscal 2027 first quarter. MongoDB also raised its full-year fiscal 2027 guidance for revenue to a range of US$2.92 billion to US$2.96 billion. But what are the key drivers for the firm at this point in time? And turning our attention to the Asia Pacific region, how are organisations across the region modernising their application stack? Where is demand coming from and how is MongoDB positioning itself for the next phase of enterprise computing? On Under the Radar, finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Thorsten Walther, Managing Director, CXO Advisory Asia at MongoDB.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For generations, Singaporeans have grown up with a familiar formula for success: study hard, work hard, get a stable career and build a secure future. But for younger generations, is that formula still enough? As Gen Z and younger Millennials rethink what success looks like, is it about working harder — or having the courage to take a bigger risk? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to a pair of brothers, Noah Lim and Paul Lim, Team Singapore's Ju-jitsu athletes to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The haze is back and this time, it’s raising bigger questions about whether Southeast Asia has actually learnt anything from the haze crises of the past. With Singapore’s PSI crossing into the unhealthy range in parts of the island, attention is once again turning to the forest and land fires in Indonesia and the smoke drifting across borders. Malaysia, one of the countries hardest hit, is now calling for ASEAN to revisit its decades-old transboundary haze agreement, arguing that stronger enforcement and accountability are needed. So how worried should Singapore be as the haze situation develops? And after more than two decades of regional agreements, why is ASEAN still struggling to stop this from happening again and again? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Jia Yaw Kiu, Sustainable Development Lawyer at Kiu & Co, and Shabana Begum, Correspondent at The Straits Times, to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar dives into a 'friend-for-hire' service that is trending in Thailand. The trend comes as more people live alone and lifestyles change, but the reasons for hiring a companion are not always about loneliness. For some, it is simply about having someone available when friends are busy, or paying for a specific kind of company without imposing on their existing friendships. But when companionship becomes a paid service, where do we draw the line between friendship and a transaction? And could this kind of service eventually find a market in Singapore?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Faris Ramli has been through the wars...but now comes the rebirth. After a difficult stretch of injuries, the Tampines' talisman is back, hungry and determined to make up for lost time. Speaking to Sports Minutes - he looks back on a turbulent season for the Stags, explains why he stayed and looks ahead to a new campaign, a new coach and potentially one more chapter with the Singapore national team.

The US and Iran have traded their biggest barrage since July, with Washington striking targets along Iran’s southern coast and Tehran retaliating against US-linked military positions across the Middle East. The latest escalation has raised fresh fears that a conflict that has already dragged on for months could spiral into a much wider regional war. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has suggested renaming the Strait of Hormuz as 'Trump Strait', asserting US control of the vital waterway even as fighting raged there with Iran. So what exactly happened in the latest exchange? How far could Iran’s retaliation go? And with the US midterm elections looming, how much longer can Washington afford to keep fighting? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr James M. Dorsey, Adjunct Senior Fellow at Nanyang Technological University's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s the furthest you’ve ever gone to satisfy a food craving? Maybe you’ve paid an eye-watering $20 for islandwide delivery... but would you actually fly to another country for it? That’s apparently what happened when a Meituan delivery rider was spotted at Hong Lim Curry Puff in Singapore, picking up an order worth just S$13.50. The bizarre part? The rider had reportedly flown in from China, on a flight costing around S$455, just to collect the curry puffs. On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar break down the strange story and ask the more important question: how much would YOU be willing to pay to get your favourite food? And at what point does a food craving become a full-blown pilgrimage?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Upskilling and reskilling have become essential as workplaces evolve and the skills employers value continue to change. But for Gen X workers, who may already have decades of experience under their belts, figuring out what to learn next can be a very different challenge. Should you chase the latest hyped-up skill, or are the skills that have been overlooked actually more valuable? On The Agenda, Hongbin Jeong speaks to Chandler Morse, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Workday to find out more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A year after Singaporeans were given $100 in SG Culture Pass credits, just $30.4 million of the $300 million set aside for the scheme has been spent. Only 14 per cent of eligible Singaporeans have used some or all of their credits, with seniors making up just 19 per cent of spending. MCCY is now trying new ways to get more people to use their credits. But is the problem really the take-up or the Culture Pass itself? Could this $300 million be better spent somewhere else? On The Big Story, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Dr Shahril Salleh, Founder and Artistic Director of Vox Camerata Limited, and Honorary Lecturer at the University of Queensland, to find out more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Parents in China are paying thousands of dollars to send their kids to 'hardship camps' where they chop wood, dig potatoes, feed pigs and live without Wi-Fi. The idea? Teach children gratitude, discipline and the value of hard work. But when kids are crying and begging to go home, it begs the question: is a little hardship good for kids or are we taking character building way too far? On What's Trending, Hongbin Jeong, Nadiah Koh and Nazirul Asrar break down those questions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.