
CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: Kinokuniya's Kenny Chan on intuition, empathic connections, and his moral compass
CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: Kinokuniya's Kenny Chan on intuition, empathic connections, and his moral compass
Kenny Chan led Kinokuniya's business in Singapore and the region for almost 20 years. He's credited for building the Japanese bookstore's presence in Singapore, and seeing it through particularly challenging times in the book business. Kenny shares how his "rollercoaster of a journey" took him from the carnival, to a diplomatic posting in London, and finally, to the defining chapter of his career — which began when he was "ambushed" with a single question: "Do you love books?"
55 mins
CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: Businessman Anwar Tahar's path to success is paved with compassion and grit
Mohamed Anwar Tahar is the founder and managing director of POS TKI, a logistics and shipping company. He is especially well-regarded as a pillar of the Indonesian foreign domestic helper community here, as he's known for his dedication in promoting their wellbeing and dignity. Anwar's road to success has taken a few detours, but along the way, he gained valuable lessons in hard work, compassion, and humility. He shares his journey in this interview.
37 mins
CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: How The Social Outcast's Chef Mint found his authentic self in culinary artistry
Aminurrashid Hasnordin — better known as Chef Mint — is co-owner of the acclaimed omakase restaurant, The Social Outcast, which used to be at Katong. But on the road to culinary success, he's had to overcome many challenges, especially during his youth. Chef Mint shares the most valuable lessons he's gained through his journey.
36 mins
CNA938 Rewind - A Letter to Myself: How former investment professional Qi Zhai-McCartney found her calling as a psychotherapist
For almost 20 years, Qi Zhai-McCartney thrived as an investment professional, working for large investment houses in the US, China, and Singapore. But the native of Harbin, China, always felt something was amiss. The passing of a close family member caused her to re-evaluate her life's calling. Today, as a psychotherapist and coach, Qi helps individuals and couples through rough periods in their life. She shares the most valuable lessons her journey has given her.
35 mins
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Straits Times
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Grand Venture pauses plans for Bursa Malaysia listing amid takeover talks
SGX-listed Grand Venture Technology has entered into confidential discussions with a third party over a potential deal that could involve an offer for its shares. PHOTO: THE BUSINESS TIMES SINGAPORE – Grand Venture Technology (GVT) has entered into confidential discussions with a third party over a potential deal that could involve an offer for the company's shares. The discussions are ongoing and may not necessarily lead to a transaction, the precision engineering firm said in a Singapore Exchange filing on June 1. In the light of these developments, the company is putting its proposed secondary listing on Bursa Malaysia Securities on hold while it evaluates options with its advisers. GVT provides precision manufacturing solutions for the semiconductor, analytical life sciences, electronics, aerospace and medical industries, with operations in Singapore, Malaysia and China. The company first announced plans for a secondary listing on Bursa Malaysia, where it is aiming for higher stock price valuations, in September 2024. It received approval from the Securities Commission Malaysia for the proposed listing in March. The listing still requires clearance and approval from Bursa Malaysia for the admission of its shares to the main market of the Malaysia bourse. GVT is the second Singapore-listed precision engineering business to seek a secondary listing in Malaysia. In March, UMS Integration received approval to list on Bursa Malaysia. UMS said in a March 26 filing that a secondary listing in Malaysia would broaden its reach and widen its investor base, potentially improving the group's share liquidity. It would also give it access to another equity market for future fund-raising in support of the group's growth in the coming years. GVT closed on May 30 at 84 cents, up almost 2.5 per cent, while UMS Integration closed flat at $1.17. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
4 hours ago
- Business Times
S-Reits with Singapore office assets post resilient Q1 2025 amid positive rent reversions and high occupancy
[SINGAPORE] Singapore-listed office real estate investment trusts (S-Reits) reported a broadly resilient performance in the first quarter of 2025, underpinned by positive rental reversions, stable occupancy, and continued demand for prime office space despite macroeconomic uncertainties. The six S-Reits with Singapore office exposure – CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust (CICT), Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust (Mpact), Suntec Reit , Keppel Reit , OUE Reit , and Lendlease Global Commercial Reit (LReit) — recorded positive rental reversions for their local office assets, with some achieving double-digit growth. Keppel Reit, a pure-play office S-Reit with mostly Singapore assets, reported positive rental reversion of 10.6 per cent across its portfolio, supported by new leasing demand and expansions from financial and technology tenants. Attributable net property income from its Singapore portfolio rose 3.3 per cent on year to S$66.4 million in Q1 2025. LReit also reported a 13 per cent rental uplift for its Jem office lease, while Suntec Reit reported a positive rental reversion of 8 per cent for its Singapore office portfolio in Q1 2025, its 27th quarter of positive rent reversion. CICT and OUE Reit posted rental reversions of 5.4 per cent and 9.9 per cent, respectively, for their office portfolios, while Mpact achieved 2.2 per cent at Mapletree Business City (MBC) and 7.4 per cent at its other Singapore office assets. Occupancy across S-Reits Singapore office portfolios remained healthy. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Suntec Reit's office portfolio maintained high committed occupancy of 98.7 per cent, while Keppel Reit, OUE Reit and CICT similarly reported committed occupancies ranging between 96.3 and 97.9 per cent for their Singapore office assets. Mpact's Singapore assets had occupancy ranging from 91.2 per cent at MBC to 99.5 per cent elsewhere, while LReit's Jem office building was fully occupied. Leasing activity was driven by tenants in the financial services, technology and professional services sectors. Looking ahead, Reit managers observed that tenants are likely to be more cautious in terms of demand for office space given potential headwinds from geopolitical tensions, slower global growth, and cautious business sentiment. However, limited supply of new office space expected in Singapore's core CBD area from 2025 to 2027 is expected to support rental stability. Managers also noted that the flight-to-quality trend remains prominent in Singapore's office sector, with newer office developments in prime locations better positioned to weather the uncertainty. The six S-Reits trade at an average price-to-book ratio of around 0.64, slightly below the sector average of 0.73, according to Bloomberg data. Reit managers expect performance of their Singapore office assets to remain stable. Suntec Reit noted that rent reversion for its Singapore office assets is expected to be modest, in the range of positive 1 to 5 per cent. Property consultancy JLL said in its Q1 office market report that Singapore's office rents registered a fourth consecutive quarter of marginal growth of less than 1 per cent quarter on quarter. It noted that office demand should stay positive, driven by supportive government policies and businesses seeking to capitalise on South-east Asia's growing need for wealth management, fintech and artificial intelligence solutions. JLL added that the positive demand coupled with limited new supply are expected to keep office rents and capital values on a stable to modest growth path over the next 12 months, barring any unforeseen economic shocks. The writer is a research analyst at SGX. For more research and information on Singapore's Reit sector, visit for the S-Reits & Property Trusts Chartbook.


Independent Singapore
5 hours ago
- Independent Singapore
Woman says she's ‘bewildered' after man asks her to 'PayNow him' for their first date dinner
SINGAPORE: A woman was surprised when a man she went on a first date with asked her to send him money via PayNow for dinner, several days after they met. She shared her experience on the r/askSingapore forum on Saturday (May 31), explaining that she had agreed to meet the man, who is in his 30s, after they had developed a good connection through their conversations on a dating app. Describing the date, she recounted, 'He kindly offered to pay for the meal, which I appreciated, so I suggested we head to a nearby bar afterward so I could return the favour and buy the drinks.' However, when they arrived at the bar, the man mentioned that he had leftover drink credits from previous visits, so he did not order anything new. As a result, she ended up paying for her own drinks alone. She also noted that the chemistry in person did not quite match the spark they had during their online conversations, making the overall experience somewhat underwhelming. 'The vibe just wasn't the same as it was over chat, so after the date, our texting kinda fizzled and slowed down. I didn't reply for a few days.' However, several days later, she was caught off guard when the man suddenly messaged her, asking her to transfer her share of the dinner bill via PayNow. See also Man asks how to recover S$60K his friend borrowed 3 years ago 'He messaged me saying the dinner was XXX each and asked me to PayNow the amount. For context, it wasn't an expensive restaurant, and let's just say he earns quite a bit and owns a condo he bought himself,' she said. 'While I do think it's a nice and gentlemanly gesture when a guy covers the bill on the first date, I'm not trying to be entitled — I'm totally fine with splitting bills and going Dutch. I did transfer him [the money], but this is the first time someone has asked me to transfer money after a first date, especially when (I assume) it's pretty clear to him that there's no second date, haha. I find it more amusing and bewildering than anything.' Curious if others had similar experiences, she asked the forum, 'Is this normal? Would love to hear your thoughts and POV from both female and male!' 'He sees it's not going anywhere, and so he thinks he wasted his money…' In the comments section, some Reddit users defended the man's actions, suggesting that he might have only asked for the money after feeling ignored. They speculated that while he may have initially been willing to cover the cost of dinner, the woman's lack of response after the date could have triggered his decision to request repayment. See also 6 effective approaches when dealing with difficult people at work One said, 'He might have been ok with paying for the meal, but is now upset about the lack of a reply. I know of people of both genders who hate not getting replies, so now he asks to chop up the bill. This is not what I would have done, but I can see why some people might feel they are getting ghosted and respond in this manner. We also don't have his side of the story, so who knows what really happened?' Another commented, 'I think it's only right to pay your share since it is a first date and neither of you is an item. I've always told my daughters not to let the other party pay all the expenses.' However, not everyone agreed. Others felt that asking for repayment days after the date was a bad move. One explained, 'It would have been perfectly normal for you guys to have split the meal at the time, or even if you agreed to split it, but just pay (the) merchant on a single card, and then you PayNow him instantly back there and then. See also GF ends relationship because BF's S$16,000 savings too little But to pay for dinner and then wait a few days and send a bill, that's just weird. He sees it's not going anywhere, and so he thinks he wasted his money. Well, tough luck, this ship has sailed already.' In other news, a woman took to an online forum to share her frustration about her boyfriend, claiming that in their nine-month relationship, he had never once initiated a date or treated her to even a simple meal. 'In these nine months, he's never initiated bringing me out on a date once, never treated me to a meal, and never surprised me with any gifts (no matter how small).' According to her, the only times he's ever bought her anything were under certain conditions: when she asked for it, when he felt pressured to return a gift, or when he sensed she was upset and offered her a fast food meal. Read more: 'Is this SG men these days?' — Woman says her BF never once initiated a date or treated her Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)