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HKU Earth Science scholar Dr Joseph Michalski becomes the first non-Chinese recipient of Xplorer Prize

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 July 2023 – Dr Joseph Michalski, Associate Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at the Faculty of Science of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has been awarded the prestigious Xplorer Prize 2023. Dr Michalski is the first non-Chinese recipient of this esteemed accolade, acknowledging his significant contributions to the field of planetary science and the study of Mars.

Dr Joseph Michalski
Dr Joseph Michalski

Dr Michalski’s research centers on Mars’ ancient crust, which he believes contains vital information about the origins of life on Earth and pre-plate tectonic processes.

“Mars and Earth had similar geological environments, so life could have formed there just the same as it formed here on Earth. Because Earth has plate tectonics and Mars does not, the crust of this planet has been almost completely recycled, but it is preserved on Mars. That means that our only hope to discover the steps that led to origins of life might only be found on Mars, not on Earth. This is why it is so important to study the ancient crust of Mars,” explained Dr Michalski, adding that Mars and Earth shared remarkably similar geological environments approximately 3.8 to 4 billion years ago, suggesting that life could have formed on the Red Planet as it did on Earth.

Utilising a range of remote sensing data, including infrared, visible, magnetic, gravity, and laser data from satellites orbiting Mars and rovers on its surface, Dr Michalski and his team at HKU focus on uncovering new discoveries about the volcanology, geochemistry, tectonics, and mineralogy of Mars. He has established the Planetary Spectroscopy and Mineralogy Laboratory (www.clays.space/lab) at HKU. This cutting-edge facility offers laboratory support for past, current, and future missions to Mars, the Moon, and asteroids in China and beyond. Dr Michalski also serves as Deputy Director of HKU’s Laboratory for Space Research (https://www.lsr.hku.hk/).

HKU congratulates Dr Michalski on this remarkable achievement and looks forward to his continued success in advancing our understanding of the universe.

The Xplorer Prize is a non-governmental merit-based award and one of the most generous talent funding programmes for young scientists in China.

The prize is one of the most generous talent funding programmers for young scientists in China. Established in 2018 by Pony Ma, Chairman and CEO of Tencent and founder of Tencent Foundation, along with 14 renowned scientists, including Chen Ning Yang, Rao Yi, Shi Yigong, Pan Jianwei and Xie Xiaoliang, the Xplorer Prize recognises up to 50 outstanding scientists annually. Each winner receives a total of RMB 3 million over the next five years.

Please click here to visit the Xplorer Prize website for more information about the 2023 awardees.

Hashtag: #HKU

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

Thailand Launches First Tokamak in Southeast Asia, as Major Milestone in Clean Energy Research

Chinese and Thai scientists work together to assemble and install the Thailand Tokamak-1. (Photo: Handout)

Thailand launched the first tokamak device in Southeast Asia on Tuesday with the help of Chinese scientists, marking a milestone in the development of fusion energy research and scientific cooperation between the two countries.

Immuno Cure Completed US$12M First Close of Series A Financing, led by AEF GBA Fund managed by Gobi Partners GBA

Advancing DNA vaccines & Immunotherapies for HIV, Cancers & Infectious Diseases

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 July 2023 – Immuno Cure BioTech (“Immuno Cure“) is pleased to announce today that it has closed the US$12 million tranche in the US$27 million Series A fundraising round. Led by the AEF Greater Bay Area Fund that Gobi Partners GBA (“Gobi GBA“) manages, this round will be used to accelerate the development of DNA vaccines and antibodies, as well as to prepare for an initial public offering (“IPO“) in Hong Kong.

Immuno Cure focuses on research and development of immunotherapies for cancers, inflammatory and infectious diseases based on its patented “PD-1-enhanced DNA Vaccine Platform” and “Anti-Δ42PD1 Antibody Platform” with two DNA vaccine candidates, ICVAX and ICCOV, currently in clinical trials.

Dr. Xia JIN, CEO of Immuno Cure, said, “This funding round is a landmark in Immuno Cure’s business expansion. We are honored to receive strong support from the AEF Greater Bay Area Fund, which affirms the recognition of our scientific merits and R&D achievements. Immuno Cure will continue to be at the frontier of DNA medicines, antibodies and innovative immunotherapies, conducting R&D on novel and effective vaccine technologies to enhance our arsenal against cancers and infectious diseases.”

Mr. Chibo Tang, Managing Partner of Gobi Partners GBA, shared, “Infectious diseases are a universal issue that has threatened global public health for many years and has further been highlighted by COVID-19. We believe that Immuno Cure’s technologies have innovative applications of immunotherapies for not only infectious diseases but also cancers and other ailments down the line, and have the potential to truly change the world.”

ICVAX, a therapeutic DNA vaccine candidate against HIV/AIDS, was developed with an aim to induce broadly reactive polyfunctional viral-specific T cells to achieve functional cure in HIV/AIDS. The Phase I clinical trial of ICVAX, which is underway in Shenzhen, is designed as a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of ICVAX in a total of 45 stable HIV/AIDS patient volunteers under antiretroviral therapy.

ICCOV, a preventive COVID-19 DNA vaccine candidate, has entered the Phase IIa clinical trial in Hong Kong, which is designed as an open-label study to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of ICCOV as a booster vaccine in a total of 60 healthy adult volunteers between 18 and 75 years of age.

Furthermore, Immuno Cure has made significant achievements on the Anti-Δ42PD1 Antibody platform, which utilizes antibodies targeting Δ42PD1, a recently discovered isoformic programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), for the restoration of function of killer T cells, a type of immune cells essential for killing cancer cells, for the treatment of cancers such as liver cancer and colorectal cancer.

Hashtag: #ImmunoCure #醫克生物 #医克生物

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Immuno Cure

Immuno Cure is a clinical stage biotechnology group based in the Hong Kong Science Park, focusing on research and development of immunotherapies for cancers, inflammatory and infectious diseases based on its patented PD-1-enhanced DNA vaccine and Anti-Δ42PD1 Antibody platforms; with two DNA vaccine candidates currently in clinical trials.

Official Website:
Official Linkedin:

About Gobi GBA

Gobi Partners GBA (Gobi GBA) was established in 2016 as a part of the leading Pan-Asian venture capital platform Gobi Partners. Gobi GBA is the sole general partner (GP) of the Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund (AEF) as well as the AEF Greater Bay Area Fund (AEF GBA Fund), and has formed strategic partnerships with other renowned financial institutions such as HSBC and Hang Seng Bank.

As of 2023, Gobi GBA has invested in over 70 start-ups across the Greater Bay Area, and has fostered the growth of 7 unicorns including Airwallex, Amber, Animoca Brands, GoGoX, Prenetics, and more.

Official Website:
Official Linkedin:

Collapsed Metal Plate Revealed as Cause of Tragic Accident at Thailand’s Don Mueang Airport

Collapsed Metal Plate Revealed as Cause of Tragic Accident at Don Mueang Airport
Authorities check on the opening of the walkway where the metal plate was detached (photo: Khaosod)

The Airports of Thailand (AoT) said on Wednesday that the June incident at Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport, where a woman tragically lost her leg after falling into a moving walkway, was caused by a collapsed metal plate.

Customer Experience and Business Expansion Driving Conversational AI Investments in Asia Pacific

New Infobip Infobrief reveals Asia Pacific companies are increasing investments in cloud-based solutions for enhanced customer experiences and operational efficiencies.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach – 27 July 2023 – Global cloud communications platform Infobip has commissioned the latest market research prepared by Leading IT market research and advisory firm IDC. The IDC InfoBrief titled “Revolutionizing Customer Experience through the Power of Conversational Commerce*” highlights the rising role of AI-powered conversational commerce and omnichannel communication platforms in the Asia Pacific region. The InfoBrief not only highlights the importance of customer-centric strategies but also provides a guide for brands to successfully adopt and leverage conversational commerce, ultimately maximizing value for both businesses and customers.

Revolutionizing Customer Experience through the Power of Conversational Commerce.jpg
Revolutionizing Customer Experience through the Power of Conversational Commerce

Digital native customers are setting higher expectations and exercising greater control over how they engage with brands, becoming equal stakeholders in the Customer Experience (CX) ecosystem. This has resulted in brands moving from traditional transaction-level experiences to relationship-based ones. Cloud-based solutions enable brands to provide the end-to-end customer journeys that customers desire in this digital age.

With the shift in customer communication preferences, there is a noticeable increase in conversational interactions. Recent statistics demonstrate that brands adopting an omnichannel approach and delivering an end-to-end experience have higher chances of enhancing loyalty and customer lifetime value. Capitalizing on the advancements in artificial intelligence, conversational commerce has gained significant traction among businesses in the Asia Pacific region, utilizing Communication Platforms as a Service (CPaaS) as its core foundation.

Rising Demand for Conversational Commerce

Conversational commerce relies on Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) as a crucial tool, empowering organizations to seamlessly integrate real-time communication features (such as voice, text, video, instant messaging, and social media) into their internal and external applications using developer-friendly API as building blocks. Software as a Solution (SaaS) tools, such as smart chatbots powered by the cloud, are also on the rise as organizations recognize their inherent benefits to deliver personalized interactions and improved customer experiences.

The power of CPaaS and SaaS-based solutions enable businesses to provide a seamless, customer journey that’s visible across multiple touchpoints. This reflects a general pattern among businesses in Asia Pacific adopting a more conversational theme with their customers to gain benefits such as increased ROI and customer engagement. Conversational commerce empowers local businesses to branch out globally through automated messaging and cloud customer support.

“As businesses embrace the potential of conversational commerce, they position themselves to forge ahead, leveraging AI technology to create meaningful connections and unlock new growth opportunities. Organizations need an actionable, customer-centric strategy and the ability to invest in the right tools to grow the business and keep customers happy. By aligning their strategies with conversational commerce, businesses can proactively meet customer expectations, enhance engagement, and establish long-lasting relationships. This transformative approach empowers organizations to stay ahead in a dynamic marketplace”, said Velid Begovic, Vice President of Revenue at Infobip.

Drivers of CPaaS Investment Across Asia Pacific

This upward momentum in customer-centric business strategy among brands across the Asia Pacific reflects their current mindset and expectations. Despite a few countries averaging 50%-59% in CPaaS usage, the vast majority of organizations in the region (70%) plan to increase communication platform spending over 2023-24 in order to provide unique, unparalleled customer experiences to the region’s growing social media users, who are mostly young, active, and aware of the power of their own influence.

Although all countries plan to invest in CPaaS and SaaS solutions in the near future, their motivations for doing so can greatly differ. Singapore and Indonesia businesses aim to bring about enhanced customer experiences and create new revenue streams, while those in China, Thailand, and the Philippines are more motivated to improve and mobilize their business processes, as well as look towards domestic and international business expansion. This is likely due to the latter countries’ overall higher adoption rate of CPaaS solutions (above 60%) and booming retail/eCommerce segments.

“CPaaS solutions are increasingly recognized as crucial catalysts for enabling conversational commerce experiences. In fact, 27% of businesses in Asia Pacific are actively partnering with CPaaS platform providers to deliver contextualized customer interactions that not only boost profitability but also foster emotionally fulfilling engagements. This trend highlights the increasing importance of leveraging these technologies to meet customer demands and achieve business success,” said Nikhil Batra, Research Director, Telecommunication, IDC Asia/Pacific.

Organizations planning to embark on their conversational commerce journey will need a good, experienced partner as not all solutions are equal. Platforms with omnichannel capabilities are ideal as they are essential for building meaningful, high-quality customer engagement. Easy integration capabilities are also necessary because these ensure better customer experience and compliance with security and audit policies. Finally, CPaaS platform providers must be agile enough to respond to new use cases and tech that can help drive business growth. Infobip is ready to help elevate businesses through conversational commerce so that they are on par with the top businesses in Asia Pacific.

To learn more about the benefits of conversational commerce and how it has influenced industries across the Asia Pacific, please visit: https://shorturl.at/bikCR

*Source: IDC InfoBrief, commissioned by Infobip, Revolutionizing Customer Experience through the Power of Conversational Commerce, Doc #AP241426IB, July 2023.

Hashtag: #Infobip #IDC



The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Infobip

Infobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey. Accessed through a single platform, Infobip’s omnichannel engagement, identity, user authentication and contact centre solutions help businesses and partners overcome the complexity of consumer communications to grow business and increase loyalty. With over a decade of industry experience, Infobip has expanded to 75+ offices globally. It offers natively built technology with the capacity to reach over seven billion mobile devices and ‘things’ in 6 continents connected to over 9,700+ connections of which 800+ are direct operator connections. Infobip was established in 2006 and is led by its co-founders, CEO Silvio Kutić, Roberto Kutić and Izabel Jelenić.

Recent recognition and awards include:

  • Infobip named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) 2023 Vendor Assessment (doc #US50607923], May 2023)
  • Infobip named a leader in the CPaaS Leaderboard, Juniper Research (Feb 2023)
  • Infobip named a leader in the CCaaS Leaderboard, Juniper Research (Aug 2022)
  • Omdia Ranks Infobip as Leader in CPaaS Universe Report (May 2022)
  • Ranked the leading service provider in CPaaS by Juniper Research in its new Competitor Leaderboard CPaaS Vendors (October 2021)
  • Infobip named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) 2021 Vendor Assessment (doc #US46746221, May 2021)
  • Best A2P SMS provider for the fourth year running by mobile operators and enterprises in ROCCO’s annual Messaging Vendor Benchmarking Report
  • Best CPaaS Provider of the Year, Best RCS Provider of the Year, and Mover & Shaker in Telco Innovation at the 2021 Juniper Digital Awards

Thailand’s Divisive Ex-prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra Readies Return During Political Turmoil

Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra welcomes his guests for the wedding of his youngest daughter Paetongtarn “Ing” Shinawatra at a hotel in Hong Kong on 22 March, 2019. As Thailand grapples with the unexpectedly difficult task of naming a new prime minister, the most controversial former holder of the job, billionaire populist Thaksin Shinawatra, plans to return home next month from years of self-imposed exile, his daughter announced Wednesday, 26 July 2023. (Photo: AP)

BANGKOK (AP) — As Thailand grapples with the unexpectedly difficult task of naming a new prime minister, the most controversial former holder of the job, billionaire populist Thaksin Shinawatra, plans to return home next month from years of self-imposed exile, his daughter announced Wednesday.

Value Partners Group, Aldiracita Sekuritas and STAR Asset Management Announce Strategic Partnership to Foster Cross-Border Collaboration and Growth of Asia’s Asset & Wealth Management Industry

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 27 July 2023 – Value Partners Group (together with its subsidiaries, “Value Partners”, Hong Kong Stock Code: 806.HK) and Aldiracita Group (Aldiracita Sekuritas together with its subsidiaries, “STAR Asset Management”), a prominent capital markets player in Indonesia, are pleased to announce the formation of a strategic partnership to foster stronger cross-border collaboration to capitalize on and address the fast-growing wealth and asset management needs in Asia. The share purchase agreements were signed on 26 July 2023, and an exchange file ceremony was held during a business luncheon attended by Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, who led a high-level Hong Kong delegation visit to ASEAN countries.

The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (centre), together with Dato’ Seri Cheah Cheng Hye, Co-chairman and Co-CIO of Value Partners (left two), Ms June Wong, CEO of Value Partners (left one), Mr Rudy Utomo, President Director, Aldiracita Sekuritas (right two) and Mrs Reita Farianti, President Director, Star Asset Management (right one)
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee (centre), together with Dato’ Seri Cheah Cheng Hye, Co-chairman and Co-CIO of Value Partners (left two), Ms June Wong, CEO of Value Partners (left one), Mr Rudy Utomo, President Director, Aldiracita Sekuritas (right two) and Mrs Reita Farianti, President Director, Star Asset Management (right one)

Under this partnership, “Sensible Asset Management Hong Kong Limited”, a wholly owned subsidiary of Value Partners , will acquire a 29.99% stake in PT Surya Timur Alam Raya Asset Management (STAR Asset Management), the asset management division under PT Aldiracita Sekuritas Indonesia (Aldiracita). Conversely, in Singapore, Aldiracita Global Investment Pte. Ltd. will acquire a 29.99% stake in Value Partners Asset Management Singapore Pte. Ltd.. Concurrently, we have informed our intention and submitted necessary documents to Otoritas Jasa Keuangan (OJK) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to obtain permission and support from the authorities.

The strategic partnership brings together the expertise and capabilities of both firms to offer the Indonesian market more innovative and high-quality investment solutions across different asset classes to help more Indonesian investors to achieve their financial goals. Indonesia is one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia with a young population, and the rising middle class is expected to bring robust demand for increasingly high-quality and sophisticated asset and wealth management services in the country.

The partnership also helps foster closer collaboration between Hong Kong and ASEAN countries and contributes to the healthy development of the region’s wealth and asset management industry.

Value Partners has more than 30 years of value investing experience in Asia, and the company is recognized for its leadership in ESG investments and its international service standards. Meanwhile, STAR Asset Management is widely known by its clients for its local investment expertise and experience and is recognized as the “Fastest Growing Asset Management Company in Indonesia” by the Global Banking and Finance Review Awards. In June 2023, STAR Mutual Funds’ asset under management has achieved growth of 22.3% above the market.

“As part of our growth strategy in Southeast Asia, we are intensifying our commitment and strengthening ties in the region,” said Mr. Cheah Cheng Hye, Chairman of Value Partners Group, who was part of the Hong Kong delegation visiting Southeast Asia. “ASEAN countries are Hong Kong’s second-largest trading partners with significant economic and investment potential. In particular, Indonesia, with its large population, represents a significant portion of the region’s potential for growth and investment.”

June Wong, CEO of Value Partners Group, further emphasized, “Our alliance with Aldiracita Group is a key milestone in our ongoing efforts to build strategic partnerships that offer measurable benefits to our clients. With both companies joining forces and leveraging each other’s strengths, we are now in a strong position to bring innovative and distinct investment solutions to the dynamic Southeast Asian market. We believe that this collaboration will enable us to tap into new markets and capitalize on the region’s potential for long-term growth and development.”

Rudy Utomo, President Director of Aldiracita and a Committee Chairman of Indonesia Securities Company Association, said, ” Aldiracita Group, through its subsidiary, STAR Asset Management is excited to collaborate with Value Partners to contribute to Indonesia’s economic development and provide investors with access to our diversified range of asset management products. We believe that our shared commitment to delivering exceptional investment solutions and unparalleled client service will drive long-term success for our companies and clients. We are looking forward to all the support from related parties.”

Reita Farianti, CEO of STAR Asset Management, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Value Partners, one of Asia’s leading and most respected asset management firms, to solidify STAR Asset Management’s position in Indonesia’s asset management industry. We aim to capitalize on Indonesia’s rapidly growing economy and burgeoning investment landscape, offering a wide range of innovative mutual fund and investment solutions to local and international investors. In addition, this collaboration ensures that clients in Indonesia receive the same level of personalized attention, tailored solutions, extensive access to the international market, and comprehensive market insights that Value Partners is known for worldwide. We believe that our shared commitment to delivering exceptional investment solutions and unparalleled client service will drive long-term success for our clients.”

Dato’ Seri Cheah Cheng Hye, Co-chairman and Co-CIO of Value Partners (centre), together with Mrs Reita Farianti, President Director, Star Asset Management (left), and Mr Rudy Utomo, President Director, Aldiracita Sekuritas (right)
Dato’ Seri Cheah Cheng Hye, Co-chairman and Co-CIO of Value Partners (centre), together with Mrs Reita Farianti, President Director, Star Asset Management (left), and Mr Rudy Utomo, President Director, Aldiracita Sekuritas (right)

Value Partners Group and Aldiracita Group are committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations by Otoritas Jasa Keuangan “OJK” and the Monetary Authority of Singapore “MAS”

Hashtag: #ValuePartnersGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Value Partners Group Limited

Value Partners, one of Asia’s leading independent asset management firms, seeks to offer world-class investment services and products. Since its establishment in 1993, the Company has been a dedicated specialist value investor in Greater China and Asia. In November 2007, Value Partners Group became the first asset management firm to be listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (Stock code: 806 HK). In addition to its Hong Kong headquarters, the firm operates in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and London. Value Partners’ investment strategies cover equities, fixed income, multi-asset, alternatives, real estate and quantitative investment solutions for institutional and individual clients in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the United States. Value Partners is one of the leaders in ESG investing in Greater China and is committed to developing its ESG capabilities further. For more information, please visit .

About PT Aldiracita Sekuritas Indonesia, and its subsidiary PT Surya Timur Alam Raya Asset Management

Aldiracita is one of Southeast Asia’s most consistent and fastest-growing capital market players, established in 1990. Aldiracita is a securities company and a member of the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), providing a wide range of financial services, including equity and debt capital market, merger & acquisition advisory, investment management and mutual funds. In 2018, Aldiracita was awarded as TOP Securities House by Investor Daily and successfully rose and ranked number three on the Bloomberg Debt Capital Markets (DCM) League Table with a 12% market share of total issuance in 2022.

STAR Asset Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Aldiracita, was awarded the “Fastest Growing Asset Management Company Indonesia 2022” in the Global Banking and Finance Review Awards. With a commitment to innovation, reliability, trust, and long-term value investing, STAR Asset Management is dedicated to supporting its diverse clientele of institutional investors, corporations, financial intermediaries, and individual investors to achieve their financial objectives.

For more information, please visit and

1 in 2 Population in Singapore are unable to live their desired quality of life: AIA Live Better Study 2023 reveals worrying huge gaps in consumers’ well-being and happiness

Consumer survey insights showed a holistic wellness score of 61.7 amongst Singapore consumers, propelling the launch of AIA Health360, a comprehensive overview of solutions that support consumers in their journey toward holistic wellness

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 27 July 2023 – AIA Singapore today released the findings from its AIA Live Better Study 2023[1], revealing that against mounting economic uncertainties, which have taken a toll on individuals’ overall quality of life, 1 in 2 Singapore consumers acknowledge that they are far from achieving their goal of holistic wellness, which cuts across five key aspects – financial, physical, mental, spiritual[2] and socio-environmental.

[Infographic] Insights from AIA Live Better Study 2023
[Infographic] Insights from AIA Live Better Study 2023

These figures starkly contrast the 83% of survey respondents who believe that holistic wellness is the key to help them achieve healthier, longer, better lives.

The AIA Live Better Study 2023, investigated the current state of wellness, goal-setting behaviour, commitment, confidence, and progress within each key facet of wellness.

Melita Teo, Chief Customer and Digital Officer of AIA Singapore, says, “As Singapore’s cost of living continues to rise and economic uncertainties persist, we have become increasingly focused on being financially prepared for the long term. This focus on financial wellness should not come at the expense of neglecting other aspects of our well-being, such as physical and mental health. Doing so can cause repercussions on an individual’s overall health and happiness, and can even lead to chronic illnesses, stress, and burnout. To live healthier, longer, better lives, it is crucial that we start taking a more holistic approach to managing our well-being.”

Key survey results

Amongst numerous other insights, the survey brought the following statistics to light:

Illnesses are the key concern for 63% of Singaporeans
. This comes as no surprise, given the well-known issues of Singapore’s rising cost of living, particularly in healthcare. Cancer ranks highest in respondents’ concerns, cutting across multiple age groups, followed by Cardiovascular diseases, Bone/joint/muscle problems, Diabetes, and Neurological disorders like dementia, which consumers as young as 25 years old are already greatly concerned about.

Adults between 35 to 55-year-old age group,
many of whom are married with children, find themselves struggling with work, family obligations, and a lack of motivation. As a result, 47% of this age group feel that their physical fitness level is not up to par, and 56% find it challenging to achieve physical wellness. In general, consumers find regular health screenings challenging, due to the necessary financial and time investments needed to do so.

More than 3 in 5 Singaporean consumers surveyed also expressed concern over mental health issues. Within the 35 to 44-year-old age group, almost 20% have reported that they are currently suffering from depression. Respondents within the 25 to 40-year-old age range further expressed that financial concerns are the main factor in exacerbating mental health issues.

Young consumers aged 18 to 24 years old are prioritising their financial wellness early in life by actively investing. 50% of respondents in this age group are growing their investment portfolios, while 30% have acquired insurance protection in the past year.

Despite having ambitious financial goals, 3 in 5 young consumers fail to constantly update their financial knowledge and track their progress regularly, putting them at risk of not being able to achieve their goals, which will in turn negatively impact their financial well-being.

A distinct lack of planning

While respondents across the board show awareness that holistic wellness brings about a happier and more fulfilling life, a deeper look into their goal-setting behaviour revealed a lack of proactiveness amongst Singaporeans in making their holistic well-being a reality.

Amongst Singapore consumers who have not done any financial planning in the last 12 months, 40% have indicated that they are unsure in how go about it. Those who have planned, on the other hand, cite the following challenges that most commonly impact their planning goals:

  • 33% face unexpected expenses that have not been budgeted for
  • 26% struggle to adhere to their budgets consistently
  • 25% make impulsive purchases, leading to overspending

While the study’s results show that Singapore consumers have a higher aptitude on being slightly better at planning for their financials such as in setting goals for financial wellness, respondents have revealed that they have lesser knowledge, interest, and motivation in planning physical, mental, and socio-environmental wellness goals, placing relatively lower priorities on non-financial aspects of wellness.

AIA Health360

As a leading life insurer, AIA Singapore is committed to better supporting Singaporeans’ need in planning better for their holistic wellness. In line with AIA’s One Billion movement across all its markets of engaging one billion people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives, AIA Singapore has launched AIA Health360, a comprehensive suite of solutions that, in totality, will serve to address the financial, physical, and mental wellness needs of customers, offering all-rounded care and protection for every major facet of wellness.

Built upon four key pillars, AIA Health360 encompasses the gamut of total wellness, enabling consumers to achieve their goals for holistic wellness by reminding them to:

Plan Well with AIA’s suite of comprehensive financial planning tools, insights, and instruments. AIA Singapore has been helping more than one million Singaporeans in their health and financial planning for over 90 years. Customers can connect securely and view their financials collectively at one glance with the super-tool, My AIA SG app[3] which is enabled by SGFinDex. Through this, they have access to view all their financial data from insurers, banks, SGX and government agencies such as CPF, HDB and IRA.

Protect Well with comprehensive insurance solutions, spanning health, life, savings and investment, accident protection, wealth and legacy protection, as well as travel and lifestyle needs.

Be Well with a full span of healthcare services curated to support customers through their healthcare journey. We do so by building a strong and comprehensive health and wellness partner ecosystem to help our customers diagnose the illness, treat it and recover well. Specialist consultation appointments with AIA Healthcare Partners can be made through My AIA SG, AIA’s Healthcare Support website or AIA’s medical concierge, where customers can secure their appointment within 1 working day, GP video consultations are available via WhiteCoat and professional advice for serious medical conditions are available via Teladoc Health. Hospitalisation and surgery costs can be managed and planned for with pre-authorisations, while claims can also be made seamlessly on the super-tool, My AIA SG.

Live Well with the award-winning and first in market wellness programme, AIA Vitality as your personal cheerleader for health. AIA Vitality has been supporting its members to live healthier, longer, better lives, by rewarding them with exclusive partner rewards and benefits when they achieve fitness milestones through positive behavioural changes. Since the introduction of AIA Vitality in Singapore in 2013, members who reported unhealthy results in initial health checks have made significant improvements in their health.

Through these four pillars, AIA Singapore aims to partner Singaporeans in taking charge of their holistic wellness, helping them achieve their desired lifestyle at every stage of life.

More information on AIA Health360 may be found at aia.com.sg/aiahealth360.


[1] AIA Live Better Study 2023 was conducted from November 2022 with more than 500 Singapore consumers each quarter, from aged 18 to 55+.

[2] The ability to be in tune with oneself, in terms of sense of purpose, meaning in life, morals and ethics.

[3] The My AIA SG app is well received by Singaporeans as it boasts an average rating of 4.4 out of 5.0 on Apple’s App Store, with an 850,000 user base and 600,000 monthly visits on the app. Today, 90% of service requests are submitted digitally, a testament to AIA Singapore empowering customers through self-service technology.

Hashtag: #AIASingapore

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About AIA

AIA Group Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively “AIA” or the “Group”) comprise the largest independent publicly listed pan-Asian life insurance group. It has a presence in 18 markets – wholly-owned branches and subsidiaries in Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR(1), Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, New Zealand, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan (China), Vietnam, Brunei and Macau SAR(2), and a 49 per cent joint venture in India.

The business that is now AIA was first established in Shanghai more than a century ago in 1919. It is a market leader in Asia (ex-Japan) based on life insurance premiums and holds leading positions across the majority of its markets. It had total assets of US$303 billion as of 31 December 2022.

AIA meets the long-term savings and protection needs of individuals by offering a range of products and services including life insurance, accident and health insurance and savings plans. The Group also provides employee benefits, credit life and pension services to corporate clients. Through an extensive network of agents, partners and employees across Asia, AIA serves the holders of more than 41 million individual policies and over 17 million participating members of group insurance schemes.

AIA Group Limited is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited under the stock code “1299” with American Depositary Receipts (Level 1) traded on the over-the-counter market (ticker symbol: “AAGIY”).