Date: November 8, 2013
– Lord Christopher Francis Patten, the Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Chairman of BBC Trust to give keynote address
– Presents first “SIAS Investors’ Choice Civil Governance Excellence Award” to the President of Republic of the Philippines
– Presents first “Media Excellence in Community Investor Education Award”
– Launches inaugural Global Corporate Governance Conference 2013
– Over 114 companies pledged support and more than 1,500 Participants Sign Up For SIAS’ 4th Singapore Corporate Governance Week
Singapore, November 8, 2013 – Securities Investors Association
(Singapore) (“SIAS”), a strong advocate for corporate transparency and progressive industry practices aimed at protecting shareholder interests, today launched Singapore’s 4th Singapore Corporate Governance Week (“CG Week 2013”), which will run from November 8, 2013 to November 15, 2013.
Mr. David Gerald, Founder, President and CEO of SIAS said, “We are pleased to launch CG Week 2013, an annual event which SIAS is proud to organise for the fourth consecutive year. For this event, a diverse group of thought leaders and leading practitioners from around the world will gather to share perspectives and debate solutions on current and emerging corporate governance issues and challenges.
“Since the last CG Week in 2012 and even in the last few months alone, we have seen blue chips and penny stocks unfoundedly hammered or fluffed up by unscrupulous shortsellers and market manipulators in and out of Singapore. With billions of market value hastily erased in a matter of days or even hours, trust in the integrity of listed companies and the effectiveness of equity markets may have taken a beating.
“Shareholders today are more active in monitoring the companies they invest in and vigilant about corporate governance practices, hence good corporate governance will continue to be a cornerstone in restoring and winning the confidence of investors. I see two critical pillars that are necessary to meet these investors’ expectations of corporate governance – the rigour of regulatory requirements, and the earnestness and enthusiasm with which boards approach their mandate to keep shareholders informed. Investor education also needs to be stepped up to make our capital markets robust.”
“With that in mind, SIAS will continue to champion corporate governance, and looks forward to the continued development of our regulatory framework and Singaporelisted companies’ practice of good corporate governance, which the CG Week 2013 will endeavour to catalyse.”
To officially launch CG Week 2013, SIAS’ new chairman, Mrs. Lim Hwee Hua, will give her welcome address, followed by an Opening Address by Guest of Honour – Ms. Grace Fu, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Environment and Water Resources and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.
A key highlight at the Launch of the 4th Singapore Corporate Governance Week is the Dialogue with Lord Christopher Francis Patten (“Chris Patten”), who will also give his Keynote Address on Politics and Governance. Lord Chris Patten was formerly the Governor of Hong Kong and is currently the Chancellor of the University of Oxford and Chairman of BBC Trust. The dialogue will be moderated by Prof Kishore Mahbubani. Prof Kishore Mahbubani is the Dean and Professor in the Practice of Public Policy at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy of the National University of Singapore.
Another first for SIAS is the “Investors’ Choice Civil Governance Excellence Award”, which will be presented at the launch of CG Week 2013, to the President of the Republic of the Philippines, Mr. Benigno Aquino III (“President Aquino”). This award is presented to recognise the efforts made by an Asian leader to promote a clean and efficient government that would be attractive to investors. Mr. Cesar V. Purisima, Secretary of Finance, Republic of the Philippines, will receive the award on behalf of President Aquino. SIAS is the first Civic Organisation in Singapore to present an award to President Aquino.
Also for the first time, SIAS together with its partners will present the “Media Excellence in Community Investor Education Award” at SIAS’ 14th Investors’ Choice Awards Dinner Presentation, to acknowledge the role of media impacting the investing community with information to help them make informed decisions.
All in all, CG Week 2013 will see more than 100 companies and over 1,500
individuals participating in the various programmes during the week that include a two-day Global Corporate Governance Conference; the 14th SIAS Investors’ Choice Awards Dinner Presentation Ceremony; Corporate Governance Workshops by top law firms such as Rodyk & Davidson LL, Stamford Law and WongPartnership LLP and other professional firms like Boardroom Limited and RSM Ethos; and an Investors’ Forum that will focus on two key areas – the understanding of sustainability reporting from investors’ perspective and impact of the proposed amendments to
Company’s Act for investors.
Pledge of Support
Corporate chiefs too have stepped forward to pledge their support of good corporate governance. Building on the success of last year’s CG Week 2012, SIAS has already received strong support from over 114 organisations, ranging from listed companies to professional firms like accountancy and law firms to trade bodies and leading institutions. These organisations – many of them participating for the fourth year – have stepped forward to publicly pledge their support to uphold corporate governance in their respective organisations.
Companies that took part in SIAS’ corporate governance pledge also applauded SIAS for this initiative in striving towards corporate governance excellence. Inaugural Global Corporate Governance Conference 2013 (“Conference”)
One of the key programmes of CG Week 2013 is the inaugural Global Corporate Governance Conference, to be held on November 11th and 12th at Resorts World Convention Centre. Mr Magnus Böcker, CEO, Singapore Exchange will be giving his Keynote Address at the two-day Conference. In line with the theme, “Global Conversation on Governance – Today’s Issues, Tomorrow’s Challenges”, presentations and several in-depth panel discussions addressing the relationship between governance and various stakeholders have been lined up.
These presentations will be made by distinguished international thought leaders such as Professor Charles M. Elson, Professor/Chair and Director of John L. Weinberg Centre of Corporate Governance, Unviersity of Delaware, USA; Mr. Richard Emerton, Senior Client Partner, Managing Partner, Board and CEO Services, EMEA, Global Practice Leader of Board Practice, Korn Ferry International, London, UK; and Mr. Leonardo Peklar, CEO, Hawkamah, Institute of Corporate Governance, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The Panel discussions which brings together a diverse group of thought leaders and leading practitioners from Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and the United States of America will cover topics such as Shareholders and Governance; Boards and Governance; Sustainability and Governance; Business structure innovations and Governance; ASEAN and Governance; Regulators and Governance; Intermediaries and Governance; Women and Governance; Multinationals and Governance; Technology and Governance; and Activists and Journalists.
SIAS 14th Investors’ Choice Awards
SIAS 14th Investors’ Choice Awards will be held on the evening of November 8th at Resorts World Convention Centre, Singapore.
The Guest-of-Honour is Mrs. Josephine Teo, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Transport.
The event will honour companies and individuals who have achieved excellence in advancing corporate governance practices, including greater corporate transparencies.
The Singapore Corporate Governance Award; Most Transparent Company Awards; Financial Journalist of the Year Award; Best Retail Broker Award and the Internal Audit Excellence Award will be presented at this event.
The “Media Excellence in Community Investor Education Award” will also be presented for the first time, to acknowledge the role of media in impacting the investing community with information to help them make informed decisions.
Corporate Governance Workshops
Five Corporate Governance Workshops will be held on November 13, 2013, at Equarius Hotel. Top law firms such as WongPartnership LLP, Rodyk & Davidson LLP and Stamford Law; and other professional firms like Boardroom Limited and RSM Ethos will discuss topics ranging from ‘Regulatory Changes for Listed Companies – Technology to Make Your Life Easier’ to ‘Recent Developments in Market Misconduct: Understand your Legal Exposure to Employees’ Actions’ to ‘Post Fraser & Neave: Value Creation. Value Protection. Is the bar raised for Directors?”.
Investors’ Forum
CG Week 2013 will end with an Investors’ Forum on November 14, 2013 at the Ministry of National Development (“MND”) Auditorium, MND Building Annexe A. Two key areas on the understanding of sustainability reporting from investors’ perspective and impact of the proposed amendments to Company’s Act for investors will be discussed at the Investors’ Forum.
SIAS is a member of the OECD Asian Roundtable on Corporate Governance. CG Week 2013 has the strong support of Singapore Exchange (“SGX”) as the Supporting Exchange; Capitaland and DBS as its Platinum Sponsors; Boardroom as its Gold Sponsor; Credit Bureau (Singapore), Rodyk & Davidson LLP, RSM Ethos, Stamford Law and WongPartnership as its Silver Sponsors. CG Week 2013 is endorsed by many professional and trade bodies as well as leading institutions and corporations as follows:
– Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA);
– Singapore Accountancy Commission (SAC);
– Singapore Exchange
– The Association of Banks in Singapore;
– AcClarity;
– BPA;
– Iclif Leadership & Governance Centre;
– ShareInvestor;
– Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA);
– CFA Society Singapore;
– CPA Australia;
– The Institute of Directors (IOD);
– Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA);
– Investment Management Association of Singapore (IMAS);
– The Institute of Internal Auditors Singapore (IIA);
– The Singapore Association of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and
Administrators (SAICSA);
– And Securities Association of Singapore (SAS).
The official broadcast partner is Channel NewsAsia, the official newspaper is The Business Times, and the official IR consultancy is Citigate Dewe Rogerson, i.MAGE.
About SIAS
SIAS is the largest organised investor lobby group in Asia, with almost 70,000 retail investors as members. It is run by a Management Committee comprising of professionals who are volunteers. It actively promotes Investor Education, Corporate Governance and Transparency and is the watchdog for Investor rights in Singapore. To-date, SIAS has since year 2000, successfully organized over 700 investor education programmes ranging from basic investment seminars for novices to certificate courses for investment savvy investors. Thus far, more than 80,000 retail investors have benefited from these programmes, which are offered largely free. Members are educated on the features of investment products, and the attendant risks involved in each product. Investors are taught to make informed decisions on investing. SIAS is able to provide a variety of investor education programmes to its members and the investing community at large through collaborative arrangements with financial institutions and listed companies interested in investor education as part of its corporate social responsibility agenda.
For more information about SIAS, please visit https://www.sias.org.sg/
| ISSUED ON BEHALF OF : | Securities Investors Association (Singapore) (“SIAS”) |
| BY : | Citigate Dewe Rogerson, i.MAGE Pte Ltd
55 Market Street |
| CONTACT : | Ms Dolores Phua / Ms Pearl Lam at telephone |
| DURING OFFICE HOURS : | 6534-5122 |
| AFTER OFFICE HOURS : | 9750-8237 / 9781-3518 (Handphone) |
| EMAIL : | dolores.phua@citigatedrimage.com pearl.lam@citigatedrimage.com |
010/13/010/SIAS
November 8, 2013
