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Serious Now I see the problem! EDB chairman is anti Singaporeans and boh Chiap!

enterprise2

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Scroll to the bottom of the article and u can see the problem with his responses!

It plans to do this by tapping the richer and maturing markets of South-east Asia
Cheong Suk-WaiSenior Writer
After more than 50 years of drawing big foreign firms to Singapore's shores, the Economic Development Board's (EDB) "new job" was now "to create billion-dollar businesses" in Singapore from ventures of any size, start-ups and multinational corporations (MNCs) alike, chiefly by tapping the richer and maturing markets of South-east Asia.

EDB chairman Beh Swan Gin set out the organisation's new focus at the fifth EDB-ST forum on the Republic's future prospects at the Arts House yesterday. The dialogue was with businessman Koh Boon Hwee, banker Peter Seah and 230 EDB Society members and Straits Times readers.

This paradigm shift in focus came right after Forbes magazine announced its latest Global 2000 rankings of the world's most powerful and profitable listed companies. DBS Group Holdings, chaired by Mr Seah, OCBC Bank and Singtel were the highest-ranked among the 17 Singapore companies on the list, compared with 20 last year.


Dr Beh added that the billion-dollar dream was within Singaporeans' sights if they did more business regionally, as South-east Asians now have incomes of between $10,000 and $15,000 per middle-class household monthly.

Better yet, Mr Koh noted, there were now many more bright and gutsy young Singaporeans fronting start-ups here, and finding plenty of seed money for them to do so. In the last 10 years, he added, "the eco-system around entrepreneurship has improved dramatically. If you say you cannot find seed and angel funding in Singapore today, I would say you are incapable of becoming an entrepreneur."

He seconded Dr Beh's point that the region was where Singapore's economic future lay, urging entrepreneurs here to be regional business "enablers", rather than try to be "another Google or Facebook".

In that, Mr Seah said business people here should accept the lack of a domestic market, be nimble to harness new technologies and spend whatever it takes to train workers for a future in which they would keep having to change jobs, and perhaps even lose them to robots.

The panellists also tried to correct the common misperception that the Government has since Independence pursued a growth strategy heavily reliant on MNCs to the exclusion of SMEs. "It is not an issue of either-or," said Mr Koh, the first Singaporean to head an MNC - Hewlett-Packard - here.

When forum moderator Han Fook Kwang, who is ST's editor-at-large, wondered how worried Singaporeans should be about the last four years of slow growth, Dr Beh said he was sanguine, and 1.85 per cent growth in GDP yearly was par for the course for developed countries.

Mr Koh disagreed, saying, to his mind, "three to seven years of really slow growth is actually the worst possible scenario for Singapore". He said he much preferred a sharp economic downturn, when everyone would spring to action.

As for shaping a Singaporean core within the workforce, Mr Koh said: "If two candidates for a job are equally good, I choose the Singaporean. It's logical and it's what other countries do."

Even so, Dr Beh urged all to consider growing the core by welcoming anyone who "wants to call Singapore home". He added: "Ourselves, our parents, our grandparents, we were foreigners also at one time. That's our heritage."
 

scroobal

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EDB remit was to target MNC from the word go. I am not sure why the revisionist history by Beh. Only they could create the large number of jobs for the new country and its citizens. HP is a prime example. Located in Depot Road, it created thousands of jobs and not only that its staff canteen served first class food at below cost. It was a model employer. How else did the Singapore's economic engine fire on all cylinders in the first 25 years. It even provided employment for Wong Kan Seng before he came into politics. Thereafter it was giants like Seagate and Apple. If one drove around Jurong in the 80s, the place was dotted with international MNC brand names. Many Singaporeans were proud to work for these firms as they treated their staff much better. There was so much capacity that we had to call on the Malaysians to come help staff these factories. Those were happy times as everyone was employed. Singaporeans were also trained from technicians to engineers by the MNCs.

Small business benefited from the MNCs because they provided the support and supply functions to fuel the factories. EDB also did not target foreign business that would compete with local businesses.

As to the like of DBS. Old man wanted it be like HSBC that started in HK and became a "World Bank". The LHL and HO Ching attempt to buy OUB was handled so poorly that Dhanbalan was forced to apologise to the Liens and Wee Cho Yaw and DBS paid $1m each as compensation. Only the find out that their Ang Mo CEO who caused the mess had falsified qualifications. DBS struggled in HK. In the end the dreams shattered, its now SEA and India.

Beh is talking nonsense about Singaporeans not welcoming foreigners. We have welcomed them from the days of the British and we even started off as a Cosmopolitan country. The ones we do not want in Singapore are those who take our jobs with their cheap pay and those who cannot conduct themselves as a decent human being.

Either Brothel Press reported it wrongly or should not the event tell us what EDB is actually going to do as compared to the past, they have been rather quiet. All the past claims of making Singapore the HUB for education led to disaster with cases like the Australian University that took the grant worth millions and did nothing. What about the hub for international charities and NGOs. Instead I see them focusing in China where they run economic parks and provide employment to the locals there and bit of business to local SMEs. Our Bukit Batok MP's lover's husband is one such beneficiary of EDB's effort in China.
 

GaoFighGar

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As for shaping a Singaporean core within the workforce, Mr Koh said: "If two candidates for a job are equally good, I choose the Singaporean. It's logical and it's what other countries do."

Whahahaha.. Talk is cheap, but what about the truth on cost of production?
 

scroobal

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Agree. No employer is going to take a more expensive candidate. The govt should have created the right industry instead the industries were never upgraded and have been relying on cheaper and cheaper labour. From Singaporean IT technicians, to Indians, then to the Filipinos and now the Burmese. The only people left that are cheaper are the Polynesians and the Eskimos.

Whahahaha.. Talk is cheap, but what about the truth on cost of production?
 

enterprise2

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EDB remit was to target MNC from the word go. I am not sure why the revisionist history by Beh. Only they could create the large number of jobs for the new country and its citizens. HP is a prime example. Located in Depot Road, it created thousands of jobs and not only that its staff canteen served first class food at below cost. It was a model employer. How else did the Singapore's economic engine fire on all cylinders in the first 25 years. It even provided employment for Wong Kan Seng before he came into politics. Thereafter it was giants like Seagate and Apple. If one drove around Jurong in the 80s, the place was dotted with international MNC brand names. Many Singaporeans were proud to work for these firms as they treated their staff much better. There was so much capacity that we had to call on the Malaysians to come help staff these factories. Those were happy times as everyone was employed. Singaporeans were also trained from technicians to engineers by the MNCs.

Small business benefited from the MNCs because they provided the support and supply functions to fuel the factories. EDB also did not target foreign business that would compete with local businesses.

As to the like of DBS. Old man wanted it be like HSBC that started in HK and became a "World Bank". The LHL and HO Ching attempt to buy OUB was handled so poorly that Dhanbalan was forced to apologise to the Liens and Wee Cho Yaw and DBS paid $1m each as compensation. Only the find out that their Ang Mo CEO who caused the mess had falsified qualifications. DBS struggled in HK. In the end the dreams shattered, its now SEA and India.

Beh is talking nonsense about Singaporeans not welcoming foreigners. We have welcomed them from the days of the British and we even started off as a Cosmopolitan country. The ones we do not want in Singapore are those who take our jobs with their cheap pay and those who cannot conduct themselves as a decent human being.

Either Brothel Press reported it wrongly or should not the event tell us what EDB is actually going to do as compared to the past, they have been rather quiet. All the past claims of making Singapore the HUB for education led to disaster with cases like the Australian University that took the grant worth millions and did nothing. What about the hub for international charities and NGOs. Instead I see them focusing in China where they run economic parks and provide employment to the locals there and bit of business to local SMEs. Our Bukit Batok MP's lover's husband is one such beneficiary of EDB's effort in China.

Read between the lines and u can see obvious differences between Koh and Beh in the conference. Koh thinks a major makeover is necc whereas Beh wants to do cosmetic changes. And Koh wants to tilt the table to Singaporeans and Beh still wants to leave the floodgates open. Every country now is being protectionist in today's environment and Spore wants to be open? I'm not saying we should close our doors or build walls but to carry on like biz as usual?? That's just dumb!
 

scroobal

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Koh was repeatedly asked to enter politics with the promise of the a cabinet post. He turned down even the Old Man.

Read between the lines and u can see obvious differences between Koh and Beh in the conference. Koh thinks a major makeover is necc whereas Beh wants to do cosmetic changes. And Koh wants to tilt the table to Singaporeans and Beh still wants to leave the floodgates open. Every country now is being protectionist in today's environment and Spore wants to be open? I'm not saying we should close our doors or build walls but to carry on like biz as usual?? That's just dumb!
 

enterprise2

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What does it say? Our top businessman and visionary don't want to get stuck in the quagmire that is Spore government machinery! Did you notice we are being overtaken by other countries who are bolder than us!
 

enterprise2

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Ask anyone to describe our economy and u get responses like slow, clinging to past models which worked in the past but outdated today, do cosmetic changes, follower not leader..., etc
 

scroobal

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Reminds me of our gold medal hauls during the SEAP / SEA games for swimming, squash etc. The moment the neighbouring counties starting building pools, the courts and the infrastructure we began sucking thumb.

What does it say? Our top businessman and visionary don't want to get stuck in the quagmire that is Spore government machinery! Did you notice we are being overtaken by other countries who are bolder than us!
 

enterprise2

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We always use the metaphor of the frog being boiled alive to describe the 70%. Guess what! It's true even for the elites! Their cosy comfort zone is slowly being boiled as we speak !
 

borom

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.....differences between Koh and Beh ........Beh wants to do cosmetic changes. And Koh wants to tilt the table to Singaporeans and Beh still wants to leave the floodgates open. Every country now is being protectionist in today's environment and Spore wants to be open?...........!

How about Peter Seah-with directorship in so many Govt/Temasek/GIC entities?
Can one person be good in so many diverse fields from Banking (DBS),Shipyards (Sembawang) , Health (Singhealth), Engineering (ST),property (Capitaland),IT (SCS) ,Airlines (SIA), ....and the list goes on! Which is more important, red (in his case MIW) or expert?
 
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po2wq

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Read between the lines and u can see obvious differences between Koh and Beh in the conference. Koh thinks a major makeover is necc whereas Beh wants to do cosmetic changes. And Koh wants to tilt the table to Singaporeans and Beh still wants to leave the floodgates open. Every country now is being protectionist in today's environment and Spore wants to be open? I'm not saying we should close our doors or build walls but to carry on like biz as usual?? That's just dumb!
1 woks 4 ah loon ze other does not ...
 

frenchbriefs

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thats the question,why are singaporean companies and businesses so afraid of expanding out into the region instead of staying here in their hidey holes in sg forever?cause without PAP's monopolistic model,and mollycuddling,and the super low tax rates and ultra generous fundings and grants,and super lax labour laws even worst than pinoys,even pinoys have a minimum wage now,and tripartism and zero strikes in singapore.....can u imagine why companies are so reluctant to go out there?how can they possibly survive in the cold harsh environment out there?

and in the end,we end up importing half of asia's population into singapore and planning for 10m population,instead of our companies and mncs marching forth to conquer foreign markets and populations like the brave british did during the east india trading company and make china and asia their bitches with their opium addiction,we have to bring the foreign markets and population to us.
 

scroobal

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Here is the background on Peter Seah. He was nominated to sit on a Financial review committee chaired by LHL. This was when he was CEO of OUB. When old man said that Singapore was too small for so many local banks, LHL and Ho Ching approached Peter to advance the case for it to be bought over by DBS. Both husband and wife was given a tour of various OUB operations. They needed his support before going to Lien Ying Chow who owns the bank. Since then he has been close to them. When OUB was acquired by UOB, Peter went over to cover Singapore Technologies and since then he would be at the beck and call of Ho Ching.



How about Peter Seah-with directorship in so many Govt/Temasek/GIC entities?
Can one person be good in so many diverse fields from Banking (DBS),Shipyards (Sembawang) , Health (Singhealth), Engineering (ST),property (Capitaland),IT (SCS) ,Airlines (SIA), ....and the list goes on! Which is more important, red (in his case MIW) or expert?
 
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