Batam losing its economic lustre for Singapore companies
Competition from regional industrial enclaves, labour unrest and limited connectivity to Singapore have dented the appeal of Batam to Singapore firms looking to expand. — ST PHOTOS: CHEW SENG KIM By Anita Gabriel , Senior Correspondent
It has long been seen as the bright new frontier for Singapore businesses desperate for space to expand but Batam’s economic promise seems to be fading, battered by forces from within and without.
Its ace cards – cheap land, cheap labour, proximity to home base – still resonate with Singapore firms although without the force of a few years ago.
The rise of other industrial enclaves, whether in Johor or China or fast-rising states like Vietnam, have dented Batam’s appeal but it is problems closer to home that worry businesses more.
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‘Indonesia ought to be its natural market but Batam is strictly an export zone and there’s a firewall between them. It’s a flawed protectionist strategy.’
Mr Broadfoot
A man known only as Mr Tan, a manager at a Singaporean-owned shipyard in Tanjung Uncang, on the western side of Indonesia’s Batam Island, shifts uncomfortably in his seat, smiling evasively, when the topic comes up.
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Multi-nation study into sudden death to gather data across Asia
Doctor scientists here are leading a large-scale international study to determine the incidence of sudden death in Asians with heart failure. — ST PHOTO: ALAN LIM By Judith Tan
Doctor scientists here are leading a large-scale international study to determine the incidence of sudden death in Asians with heart failure.
The five-year study will be focusing specifically on 5,000 patients, aged 18 and above, across Asia Pacific.
The first study of its kind, it will gather and analyse data from 10 countries across Asia to better understand sudden cardiac death.
In Singapore, heart failure admission among the elderly rose by more than 40 per cent over the last 10 years, making it the most common cause of hospitalisation.
Peter Ho Hak Ean to be appointed chairman of URA Board
Mr Peter Ho Hak Ean will be appointed chairman of the Urban Redevelopment Authority Board from April 1. — PHOTO: SINGAPORE COMPUTER SOCIETY (SCS)
Mr Peter Ho Hak Ean will be appointed chairman of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Board from April 1.
The former head of civil service succeeds Mr Alan Chan, who will step down on March 31 when his service term ends.
Mr Ho, who is currently senior adviser to the Centre for Strategic Futures and Senior Fellow at the Civil Service College, joined the URA Board as a member on Dec 1, 2011.
He is also an Adjunct Professor with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
SPH appoints 2 new board directors
Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has appointed Ms Tan Yen Yen, (left), and Mr Bahren Shaari as independent directors to its board with effect from April 1, it announced in a statement on Friday. Ms Tan will serve as a member of the Remuneration Committee, while Mr Shaari will sit on the Audit Committee. — PHOTO: SPH
Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has appointed Ms Tan Yen Yen and Mr Bahren Shaari as independent directors to its board with effect from April 1, it announced in a statement on Friday. Ms Tan will serve as a member of the Remuneration Committee, while Mr Shaari will sit on the Audit Committee.
Ms Tan, 46, is senior vice-president of Applications, responsible for Oracle’s applications software business across Asia Pacific. She is also a member of the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) board and chairman of Singapore Science Centre.
She served as Chairman of the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation from 2009 – 2011 and was deputy chairman on the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) Internet and Media Advisory Committee.
Mr Shaari, 49, is managing director (MD) of Bank of Singapore, head of South-east Asia. He has more than 20 years’ private banking experience with global financial institutions.