04 四海华商荟萃狮城 同贺总商会110周年庆
16 YEN Emerge
Chinese enterprise MCI (P) 162/03/2016
第五期 . ISSUE 5/2016
$5.00 (incl. GST)
卷首语 PRESIDENT’S NOTE 聚商惠民 总商会110周年庆典晚宴盛况空前，为周年庆系列活动画下了完美句点。晚宴上，主宾李显龙总理高度肯定总商会过 去的贡献，特赠“聚商惠民”牌匾，鼓励总商会与时并进，继续为商界和社会做出贡献。 服务商界与造福社稷一向是总商会的宗旨。在欢庆110周年之际，总商会所举办的一系列活动也都致力实现这一 目标，其中包括以下四大方向。 首先，在瞬息万变的商业环境下，总商会鼓励本地企业在经营理念和科技能力上进行创新，以适应不断变化的市 场，例如举办以创新为主题的中小企业大会，为商界介绍各种最新趋势和知识；其次，总商会积极推动行业或企业间的 协作，以凝聚群体力量谋求海外发展，例如在刚举办的商团大会与周年庆典晚宴中，与海内外商团伙伴及华商机构代表 联谊，探讨合作和学习机会；第三个目标是促进传承：华商精神与世界华商网络的传承意义深远，总商会因此举办“新苗 船”青年企业家游轮交流之旅，让来自亚太地区的青年华商相结识，及促进两代华商之间的交流；第四，总商会秉持回馈 社会精神，如举办“总统慈善挑战”高尔夫球赛筹集善款，以及通过改革奖学金制度，进一步提升对本地教育和文化事业 的帮助。 凭藉这些目标与信念，站在新里程的起点上，总商会必将能打造一个符合现代需求、为商家及社稷谋福利的领先 商会，聚商惠民！
Unifying businesses, benefiting society The grand Gala Dinner brought to a fitting close the year-long activities held in conjunction with SCCCI’s 110th anniversary celebrations. At the dinner, Guest of Honour Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong acknowledged all of SCCCI’s contributions, and presented us with a plaque inscribed with four Chinese characters meaning “Unifying businesses, benefiting society”. PM Lee encouraged the Chamber to move abreast with the times and continue the good work of contributing to the business community and society at large. Serving the business community and benefiting society has always been the abiding mission of SCCCI. It also formed the basis of the celebratory events held throughout the year, which were predicated on four main thrusts. Firstly, Innovation. SCCCI has always encouraged local enterprises to embark on business concepts and technology innovation, to adapt to a volatile and ever-changing marketplace. The SME Conference resonated this theme by introducing the latest trends and knowhow to the business community. Secondly, Cross-industry or business collaboration, the objective being to garner collective strength for overseas development. At the Trade Association Congress and Gala Dinner, the Chamber engaged with local and overseas Chambers and trade associations to explore new avenues of collaboration and learning opportunities. Thirdly, the concept of Succession: cultivating the Chinese entrepreneurial spirit and the global Chinese network. The Young Entrepreneurs Network Emerge networking cruise was an event which built rapport among young Chinese entrepreneurs in the Asia Pacific and promoted interaction between two generations of Chinese entrepreneurs. Lastly, Giving back to society. In keeping with this spirit, the “President’s Challenge” Golf Tournament was organised to raise funds for charity. We also scaled up our support of local education and culture through an SCCCF scholarship revamp. Standing on the cusp of a new milestone, and bearing these very thrusts and convictions, the SCCCI would certainly continue to be a leading and relevant business Chamber – one which unifies businesses and benefits society!
会长 Thomas Chua, SCCCI President 请到总商会网站 www.sccci.org.sg 阅读电子版《华商》。 Chinese Enterprise can be viewed online through the Chamber’s corporate website www.sccci.org.sg
编辑顾问 Editorial Advisors Thomas Chua Kee Seng Teo Siong Seng Charles Ho Nai Chuen Lim Geok Khoon
蔡其生 张松声 何乃全 林玉勤
目录 CONTENTS
出版统筹 Publications Supervision
谭宝锠 Tham Poh Cheong 主编 Chief Editor
梁廷昭 Leong Teng Chau
华商焦点
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英文编辑 English Editor
胡爱兰 Fiona Hu 助理编辑 Assistant Editor
李胜保 Lee Sin Poh 撰稿 Staff WriterS 胡爱兰 Fiona Hu 李胜保 Lee Sin Poh 许彬彬 Kelvin Khaw Ping Ping
四海华商荟萃狮城 同贺总商会110周年庆 9月23日，总商会隆重举办创会110周 年庆典晚宴，李显龙总理受邀为晚宴 主宾。我国内阁成员、国会议员、外 交使节，以及来自各国华商机构的商 界领袖等1300多人一同见证总商会 步入全新里程，盛况空前。晚宴上， 李显龙总理高度赞扬总商会对国家 和社会发展的贡献，并题赠“聚商惠 民“牌匾。站在新起点上，总商会将 以鼓励商界创新、推动跨国与跨行业 协作、促进华商精神的传承及回馈社 稷为重要目标，以冀与时并进，聚商 惠民。
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Successful family businesses – steady as a ship A lively plenary session where participants were asked to answer situational questions regarding family business management.
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New generation success in the 21st century and beyond Three young entrepreneurs from Singapore and Malaysia shared their experiences and lessons learnt from different industries.
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依山傍水 来自北京师范大学、精通中国传统思想的 于丹教授引经据典，为青年企业家介绍中 国儒家与道家思想的重要观念，谈及待人 处世、审时度势之道，讲述如何将传统智 慧充分应用在现代人生与企业管理中。
行销 Marketing
黄兆荣 Leonardo Wong
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设计 Design Egg Creatives
出版 Publisher
新加坡中华总商会 Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry 47 Hill Street #09-00 Singapore 179365 Tel: (65) 6337 8381 Fax: (65) 6339 0605 E-mail: corporate@sccci.org.sg Website: www.sccci.org.sg
Chinese Entrepreneurial Spirit
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Carrying on the Kwek family trademark Being from the third generation, Sherman Kwek believes that anchoring on core traditional values and orderly succession plans is crucial for the family business to thrive further.
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Learning humbly from the ground up Pek Lian Guan, CEO of Tiong Seng Holdings Ltd, emphasises the importance of humility in the process of family business succession.
商团特写
In the lead
16 Chinese Enterprise is produced and designed by Egg Creatives Pte Ltd (Registration No. 200504905G) for Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Registration No. S61550014E). Copyright of the materials contained in this publication belongs to SCCCI. Nothing in here shall be reproduced in whole or in part without prior written consent of SCCCI and/or Egg Creatives Pte Ltd. The views expressed in Chinese Enterprise by authors and contributors are not necessarily those of SCCCI and no liabilities shall be attached thereto. All rights reserved. Editorial enquiries should be directed to the Editor, Chinese Enterprise, Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry, 47 Hill Street #09-00 Singapore 179365. Tel: (65) 6337 8381 Fax: (65) 6339 0605 E-mail: research@sccci.org.sg. Unsolicited material will not be returned unless accompanied by a selfaddressed envelope and sufficient return postage. While every reasonable care will be taken by the Editor, no responsibility is assumed for the return of unsolicited material. MCI (P) 162/03/2016. Printed by Innotech Communication Pte Ltd (Registration No. 199604880H).
引领行业发展 立足未来经济 总商会举办第四届商团大会，以“引 领行业发展，立足未来经济”为题， 诚邀贸工部兼文化、社区及青年部高 级政务部长沈颖为主宾。本届大会除 了邀请四位本地商团领袖分享各自行 业的经验外，也专程邀请来自德国的 德国总商会西南区会长Christian Erbe 先生发表主题演讲及进行交流。在大 会现场，总商会也举办了商团中心进 驻仪式，确定18家首批进驻的商会； 同时宣布成立商团委员会，以集中应 对商团和行业所面对的挑战。
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YEN Emerge Organised in conjunction with SCCCI’s 110th anniversary, the 3-day 2-night YEN EMERGE cruise held on September 21-23 attracted more than 200 young entrepreneurs from the Asia-Pacific region.
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Stability, predictability and connectivity – keys for ASEAN to thrive: Minister Chan Chun Sing Attending YEN EMERGE as the Guest of Honour before the cruise set sail, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing participated in an insightful dialogue session with participants, which brought to bear interesting perspectives on ASEAN integration, family business, disruptive technology and social entrepreneurship, amongst others.
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商团怎样才能办得更好 德国商团有坚实的财务基础，有对行业 的精准认知，在经济结构调整时，能够 准确把握痛点，对症下药，可供本地商团 借鉴。
chamber community Introducing a new SCCCF Scholarship Endowment Fund The newly-established Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce Foundation (SCCCF) Scholarship Endowment Fund expands the scope of scholarship funding, ensures continuity and opens opportunities for students to gain exposure to the business environment.
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华商焦点
In the Lead
四海华商荟萃狮城 同贺总商会110周年庆 站在新的起点上，总商会将以鼓励商界创新、推动跨国与跨行业协作、促进华商精 神的传承及回馈社稷为重要目标，与时并进，聚商惠民。
李显龙总理（右四）特赠总商会“聚商惠民”牌匾。总商会会长蔡其生（左四）、副会长黄山忠（左三）、刘泰山（左二）、吴学光（左一）、 名誉会长蔡天宝（右三）、前任会长张松声（右二）及名誉会长郑民川（右一）在场见证。
华商焦点
In the Lead
05
“我希望总商会能与 时并进，聚商惠民，推 陈出新，为华商、华社 服务，同时积极回馈社 会，为促进国家发展和 社会和谐作出贡献。” ─ 李显龙总理 蔡其生：结合老中青三代的智慧和经验， 打造一个符合时代需求的领先商会。
迈入新里程，谱写新篇章！9月23 日，新加坡中华总商会隆重举办创会 110周年大庆晚宴。晚宴筵开130席，我 国总理李显龙受邀为大会主宾，超过 1300名海内外贵宾踊跃出席，其中包 括我国内阁成员、国会议员、外交使 节，以及三百多位来自16个国家和地 区、33家华商机构的商界领袖，盛况 空前。
未 来 总 商 会：对 内 增 强 活力，对 外 开拓商机 总商会会长蔡其生在致欢迎辞时 表示，站在新的起点，总商会的目标 是团结商家，为国家创造财富，回馈 社会，支持文化、教育和慈善活动。
李显龙：总商会可团结群体、汇集资源， 发挥本地华商力量到中国发展。
“我们正 和各 行各业的商团一 起 努 力，通过改变经营理念，善用科技创 新，调整商业模式等途径，全面提升 我国商家的生产力和竞争力。同时，总 商会也将不断引进新血，传承华商精 神，结合老中青三代的智慧和经验，打 造一个符合时代需求，充满活力，为商 家谋福利的领先商会！” 除了积极创新、推动传承，进军 国际市场 也是本 地商界未 来的重要 方向。蔡其生会长指出，本地商家虽 然面对商业环境变化、科技创新以及 人口老化为经济转型带来的不确定因 素；但在另一方面，日益频繁的区域合 作及快速传播的商务信息也为本地商
“饮～胜！”嘉宾祝酒欢呼，欢庆总商会迎来110周岁。
家的转型升级提供了更大空间。他指 出，各地的华商社群的强大凝聚力对 本地商家出国发展十分有利。 “在世界 华商大 会 的 旗 帜下， 各地华商机构在多年的合作中建立了 深厚的友谊，商家们到不同的国家和 地区发展，都会得到当地朋友的照顾， 这就是华商精神的强大凝聚力！”
李 显 龙 ：总 商 会 可 发 挥 华 商 力 量 进军中国 晚宴主宾李显 龙 总 理也在 致 辞 中高度赞 扬总商会 过去各个 时代 对 本地商界和华社所作出的贡献。这包 括：在面对我国社会和经济结构的变
华商焦点
06
In the Lead
李显龙总理翻阅总商会110周年庆特刊《新里程 新篇章》，其中包括两部刊物——记载总商会过去十年历程和成就的《新里程》，以及对 本地政商界人士进行专访，聆听他们对总商会未来期望的《新篇章》。
化时，总商会向政府的未来经济委员 会提出宝贵意见和建议，及设立中小 企业中心帮助中小企业；在文教事业 上，总商会早年兴办华文教育对于华 族价值观的传承作出了贡献，今天的 总商会也对文化活动大力支持，包括 春到河畔、推广母语等活动；在新加 坡独立、中国改革开放 后，总商会也 在国内和国外建立了广大网络，其中 包括后期移居新加坡的新华商、新移 民网络。
“总商会将不断引进 新血，传承华商精神， 结合老中青三代的智 慧和经验，打造一个 符合时代需求，充满活 力，为商家谋福利的领 先商会！”
对于总商会所建立的广大网络， 李显龙总理提出建议： “总商会可以把 不同群体结合起来，再汇集多方面的 资源，通过各种管道发挥本地华商的 共同力量到中国发展。”
牌匾，并依循总商会传统，颁赠褒扬 奖予名誉会长蔡天宝及前任会长张松 声。
期许总商会“与时并进、聚商惠民” 总理表示，他期盼总商会能继续 与时并进，聚商惠民，促进国家发展和 社会和谐。他题赠总商会“聚商惠民”
─ 蔡其生会长
出席晚宴的我国内阁成员包括国 防部长黄永宏、卫生部长颜金勇、总理 公署部长陈振声、贸工部长（工业）部 长易华仁、教育部代部长兼交通部高 级政务部长黄志明、文化、社区及青年
晚宴在二十四节令鼓的隆隆鼓声中正 式开幕。
部兼贸工部高级政务部长沈颖、总理 公署高级政务部长王志豪。此外，来 自马来西亚、印尼、泰国、菲律宾、缅 甸、寮国、柬埔寨、中国、香港、澳门、 台湾、韩国、日本、英国、澳洲、加拿大 等十多个国家的华商机构和商界代表 不远千里前来祝贺。总商会也为嘉宾 赠送精心编制的110周年庆特刊《新里 程 新篇章》以作留念。
华商焦点
In the Lead
合影。 李思亮（左三）与来自澳 洲的商会代表 总商会副会长黄山忠（左二）、董事
来自日本的商会代表合影。
辛经历。 绘声绘影，演出先辈南来创业的艰
来自马来西亚的商会代表合影。
多元族群乐队演奏多首经典名曲， 余音绕梁。
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华商焦点
In the Lead
李显龙总理（前排中）及我国内阁部长与各国商会代表合影。前排：李显龙总理（中）、新加坡中华总商会会长蔡其生（左七）、名誉会长 蔡天宝（右七）、国防部长黄永宏医生（左六）、卫生部长颜金勇（右六）、新加坡中华总商会前任会长张松声（左五）、名誉会长郑民川 （右五）、贸工部长（工业）易华仁（左四）、总理公署部长陈振声（右四）； （左一至左三）总理公署高级政务部长王志豪、中华全国工商 业联合会副主席周海江博士、泰国中华总商会主席陈振治； （右一至右三）新加坡中华总商会副会长黄山忠、教育部兼通讯及新闻部政 务部长沈颖、香港中华总商会永远名誉会长蔡冠深。后排左起：新加坡中华总商会刘泰山副会长、吴学光副会长；柬埔寨柬华理事总会 执行会长蔡迪华勋爵、英国中华总商会主席张劲龙、缅甸中华总商会会长吴继垣、加拿大中华总商会副会长唐成义、韩国中华总商会名 誉会长袁国栋、印尼中华总商会总主席纪辉琦、教育部及贸工部政务次长刘燕玲、马来西亚中华总商会总会长拿督戴良业、澳洲维省中 华总商会会长苏其源、日本中华总商会会长严浩、澳门中华总商会会长马有礼、老挝中华总商会副会长陈华、西澳中华总商会副会长张 诚华、台湾工商協進會理事长林伯丰、菲律宾中华总商会理事长卢祖荫。
华商焦点
In the Lead
周年庆晚宴前夕：迎接海外贵宾（9月22日至23日）
总商会董事邀请一百多位海外嘉宾登上新加坡摩天观景轮，一览市区胜景。
总商会于新加坡 摩天观景轮为前 来的海 外嘉宾设 宴洗
尘。
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华商焦点
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In the Lead
。 尾狮公园一游 9月23日：鱼
参观滨海湾公园。 前往醉华 林俱乐 部，品尝地道美 食肉骨
茶。
华商焦点
In the Lead
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第四届商团大会
引领行业发展 立足未来经济 根据统计，新加坡的注册商团、行业协会总数约300家，其中超过半数（156家） 是中华总商会的商团会员。有鉴于此，总商会举办的商团大会，无论从规模、 代表性及影响力，堪称本地商界盛事。本届大会主题“引领行业发展，立足未来 经济”，一语道出商团在气候不明朗的情况下，更需要积极带领业者做好准备， 迎接旱后春雨， 除了深扎根于眼下沃土，也在其他的经济土壤中繁衍不息。
中华总商会会长蔡其生（中）在高级政务部长沈颖（会长左侧）、裕廊集团总裁方章文（部长左侧）、18家首批入驻商团、现场300名商团 代表们的见证下，把刻有总商会会徽的钥匙置入启动机制，象征“同聚屋檐，共谋发展”。
同聚屋檐，共谋发展 商团中心的所在地曾是前裕廊镇管理局的总部大楼，这个新加坡工业化的地标将继续见证我国未来的经济发展。 成立商团中心的概念，由总商会蔡其生会长于2014年的第三届商团大会上首次倡议。这项计划获得了裕廊集团和标新局 的鼎力支持。 2017年初，连同总商会在内的18家首批商团将正式入驻商团中心。中心汇聚了来自不同领域的行业团体，通过共享 资源，发挥规模经济效益，创建平台，强化行业整体实力，各取所长，推动跨行业协作项目。
连同总商会在内的18家首批入驻商团（按商团英文名称排序）：新加坡电子业商会、石油化工业协会、新加坡海事工业 协会、新加坡货柜储存商会、新加坡特许经营及许可协定协会、新加坡园林业协会、新加坡起重机公会、新加坡车商公 会、新加坡食品厂商联合会、新加坡玻璃公会、新加坡日用品商会、新加坡塑胶工业总会、新加坡装修同业商联会、新 加坡木材厂商总会、新加坡车业公会、新加坡电子科技与工业商会、新加坡台北工商协会。
华商焦点
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In the Lead
总商会推出三大措施协助商团会员 蔡其生会长在致词时表示，商团 中心的成立只是一个开始，今后总商 会将通过三大措施，继续整合资源协 助商团会员：
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成立一个由商界主导 的商团委员会
委员会的主要工作任务，包括： 讨论商团和行业所面对的挑战，推动 商团能够执行并能惠及自身行业的项 目。总商会将邀请各个不同行业的商 团领袖担任商团委员会成员，并预计 在年底展开工作。 开办“商团管理证书课程” 总商会管理学院为商团领袖和秘 书处人员举办“商团管理证书课程” ，以提高商团的实力。课程内容包括 了企业监管、品牌与市场营销、会员 招募、活动与媒体管理等。课程费用 将全部由总商会基金和劳动力发展局 赞助。 二
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设立共用秘书处团队
此团队将支援商团的运作、活动 和项目，协助商团克服人力资源的限 制。除了基本的服务，如会员和财务 管理，商团可以通过共用秘书处为会 员公司组织行业培训、海外考察和商 务联谊活动。目前已有三家商团决定 采用这项服务。 采纳创新模式，把握区域商机 商团大会主宾沈颖高级政务部长 认同商团在促进行业转型、发展方面 所扮演的角色。她强调，在全国为未 来经济做好准备时，商团必须确保拥 有所需的实力，以便更有效地应对接 下来的商业、行业转型。政府将致力 于通过商团，支援行业转型和成长。 同时，商家本身也应该多管齐下，加强 竞争力，例如通过电子商务、创新商业 模式来提高生产力、增加营收、削减 成本。
论坛主席新加坡金钻珠宝商会会长、总商会研究与出版委员会主席何乃全（左一）带动 会场气氛，热烈讨论商团与行业发展的关键课题。
对 中 小企 业而 言，海 外市 场 其 实 是 “近在咫尺”而非“遥不可及”。部长 举例：以眼前的商机规模来说，东南 亚的中产阶层到了2020年，预料会倍 增至四亿人！最近成立的亚细安经济 共同体，为本地商家提供了进军这些 高增长市场的契机。 开拓资金来源，发挥商团职能， 推动跨界合作 如果 把国家经济比喻成一棵 大 树，那么万千企业就是绿叶，商团和 行业协会则是树枝。各行各业若要增 强实力、枝繁叶茂，商团就必须发挥 凝聚业者、寻找行业增长点的职能。
成功的金科玉律是：除了仰靠大树干 供给的政策养分，也需要配合外界的 阳光，同时在每片叶子竭力进行光合 作用的情况下，国家经济才能耸立如 参天大树。 商团大会俨然是一场商界的群英会， 各路盟主专注于讨论商团课题、提呈 实质建议，旨在于推动行业发展、促 进各领域之间的协作共赢。综合论坛 嘉宾的讨论与建议，商团希望政府能 在援助计划、政策灵活度、促进跨领 域合作等方面，给予商团更大的支持 与帮助。
建议优化政府援助计划 • 商团属于非营利团体，缺乏运作资金是商团及秘书处在运作时碰到 的最棘手问题之一。本地企业与协会发展计划 (LEAD Programme)是 专为商团量身打造的政府援助计划。过去11年，在全国300多家商团 当中，有35家从中受惠。由此可见，申请门槛对规模较小的商会来说 相当高。 • 计划虽为合格项目提供高达70％资助，但商团需先支付全额， 达标 后才能获得津贴，对资金周转造成压力；对小商会而言，须承担其 余30％也负担不轻。商团建议，在维持最终拨款比例（70%）的情 况下，采取更灵活政策，如：在项目进展初期，给予较高百分比的津 贴。此外，也应检讨目前“先付后偿”的津贴方式。 • 商团认为，行业项目从策划、实施到验收成效，需要较长时间，因此 促请政府检讨现有的3年资助期，建议可调整至3年+3年。
总商会推出了系列措施与课程，协助本地商团克服资源限制，并通过提升商团实力来促进行业发展。如需了解更多详情， 或有意入驻商团中心的行业团体，请拨电联系中华总商会秘书处，电话：6337 8381。
华商焦点
In the Lead
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发挥商团职能 • 政府机构在推展计划时，倾向与规模较大的企业直接合作，造成商团的服务对象大多数是“二三线企业”。 商团希望，政府能赋予他们更大权力，除了能更好发挥服务同业的职能，也能满足政府在援助计划中设下的 指标，如：商团组织海外考察、参加展会所需的最低商家人数。 • 商团必须建立本身收入来源，才能放眼长期发展，而课程培训收费就能成为商团运营的顶梁柱。以德国总商 会为例，当地商会不靠政府资金；运作经费来大半来自课程与活动收费，会员费占42%。经德国总商会培训 的学员，还可凭着认证到大学继续深造。 • 此外，本地大专学府（如：工艺教育学院、理工学院）所传授的行业知识，并不能完全符合业者的需求，因此 希望政府能授权商团，开办更多的职业技能鉴定课程、入行证书课程，这对学员、商家、商团都有好处。 推动跨界合作 • 传统行业商团可通过重塑品牌，注入新活力。在招收会员方面，可考虑扩大会员层面，除了同行，也可包括上 下游或周边业者。打个比方，家具工业理事会成员就分成三大类：家具商、设计师和相关支援者（如软件 供应商）。 • 同时，商团也应积极和其他行业的商团合作，共享资源、互惠互利。例如：家具和服饰业者共创平台，推介本 地设计师作品；食品厂商与餐饮业者展开合作，善用中央厨房提高效率。
郭锦清 会长
吴永南 主席
许志恩 会长
石油化工业协会
新加坡园林业协会
新加坡家具工业理事会
“作为行业领头羊，商团必须汇聚行 业资源、分享最佳实施案例。在推展 行业技能培训前，我们会先征得主要 业者的支持与认同，并根据整体需求 （包括对旗下服务供应商的需求）， 来制定务实的课程内容。”
“我们对商团中心抱以很大的期望 ––我们不仅是搬进实体建筑，而是 落户在一个家，它让我们突破资源局 限。我们将开办户外园艺培训，并向 其它更有经验的商团取经、交流与 合作，发挥更大的协同作用。”
李坚辉 会长
Christian O. Erbe
新加坡纺织服饰商会
德国总商会西南区会长、 德国电机电子工业协会会长
“只有提升商家实力，行业才能有竞争力。商团和商家 必须掌握发展趋势，趁现在就为未来创造价值。在培 育未来栋梁方面，我们给新生代服装设计师更大的发 挥空间，让他们的作品能被更多人欣赏和认同。”
(文\许彬彬)
“商团要壮大发展，领导就 必须齐 心，避免斗争内耗，才能同步迈向目 标：全心服务会员商家，向政府反映 业者心声。只有这样，商团才能在变 幻的大环 境中，继续具备行业代表 性，找到本身的生存立足点。”
“新德两国商会面临的挑战大同小异。同行间难免会 有竞争，但为了群体利益，只有精诚团结，而不是分道 扬镳，才能取得共赢。德国总商会按行业集群成立不 同的委员会，在求同与存异两者之间找到平衡。”
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华商焦点
In the Lead
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Organised in conjunction with SCCCI’s 110th anniversary, the 3-day 2-night YEN Emerge cruise participation held from September 21 to 23 attracted more than 200 young entrepreneurs from Asia-Pacific countries. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing was invited as Guest of Honour for the event. 2
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1. Minister Chan Chun Sing’s arrival at the Superstar Gemini cruise. 2. It is a voyage of innovation, succession and friendship, said SCCCI President Thomas Chua in his welcome speech. 3. Dr Tan Lai Yong sharing his experience of undertaking social entrepreneurship in Yunnan. 4. Cocktail party at night. 5. The event received broad international media coverage. 6. Prof Yu Dan speaking about application of ancient Oriental wisdom in modern society.
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Stability, predictability and connectIVITY – keys for ASEAN to thrive: Minister Chan Chun Sing Compiled by: Lee Sin Poh
Minister Chan Chun Sing on ASEAN integration, family business, disruptive technologies and social entrepreneurship.
With more than 200 young Chinese entrepreneurs from ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific region gathered to join the YEN EMERGE cruise on SuperStar Gemini, on the eve of SCCCI’s 110th anniversary celebration, Minister in Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing was invited to impart his insights in a dialogue before the cruise set sail. A wide range of topics were discussed in the fruitful dialogue, including the prospect of an ASEAN community, the role of family business conglomerates, emerging technologies and aspirations of young entrepreneurs, amongst others. YEN Vice-Chairperson Chia Kim Huat moderated the dialogue. ASEAN: a myth or reality? Chia: ASEAN is an exciting region with huge potential for growth... And ASEAN is all-inclusive – we also welcome our friends from the AsiaPacific region. What we hope is to come together to make this region more successful for everyone. And to start, I want to ask the minister about whether the ASEAN region as a whole is a myth or reality. A lot of people know that China has huge potential, and because of its size, political system and the people’s attitude, it has achieved great success within a relatively short period of time.
The other country in the region, India, also has a lot of potential but it remains as a potential – unrealised potential. So India is a myth, China is a reality. For ASEAN and the broader Asia-Pacific region, is it a myth or reality? There is a huge potential in ASEAN, but we can see from recent developments that there are also challenges in achieving consensus among members in order to realise an ASEAN dream. Minister: Maybe I should start off by saying that it all depends on your expectations – behind Kim Huat’s question is this: what is your expectation of ASEAN? If you expect ASEAN to be like the US or European Union, then ASEAN must be a spectacular failure. But if your only hope is that the nation states here do not end up fighting with one another, then ASEAN is a spectacular success. For any regions which want to come together, to put aside their tribal instinct and differences is never easy. How long did the US take to become what it is today? I would say that even after over 250 years, there is still a work in progress. There is still a tension between the federal system and the different states. And recently,
a lot of people say: wow, Britain has exited the EU, and it must be a disaster. I can tell you another perspective: I was studying in Britain when EU was forming up and Britain was deciding whether to join it. For that point in time, all my professors thought EU was nonsense and it could never happen, and they expected that EU would have broken up the very year it is formed, for a very simple reason: you cannot have a common market without a common fiscal policy, monetary policy, immigration flows, capital flows, etc. The very fact that it has worked for about 30 years, to my professors from that era, is a miracle. You can say that EU is imperfect, but for all its imperfections, it has delivered something…
华商焦点
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In the Lead
are good or bad. Someone told me when I was working in a neighbouring country that, even if the rules are bad, so long as they are predictably bad, businesses know what to do. But the two greatest challenges are that if ASEAN countries are not internally stable and strong, we cannot give businessmen the sense of stability to bring their ideas to the market and we also cannot connect up with each other. Innovation and diversity – keys for all kinds of businesses to succeed
So, is ASEAN a reality or myth? It all depends on your expectations. The most important thing is that the countries here have not come to war for many years. There are some ways to settle this. But if you expect ASEAN to have a common set of rules and a common market with very developed infrastructures and legislations, then that would take some time, because in ASEAN you have many countries at different stages of development, with different needs, priorities and systems. I would say this to all the ASEAN friends here: each and every one of us is small, but how can each and every ASEAN country transcend our relative smallness and play a vital part in the global system, so that we can become a force to be reckoned with? There are two things we need to get right. The first has to do with connectivity – can we connect ASEAN up and allow business opportunities to flourish and flow? I always have this belief, that for businessmen it is not about whether policy is good or bad, the most important thing is a certainty in the environment. So the first thing is to connect up, and the second is that each of the countries must have a stable and predictable environment to connect up. I never make judgement about other countries’ social-political systems as to whether they
Chia: One of the key features of the region is that we have a lot of family conglomerates. Among the audience now, we have a lot of second generation, third generation from very successful conglomerates in the region. For most of these countries in ASEAN, the businesses are controlled by some families, which are very good and strong families. Where do you think these families can play a role in trying to achieve connectivity and prosperity in ASEAN? Minister: Whether you are a family business or whether you are a normal corporate, there are a few common challenges and if you get it right, you can achieve success. Firstly, it is about your perspective: are you taking a long-term perspective for issues at hand or a short-term perspective? Some of the family businesses paradoxically have this advantage: like a dynasty, they believe they will hand the business to their children, so they take a longterm perspective. Paradoxically, after the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, many companies on the stock market increasingly take a short-term perspective. If you take a short-term perspective to make a quick buck and get out of the market, many things can be done. But if you take a longterm perspective, you will consider sustainability, corporate succession and how to engender trust in your brand. Those transcend being a family business or corporate business. Today, if you look at the market in the Internet age, it is what
we call the market where winner takes all. You have a few people who capture 80 per cent of the market share, and the rest scraping the bottom for the last 20 per cent. One of the vital ingredients for the winner to take all is the word trust. If people trust your brand, you will be the Amazon.com, Taobao, and Alibaba and so forth. But the very moment you lose the trust of the market, you will be scraping the bottom of the barrel with the rest. You have seen enough companies that lost the trust of market and their values evaporated overnight. The second thing is, are you constantly innovating to meet the market needs? In fact, someone has done a study: the number of Standard & Poor’s 500 companies which outlive the life of individual has drastically reduced, they have become an exception rather than a norm. That is because the companies are not innovating fast enough to meet the needs of market. And the third challenge is whether you can bring in people to succeed us and do better than us. We are all human and we get comfortable with people who think like us, but it is a discipline that I learnt from some companies, that do you bring in people who can challenge your ideas and check your blind spots. Understanding of market and technology equally important Chia: Technology is very important and is very much a part of youth. We see a lot of young entrepreneurs embracing technology to launch new business models or by starting up on their own. So maybe to share with the crowd, can minister touch on how can the youth, especially those in ASEAN where we are trying to build up infrastructures and business embraces technology, achieve connectivity that you mentioned earlier and build a more prosperous region? Minister: I don’t usually start with technology. Actually technology is an enabler... If we do not understand the market together with technology, then we are applying technology in a vacuum… For the Singaporean audience here,
华商焦点
I must be frank and say that I am always worried about Singapore, because the greater our success, the more developed our market is, the more risk we have in not understanding other markets. Once beyond this shore, I cannot find a near parallel to the Singapore system in terms of how our systems and rules work. We have to understand the markets as we see it and as it is rather than what we hope and imagine it to be. That requires us to travel around and really live in the place to feel the pulse of it… Yes, working overseas is difficult as the rules are different and the environment is different, but it is not impossible. And if each of us just develops our product for our respective markets, we are all small markets; but if we can develop products for a collective market, then we are able to transcend our geographical and resource limitations. In fact, I must tell you this joke from MIT and Harvard. Once upon a time I was in MIT and my friend was in Harvard Business School. MIT students are known to be good at math but those from Harvard can’t do math. So one from MIT asked the Harvard fella: how can you conquer the market if you don’t know about technology? The Harvard fella replied: If I just want to know the technology I will employ the MIT fella! Indeed, it is true. But even the MIT fellas are not only learning technologies. There are two types of people in MIT – the business and the technology type. And why they are in the same class? It is an environment that MIT actively promotes. They want both types to know each other, because they believe that only by marrying these two you can have the best products and services for the market. In MIT, they don’t benchmark themselves by grades but by how many new partnerships they are able to strike up each year between the business people, business and technology people and between the technology people. Among youths, social entrepreneurship on the rise Chia: I think what minister said makes a lot of sense. In Singapore, sometimes we are victims of our own
In the Lead
success. We tend to be risk-averse, as we live in a much sanitised environment. As the Chinese saying goes: 水清则无 鱼 (No fish can survive if the water is too clean) – water needs to be muddier so we can catch some fish. That also leads me to another topic which I would like to seek minister’s guidance on: A lot of the young ones these days may not want to lead a conglomerate, they want to contribute in their own ways towards a better society. What sort of advice can we give to people like them? Minister: I can share with you some thoughts. I am always very intrigued and inspired by the Israel education system. The typical Chinese parents ask their children: what answer did you give the teacher in school? In Israel, parents ask their children: what question did you ask in school? I would encourage everyone here not to just know the “what” and the “how” but most importantly ask the “why”. When I was working overseas, there was always a temptation to say, “This system is different from Singapore, it’s not as good.” But that is not the point. People are not stupid and they evolve the system based on their needs. There is a real story about corruption. I was once criticised, “You Singaporean, wherever you go, you say corruption is bad, but in my country no corruption is even worse.” Then I started to ask “why?” and then had
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some insights. He said, in Singapore there is a system of law, system of recourse to the law and so on and so forth. Imagine if you live in an environment without proper governance system, how can you make a living for yourself or at least to stay alive? He went on to share and it was very interesting. So once we live out from our judgmental mindset and ask “why”, we will be able to appreciate others’ systems and challenges, and perhaps we can bring back some new perspectives and check our own blind spots. There is no eternally perfect or correct system, only those which are relevant to the times. To the second part of the question, in my perspective, human beings are motivated by two sets of forces to excel. The first set of force is hunger and fear. There is another force and that is passion: they want to change the world. These are the Bill Gates of the world. They don’t need to earn the next dollar, but they want to make a product that changes how people live. And because all countries and societies are different, we have to ask ourselves which is the dominant set of our driving force. I think the millennials have quite a different perspective on this. To put it simplistically, the last generations were more motivated by hunger and fear, but in this generation, maybe it is because you have met the basic needs, so you need a higher level of inspiration.
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Successful Family Businesses – Steady as a Ship Ng Siew Quan Asia Pacific Leader, Entrepreneurial and Private Clients, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Ang Kiam Meng CEO, Jumbo Group of Restaurants Pte Ltd
Surapong Srethbhakdi Managing Director, Malleable Iron & Steel Co Ltd
Andy Lim Executive Director, JL Family Office
This was a lively plenary session during which participants were asked to answer situational questions regarding family business management, topics of which include succession planning, recruitment of external professionals, implications of initial public offering (IPO), maintenance of family harmony, amongst others. Panelists of diverse family business backgrounds: Ang Kiam Meng, Surapong Srethbhakdi and Andy Lim, exchanged notes with participants based on their experiences. Apart from sharing detailed research outcomes on global and regional features of family business, moderator Ng Siew Quan also provided some key reminders to young entrepreneurs, including “get outside experience first”, “only take a role you are suited for”, “insist on a proper appraisal” and “make sure succession is a process, not an event”.
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New Generation Success in the 21st Century and Beyond In the plenary session titled “Taking it Personally – New Generation Success in the 21st Century and Beyond – It’s Hardly a Cruise!”, three young entrepreneurs: Managing Director of Yuantai Fuel Trading Tan Aik Hock, Managing Director of My Socks Malaysia Sdn Bhd Johnny Wong Thim Keong, and CEO and co-founder of Clickr Media Derick Ng, shared their experiences from different industries. Aik Hock recounted challenges he faced in the oil trading industry, such as the impact of volatile oil price on his business. On the other hand, Johnny shared how he took over his family business in sock-manufacturing, gained exposure of digitalised manufacturing in Italy and expanded into overseas markets. Last but not least, Derick who founded his digital marketing firm with a partner, shared three skills he finds important for start-ups: Collect money upfront efficiently, build up your branding, and ensure customer and employee satisfaction.
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In the Lead
依山傍水 在中国思想中，儒家如一 座山，给人刚毅的魄力；道 家则如一条水，予人变通 的智慧。 这是一场久别后的重逢，一次信 念的再续。 9月21日至23日，总商会组织了一 场三天两夜的青年企业家游轮交流之 旅，邀请两百多名来自亚太多个国家 的青年企业家齐聚一堂，扬帆出海。 这些年轻华商当中，有的是家族企业 的第二代接班人，有的是凭一己之力 创业的才俊；当中既有来自港、台等中 华文化圈的青年，也有来自菲律宾、 韩国、澳大利亚等其它文化圈的新晋 华商。 过去百年，海外华人侨居世界各 地。这一天，新一代的幼苗再续前缘， 聚集同一屋檐下。未来，他们也将是华 商社群拓展商业版图、传播文化火种 的中流砥柱。
万丈高楼平地起。正面的思维、 健康的心态与厚实的文化素养，都是 年轻华商迈向未来成功不可或缺的基 石。而除了取得商界成就以外，在世界 各地承继与发扬先辈的文化精神更是 意义深远。因此，在游轮扬帆出海之 际，总商会特邀请来自中国的著名文 化学者于丹教授为年轻华商讲述中国 传统思想，细说先哲待人处事、审时 度势之道，成就这一趟传承之旅。精 通中国文化思想的于丹教授以“东方 智慧与现代人生”为题，引经据典，为 听众重点介绍传统思想中的两个主要 思想学派——儒家与道家思想，阐释 如何将传统哲学应用于现代生活和企 业管理上。 成长比成功重要 于丹教授认为，中国儒家所指导 的人与社会的关系，在现代社会仍不 失其意义。 例如，她问了这样一道问题：对 于生活忙碌的现代人来说，在职业责 任、亲友关系和个人生活的冲突之间， 我们应如何取得平衡？于丹教授引用
《论语》说明古人的方法： “吾日三省 吾身：为人谋而不忠乎？与朋友交而不 信乎？传不习乎？”这句话的意思是： 一个人每日可以反省三道问题：在工作 上有没有不尽心的地方？对朋友有没 有不守信的地方？自己学习了吗？其 实，只要对三者都守住一个底线就可 以了。 “人生最重要的不是上线可以做 到多少辉煌，而是底线上我们有所不 为在哪里——有所不为比有所作为更 重要。重要的不是获得多少高精尖的 专业知识，而是常识我们是否都知道 了；重要的不是做成功人士，而是保持 着不断成长的能力——成功只是一个 外在坐标，成长则是不断突破自我、 永不衰老、跟世界融合的能力。” 人在年轻时，未来还有许多可能 性，而不是确定性；但也因为年轻，人 会有许多疑问。那不明白的事情要如 何处理呢？孔子则说： “多闻阙疑，慎 言其余，则寡尤；多见阙殆，慎行其余， 则寡悔。”于丹教授举例解释道：多听 闻就可以解决内心的疑问，对于不明 白的事则谨慎发言，就可以少落埋怨。 但光听别人说还是不足够，因为世界 对每个人是都不一样的，人总要在风 浪里自己多长见识。因此，我们不但要 “多闻”，也要做到“多见 。” 不过，一个人见识得再多也有自 己做不了的事，必须谨慎行动，避免做 后悔事。例如，家族企业成员做不好 的事，就得善用社会资源，请专业经 理人来处理。这就是“慎行其余”的意 思了。 管理学无非是知人 儒家的学说不仅关注修身，也教 导认识和治理社会的方法。 于丹教授： “人无论做出什么选择，都是 一种价值观的选择。”
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于丹教授解释：每个人出生在哪 里、哪个家庭，都是大道决定的。但一 个人出身优越，不代表他就可以傲慢， 还要道德来不断积蓄自己。第三步则 是选择职业：每个人最后长成的模样 都跟行业相关，事业就如一种修行。最 后，一个人做好了准备，也只能等大势 来成全。 “道”和“势”，都是人力无法 决定的；一个人能控制的，只是“德” 和“物”——有没有积蓄德行、选好行 业而已，然后只能等大势来成全。 例如， 《论语》说： “视其所以， 观其所由，察其所安。”这是指了解人 做事的动机、手段和最终目的。要是问 明白这三件事，一个人的人品和能力 也就无所遁形；又说： “举直错诸枉， 能使枉者直。”只要企业委任正直的人 领导团队，下层员工也可以变得正直， 引得风清气正。 于丹教授认为，儒家管理学的重 心在于知人。《论语》道： “君子不可 小知，而可大受也。小人不可大受，而 可小知也。”这说明了一个不善言辞但 内心刚毅忠勇的人，可能不能把话说 得漂亮、不能把小事做到尽善尽美，但 可以坚定不移地为企业坚守业务。君 子不必以小聪明来试探，而可以授予 大责任，因此管理者须得识别每个人 的规格，知道如何用人。 负阴抱阳，成为光明起点 随后，于丹教授也介绍了中国道 家的学说。如果说儒家思想指导的是 人与社会相处的方式，道家思想则教 人理解宇宙规律与自然法则。 《老子》说： “道生一，一生二， 二 生 三，三 生 万 物，万 物 负 阴而 抱 阳。” “道”就是根本规律，永远地存 在。一生二，就出现了阴阳两极的平 衡。二生三，则产生了天、地、人三材。 自人类而下，万物丛生。驳杂的万物再 回到世界的真相——“负阴而抱阳”。 负阴抱阳，意即背负和抵御负能量，拥 抱正能量，让生命生生不息。 不过，在充满阴险的社会中，人 们如何才能遏制各种负面因素，让热
情的人性来到社会后不冷下去呢？于 丹教授就打趣地问： “多年的媳妇熬 成婆后，就要以同样方式对待她的媳 妇吗？”而这是她思考所得的结论： 只有少数的强者才能停止 这种恶性 循环。
“成功只是一个外在坐 标，成长则是不断突破 自我、永不衰老、跟世界 融合的能力。”
——于丹教授
她举了着一个实例：当曼德拉走 出关了他十八年的监狱、当了总统时， 他把当年的狱卒士兵都请来当桌上嘉 宾。当年逼着他服苦役的狱卒都惶惶 然地问他为何能如此宽容，曼德拉答 道： “如果我做不到这一切，我现在就 还关在牢房里。” 她解释： “有太多的人，在有机缘 可以崛起的时候，却把时光用在了计 较和报复上。当你计较过去时，就失去 了未来。” 生命中的可为的与不可为 道家思想其实也可以用于看待 许多事物的生成过程和因素——从个 人、家庭到企业。 《老子》中就有这么 一句话解释万物的化育过程： “道生 之，德蓄之，物形之，势成之。”
有拿起的能力，也要有放下的胸 怀。《老子》说： “生而不有，为而不 恃，长而不宰。”生而不有，就如生下 来的孩子有自己的梦想，不是家长可 以控制的；为而不恃，就像家长不可恃 功，老把自己的功劳拿来对孩子说教； 长而不宰，就如家族的企业做了起来， 成为了社会的有机部分，就得让它按 照市场的规律和方向发展，不能再以个 人意志控制。从家庭到企业， “道”一 以贯之。 刚毅与智慧并蓄 儒家是让人坚强刚毅的内心动 力，道家则教人变通、给予安定内心的 智慧。于丹教授这样比喻： “可以说儒 家是一座山，道家是一道水。没有山的 坚持，就没有办法攻克千难万险，没有 水一样的智慧，就会在硬碰硬中折损 效率。” 演讲的最后，她送给了年轻华商两 句先哲名言： 一、人只能够做他想做的，但不能要他 想要的。 （叔本华语）：人唯一可以与世 界结缘的起点就是身体力行去做，不可 流于妄想。 二、世上只有一种真正的英雄主 义，那就是认清生活的真相后仍然热爱 它。 （罗曼·罗兰语）：一个人开始做事 就会遇到许多挫折，但能够继续热爱生 命而不逃避困难，才是真正知行合一、 英雄主义的体现。 （文\李胜保）
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Chinese Entrepreneurial Spirit
Carrying on the Kwek family trademark Being from the third generation and as the Deputy CEO of City Developments Limited, Sherman Kwek believes that anchoring on core traditional values and orderly succession plans is crucial for the family business to thrive further. Q: As a next-generation member of your family business, could you share your thoughts on succession? What do you think are important aspects/values of growing the family business?
Succession planning is extremely important for any company, be it private or public, and it gives rise to a sustainable enterprise that can execute on its longer term vision and strategy while also adapting to new business conditions and changing with the times. In family businesses, this aspect is even more crucial as it ensures a smooth transition where core values are passed on from the current managers to the next generation. The next generation of younger leaders will thus be able to appreciate the history of the company and have a deep understanding of the business while also being confident enough to inject new ideas and business models. Without understanding the
past, it is hard to create the future. I borrow from the wise saying of the famous Tang emperor Taizong: “以铜为 鉴，可以正衣冠；以史为鉴，可以知兴 替；以人为鉴，可以明得失。” （With bronze as a mirror, one can correct one’s appearance; with history as a mirror, one can understand the rise and fall of a state; with good men as a mirror, one can distinguish right from wrong.” ） However, I feel that many traditional Asian family businesses do not pay enough attention to succession planning. Simply immersing the next generation in the business is insufficient and there must be an orderly, conscientious plan on how to create a smooth transition. The process should start early so as to allow sufficient time for the next generation to learn the ropes. Depending on the size and complexity of the business, this may well span over a decade or even longer. It is also very important for the current generation in power to spend adequate time with the earmarked successors. This is very beneficial for the next generation and helps them to learn at an accelerated pace. In my own situation, I was privileged to have spent a considerable amount of time with two family members who would go on to greatly impact my life and my career. The first was my grandfather, the late Kwek Hong Png, who till today still has a lasting influence on my life. My grandfather was a self-made businessman and the founder of Hong
Leong Group, Singapore. At a tender age of 16, he left his native Fujian province in China to travel by boat to Singapore in search of a better life. He worked as an apprentice in the hardware trade, improved himself through night classes and eventually saved enough to start a general hardware trading firm named Hong Leong, which he subsequently expanded into a conglomerate which now spans across a broad spectrum of industries, including property, hotels, finance, trading and manufacturing. Sadly, he passed away in 1994 and it was a heartbreaking moment in my life. When he was alive, I was still relatively young and therefore he didn’t talk much about the business with me. Instead, he taught me about the importance of having the right principles in life and to always treat others as you would like to be treated. Time and again, I saw him touch many lives and inspire numerous people and this shaped me into the person that I am today. Aside from simply being a good businessman, I realised that it is much more important to be a good person with an honest heart. Another value that he inculcated within me was to give back to society. My grandfather firmly believed in the Chinese idiom “取诸社会，用诸社会” （Give back what you have taken from society）. This was why he set up the Hong Leong Foundation, reflecting our commitment to contribute to society via different areas such as community service, helping the needy, promoting
华商精神
education and enhancing the arts and culture scene. The other person who influenced me greatly on the business front was my father, Kwek Leng Beng, a second generation member of the family business and the current Executive Chairman of the Hong Leong Group, Singapore. His achievements need no elaboration. He is a tough taskmaster and relentless in his pursuit of excellence, and he applied this same expectation not only to me but all the other employees in the company. Ultimately, while all the noble intentions I mentioned above are important, none of them would be possible or relevant unless the company was financially successful and able to stand strong in the face of the competition. Measured against lofty benchmarks, I gradually learnt how to handle pressure, focus on financial objectives and perform to the best of my abilities. At a young age, my father exposed me to different facets of the business. From informal dinner conversations that often had me quietly doing research to better understand the meaning of some of the topics to more formal events like business meetings and networking events, this level of exposure is very beneficial for a young executive’s development. My grandfather and father share common traits – acumen, vision and passion for the business. They worked tirelessly and have strong fighting spirits. Perseverance, determination and hard work are their trademarks. They led the company through various challenges and headwinds, seizing opportunities and emerging stronger than before. They also remained disciplined in their investments and exercised strict stewardship of company funds. I strongly believe these are all important values to have when it comes to leading and growing the family business. As the third generation member of the family business, I feel deeply
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honoured to work in a company that my forefathers had tirelessly built up over so many decades. I endeavour to build upon this legacy and continue to grow the business while also staying anchored in the core values that have enabled our company to flourish.
deep respect for all my seniors at the Chamber, often benefiting from their kind sharing of valuable experience and advice. The current President Thomas Chua has done a superb job at steering the Chamber and ensuring its relevance across multiple generations.
Q: The Chamber has put in much effort to support and engage younger and next-generation entrepreneurs. Why do you think this effort by the Chamber is important? How can the Chamber continue to engage the younger generation?
Currently, the Chamber continues to be at the forefront of representing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), many of which are family businesses, and providing a strong conduit for these SMEs to give feedback to the Singapore government on various policies. The Chamber also has in place a Young Entrepreneurs Network (YEN), which aims to foster networking amongst family businesses and allow the younger generation to share experiences with one other. More recently, the Chamber also embarked on a partnership with PwC to shed more light on succession planning practices within family companies.
As the apex body of the Chinese business community in Singapore, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (“the Chamber”) has played a pivotal role in providing the business community with vast resources and an influential global Chinese business network. It is indeed an invaluable platform for next-generation leaders and young entrepreneurs to learn from senior businessmen who are highly successful in their respective fields. When I was first approached in 2012 by Teo Siong Seng, who was then President of the Chamber, I was very reluctant to stand for elections to be nominated to the Council. My impression of the Chamber then was that of an “old, rich man’s club” and it frankly didn’t hold much appeal. However, through Mr Teo’s patient and invaluable guidance, I eventually had a much better understanding of the Chamber and was also able to witness the transformation that the Chamber was undergoing. I felt very encouraged and saw it not only as a way to network and learn from the immense experience of successful business leaders but also as a form of giving back to society. Reflecting back on the last 3.5 years that I have been privileged enough to be associated with the Council, it was truly a great decision to immerse myself in this environment and I have
Going forward, the Chamber should continue with all its current initiatives as well as find new ways to engage the younger generation. To ensure that young people do not have the same type of misconceptions that I once had, perhaps the Chamber can recruit a greater number of young members and also do more media publicity and promotion, especially through some of the modern online channels and forums. Even the government has embraced this aspect and most Ministers have their own Facebook page, including Prime Minster Lee. As an increasing number of Singaporean firms venture overseas, especially to China, the Chamber’s initiatives such as setting up a second China office in Chongqing and hosting overseas investment seminars will be extremely helpful for next-generation entrepreneurs. These will help them to expand into various markets via strengthening ties with the local government as well as with the private sector in China.
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Chinese Entrepreneurial Spirit
Learning humbly from the ground up Pek Lian Guan, CEO of Tiong Seng Holdings Ltd, emphasises the importance of humility in the process of family business succession.
Q: The Chamber has put in much effort to support and engage younger and next-generation entrepreneurs. Why do you think this effort by the Chamber is important? How can the Chamber continue to engage the younger generation?
For a family business to grow, the family must always put the business first and do what is best for the business. Also, it is important to work hard at building strong familial bonds, so that you can tide across difficulties together.
Q: As a successor of your family business, could you share your thoughts and journey on succession? What do you think are important aspects or values of growing the family business?
Succession wasn’t on the agenda when I joined the family business, it was more of an obligation then! I joined the family business straight out of university on my father’s request. Later on when given the opportunity to run a part of the family’s business interests, I just tried to do the best that I could. Now that I think back, I think succession requires a couple of things. The younger
generation must be willing to learn and to be humble. I used to be out on the construction sites with my father, not speaking a word. I would listen to how my father gave instructions, how the employees received his instructions, and what sort of technical challenges they faced. That gave me a technical grounding on what the construction industry was about, and also the humility to recognise that the family name comes with responsibility. Also, passion for the family business is important. With passion, you will naturally work harder, which is what gains respect from the other employees and family members.
The Chamber has a number of initiatives that are targeted at providing the younger and next-generation of Singapore’s future business leaders with the opportunity to meet successful business owners and entrepreneurs. Furthermore, there is a youth network in place that provides a platform to build friendships and peer networks among the younger generation. These initiatives help to give the younger generation guidance and support as they continue to develop their careers and businesses. As the business world continues to change and as disruption becomes more commonplace, it will be more important than ever for the younger generation to tap on a wider network of contacts and knowledge to tackle the increasingly complex challenges ahead.
商国特写
Trade Association FEATURE
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商团怎样 才能办得更好 德国商团有坚实的财务基础，有对行业的精准认知， 在经济结构调整时，能够准确把握痛点，对症下药。 人常说“团结 就是力量”，这句 话反映了大多数行业协会和商团的信 念。在经济转型的时候，怎样才能让 商团办得更好，发挥更大的作用？9月 23日，总商会在莱佛士会议中心举办 第四届商团大会，共有本地64家商团 将近3 0 0名代表出席，这场活动也是 总商会110周年庆祝活动之一。
专项技术人才，协会颁发的证书受到 社会各界的认可，是企业招聘员工时 的重要参考；
大会论坛由总商会研究与出版委 员会主席/新加坡金钻珠宝商会何乃全 会长主持，本地分享嘉宾是新加坡家 具工业理事会许志恩会长、石油化工 业协会郭锦清会长、纺织服饰商会李 坚辉会长、园林业协会吴永南主席。四 位商团领袖介绍了各自行业遇到的挑 战，以及商团目前正在进行的尝试。现 场还有一位远道而来的朋友，德国总 商会Greater Reutlingen Region会长和 德国电子电机工业协会会长Christian O. Erbe德国的制造业世界闻名，行业 协会力量非常强大，Mr Erbe介绍了德 国商团的运作模式和经验，真是让人 大开眼界。
第 四 点，也 是 本 地 商 团 最 为 羡 慕的一点，就是不缺经费，行业协会 50％的营运收入来自为会员公司提供 的各项服务，另外50％的收入是会员 费，收费标准和会员公司的营业利润 挂钩，多赚多交，少赚少交，而且，一 些中小企业因为利润微薄根本不用交 会费。那些实力强大的龙头企业对行 业发展做了更大的贡献，带动中小企 业一起向前跑，真正实现了同舟共济 的精神。现场有位听众特意提问，会 不会有些企业因为想少交会费而瞒报 收入？Mr Erbe说协会和政府税务部门 合作，对会员公司的盈利能力可以说 是了如指掌。
德国行业协会四大优势 和本地商团相比，德国的行业协 会有四大优势。 首先是政府规定企业必须参加行 业协会，各个协会有足够的人气，用心 把会务办得红红火火； 二是行业协会非常有权威性，他 们提供实用性的职业培训，重点培养
第 三 是 整 合 资 源 ，带 动 行 业 创新，推动行业集群发展，而且在研 发、宣传、会展交流、员工培训等方面 确保创新理念能够落实；
听着德国朋友的介绍，我深有感 触。和新加坡一样，德国的中小企业占 了全国公司总数的99％，德国政府和 行业协会之间分工极为明确，政府负 责的是经济政策等大环境，具体到专 业部分就由行业协会负责。人们常说 德国工人训练有素，行业协会在职业 培训方面功不可没。由于政府强制要 求企业入会，大型企业和中小企业始 终同在一条船上，对整个行业来说，一 荣俱荣，一损俱损，大家团结一致，共
同前进。商团有坚实的财务基础，有 对行业的精准认知，在经济结构调整 时，能够准确把握痛点，对症下药，这 也是德国制造长盛不衰的重要原因。
作者为新加坡中华总商会会长蔡其生。 本文于2016年10月6日首次发表于 《联合早报》SME版专栏《老板生意 经》， 《华商》经《联合早报》的许可 转载。
商会时讯
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Chamber Community
Introducing a new SCCCF University Scholarship Endowment Fund By: Fiona Hu
In conjunction with SCCCI’s 110th Anniversary Celebration, an Inauguration Ceremony for the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce Foundation (SCCCF) University Scholarship Endowment Fund was held during the Chamber’s Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations on September 9. The newly-established Endowment Fund came about after a decision was made to make strategic changes to the scholarship system in a number of areas – to expand the scope of funding, ensure continuity, and open up opportunities for students to gain exposure to the business environment, thereby learning from business leaders.
Essentially, there would be a donation of $6 million from the SCCCF to five local universities, namely National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and the Singapore Institute of Technology. This would be matched with government funds, totalling $15 million. The scholarship is tenable for up to three years of each recipient’s studies. SCCCI President Thomas Chua said in his speech that “after its establishment, the Endowment Fund would be able to support the local universities to groom talent over the long term.”
The Chamber would also explore ways to effectively link up these educational institutions with business needs, giving students more opportunities to participate in the Chamber’s various activities and be guided by business leaders. Ong Ye Kung, Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) and Senior Minister of State for Defence, was present to witness the signing of the agreements with university representatives for the new Endowment Fund.
After the agreement signing of the SCCCF University Scholarship Endowment Fund, all representatives gathered for a group photograph. From left to right: Prof Tan Thiam Soon, President of SIT; Prof Arnoud De Meyer, President of SMU; Prof Lee Sing Kong, Vice President (Alumni & Advancement) of NTU; SCCCI President Thomas Chua; Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung; Prof Tan Eng Chye, Deputy President (Academic Affairs) & Provost of NUS; SCCCI Vice-President Wu Hsioh Kwang; and Prof Thomas Magnanti, President of SUTD.
中国事务
china affairs
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