Striking a balance in market regulation

WITH 740 companies worth close to S$980 billion as at July, listed companies form the backbone of Singapore's economy and financial industry.

In recent weeks, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo) announced proposed initiatives to improve enforcement and raise standards of financial institutions.

MAS released a consultation paper on requirements on control against market abuses such as market manipulation and insider trading.

Episodes like the 2013 penny stock crash which wiped out S$8 billion, in what the authorities called the "largest market manipulation case in Singapore's history", should never be repeated. The saga saw three individu…