Douglas Foo steps down from SMF presidency

SINGAPORE Manufacturing Federation (SMF) president Douglas Foo has stepped down from his leadership role at the trade association, The Business Times has learnt. The move is said to have been effective since Feb 25.

Sources said that Ryan Chioh, the current deputy president, will be acting president in the interim until a new president takes office. Chioh is managing director of FarEastFlora.com.

It is not immediately clear why Foo is stepping down. In response to BT queries, SMF said that it would "soon" release a press statement which would also have details of the new president.

Foo, who is chairman of Sakae Holdings, founded the Sakae Sushi chain of restaurants in 1997. He started as a council member at SMF in 2010, and has been the president since 2014.

SMF had previously allowed office bearers to serve for a maximum of three consecutive terms, each spanning a period of 2 years.

But each term was then extended to 3 years, following a constitution amendment in 2019. According to the 2019 Annual General Meeting (AGM) minutes posted on SMF's website, the change was to provide for "continuity in the council and secretariat".

These changes, which were accepted by SMF's members, took effect after the 2020 AGM.

Foo reached the end of his 3-term tenure in 2021, but sought re-election as president that same year. This was met with mixed reactions from some SMF members.

The 2021 AGM, held on Sep 30, included an agenda item on the adoption of certain legal opinions, to the effect that the constitutional change in 2019 meant a "reset" in the number of terms served as president, said a source who is privy to ongoings in the council.

"The adoption of the legal opinions would allow Douglas to be elected as president again in 2021," said the source, who does not wish to be named. "This means that this would be his first term under the new constitution."

Foo was successfully re-elected as president in the 2021 election, which was conducted via the mailing-in of ballots, with voting ending on Aug 27.

But some members expressed disapproval, as prior discussions were not held with council members before the agenda item in question was included in the AGM.

In response, a proxy vote was held on the adoption of the legal opinions and a virtual extraordinary general meeting (EGM) was held to share the results of the voting on Nov 5, 2021. Most were in favour to adopt the legal opinions, and Douglas could remain as president.

A council member to whom BT spoke noted that the EGM was held virtually and the proxy vote was carried out through filling up of proxy forms. Members were not consulted or given a chance to discuss the legal opinion before the vote, said the source.

The source added that since the last EGM, at least 3 council members have left SMF: 2 in December 2021, and one in January 2022.

Read more:

• MTI and ESG 'aware of recent developments' at Singapore Manufacturing Federation
• SMF leadership had planned to remove Board of Governors: sources
• BT Explains: What does the Singapore Manufacturing Federation do, and why is it important