MTI and ESG 'aware of recent developments' at Singapore Manufacturing Federation

THE Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) are aware of the recent developments at Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF), which saw the stepping down of Douglas Foo, who had been president since 2014, they said in a joint statement on Friday (Mar 11).

MTI and ESG said that recent matters were brought to their attention by SMF members.

"Both MTI and ESG will work closely with the SMF leadership to ensure that the Federation can continue to focus on serving their members and stakeholders, and be a strong champion for Singapore's manufacturing sector," the statement noted.

They reiterated that SMF, as industry representatives, is a key partner of the government.

"We look forward to working with SMF's new president and leadership team on programmes and initiatives for the benefit of the manufacturing industry," the statement added.

Asked if SMF could face any penalties or enforcement action in view of recent developments, MTI and ESG declined to provide further comments.

Sources told The Business Times that Ryan Chioh, who is now deputy president, will be acting president in the interim until a new president takes office.

Apart from the stepping down of Foo, SMF also made headlines when its leadership tried to remove the Board of Governors (BOG) at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on Mar 1. The EGM was eventually cancelled at the same time as when Foo announced his departure from SMF, on Feb 25.

The current BOG members are former Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo; managing director of Amoy Canning Corporation George Huang; and executive chairman of the Excellent Family Lifestyle Group Robert Chua.

The SMF is a major trade association, and is among the 12 constituent members of the Singapore Business Federation.

Since 1932, it has represented the interests of Singapore's manufacturing and manufacturing-related industries - one of the Republic's key economic engines.

READ MORE:

• BT Explains: What does the Singapore Manufacturing Federation do, and why is it important?
• Douglas Foo steps down from SMF presidency
• SMF leadership had planned to remove Board of Governors: sources