CHEMICAL Industries (Far East) is one of the "lost" stocks on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) mainboard. It has a reasonably good core business in industrial chemicals and a few valuable properties. But the company and its management do not seem to know how to maximise value for shareholders.

I have been a shareholder of the company for many years and have known it since the days I was a reporter in The Business Times and covered listed companies. The company has been undervalued all this time, so much so that one could say it is a value trap. That means good value trapped in an endless time warp. There are a few pressing issues the board of directors would be wise to take a good look at and act on or impose upon management to work on.

I intend to attend the forthcoming AGM and raise the above issues. It would be good if more shareholders could attend and ask these and other questions they may have. Chemical Industries needs to be awakened from its long slumber and there is no better occasion than the annual meeting of stakeholders. The company should provide a good venue and adequate time for the AGM.