JUL-AUG 2020 BUSINESS:
Danish webinar on Covid-19 impact
ENVIRONMENT:
Nordics and Waste4Change cooperation
DOCUMENTARY:
Danish ship escaping Singapore 1942 sunk by Japanese destroyers
Danish man wins lawsuit
against Thai wife
for not sharing assets
Realise your ambitions in Asia.
Being the leading Nordic bank in Singapore we understand the unique challenges you face when living and investing in Asia. As your partner, we will use our decades of experience in the region to help you achieve your goals.
Contact us at singapore@seb.sg
Care for ambition
July-August 2020
ScandAsia Stories
22 Nordics and Waste4Change
9 Denmark warns against visiting Hong Kong 10 Norway helps fight marine trash in South East Asia 11 Cambodia has “opened up” 12 Sven Dokkedal passed away
14 Dane won lawsuit against wife for not sharing assets
9 28 Japanese tragic sinking of Danish ship in 1942
10
11
40 Nordic ideal of rules-based world order threatened by China
12 36
Irma Ylikangas explains Helsinki Business Hub offer 4 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
Editorial
The ‘threat from China’
I
n a way, the article at the very back of this issue of ScandAsia is the most important. It deals with how China and Russia is a threat to the rule-of-law based world order which has kept peace in Europe - and largely also in Asia - since the Second World War ended in 1945. The second most impor tant news might be the warning issued by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Denmark to check your social media record if you plan to visit Hong Kong. Now that the new “security” law is in place, foreigners are not immune to arrests and imprisonment by the regime. In fact, foreigners never were, as Sweden can testify in the case of Gui Minhai.
I would therefore like to comment on the threats that the Nordic repor t describes against the Nordic countries. The repor t uses throughout the repor t the word “China” and “Chinese”, where it in my mind should in many cases rather have used the words “Communist Par ty of China”. It is impor tant to keep in mind and in par ticular for politicians in the Nordic countries for whom China used to be a country far away. I would encourage readers to read the repor t there is a download link at the end of the article - and tell me what you think.
As a foreigner living in Thailand I am privileged to have frequent contact with Chinese visitors here and we often spend hours discussing the political situation in the world. It is reassuring to experience first hand that not all Chinese agree with the ruling Communist Party of China.
Have a great summer - stay safe!
Gregers Moller Editor in Chief
ScandAsia is a printed magazine and online media covering the people and businesses of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland living and working in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.
Who should subscribe:
ScandAsia subscribers are typically Nordic expats and companies from the Nordic countries living in and active in Asia. Another group of subscribers are Nordic people living in the Nordic countries who subscribe to ScandAsia for personal or business reasons. We also have many Asian subscribers, who for a wide range of reasons are following the activities of the Nordic expats and companies via a subscription to ScandAsia.
6 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
The ScandAsia magazine is produced every month and distributed to all print version subscribers via postal services and to all eMagazine subscribers via email. Subscribing to the eMagazine is FREE - simply sign up on the ScandAsia.com website.
Publisher : Scandinavian Publishing Co., Ltd. 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8 Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com
Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com MB: +66 81 866 2577
Become a ScandAsia user/ get free digital ScandAsia magazine or paid subscription via www.scandasia.com!
Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com
Production Manager: Sopida Yatprom
Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com
Printing : Thanathorn Print and Packaging Part., Ltd.
A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY
Our Year 3 and 4 students take advantage of the closed canopy forest on the school campus. Learning in the Outdoor Classroom is one of the many ways our progressive British curriculum engages students in real life learning. Highly trained and accredited teachers facilitate children’s love of learning and lifetime educational journeys.
Learning in the Outdoor Classroom
admissions@patana.ac.th www.patana.ac.th Tel: 02 785 2200 Bangkok Patana is a not-for-profit IB World School accredited by2020 CIS• ScandAsia July-August
7
News brief
Norway opens borders for most European countries
T
he Norwegian Ministr y of Foreign Affairs announced on 10 July 2020 their borders are going to reopening to cer tain countries from 15 July 2020. As well as additional advice that traveling should be well thought out as Covid-19 situation is still unpredictable globally. The statement said: The Ministr y of Foreign Affairs is introducing new exceptions to the travel advice against non-essential travel to all countries. The new exceptions apply to individual countries in the Schengen area/EEA from 15 July. From 15 June, exceptions to the travel advice were introduced for Nordic countries and regions. From 15 July, the Ministry’s travel advice against non-essential travel in all countries will no longer apply to the following Nordic countries and regions and countries in the Schengen area/EEA: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Færoe Islands, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, as well as the regions of Blekinge, Kronoberg and Skåne in Sweden. The exceptions apply to countries and regions that satisfy the criteria for infection levels set by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The countries in the Schengen area/EEA where the travel advice against all non-essential travel still apply are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and parts of Sweden (see above). The Institute of Public Health will in principle update the list of countries and regions that satisfy the
8 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
The amazing via Ferrata over Loen fjord in Norway
criteria set for infection levels every two weeks. More information is available on the website of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is maintaining its global advice against non-essential travel to all countries not included in the exceptions. This travel advice currently applies until 20 August. The exceptions to the travel advice should not be taken as encouragement to travel. Ever yone should consider all the potential ramifications before they travel. Those planning to travel abroad must make sure they know what restrictions and infection control rules apply in the country they are visiting. The spread of infection in Europe
is still very difficult to predict and can shift very quickly. Each individual must think carefully about whether their intended travel is necessar y. The measures and restrictions in each country may differ widely and may be more comprehensive than Norwegian infection control rules. Those who choose to travel abroad should have a valid passport and travel insurance. As always, the Ministry encourages all Norwegian citizens travelling abroad to register their trips using the travel information portal reiseregistrering.no. More information is available on the government website.
News brief
Danish Foreign Ministry warns against visiting Hong Kong
T
he Foreign Ministry of Denmark updated their travel guide for China on 8 July 2020 with the purpose to warn Danes either residing in Hong Kong or Danes who wishes to travel to
Hong Kong. The Danish Foreign Ministr y warns in their guide that a new national security law in Hong Kong has been passed 30 July 2020 with immediate effect. People, who are
residing in Hong Kong or has travelled to Hong Kong, can get arrested if they are suspected to be accomplices in activities on social media (both in and out of Hong Kong) that is declared a risk and threat to the national safety of Hong Kong. Foreigners are not excluded from this law and can risk to be arrested, imprisoned and punished – and in worst case, a life sentence in prison. The Foreign Ministry of Denmark therefore emphasizes in the travel guide that if a person wishes to travel to Hong Kong, they should consider if they have participated in activities that would compromise the trip.
Singapore, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland among most powerful passports
S
ingapore and the Scandinavian countries have some of the most powerful passpor ts in the world according to the latest ranking by the Henley Passport Index. The Henley Passport Index releases annually a ranking of the most powerful passpor ts in the world, based on how many destinations the holder can enter without a visa. Citizens with a Singaporean passpor t holds the second most powerful passport in the world as they can travel to 190 destinations without a Visa. Finland follows closely on 4th place as Finns can travel visa-free to 188 destinations. On 5th place is the Danish passpor t with 187 visa-free destinations. Sweden
is not far behind on 6th place with 186 destinations. Norway is right after with 185 visa-free destinations. Then there is a jump to 14th place where the Malaysian passport allows its holders to enter 178 destinations visa-free. On 19th place ranks Hong Kong with 180 destinations. The Taiwanese passport ranks as the 33rd most powerful passport with 146 destinations. Thai people hold the 66th most powerful passport in the world as they can travel with a visa to 78 destinations. Not much behind ranks China on 70th place as its holders can enter 74 countries visa-free. On 73rd place ranks the Indonesian passpor t with 71 visa-free destinations. The Philippines ranks 76th
with 67 destinations. Vietnam and Cambodia share a joint 89th ranking as both passports allow its holders to enter 54 destinations visa-free. Four ranks lower places the Lao passport as it only allows its holders to enter 50 countries without a visa. The least powerful passpor t in South East Asia is the passport from Myanmar. This passport allows its holders to enter 47 countries visa-free. To find out what countries your passport allows you to enter visa-free, click on the link below and choose your country on the map. Source: The Henley Passpor t Index July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 9
News brief
Norway to help Vietnam,Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines tackle waste and pollution
T
he Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) announced on 8 June 2020 that the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) would fund two environment-projects. The projects will tackle waste and plastic pollution – both at land and sea. “Plastic is destroying marine life and polluting our ear th. Tackling plastic pollution will take a joint response across nations with innovations that engage governments, citizens and businesses at local, national, regional and global levels,”
said Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam. The intention of the first project dubbed ‘Scaling Up a Socialized Model of Domestic Waste and Plastic Management in Five Cities’ (DWP5C), is to develop models that will help five cities in their local management of waste and plastic. Because the project is locally based, the project will collaborate with local organizations such as the Farmer’s Union and Women’s Union to increase the segregation of waste, recycling and composting, repor ts the Vietnamese daily Nhan Dan. Project DWP5C will also collaborate with local businesses to promote a circular economy businessapproach and investment in green technology. The second project, ‘Ending Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge’ (EPPIC) aims to tackle plastic pollution problems in coastal areas of Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, reports Nhan Dan.
The project is carried by applicants who propose innovative solutions to clean up coastal areas. The first “challenge” will take place at the popular tourist destinations of Ha Long Bay in Vietnam and Koh Samui in Thailand. “As coastal nations, Norway and Vietnam under stand better than anyone else the importance of oceans to our economy. Marine litter is one of the world’s fast-growing environmental concerns. Norway is actively raising this issue in many global and regional forums, including the UN and ASEAN,” said Grete Lochen, the Norwegian Ambassador in Vietnam. “We are very eager to cooperate with Vietnam and UNDP to tackle the marine litter challenge through these two projects. We believe that global challenges require global solutions and a joint effort,” added the Norwegian Ambassador. Source; Nhan Dan
EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement will enter into force on 1 August 2020
V
ietnam’s Council of Ministers has approved the EU-Vietnam trade and investment agreements. The agreement is set to bring unprecedented benefits for European and Vietnamese companies, consumers and workers, while promoting respect for labour rights, environmental protection and the fight against climate change under the Paris Agreement. The tr ade agreement will eliminate nearly all customs duties on goods traded between the two sides in a progressive way that fully 10 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
respects Vietnam’s development needs. The agreement also contains specific provisions to remove technical obstacles, such as those in the car sector, and will ensure that 169 traditional European food and drink products recognised as Geographical Indications are protected in Vietnam.Thanks to the agreement, EU companies will also be able to participate in bids for procurement tenders in Vietnam on an equal footing with domestic companies. Following the endorsement by the Council, the agreements will be
signed by the EU and Vietnam and presented to the European Parliament for consent. Once the European Parliament has given its consent, the trade agreement can be officially concluded by the Council and enter into force, while the investment protection agreement will first need to be ratified by Member States according to their respective internal procedures. The Free Trade Agreement will enter into force on 1 August 2020.
Cambodia reopens to tourism – if you pay 3000 USD in deposit
News brief
C
ambodia opened up to tourism again on 11 June 2020 with additional US$ 3000 deposit policy upon arrival for travelers. According to Cambodia’s health ministry the new policy applies like this: 1. The deposit must be paid in cash or by credit card upon arrival. 2. A mandatory test would also be conducted on arrival at a cost of $165, to be deducted from your deposit. This covers also three meals and a night in a hotel while you wait 24 hours for the results. If one person on a flight tests positive, all other passengers will have to be quarantine for 14 days at a cost of $1,280 per person (covering accommodation, meals, laundry and medical services).
For every passenger who tests positive, each night spent in hospital will cost $330. As the total expense will exceed $3,000, visitors must also provide proof of valid health insurance valued at a minimum of $50,000 to cover any additional
costs. The ministry also notes that if a visitor to the country were to die from Covid-19, $1,500 would be deducted from the deposit or claimed from insurance.
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 11
News brief
Asia dominates top 100 list of best universities worldwide
U
niver sities in Singapore , China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan take several top spots in the newly published list of the best universities in the world. Only two Scandinavian universities University of Copenhagen and Lund University - made it into the top 100. The list is made and published by the site Top Universities.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) both moved up on the list.
After a few US and UK universities, we find two universities in Singapore. The National University of Singapore makes the list as the 11th best university in the world and the Nanyan Technological University ranks 13th. On 15th place ranks the Chinese university of Tsinghua. The fourth best university in Asia is the University of Hong Kong, that ranks 22nd on the worldwide list. The Hong Kong University is closely followed by Peking University in China as 23rd. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology shares a joint 27th place with the University of Manchester. The 34th best university in the world is the Chinese Fudan University. 13 spots lower on the list is the Shanghai Jiao Tong University who ranks 47th. The City University of Hong Kong is following on 48th place. The Zhejiang University in China ranks 53rd on the list. On 59th place is the Malaysian University Malaya. Seven spots lower ranks the National Taiwan University on a joint 66th place with the University of
Buenos Aires. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University ranks as the 75th best university in the world and is the last Asian university in the top 100. Right after ranks the Danish University of Copenhagen on 76th place. On 97th place ranks the Swedish Lund University as the second and last Scandinavian in the top 100 list. The Finnish University of Helsinki ranks 104th, while University of Oslo in Norway ranks 113th. The Thai Chulalongkorn University ranks 208th. The University of Gadjah Mada in Indonesia is the 254th best university in the world. The Filipino University of the Philippines lands a joint 396th place with the Chinese Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The Vietnamese National Universities in Ho Chi Minh City- and Hanoi are both ranked in the combined sub-group 801-1000 – the last group possible. Univer sities in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos didn’t make the list. Source: Top Universities
Sven Dokkedal has passed away
S
ven Dokkedal, an independent Danish tour guide in Hua Hin, passed away in a traffic accident Thursday night, 2 July 2020, 57 years old. According to reports from his friends, he was hit from behind by a minibus while riding a motorcycle. Sven Dokkedal was a ver y popular tourist guide for countless Danes visiting Hua Hin over the past 15 years. He was also a popular member of the Danish expatriate community in Hua Hin. On
12 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
Facebook, many friends and Danish tourists, whom he introduced to Thailand through his agency “Din Guide I Thailand”, have sent their condolences. Sven Dokkedal was cremated on July 9, 2020 at Wat Hua Hin Temple. The cremation was preceded with a small memorial ceremony for friends and acquaintances. Later, when traveling from Denmark is possible, his mother and sister will join spreading his ashes at sea off the coast of Hua Hin.
News brief
Nokia, Ericsson chosen to build 5G network for Singapore
S
ingapore Telecommunications (Singtel) announced on 24 June 2020, it is in talks with Sweden’s Ericsson regarding the equipment providing for its 5G and localized networks. Meanwhile, the Starhub and M1 joint venture confirmed its selection of Finland’s Nokia as the favored tech partner to build its 5G network. Even though Chinese tech giant Huawei wasn’t selected as the main partner in constructing Singapore’s main 5G networks, it could be included in building the broader ecosystem at a reduced capacity. Singapore’s communication Minister said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on 25 June “We never explicitly excluded any
Singtel, Starhub and M1 will be required to provide 5G coverage of at least half of Singapore by end-2022. vendor,” adding that the city-state has very clear security and resilience requirements. On 29 April 2020, the Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced that Singtel and the joint venture between StarHub and M1 as the two winners of its 5G Call for Proposal.
The winners will roll out Standalone (SA) networks from January 2021, and will be required to provide coverage for at least half of Singapore by end-2022. According to the plan, Singapore is expecting to operate a full nationwide 5G coverage by the end of 2025.
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 13
Report
Danish man wins lawsuit against Thai wife for not sharing assets
The Danish man (left) together with his friend and Thai wife in front of the Buriram Provincial Court on Wednesday 24 June 2020. (Photo: Gregers Moller) 14 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
The Provincial Court in Buriram brokered on Wednesday 24 June 2020 a deal between a Danish man and his former Thai partner who had denied him any return of the roughly 5 mill. baht, he had invested in a house they had built together and a car, they had bought in her name. By Gregers Moller
T
he cour t ruled, that the Thai woman should transfer the car, a Honda CRV bought for 1.7 mill. baht, to the Dane. The woman had initially claimed, that the car was a gift of affection and so was the house and since it was all in her name and they were not married, he had no right to any of her assets. That was not how the judge saw it. According to her, the hearing on Tuesday in the court made it clear that the couple had entered a common law marriage and lived together as husband and wife - although not for very long. He had transferred the funds to her bank account in steps that corresponded to the steps in payment for the car and the building phases of the house. The judge also explained, that since the house was built on land that belonged to the Thai woman’s mother, the only alternative to a compromise would be to tear down the house and sell the used building material and sell the car and split the money - since the Danish man was entitled to 50 percent of the shared assets of the relationship. That would give him half of approximately 900.000 baht. The judge made no room for doubt that if the Thai woman should decide not to accept her suggestion, then she would rule in favour of the Danish man. Leaving the car to him and keep the house was a better alternative for both, she proposed.
It took the accused - the former partner - surprisingly long tome to make up her mind if she preferred to continue to fight for her claim, that it was all a gift, or accept the deal offered. Eventually, she declared in tears that if the Dane would not come back and live with her, which she had hoped for, then it was OK that he got the car. The courts ruling - which was brokered into a deal before it actually became a ruling - is a significant break from the popular belief among both Thai women and foreigners in Thailand, that if the marriage has not been properly registered, then the Thai woman can walk away as the owner all of the couple’s assets registered in her name in case the relationship should break up. The relationship started in December 2018, when the Danish man visited Thailand for the first time after his wife had passed away. He met the Thai woman in Hua Hin, which he visited together with another Danish man and his Thai wife. She was working in a bar there and he liked her. After a few days of seeing her every day, he bought her out of the bar for a full week and together they went to Kanchanaburi where his friend went up to play golf.
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 15
Winding down afterwards at the Tulip Boutique Hotel Buriram. Attorney, Mr. Wisith Boonoe (right) commented: “Not all judges are equally hardworking.” Photo: Gregers Moller) After that, he went back to Denmark only to return a month and a half later. This time, his girlfriend took him up to see her mother in Buriram and he stayed for a full three months. Between the spring of 2019 and February 2020 when the relationship ended, the Danish man transferred a total of 5,7 mill Baht from his bank account to hers in the belief, that they would live together similar to what he saw his friend did with his Thai wife. The car cost 1.7 mill baht.The house around 3 mill. baht.To keep her from going back to the bar to work, he sent her 25.000 baht every month. And then there was the debt of the Thai woman’s mother of 200.000 baht, which he also agreed to help pay. The bank statements left no doubt of the amount of money, but the Thai woman’s lawyer insisted, it was paid as a gift of affection even the court was presented with evidence of the payments of expenses which correlated to the money transferred. The breakup happened in the wake of a lavish house warming party which the Danish man had questioned the necessity of. The party lasted a day, included a stage with live music and female dancers and was attended by around 250 - 300 guests. In the following days he was given the cold shoulder. Then he noticed that all the leftover building material was being moved over to 16 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
his wife’s mothers house and used to build a wall there. When he asked who paid for that, the thin ice broke. He was told he could just move out because this was her house. And he could not take the car as it was her car. At first he called his friend who lived around 50 km away and asked if he could come and stay with them for a few day. They helped him with practical details and drove him to the provincial police to formerly register a complaint against the Thai woman. The first court case, which the lawyer of his friend and his wife raised for him, was to claim the car as his. When the lawyer of the woman denied him that, the Danish man’s lawyer withdrew the case and started a new case claiming full separation of the home, asking for 50 percent of the 5.7 mill. Baht the Dane had transferred over time, plus interest since the breakup. Winning that case could set a significant precedence for similar cases where the judge accepts that the intention of the paying foreigner was to live together as husband and wife with the Thai person and therefore could reasonably claim to have been cheated into buying the shared assets and register them in the name of the Thai national.
Your Move. Our World. - Moving Services - Relocation Services - Visa & Immigration - Home Search - School Search - Orientation
www.asiantigersgroup.com July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 17
Business
Covid-19 business impact on Southeast Asia: Danish business webinar report
Dorte Bech Vizard, Danish Ambassador to Singapore
By Joakim Persson
T
he Confederation of Danish Industry held the webinar ‘Markets in the shadow of Covid-19’ with input from the Danish missions in Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and for some 150 attendants. Sharing her update and report on the impact from the Covid-19 disease Chairman of the Trade Council in South East Asia Dorte Bech Vizard, Danish Ambassador to Singapore, informed about Singapore’s ‘Circuit Breaker’ lockdown, which had been extended due to imported cases and a big spread among migrant labour communities. “The government is confident to start signalling that the economy will open up before too long. And that is very good news indeed,” said the Ambassador. The opening up of Singapore will happen slowly and gradually. Pharmaceutical, petrochemical and logistics, especially in maritime sector will be first in line. Tourism will come last as the opening of the border will be with a gradual and cautious approach. “A big bang opening I do not see any time soon, and I don’t think Europe will be first on the list,” continued Dorte Bech Vizard. 18 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
Meanwhile in Vietnam the handling of the Covid-19 crisis is seen, at least statistically, as one of the best in the world. The backbone of the Vietnamese strategy has been to avoid that it enters Vietnam at all and by early May there had been less than 300 cases and zero deaths. “When you put that in relation to the population here, which is around 97 million, it is quite astonishing. Vietnam has a physical border with China, one of the biggest partners when it comes to trade and investment. And there are lots of Chinese tourists coming etc. But the general evaluation, also among foreigners, including the WHO, the US, France and Germany that follow the development very closely say that there’s no intentional cooked numbers,” said H.E Kim Højlund Christensen, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam. “Of course there might be some Covid-19 cases in the society that are not registered,” he added. Vietnam only was under semi-lockdown during a brief period in April. However, over 130,000 people have so far been in quarantine. The reason behind the chosen path is that Vietnam’s health system would not be able to cope with any major community spread of a disease like this one. Kim Højlund Christensen also pointed to that Vietnam has some very valuable experience from previous virus spreads, not least from SARS, back in 2003. Therefore Vietnam closed its border with China already in late January, and gradually stopped all flights between the two countries. “We are in a situation now where all international flights have stopped and it’s not known when these will be taken up again. People entering Vietnam will have to go into two weeks quarantine. The civil aviation authority has not yet given the green light,” explained the ambassador. In Thailand the spread of Covid-19 has so far also been kept low. “The key takeaway is that the curve has stabilised and flattened out, according to WHO. More than 92 % of all cases, almost 3,000, have recovered,” Chargé d’Affaires Anders Lønstrup, Danish Embassy in Thailand reported. “The optimism in terms of the corona virus curve
relates to the consistent low number of cases, low transmissions and good treatment. And Thailand has a wellfunctioning healthcare system. We have seen the government prioritising testing of more vulnerable groups, most importantly migrant workers,” he continued. Thailand is seeing a re-opening in phases where the government will reassess every 14 days about the progress. “We hope to see further opening gradually.”
Singapore: trends will remain the same
The Danish Ambassador to Singapore informed that the upcoming general elections will likely take place within 2-6 months, as the government will want to reap the benefits from the points in popularity it has won during the Covid-19 crisis so far.There is large acceptance of the government’s approach, also sweetened by very generous packages that have been put in place. The economy is however hard hit, with a projected loss of between 1 - 4 percent in GDP in 2020. “But I think that is probably optimistic when you compare to private sector forecasts of a minus growth of up to 8 per cent. We can for sure expect a deep and protracted recession in Singapore, their far worst since independence and far worse than during the financial crisis in 2008,” said Dorte Bech Vizard. However, Singapore has very deep fiscal resources and has not needed to borrow any money to put in place the stimulus packages. Job losses could negatively impact work opportunities for foreigners in Singapore. “It will be an election theme in Singapore so we will see some tightening around how many foreigners should be here. It’s an area where there has always been some divide between the government’s approach and the general population. The government’s very rational view is that economic growth is not possible without attracting foreign talent and having foreigners as part of their work force both at the low wage and at the high end levels,” explained the ambassador. “It has also some spill-over effect to the high-end wage earners here; many Singaporeans in mid manage-
The WHO, the US, France and Germany that follow the development very closely say that there’s no intentional cooked numbers
ment level feel that many foreigners are here on better packages or higher salaries than them.” “Looking ahead more long-term I believe that the trends we witnessed before the outbreak will be the ones to look out for also after,” continued Dorte Bech Vizard. “Sometimes it becomes a platitude that we don’t put much stock in but we can see clearer and clearer that this is Asia’s Century. Asia now has half of the world’s GDP in Purchasing power parity and we are seeing a great rise of an affluent and young middle class.” The recovery post Covid-19 will include setbacks from some countries but those with the right policies and place, and less protectionism, will come out as winners. “Growth will pick up in Asia and will be driven by a shift from foreign investment and production for export to a more domestic consumption and to infrastructure development.” July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 19
It will be an election theme in Singapore so we will see some tightening around how many foreigners should be here
Another trend is to look at value chains with news eyes, taking into account rising costs, more political risk because of the conflict between China and the US and new trade barriers as consequence of that. “Covid-19 adds more uncertainty to the political landscape and will accelerate this development. So we will see supply and transportation value chains become more flexible, more distributed and more nimble.” “I think we will see a lot of production facilities and strategic manufacturing operations moving towards Southeast Asia. This had already started before Covid-19 and we’re seeing it accelerating now.The national interest in certain industries will blossom up so countries will be focusing heavily on having supply security in new ways and not just focus on the lowest cost in the future.” In addition to mentioning the growth of digital business and fintech (where Denmark is really engaged with Singapore) the ambassador also pointed to that the green transition will not be scaled back in Singapore, and that they have the resources to continue regardless of the crisis. They also stand by several plans within the water sector.
Vietnam: EU Free Trade Agreement
In Vietnam growth in GDP is still expected for 2020 of between 2-3 per cent (compared to 7 per cent in past two years). Kim Højlund Christensen informed that Vietnam is mainly supplying some liquidity to the companies, as well as covering salary payments to laid-off workers for a three-month period. “But the government aid packages will be what will save the economy,” the ambassador said and continued: “International tourism is severely hit and of course that is a problem when it forms a large part of the 10-15 per cent of GDP generated from tourism in general. So 20 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
Vietnam is now trying to encourage Vietnamese to have vacation at home.” “Import and export activities are still possible and have been all along with a few if any restrictions. It is expected that Vietnam will ratify the EU-Vietnam FTA very soon and all formalities on the EU side have already been taken care of. “ “International surveys have shown that the Vietnamese are among the most positive regarding a quick economic recovery after the Covid 19 crisis. 80 per cent in one of the polls actually believe that. I also hope of course that Vietnam will recover very fast, but like in Denmark and other places we are dependent on that we can get the right input to our companies and that there are also markets at the other end for our outputs and our end products. But given the circumstances there is no doubt that Vietnam is doing well and has performed well so far.” Denmark has identified the green economy as among the most import sectors, where the demand for more energy will increase by 10 per cent annually in the coming years. It is estimated that Vietnam will lack 10 – 20 billion kilowatts annually due to short supply. It will create great opportunities for renewable energy, which is relatively underdeveloped in this country. “Also in the general urbanisation process Vietnam has a huge demand for other solutions in green growth areas such as water, waste, air quality, infrastructure, energy efficiency etc. already in the next few years and in the next decade. And there is a big wish for cleaner air in the big cities, and that cannot be ignored any longer.” The healthcare sector is set to increase from around US 15.5 billion in 2018 to around 43 billion in 2028, where spending will triple in the next decade. ICT, is also a special focus area for the Vietnamese government, where there are business opportunities in various areas such as
The national interest in certain industries will blossom up so countries will be focusing heavily on having supply security in new ways Kim Højlund Christensen, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam data centres, smart cities, smart traffic systems, fintech, and cyber security. Once the FTA is in place the food sector is among those that will most reduction in tariffs. Some Vietnamese production facilities will need some upgrading to cater for the European market and that could be an area of interest to Danish exporters, also including pork farming. So, also in that area we see a lot of opportunity for Danish suppliers of equipment.” The Danish embassy is looking forward to 2021 as a very special year: “It will be the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Vietnam. We will celebrate that with a number of high-level events.”
Thailand: foreign investment remains high priority
The estimates by both IFM and Thailand’s national bank are that the country is expected to go into a recession in 2020, with a contraction of minimum 6.7% of GDP. “Covid-19 has dramatically changed the economy, including the fiscal and political situation for Thailand in the near term. However, we have an economy in Thailand that is overall strong; it’s robust due to its strong credit merits built up over the years,” said Chargé d’Affaires Anders Lønstrup. “Tourism accounts for 12 % of GDP and therefore it is quite a tough time in Thailand not least because of the informal sector, and for SMEs.” “Also, the crisis has worsened the inequality in Thailand, which has always been significant and given that SMEs and family businesses are hit the most we see a very negative impact on the 50 per cent bottom work force in Thailand, which was already vulnerable before.” “The good version is that Thailand for better or worse always seem to manage and pull it through. It is
an impressive country when it comes to production and their focus and ambition. So we are quite optimistic from our side.” “Most Danish companies have an optimistic view. In addition, it remains a high priority for the Thai government to attract new foreign companies to come to Thailand and make sure that they stay on,” said Head of Trade Peter Sand. More than 100 Danish companies are established in Thailand and the export from Denmark doubled from 2015 to 2019 (DKK 3.5 billion). “The comprehensive value creation by the many companies in Thailand comes on top. Denmark remains a significant investor in Thailand. By the end of 2018 the total amount of direct investment into Thailand amounted to approximately DKK 4 billion.” Peter Sand highlighted six structural issues of relevance to businesses: The retail sector has been hit severely. Manufacturing and supply chain interruptions have been seen. Transport and logistics: a decline in activity is expected later this year. Many investors are seeing a risk of running out of liquidity. Transfer from head office of money may not be possible if they face a similar problem back home. Investment: they are delaying planned business expansions or do not plan for new investments for now. There is a risk that layoff of some employees cannot be avoided. A few investment opportunities were highlighted: Thailand depends on energy and securing proper environmental solutions and coping with water (flooding risk remains a serious issue). “There’s a need for management of water resources, where Danish companies can indeed chip in.” “Energy efficiency in buildings poses a huge potential; mainly for hotels and malls. Many Danish companies have the chance to offer their solutions in that field.” July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 21
Environment
Jakarta slum. Photo Jonathan McIntosh.
The Nordics and Waste 4 Change mobilise to solve Indonesia’s waste crisis, promote circular economy By Joakim Persson
I
ndonesia’s challenges relating to waste are immense, while this sector also constitutes very promising business opportunities - not least for the Nordic countries.There are huge needs for things to be done. And while the country’s waste situation is so dire, it is mainly thanks to some private sector initiatives that efforts to actually address the problem and pave the way for solutions can be seen. It is meanwhile encouraging that Indonesia has started to embrace circular economy while grappling with its mounting waste. 22 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are all positioning themselves as providers of solutions, with highly interesting initiatives in order to take pole position, and of course to help Indonesia hands-on in the fight against environmental degradation. Several of the Nordic countries have also engaged with Waste4Change (W4C), a social enterprise which offers waste management services with an environmental friendly and responsible approach towards a zero-waste Indonesia. Waste4change, along with some of the Nordic em-
bassies in Indonesia, share further insights into the waste topic and on their joint effor ts to increase attention around the numerous methods and available solutions to deal with what is a big waste crisis not only for Indonesia but also for the world. Mr Mohamad Bijaksana Junerosano started W4C on the basis that that many people are desperate to do better for their waste, especially when it comes to segregation. Many of them are willing and already segregate the waste, but they find it useless as the waste collector ends up mixing it back together again. The solution must be responsible waste management, offered by W4C as 100% holistic, end-to-end waste management for companies, buildings, and businesses to reduce the number of waste that piles up in the landfill. Their service ensures that all waste will be managed responsibly and with no waste is transported to the landfill. Indonesia currently produces nearly 200,000 tonnes of rubbish a day and its landfills are running out of space. “We consult and campaign on the issue of waste management to the private sector, government agencies and communities alike, while at the same time we collect waste and create value out of it from our clients (the 4 Cs of W4C). Our work strives towards implementing circular economy in Indonesia to give bigger impact to the society and environment,” informs researcher Adhitya Prayoga. The Embassy of Sweden in Jakarta has been implementing W4C’s Zero-Waste to Landfill (ZWTL) waste management service for its office since 2018. All the waste from the embassy office and residence in Jakarta office is thus being collected and responsibly managed. The Finnish and Norwegian Embassies are also customers. “The Embassy of Sweden, just like other embassies and offices we serve in Jakarta, are our clients. As with any other client, we first conduct training to the staff so that they understand how and what to segregate. We then collect the waste responsibly (keep the waste segregated) to our material recovery facility (MRF). In our MRF, we segregate in more detail and collect data from the waste. This data is reported to the client, who gets information on the composition and characteristics of their waste, as well as the segregation performance of their staff. We then give tips on how to segregate better. The report is given monthly and clients are paying based on the volume they generate, thus giving them incentives to reduce their waste,” explains Adhitya Prayoga. Sweden’s Ambassador to Indonesia, HE Marina Berg has expressed her suppor t in creating a better environment for Indonesia and the world through early education about waste management. Through W4C, the Embassy is hoping that it could help promoting waste sorting in Indonesia. “We believe that it’s a reputable waste management company, and that is currently working on promoting recycling culture in Indonesia,” replies the ambassador. “We learned about their services in early 2018 and
discussed with fellow Nordic embassies to start using their services, which reflect Nordic values on sustainability as a way of life. We procured their services in July 2018 and renew the agreement annually.” According to Marina Berg it is still not very common among businesses in Indonesia to use such services but that the interest is growing - not least among Swedish companies and other embassies. “W4C is the first of its kind and we feel that there is a positive response from the public on what W4C has to offer. The Swedish Embassy is happy to support its businesses and help it grow.” The embassy thinks that in order to reach circular economy Indonesia needs to start with something small, such as the 3Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle. And not only the authorities but also citizens have to be aware of the importance of sustainable living, including waste management and energy consumption. Commenting on the feedback and demand for their services W4C states: “The fact that we are currently growing rapidly with increased revenue every year shows that the demand is increasing. We have received positive feedback from communities, government agencies and private sectors alike and we aim to sustain the quality of our services.”
Sweden’s Ambassador to Indonesia, HE Marina Berg meeting with Waste4Change
Stockholm Vatten & Avfall illustrates how the circular economy flows within the smart city concept in Stockholm
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 23
Sweden’s Ambassador to Indonesia, HE Marina Berg There are many similar organizations in other cities; EcoBali in Bali, Roda Hijau in Medan, Parongpong in Bandung. But W4C currently operates with the biggest capacity (average 15 TPD with max capacity of 25 TPD). “The government suppor ts the establishment of the so-called TPS 3Rs and Waste Banks. These facilities encourage source segregation and maximized recycling by doing some pre-processing or organic composting. However, these are led by community groups and are often not sustained after being established. As much as I hate to say it, it does seem like it is entirely up to a company like us to catalyze waste management that aligns with circular economy,” says Adhitya Prayoga. “According to the Ministr y of Environment and Forestry in 2015, only 7.5% of Indonesia’s waste is being recycled and composted. Source segregation is rarely enforced in Indonesia. In 2014 the National Statistical Agency reported that 81% of our waste is mixed. And the issue of waste management has just lately been talked about due to the popular Jambeck study and recent flash floods. The problem with Indonesia is not that there are no policies. In fact, the policies and laws are actually good laws. The problem is that the laws are not enforced!” Based on research led by Jenna Jambeck of University of Georgia, Indonesia is the world’s second-largest ocean plastic polluter. Population size and the quality of waste management systems largely determine which countries contribute the greatest mass of un-captured waste available to become plastic marine debris. Without waste management infrastructure improvements, the cumulative quantity of plastic waste available to enter the ocean from land is predicted to increase by an order of magnitude by 2025. 24 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
The informal sector dominates completely as source for recycling companies to buy up waste with value. “The value chain always starts from the informal sector; scavengers or material pickers collect as individuals.They then sell to junk shops that usually bale the waste. Junk shop then sell to bigger aggregators that usually have some sort of pre-processing infrastructure. These aggregators then sell to recycling factories or end-users of the material,” continues Adhitya. “The fact that the value chain is long makes recycling expensive.To cut through the value chain also means the loss of jobs, albeit very high-risk but nevertheless jobs. Our vision at W4C is to accommodate and find a sustainable solution to this–very–nuanced situation in Indonesia’s recycling sector.” Embassy of Sweden, Jakarta also has views on the role of legislation and sees the low level of recycling in Indonesia as both an opportunity and challenge to work on: “There’s an opportunity for recycling businesses to grow and for foreign investors to invest. Most of all it’s a challenge that needs to be tackled immediately. The current conventional system of waste sorting and recycling must be changed through cooperation between the Government, the private sector and the academia. Only by increasing the awareness and the education you and change the mindsets of people. That is what’s needed to make the Government change rules and regulations. Political reforms are desperately needed in order to improve recycling and waste management in Indonesia. The political will and support will grow by public awareness,” says Marina Berg. W4C, meanwhile, informs that Indonesia actually has set an ambitious target with a policy decision called National Strategic Policy for waste management. It sets a target for Indonesia to manage 100% of their waste by 2025; 30% by reduction and 70% by processing (recycling and recovery). “The National Policy is expected to be enacted at the regional level (called Jakstrada) and one example in Jakarta is the plan for the so-called ITFs (Intermediate Treatment Facilities). The first ITF is a Waste-to-Energy incinerator with a capacity of 2200 TPD generating 35 Mega Watt per hour. The other ITFs are being planned but we are racing against time trying to manage the 7500 TPD currently directed to landfill which is nearing its maximum capacity in 2021.” According the Embassy of Finland, Jakarta a Finnish energy company negotiates on this first waste-to-energy project in Indonesia to be constructed in Jakarta. “Many other cities face the looming waste challenge as well so there are similar other projects to be implemented in Indonesia. Finnish companies have a lot of experience in renewable energy and their offers are competitive. Finland has the second-highest share of renewable energy in Europe,” states Ambassador HE Jari Sinkari. Adhitya Prayoga from W4C thinks that waste-toenergy has big potential in Indonesia. “But of course this
should not be the only solution; it must always be paired with waste reduction efforts and maximizing recycling rate. Source segregation is still key to increase calorific value (on average 50% of Indonesia’s waste is organic waste with high moisture content) for it to be feasible for waste-to-energy facility.” Adhitya also points to that there is so far no proof of successful pilot projects in Indonesia with biomass so there is a general disbelief that what works in other countries may not work in Indonesia. “And finally, any good sustainable waste management facility must have a gate fee or tipping fee. The problem in Indonesia is that any new waste management facility is expected to not have a gate/tipping fee, as the city usually doesn’t have enough budget to finance that. Consequently, this reduces the interest to build waste management facilities, be it waste to energy, waste to value or biomass energy.” Denmark is also strongly committed to help and offer solutions relating to solid waste management. An MoU was signed with Indonesia in late 2017 that also concerns circular economy. A government-to-government cooperation is included between the two environmental authorities within solid waste management. On a peer-to-peer basis they work order to support policies and regulatory frameworks for better conditions, including for private sector investment. Since early 2019 Denmark also has the Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) with Indonesia aiming at, among others, raising capacity to implement the Indonesian waste regulation - Jakstranas. The partners explore preconditions and requirements for best Indonesian practices in order to suggest successful interventions in other parts of the country. And ‘Converting Waste to Energy with Sustainable Island Initiative (SII)’ is a joint add-on initiative part of the existing SSC, which aims to support the islands Lom-
bok and Riau towards a green and low carbon pathway through more effective solid waste management and sustainable bioenergy solutions. Swedish stakeholders, for their part, try to work together with the Indonesian Government to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as the Paris Agreement. “We promote the Swedish lessons learned and experience on sustainable living and technical solutions from the Swedish public and private sectors. We present the wide range of high technical solutions that Sweden can provide,” says Marina Berg. Among the Swedish players The Swedish Energy Agency is particularly active in Indonesia. Sweden arranged a Smar t City exhibition in Jakarta in 2019, which included waste management: “The exhibition showcased that many Swedish cities use smar t systems for waste management. In Stockholm, the waste management system combines underground waste transportation and optical sorting technologies, incorporating smart metering, identification sensors and software. A city cannot be smart unless it’s sustainable.” Finland is also focusing on achieving the SDGs together with Indonesia: “The response to the challenges related for example to improving material efficiency and energy access provide also good opportunities for collaboration. Finland has commercially viable solutions to offer and strengths based on experimentation of new technologies and cooperation between public and private actors,” says its ambassador. He furthermore points out that usage of renewable energy also requires smart grid solutions, where Finnish companies provide such solutions; from intelligent measuring to energy storage solutions. Finnish companies are also engaged with their Indonesia partners in developing electric vehicles, infra-
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 25
The Embassy of Sweden in Jakarta has been implementing W4C’s Zero-Waste to Landfill (ZWTL) waste management service for its office since 2018.
structure, usage of biofuels, as well as production of those. “Finnish companies have also a special interest towards solving the marine plastic waste issue from the collection to recycling and valorisation of the waste.Trials are about to begin in Indonesia within a few months,” Jari Sinkari adds and continues: “To make collection of plastic sustainable you would have to find ways in which it would have a market price. That would incentivize its collection. For example, one Finnish company is analyzing the quality of plastic waste; having taken samples from an Indonesian river (upstream, midstream) and ocean (downstream). According to their testing they would decide whether the plastic could be re-used or if its incineration into energy be the best solution. Another challenge is also the physical collection from river. There is an interesting initiative by a Finnish–Indonesian consortium to test the collection. Indonesia is also showing interest in circular economy but has a long way to go, according to W4C. Only three years ago W4C, together with Greeneration Foundation, helped to create the first Indonesia Circular Economy Forum (which has also received funding from the Embassy of Denmark). “Circular economy is a fairly new concept in Indonesia but is growing in popularity rapidly. Policies are now being made that aligns Indonesia towards implementing this. However, much more efforts need to be done quicker,” says Adhitya Prayoga. In October 2019 the Finnish embassy hosted a cir26 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
cular economy seminar to highlight Finland’s experiences and the potential in Indonesia. “The seminar brought together interested stakeholders with the aim of increasing knowledge about circular economy possibilities as well as sharing the Finnish and Indonesian experiences. The seminar was also instrumental in intensifying cooperation with Waste4Change,” informs its ambassador. “Our seminar can be seen as one stretch of a relay race for the better future. The seminar/ FinnishIndonesian dialogue on circular economy was followed by strong Finnish participation in the Indonesia Circular Economy Forum.” W4C winds up how Indonesia should go about implementing circular economy: “We believe that there should be much more collaboration between government, enterprises and communities in handling waste management. Producers must consider the life cycle of their products and allocate their revenue on responsibly collecting the waste their products generate and ecodesign their products to generate less waste for resource efficiency or easier recycling. The government should not only create laws, but also enforce it. And the way to do it is involving and talking to stakeholders within waste management. And the community definitely plays a role in behaviour change and waste segregation at source.This is also why we design our services to catalyze these kinds of collaborations.”
News brief
Sweden’s Consul General in Hong Kong to be ambassador
T
he Swedish Chamber of Commerce In Hong Kong published a hear tfelt congratulation to Helena Storm, Sweden’s ConsulGeneral, who will leave Hong Kong to become ambassador to Colombia this coming autumn after five eventful years in Hong Kong. She took up the position in September 2015. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce would like to express our greatest gratitude to her. To get to know more of her please read an executive interview here http://www.swedcham.com.hk/ dragon-news-helena-storm-fromhong-kong-with-love/
Danish business to open office in Vietnam
T
he Danish company Copenhagen Offshore Partners are opening an office in the Vietnamese capitol Hanoi. The Scandinavian company provides project development, construction and operational management services to offshore wind projects. The Danish company has hired their first two Vietnamese employees; Development- and Commercial Manager Khanh Duong and Finance Manager Giang Phung, reports the online news site Offshore Engineer. “I’m very excited to be working with one of the most experienced global offshore wind developers and pioneering large-scale offshore wind projects in Vietnam. The market presents good opportunities for renewable energy developers,” says Khanh Duong, who will enter the role as Development- and Commercial Manager at the Hanoi-office
of Copenhagen Offshore Partners. The Development- and Commercial Manager is repor ted to be responsible for progressing the company’s oppor tunities and lead project development activities. The new Finical Manager also expresses pride over his new position at the Hanoi-office.
“I’m proud to use my skills and experience to progress Vietnam’s transition into renewable energy”, says Giang Phung. The office will be located near to government ministries and embassies in the French Quarter. Source: Offshore Engineer July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 27
Documentary
S. S. REDANG Sunk by Japanese destroyers, on 13 February 1942
T
By Michael Pether he Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore during the World War II, from the time of the first landings in Nor thern Malaya on 8 December 1941, was swift and brutal. Within eight weeks the Japanese had taken Malaya and landed on the island of Singapore which had become intensely overcrowded by tens of thousands of fleeing civilians of all races from Malaya plus almost 100,000 servicemen. By the second week of February 1942 the Japanese army was advancing across Singapore Island and a chaotic evacuation of mainly Europeans, Eurasians and a small number of influential Chinese was underway from the port in front of what is today’s CBD.
28 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
Any vessel of literally any size was ultimately enlisted to evacuate people under what had become almost constant bombing and machine gunning by Japanese planes. Singapore itself was ablaze, columns of black smoke rose thousands of feet in the air and the streets were littered with the dead and dying. People desperately clamoured for departure passes from the Colonial government authorities (men under 40 years of age had been banned from leaving the Island for months and women had not been publicly encouraged to leave because it would ‘… adversely affect morale …’!) to board any ship leaving the Island. By 11 January 1942 even the rather incompetent men in authority saw the
absurdity of their bureaucratic incompetence and more passes were issued for civilian men and women to leave and some real urgency entered the situation. About 44 ships of all sizes – from the quite large refrigerated cargo ship “SS. Empire Star” (525 feet and 12,656 tons) through a range of mid-sized merchant vessels down to some small craft like the “SS. Tandjong Pinang” (which at 97 feet only just qualified in the definition for a ’ship’) – were assembled to leave as a convoy during the 48-hour period of 11 – 13 February 1942. Amongst these was a nondescript little cargo ship by the name of “SS. Redang”. The “S. S. Redang” was quite an outdated, oil burning, steel screw steamer built in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1901 by Kjobenhavens Flydedock of Skibsverft (MS). It was only a modest sized ship of 500 gross tons and 165 feet in length which could travel at 8.5 – 9 knots (but one passenger says it only made 5 – 6 knots on its last voyage) and prior to the invasion of Malaya by the Japanese it had been owned by Siam Steam Navigation Co., Bangkok for some 34 years providing cargo services on the coast of Siam and Malaya. It became a ‘Prize of War’ by the British Government when it was seized on 9 December 1941 upon its arrival in Singapore. This vessel with its dark grey hull lined with a white band and topped with cream coloured masts then was handed to the Singapore Strait Steamship Co for operation on behalf of the Ministry of War Transport (MS). Straits Shipping managed to operate her with a skeleton crew consisting of about three Officers, five crew in the engine room, plus five (including at least four Royal Navy and RNVR ratings) Naval Ratings on deck, and under the command of Captain S. Rasmussen, a Dane. (www. merchantnavy officers.com). Mr. D. Robertson of Marconi Intl who was on board says the ship was managed by Mansfield & Co (DR). Survivor Douglas Banks also recorded “… There was a small upper deck on which there were some cabins on either side with the engine room housing in the centre and a narrow alley-way separating this from the cabins on either side …”. The story of its sinking after escaping from Singapore as part of that final, loose, spread-eagled ‘Convoy’ which left between 11 – 13 February 1942 is not well known and appears in very few books or public records, so this account is an attempt to clarify the story of the ship’s fate and more importantly provide a memorial to the large number of those on board who lost their lives. [The official file on the “SS. Redang” is held by the UK National Archives at Kew under Reference Number TS 13/2042, date 1946-47, (its former reference in its original department is P.3011) – anyone who would like to assist the compiler of this memorial document by photographing the pages of the file and forwarding them to me in New Zealand or by email would be giving very much appreciated help.] Douglas Banks recorded that the Cable and Wire-
less Ltd evacuation group (he calls them the ‘Rickwood Party’) boarded the ship on the morning of 11 February 1942 but for some reason the “SS. Redang’ did not sail from Singapore harbour until day break on Thursday 12th February. In fact, it left from Singapore Harbour at 7.00 am on the 12th February 1942 carrying 108 souls including crew, naval and Eurasian armed guards and civilians (NIRC). The few sources available show differing numbers of people on board; • Captain David Nelson, who led the Bureau of Record & Enquiry in Changi POW camp, states in his book “The Story of Changi” that there were “… passengers civilian men 61, women 6, children 3 [ giving a total of 70 passengers]”. • Margaret Sypniewska in her webpage states “… ninety-nine passengers, including its crew… tally was reported as a crew of ten and 89 passengers (including 6 women and 3 children) [giving a total of 89 passengers]. • The website www.merchantofficers .com states “… She set sail for Batavia carrying seventy-one evacuees …” [ giving a total of 71 passengers] • Billie McGee on the mercantilemarine.org website has 19 skeleton crew and 70 refugees [ giving a total of 70 passengers] • Mrs E. Cross, an internee in Palembang camp and someone who compiled many lists regarding internees in Sumatra, records the ship had about 100 people on board – 28 saved. • But possibly the most accurate record is that of Duncan Robertson of Marconi International Marine Communication Ltd., who recorded in his report to his employers at the end of the war: • “… After we left [Singapore], two launches containing deserting troops, mostly Australian, came alongside and boarded the ship after threatening the captain with rifles if he refused to allow them aboard. This brought the number aboard up to about 110, including six women… “(DR) • So, for the purposes of this document we will work with ‘up to 100 passengers and ten crew including officers ’. It is worth noting that, amongst the passengers, there were 24 men – many from Australia – who were employees with Cable & Wireless Ltd on board (DR) and this was the largest single group of people with a common link on the ship. To date, this research document has identified only 22 men from C & W. Only Messrs Robertson and Banks survived the War – with most C & W men dying in the shelling, burning and sinking of the ship but tragically eight of the ten who made it to land died during internment in the living hell of the Muntok and Palembang and Belalau Internment camps.
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 29
This loss of life amongst the C & W men was one of the most awful rates of attrition experienced during the War in any large group escaping Singapore. It compares with the horrendous loss of life amongst the nurses on board the ‘SS. Vyner Brooke’ and the “SS. Kuala”. It is no wonder that Captain Rasmussen did not want to take on board the twenty, mostly Australian, soldiers – he would have known that he already had on board as many people as could be saved in the three lifeboats he had on board. Logically, at least twenty people were already doomed, because of lack of lifeboat capacity, from the time of leaving Singapore if the ship was sunk. The story of the soldiers – it is not clear if they were deserters or soldiers with permission to leave Singapore prior to the Surrender – is also described in the NIRC report in Palembang camp in 1943: “… one hour later [after leaving Singapore] a motor launch containing eight or nine British and Australian soldiers and a Chinese girl came along side. The occupants climbed on board and the launch was abandoned. About noon the same day [this would have been the 12th February] another launch containing about a dozen Australian soldiers overtook the ship and they also came on board. The launch was abandoned…” (NIRC). From the list compiled by “HMS Tapah” after picking up survivors a few days later this group of soldiers included men from; • Royal Artillery • 80 Anti-Tank Regiment, RA. • 2/15 Field Regiment, AIF • 2/4 Field Workshop. AIF
30 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
Of the estimated twenty soldiers boarding the ship, only six would survive the voyage and one of those would die as a POW in Sumatra – this leaves the identity of some 14 Australian and British soldiers from Singapore who lost their lives in this sinking a complete, sad, mystery. During the course of this research another group of people with a common interest emerged as passengers boarding the ship in Singapore– they were employees of the Bata Shoe Company ltd., the Czechoslovakian owned global shoe company, which by 1940 had grown to 800 employees in Malaya (ST.21.1.40). The Bata Company head office had been established in the Capitol Building in Singapore in 1930 and a manufacturing facility at Klang in 1935. It is not known precisely how many men from this organization (possibly with other Czech people from Singapore) actually boarded the ship but to date five have been positively identified – Messrs. Cervinka, Plohn, Smrzak, Strangfeld and Zelnik. It also seems highly probable that Dr. Eugene Straussler and Friedrich Heim may have been on board but no direct link to the “SS. Redang”, apart from them being part of the Bata employee escape group and the use of the same “perished at sea” phrase for their fate by a colleague, has yet been established. Apart from the NIRC report, one of the most complete accounts of the tragic escape attempt on the “SS. Redang” located to date is by Mr Duncan Robertson of the Marconi Company in his letter to his employer at the end of the War. We will let him tell the story first-hand; “… Although we were rushed aboard on the evening of the 11th, the ship was held back for some Air force personnel (who did not arrive) and did not sail until early on the morning of the 12th. The captain, a Danish subject named Rasmussen, aged apparently between 60 and 70, said the naval authorities had given him a course to the entrance of the Banka Straits, which took us right out to sea. Previously, so far as I know, small vessels, especially those with speeds of only a few knots, had been hugging the coastline. …About 10 am the next day a Japanese seaplane flew over us and dropped one stick of bombs which near missed. I guessed that the plane would communicate with other forces, either planes or ships, and interviewed the captain about provisioning lifeboats and also making up some sort of boat station list. Up to then nothing had been done except swing out a lifeboat which was lying chocked up on the foredeck – this at the speed we were making could easily have been towed astern. When I went up to the bridge I found the captain with signal flags all over the place; I don’t believe he was very conversant with international flag signals and was trying to sort them out. We got as far as a rough distribution of the people amongst the 3 lifeboats : C.&W. people with a few others in the first one, soldiers in another, and the rest of the people and crew in the third – the 3 ships’ officers to be one in each boat.To this the captain agreed and I was on my way down from the bridge when several Japanese destroyers appeared on the port bow and, after turning to starboard, they opened fire – the captain neither putting up a white flag nor stopping the ship…” (DR)
It is stated by one researcher that the ship was attacked by the Japanese destroyer ‘Asagiri’ north of Batavia (50 miles from the Berhala Straits) and 58 people were killed (BM). Margaret Sypniewska, (whose uncle Alexander Malcolm was on board) states that the ship was attacked by two Japanese destroyers, hit, set on fire and sunk within 50 miles of Berhala Strait. She states that only thirty passengers, including four women and three children got away by boat (MS). Mr Robertson, who had 20 years’ experience at sea including the First World War, Dardanelles landings and two instances of torpedoing, continues “… I credited the captain with more efficiency than he proved to possess (I might add that he was one of the first in the only boat which got away and saved his life) …” (DR). It was clearly chaos on board the “SS. Redang” according to Mr Robertson; “… After firing a few salvoes and within 5 minutes of opening fire the ship was ablaze. Most of the people were forward where the third salvo landed. I was aft (the bridge ladder was on the after side) when the firing commenced and at once, with the assistance of several people on the after deck, commenced to get the starboard quarter lifeboat (built to carry 17 passengers) into the water. I think most of the people on the deck who were left alive got into this boat [which was the only lifeboat to get away from the ship]; the rest of the people either jumping overboard from the forward end of the ship, or being killed by shell fire….” (DR). Douglas Bank’ view of the events was: “… There were no incidents during the day’s run except for three or four alerts and the following night
was uninterrupted. At approximately 11.00 hours on Friday the 13th February, a reconnaissance plane appeared and circled over the ship and was leaving us unmolested, when she returned and circled us again, losing height, she released two bombs, which, however, fell well clear doing no damage and left us. At about 11.40 hours three destroyers appeared on the horizon steaming towards our course at right angles, until they were dead ahead when they turned sharply and steamed towards us. Beyond keeping a wary eye on these, we proceeded with lunch. It was then seen that two of the destroyers had approached to within about 1500 yards on our por t bow, the third destroyer was standing off. One of the two destroyers fired two shots across our bows, whereupon shouts were made to the bridge to hoist the white flag, but this was not done. The volunteer 2nd engineer told me later that the ‘Stop’ was rung down from the bridge, and that he and the Chief Engineer (also a volunteer) were standing by for the order ‘Go Astern’ , but as this had not been received when shells commenced hitting the ship, they decided to come up. The Chief Engineer was killed as he appeared above the engine room companion which was situated about the middle of the port alley-way. When the warning shots were fired the passengers on the upper deck took cover in these two alleyways, the majority of the party being on the port side. I was on the starboard side, where protection was possibly a little better, but I was concussed by blast, and, on coming to, found myself drenched with blood. On turning I found that Pain, who had been standing behind me, was no longer there. Shortly after this I was again concussed, and my only recollection was of following some other men into a lifeboat, still very dazed. By this time the ship
S/S Redang was built at Kjøbenhavns Flydedok & Skibsværft for Østasiatisk Kompagni in 1901 and transferred to East Asiatic Company, Bangkok. In 1908 it was sold to the 50 percent EAC owned subsidiary Siam Steam Navigation Company, Bangkok. Photo is taken after 1917 as can be seen by the Siamese flag at the stern. Prior to that, the falg was a white elephant in regalia, facing the hoist, centred on a red field. Photo: Museet for Søfarts billedarkiv. July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 31
was burning furiously and enveloped in smoke, and I think it can be taken that the casualties on the starboard side must have been very heavy, and those on the port side almost 100%. I was told that twenty seven shells were put into the ship, but this I cannot vouch for. I do think, however, that none hit her below the waterline because she was still visible and burning at nightfall. The japs did not lower any boats. A large lifeboat had been slung outboard on the lower deck, and this was later seen to have capsized, and there were many men in the water, presumably from those on the lower deck, none of whom were Cable & wireless to my knowledge. The port side lifeboat was smashed by gun-fire and never lowered. The starboard life-boat was cast adrift with about her normal complement of passengers which was seventeen. We drifted around picking up other survivors until we had thirty – three or thirty -four in the boat, and could not possibly take any more, as the boat was leaking badly, and only had about three to four inches of freeboard…” (Banks). A pre-war photo shows the bridge ladder at the rear of the bridge and cabin structure as well as the portside life boat on davits towards the stern of the ship (the port quarter) and presumably there was another on the starboard side on davits towards the stern as well. The lifeboat “… chocked up on the foredeck …” referred to by Mr. Robertson above was probably an additional lifeboat taken aboard to cater for additional passengers during the evacuation. This foredeck lifeboat would have been damaged by shellfire since people “… were jumping overboard from the forward end of the ship …”. The portside stern quarter lifeboat would have received the direct shellfire hits from the destroyers since they initially appeared on the port side of the ‘SS. Redang’. All this is pretty much confirmed in the NIRC report “…the por t lifeboat was broken by shellfire and was
not used and the spare lifeboat carried on the foredeck was later seen capsized close alongside the ship. The starboard lifeboat got clear with 33 occupants including two badly wounded who died and some rescued from the sea…” (NIRC). The log of the IJN destroyer ‘Asagiri’ shows that, from the 13th to the 15th February 1942 it assisted the destroyers ‘Yura’ and ‘Fubuki’ in attacking Allied shipping fleeing from Singapore and they sank four vessels (including, research has revealed, the auxiliary merchant ship ‘HMS. Giang Bee’ on the evening of 13th February and the Chinese River steamer “Li Wo” on 14th February after both ships had escaped from Singapore) with great loss of civilian life. This was a cruel mismatch in the extreme – these destroyers of the ‘Fubuki’ class in the Imperial Japanese Navy were, at the time, amongst the biggest, fastest, most advanced destroyers in the world at 2090 tons, capable of 38 knots and armed with six five inch guns, plus over thirty AA guns plus six powerful torpedo tubes (www. combinedfleet.com) The unarmed little “Redang” did not stand a chance against two or three extremely powerful destroyers, each of four times its size and eight times its speed. Mr. Robertson explains what happened in the case of the only lifeboat (the starboard quarter lifeboat) to get away from the ship; “… I estimate that about 20 people were in the boat when we pulled away from the ship’s side, and apart from a few burns here and there I managed to escape injury. We picked up another 13 people from the water until the boat was dangerously overloaded – amongst these was Mr Thompson [Henry Thompson was First Radio Officer on the ship] who was pulled over the stern of the boat by one of the Danish members of the crew [probably either Jorgensen or Andersen] and myself….
Asagiri was the Japanese destroyer of the Fubuki class built in 1923. When introduced into service, these ships were the most powerful destroyers in the world. Photo by Shizuo Fukui - Kure Maritime Museum, Japanese Naval Warship Photo Album. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/ 32 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
[there is then a detailed explanation of the injuries which resulted in the death of Mr. H. Thompson] “. The account of there being about 30 passengers who survived in a lifeboat (including four women and three children) is restated widely (angelfire.com; archives of John D. Stevenson AMI. Mar. E; “Escape from Singapore”; and “Sea Breeze”.) Captain Rasmussen recorded: “… I estimate 62 lives were lost in the attack, either killed by splinters, burned to death or drowned … two young ladies said to be from Mansfield Co.’s Singapore office were instantaneously killed whilst by a direct hit while typing out the passenger list in the Chief Engineer’s cabin. The Chief Officer, Mr Riemise (a Dane), the Chief Engineer, Mr Dean (of Straits Steamship Company) were also killed instantaneously, most of the passengers rushed below in the ‘tween deck when the attack began, and were killed either by splinters or burnt to death …” (www.merchantnavyofficers.com). The identity of the two young women from Mansfield Co.’s, Singapore office mentioned by Captain Rasmussen would appear to have been two telephonists from Mansfield’s who were travelling with their mother, Mrs George. Given that Captain David Nelson recorded that there were six children on board and the only record of children surviving are the two children of Mr & Mrs Chong Kiat, then we must assume that four children lost their lives in the attack on the ship and/or during the sinking. One or two of these children would have been a daughter or two daughters of Mrs George. Elsewhere the number of people killed is stated to be 58 (BM) but, simple arithmetic based on Mr. D. Robertson’s report of the some twenty ‘deserters’ making a late boarding suggests that up to 75 – 80 people lost their lives in the shelling and sinking. Of these the two
largest groups would have been about twenty Australian (and Empire) soldiers plus some twenty men employed by Cable & Wireless Ltd. Of the crew the Danish Chief Officer and a British Lt. (E), plus the five known Royal Navy/RNVR Ratings were killed. Interestingly four out of five of the Able Seaman and Ordinary Seamen all came from Glasgow and Dundee and presumably stuck together as a group when they were assigned as crew from “HMS. Sultan” (the shore base in Singapore), onto the undermanned merchant ships which were attempting to hurriedly evacuate people from Singapore prior to the Surrender. The survivors from the ship amounted to less than a third of those on board. The NIRC report clearly states “… Concerning the 33 persons who were in the lifeboat, the following details are known; 2 died in the lifeboat (see above) 12 are in the male internment camp 3 Danes see above, released 2 Czechs, named, see above (this refers to Plhon and Smrzak). 4 released [researcher note: must be Cervinka, Zelnicek and two others?] 3 ladies in the female internment camp Palembang (Mrs. A. Laybourne, Mrs N.W. Nailer, Mrs E.M.C. Pugh) 1 Petty Officer [indecipherable word] Navy 3 Australian soldiers in the service camp Palembang (names known to Lt. Cmdr. J. N. Hancock, RNVR (Malaya) 3 British soldiers, as mentioned above. [Not mentioned in the above list – although they may be two of those in the ‘released’ list -are ‘Chong Kiat, wife and two children’ recorded as also being in the lifeboat personnel picked up by ‘HMS Tapah’]. It would seem that of those on board it was the people at the stern (rear) of the ship who survived whilst those in the engine room and, those below decks and
The lifeboats on SS Redang were about this size. The only boat that survived the attack picked up 33 or 34 people untill it was dangerously full. The survivors rowed for 26 hours before reaching land.
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 33
S/S Redang in an early photo taken prior to 1916 as can be seen by the Siamese flag at the stern, a white elephant in regalia, facing the hoist, centred on a red field. This was change to the current flag in 1917. Photo: Museet for Søfarts billedarkiv. those at the front of the ship lost their lives from shells hitting the ship and being trapped by the burning of the ship. Mr. Robertson again; “… Mr. Thompson lost consciousness about 6 or 7pm; before that he told me that he had been hit whilst running aft and that a lot of people were killed on the foredeck including Mr. Rickwood of C. & W….” (DR). As stated above, two lifeboats, one dedicated to the Australian soldiers and the one for the Cable & Wireless employees were damaged by shell fire or the burning ship and were never launched or immediately sank.Therefore, the deaths in these two groups were very high. “… It was only possible to lower one of the lifeboats and thir ty-two survivors from the attack abandoned Redang. It took all that remained of the day and all of the next to reach Sumatra whereupon the unfortunate survivors were captured by the Japanese …’ (BM possibly quoting Captain Rasmussen). Douglas Banks fills in this part of the events: ” … The Cable & Wireless personnel in this boat were La Nauxe (sic) Tisshaw, Banks Hunter, Gardiner, Furneaux, Worster, A. N. Laybourne, Mrs A.N. Laybourne, E.B. Laybourne, Hoy and Mrs Nailer. The Captain instructed us to row in a westerly direction, saying we should make land in four to five hours, running as we were with a strong current. After four hours, we enquired where we were as no land was in sight, to which he replied there were trees ahead, and we carried on. Shortly after this a passenger died from wounds and he was buried over 34 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
the side. He was the Manager of Bata’s Shoe Company in Singapore. (Mr Thompson of the Marconi International Marine Company of Singapore died the following morning at approximately 11.00 hours and was buried in a similar manner). After an hour or so the ‘trees’ resolved themselves into four Japanese destroyers and two cruisers. As we approached three of the destroyers weighed anchor and left to intercept another ship which we could see, following up on the ‘Redang’s ‘course. Although they passed us at about one and a half cables, they ignored us. At this time six Hurricanes were seen coming into land, presumably at Palembang, and upon this the two cruisers and the fourth destroyer left hurriedly, also without paying us any attention. We continued rowing through the night, eventually making landfall at about 14.00 hours on Saturday – very exhausted and hungry. In spite of this, the only food we could spare was two tablespoons of brackish water from a small keg from the lifeboat and one Marie biscuit per head. We could find no water or food, and it was necessary to cut down palm trees in order to get the nuts for the water, and the tree hearts for food. The water in the beaker was sufficient for about three days at about two tablespoons per head per day. The mouldy ships biscuits were sufficient for about two small handfuls each per day for the same time. The nights were made hideous by sandflies and mosquitoes and sleep was impossible. Mr. Robertson gives his brief description of the efforts of those in the lifeboat to reach land:
“… We cleared the ship, which was blazing furiously down to the waterline, about noon, and decided to make for the coast of Sumatra (which incidentally. Had the Naval authorities not sent us on a deep sea course, would have been much closer than it was). From then until we landed 26 hours later it was a constant battle with choppy seas and heavy swells; the boat was so overcrowded that continuous bailing was necessary and it was impossible to make sufficient room to hoist the sail. In fact, it was only with the greatest difficulty that we got at the fresh water barrel for a sip of water, which was all we had between leaving the ship and landing on the beach…” As mentioned above by Douglas Banks, the lifeboat reached the coast of Sumatra at around 2.00 pm on the afternoon of 14th February 1942, only to be met by a desolate scene described now by Duncan Robertson; “…four hours later [i.e. after the death of Mr. Thompson at 10.00am] we landed on the coast of Sumatra where there was, except for about a dozen coconut trees, nothing but mangrove swamps – no fresh water; no inhabitants. That night we slept on the beach but, despite the exhaustion caused by many cramped hours on the boat, everybody was up and patrolling the beach from about 4 am owing to the swarms of sandflies making further sleep impossible…” (DR). The survivors had only 10 tins of evaporated milk, a small quantity of old ship’s biscuits and half a barrel of fresh water and introduced drastic rationing. Two search parties struck out along the coast and apart from endless mangroves they made contact with a Malay fisherman who agreed to take them to Palembang but then disappeared. At about 09.00 hours (Banks) on Monday 16th February, a small ship appeared off the coast and anchored about two miles away just around a spit, where the survivors could just see her masts. The survivors were unsure whether the ship was an Allied or enemy vessel so did not immediately make contact but later that day – on the afternoon of Monday 16th February they decided to make contact rather than almost certainly starving to death on the beach. The ship was “HMS. Tapah” a Straits Shipping Company vessel converted into a minelayer which had anchored up close to the beach but had become stuck in the mud when the tide had gone out. The “SS. Redang” survivors were taken on board the “HMS Tapah” and welcomed with a meal and cigarettes; but with only one tide per 24 hours in that region the “Tapah” did not get underway again until 5 pm on Tuesday 17th February. Later that day ‘Tapah’ made for a more suitable anchorage in another estuary of the river ‘Moussi’[ actually the called the river ‘Moesi’ in southern Sumatra in 1942 and now spelt as ‘Musi’] picked up some of the civilian survivors of the sinking of the “HMS Giang Bee” which had left in the same large convoy from Singapore and which the ‘Redang’ survivors had seen intercepted by the IJN destroyer ‘Asagiri’ and other warships. At about 18.00 hours (Banks) the ‘Tapah’ left for a night journey through the Banka Straits and hugged the
coast of Sumatra right up to the entrance of Banka Straits, by which time it was dark, and it then opened to full speed (11 knots) on a course through the Straits. As both Douglas Banks and Duncan Robertson then record at about 23.00 hours “… We had only been going one hour when a searchlight was switched on and swung around until its beam rested full upon us, and shor tly after a Japanese boarding party arrived …”. The first instruction was to ‘Proceed until told to stop for examination’ and then the order to ‘Stop’ was received by ‘Tapah’ between 02.00 and 03.00 on Tuesday 17th February. Most of the survivors of the sinking of the “SS. Redang” were now internees of the Japanese in Sumatra for the next three and a half years. Initially, they were taken ashore at Muntok and after three weeks of overcrowding, only rice for food, and a severe outbreak of dysentery the Japanese finally separated the camp into ‘Services’, ‘Civilians’ and ‘Women and Children’. men and women separated – each group to endure years of privation, sickness and desperation that would result in many losing their lives. Some of the crew were of course from neutral countries and there was (in the understanding of the Japanese) some confusion over whether the Czech men were on the Axis side or otherwise since Czechoslovakia had been overrun by the Nazis at that point in time. The NIRC report tells us “… Captain Rasmussen and two officers and two Czechs, V.A. Zelnick (sic) and H. Cervinka, both of Bata Shoe Company Singapore were later released…” (NIRC). This document has identified some 50 people on the ship leaving around 60 people yet to be identified. It is speculated that those yet to be identified will include British and Australian soldiers, some employees of Bata Shoe Co. Ltd (and perhaps a few Czechoslovakian residents of Singapore), plus one or two crew. Later that year there was some justice when the IJN destroyer “Asagiri” was attacked by US Marine Corps SBD Dauntless dive bombers on 24 August 1942 north east of Savo Island and sunk with the loss of 122 lives (both ship’s crew and soldiers on board). For the full passengerlist and details of their lives, please read the complete article here: https://scandasia. com/s-s-redang-sunk-by-japanese-destroyers-on-13-february-1942/ Any corrections, additions or suggestions to the content of this memorial document would be most welcome by the researcher, Michael Pether, 2/23 Sanders Avenue,Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand. 0622. Or email mncpether@ gmail.com This document and its contents are the copyright of Michael Pether and not to be used for any commercial purpose. The document and its contents may be used for non-commercial purposes with the written permission of Michael Pether. Thanks, Michael Pether. July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 35
Business
Helsinki Business Hub continues smart building, construction Singapore collaboration Since Finland’s 100 Years independence celebrations in 2017, Helsinki Business Hub (HBH), a regional development and marketing agency, has been engaging with Singapore based on its ’Smart Nation’ initiative for growth through innovation and technology. By Joakim Persson
Helsinki Business Hub’s Senior Business Advisor Irma Ylikangas
36 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
H
BH is the international trade and investment promotion agency for the Finnish capital region (from 2021 it will be fully owned by the City of Helsinki). HBH primarily helps foreign companies to find solutions, good deal flows and business partners from Finland, to set-up their business, grow and develop in Greater Helsinki. In Singapore HBH collaborates with different organizations and companies. One of the longest collaboration partners is Intellectual Property Intermediary (IPI), an affiliate of Enterprise Singapore that catalyses and enables enterprises to grow their business through innovation. The two have been working closely together by organising technology matching events where innovative Finnish SMEs in the building and construction space pitch and seek partners from Singapore.The aim is to strengthen the business relationship between the two innovative countries and to spark new joint business opportunities and innovation projects in the built environment sector.
I
n connection to a recent business delegation to Singapore, and the Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology, HBH’s Senior Business Advisor Irma Ylikangas (a specialist with more than 20 years of experience in the smart building and cleantech sector) explained further. This kind of partnership effort with other countries in the area of built environment is relatively new as HBH has been mainly promoting business opportunities in Helsinki Region and attracting foreign companies to settle in or invest in R&D or in companies in the Helsinki region. “We focus on connecting with larger entities, for
example in Singapore at the governmental institutes and large real estate and construction companies regarding what kind of interest they have for and are looking for in the ‘Smart Buildings’ sector. Then we match-make the companies and fill the gaps that exist on the markets,” said Irma. Based on in-depth understanding of the ecosystem in the Helsinki region (with thriving sustainable innovations and equal opportunities for all businesses) she can introduce that to stakeholders in Singapore and explore opportunities. HBH has a proven track record in connecting ecosystems and helping companies and start-ups establish and expand their business. “When there is interest raised we will find suitable solutions and technologies from companies and organise matchmaking events on location. This time we’ve been visiting the Housing Development Board, the Building Construction Authority, a Singapore Airlines lab and Singapore Management University.This is the continuation of what we started back in 2017.” It was the fourth time Irma visited Singapore bringing smar t building companies from Finland. Singapore has also had delegations interested in built environment solutions to Helsinki about 4-5 times during these years. Finnish companies possess core strengths in technology and services for the built environment to collaborate with Singapore businesses in construction, energy and the circular economy, seeking ideas for sustainable urban development. HBH has also spotted the potential for wider collaboration possibilities outside this particular sector.
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 37
“Digitalisation overall is something that adds to productivity and increases the efficiency in the construction and building sector. Energy efficiency is of course also one. Another is robotics, where we in Finland has solutions available and under development in the construction field. Some of the delegations to Finland have already seen that in action. As for digitalisation it could be all-encompassing; from digitalizing of building permits to the whole process,” said the HBH specialist. While Helsinki has opened up all its big data to be accessible for everyone there are other things the Finnish capital has in common with Singapore. “Both have the same 3D model, and as Helsinki has opened up the 3D data of the whole city for anyone to 38 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
build applications on there is interest in Singapore to follow the development in this field.” Smart building solutions aim to bring cost savings, faster project completion, less pollution, and to minimise the environmental impact of the construction and energy sectors. “Helsinki has committed to be carbon neutral by 2035 and Singapore is also looking to have a carbon neutral environment, with overall energy efficiency as an included demand. In the Nordics we do it for heating, while here we do it for cooling.There we do heat recovery, and with this heat you can for example warm water. Here, it’s the reverse way but not that different technology-wise.”
Helsinki Business Hub’s Senior Business Advisor Irma Ylikangas
A
s circular economy is ver y high on Finland’s agenda HBH is currently packaging the Greater Helsinki offering for this. “Finland’s strength lies currently in bio-based products and technologies, but the construction sector is developing fast. Because circular economy overall needs to have systemic solutions - you have to take into account the whole ecosystem. So it’s not something that you do overnight. But there are already companies in the construction field who have come up with something: they go to the sites and collect all the unused materials that can still be used and resold. This same service offers a digital platform where companies can directly sell and buy something leftover from the construction sites,” stated Irma. “Meanwhile, nowadays you pay attention to, already at the planning and design stage, how you can separate the materials at the end of the lifecycle, which I think is a good trend.. The use of digital twins through the whole lifecycle will also help in circular economy,” she added. “Modular design for construction is drawing a lot of interest in both Singapore and Finland. You can eliminate at lot quality issues when you can have ready-made elements. For instance you could have a modular bathroom that is fully ready before you transfer it to the construction site. And you can build faster also. We do have a few companies in Finland doing that.” “Singapore has also growing interest with circular economy, and we have discussed during this trip that more attention will be paid to that so it will definitely be on the agenda as we go forward.” In terms of overall results from HBH’s engagement there are several pilots going on with Singaporean partners. In addition, cooperation partnership agreements have been signed too.
“These companies are medium-sized companies, and half of the group are first-time visitors to Singapore. We initiate and match-make and help understand the local business environment when needed. Our job is to find the right solutions according to Singaporean needs, open doors and help them to proceed.” And stakeholders from Southeast Asia can also get help free of charge from HBH for the following: “If they would want to set up an office in Helsinki we would help them. If they want to invest in Finnish companies we have about 1,200 companies in our database looking for investors including within ICT; cleantech, mobility, health and built environment. We would match-make them with the most suitable ones. If they are missing some components for example in the smart building area we could connect them with the right companies in the Helsinki region. If they are looking for R&D partners we could also connect them with those. We have a huge selection of services,” ended Irma Ylikangas.
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 39
Nordic report warns against China, Russia A new report warns the Nordic countries of threats and challenges to the multilateral, rules-based world order coming from climate change, cyber attacks and geopolitical developments. The report is written by Mr. Björn Bjarnason of Iceland and deals with how to further develop Nordic cooperation on foreign and security policy, On 6 July 2020 it was given to the foreign ministries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden who will discuss the report at an upcoming meeting.
C
limate change is bringing new security threats to the Nordic countries, Björn Bjarnason warns in his repor t to the Nordic foreign ministers. “Climate change, coupled with growing tensions in international relations over the last decade, has led to big power rivalry in the Arctic between the United States, Russia, and China.” “Amidst these drastic changes to the Arctic climate and environment, China is emerging as a global power and has defined itself as a “near-Arctic state”. The overall Chinese strategic interests are access to Arctic resources and sea routes as well as increased influence on Arctic issues. China is increasing its bilateral cooperation with the Arctic states through active economic, social, and scientific engagement in the region, including polar research.” “China’s presence and strategic interest in the Arctic will have security policy implications. So far, Chinese military activity in the Arctic has been very limited. However, the Chinese military has now begun to strengthen its knowledge of the Arctic. “Since 1999, the Chinese have conducted numerous Arctic expeditions. They built their first research base, the Yellow River Station, on Svalbard Island in 2004. China has officially included the Arctic sea routes in its 2017 grand development strategy, the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI). China re-emphasised this in its 2018 white paper on “China’s Arctic Policy”, outlining its interests as a major stakeholder in the Arctic. In 2018, China and Iceland jointly inaugurated the Arctic Science Observatory in northern Iceland, originally intended for observations of the northern lights. Later its research scope expanded. Plans have been presented for opening a Chinese re40 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
search station in Greenland as well as a satellite receiver station.” “All Arctic states agree that the UN Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is the legal framework within which states should solve legal disputes regarding ocean governance. In the South China Sea, China makes maritime claims which contradict UNCLOS, although ratified by China. Such actions must be kept out of the Arctic.” The report proposes that the Nordic countries develop a common Nordic analysis, policy and approach to Chinese Arctic involvement and pursue it within relevant regional networks to which they are all parties, i.e., within the Arctic Council, Council of Europe, Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS), Barents Euro-Arctic Cooperation (BEAC) and Northern Dimension. Ten years ago, a similar report drafted by Mr Thorvald Stoltenberg of Norway gave a range of recommendations which have mostly already been implemented. The following are more excerpts from the Bjarnason report regarding the geopolitical security situation that the Nordic countries are facing: “The emergence of China as a major economic, political and military actor in international affairs and its claim for special status as a “Near-Arctic State” as well as the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 are defining factors when describing and debating the Nordic security environment since the Stoltenberg Report and the establishment of NORDEFCO in 2009.” “The effects of climate change, including the opening up of shipping routes north of Russia and increased access to natural resources, add to the complexity of the situation. Russia is, however, dealing with the same problems as the Soviets during the Cold War, i.e., having
no means to compete with the West.They are also under heavy strain due to economic sanctions.To get as much as possible in the shortest possible time, they have therefore turned to China for financing and trade in oil and gas.” “US officials widely state worries about Chinese and Russian intent in the Arctic. For instance, Kenneth J. Braithwaite, who served as US ambassador to Norway until he was sworn in as Secretary of the Navy on 29 May 2020, said on that occasion: “The Chinese and Russians are everywhere, especially the Chinese. You would be alarmed at the amount of Chinese activity off the coast of Norway.” Statesmen and officials in the Nordic region do not seem to entirely share these worries even though there is understanding of the US position.” “In August 2019, a total of 30 Russian naval vessels took part in what Norwegian top military leaders called “a very complex operation.” An exercise to block NATO’s access to the Baltic Sea, North Sea and Norwegian Sea, thereby closing off the Scandinavian Peninsula.” Going beyond military threats, the report deals also with cyber issues and hybrid attacks. “Hybrid threats, including cyber-attacks and disinformation/influence operations, pose a serious and increasing challenge to the Nordic countries. By taking advantage of the vulnerabilities of democratic and open societies, hybrid threat actors undermine Nordic security, prosperity, and values. Hybrid threats are ambiguous and designed to allow deniability. Therefore, it is difficult, but even more important, to address them.” “The importance of multilateral cooperation of likeminded states in fighting cyber and hybrid threats is undisputed. All Nordic countries recognize the importance of The European Centre of Excellence for Countering
Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) in Helsinki, which supports participating states’ individual and collective efforts to enhance their capabilities, resilience, and preparedness to counter hybrid threats.” “Strong arguments have pointed out that one should actually not talk about “hybrid threats” but rather “hybrid warfare” as at least some Nordic countries are under constant attack.” “Hybrid warfare happens in the real and the virtual world. The real-world’s segment is in principle well observed and understood, while the virtual segment operates stealthily in the invisible world of computers and networks until it shows effects in the real world.” “State and non-state actors deploy hybrid means to challenge countries and institutions that they see as a threats, opponents or competitors to their interests and goals. The range of methods and activities is wide, including: espionage; influencing information; meddling in elections; intellectual property theft; exploiting logistical weaknesses like energy supply pipelines; economic and trade-related blackmail; undermining international institutions by rendering rules ineffective; terrorism or increasing the sense of insecurity; threatening civilian air traffic, maritime communications, energy cables and causing maritime incidents.” “The Nordic countries should join hands in condemning those conducting hybrid warfare where part of the game is to deny any culpability.” “The two state actors most often mentioned as posing a threat to the Nordics in this regard are Russia and China. These states have developed effective
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 41
subversive means that go much fur ther in weakening their targets than fake news and disinformation do. Such means have been used before to prepare the ground for illegal annexation, as seen in the Crimea in the spring of 2014. That event represented a swift culmination of prolonged Russian efforts to destabilise Ukraine. Russia’s denial of any responsibility characterised the aftermath. Apart from the illegal incursion in the South China Sea, China conducts lower key hybrid operations than Russia. Social engineering and economic espionage are Chinese trademarks having social, economic, and financial aims, mirrored in their efforts to gain access through strategic investments and research projects.” “As all countermeasures are sensitive and can lead to reprisals, the multinational aspect of hybrid and cyber defensive measures make a crucial difference. It would be of great value if the Nordics developed common Nordic situational awareness.” “The total defence concept is highly relevant in hybrid defence as it covers both civilian and military security. The defence sector depends on civilian digital infrastructures and services. Hybrid security challenges in the civilian sector therefore also affect the military sector. In worst case scenarios, hybrid attacks on, for example, civilian infrastructure may challenge a state‘s ability to safeguard national security.” As an example, the report mentions: “Due to COVID-19, the demand for health and genetic data based on tests has skyrocketed globally. This could be categorized as a hybrid threat when companies, often state-connected, compile biometric data, such as DNA samples, from individuals all over the globe. In this regard, attention has been drawn to BGI (formerly the Beijing Genomics Institute), a leading Chinese gene
sequencing and biomedical firm, which has distributed more than 10 million COVID-19 tests to over 80 countries worldwide.” The report says, that it is the role of data protection agencies and total or civil defence institutions to analyse and take measures against threats of this kind. On threats to the rules-based world order, the report says: “The Nordic countries are deeply concerned by the diminishing trust in multilateralism when it is most needed to solve complex and transboundary global challenges. They, like other smaller countries, rely heavily on respect for and the functioning of the rules-based international system. Its disruption also undermines the core principles that the Nordics share, such as democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. Free international trade and travel are basic features of modern liberal democracies.” “The liberal world order [after 1945. Ed.] was never truly global, but the United States had the strength, authority and will to sustain it. The shifting global power balances raise question marks about the future of this order. The US is more inward looking than ever since the end of World War II and is increasingly withdrawing from multilateral fora.The United Kingdom, a key partner for the Nordics in the field of foreign and security policy, is taking a new international course with Brexit. In the European Union, a fundamental discussion on the core values of liberal democracies is taking place. Within the Council of Europe, Russia’s membership has been called into question due to its disregard of basic human rights. And contrary to what so many had hoped, China retains a different mind-set than liberal democracies.” “For the Nordics, having been committed to the established rules-based world order for the last seven decades, the situation today is a great challenge. The proposals mainly aim at finding and utilizing the best tools available to promote Nordic core values worldwide in a modern and peaceful manner.” “Overall, the Nordic countries are faced with a new, fluid, and challenging security landscape characterized by unpredictability, volatility, and great power competition. This altered strategic environment means that the Nordics need to constantly review their common international position and role in securing an enduring, prosperous, and peaceful existence for their citizens. Doing this will require them to secure a meaningful role in the strife for multilateralism and the rules-based world order, in tackling the challenges of climate change and in effectively addressing hybrid and cyber threats, both of which are being employed by states and non-state actors to undermine the multilateral system and the rules-based world order. In a geopolitical context, it is of utmost importance for all the Nordic countries to keep NATO and the EU interested in their security concerns.”
https://31ns9t3tahh91zt99bieate1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NORDIC_FOREIGN_ SECURITY_POLICY_2020_FINAL.pdf 42 ScandAsia • July-August 2020
Small print runs at attractive prices. Anything from banners to books. Delivered where you need it.
www.scandmedia.com
We print and ship from Bangkok
211 Soi Prasert - Manukitch 29, Chorakaebua, Ladprao, Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel: +66 2943 7166-8 Fax: +66 2943 7169 E-mail: patcharee.scandmedia@gmail.com suchaya.scandmedia@gmail.com
July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 43