Events | Benevolence | Industry News Summer 2019
Singapore Market Review 2019
Lighthouse Club International Australia | Cambodia | China | Hong Kong | Macau | Malaysia | Myanmar | Philippines | Singapore | Thailand | UK / Ireland | Vietnam
Aliis Cum Humanitate
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ƌĞĂƐ ŽĨ džƉĞƌƚŝƐĞ͗
• • • • • • • • •
• • • •
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^ƚƌƵĐƚƵƌĂů ^ƚĞĞů &ĂďƌŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ Θ ƌĞĐƚŝŽŶ &ĂĕĂĚĞ Θ ƵƌƚĂŝŶǁĂůů ^LJƐƚĞŵƐ WƌĞĐĂƐƚ ĂŶĚ WƌĞƐƚƌĞƐƐĞĚ ŽŶĐƌĞƚĞ ƌĐŚŝƚĞĐƚƵƌĂů &ŝŶŝƐŚĞƐ ;ƐƚŽŶĞ͕ ŵŝůůǁŽƌŬ͕ 'Z ͕ &ZW͕ 'Z'͕ ĐůĂĚĚŝŶŐ͕ ŐůĂnjŝŶŐ͕ ĞƚĐ͘Ϳ • DŽĚƵůĂƌŝnjĂƚŝŽŶ͕ ,ĞĂǀLJ >ŝĨƚŝŶŐ ĂŶĚ ^WDd dƌĂŶƐƉŽƌƚ • ƌĞĂŬͲ ƵůŬ ^ŚŝƉƉŝŶŐ Θ >ŽŐŝƐƚŝĐƐ
WD/ /ŶƚĞƌŶĂƚŝŽŶĂů ǁŝůů ĞŶƐƵƌĞ LJŽƵƌ ŽĨĨͲƐŝƚĞ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞĚ ĐŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƚŝŽŶ ŐŽŽĚƐ ĂƌĞ ĐŽŶƐƚƌƵĐƚĞĚ ŝŶ ĂĐĐŽƌĚĂŶĐĞ ǁŝƚŚ LJŽƵƌ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞĚ ŝŶƚĞƌŶĂƚŝŽŶĂů ƐƉĞĐŝĨŝĐĂƚŝŽŶƐ͕ ĚĞůŝǀĞƌĞĚ ƚŽ LJŽƵ ŽŶͲƚŝŵĞ͕ ƚŽ ĚĞƐŝŐŶ ĂŶĚ ŝŶͲĨƵůů͘
^ŝŶĐĞ ϭϵϵϮ Project Management, Factory Inspection & Auditing, Supply Chain Management
Email: info@pmiint.com Web: www.pmiint.com
Tel : +852 6910 9220 +86 13702333364
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The Lighthouse
Chairman’s Message A warm welcome to all of our members from me, in my first message as Chairman. The Committee is well-served with enthusiastic members from each of our Branches and I look forward to working with them to ensure that they feel part of our wonderful International organisation.
excellent Treasurer for many years both to the Regional Committee and the Hong Kong Committee. I send my condolences to Mimi and the rest of Barry’s family. We will remember Barry in the Autumn issue of “The Lighthouse”.
For my part, I will do what I can to ensure that fellowship and charity are regarded as equally important aspects of what we do. To my mind, these two things go hand in hand and we can raise money for our very worthwhile charities while enjoying ourselves and coming together in promoting fellowship within the industry. It is with great sadness that I have to announce that Club stalwart, Barry Adcock, passed away on Saturday, 5 May 2019. Barry was a regular visitor to our regional meetings, and was an
Glenn Haley, Chairman Lighthouse Club International
About The Lighthouse Club T
he Lighthouse is the magazine of Lighthouse Club International, originally established in 1998 as Lighthouse Club Asia Pacific Region and superseded in November 2017 by Lighthouse Club International. With its roots in England in 1956, the Hong Kong Branch was formed in 1986. The aims of the Lighthouse Club are to promote good fellowship amongst its members who work in or are associated with the construction industry and to provide charitable assistance to those in need within the construction industry and to their dependents in qualifying cases. In addition to the charitable works of the individual branches of the Lighthouse Club, Lighthouse Club International has two related Hong Kong based charities which provide charitable assistance worldwide: The James Battersby Lighthouse Club Educational Trust which provides assistance for education and training to qualifying young persons; The Lighthouse Club Asia Pacific Region Benevolent Trust which provides assistance to relieving poverty and financial need to persons currently or previously employed in the building and civil engineering industries and allied trades.
Official website : www.lighthouseclubintl.com The Lighthouse is online at www.issuu.com/rofmedia
Honorary President Nicolas Borit
Honorary Life Chairman John Battersby
Honorary Life Members Barry Adcock – Hong Kong Willie Kay – Singapore Les Leslie – Hong Kong & UK Nick Longley – Hong Kong & Australia Steve Tennant – Hong Kong Phil Thoburn - Manila
The Lighthouse Club International
Contents
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In This Issue Benevolence
Branch Reports
6. Bangkok branch 20 years supporting schools
36. Cambodia
9. Ocean Park the venue for Family Fun Day
41. Thailand
38. Vietnam
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44. Australia
International
48. Singapore
11. 2019 Lighthouse Club International Construction Conference
49. Philippines
Features 14. A zero carbon solution aims to tackle climate change 18. Rail link opens, connecting Phnom Penh and Bangkok 20. Investments in new rail infrastructure Metro Manila 22. KL bets on rail despite general market uncertainty 24. Singapore's big-ticket spending a spur to industry 31. Hong Kong branch members and guests masquerade in style
52. Myanmar 54. Macau 55. Hong Kong
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Members 56. Lighthouse Club International Corporate Members
Events 58. Calendar of forthcoming member’s events July to September 2019
THE LIGHTHOUSE Spring 2019
Executive Committee:
Lighthouse Club International
Chairman
Suite 1901-2, Hopewell Centre 183 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong info@lighthouseclubintl.com
Glenn Haley Glenn.haley@bclplaw.com
Immediate Past Chairman
Rod Noble Roderick.noble@39essex.com
Administrator : Elaine Man
Chairman Elect Robert Gordon Robert.gordon@arcadis.com
info@lighthouseclubhk.com Tel : +852 2736 9885 Fax : +852 2687 2252
Editorial Committee: Alfred Ng (Liaison) / Cheryl Lee / Elaine Man / Grace Power / Janey Rogers / John Battersby / Michael Hoare (Consulting Editor) / Mike Staley / Steve Tennant
Publisher: Mike Staley E : publisher@rofmedia.com T : +852 3150 8988
Designed & Published by ROF Media
Hong Kong
John Battersby johnbattersby@bkasiapacific.com Steve Tennant stevetennanthongkong@gmail.com Robert Gordon Robert.gordon@arcadis.com
Macau
Keith Buckley kbuckley0911@gmail.com Phil Clarke phil.clarke@bcamacau.com
Deputy Chairman
Keith Buckley Kbuckley0911@gmail.com
Secretary
Steve Tennant stevetennanthongkong@gmail.com
Malaysia
Ronan Collins Ronan_hongkong@me.com
Treasurer
Phil Clarke phil.clarke@bcamacau.com
Myanmar
John Anderson johna@meinhardt.net
Membership Secretary
Jim Chessell jchessell@bkasiapacific.com
Philippines
Sam Powell samuel.powell@hmrphils.com
Singapore
Jim Chessell jchessell@bkasiapacific.com James Clarke james.clarke@bclplaw.com
Thailand
Gareth Hughes Gareth.hughes@rsmthailand.com
Vietnam
Colin Johnston cjohnston@bkasiapacific.com
Elected Branch Representative: Australia
Advertising: Bryan Chan E: bryan@rofmedia.com T: +852 3150 8912 Layouts: Michelle Morkel
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Cambodia
Lee Armstrong Lee.armstrong@ankura.com Paul Roberts Paulroberts@hka.com Nick Longley Nick.longley@hfw.com Kerr Thomson kerr.thomson@covathinking.com
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Benevolence
Schools Update The Bangkok Lighthouse Club has been working with Father Joe and the Mercy Centre for over twenty years. Initially, we supported the salaries of teachers at two construction schools located in the Suvarnabhumi Airport construction development in the late 1990s and early 2000s until the airport was completed. Then, we supported a school at the Chaengwattana Government Offices construction development prior to the project’s completion, which was located next to Praksamai Construction Kindergarten School. This consisted of three schools along with Praksamai. However, as construction workers moved away from the area, the Praksamai school became a local community school. With the assistance of the Mercy Centre, three new schools were identified as recipients for Bangkok Lighthouse Club to support. Since 2017 the Club has been paying the salaries of three teachers at the schools. The three schools are: • • •
Bangya Preak Camp School Kawa Camp School Ekamai 23 Camp School
The schools are located within construction workers’ camps and the children who attend these schools age from 3 to 15 years. The nationalities of the children attending the schools are mainly Cambodian and, to a lesser extent, Thai. Each school has between 13 to 17 students in attendance. It is down to the generosity of members, via the Lighthouse Club Asia Pacific Region Benevolent Trust, that these children receive any education at all.
Please keep supporting us so we can keep supporting them!
Benevolence
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LEGAL ADVISORS TO THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY Our lawyers advise a wide range of clients in the construction sector on procurement, risk management and disputes on some of the largest and most technically complex projects in Hong Kong and internationally.
www.hfw.com/construction AMERICAS | EUROPE | MIDDLE EAST | ASIA PACIFIC
MARTIN DOWNEY Partner, Hong Kong T +852 3983 7684 E martin.downey@hfw.com BEN BURY Registered Foreign Lawyer – England and Wales Hong Kong/Singapore T +852 3983 7688/+65 6411 5213 E ben.bury@hfw.com
Benevolence
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Family Outing Hong Kong On 11 May 2019, 8 Lighthouse Club families and more than 20 volunteers from the Hong Kong Construction Association Young Members Society (“HKCA-YMS�) visited the Ocean Park. This event is sponsored and organized by HKCA YMS. Here's the day described by one of the volunteers: With a concerted effort, the YMS Ocean Fun was held successfully with Lighthouse Club Hong Kong on 11 May 2019. Split into several groups, student volunteers were able to interact with the participating families, hence developing close relationships within a short time. The event was undoubtedly meaningful and inspiring. Different from the ordinary volunteer works, YMS Ocean Fun aimed to serve the families suffering from economic difficulties due to construction accidents. It provided a great opportunity for us to spread the positive values and twist their antipathy towards the construction industry. We had great fun in Ocean Park and we also enjoyed the time spent with those families. It was really rewarding to see the smiles from them.
Written by Linda KWOK
Surveying Year 2, The University of Hong Kong
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International
Lighthouse Club Conference 2019 Morning session After a short welcome from Mr John Battersby (Honorary Life Chairman, Lighthouse Club International), Ms Ada Fung (President, The Lighthouse Club Hong Kong Branch) gave the opening address. Ms Fung touched on themes relevant to the construction industry including the need to restrain carbon emissions and adopt new technologies. Ms Fung also recognised the Lighthouse Club’s contribution to the industry through benevolent donations and the promotion of safety. The first technical presentation of the conference was on the Hong Kong-Macau-Guangdong Greater Bay Area initiative and related opportunities and challenges for construction professionals. This session was led by Mr Steve Lewis (Leader of KPMG China’s Major Project Advisory business) and Mr Ben Bury (Partner, HFW). Both speakers highlighted increased connectivity within the GBA region and the potential for infrastructure development. The speakers discussed opportunities for Hong Kong construction professionals, citing Hong Kong’s experience in procurement management, and specialised professionals and technical personnel. The speakers also noted outstanding challenges including Hong Kong’s delay
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The 2019 Lighthouse Club International Construction Conference took place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre on 30 May 2019. This year’s theme was “Opportunities and Challenges for the Construction Industry in Hong Kong and Overseas".
in adopting digital construction technologies and the challenge of harmonising different standards, and legal and regulatory systems. Next, Mr Trent Cannings, (Head of Property & Speciality and Asia Pacific Construction COE Manager, AIG) presented an update on insurance and risk on infrastructure projects, with reference to case studies in Laos and Columbia. Mr Cannings highlighted that reputation risk from risk events is often many times greater than equivalent damage to works or third parties. Mr Cannings noted that the risk landscape is changing, with an upward trend in extreme weather events and natural catastrophes which affect projects. This has the result of increasing the importance of implementing resilient design and for contractors to take additional care when working in new and unfamiliar geographies. Mr Cannings emphasised the importance of working with trusted insurance brokers – to ensure that the best value is obtained, and not just the cheapest premium. After the morning coffee break, Mr Steve Root (Director, The Contracts Group) presented on “NEC3 to NEC4 - what’s new?”, providing an overview of three contracts forming part of the NEC4 suite, being the DBO contract, the disputes resolution service contract and the alliance contract
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International
Mr Kieran Stapleton (BIM Academy) then gave an update on BIM, noting that BIM is not just a technology; it is a complete approach to information management on a project which requires high levels of engagement and project specific approaches. The last session before lunch was a panel comprising Ms Vera Choi (Chief Architect, Hong Kong Housing Authority), Mr Wes Jones (Vice President, Hong Kong Construction Association), Mr Iain Mowatt (Chairman, Temporary Works Forum) and Mr Robert Gordon (Chairman, Lighthouse Club Hong Kong Branch). The panel was chaired by Mr Nigel White (Chair, Construction Industry Group, British Chamber of Commerce) and focussed on the UK’s (Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (the CDM Regulations) and whether they can be applied to Hong Kong’s construction industry. Under the CDM Regulations each project participant is made legally responsible for specified health and safety activities. For example, the principal designer responsibilities include pre construction phase planning, maintaining a live risk register, preparing a health and safety file. The principal contractor’s duties include to plan, manage, monitor and coordinate construction phase activities, consulting with workers and ensuring that workers follow applicable risk management rules and procedures. Other responsibilities are allocated to employers and individual workers. Failure to perform CDM responsibilities can result in criminal penalties. The CDM regulations have succeeded in reducing the accident rate on UK projects. The panel agreed that changes needed to be made in Hong Kong to promote a safer industry, but disagreed as to whether such change could be implemented through education and cultural shift alone, or required the implementation of stiff penalties akin to those under the UK regime.
Afternoon session After lunch, the conference participants could elect to attend one of three breakout sessions. Breakout session 1
The first breakout session covered legal matters of current interest and was opened by Mr Peter Scott Caldwell, a dispute resolution specialist who spoke on NEC and dispute management, covering the use of adjudication and dispute avoidance boards. Mr Martin Downey, partner at HFW then presented a session on “What do your agreements really mean?” covering recent developments in the doctrine of “contra proferentem” and its application in Hong Kong. Glenn Haley and James Clarke (both partners at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner) presented a case study on the effect and management of NEC contract Compensation Events, highlighting the importance of adhering to the NEC’s particular contractual machinery.
International
Mr Tim Hallworth (Legal Director, Pinsent Masons) then gave a detailed overview of the goings-on at the Hung Hom Commission of Inquiry. Lastly, Mr Stanley Lo, (Consultant, Deacons) presented a SWOT analysis of Hong Kong as an arbitral seat for Belt and Road Initiative project disputes. Mr Lo’s review of Hong Kong’s strengths included its neutrality and independence, reliable enforcement of awards and interim measures, permissibility of third party funding. Hong Kong’s weakness, Mr Lo said, included its perceived closeness to China, both geographically and politically. Opportunities identified by Mr Lo included disputes in the construction, transportation and logistics industries, while threats could come from competing venues such as Singapore and mainland China. Breakout session 2
This session was an interactive workshop focussing on safety issues led by the Lighthouse Club Safety Committee with participation from six China State engineers and managers working at Hong Kong airport. The aim of the workshop was to brainstorm how to use site safety walks to enhance communication with site workers and better implementation of safety practices. Participants first took part in two role-playing exercises. In the first, participants were asked to recreate a "typical" situation in which a site manager reprimanded a site worker for unsafe practices. In the second session, participants were guided in adopting a more open-minded, engaging mindset when approaching site workers. Participants then received a presentation on ways to use technology to enhance site safety and safety reporting and training including data collection and analysis, the use of chatbots to file site safety reports, and safety training using VR technologies Breakout session 3
The third breakout session focused on integrating BIM into NEC contracts and was facilitated by BKAsiaPacific and the BIM Academy. The session included an overview of the use of BIM, the use of ISO 19650, challenges to using BIM effectively with NEC and the treatment of rights to, and liabilities arising from the use of, BIM models.
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Feature
Hot Idea to cool sweaty cities
Text: Michael Hoare Images: World Architecture Festival
Information and images: WAF
Feature
A legendary Japanese architectural studio conjures up a zero-carbon solution to deal with the heat island effect
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Feature
The network of heat-radiating asphalt and high-rise concrete towers that form modern cityscapes also triggers the heat island effect.
The pockets of heightened ambient temperature that bedevil Asian cities are exacerbated by pollutants from industry and transport, the by-products of heating and cooling, and diminished vegetation cover. Temperatures within a heat island can be up to 12 degrees (Celsius) warmer than less-developed areas, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. As uncomfortable as that may be, a response to the urban heat island effect has become a serious challenge to habitability as the planet warms and the oceans rise. Japan’s Nikken Sekkei architectural studio says it has devised a solution that is scalable, portable and practical. The Cool Tree system weaves sustainable timber into an overhead sunshade that emits a super-fine cooling mist above a seat that features a built-in, solid-state heat pump. The combined effect helps reduce the air temperature, cool pedestrians and create an altogether more comfortable microclimate. Nikken Sekkei’s prototype is made from the Hinoki cypress and takes the form of a tree. The sustainable timber “canopy” has a diameter of about 7.7 metres and is held together using the fastenerfree techniques common in some of Asia’s best-known wooden temples. The bench houses a thermoelectric cooler that sees a small current passed between two conductors, cooling one side and heating the other, delivering a phenomenon first described by the French physicist Peltier in the 19th century.
The trunk and canopy of the tree are bolted to a base made from layers of cross-laminated timber that is said to be heavy enough to keep the structure upright in a typhoon. The unit is solar-powered and wired, so it can he linked into a smart city grid and controlled remotely. The effect of the sunshade, cooling bench and mist are said to create a sense of “urban forest therapy” and lowered subjective ratings of the air temperature by an average of about 5 degrees during trials. Nikken Sekkei has combined its considerable scale with leading real estate company Mitsui Fudosan to install a prototype at Kashi-no-ha Smart City, a new town development in Chiba Prefecture, less than an hour’s drive to the northeast of central Tokyo. Sat in a public plaza within the development, the Cool Tree trial has seen a clever use of sensors that are activated by motion, temperature or humidity. They draw down on two batteries charged by solar panels. The control system and mechanism to generate the ultra-fine mist are said to be newly developed for the project.
Feature
The Cool Tree demonstration ends in September.
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Feature
Cambodia’s rail reconnect a symbol for unity and a looming boom As Chinese firms prepare new routes across Southeast Asia, Thai engineering has helped reopen the rail link to Phnom Penh for the first time in 45 years Text: Michael Hoare
Feature
The dream to connect Asia by rail is moving closer to reality following the opening of the link between Thailand and Cambodia that had been in ruins for 45 years. The rebuilt and reconnected Phnom Penh to Bangkok line has been created in stages over the past few years with 370km of metre-gauge track opening last year in western Cambodia and a US$19-million bridge coming on-stream in April. It was the opening of the 620-metre-long Cambodian-Thai Friendship Bridge and final 6.4-km rail section near Poipet that completed the line and allowed services
Annual bilateral trade between Thailand and Cambodia currently stands at US$6 billion and Phnom Penh hopes the railway will be used to transport agricultural produce. The final segment of the railway is also seen as an important link in creating a development corridor from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Cambodia has plans to develop another line that will connect Poipet with Siem Reap and the Vietnamese border. The Cambodian government says it has spent more than US$226.5 million to restore the line from Phnom Penh to Poipet on the border with Thailand, and a second line that connects the capital city with Sihanoukville. Funding for the works came from a variety of international agencies, including the Asian Development Bank.
to resume for the first time since the Vietnam War spilled out across what was French Indochina in 1973. About 48km of line was destroyed near Poipet during the Cambodian Civil War. The 17-metre-wide bridge constructed by Royal Thai Army engineers connects Poipet and Klong Luek railway station in Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province. When the first train rolled across from Thailand in late April, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and his Thai counterpart Prayut Chan-o-Cha rode in a four-car Hitachi diesel multiple-unit. The train was donated by the Thai government, has a capacity of 320 passengers and will be used by Cambodia’s Royal Railway for the crossborder shuttle run. Prime Minster Hun Sen said rail was the backbone of the country’s transport network, adding that the new line would help development. “The restoration of the rail link brings cost-efficient and high-safety railway services that will help contribute to the economic development of Cambodia, Thai, Asean and Greater Mekong Sub-region development,” Hun Sen said.
Although customs hitches means there is not yet a through service from Bangkok, the completion of the line to Phnom Penh has added a missing link to the Trans-Asian Railway network – an ongoing United Nations project floated in the 1950s to connect Singapore with Istanbul by rail. With the signing of an agreement in 2006 to finally construct the network, followed soon after by the China-led Belt and Road Initiative, rail construction in Southeast Asia is enjoying a boom after decades of stagnation. For example, China Railway International Group Co Ltd and China Railway Construction Corp (CRCC) have both worked in Cambodia, seeking out new investments. Back over the border in Thailand and China is proposing a north-south, high-speed railway linking Kunming in Yunnan province with Laos and northern Thailand. Meanwhile, the Thai conglomerate Charoen Pokphand Group is in charge of a consortium of 12 other companies – including Citic Group and CRCC – that has been selected to build a US$6.8-billion, high-speed link between Suvarnabhumi, Don Muang and U-Tapao airports.
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Feature
Build, Build, Build
scheme
hopes to get Manila back on track
Text: Michael Hoare
The congestion that plagues metro Manila is heightened by flimsy commuter infrastructure; Duterte is spending to get public transport back on the rails The great age of the railway is dawning at last in the Philippines as the government of President Rodrigo Duterte puts into action plans to extend the length of the network to 1,900 km by 2022, up from just 77 km currently. Considering that the country is an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, that is a lot of railway. Some of the plans are old ones, once left to gather dust because of political and legal hindrances. But Mr Duterte’s popular government has a mandate to sweep aside such obstacles and – to use his own slogan – Build, Build, Build.This is the president’s response to the impoverished transport network that has held back the country’s economy and, in the case of the greater Manila area – home to more than 13 million people – made the daily commute an ordeal. There are 75 projects on Duterte’s list and many of the plans for railway infrastructure include track that will be laid in, around and even underneath Manila. The programme is said to be costed at US$171 billion until 2022 and, with some funding pledged by Japan and China, the main headaches left are now engineering obstacles. Among the old plans, one new one stands out so much it has been called “the project of the century”. Work has begun on a Japanesefunded project to build the first underground railway in Manila, to supplement the limited network of elevated railways. The Metro Manila Subway will run for 36 km from north to south, Quezon City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. There are 15 stations planned for the line that should handle up to 370,000 passengers a day when it opens. The line will be engineered to cope with a maximum capacity of up to 1.5 million passengers a day. Ground was broken on the US$7-billion standard-gauge underground railway in February and the first trains are due to run in 2022. The subway will connect to existing Japanese-built light rail infrastructure at what is being called the Unified Grand Central Station, a commuter station that is on the drawing board. This proposed 13,700-square-metre interchange will have three areas linking light rail, mass transit and the subway.
“Our countrymen will finally see that the dream of a railway system running underground in this country is soon becoming a reality,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said at the official commencement. A consortium of Shimizu Corp, Fujita Corp, Takenaka Civil Engineering Co Ltd and EEI Corp has the contract to build the 357-billion-piso first phase. Finance has been arranged by the Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency, which as been actively investing in public transport networks in other Asian cities, including Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and Jakarta, Indonesia. Construction will test the know-how of the tunnellers. Manila is built on a dried-up swamp, in effect, and is sinking as groundwater is removed from beneath it and more concrete structures are built on top. In the rainy season, many parts are flooded, sometimes severely. While Manila’s elevated railway network soars above the floods, one of its many shortcomings is its limited reach. However, an old plan to extend one of the three lines for 11 km to the southwest of Manila, into the neighbouring province of Cavite, is being put into action at last, after years of argument over the right of way. Light Rail Manila Corp recently began building the US$1.25-billion extension, most of it elevated, and expects to begin operating it in 2021. Another old idea is for a railway from Manila northward to Clark Field, which was once a United States air base and has the potential to serve as a new international airport for Manila. The Manila-Clark railway idea has been revived and now takes the form of a Japanesefunded project to build a 53-km line, much of it elevated above flood-prone terrain, with one stretch in a tunnel. Crucially, the railway promises to run straight and level, allowing trains to shoot along at up to 160 kph, so reducing the Manila-Clark travel time to one hour from three hours by road. The reduction in travel time will make Clark Field a practical alternative to the congested Ninoy Aquino Airport in the centre of Manila. Bids for the US$12-billion contract to build the main stretch have been solicited and the first trains are due to depart in 2022.
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Feature
Rail a singular highlight of
Malaysian construction sector
Text: Michael Hoare
An uncertain future for some of Malaysia’s biggest infrastructure projects has shaken confidence but some nationally significant railway projects are going ahead. On, off, on again; a frantic 12 months in Malaysian politics has been echoing throughout the country’s construction sector. With a change of government last year came a dramatic shift in priorities and a government determined to cut costs on a US$50billion infrastructure programme. Trapped in limbo were a proposed high-speed rail link to Singapore (the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail) that was decades in the making and had been costed at US$17 billion, the Chinesefunded US$16-billion 688-km East Coast Rail Link, a US$9.5 billion mass-rapid transit line around Kuala Lumpur called Line 3, and property developments built on a foundation of multi-modal transit interchanges. The decisions have had an effect on the construction sector. In its membership survey for the first quarter of this year, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) says the appetite for new work is limited and workloads have fallen in every market segment. The RICS Malaysia Construction and Infrastructure Survey says financial constraints, light demand, greater competition, the cost of materials, and planning and regulation were constraints on activity that had hurt profit margins. One bright spot is rail projects that are likely to see the biggest increase in workloads over the next year, RICS says. Work is continuing on the Sungai Buloh-SerdangPutrajaya Line (SSP), due for completion in 2022. The change in government saw project’s contractor MMC-Gamuda KVMRT (T) Sdn Bhd forced to renegotiate the contract, slashing costs by more than US$2 billion, bringing the total to US$7.26 billion.
Works on the MRT Sungai-Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya SSP Line
Now more than 50 percent complete, the 52.2-km line is Malaysia’s biggest infrastructure project. It runs north-south through Kuala Lumpur and its environs in an area known as the Klang Valley. The line includes 11 interchange stations for future and existing projects, among its 33 stops, and caters to the more than 1.7 million people. The project is designed to reduce congestion and take about 160,000 cars off the roads every day, with passengers moved around on the 49 train sets from South Korea’s Hyundai-Rotem. The project is managed by Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd, which said in February that the project was back on track. Among the engineering concerns are 16 underground tunnels that will be excavated by 12 tunnel-boring machines. More than 1,500 users are collaborating on the works’ 45,000 documents by using Bentley OpenRail’s Connected Data Environment in the BIM Level 2 process. The first breakthrough took place earlier this year when TBM S-776VD completed a 1.9-km path at depths of around 40 metres. The MRT is now scaling up the underground works.With traffic jams adding about 158 hours to the average driver's commute per year in Kuala Lumpur, any option to reduce travel time is welcome. When complete, the line will be of immense value to the densely populated region. In more good news for the construction sector, there is the suggestion that more of the mothballed rail projects will come back online.
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Work on the MRT SSP Line near Taman Naga Emas, south of central Kuala Lumpur
The East Coast Rail Link across the country to the Thai border appears likely to go ahead again, with the China Communications Construction Company agreeing to cut costs and deliverables to reduce the price to about US$10.4 billion and agreeing to take on a local joint venture partner. In yet more good news for the industry, Gamuda Bhd group managing director Lin Yun Ling was quoted in May as saying he thought MRT Line 3 would be revived before the end of the year. TBM Breaks through on SSP tunnel in February
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Feature - Market Review
Major projects show welcome improvement Construction stands out as one of the few industry sectors that is poised to do well in a Singaporean economy buffeted by an intensifying US-China trade war
Text: Michael Hoare Images: LHC Singapore Branch
Feature - Market Review
A resurgent construction industry has helped deliver a quarter of GDP growth in Singapore to start the year but as the shockwaves of the US-China trade war continue to ripple across the globe, the economy looks less healthy and the future a little more uncertain.
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Unfortunately, any sense of accomplishment to be taken from May’s data is likely to be short lived. Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry is cutting its annual forecast for economic growth “narrowed downwards to 1.5 to 2.5 percent from 1.5 to 3.5 percent”.
If the forecasts for the year ahead are correct, Singapore’s construction But the ministry sees “pockets of strength” of economic growth. The construction sector is likely to see a sustained turnaround after three sector is set for a good year, yet probably not an outstanding one. consecutive years of contraction, as the pick up in contracts awarded Singapore’s first quarter GDP data was recently released. There was a since the second half of 2017 is expected to continue to translate into pleasant surprise; adjusted quarter-on-quarter growth of 3.8-percent construction activity for the remainder of this year. improved on a 0.8-percent contraction reported in the fourth quarter of last year. The government had expected growth of 2 percent.
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Feature - Market Review
Feng Ming Construction’s project for the Land Transport Authority was to improve the pedestrian and vehicular traffic at Braddell Interchange, Singapore.
In its assessment of the first quarter, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) says construction activity was “fairly restrained”. Its member survey published in May found that “apart from infrastructure and other public works, respondents reported a decline in workloads during the first quarter. In net balance terms, the pace of increase of infrastructure workloads was substantial.” The workloads for infrastructure construction increased in all segments of the market, RICS says, and the infrastructure segment will be a shining light this year. Uptick in Major Projects
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has estimated the value of construction contracts to be awarded this year will fall between S$27 billion and S$32 billion, a range similar to last year’s S$30.5 billion of work. Much of the sector’s relative prosperity will come from public sector construction, which will contribute about two-thirds of the total
Feature - Market Review
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this year. The BCA – a champion for the development of an excellent • Five new public hospitals and up to 12 polyclinics will be built built environment in Singapore – says major infrastructure projects by 2030 and there are plans to build new and replacement nursing including the Cross Island Line, developments at Jurong Lake District homes; and Changi Airport Terminal 5, and a pipeline of major industrial • A new US$135-million National Heart Centre building is building projects will keep the industry busy. currently being built at the Singapore General Hospital and scheduled for completion next year; The BCA sees a gradual uptick in private sector construction in the • Water technology and infrastructure in areas such as filtering and medium term, boosted by growth in the other economic sectors. purifying, recycling and treatment, and desalination technologies; However, it says the private sector’s construction demand is expected and to remain steady at between S$10.5 billion and S$12.5 billion this • Government information technology tenders of more than year, supported by projects including the redevelopment of past en US$1.9 billion. bloc sales sites and new industrial developments. Designing for Data
Among the major projects planned or underway are: • • •
Among the headline-stealing projects underway in Singapore is a data centre for Facebook. The US$1.0-billion, 170,000-square-metre, Construction of Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 5; The Next Generation Port for Tuas Terminal to be constructed in 150-megawatt, 11-storey facility at Tanjong Kling Data Centre Park in the city’s west will be one of the biggest in the world when complete. four phases; The first phase is due to come online in 2022. Deep Tunnel Sewerage System Phase 2 targeted for completion in 2025;
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Feature - Market Review
The project is energy-efficient, green and smart. The building will be supported on drilled concrete piles, some as wide as 1.6 metres, with reinforced concrete columns, beams, and hollow-core concrete slabs. A perforated lightweight material used on the building’s façade will allow airflow and provide glimpses of the state-of-the-art mechanical equipment inside and balconies with vegetation will punctuate the building’s façade. Facebook says the data centre will be a leader in energy efficiency, with an expected annual power usage effectiveness of 1.19. This means that less than 19 percent of the energy input will be used for non-computing tasks to support the infrastructure. Singapore’s National Environment Agency says 1.78 is the average target for energy efficiency. Another of the “Four Horseman of Big Tech”, Google plans to build its third data centre in Jurong West, a little to the north of Facebook’s, and take its investment in Lion City data centres to US$850 million. The multi-story facility will be one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly sites in Asia, the company says. “It will
feature the latest machine learning technology to reduce energy use. And we will use recycled water, diverting 100 percent of the data centre’s waste away from landfill,” Google said last year. Designing sustainably is also on the minds of the managers at Dyson, the iconic “British manufacturer” is working on an electric vehicle for a 2021 launch. It is building a factory in Singapore, where the company already employs some 1,100 people. Building these cutting-edge constructions takes a workforce with sharp skills.
Feature - Market Review
New Skills Needed
Seeking Staff
Mr Lee Fook Sun is a Director of SMRT Corp, Singapore’s masstransit developer; the Deputy Chairman of SMRT Trains, the city’s rail operator; and the Chairman of the BCA. He has formally identified a Construction Industry Transformation Map to steer digitisation and up-skilling.
Samantha says that, currently, the greatest shortage is in BIM practitioners. The BCA has identified iBuildSG Leadership Engagement and Development (LEAD) Framework as a key initiative to help the industry and attract and retain talent.
“Transformation is likely to bring us along the road less travelled, even as we seek new and more innovative ways to build a future-ready Singapore – resilient and sustainable, high quality and accessible,” he said in the 2017-18 Annual Report, published in the second half of last year. The roadmap identifies the key transformation areas of Green Buildings, Design for Manufacturing and Assembly, and Integrated Digital Delivery. The demand for specialist workers is driving a change in hiring practices. Samantha Soh, the practice manager for real estate, construction and engineering at Archer Recruitment says the overwhelming tendency to hire skilled workers with Singaporean experience is changing – necessarily so because the upswing in public works projects is driving demand for staff.
Already, about S$72 million has been allocated to fund scholarships and sponsorships for workers seeking an academic qualification. In January, 448 scholarships and sponsorships were offered to tertiary students that have been promised a job after their studies are complete. The industry is committed to providing on-the-job and part-time training. At the BCA Awards in May, Minister of State for National Development and Manpower, Zaqy Mohamad, said the scheme targets young emerging leaders. “Overall, the engineering and construction market is still losing a large number of graduates to other areas such as finance and information technology," Samantha says. Smaller salaries and a negative perception of hot and dirty work dissuade many people.
She tells The Lighthouse there is a “more flexibility from clients considering overseas talent” in areas such as consulting and in technology-heavy aspects of the industry, such as BIM.
“This is a major area to address and it's important the government and the construction engineering companies demonstrate what a fantastic career there is in the sector,” says Samantha.
“The industry is not attracting enough local talent or, in some cases, there is a need for foreign expertise,” she says. “And there are various reasons for that; we are a little backward in some areas of technology and construction methods, for example. When these initiatives are adopted, there often are not enough local resources with the relevant expertise.”
The Ministry of Manpower says males outnumbered women by a ratio of three-to-one among all science and engineering jobs in 2017. “Working conditions in the construction sector still have a bad reputation so it's important everyone in the industry looks into ways of improving this so we can attract the right talent at a grassroots level.”
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Feature
Hong Kong
Charity Ball The Annual Ball of the Lighthouse Club Hong Kong Branch took place on the evening of 1 June 2019 at the Hong Kong Conference & Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).
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The theme of this year’s event was “Masquerade”, with ballgoers adopting a dazzling variety of masks and disguises. The night opened with pre-dinner drinks at 18:30 in an anteroom with a glittering view of Victoria Harbour. Guests mingled, accompanied by a classical guitar duo, before moving to take their seats in the ballroom for the the commencement of the evening. Many of Hong Kong’s most prominent construction organisations had a table at the marquee event, including Jardine Lloyd Thompson Limited, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, China State Engineering Construction (HK) Limited, King & Wood Mallesons, Gammon, ADR Partnership, Inhabit Group, Gammon Construction Ltd and Leighton Asia.
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The night was compèred with élan by Mr Adam Christian Nelson, (Lighthouse Club Hong Kong Branch, Social Secretary) and Ms Shannon Ho (Lighthouse Club Hong Kong, Chair, Women in Construction). Soft vibe music with some jazz thrown in played during dining, evolving to rock and roll for later in the evening, provided by Paul and MOB Hong Kong. The famous LHC Cocktail Bar, run by Nabin, opened at 20:30 with guests enjoying Old Fashioneds, Vodka Martinis, passion fruit and watermelon mixes to name but a few concoctions. "The night's lucky draw, a 1-night-2-day stay at the Grand Hyatt Macau, donated by King & Wood Mallesons, was won by Tony Wong from China State. Other highlights of the evening included the traditional "Heads and Tails" won by King & Wood Mallesons (after a few misfires in which all contestants chose the same body part!), a belly dancing demonstration while diners enjoyed their first course, and a hotly contested battle for "Best Masked". As usual, HKCEC kept everybody well fed and watered and revellers stayed on to keep dancing to hits of yesterday and today – a fun night brought to a grand end.
Photography by Walter Ding
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Branch report – Cambodia
Golfers in Cambodia reap the benefits for injured workers
Over the last few months the Lighthouse Club Cambodia has hosted a number of exciting events, including our 5th Annual Golf Day. Our March Networking Event was held in conjunction with CBRE at the newly opened Eclipse Bar, one of Phnom Penh’s newest sky bars. We had over 80 attendees who were able to enjoy the sumptuous catered finger food and free flow drinks, whilst enjoying the evening sunset from the roof of the Keystone Building, one of the city’s newest premier office buildings
Branch report – Cambodia
On the following week, on 22 March, our 5th Annual Lighthouse Cambodia Golf Day was once again held in the beautiful surroundings of the Garden City Golf Club, just on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Although this year our numbers were slightly lower, due to the numerous work commitments by our members, it was once again a highly enjoyable day and we were very fortunate to have two corporate sponsors, Knight Frank ( who were also one of our corporate sponsors last year), and COVA. We also had a number of hole sponsors including Soksiphana and Associates, Comin Khmer, The Room and Realestate.Com.Kh.
In the Spring issue of “The Lighthouse” we brought to your attention Rosikin Samat, a seriously injured local Cambodian construction worker who has been financially supported by the Lighthouse Club Cambodia since January this year. After sustaining horrific injuries from falling through high voltage power lines onto a concrete slab from a second floor platform, he has required ongoing health care which has been fully supported by us through the generous support of the Lighthouse Club Asia Pacific Region Benevolent Trust as well as providing funds to cover the day to day expenses of his family. Initially, it was hoped Rosikin could undergo an operation to assist with the severe brain injuries sustained during his fall but unfortunately, doctors no longer see this as a successful option for the long-term.
The “Wheel of Fortune” on hole 13 proved to be a big hit for all our players as well as the “Ripple Effect”, both raising significant funds for our supported causes in Cambodia. The “After Party” and prize giving was held at Chinese House and we were again fortunate to have many donated prizes including a Mercedes Benz golf bag, Land Rover branded goods and numerous other golf related prizes and a 42 inch LG TV donated by G Gear. Our media sponsors Amcham, CBRE and The Globe kindly provided all media advertising for the event.
Doctors have now also confirmed that his hands have sustained permanent damage. It is hoped he will eventually have a skin graft and there is a 90% rate that this will be a success. However, the damage on his wrist and fingers mean he can never return to his previous employment as a construction worker. He will also continue to be on permanent medication. As much as we enjoy the networking events and golf days held by the Lighthouse Club here in Cambodia, the seriousness of his injuries and the long-term effect his lack of employment will have on his family show the seriousness of our goals and causes in this still developing country.
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Branch report – Vietnam
With an influx of foreign capital, Vietnam’s economy will outperform International investors in processing and manufacturing are finding value in industrial real estate in the Southeast Asian powerhouse; it’s helping drive economic growth.
Text: Michael Hoare
The scale of that investment will continue to drive growth and has given Fitch Ratings the latitude to increase its assessment of the country’s credit rating from stable to positive. The agency says the upgrade reflects an improving record of economic management, hen Vietnam posted annual growth in GDP of 7.1 percent falling government debt, economic growth and stable inflation rate last year, it notched its greatest year-on-year growth in a at 3.5 percent. Officials have shown a commitment to containing decade. It’s one data point in a picture of good health. The Southeast debt and general government debt has been paid down to 50.5 Asian powerhouse has proven to be one of the fastest growing percent of GDP last year, from a peak of 53 percent in 2016. economies of the past 12 months and has been seemingly immune to global turmoil. Fitch expects Vietnam’s growth will slow this year to about 6.7 percent, as a result of slowing global growth, primarily brought on by The outlook for this year is just as promising, with Savills Vietnam United States-China trade tensions. The Vietnamese economy will suggesting that foreign direct investment is now key to economic be collateral damage in a trade war that will weigh on regional trade development. The global property consultancy says more than half flows and sentiment. of the newly registered capital coming into the country is directed to the processing and manufacturing sector, which is boosting But Vietnam is expected to remain an attractive destination for demand for industrial real estate. foreign investors given its low-cost advantage.
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Branch report – Vietnam
“There is massive interest from foreign investors at moment,” says Matthew Powell, director Savills Hanoi. “At the Savills Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh offices, we are seeing many investor groups each day, mostly new entrants, who are keen to explore opportunities." The interest is mainly coming from the region – Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Singapore – but also US, European and global funds are investigating heavily. All the commercial and residential sectors are targets. Most of the investor interest comes from funds who are not looking to develop, so are looking to acquire operating cashgenerating assets – office properties, retail malls, 4 and 5-star hotels. Powell expects more deals to flow throughout the year, with money gradually moving across the entire market, and particularly into logistics and other industrial segments.
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Branch report – Thailand
Bangkok Golfers and Late Lunchers help keep the site schools going strong
Our golfers braved the heat of Bangkok in February and March to play at Burapha & Lotus Valley. Both events were well attended, as usual, with lots of fun prizes given away. For our evening function we ventured from our home at The Clubhouse in Sukhumvit and tried a new venue down in the Silom area – O’Malley’s pub. It proved to be very popular with high attendances at the events. Late Lunches in February and March were also well attended. Due to the Thai New Year holidays, or Songkran, we did not hold any events in April, but we were back in action for the monthly golf tournament and late lunch in May.
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Branch report – Australia
Brisbane Ball
Branch report – Australia
The Brisbane chapter held their third annual ball on Saturday 1 September 2018 at Brisbane City Hall in the striking Ithaca Auditorium. It was attended by 160 industry professionals who all seemed to have a fantastic night networking and playing the casino games in the hopes of winning some of the fantastic raffle prizes. The event was hosted by the brilliant Master of Ceremonies, Sean Brady of Brady Heywood, who once again donated his time for the evening, with even better jokes than the previous year. The committee were proud to present several donations to very worthy causes on the night. The first of these were the continuation of our TAFE Skillstech Bursary programme which supports students who were at risk financially of being unable to complete their studies. The bursary award winners for 2018 were Melanie Sweeney and Bradley Downing, both Tiling apprentices. The awards were presented by their teacher and mentor, Grant Job, who was extremely proud of the progress and dedication they each showed in their studies. Our second donation of the evening was made to Happy Hub Kampot for the continuation of their training programme in Cambodia which allows for uneducated youths in rural areas to learn valuable construction skills as they assist in providing housing for struggling families. The cheque was accepted by Trisha Simpson on behalf of Happy Hub who showed a video of the important work they do in Cambodia and the families and children they help. Guests enjoyed free flow beverages and canapes and enjoyed entertainment from the fantastic band Sticky Wicket whilst they tried their hand at the many casino games on offer. The proceeds from the casino tables and raffle sales on the night helped to raise a truly impressive $5,700. The prizes that were highly desired included a 7 course degustation for 2 with matched wines at Aria, a $300 Flight Centre voucher and the elusive, always treasured Lighthouse moneybox. A huge thanks to our generous prize donors, Blue Room Cinebar, Clovely Estate, Modern Hunter, Gold Coast Titans, Brisbane Broncos, Riverlife, Three Beans Café, Gambaro Seafood Restaurant, Noosa Chocolate Factory, Uber, Flight Centre, HFW, HKA and Diales. Photographs of the evening were provided by the wonderful Tania McConnachy and our social media guru Petrina MacPherson made the rounds snapping photos all evening and uploading to Twitter and Instagram to sate everyone’s appetite while they waited for the professional photos.
Special thanks to our Gold Sponsor, CDI Lawyers, Brisbane’s specialist and pre-eminent construction, development and infrastructure law firm. We would also like to thank our Silver Sponsor, Diales and our Bronze Sponsor, DTS Builders, without whom this night would not have been possible. The Brisbane Ball committee would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved and we look forward to seeing you all at a bigger and better event in 2019!
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Branch report – Australia
Australia The Australian chapter has had a great start to the year with good attendance at the events in each State. The Perth Pub Quiz was a great success and Brisbane has been enjoying regular monthly catch ups. There are a few exciting events in the pipeline with the “Victoria’s Infrastructure Project Boom – Capacity Challenges and Innovative Solutions” event coming up in June and the Brisbane committee is busily planning for the ball later in the year.
Perth Pub Quiz 4 April 2019. Early April saw Perth’s inaugural Pub Quiz event, sponsored by Law in Order. Just over 40 hopefuls turned up to test their intellect in Perth’s premier battle of wits. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and there was a great atmosphere. It was a very close battle with the RICS team in the lead after the first round, but falling back to a mediocre 3rd in the end. Richard Baker and the Advisian team ultimately took the win. Richard, a Lighthouse Club Australia Committee Member and organizer of the event, successfully fought off spirited claims of match fixing. We had a regular networking event on 30 May 2019 with other events to be confirmed. Our Ball committee has provisionally booked the 30 August 2019 as the date for our (almost) Annual Ball. Please keep an eye on the Lighthouse Club website for more information.
Branch report – Australia
Melbourne The Melbourne committee have again been planning events with skill and precision. As we go to press the snappily named “Victoria’s Infrastructure Project Boom – Capacity Challenges and Innovative Solutions” will have happened on 4 June 2019, with speakers, Dr Collette Burke and Steve Collett. More details in the next magazine. Melbourne is considering reinstating the regular monthly networking drinks. Expressions of interest for sponsorships and memberships are encouraged, please write to info@lighthouseclubaus.org for more information.
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Branch report –Singapore
Singapore elects new Committee
Lighthouse Club Singapore held its 2019 AGM on Thursday 21 March 2019 at McGettigans, Clark Quay at 6.30 pm. Once the quorum was confirmed, the meeting commenced on time with an update from the past Council on the beneficiaries, activities and bank balance. After which, there were nominations for many positions and the new council is now as opposite: This “new” council, comprising a healthy mix of new and past members, agreed to grow the club membership and continue to raise monies. There was a lot of enthusiasm to help support the beneficiaries who depend on the Lighthouse Club, and to be on the watch for those who need help from the construction industry. 2019 promises to be an excellent year leading up to our 20th Anniversary next year and the club would like to thank all the supporters for their trust and support and, of course, generosity over the coming months.
Name 1. Jim Chessell 2. Eric Yeo 3. Sam Asher 4. Honey Lim 5. Woo Sek Han 6. Carisa Mann 7. Sean Hardy 8. Nuala McGlynn 9. Rory Cavner 10. Ivan Ivanovas 11. Willie Kay 12. Brian Lim 13. Srini 14. Kevyyn Tan
Position President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Assistant/Membership Sec. 1st Officer 2nd Officer 3rd Officer Ordinary Council Member Ordinary Council Member Ordinary Council Member Ordinary Council Member Ordinary Council Member Ordinary Council Member
SCL (Singapore) 2nd “Focus on Asia Conference” 2019
Organised by:
Wednesday, 11 Sep 2019, 6.30 - 9.00 pm • Thursday, 12 Sep 2019, 9.00 am to 6.00 pm Hotel Fort Canning, 11 Canning Walk, Singapore 178881
About this Conference
18.30
Conference Registrations for Overseas Delegates
19.00
WELCOME REMARKS Mr. Toh Chen Han – Chairman, Society of Construction Law (Singapore); Partner, Pinsent Masons MPillay LLP, Singapore
19.05
WELCOME COCKTAIL RECEPTION
08.30
Registration & Refreshments
09.00
WELCOME ADDRESS BY CHAIR OF MORNING SESSION Mr. Toh Chen Han – Chairman, Society of Construction Law (Singapore); Partner, Pinsent Masons MPillay LLP, Singapore
09.05
KEYNOTE ADDRESS: REACHING OUT TO THE WORLD: HOW ASIA LEADS THE WAY
Keynote Speaker:
Sir Vivian Ramsey
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KEYNOTE SPEAKER: THE HONOURABLE SIR VIVIAN RAMSEY
11.00
Morning Break
11.20
SESSION 2: “INFRASTRUCTURE OPPORTUNITIES & CHALLENGES IN ASIA” Mr. Anil Changaroth – Managing Director (and General Counsel), ChangAroth InterNational Consultancy and ChangAroth Chambers LLC, Singapore Mr. Anand Juddoo – CEO, Juddoo Consulting Ltd; Principal, Juddoo Arbitration Chambers, Mauritius Ms. Bhavya Kukrety - Associate Director, Meinhardt (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Singapore Mr. Liang Thow Ming - Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd, Sri Lanka Mr. Ricardo Ma. P.G. Ongkiko - Senior Partner, SyCip Salazar Hernandez & Gatmanitan, Philippines
12.50
Standing Buffet Lunch
13.55
INTRODUCTIONS & OPENING REMARKS Ms. Karen Fletcher – Co-Chair, Conference Organising Committee; Honorary Secretary, Society of Construction Law (Singapore)
14.00
SESSION 3: DEBATE ON THE MOTION: “IN GENERAL, CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS TEND TO ALLOCATE PROJECT RISKS TO THE MOST APPROPRIATE PARTY” The Honourable Sir Vivian Ramsey Ms. Anneliese Day QC – Barrister, Fountain Court Chambers, United Kingdom Mr. Philip Jeyaretnam SC - Global Vice Chair & Regional CEO, Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP, Singapore Mr. Mohan Pillay - Managing Partner, MPillay; Joint Head of Office, Pinsent Masons MPillay LLP, Singapore Ms. Marion Smith QC - Barrister, 39 Essex Chambers, Singapore
15.30
Afternoon Break
15.45
SESSION 4: “LATEST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IN CONSTRUCTION LAW” Ms. Janice Tay - Partner, Dispute Resolution, Wong & Partners (Member Firm of Baker McKenzie International), Malaysia Mr. Minn Naing Oo - Managing Director, Allen & Gledhill (Myanmar) Co., Ltd, Myanmar Mr. Ratan Singh - Advocate and Arbitrator, Chambers of Ratan K. Singh, India Ms. Debby Sulaiman – Partner, Dispute Resolution, Hiswara Bunjamin & Tandjung, Indonesia Dr. Elvis Zhou – Partner, JunHe LLP, Peoples’ Republic of China
17.25
CONFERENCE CLOSING REMARKS Mr. Lee Chau Ee – Co-Chair, Conference Organising Committee; Vice-Chairman, Society of Construction Law (Singapore)
Limited technical (exhibitors) and cash sponsorship opportunities are available! If you are interested in exhibiting at or sponsoring our Conference, please do not hesitate to contact June Tan at E-mail: secretariat@scl.org.sg for more details. For more details and to secure your place, please REGISTER ONLINE via our website by 11th June 2019 to enjoy the Early Bird Rate! Alternatively, simply download the brochure HERE and return the completed registration form and e-mail to secretariat@scl.org.sg or fax to +65-62259426 before the closing date 4th September 2019.
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09.30
SESSION 1: “THE BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE – THE WHATS, WHYS AND HOWS OF THE WORLD’S MOST AMBITIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT” Mr. Paul Teo – Partner, Chartered Arbitrator; Head of International Arbitration, Greater China; Head of Energy, Mining and Infrastructure Disputes, Asia, Baker & McKenzie, Hong Kong Dr Atif Ansar - Programme Director, MSc in Major Programme Management (MMPM), Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, United Kingdom Ms. Bree Miechel - Partner, ReedSmith, Singapore
when you Register & Pay by
Ju
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DAY TWO
DAY ONE
Building on the strength of the community of Societies of Construction Law, this 2nd “Focus on Asia” Conference will bring together thought leaders from across the region to share with us recent innovative and expansive developments across the entire life-cycle of international construction projects that impact on all members of any project team - including the construction lawyers! SCL (Singapore) is pleased to have Sir Vivian Ramsey grace the occasion as our Keynote Speaker. Participants will explore current trends, latest developments and the future direction of construction industry regulation across the region as well as the challenges and opportunities, across the supply chain, presented by current and planned major projects in Asia. This Conference aims to bring together senior legal practitioners, in-house counsel and construction industry stalwarts from around the region to discuss the future of our industry as well a platform to network informally with delegates and speakers.
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Gold Sponsor:
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Practice Area: Construction Training Level: Update CPD Points: 6 BCA
8 CET Hours
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7 PDUs
RICS
6 CPD Hours
SPM
5 CPD Points
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6 CPD Hours
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Branch report – Manila
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Manila and Australia join forces for students Lighthouse Club Manila has had an eventful first half of 2019. Our club boasts nine graduates from our scholarship program for the year. Testimonials from these graduates on the lifechanging impacts of the provided support will be featured in this issue and in the coming months. Linked with our pride in our graduating students, LCHM is now a beneficiary from Lighthouse Club Australia who have funded a second administrator for our branch, allowed us to increase our scholarships we can offer and administer.
For the coming 2019-2020 school year we will have up to 50 scholars, an increase from 35 scholars last year. This support was commemorated with a ceremonial signing on 14 March 2019, with Nick Longley from Lighthouse Club Australia. Also present during the signing were LHCM Chairman Sam Powell, Charity Committee Head Phil Thoburn, and Trustee Luke Scanlan. Events have been held in various locations across Manila. April’s Event was held on 25 April at L’Epicerie Gourmande, where sumptuous French food was enjoyed by members who raised PHP24,500.00 for charity. The Manila 10s Rugby Event held on March 30 and 31 at Carmona Cavite was also very successful. Sponsored by the HMR Group of Companies, LHCM raised PhP115,000 for our scholars. Please mark your calendar for our upcoming events for the rest of the year, full details of which can also be accessed on our new Manila Branch website www.lighthouseclubph.org: 15 June 2019: Summer Soiree 15 August 2019: Wine and Cheese (Thursday) 17 October 2019: Quiz Night (Thursday) 8 November 2019: Golf Day (Friday) 9 November 2019: Annual Party (Saturday) 14 December 2019: Christmas Party (Saturday)
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Branch report – Myanmar
Yangon Lighthouse News Lighthouse Club Myanmar, based in Yangon, held networking functions in both February and March. Both events were well attended, as usual, with a good mixture of locals and expats representing all facets of the Myanmar construction industry.
Branch report – Myanmar
During our membership drive in January and February we succeeded May’s event was held at the “Burma Bistro” – one of Yangon’s in attracting more than 30 persons to officially join as members of trendiest venues located in a renovated colonial era building. Lighthouse Club International. In March we introduced dual pricing to our events, with paid up members being treated to a lower entry fee. Our third quarter schedule is as follows – In April Myanmar celebrated the Burmese New Year “Thingyan” – so no event was held. Lilian Fok visited Hong Kong and met John Battersby, Steve Tennant and Janey Rogers. It is hoped that John and Steve will visit Yangon and attend the networking event on 19 June.
Wednesday 31 July – venue Red Dot Pub Wednesday 28 August – venue TBA We look forward Wednesday 25 September – to seeing members, venue TBA non-members and visitors all are welcome!
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Branch report – Macau
The virtual world of Macau…
T
he use of Virtual Reality (VR) technology in the training of construction site safety has been growing in Macau over the last two years. 3D computer generated imagery is used to replicate construction sites and in particular present immersive scenarios where injury and death could occur especially around the fatal four (Falls, Struck by Objects, Electrocutions and Caught-in/between) allowing construction workers to interact with the scenes to understand the risk and issues presented and to navigate their way safely through the environment. The effectiveness of VR technology was researched in 2012 by the Israel Institute of Technology and published in Construction Management and Economics 31(9):1005-1017 · September 2013; ‘This research tested the hypotheses that safety training in a virtual reality (VR) construction site would be feasible and more effective, in terms of workers’ learning and recall in identifying and assessing construction safety risks, than would equivalent training using conventional methods. Sixty-six subjects were provided training in construction safety and their safety knowledge was tested prior to the training, immediately afterward, and one month later. Half of the subjects received traditional classroom training with visual aids; the other half were trained using a 3D immersive VR power-wall. Significant advantage was found for VR training for stone cladding work and for cast-in-situ concrete work, but not for general site safety. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/271667415_ Construction_safety_training_using_immersive_virtual_reality) The study demonstrated that VR training was more effective over time and was better at maintaining trainee concentration and
attention compared to that of traditional methods of teaching. However, the results did not show an advantage for general site safety training which would suggest VR should be used in amalgamation with, rather than instead of, traditional training methods and actual live scenarios. Though it should be noted that live scenarios can only run for low risk eventualities whereas VR allows for the training of high-risk situations without the expense or resultant dangers. VR can provide the realistic sensation of heights, distractions, stress, and environmental hazards, which create mental and emotional hazards that cannot be easily replicated in a safe live training environment. Additionally, VR training provides the opportunity for repetitive practice in a safe environment which on a real live training site could be prohibitively expensive. The software can also easily capture data using view and movement tracking as well as biometrics to help analyze why trainees are experiencing success and failure. The study concluded that “given the need for improved training and the advantages of training using VR, incorporation of VR in construction safety training is strongly recommended.” What else was strongly recommended in Macau was the Live Reality (LR) experience of the Macau Lighthouse Club’s monthly gatherings which were totally immersive in their own right. Participants had to safely navigate themselves through the welcome hazards & distractions of pleasant company and general bon vivre to make repeated visitations to the bar, which most trainees achieved with varying degrees of over achievement. The March gathering at the St. Regis Bar was sponsored by Kammy Tabar of Tabar Marble Ltd and, true to form, Kammy had a surprise four string quartet performing that evening to the delight of all the attendees. April’s event was hosted by Decora Art & Colour Pte Ltd who painted the town red at Bar Azul in the Four Seasons. May’s get together was hosted by Sundart Engineering Services (Macau) Ltd at the Spirito Bar at Venetian’s Portofino. April was also the month in which Min Da Construction & Engineering Company Ltd held their annual golf day where Min Da very generously donated $250,000MOP to the Lighthouse Club’s Benevolent Fund which should demonstrate to Mr TS Eliot that April is not necessarily the cruellest month.
Branch report – Hong Kong
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Women in Construction Empowering Women Series Samantha Kong Wing Man
On Tuesday 9 April, as part of the “Empowering Women” series organised by Women In Construction, environmental engineer Samantha Kong Win Man gave a talk about her incredible achievements, her journey to where she is now and how she ensures that she has a healthy work life balance. Samantha describes herself as an “environmental engineer, educator, social entrepreneur and columnist”. Although she trained as an environmental engineer, her achievements go significantly beyond her day job: she has founded a social enterprise for the elderly (Eldpathy) and has worked at the UN focussing on environmental issues. She also sits on a number of advisory panels for several government boards and committees which focus on promoting youth development and environmental programmes in Hong Kong. Her work and achievements have been recognised by a number of awards and accolades. And, to top it off, she is only 27 years old! Samantha told us why she decided to start out as an engineer, how she decided to always push herself to “be more than your 9-5” and
why she never wants to stop learning. She also gave some insightful tips that we all could benefit from practising. These included: ensure you have a clear career plan/goals; do not accept a job simply because it will look good on your CV; volunteer; pursue your passions; stay focused; be a student for life; get involved with associations/groups; embrace technology but manage your usage; stay healthy; do not compare yourself to others; step out of your comfort zone. We also heard more about her recent achievements of implementing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Junior Ambassador Programme in Hong Kong schools and with the Hong Kong Girl Guide Association. Samantha was incredibly inspiring and energetic and her talk led to stimulating discussions at the drinks which followed the event. I know I’m not alone when I say that I had a new found energy when I sat down at my desk the next morning! The event was sponsored by Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP. Carolina Carlstedt (Registered Foreign Lawyer, England & Wales)
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Corporate Members
Lighthouse Club International Corporate Members Silver Membership:
Bronze Membership:
Asia Pacific Region PAYMENTS MADE
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Calendar of events
Forthcoming Events SEPTEMBER
o5 • • •
Hong Kong monthly get together, Dusk Til Dawn, Wan Chai Kuala Lumpur monthly get together, Havana, Changkat Bukit Bintang
11 •
Macau monthly social, Venue: TBC
12 • •
JuLY
04 • • • •
Hong Kong monthly get together, Dusk Til Dawn, Wan Chai Kuala Lumpur monthly get together, J&R, Bangsar UK, Southern Club Golf Day, Romsey Golf Club, Southampton UK, North West Golf Day, Northop Hall Golf Club, Mold
10 •
Macau monthly social, Spirito Bar, Venetian
11 •
Singapore monthly get together, Venue: TBC
18 •
Singapore curry quiz night
Venue: TBC
25 • •
UK, Midlands networking event, The Alchemist, Colmore Row, Birmingham
31 •
Yangon networking, Red Dot Pub
AUgust • • • •
8 •
Hong Kong monthly get together, Rula Bula, Central Kuala Lumpur monthly get together, El Sids, Medan Damansara Singapore monthly get together, Venue: TBC
Macau monthly social, Venue: TBC
15 •
Manila Wine & Cheese evening, Venue: TBC
28 •
Yangon networking, Venue: TBC
30 •
•
Perth Annual Ball, TBC Follow our Facebook for event updates and photo sharing
Ho Chi Minh City Golf Day, Venue: TBC UK, Central Golf Day, Oxford (Southfield) Golf Club
20 • •
Hong Kong Contractors Dinner, Maxims Palace, City Hall, Central
25 •
Yangon get together, Venue: TBC
26 •
14 •
13 • •
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Ho Chi Minh City get together, Venue: TBC Singapore monthly get together, Venue: TBC
• •
UK, North East Golf Day, Rockliffe Hall, Co Durham UK, Midlands networking event, The Alchemist, Colmore Row, Birmingham
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Tier 1: Hong Kong Construction Gilbert Kwok Partner, Hong Kong & Beijing T:+852 2287 2804 E: gilbert.kwok@clydeco.com Ranked as a Leading Individual for Construction by Chambers Asia Pacific 2019
Christopher Short Counsel, Hong Kong T:+852 2287 2838 E: christopher.short@clydeco.com
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