May 2009 - Association of Dutch Businessmen

Orange 

activities 2009 

May 2009 

MITA 373/03/2001 

Green Fingers 

Business Boomerang

YCELEBRATING 100 

we are all going on a 

summer holiday 

no more working for a week or two... 

With so many people going through their 

own recessions this year, a summer holiday 

is more likely to be penciled into the diary 

with a question mark. 

But why break the bank going overseas 

when you can have a wonderful summer 

holiday right here in Singapore at the 

Hollandse Club? 

For just $700*, a family can spend every day 

of their ‘holiday’ lazing by the pool, running 

around the tennis courts or charging 

towards a bowling lane with our special 

summer membership. 

The summer promotion is available from the 

15th June to 15th August 2009. In the first 

week of August, there is also a three- and 

five-day summer programme that will keep 

the kids entertained from dawn to dusk. 

EARS 

Hollandse Club 

Singapore 1908 - 2008 

For more information, contact the 

membership department on 6461 1111 or 

6461 1104 

*monthly subscription fees of $114 (single) 

and $172 (family) apply, and each application 

requires a refundable deposit of $500. 

find out more on our website www.hollandseclub.org.sg

Prologue 

Dear members, 

I am proud and happy that we had a very good turnout at our AGM this year. It shows 

that people are interested in how the ADB is doing. At the end of the meeting we had 

an interesting discussion about the role of the ADB and Dutchcham. As we have done in 

the past year, we will look into further opportunities to cooperate. 

Jan de Vegt 

On 21 st April, we had a joint event with DutchCham which gave us a good insight in the 

environmental activities of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Four speakers were 

present to talk about WWF and its partnerships possibilities, climate change and two 

of their projects in the region Heart of Borneo and the Coral Triangle. By the way, did 

you know that the Netherlands (WNF) has the biggest number of WWF members in the 

world? This event was kindly hosted and sponsored by the Embassy of the Netherlands, 

we thank our ambassador Chris Sanders for this great initiative. 

After this we threw ourselves again in the orange festivities on boat quay, the residence, 

the Hollandse Club and even maybe for you the supperclub as well. Life is tough! 

Next month we will have our yearly informal networking BBQ at the swimming pool area 

of the Hollandse Club, we expect a high turnout again, so mark it in your agenda and 

register in time! Read more about it in the Association Info. 

I wish you lots of reading pleasure and hope to see you at our next event. 

Jan de Vegt 

President 

‘ 

To share meaningful and business-related information amongst the Dutch 

business community in Singapore, whilst networking in a fun environment ’ 

Remco Muzerie 

Marie-Hélène 

Piederiet 

Ard Huisman 

Richard van der 

Werf 

Frank Kuijsters 

Rutger Oudejans 

Marleen 

Dieleman 

 

Vol.19 • No. 4 • May 2009

A monthly publication of the 

Association of Dutch Businessmen 

ADB Board 

Jan de Vegt 

Remco Muzerie 

Marie-Hélène Piederiet 

Ard Huisman 

Richard van der Werf 

Frank Kuijsters 

Marleen Dieleman 

Rutger Oudejans 

President 

Vice-President 

Honorary Secretary 

Honorary Treasurer 

Member 

Member 

Member 

Member 

C o n t e n t s 

Prologue 1 

Editorial Committee 

Frank Kuijsters, Chief Editor 

Camiel Frijlink 

Dennis van der Meijs 

Gwendy Krijger 

Karin Gerbens 

Kiki van der Erf 

Lineke van Nederpelt 

Richard Soemita 

Secretariat 

Lineke van Nederpelt 

Mailing Address: 

c/o 22 Camden Park, Singapore 299814 

Telephone: 9101 6201 

email: adb@pacific.net.sg 

Review 

World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) 3 

Business 

The workspace of... 5 

When does the boom become a boomerang? 6 

Event Agenda 7 

Singapore 

Polo: The King of Sports and the Sport of Kings 8 

Simply Spa Singapore 9 

Website 

Email 

: www.adb.org.sg 

: webmaster@adb.org.sg 

Greenpage 

Singapore’s growing green awareness 10 

Editorial contributions for the next issue may 

be sent or handed over to the ADB Secretariat, 

before or on the day of the monthly ADB 

meeting. The contents of this magazine are partly 

based on information received from third parties. 

The Committee does not take responsibility 

for the correctness of the articles. 

Designed by Jennifer Phua 

Printed by Khoo Sun Printing Pte Ltd 

MITA 373/03/2001 

Membership fee is S$ 100 per calendar year. 

For registration, please see the website www. 

adb.org.sg/en_member_signup.htm. 

Membership is renewed automatically effective 

the first month of the new calendar year. 

Make your cheque payable to “Assocation of Dutch 

Businessmen” and send to ADB, c/o 22 Camden 

Park, Singapore 299814. 

Termination of membership must be received by 

ADB Secretariat in writing before 1 January, 

otherwise you will be charged for the full amount 

for the following calendar year. 

Please notify the ADB secretariat of any changes in 

employer, (email) addresses or any other personal 

particulars that might be of interest to the ADB 

administration. 

Bizz Agenda 11 

Interview 

Get those green fingers working! 12 

Conference Calendar 14 

Column by... 


(O)KTV 15 

Embassy info 16 

Business News 18 

association info 19 

ADB’ers go Orange! 

IBC 

 


Review 

World Wide Fund 

for Nature (WWF) 

By Frank Kuijsters 

© Russel A. Mittermeier / WWF-Canon 

© Cat HOLLOWAY / WWF-Canon 

In November 2008, the ambassador Chris Sanders 

made a promise to Princess Laurentien at WWF’s 

Asia Panda Ball in Singapore that he fulfilled on 21 st 

of April 2009. He promised the Princess to facilitate 

an event jointly organised by DutchCham and the 

ADB for its members, in cooperation with the WWF. 

We thank Chris and Marianne for kindly hosting this 

event at their lovely residence. 

Dr. Isabelle Louis, Director of Asia Pacific 

Programme gave us more insight in the WWF 

organisation and the importance of the work of 

WWF. There is 12 billion ha of productive area and 

there are 6 billion people per capita. This would 

mean a global quota of 2 ha of productive area 

per person. There needs to be a lifestyle change, 

i.e. shared responsibilities of demand and supply. 

WWF sees it as her role in the Asia Pacific region 

to set steps for transformation to sustainability 

together with government, organisations and the 

public. WWF is doing this by; building and advancing 

green infrastructure and environmentally sound 

technology, providing up to date information and 

data analysis for decision-makers in government, 

business, financial institutions – GDP and energy 

consumption, giving advice on alternative energy 

sources, integral to the triple bottom line, 

arranging food, social and economic security links 

and public opinion. 

Nadeem Pervez Shafi, Head of Operations and 

Programme Development of the Global Climate 

Initiative followed by saying that the impact of 

climate change is a rise of sea levels what means 

displacing of coastal populations, increased 

drought, and flood risk, unreliability of water and 

energy supplies, decreased agricultural yields in 

the tropics. The climate change has also a huge 

impact on species. WWF is focusing on achieving a 

new, equitable, UN Treaty in 2013 in Copenhagen; 

a treaty that sets the world on a course of action 

to reduce global emissions 80% by 2050. WWF 

is lobbying and advocacy in and around the UN 

meetings and other international fora, has global 

campaigns, like Earth Hour - bringing a public 

voice to global climate negotiations, works with 

businesses and industry to work under the banner 

of “climate savers” amongst other things. There 

are many reasons why more and more businesses 

are taking climate change seriously; climate change 

can now be expressed in monetary value, it can 

disrupt business activity. WWF is working with many 

different companies around the world to cut CO 2 . 

To become carbon neutral, an organisation needs 

to undertake 5 steps: 

1. Assess the current emissions (travel, heating, 

cooling, production) 

2. Identify all activities causing emissions that 

can be avoided 

3. Improve efficiency of energy use to reduce 

CO 2 emissions 

4. Offset unavoidable emissions through investment 

in Gold Standard projects 

5. Review the strategy annually to avoid more 

emissions and become more efficient 

Adam Tomasek, Heart of Borneo (HoB) Initiative 

Leader, shared information about one of the regional 

projects of WWF. The HoB, a total of 240,000 km 2 of 

equatorial rainforest, straddles the transboundary 

higlands of Indonesia and Malaysia and reaches 

out to parts of Borneo, a place where endangered 

species such as orang-utans, elephants and rhinos 

continue to thrive and more than 400 species have 

been found since 1995. Logging, land-clearing and 

conversion activities for commercial use, including 

rubber, palm oil and pulp production are considered 

to be the greatest threats to the HoB. 

Challenges 

33% of Borneo’s forests have been 

lost since 1980 

Nearly 90% of world’s palm oil 

is produced in Indonesia and 

Malaysia 

Over a billion people depend on 

palm oil daily 

Infrastructure and energy demands 

have sky-rocketed in past 5 years 

Deforestation and forest fires; 

deforestation and climate change 

exacerbate problems of resource 

security 

Responses 

The last speaker was Dr. Lida Pet-Soede, 

Leader of the Coral Triangle (CT) Initiative, 

another project of WWF. The CT covers the seas of 

Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, 

Solomon Islands and Timor-L’este. The CT is the 

world’s centre of marine life. It is home to 75 

of all coral species known to science and more 

than 3000 species of reef fish and commercially 

valuable species such as tuna and sharks. The CT 

is under threat; over-fishing, coastal development, 

unsustainable tourism, by-catch, illegal trade, 

WWF Team 

Establish legal and certified forest 

management 

Buyer, traders and financiers are 

changing supply chain demands 

More palm oil can be produced 

without additional ecological 

impacts 

Including environment priorities in 

multilateral economic development 

plans 

Advancing science and policy and 

building capacity 

 


Review 

Robert de Bruin, J.P. Prins, 

Herman Hofhuis 

Boudewijn Pesch, Arnout 

Mostert 

Chris Sanders, Pim Kraan, Marianne Sanders, 

Frans Carpay 

pollution, disappearing of nesting beaches, 

destructive fishing and climate change are taking 

a heavy toll. 

Locally in countries in the CT, WWF works 

together with partners to find solutions to these 

threats by; building capacity to implement 

marine protected areas, replacing destructive 

fishing practices with sustainable ones, reducing 

over-fishing, promoting sustainable seafood and 

promoting good practices in the tourism and travel 

industry. In de the wider region WWF brings together 

industry, government and the finance sector, to 

increase the regional production of sustainable 

seafood and to facilitate industry actions to reduce 

their climate footprint. 

In Singapore for example, WWF will be launching 

a seafood guide campaign to promote sustainable 

live reef fish trade. This project activity aims to 

increase the awareness of Singaporean consumers 

and corporations on the need to make a sustainable 

choice when purchasing seafood. 

Allard Stapel, Chief External Affairs (WWF 

Netherlands) facilitated the Q&A session. 

For more information have a look at WWF’s 

website: www.wwf.sg and/or www.panda.org. Or 

contact: Carine Seror, Manager Corporate Social 

Responsibility, cseror@wwf.sg 

WWF FACTS AND FIGURES 

• Approx 5 million supporters worldwide 

• 56 offices and active in 100+ countries 

• 5,000 staff worldwide 

• US$ 500m conservation expenditure 

 


Business 

The workspace of… 

By Karin Gerbens 

What company do you work for, since when 

and what is your job? 

I work for ING Bank, Asia. I am part of the 

Natural Resources team within the project finance 

department of the wholesale bank. I am specialized 

in the financing of large floating, drilling and 

production units for the oil industry. I started working 

for ING in 1999 after my graduation as civil and 

hydraulics engineer in Delft and moved to Singapore 

in September 2007. 

Where is your office located? 

It is located on the 21 st floor in the Republic Plaza at 

Raffles Place, in the heart of the CBD. Great place to 

work from with an easy commute by MRT, all major 

international banks and customers in the vicinity, a 

variety of hawker centers and restaurants nearby, and 

at a short distance from lively areas such as Boat Quay 

and Chinatown. 

Berend Deiters 

Cubicle or office? 

Cubicle, like (most) bankers. An efficient way of working with colleagues in teams, although it can be 

noisy sometimes…. 

What is your view when you look outside of the window? 

The CBD with on one side Lau Pa Sat and Chinatown and on the other side the Singapore river, the new 

casino development and at some distance the many ships waiting outside at sea. The view is especially 

interesting in the run-up to the National Day, when all kinds of planes and helicopters often exercise 

for the parade. 

What is your favorite place to have lunch? 

My favorite place is Nasi Padang at Circular road; an authentic Indonesian place with one of the best 

rendangs and grilled chicken in the City. Don’t go for the single plate but share some with your friends 

or colleagues. 

Whose workplace would you like to see in our next edition? 

I would like to learn more about Mariken Kruijff’s work place at TNT. 

Voordeligste tarieven vanaf € 22,- per dag 

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12/17/08 10:31:11 AM 

 


Business 

When does the boom become 

a boomerang?By Gwendy Krijger 

It is no secret that we are all 

experiencing and trying to keep 

up with a social networking boom. 

But when does the boom become 

a boomerang? Do you or don’t you 

partake in the online networking 

affair that is proving to be so seductive 

yet leaving many of us feeling empty and lonely 

with nothing really to show for it and worse still - 

that boomerang is not returning a golden one. 

If you were to ask five of your peers or friends 

what they think of social networking in the 

business context, you will get varying perceptions 

on the good, bad and ugly – all of which will 

probably be true! Some of the early adopters 

will boast extensive networks, profiles and daily 

habits on using sites such as LinkedIN and Twitter 

to keep in touch with their online networks, chat 

rooms and blogs. On the other end of the scale, the 

late adopters are still in conflict with issues such 

as trust, making no time to explore opportunity, 

thinking they are not technically savvy or simply 

not seeing the value of such online frivolities. 

The reality today is that if you are serious 

about managing your reputation – social networks 

will get you ahead in your career, life and business. 

If you are not convinced yet, then I would like to 

suggest you ask yourself this simple question: If 

someone were to Google you, what would they 

find out about you and are you managing the 

information they see? 

LinkedIN is by far the leader 

in the business social networking 

scene, with profiles of more 

than 19 million professionals 

and twenty five new members 

joining every minute of every 

day. Without a doubt, online 

social networking enables you 

to go beyond the traditional 

boundaries of geography, 

industry, language, 

level and culture. 

It is a hunting 

ground for recruiters and where student’s to 

CEO’s to the likes of Barack Obama keep an 

online presence, each with the possibility 

to connect. 

The word of caution that I 

want to point out is that users 

are growing their networks and 

boasting contact after contact, yet is 

this about getting a business return or playing 

a numbers game? Sadly for many it is the latter 

and quantity rules over quality. Stop the madness 

I say! 

It’s time for a clean out of the list of contacts 

on the virtual shelf and to set out a personal 

strategy to ensure you are connecting with contacts 

that work for you. The rules of engagement from 

traditional networking still stand in the the online 

meeting place which is founded on the grounds 

that you spend time to engage people that are 

going to give you something in return. 

Whilst the primary goal of social networkers 

is to build a larger network than is physically 

possible, you need to ask yourself; 

• Why do you want to participate in social 

networking? 

• What sites are you using to develop your 

contacts? 

• Who are your ideal contacts? 

In terms of developing your strategy in 

making every connection count, think about the 

following; 

• A solid presence with interesting content is 

going to make people more likely to connect 

with you – also, do not shy away from posting 

a professional picture online. 

• Search the site for likeminded people who 

have similar interests and match the target 

audience you are trying to reach. 

• See who has befriended your competition as 

these are people who may also be interested 

in what you have to offer. 

• Be selective and patient – fire those in your 

contact list who are not adding value to your 

reputation and don’t accept every invitation 

by falling into temptation of growing your 

contact list overnight. 

So finally, be strategic about connecting 

with the right people and the chances are you 

will be holding that golden boomerang firmly 

in your hands as it brings you connections that 

count. 

 


Event Agenda 

Singapore Arts 

Festival 2009 

DATE : 16 May - 13 June 2009 

VENUE : Dôme Marina Square 

6 Raffles Boulevard 

#02-100 

Performance starts on the hour at these times: 

Mon to Thu: 12pm - 2pm, 6pm - 9pm 

Fri to Sat: 11am - 10pm 

Sun: 11am - 8pm 

SYNOPSIS 

Be the stars of the performance! This is a play where you 

and another are the only actors and audience. Guided by 

headphones, two participants perform a half-hour drama 

at a tale in a public café amidst patrons oblivious to the 

performance taking place. 

“…if the line between audience and performer seems 

blurred, Etiquette…erases it entirely.” – The International 

Herald Tribune 

“A hyper reality…By creating an entirely private space 

in the public setting of a café, something extraordinary 

happens.” – The Guardian 

London-based Rotozaza, comprising of Anthony Hampton 

and Silvia Mercuriali, has established itself as one of UK’s 

most consistently surprising and innovative performance 

groups. Their aims are to identify and celebrate what can 

only be done live, and to foster international links through 

an exciting practice which isn’t afraid to operate in foreign 

languages and cultures. Their work is as challenging as it 

is humorous, and often marked by key revelations which 

totally change an audience’s perspective on the event 

they witness. 

If you like this show, you might like these as well: 

Visible Cities, Dream-Work, Dream-Home, Invisible Room 

TICKET PRICE (excluding booking fee): Standard - S$20 

DURATION: Approx 30 mins (no intermission) 

Roald Dahl’s 

Fantastic Mr Fox 

DATE : 23 May - 31 May 2009 

23 May 2009 Sat, 11:00am 

24 May 2009 Sun, 1:00pm 

30 May 2009 Sat, 11:00am 

31 May 2009 Sun, 1:00pm 

VENUE : Ulu Pandan CC Theatrette 

SYNOPSIS 

Boggis, Bunce and Bean 

One fat, one short, one lean 

These horrible crooks 

So different in looks 

Were nonetheless equally mean 

Roald Dahl’s stories are adored by young readers worldwide 

and Fantastic Mr. Fox must be one of his best-loved 

characters. Adapted for the stage by David Wood, the UK’s 

National Children’s Dramatist, this show promises to be a 

rip-roaring tale of wit and determination. Catch Fantastic 

Mr Fox live on stage before it hits the big screen this yearend 

in the Wes Anderson movie of the same name. Nothing 

beats the magic of live theatre! 

Boggis, Bunce and Bean are three greedy, loathsome 

farmers out to make life miserable for Mr Fox, his family 

and their animal friends. The farmer trio devise devious 

plans to drive the animals away - they hunt them, they 

bring in their shovels and dogs and big machines to dig them 

out, they camp out for days on end at the foxhole hoping 

to starve them out – terrible things! What can Mr Fox do? 

The fate of the animal folk are in his cunning hands and 

it’s up to him to outsmart them with some “digga-diggadig” 

antics. 

Come and join the celebrations as the animals dance 

the night away, feasting and telling the tale of Boggis, 

Bunce, Bean and the one and only…. Fantastic Mr. Fox 

TICKET PRICE (excluding booking fee): Standard - S$22 

DURATION: Approx 1 hr 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream - William Shakespeare 

DATE : 20 May - 23 May 2009, Wed-Fri, 7:30pm, Sat, 2:30pm & 7:30pm 

VENUE : DBS Arts Centre - Home of SRT 

SYNOPSIS 

“The course of true love never did run smooth.” 

After experiencing The Stage Club’s production of Shakespeare’s endearing classic, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, 

you’ll have some ideas why! This production promises to entertain, enthral and educate. 

Lysander loves Hermia; Hermia loves Lysander. Helena loves Demetrius; Demetrius loves…Hermia! Ever defiant, 

Hermia escapes with Lysander into the surrounding forest where we find the King and Queen of the Fairies, Oberon 

and Titania, at loggerheads. With the help of Oberon’s cheeky right hand fairy, Puck, the mischief begins and gets 

somewhat out of hand. Alongside all of this romantic drama we follow the bumbling attempts of a group of local 

craftsmen rehearsing a love tragedy. The result is a charming and engaging story that will engage audiences young and old. 

Coming soon after our recent highly successful productions of Twelfth Night and Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream seeks 

to continue The Stage Club’s tradition of high quality Shakespearean theatre, bringing out the magic, the music, the mirth, and 

the underlying menace of one of Shakespeare’s best loved plays. 

TICKET PRICE (excluding booking fee): Thu-Sat Evening: Standard - $37 / Wed Evening & Sat Matinee: Standard - $32 

DURATION: Approx 2 hrs 

 


Singapore 

Polo: The King of Sports and the 

Sport of Kings 

By Karin Gerbens 

Let’s just forget about the 

economic crisis and enjoy 

the good things in life – let’s 

focus on what is said to be 

“the King of Sports” : the 

game of polo. 

Polo is regarded the 

oldest ball game in the 

world. It is believed to have 

originated in China and 

Persia. The first recorded 

tournament took place 

in 600 BC between the 

Turkomans and the Persians 

(the Turkomans won). Polo 

was at first a training game for cavalry units and spread throughout the eastern world by the Persians. 

The modern game of polo, though popularized by the British, comes from India. The first polo club 

was established there in 1834. The British limited the number of players to four players in one team and 

formalized the rules. The polo field is 274 meter long and 146 meter or 183 meter wide (depending if 

there are side boards). A polo game has periods of play, known as chukkas. Depending on the rules of the 

particular tournament; one game has 4, 6 or 8 chukkas. Each chukka lasts 7 minutes, then a bell rings 

but the game goes on until the ball goes out of play or until the bell rings again after 30 seconds. 

The rules in the game are entirely designed to safeguard the maximum safety of both the horses 

as well as the players. A player only has the right of way, when he follows the exact line of the ball 

(crossing is a foul while it can be very dangerous). 

Between the chukkas, the players (men and women play together) have three minutes to change 

their horses so for one game easily sixteen horses are being used. This also explains why the game is 

called Sport of the Kings; only wealthy people can afford so many horses and since the beginning polo 

was a game being played by royals. However, it is allowed to use one pony for two chukkas if there 

is a rest of at least one chukka in between. 

Each player has a handicap ranging from -2 to 10 (which is the highest handicap, 

only for the top professional players in the world). The average of the four 

handicaps is the team handicap. The game starts with the two teams of four lined 

up in order 1, 2, 3, 4 facing the umpire in the center of the playing field. There 

are two umpires (on horses) on the field. At the start, one of the umpires throws 

the ball in between the two teams. Each time a team scores a goal the teams 

change direction (so they play into the other goal) in order to minimize any wind 

advantage. Obviously, the team with the most goals wins the match. 

Polo is a very quick and challenging sport. As said, men and women play 

together in mixed teams. Not only you need good horse riding skills, you also 

need to be aware of the rules and strategy. Each of the four players has his 

own role in defense or offense. Polo attracts a crowd of rich, less rich and (wannabe) 

famous and is a fun game to watch. During half time there is a five minute break in 

which spectators are usually asked to help out to stamp the divots back in place. 

(Who doesn’t recall the image of the high-heeled ladies walking through the grass 

with their glass of champagne?!) 

Currently, polo is played in 77 countries in the world and luckily, Singapore is one 

of them. The Singapore polo club welcomes everyone to watch a game, have a nice 

lunch or even to start riding. Feel like a royal, and enjoy the sport of the Kings. 

Upcoming events can be found on www.singaporepoloclub.org 

 


SINGAPORE 

Simply Spa Singapore 

By Gwendy Krijger 

Asia is without a doubt the paradise of spa’s in 

the world and Singapore certainly has its own 

game on when it comes to pampering ones 

soul and weary limbs. From the foot massage 

parlours tucked away in China Town’s hustle 

and bustle to escaping the rat race at one of the 

many luxurious day spas – there is something for 

everyone’s pleasure – and pocket. 

I think to start, one has to mention Spa Botanica 

out at The Sentosa Hotel & Resort – they have this 

amazing mud pool where one can smother yourself 

in mud and then dry out in the sun until you start 

to crack-up (it’s good for the skin and would make 

a rather original Facebook profile photo). Indoors 

there is a hot tub and a very chilling ice pool to 

get your circulation racing a million miles an hour. 

Not to mention the varied and luxurious treatments 

from top to toe to indulge in your senses and have 

you walking on air. For more variety, something to 

consider is to combine the outing with friends by 

spending the morning at the spa doing a treatment, 

followed by a champagne brunch at The Sentosa 

Hotel & Resort and then coming back after your 

brunch for a jump in the mud pool and lounging 

under the waterfall. My only recommendation is 

that hot tub combined with champagne is not good 

as you will soon be out of fizz and very sleepy. 

www.spabotanica.com. 

Another hidden paradise where one can go 

for more focused treatments is the SK-II Boutique 

Spa on Scotts Road. Ladies - this is not only set in 

a gorgeous old house but their facials have to be 

one of the most luxurious in town and the ginger 

tea afterwards finishes the whole experience. They 

have the most soft and cosy beds with a lovely 

warm blanket that has you relaxed in no time 

before the pampering begins. My recommendation 

is to book in advance and also to be firm that you 

are not there to buy all the products but rather 

enjoy the facial. www.senzesalus.com. 

Saving the best for last – this hidden gem 

is tucked away in the grounds of the Singapore 

Polo club. It’s called LUSH – the green retreat 

that is small in size and big on treats. A friend 

recommended this to me and I am hooked, in 

fact I purchased one of their spa banks to force 

myself to go back! Its style is unpretentious 

with very professional management, reasonable 

prices, intimate setting and a variety of services 

depending on whether you only need a massage 

or want to kill two or three hours. Original too 

– LUSH offers private or corporate ‘Spartys’ with 

prices starting from $120 per person and includes 

a treatment, food, drink and exclusive use of the 

spa. Go-on lush yourself – you know you deserve it! 

www.lushspa.com.sg. 

Some useful tips for first-timers to the SPA: 

• You will have to put on disposable underwear – don’t worry; the staff 

have seen it all before! 

• Try not to eat or drink too much before going for a massage, it can 

be uncomfortable 

• You get what you pay for, in other words choose quality over untrained 

staff 

• You will feel sluggish afterwards – that’s your body going into a state 

of relax! 

• Good spas will ask you to fill out a questionnaire on your health – be 

honest! 

A happy ending for Men 

For the more cynical men reading this article 

or those being dragged along by your wife or 

girlfriend to go with them – don’t despair, you 

are not alone in the anxiety of getting your 

body scrubbed with seaweed, face steamed, 

pores cleaned, eyebrows plucked and muscles 

pulled & prodded by a complete stranger. 

The tip gents, is that you simply enjoy the 

experience, sit back and relax and soon you 

will be turning what sounds like a nightmare 

into a very happy ending (no pun intended!). 

9 


Greenpage 

Singapore’s growing green awareness 

By Camiel Frijlink 

It is no secret that the idea of thinking green has 

not yet conquered the hearts and minds of all 

Singaporeans: unnecessary freezing temperatures 

in air conditioned and poorly isolated buildings, a 

separate plastic bag for each item bought in the 

supermarket, massive car use instead of public 

transport/cycling etc. But current economic and 

environmental progresses are leading Singapore 

towards green energy. With threat of fossil fuel 

scarcity in the coming years, the policy makers are 

now realizing the value of promoting renewable 

energy and being free from oil dependency. 

Harmful effects of these fossil fuels are now being 

emphasized and environmental issues on climate 

change are making renewable energy a popular 

term nowadays. 

Hence things are changing rapidly, given the 

many green initiatives that are recently launched 

or supported by Singaporeans and Singaporean 

companies. One of these initiatives concerns 

the high energy consuming track lights of the F1 

circuit. For Singapore’s 2008 GP, 1,500 custommade 

lighting projectors were installed along the 

5.067 km street circuit and pit lane to ensure neardaylight 

conditions, with a luminosity of 3,000 lux 

per lamp. This is about four times brighter than a 

typical stadium and thus far from environmental 

friendly. 

Now the Italian company Valerio Maioli’s Motor 

Sports Green Powered (MSGP), in an attempt to 

find a greener way to light up the circuit, plans to 

set up a centre in Singapore to test new sources 

to power the track lights, starting with this year’s 

race in September. If successful, the solution 

could also be used to reduce energy consumption 

in other areas such as pit buildings and temporary 

facilities in the circuit park. The equipment needed 

for the green test centre is also being sponsored 

A ‘greener’ F1 in 2009? 

by several Singaporean companies and MSGP is 

currently waiting for a location for the test centre, 

that yet has to be appointed by the Singaporean 

government. The initiative is also supported by F1 

president Bernie Ecclestone. 

To create more ‘green awareness’ amongst the 

Singaporean youth, the Enviromental Challenge 

Organisation (ECO) was set up in 2002 (www.ecosingapore.org), 

run solely by volunteers. ECO has a 

practical approach and, for example, supports the 

Things You Can Do - 7 Easy Green Habits project. 

This project stimulates taking public transport, 

rejecting and reusing plastic bags, turning off 

electrical appliances completely instead of standby 

mode, cutting down the use of water heaters, using 

refillable stationery and changing from air-con 

to fan, or setting the air-con temperature at 25 

degrees or above. 

Don’t know where to find recycling bins? No 

worries, Zero Waste Singapore website answers all 

your green questions (www.zerowastesg.com). The 

website - an initiative of Green Future Solutions, a 

Singapore-based business that promotes action for 

a green future through internet websites, events, 

presentations, publications and consultancy - 

even provides the possibility to conduct a ‘waste 

audit’. 

Another example of the changing attitude 

towards environmental issues in Singapore is the 

Asian Green Energy Investment Summit, that will 

be held in the Sheraton Towers coming 21 and 

22 May (http://www.ahrals.com/greenenergy). 

The summit will concentrate on international 

developments and the latest trends in the Asian 

energy sector, aiming to bring Asian policy 

regulators, technology developers and investors 

within the renewable energy sector toghether. 

It will showcase Asian policy frameworks and 

identify new developments and challenges faced 

by organizations in renewable energy sector. 

Green Singaporean projects/joint ventures 

can also be found abroad. Recently Keppel Corp, 

a Singaporean company and the world’s largest 

builder of oil rigs, won a $518-million contract 

from Ineos Runcorn to build an energy-from-waste 

heat and power plant in Britain. The plant, one of 

the largest waste and renewable energy projects 

in the United Kingdom, will serve the Greater 

10 


Greenpage 

Manchester area, and will be completed in 2012. 

According to Keppel Corp the plant will have an 

annual capacity to treat 420,000 metric tonnes of 

solid recovered fuels from household wastes and 

can supply about 270,000 megawatts of electricity 

and 500,000 tonnes of steam. 

The massive Singaporean support for the 

international Earth Hour project, an initiative 

of WWF, held last 28 March, confirmed that 

Singaporeans start to consider the environment 

seriously. More than 170 government agencies, 

educational institutions, NGO’s and 430 (mainly 

large) companies participated in Earth Hour. 

Thousands of people showed up at the Botanical 

Gardens, Singapore Flyer, Merlion, Esplanade Park 

and many other places, to celebrate Earth Hour 

by candle light while many national monuments 

and iconic buildings around Singapore were 

switched off. 

Most recently (April 2009) CapitaLand has been 

recognised as a corporate sustainability leader 

by two international sustainability benchmarks. 

CapitaLand is one of Asia’s largest real estate 

companies, headquartered and listed in Singapore 

and focusing its services on growth cities in Asia 

Pacific, Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council 

(GCC) countries. The first benchmark is the newlylaunched 

Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index, 

which comprises Asia Pacific’s leading companies 

in terms of sustainability. CapitaLand is the only 

Singapore real estate company in the index. The 

Dow Jones Sustainability Asia Pacific Index captures 

the top 20% of the largest 600 companies in Asia 

Pacific based on long-term economic, environmental 

and social criteria. Separately, CapitaLand has 

also been included in the Sustainability Yearbook 

2009, one of the world’s most comprehensive 

Looking for recycling bins? 

publications on corporate sustainability. CapitaLand 

was identified as a Sustainability Leader in the real 

estate sector and is the only Singapore company in 

this year’s ranking. 

Above are just a few examples of the 

metaphorical changing climate in Singapore 

although – of course - there is still a lot work to 

be done. No doubt Singapore can deal with the 

environmental challenges it faces! 

Bizz Agenda 

HR Summit 2009 

6 & 7 May 

Suntec 

www.hrsummit.com.sg 

SEMICON Singapore 2009 

20 May - 22 May 

Suntec 

www.semiconsingapore.org 

Bio Fuels Summit 2009 

25 May – 27 May 

Marina Mandarin 

www.biofuelssummit.com/ 

TFWA Asia Pacific and GATE 

ONE2ONE 2009 

(Duty Free & Travel Retail) 


Suntec 

www.tfwa.com 

7 th APacCHRIE Conference 2009 

(International Council on Hotels 

Restaurants and Institutional Education) 


Suntec 

www.apacchrie09.org 

ISPE Singapore Conference 

2009 

(Life Sciences & Healthcare) 

31 May – 2 June 

Suntec 

www.ispesingaporeconference.com 

11 


Interview 

Get those green fingers working! 

By Gwendy Krijger 

There is no denying that when you arrive 

in Singapore whether you are returning 

from travelling or as a first time visitor you 

immediately feel you are in the tropics as you 

make your way from touchdown to sitting down 

in your home or hotel – the greenery from the 

airport terminal to the ECP as you head into 

town is all around you as you take the taxi ride 

down one of the world’s most amazing tree lined 

highway’s boasting flowering Bougainvillea’s in 

colours you never thought existed. 

So how does one use that inspiration of living 

in the tropics to get the green finger bug and 

start to build your own garden? I asked that same 

question as I moved out to Pasir Ris after living 

in the city for three years where I found myself, 

not in a house, but in a condo living on the ground 

floor with a big terrace that was all mine to paint 

green! 

Google to the rescue! I ran a search on garden 

services Singapore and clicked on the link to 

Hollandia Home Services where I found to my 

delight what looked like a really welcoming ‘made 

in Holland’ approach to services around the garden 

and home. I decided to investigate more and 

before I knew it was driving down the SLE following 

my GPS to Sembawang Park to interview the guy 

behind the business idea to write this article. 

The funnier (and honest) part was a few days 

earlier in my ignorance of being a new ADB ‘lid’ and 

only recently starting to write for its magazine, 

the business man behind Hollandia Home Services 

turns out to be Remco Muzerie which was rather 

‘a-muzing’ as I made a lovely pitch on the phone 

to him saying how I was representing the ADB and 

would love to write an article about Hollandia 

Home Services as a means to profile Dutch-led 

business ideas and would he have time for me to 

interview him. A real blooper when you find out 

that Remco is on the board of the ADB! Small world 

Lah these Dutch people in Singapore! 

Nonetheless, there is still much to be said 

about the idea of Hollandia Home Services which 

was born out of the frustration that we have all 

experienced where the handyman, gardener, pest 

control guy comes to your house, can’t speak 

English, charges you 50% more because you look 

like you have loads of money (or he thinks the 

company is paying) and then politely forgets to 

clean up the mess made with cleaning the airconditioning 

system. Sound familiar? 

Step-in Hollandia Home Services whose aim 

it is to find the subcontractors that pass their 

level of service quality which covers areas 

such as communicating effectively in English, 

understanding what good service really means to 

us foreigners; and the difference between good 

and bad quality work. The contractors chosen 

have all gone through a ‘hidden interview process’ 

where they unknowingly quote for a piece of 

business yet do not know that there is more 

business opportunity if they do a good job – that 

way Hollandia has been able to test their services 

and ensure they are sincere and honest. 

Furthermore, living up to their ‘made in 

Holland’ approach – Hollandia ensures that the 

price quoted to you is equal to or less than you 

would get by going directly to the gardener 

himself. I don’t know about you but for me, even 

12 


Interview 

paying a premium is worth the effort versus trying 

to bargain over 10 dollars with someone who 

clearly has a lack of communication skills and 

causes you more frustration than it’s worth by 

not turning up for the job and blaming it on being 

afraid of your dog. 

The other neat thing, for those who live in 

terraced houses and or freestanding homes is that 

you can deal with one company who can come 

and do the garden service followed by the very 

necessary pest control – as I quickly learnt in my 

discussion with Remco, the one has to come after 

the other as when you think about it, what use is 

sprayed grass when you are going to cut it off the 

next day? They service both areas which makes it 

really handy to schedule. 

From a business perspective and since I am 

someone who is working in the field of people 

development, the heart warming part of my 

investigation on how the business operates, 

was the story of how Remco and his business 

partner Eugene Schermer decided to let their 

Singaporean gardener, Ben have some skin in the 

game and made him a director in the company, 

thereby doubling his salary over night and with 

the accountability of managing the day to day 

business. This allows Remco and Eugene to still be 

involved when Ben needs their assistance in either 

the selling or admin – yet the reality for Ben is he 

is managing a small business with a clientele of 

foreigners whom he would not have had without 

the experience and coaching of how to service the 

expat community. Good one I thought – growing 

local talent in Singapore! 

Handing over the garden services, landscaping 

and pest control to Ben meant that Remco could 

give more focus to a growing area of the business 

with many clients asking them to manufacture 

bamboo blinds for their homes and gardens. 

Bamboo Blinds Singapore make some really unique 

designs that range from the classic to a rather 

colonial black & white touch that fits in beautifully 

for those fortunate to live in a black & white 

house; to the brightly multi-coloured for those who 

want some outdoor tropical chic in their modern 

day apartments and/or lofts. An exciting outlook 

for the ‘made in Singapore’ brand is that it is now 

exporting its goods to Holland! Check them out on 

www.bambooblinds.sg for more information. 

So where does that leave me and my gardening 

aspirations for my new terrace? Admittedly, whilst I 

am someone with green fingers and like to work in 

a garden, I do need help in cleaning up the current 

eye sore on my terrace by doing a modest face lift 

and will be calling Ben to come over to give me 

a quote on transforming my little piece of garden 

into a small oasis that I can continue to nurture and 

grow. The second thing I am going to do is to make 

sure I know how to maintain it by educating myself 

on the plants found in the tropics and how to care 

for them. I have found a great website from the 

National Parks of Singapore which has a gardening 

section and loads of useful information and tips 

on getting those fingers green! Check it out on 

www.nparks.gov.sg and happy gardening! 

Gardening tips from www.nparks.gov.sg for those choosing plants 

from a nursery or plant sales centre. 

• Look for a healthy young plant, not necessarily the largest plant. 

• Leaves should be a good green colour unless they are naturally 

variegated. 

• Avoid plants with damaged or dying leaves. 

• Check that the top of the soil surface in the pot is not hard. 

• Look for plants with young flowering buds. 

13 


Conference Calendar 

A selection of upcoming conferences in the region in June: 

Middle East Plastic Pipes 2009 

1 – 3 June, Dubai 

Asia Forum on Economic Sanctions 

18 – 19 June, Hong Kong 

Leaders in Luxury 

2 – 3 June, Hong Kong 

Global Better Business Conference & 

Awards 2009 

3 - 4 June, Brisbane 

India Summit on Anti-Corruption 

Compliance and Enforcement 

3 – 4 June, Mumbai 

Fraud Investigation and Forensic 

Accounting Seminar 

8 – 9 June, Singapore 

ad:tech Singapore 


China Wastewater Treatment 2009 

11 – 12 June, Beijing 

Handling Sales Objections and Negotiation 

Skills 

16 – 17 June, Kuala Lumpur 

10 Ultimate Tips for Communication Confidence 

17 – 18 June, Damansara Perdana, Malaysia 

Successful Branding in Asia Workshop 


Enhanced Oil Recovery 2009 

23 June, Kuala Lumpur 

3 rd annual Airport Development Summit 

23 – 24 June 

10 Ultimate Tips for Presentation 

Confidence 

24 – 25 June, Damansara Perdana, Malaysia 

7 th Annual China Airfinance Conference 

25 – 26 June, Beijing 

Crisis Communication 


Retail World 

29 – 30 June, Sydney 

Resources and Mining Roundtable with the 

Government of Australia 

30 June, Perth 

Log on to www.conferencebay.com for more information on these and many other events. 

And remember, you can make a bid and decide the price you’re willing to pay for any of the 

conferences listed on Conference Bay! 

14 


Column By… 


(O)KTV 

Being in Asia now, you must have been confronted with 

Karaoke TV better known as KTV bars. Well, at least 

you must have seen the signs, some neighborhoods 

more populated than others. I used to work for this Japanese 

company in Europe and the Japanese lads invited me several 

times to join them after work at a KTV bar in Amstelveen… 

every night, according to good Japanese customs! So being 

on the Continent where this thing was invented I decided 

to go on a KTV tour. I guess you can categorize KTV bars in 

several categories: 

The local KTV in your own neighborhood - After a few 

pints at my friend’s restaurant down the road, Christine 

recommended this pub at the traffic light, a KTV bar 

called Traffic Light (not a bad name!). Christine was kind 

of shocked when we asked her where we could continue 

drinking, but at first she recommended to go to Clark Quay 

which is the closest to my home. I insisted we wanted to 

‘go local’ so after hesitating, she called the bar owner, 

Long Dong, and told her that we were on our way. 2 Minutes 

later we entered the establishment and the entire bar 

(all Chinese workmen) looked as these 2 Dutch angmohs 

…like they were expecting us. We walked straight up to 

the bar, Long Dong recognized us (from Christine’s call) 

and she gave the sign as to whether we wanted to have a 

pint or jug of beer, not a word of English spoken. Soon we 

both were handed a songbook with paper and pencil for 

the requests. I put down La Bamba and being Surinamese I 

sang the whole song in Spanish without reading the words 

on the TV screen. By this stage I had impressed the whole 

pub and soon all the Chinese lads closed in wanting to get 

to know us. Needless to say that they had never seen a 

‘local’ singing in Spanish and dancing at the same time. 

Then my friend took over the mike and had a real good go 

at Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’, but in Andre Hazes style. By this 

stage the whole pub got over exited and wanted to do the 

song again with us, but then as a choir. We even got whiskey 

offered from their tables and after 6 jugs of beer and numerous 

straight-down-your-neck-whiskeys (as we had to drink this) 

we staggered home after a great night. 

The next category is the family KTV, now ran by Christine 

in China Town. She decided to give up the restaurant since 

she can make more money with KTV. Chrissie is a great girl, 

outgoing, funny and a good drinker and as such reflects this 

on her business. Her pub is frequently visited by her friends, 

amongst them many angmoh’s. Angmoh’s visiting KTV’s could 

be quite painful as their singing skills are no were near the 

Asians. This American lady who is quite often in Chrissie’s bar 

always insists on singing Dolly Parton. As soon as she grabs the 

mike most of the pub runs outside for a smoke, including me… 

and I do not smoke. The atmosphere is great and Chris roams 

around every table to bottoms-up with you and then refills 

her glass with your whiskey bottle, of course. Great way of 

managing your business and Chris seems to enjoy every drop 

of it. As a matter of fact I have never seen her sober or with 

an empty glass! 

The last category is the sleazy KTV. Please note that this is 

a myth and the stories you hear are just made up or should not 

be categorized as a KTV. Here, pretty girls accompany you as a 

chaperone and also help you with the singing. Nothing wrong 

with that and quite entertaining too, especially when they only 

speak Mandarin! These establishments have several rooms in 

different sizes, accommodating just 2 or a large group. Some 

of the larger rooms even have a pool table. The rooms are 

all staffed with waiters and serve you as soon as your glass is 

empty. The Manager brings along the ladies and you select as 

many as you want. Soon after, the whiskey bottles are brought 

in! Here’s the catch: once the glasses are filled your chosen 

lady cheers with you for a bottoms-up. First you think that it 

is funny, but after the 9 th shot (a whole glass!) things become 

serious. Being a real man you do not want to give in but you 

will soon realize that this slim, 45 kilo looking beauty drinks 

you and your whole village under the table. Meanwhile your 

friends around you are screaming (you cannot call that singing) 

and fighting for their turn, thinking they all are Rene Froger. So, 

other than drinking, nothing happens (although I was waiting for 

some real action to occur!) until you sober up in seconds when 

presented with the bill: 10 bottles of whiskey at around S$ 400 

each! The next day you call each other to check how much one 

had drank, but the conclusion is that the girls drink at the ratio 

of 5:1! My conclusion: do NOT compete with these girls and try 

to stay sober. Wonder which one is more difficult …. 

15 


Embassy Info 

Public holiday 

Friday 1 May (Labour Day) 

Thursday 21 May (Ascension Day) 

Visit of the 

Netherlands Minister 

of Health, Ab Klink 

The Minister of VWS (Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport) 

Ab Klink will pay a bilateral visit to Singapore from 11 to 14 

May. He will study Singapore’s innovative healthcare system 

and worldwide acclaimed R&D environment. The programme 

includes a visit to the Singapore Minister of Health, Mr. Khaw 

Boon Wan followed by an indepth briefing and discussion, 

a visit to Biopolis with an encounter with the Biomedical 

Research Council of the Agency for Science Technology and 

Research (A*STAR) and the Bio-ethics Advisory Committee 

(BAC). Furthermore, the programme will include a visit to 

Parkway Health (Mount Elizabeth Hospital), Tan Tok Seng 

Minister Ab Klink (CDA) Hospital and MOH-Holdings. The focus of this study trip is on 

electronic patient registration systems, healthcare financing 

(private/public), healthcare facilities and services. Minister Klink will also have a 

lunch meeting with Dutch healthcare professionals in Singapore. 

25 th of April, 

Queen’s day 

reception at Dutch 

Ambassador’s 

Residence 

With a staggering all time high in attendence, Ambassador Sanders and his wife hosted 

the Queen’s day reception for all Dutch nationals on the 25 th of April in their Residence. 

The final one for the diplomatic couple, as they are returning to the Netherlands upon 

the completion of their posting to Singapore, this August. 

Warm words were written in the dedicated guestbooks about the tremendous 

hospitality shown by the couple over the past four years in Singapore. They hosted 

innumerable events in their Residence f.i. to boost bilateral trade, promote Dutch art, 

soft launch DutchCham, to put focus on the Netherlands as destination for investments 

and as the main port to European destinations. And of course many diplomatic receptions 

of visiting Ministers and civil servants; most prominently the recent visit to the ADB 

new year drink of Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Verhagen. 

On behalf of the Dutch in Singapore, Deputy Head of Mission Pim Kraan presented the 

guest books to the Ambassador and a red, white and blue floral tribute to his wife. 

16 


Embassy Info 

Dutch Movie: 

“Love is like Santa Claus” 

Friday 15 May 2009 at 9.30 p.m. 

Rating 

: M18 (some mature content) 

Genre 

: Romantic Comedy 

Original title : “Alles is Liefde” 

Language : Dutch (English Subtitles) 

Running time : 120 minutes 

Director : Joram Lürsen 

Producer : Motel Films 

Year of release : 2007 

Love is like Santa Claus. Believing is everything. 

Klaasje has divorced Dennis, who cheated on her with a school teacher. Dennis would 

like her back, but when she moves in with a young lover it looks as if he has missed the 

boat. Meanwhile, Klaasje’s best friend Simone is the pivot of her family. Her husband Ted 

often feels redundant and he does not have the guts to tell her that he has been laid off. 

Pool attendant Victor is looking forward to marrying the love of his life, Kees. But Kees has 

doubts and keeps his fears at bay during weekends spent ‘larping’ (Live Action Role Play). 

Victor’s sister Kiki, a sales assistant at department store Bijenkorf, is dreaming of a prince 

on a white horse. But she is unaware of the fact that a real prince, Valentijn, is crazy about 

her. With the arrival of a mysterious Santa Claus, all these amorous ups and downs reach a 

climax, while the happy endings come closer too. 

Winner of: 

• 3 Rembrandts for best film, best actress (Carice van Houten) and best actor (Thomas Acda) 

• 2 Golden Calves for best film and best director (Joram Lürsen) 

Cast: Carice van Houten, Wendy van Dijk, Paul de Leeuw, Daan Schuurmans, Chantal Janzen, 

Thomas Acda, Peter Paul Muller, Michiel Romeyn, Marc-Marie Huijbregts, Valerio Zeno 

The Dutch movie is screened as part of the 19 th EU Film Festival in Singapore. 

Thursday 7 – Sunday 17 May 2009 

All sessions at Golden Village VivoCity (MRT Harbourfront) 

Tickets for public sessions available at S$ 10.00 from 23 April at the GV VivoCity box 

office, online at www.gv.com.sg and at AXS stations islandwide. 

Discounted tickets available at S$ 9.00 per session available for Singapore Film Society 

Members (SFS members) 

17 


Business news 

Sources: Het Financieele Dagblad and Reuters 

Far fewer visitors to 

AutoRAI car show 

This year’s AutoRAI car show in Amsterdam 

attracted some 22,000 visitors, well below 

the 400,000 who visited the show two years 

ago. Nevertheless, the organisers said 

the show had been successful considering 

the economic downturn and declining car 

sales. The number of new cars sold in the 

Netherlands fell 25% over the first three 

months of this year. 

Recession hits Red 

Light District 

The women who sit in the windows of 

Amsterdam’s Red Light District are also 

feeling the economic crisis. “Fewer clients, 

higher prices for the rooms and more clients 

who bargain to pay less.” “Compared to 

seven months ago it is really bad,” says 

Che from Mexico. “Clients say they don’t 

have any money. They want to do it for 

30 or 35 euros. Then you just do it.” The 

women say that some days they only earn 

enough to pay for the room - in January 

the price was raised from 50 to 75 euros. 

A federation which represents 250 of the 

400 escort agencies in the Netherlands says 

the situation is “drastic”. Metje Blaak says 

she tries to comfort her girls - she says the 

same thing happened during the oil crisis in 

the 1970s. She blames the decline in clients 

and income on the media “who squeal and 

bleat”. “It scares people.” She says every 

evening people hear how bad things are. 

“Then people keep a tight hand on their 

wallets. But money is meant to roll.” 

Chinese Telecom 

Company ZTE Picks 

Netherlands for EU HQ 

Chinese telecom company ZTE is to 

locate its European headquarters in The 

Hague. Its European distribution centre 

will also be in the Netherlands. ZTE 

made its plans known to Economic Affairs 

State Secretary Frank Heemskerk, who is 

visiting China this week. “This once again 

demonstrates that the Netherlands is the 

gateway to Europe, both logistically and 

electronically,” he said. ZTE says it is the 

biggest bourse-listed maker of telecom 

equipment in China. The company had 

sales of 30 billion yuan (3.3 billion euros) 

in the first nine months of this year; it 

employs about 60,000. 

EU Commissioner will investigate takeovers of 

Fortis and ABN Amro 

Reports on European Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes’ announced that 

she will investigate the government takeovers of Fortis Nederland and ABN Amro. 

The Netherlands may have violated EU regulations on state support by providing 

cheap loans to Fortis Nederland and ABN Amro. Finance Minister Wouter Bos was 

greatly surprised when he heard the news on Wednesday night and said it was all 

a misunderstanding. Finance ministry spokesperson Lies Weitenberg says there is 

no reason for an investigation: “The minister and Ms Kroes have met to discuss any 

additional information she might need to evaluate the provision of state support.” 

Both Fortis Nederland and ABN Amro have refused to comment. Ms Kroes did not 

question the takeover of the banks per se, but said that the interest rate charged 

by the Dutch state was so low it seemed intended to provide the bank with cheap 

financing. Also, the 6.5 billion euros Mr Bos paid for ABN Amro may have been in excess 

of its actual market value. Sources in Brussels say the Dutch finance minister counted 

on the benevolence of the Dutch Euro Commissioners, whereas Ms Kroes wants to 

make clear she does not favour her native country. 

Dutch banks await 

‘wave of claims’ 

Dozens of private individuals are planning 

to take their banks and asset managers 

to court for failing in their duty during 

the credit crisis. Many of the complaints 

focus on very long-term loans known 

as perpetuals. Private investors have 

sunk hundreds of millions of euros into 

perpetuals over the past few years but 

they have been hard hit by the crisis. 

In some cases, their value has shrunk by 

more than 90%. ING and Van Lanschot are 

often mentioned by lawyers preparing to 

take legal action for investors. 

Average Dutch adult 

26,000 euros poorer 

The accountancy firm Price-Waterhouse- 

Coopers estimates that the average Dutch 

adult is worth approximately 26,000 euros 

less since the financial crisis began in 

2008. The losses total 325 billion euros, 

a sum approximately equal to half the 

Netherlands’ gross domestic product. 

The firm attributes the loss primarily to 

falling share values and house prices, 

and to the reduced value of pensions. It 

says it expects the losses to lead to less 

consumer spending, especially if house 

prices continue to fall. 

Golden handshake receives angry reception 

The one-million-euro golden handshake awarded to Willem van Leeuwen, the chair of 

Aedes, an umbrella organisation for Dutch housing corporations, has come in for sharp 

criticism. This began when the Dutch Housing Confederation (Nederlandse Woonbond), 

a national association representing renters and those seeking accommodation, said on 

Saturday that it was astonished and shocked by the payout given to Mr Van Leeuwen. It 

said such a large bonus was unacceptable. The association’s comments were later echoed 

by Housing Minister Eberhard van der Laan, who said he was unhappy about the bonus 

and that it conflicted with the idea the housing corporations should operate in a sober 

and appropriate manner. However, the minister pointed out that there are no judicial 

steps he can take in the matter. A large majority of MPs are said to be in agreement with 

Mr Van der Laan, with comments ranging from “out of all proportion” to “scandalous”. 

Mr Van Leeuwen stepped down after 27 years with Aedes, following a report critical of 

his work for the organisation, which last year posted losses of three million euros. The 

controversial bonus was approved by Aedes’ board of governors, under the direction 

of the Labour Party’s Hans Alders. Mr Alders is a former Queen’s Commissioner for the 

province of Groningen. Interviewed by the TROS broadcasting company, Mr Van Leeuwen 

said he did not understand what all the commotion was about. He said the bonus was 

normal given that he had worked for Aedes for 27 years. 

18 


Association Info 

Job Seekers / Internship 

Name : Maarten van der Weijden 

Age : 26 

Tel.no. : +65 90153226 

Email-address : maartenvdweijden@yahoo.com 

Study: Graduate programme Southeast Asian Studies (National 

University of Singapore) 

Specialization: Regional economic developments, Nationbuilding 

in Singapore and politics of minorities and majorities 

in Southeast Asia. 

Internship of job: A part-time job from June 15 until September. 

I have a broad orientation and will be available two or three days 

a week. Therefore, I am interested in a job in the field of sales, 

research or support jobs. 

Working experience: 

• March 2006 – June 2007: Audiodesk at Van Gogh Museum, 

Amsterdam 

• January 2004 – July 2004: Project manager customer support 

Europe at j2 Global, 

Duties: managing the customer service division for Europe 

• 1997 – 2008: Part-time Sales at Ringlicht, Tilburg 

Duties: sales and supervision retail lighting shop 

• 1997 – 2008: Various short-term jobs 

Looking for: A second part-time job or internship in addition to 

my other function. I have been living in Singapore for the last 

two years and this country is part of my academic specialization. 

Therefore, I am fully adjusted to the local circumstances and 

ready to start working. 

Name : Paul Rongen 

Age : 40 

Tel.no.office : +63 846288457 

Tel.no. home : +63 846288457 

Email-address : paulusrongen@live.nl 

Study: 

• Delphi Users Group(DGG) location :Nieuwegein, The 

Netherlands, Jan 2002 - Dec 2002, Databasecourse Interbase 

Delphi 

• Delphi Users Group(DGG) location :Nieuwegein, The 

Netherlands, Jan 2001 - Dec 2001, Advanced Delphi 

programming 

• Scheidegger classes location : Uden – The Netherlands, 

Jan 2000 - Dec 2000, Basic course Windows, Ms Office Word/ 

Excel, Internet 


• BCS Bv, The Netherlands, Oct 2008 – Present, Philippines 

Feb 2007 – Sep 2008, Netherlands, Senior Delphi 

• DHL Supply Chain, The Netherlands, May 2005 - Jan 2007, 

Medior Delphi 

• Mediamotion, The Netherlands, Sep 2003 - Apr 2005, 

System Analyst 

• It2, The Netherlands, Aug 2000 - Aug 2003, Junior Delphi 

Looking for: A new challenge as a Delphi Programmer or System 

Information Analyst. Where I can use and enhance my experiences 

in framework and OOD development. Also open to any new career 

opportunities. Keywords: Hardworking, analytic, technical, 

proficient and high interest in self development. Languages: 

Dutch, English, German. Ask for my resume. 

Name : Robert Jan Rijns 

Age : 23 

Tel. no. : +46 58340535 

Tel. no. mobile : +46 70 5555272 

Email : rjrijns@gmail.com 

Study: (2005 – Present) International Business Management Studies 

Special Interest: Recruitment, Marketing & Media 

Internship: 

• Feb. 2009 – May. 2009: Dutch Chamber of Commerce in 

Sweden. Stockholm, Sweden 

Type of Company: Professional Business Association. 

Responsibilities: Designing & Integrating CRM system. 

• Feb. 2009 – May. 2009: AD&D, Stockholm, Sweden. 

• Aug. 2007 - Jan. 2008: Portelet Asia Pte. Ltd. Singapore. 

Type of Company: Investment Boutique. 

Position: Marketing Assistant 

Responsibilities: Setting up a distribution network 

throughout South East Asia for Water Purification Equipment. 

Responsibilities in Sales, Administration and Research. 


• Feb. 2008- Jun. 2008: Jazz Club Bar Alex. Molde, Norway 

Type of Company: Jazz Club. 

Position: Bartender 

Responsibilities: Entertainment and management of the 

establishment. 

• Feb.2006 - Jun. 2007: Golf club Welderen, Elst. The Netherlands 

Type of Company: Restaurant & Conference centre. 

Position: Bartender 

Responsibilities: Serving club members and hosting business 

conferences. 

• Dec. 2005 - Feb. 2006: SITEL Netherlands, Arnhem. The 

Netherlands 

Type of Company: Call centre 

Position: Desk Operator 

Responsibilities: Sales 

Looking for: A graduation placement in Recruitment sector 

combining working and writing my thesis, in the period between 

August and December 2009. The final part of the study includes 

writing a thesis within a company. The subject of the thesis is open 

for debate, although my interests favor the area of Recruitment/ 

Sales or Marketing and Media sectors. If this area is not relevant 

for your company I am happy to alter my thesis topic, in line with 

an appropriate and relevant subject. 

Skills: Native Dutch speaker, fluent in English and Swedish. With 

an abundance of International experience I am used to working 

with people with different cultural backgrounds. I consider myself 

pro active and eager to learn. 

19 


Association Info 

New Members 

Arthur van Dijk, Morgan Stanley 

Bertel Aukema, Personalizzata 

Frank Oerlemans, ERICO 

Jacomijn Vels, ING Bank 

Marcel Duiveman, BNP Paribas 

Onno Rombouts, Heineken 

Peter-Paul Nijsten, 

Garner International 

Peter van Rooijen, Fortis 

Robert Gorter, Elsevier 

Sheila Reneerkens 

Sven Plasman, Fugro 

Leaving Members 

Johannes Wolvius, ING Bank 

May event 

For ADB members only 

Networking BBQ 

Payment details: 

1. By crossed cheque made payable to: 

“Association of Dutch Businessmen”, 

and send your cheque to Association 

of Dutch Businessmen, c/o 22 Camden 

Park Singapore 299814. Please state your 

name on cheque. 

2. In cash and send/deliver to/at for the 

attention of ADB, c/o 22 Camden Park, 

Singapore 299814 

Join us for our yearly informal networking BBQ at the poolside area of 

the Hollandse Club on Thursday 21 May 2009 from 19:30 - 22:00 hrs. 

The price will be SGD 30 per person (incl. traditional BBQ, free 

flow of beer, house wines, soft drinks, orange/lime juice. Dress code 

will be ‘casual’. 

Please register by 18 th of May by email to adb@pacific.net.sg 

and pay either by cheque, cash or internet banking in advance at 

the latest by 18 th of May. 

Kindly sponsored by: 

3. By internet 

Bank name : Standard Chartered Bank, 

Battery Road 

Benificiary : Association of Dutch 

Businessmen 

Account # : 01-0-837759-8 

Branch : 001 

Bank code : 7144 

Please make sure that your name will 

be mentioned as ‘reference’. 

Cancellations must by received by 18 th of 

May, otherwise you will be charged for the 

full amount. 

20 


ADB’ers go Orange! 

John Bruinsma, Anne Slump 

Bert van der Toorn, Marcel Duiveman 

Onno Rombouts, Arnout Moster, Mathijs 

Boeren 

Annabelle Deken, Frans van de Bospoort 

Fokko Leutscher, Frank Bomers 

Wilhard and Elly Kreijkes, Albert Jan Hofman 

John Bruinsma, Patricia Butin Bik 

Linnie Mackenzie, Annoek van den Wijngaart 

Menno Douwes Dekker, Mirjam Bout

Connected 

Heart-to-heart 

Reserved 

Finally, a dimmable energy saver – 

because no two moments are the same. 

Whatever light level you desire, the Philips Tornado 

Dimmable delivers. Dimming smoothly down to 5% 

brightness, it also saves energy by up to 80%. 

Experiment with the possibilities, and bring out the 

best in any moment. www.philips.com

May 2009 - Association of Dutch Businessmen

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