EVENT BUSINESS EXTRA - Association of Dutch Businessmen

Association of Dutch Businessmen in Singapore
Event
Meet & greet with
Prof. J.P. Balkenende
www.adb.org.sg
May 2011
MITA 373/03/2001
Business
Beemster Cheese in Singapore
Extra
Interview with Marcel Heijnen

W o r l d w i d e s p e c i a l i s t s i n h e a v y l i f t i n g a n d t r a n s p o r t
Mammoet (S) Pte Ltd.
23 Gul Road
Jurong
Singapore 629356
Phone: +65 6861 1638
Fax: +65 6861 2718
SPECIALISTS IN HEAVY LIFTING AND TRANSPORT
www.mammoet.com

PROLOGUE
Board Members
Jan De Vegt
President
VP Asia Air France Cargo/KLM Cargo
Party, Relax and
Recovery
Marie-HéLène Piederiet
Vice President/Honorary Secretary
Owner Past Perfect Collection
Ard Huisman
Honorary Treasurer
Director Finance Vopak Asia
Richard Van Der Werf
Member
GM T&T Bisso Salvage Asia
Frank Kuijsters
Member / Chief Editor
Director Digne Consult Asia Pacific
Marleen Dieleman
Member
Visiting fellow NUS Business School
Hans Loth
Member
Managing Director
Asia De Lage Landen
Martijn Kuipers
Member
Commercial Director Mammoet
Secretariat
Lineke van Nederpelt
Operations Executive
WWF International
What a party!
I think by now the Dutch Community in Singapore is
better in celebrating the Queen’s day than any city, town
or village in the Netherlands. I think we can convene an
“oranje” committee and then the queen and family should
spend Queen’s day in Singapore next year. Next to all the
partying, I also hope you had some time to relax during
Easter or May holidays.
Asia is on one part clearly on the road to recovery. On the
other hand, Japan has been set back due to the dramatic
disaster they have experienced. For me it was surrealistic
to see waves rolling into Japan, in a way you normally
(luckily) only see in a fake way in movies and you think
it will never be for real. I spent some days in Tokyo with
my staff and I can tell you that although you may not see
much on the outside, people are deep inside emotionally
touched. One of the things that is remarkable is that
restaurants, normally widely used in Japan, are quiet to
empty and Tokyo is dark in anticipation of the electricity
shortage. The road to recovery will be long.
As we decided not to have an ADB event in April, I can
assure you that we all look forward to our May event.
Our highly successful trip on the Cheng Ho will be
repeated. So all of you who didn’t come last year, try your
utmost to join. All who came last year, I do not have to
promote the trip again I am sure you will come, if you are
in town.
A latest update from the board, our name change has
been approved by the government and will officially be
implemented soon. We found a new board member in
Martijn Kuipers and he has already started enthusiastically.
We still have one position available (Honorary Secretary);
furthermore the editorial committee of the ADB Magazine
is always looking for volunteers to help out; so please let us
know if you are interested to strengthen our enthusiastic
team.
See you soon at one of our next events.
“The ADB provides opportunities for Dutch business
people to meet, interact and share knowledge by
means of company visits, lectures, networking events
and membership communications.”
Jan de Vegt

Contents
Vol. 21 / No. 4 / May 2011
Prologue 1 By Jan de Vegt, ADB President
Events 3 Meet & greet with the former Dutch Prime Minister:
Prof. Jan Peter Balkenende
4 Overview of the Orange festivities in Singapore
Business 6 Beemster Cheese, premium gourmet Dutch cheese
has landed in Singapore!
8 The case of ..............
DutchCham News 9 Latest news by DutchCham
Bizz News 10 Dutch business news
Know your tax 12 Intellectual property ownership
extra 13 Hollandse School Limited post event release
14 Marcel Heijnen: nothing lasts forever
column 17 Uniquely Singapore
Lifestyle 18 Art house films in Singapore
not to miss 20 Things to do in Singapore
Embassy News 21 Latest news by the Dutch Embassy
aDB News 22 Announcements, member info and more
Photographer for cover: Marcel Heijnen
P3
First impression of the Meet &
Greet with former Prime Minister
Prof. Jan Peter Balkenende
organised by DutchCham and
the ADB.
P6
Leonie Baartscheer about Dutch
Link Pte Ltd, the organisation that
introduced Beemster Cheese to
Singapore.
P14
The third article in a row of ten
of Dutch artists in Singapore. This
time Marcel Heijnen for whom
nothing lasts forever.

Events
Meet & greet with the
former Dutch prime minister:
Prof. Jan Peter Balkenende
On Wednesday 30 th March, the ADB, together with the
Dutch Chamber of Commerce organized an interview
session with Prof. Jan Peter Balkenende at the Hollandse
Club. As expected, there was full attendance and the
atmosphere was pleasant and informal. It was an
enjoyable evening for the audience present and after the
session, many of us had the pleasure of having a personal
chat with the Former Prime Minister. In our next ADB
magazine a more eleborate review of this event.

Events
Overview of the Orange
Festivities in Singapore
Photos Sangmok Lee and Lineke van Nederpelt
As every year the Queens birthday has been celebrated
extensively in Singapore. It started with Queens night at
Harry’s @ boat quay on Wednesday 20 April, on Saturday
23 of April was the Orange Ball hosted by the Hollandse
club and on Thursday 28 April was the Queens day
reception hosted by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands. Many ADB members were spotted on these
events, enjoying themselves and dressed up in many ways.
Ambassador Jansing and Mrs Jansing receiving guests
Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Senior Minister of State, Ministry
of Law and Ministry of Home Affairs and Ambassador Jansing

Events
Judith Cranssen, Floortje Muskens,
Wouter Jan Kleinlugtenbelt, Marieke Ghijsen
Mirjam Bout, Gene Kwee, Annabelle Deken
Bernice Klok, Maurice Venbruex Marcel Duiveman, Mathijs Boeren Lineke van Nederpelt, John Bruinsma
Arjen Blom, Tineke Hiemstra,
Marianne Doele
Eric van Steen, Koert Breebaart,
Philippe Benoist
Marcel Verdonk, Marcel Aggenbach,
Marcel de Bruijckere
Sylvana Postmus
Mohan Mulani, Lineke van Nederpelt,
Siep Hiemstra
Frans van de Bospoort,
Hans van der Vlugt

Business
Beemster Cheese, Premium
Gourmet Dutch Cheese has
landed in Singapore!
Text Leonie Baartscheer, owner Dutch Link & area representative at Beemster Cheese
The history behind Beemster Cheese
Beemster cheese is a product made by CONO Cheese
makers, based in De Middenbeemster Noord-Holland. In
1947 three cheese makers in the province of Noord-Holland
- Concordia from Oudendijk, Ons Belang from Middellie
and De Tijd from de Beemster- joined forces and started a
cooperation. In 1950 Neerlandia from Stompetoren joined
the cooperation and the joint venture De Combinatie was
born. In 1999 De Combinatie and Cooperative Ommen de
Vechtstreek merged together and changed their name into
CONO cheese makers.
CONO is very proud to have their cheese factory located
in the heart of De Beemster polder which was declared an
UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. A beautiful polder
with quiet, canal lined pastures, situated above Purmerend,
which has been reclaimed in 1612 with help of 106 windmills
under the supervision of Jan Adriaenszoon Leeghwater.
Cows graze openly 4m below sea level on pesticide free
grasses. The special blue-seaclay of the pastures gives the
smoothest and sweetest milk in all of Holland. This delicious
milk allows Beemster cheeses to mature, yet still retain a
superb rich texture.
Since 2007, 550 Milk farmers from Beemster took part
in the Caring Dairy program, which was founded by the
American Ice-cream maker Ben & Jerry’s in 2003. Together
with scientists from University of Wageningen and the
advice from WWF and Stichting Natuur and Milieu, a special
program regarding the safeguarding of the long tradition
of honest and sustainable purchasing was developed. An
important part of the Caring Dairy program is the so called
‘Koe in de Wei’ (Cow in the Fields) program. Since the
majority of the Beemster cows are grazing freely in the lush
pastures, the farmers receive a higher subsidy towards their
milk quota as free range cows produce a higher quality of
milk and thus a higher quality of cheese. Cheese made from
pastures milk contains lesser Trans-fat and this is much
healthier for our cholesterol and heart condition.
In June 2001, CONO cheese makers received from Her
Majesty Queen Beatrix the honour of being a supplier to
The Royal Court of The Netherlands; The highest honour to
be bestowed upon a cheese company in Holland.
Beemster Cheese and Dutch Link Pte Ltd.
The reason for Dutch Link to introduce Beemster cheese
to Singapore was purely a coincidence! For many years
both my husband and I had in mind to do ‘some Dutch
products related business’. However the concept was not
clear yet and actually due to commitments to our previous
employers, and other institutions, we didn’t take the time
to further develop our idea. Until 2009, we then decided to
establish our own company and Dutch Link Singapore was
born where under the helm of this company several services
such as Logistics consultancy, Relocation/Real Estate services
and the import of Dutch products would be offered. One
of those products we definitely wanted to offer had to be
Quality Dutch Cheese versus the processed cheeses one
could and still can purchase in Singapore.
It was during one of our brainstorming moments when
we came with the idea to approach the cheese maker of
Beemster cheese. A cheese we only heard from during our
visit to The Netherlands in 2008 and which we appreciated
very much. After launching our business plan to offset
Beemster cheese in Singapore, CONO received us with open
arms. After a first visit to Singapore from CONO’s export
manager we were officially in business and it all started from
there.

Business
Our strategy was clear: starting supplying our cheeses
with Gourmet shops, (Huber’s Butcher, SwissButchery,
Werners’ oven), Delicatessen shops (Jones The Grocer),
bistro type restaurants (Winebos, Incontro) first before
hitting the larger retail shops such as Cold Storage,
NTUC Fairprice and Carrefour as well as hotels (Hotel
InterContinental, Shangri-La and Hilton).
Apart from knocking on potential customers doors, we
in the meantime also participated at the April 2010 Food
And Hotel Asia Fair, held in the Expo. Here Beemster Cheese
was highly appreciated and received tremendously raving
compliments from purchasers to executive chefs. I received
many interesting business leads for Singapore as well as for
overseas F&B related industries.
Nevertheless, the strategy of CONO was clear to us
as well. Start founding a strong basis in Singapore first, by
starting small, then aim to supply to the supermarkets before
launching the cheeses overseas. Get the Beemster name
out there by publications, participations in smaller events,
wine/cheese appreciations, cheese information evenings,
a few high profile sponsoring events and advertisements in
magazines. Also by promoting the cheeses through tastings in
gourmet shops. During those tastings I explain the customers
what Premium gourmet quality cheese is all about. It’s
through tastings that customers get to appreciate the cheese.
Therefore up until today my credo still remains unchanged:
tasting = believing = buying.
Between running from one event to another, business
lead to business lead, I also started to contact the Deli
category managers from supermarkets. Proudly I can say
that currently Beemster cheese can be found in 17 Cold
Storage outlets and in about 1 month time from now in NTUC
Fairprice FINEST/Hypermarket and supermarkets as well.
Beside it’s a matter of a few weeks from now that Beemster
cheese also can be found in both Carrefour outlets.
Next to Cold Storage Singapore, we’ve already paid a visit
to Cold Storage Kuala Lumpur to supply Beemster cheese to
Malaysia, so hopefully around September 2011 we’ll be able
to export Beemster cheese from Singapore to Malaysia!
Asians say hi to cheese
It’s a myth that Asians don’t eat cheese! As a matter of
fact, they are my best customers next to Australians,
New Zealanders, British, Americans and Europeans. Last
November 2010, when I participated at the by SPHERE
(events organisation of SPH) organised event THE
FOODSAFARI, for three days in a row Beemstercheese was
SOLD OUT! It was a highly Singaporean/Asian attended
event, and yet again I received prove that my Asian
customers were truly appreciative towards the excellent
quality of Beemster cheese and selling the cheese during this
event was a piece of cake. The timing of participating at this
event couldn’t be a better timing, since I was literally 2 weeks
away before supplying the first batches of cheese to the first
5 outlets of Cold Storage, I could already promote the cheese
to new potential customers even before the cheese was
out in the supermarket! And yet again, soon I‘ll be receiving
the first Purchasing Orders from NTUC Fairprice, right after
participating at yet another SPHERE event: Food and Audio
Fair 2011 in Suntec convention centre level 4 (April 29- May
2).
Apart from safeguarding the quality of my cheeses in
the shops I’m supplying to, I’m also supporting the shop
deli managers with constructive feedback when it comes
to packaging, cutting, storage, display of cheese and other
cheese related knowledge. I’ve noticed that when out in the
supermarkets, a supplier truly has to stay on top of their
product.
I don’t stop from here. To expand the import of Dutch
quality cheeses to Singapore, I’m currently in contact with a
smaller cheese farmer KLAVER CHEESEMAKER from Winkel,
Noord-Holland. This farmer is producing different varieties
of specialty cheeses such as wasabi, Pesto, Fenugreek, West
Frysian herbs and blue cheese. And next to this, KLAVER also
produces delicious goat cheeses which are suitable for those
customers with a cow’s milk lactose intolerance.
It has been an interesting ride for Dutch Link so far,
when it comes to establishing a certain name related to
quality Dutch cheese. However nowadays the time is there
to slowly start expanding our business with other Dutch
related products. And yet again, the products have to be of
high quality. In fact we are already selling traditional Dutch
candy from Rens Joosen confectionary.
Still we don’t forget the ultimate target CONO cheese
makers and Dutch Link have agreed upon: to be beneficial
towards Singapore’s economy by establishing Singapore’s
Cheese Hub for South East Asia under Dutch Link supervision.
About Leonie Baartscheer
Leonie (1967) has worked for almost 12 years with KLM
as Gate supervisor for both KLM as well as the dedicated
NorthWest Airlines gate supervisors group. She worked
with KLM until she moved in 2000 to Shanghai. Two
years later she moved to Singapore. Before starting their
company Dutch Link, Leonie worked 5 years with Asian
Welcome as relocation consultant/real estate consultant.
Also, for 7 years she was active as a committee member
in The Hollandse Club. First as a member for Kids
Committee and Swimming Convenor for Aquaducks, later
as the Chair Person for Events and Festivities. Leonie is a
mother of 3 children: one daughter of 17 years, and two
sons of 16 and 9 years old.

Business
THE CASE OF ..............
Text Gene Kwee
He was a high potential Dutch national who was seconded
to Singapore to further expand the business in the South
East Asian region. Successful, ambitious and a bachelor.
It took only 8 months before he fell in love with his
Singaporean colleague. He purchased ‘the rock’, she said
yes. The big concern was where the wedding should take
place: Amsterdam, Singapore, Bali? They were neither
concerned about the legal implications of such a choice,
nor the fact that the law that would govern their marriage
would have a significant impact, not only on administrative
issues, but also the on terms and conditions that would
apply to their marriage.
Both being well educated and self-proclaimed rational
people, at a certain stage they discussed the various topics
the place of their marriage, whether they should marry on
equal terms or conclude a prenuptial agreement. And which
law should govern such a prenuptial agreement? But then
again: of course they would be together till death, and of
course they agreed upon that they would always be able to
deal with problems; as always they would solve them in a
mature way and without any doubt divorce was something
for other people. They did not bother to address all of the
salient points: they went back to focus on the important
things such as invitation lists, wines, napkins, flowers and
honeymoon outfits.
That was that. She had the most beautiful day of her
life, he had a blast and they lived happily ever after. She
gave up her career, he became the breadwinner, they had
three beautiful children, all born in different countries.
They ended up back where they started in Singapore when
he decided he had served donkeys years in the banking
industry and wanted a career switch. He decided to set
up his own boutique firm; worked 24 hours a day (quite
successful) but at the same time he missed his former
colleagues and the corporate convenience and appreciation.
His wife who used to be his favourite, best and smartest
sparring partner was too absorbed with the kids’ education,
charity and expat life in general. So he decided to engage an
outside sparring counsel, who was a ‘she’. And that was the
beginning of what would be the end.
Never in the course of their marriage had they reviewed
their terms and conditions: not when she gave up her job,
not when the kids were born, not when he set up his own
venture. It became a dreadful story. It all ended in a way
that they did not wanted when they were on the verge
of getting married. The divorce and parting ways was not
amicably settled. As a consequence of not having made any
arrangements, prior and/or during their marriage in respect
of assets and liabilities, it all resulted in fierce discussion what
was his and hers. His primary current asset was of course the
business that he had devoted himself to in the last years. To
his dismay, as she declined any other way of settlement, he
had to accept that his ex-wife successfully claimed her share
of the shares in his firm.
As a lesson, many issues, of which most of them are
not so romantic, should be duly addressed prior to entering
into a marriage. As marriage can be seen as some sort of
an agreement it may be worthwhile to spend some time to
address such issues appropriately or, equally important, to
update any agreements made during the course of a marriage.
Otherwise (very) undesirable consequences may arise. As
may be the case with difficult discussions, issues would be far
easier to deal with and can be better resolved when parties
are on speaking terms and even so when there are no negative
emotions clouding the discussions between the two.
In the next issue, we will discuss on a no-names basis one
particular case regarding legal and tax issues that may arise
when moving across borders.
VoskampLawyers V k aw is a a law firm firm specialized in rendering rendering integrated integrated tax and tax legal and advice legal
advice on cross on border cross transactions. border transactions. We combine We an in-depth combine knowledge an in-depth and expertise knowledge of Dutch and
expertise and Asian of legal Dutch systems and Asian with legal a personal systems with approach. a personal In addition approach. to our In addition corporate to
our department, corporate we department, have now established we have our now international established family our law international department. family Our team law
department. now also covers Our a team wide range now also of family covers related a wide subjects range all of family with a related focus on subjects the crossborder
a focus aspects. on Our the services cross-border includes aspects. drafting Our of services cohabitation includes contracts drafting an of
all
with cohabitation international context, contracts advising in an international marriage articles context, and advising pre-nuptial on marriage agreements, articles divorce and
pre-nuptial related advice agreements, in connection divorce with children, related establishment advice in or connection modification with of partner children,
and
establishment child alimony, or pension modification settlement, of partner partition and of child property alimony, and pension estate planning settlement, to facilitate partition
of tax property efficient and transfer estate to future planning generations. to facilitate tax efficient transfer to future generations.
www.voskamplawyers.com

DutchCham News
Manulife Golf
Challenge 2011
24 th of May 2011:
DutchNet, business
referral breakfast
Mark your calendar for Manulife Golf Challenge 2011 at
the Warren Golf & Country Club!
Dutch Chamber of Commerce (S) in combination with
many other chambers co-organizes the Canadian Chamber
yearly chamber golf tournament.
The Afternoon Golf session will be followed by the
Award Dinner at the Yan Palace @ Warren Golf and
Country Club. With Many Great Prizes, Tips from the
PGA Pros and many more, this is one of the event not to
be missed! So dear golfers, mark the date in your dairy,
call your golfing friends and be ready to compete for the
Manulife Golf Challenge Cup 2011!
For more information check our website:
www.dutchcham.sg
Join DutchNet, a monthly Business Referral Networking
Breakfast organized by the Dutch Chamber of
Commerce (S).
Bring your business cards and prepare a 60 seconds
elevator pitch. Don’t miss out on this unique business
development opportunity. Each participant will meet
19 other valuable decision makers and professionals.
We encourage members to pass referrals that
actually turn into business while drinking your morning
coffee and still in time for your daily routine.
For more information check our website:
www.dutchcham.sg
3 rd Annual General Meeting
The Dutch Chamber of Commerce (S) held their 2011
Annual General meeting at Suntec Singapore on the 7 th
of April 2011. Both the board of directors as the budget
of 2011 were approved unanimously.
Hosted at Suntec Singapore the 3 rd Annual General
Meeting showed an overview on the accounts and
events of 2010 presented by Chairman Mr. Pieter
Idenburg. The Dutch Chamber of Commerce again as
a healthy company aspires, set ambitious goals for
2011; increasing their membership base, strategic
partnerships and events for the coming year. Most
notable was that the chamber after its free membership
drive doubled its memberships from 66 to an account of
148. Also was told to the attending members the plans
up until 2012 and the progress so far.
An update was given on the four currently populated
committees of DutchCham in 2010: Water, Energy, Media
and Biomed as well as the plans to initiate another three
committees before the end of 2011 in the following areas:
Maritime, Transport & Logistics, Nutrition and Design.
After the 45 minutes presentation and 15 minutes
Q&A, members were able to network and mingle
with food and drinks provided by our accommodation
sponsor: Suntec Singapore.
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY:
Dutch Chamber of Commerce Singapore - 1 Raffles Boulevard - #05-517 Suntec City - Singapore 039593 - T +65 6884 5084 - E info@dutchcham.sg

Bizz News
Ministers agree welfare benefit reforms
The government has finalised a string of measures to reform the welfare benefit system and encourage more people to
get jobs. The starting point of the package is that ‘those who can work must work and work must be financially worth it,’
according to a social security ministry statement. ‘Welfare (bijstand) should be the final safety net,’ the statement said.
Parents claiming welfare benefits who share their home with adult children with jobs will lose all or part of their government
support as the basis for claims switches from individual to household income. This will affect some 20,000 households.
Young mothers
Single mothers with young children will also be required to look for work. At the moment, mothers with children under
five do not have to apply for jobs. Local authorities, which are charged with administering the welfare system, will be
allowed to require claimants to do some sort of work in return for cash. This could include clearing snow. The cabinet has
also decided that retired people who claim welfare benefits because they do not get 100% of the state pension will only
be able to spend eight weeks a year abroad, rather than six months under the current system. People who moved to the
Netherlands when they were older than 15 are not entitled to a full state pension. If they have no other income, they can
claim welfare to make up the difference. The proposals have been incorporated into two pieces of draft legislation which
have been sent to the Council of State advisory body for its opinion.
Exports and
imports rise, trade
surplus unchanged
Dutch export volumes rose 7%
in February, compared with the
year-earlier period, while imports
were up 10%, said the national
statistics office CBS. The total
value of exports rose 19% to
€32.9bn, while imports were up
22% at €29bn, leaving the trade
surplus unchanged at €3.9bn.
Raw materials and mineral oils
accounted for the bulk of both
imports and exports, the CBS said.
Dutch banks try to
buy large chunk of
Wegener
British media group Mecom has
rejected an informal approach
from a group of big Dutch banks
to take a controlling stake in
newspaper group Wegener,
according to British media reports.
Rabobank, ING and ABN Amro are
said to have approached Mecom
last month, looking for up to 50%
of the regional newspaper group.
Wegener generates almost 80%
Mecom’s operating profits and half
of total advertising and circulation
revenue. Stephen Davidson,
who took over from Mecom
founder and chief executive David
Montgomery after he was ousted
in January, ‘flat out’ rejected the
proposal.
House prices set to drop further, sales
depressed
Estate agents’ association NVM expects house prices for the whole of 2011
to drop by 5%. It also reports a drop of 14.3% in the number of homes
changing hands in the first quarter of 2011. The average price of a house in
the first quarter of 2011 fell 1% compared with the last quarter of 2010 and
is 1.6% down on the year earlier period. The fall of 14.6% in the number of
transactions makes the first quarter of 2011 the worst period for house sales
since the depth of the financial crisis in 2009. The NVM is asking banks to do
more for lenders looking for a mortgage. Chairman Ger Hukker says the banks
‘have gone too far in their risk-averse behavior’.
Cabinet agrees €1bn in defense spending
cuts, one in six jobs to go
The cabinet agreed major cuts in defence ministry spending in an effort to
save €1bn. Defence minister Hans Hillen will outline the details later. Over
6,000 military service personnel and defence ministry civil servants are facing
compulsory redundancies. In total, 12,300 defence ministry jobs will go as part
of the savings package. Some 2,300 vacancies will not be filled and a further
4,000 people will not be replaced when they leave. The ministry currently has
a workforce of almost 69,000.
All ranks
The job losses will affect all ranks in the defence ministry. Defence minister
Hans Hillen also plans to scrap tanks and Cougar helicopters, to cut the 87
F-16 fighter jets by around a third and to sell off a number of naval vessels.
The controversial purchase of a second JSF fighter jet for €100m will go ahead
to protect the participation of Dutch firms in its development and production.
10

Bizz News
‘Schiphol passengers generate
€11bn for the economy’
Passenger traffic through Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport
generates €11bn for the Dutch economy and creates
170,000 jobs, according to research by McKinsey and
the Boston Consulting Group for the airport authority
and airline KLM. The airport and airline commissioned
the report in an effort to assess the likely effect of tariff
changes at Schiphol. Schiphol wants to increase fees
for transit passengers and to do more to attract budget
airlines like EasyJet. KLM argues the planned transit
charge hike would hurt its operations. Of the €11b, €3.4bn
comes from transit passengers, the report says. Using
the results of the survey, Schiphol is set to publish new
proposals mid-April. Easyjet has already said it will greatly
expand its services from Schiphol if fees come down.
Seven embassies, 300 diplomatic
service jobs to go
Foreign minister Uri Rosenthal is closing seven
embassies in Africa and South and Central America
and cutting the Dutch diplomatic corps by 300 jobs or
10%. The diplomatic mission revision is due to ‘shifting
relationships’ in the world and the need to make cuts,
the minister says. Economic diplomacy is paramount.
The paper says embassies will close in Cameroon,
Zambia, Burkina Faso and Eritrea and the embassy in
Tanzania will be downgraded to an economic mission.
The embassies in Nicaragua, Bolivia and Uruguay will
also shut. But new economic missions will open in
Chengdu in China and Panama, where the Panama Canal
offers considerable opportunities for Dutch companies,
embassy sources said.
WWF and Rabobank enter into partnership
With the signing of a global partnership agreement on Mach 30 th , WWF and Rabobank have joined forces to accelerate
the transition to a more sustainable economy - one within the bounds of the planet’s ecological limits.
A more sustainable finance sector
As part of the partnership, Rabobank and WWF will show how the financial sector can be transformed, and prompt
businesses to invest in more sustainable business practices. The partnership is specifically aimed at the international
food and agribusiness sectors, with goals of increasing production efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions and water
consumption. WWF and Rabobank will set up projects that will demonstrate that sustainable enterprise genuinely
produces added economic value for both the environment and local populations, and for companies and financiers active
within food and agricultural chains in sectors such as sugarcane, cacao and fisheries. In addition, both partners aim to
raise awareness among consumers about how they can contribute to a green economy by opting for sustainable financial
products and services.
Striving for sustainability
Rabobank Executive Board Chairman Piet Moerland: “The WWF and Rabobank both strive to achieve a sustainable
environment. We have already demonstrated this shared commitment through our joint participation in the Dutch
Greentech Fund, through which we make equity investments in green innovative companies, and via the sounding board
role the WWF performed in relation to the formulation of Rabobank’s Food & Agribusiness principles. This partnership
between a financial institution and an NGO, with the aim of setting an example for other participants in the production
chain with respect to the concrete effects of sustainable enterprise in practice, is unique.” Johan van de Gronden, Director
of the WWF in the Netherlands: “Protecting nature reserves is today inextricably linked to human behaviour. Our choices
as consumers determine the chances of survival of threatened ecosystems, which are in turn crucial for life on earth.
Nature conservation consequently only works by establishing that connection and by ensuring the sustainability of the
entire chain from raw material to plate. This is why having a partner such as Rabobank is invaluable for WWF.”
SALVAGE ASIA PTE LTD
12A Jln Samulun • Singapore 629131 • Tel : +65 6591 5288 • Fax : +65 6591 5289 • www.ttbisso.com • info@ttbisso.com
11

know your tax
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
OWNERSHIP
Text Pieter L. de Ridder and Eliënne de Vries, Loyens & Loeff, Singapore
Intellectual property (IP) is a phrase referring to various
types of creations of the mind, which is in financial terms
mostly referred to as intangible assets, and includes brand
names, trademarks, literary and scientific work, knowhow,
copyrights, industrial models and designs, computer
programmes, secret formulas and processes, etcetera. IP is
everywhere and will not go anywhere; it is a vital asset in
today’s business community and will only be growing and
expanding in the inventive world we live in. All the more
reason for the owners of IP to consider their choice of
preferred IP holding jurisdiction carefully.
When choosing a holding jurisdiction for IP rights, 1
several criteria may play a role, such as the type of IP and
the different IP laws available in various jurisdictions, and
naturally, the tax regime which the IP will be subjected
to. Typical European tax-friendly jurisdictions that are
frequently used in IP holding structures are Luxembourg
and Ireland (often by US-based corporations), with effective
income tax rates potentially as low as 5.76% and 2.5%
respectively, whereas the Netherlands offers a 5% effective
tax rate for self-created IP. 2
How about an interesting IP holding jurisdiction for
IP used in Asia? Singapore could offer a tax beneficial
and otherwise efficient environment for the acquisition,
registration and exploitation of IP, due to its transparent
laws which are accurately enforced, providing for a reliable
legal environment in the heart of South East Asia. From a
tax perspective Singapore is interesting as an IP holding
jurisdiction because it has an extensive tax treaty network
(especially compared to its surrounding countries including
Hong Kong) and also offers a beneficial tax treatment
under its domestic laws such as IP depreciation, deduction
of the financing expenses of the IP, a potential exemption
of the capital gain on sold IP, an option of pooling foreign
withholding tax credits and, for qualifying activities, it
offers an interesting tax incentive: The in last year’s Budget
introduced and recently enhanced Productivity and
Innovation Credit (PIC) Scheme.
The PIC offers a tax incentive for a Singaporean company
investing in productivity and innovation. Qualifying
expenditure incurred on the following activities is eligible for
a 400% tax deduction per annum from Year of Assessment
(YA) 2011 to YA 2015 (thus, also for investments already
made in 2010):
(i) R&D activities (carried out both in and outside
Singapore)
(ii) Investments in (approved) design
(iii) Acquisition of IP rights
(iv) Registration of IP rights
(v) Investment in Automation
(vi) Training of staff
The deduction is capped at the first S$ 400K spent on
each qualifying activity, but the caps of YA 2011 - 2012 may
be combined (cap of S$ 800K) and YA 2013 - 2015 as well
(cap of S$ 1.2M).
Instead of claiming this tax deduction, business may
opt for an alternative cash payout of 30% of the first
S$ 100K expenditure (cap of S$ 30K and combined cap for
YA 2011 – 2012 of S$ 60K) until YA 2013. This may seem less
advantageous than claiming these generous deductions,
however can be attractive to businesses that pay little tax
in Singapore.
Acquisition and registration of IP rights automatically
implies legal ownership of the IP. Hence, one must be
the legal owner of the IP. But even if a Singaporean
company would only have economic ownership of the
IP (and not enjoy the PIC benefits), Singapore may still
offer an attractive tax regime. Royalties in the hands of
a Singaporean company would be subject to a corporate
income tax rate of 17%, which is modest compared to most
countries in Asia where the royalty would be paid from,
and furthermore royalties may be tax exempt if they qualify
as offshore sourced income (which for legally owned IP
registered in Singapore would not be possible). 3
Concluding, whether IP is legally or just economically
owned, whether eligible for the PIC or not, Singapore offers
excellent opportunities for the planning of IP ownership
for the use of it in Asia, due to its exquisite geographical
location as well as its reliable legal environment and various
tax benefits.
1
An IP right is a right (usually - but not necessarily - exclusively), governed by IP law, to use [and/or to (sub) license] IP.
2
It should be noted that (i) conditions may apply which are not discussed here, and (ii) only the ownership of IP is discussed; hence, sublicensing
structures may be subject to different taxation. Furthermore, the 2.5% effective rate in Ireland applies after depreciation of the IP. One may argue that
this does not provide for a fair image as, when the IP is sold, the taxable profit will be higher due to the earlier depreciations.
3
It should be noted that Singapore levies a 10% withholding tax on cross-border royalty payments, which should be taken into account if a (sub) licensing
structure is considered.
12

Extra
POST EVENT RELEASE
Close to 100 members of the Dutch business community,
guests representing the international schools in Singapore,
and staff gathered at the Pavilion Room of the Shangri-la
Hotel on March 24, 2011 to celebrate the 90 th anniversary
of the Hollandse School Limited (HSL) in Singapore. The
official reception was part of a series of festivities and
special events being held to commemorate the school’s
educational milestone.
This Pavilion Room holds special significance for the
Dutch community, and still stands today, serving as a
function room at the Shangri-La Hotel. Guests of Honour
present were Singapore’s Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Mr. George Yeo, Netherlands Ambassador Mr. Johannes
W.G. Jansing and Belgian Ambassador Mr. Roland Van
Remootele.
Chairman of HSL Board of Governors Mr Henk de Jong speaking
at the reception
Minister Yeo with Mr Remootele (L) & Mr Jansing (R)
FOR RENT
As
Beautiful landed VILLA in Amersfoort,
the heart of The Netherlands
per September 2011, this lovely semi-detached residence
(with a built-up area of 250 sq.m.), is available for rent with a
minimum lease term of 1 year. The property has a stunning
800 sq.m. garden offering fantastic privacy.
Lay-out:
Ground floor: a large living room with parquet flooring and
open fireplace, modern kitchen with high quality built-in -oven/
microwave, -cooker, -cooker hood and –dishwasher.
There is a separate laundry area/utility room with a washing
machine and dryer. The property has a basement, ideal for
(wine-!) storage.
First floor: A master bedroom with a huge wardrobe and a
beautiful, ultra modern bathroom with bath and separate
shower.
A further two bedrooms and a second bathroom, with toilet
and shower.
Second floor: Two more bedrooms and lots of storage room.
This idyllic thatched house is located in the upmarket
“Bergkwartier” of Amersfoort, in the heart of the Netherlands.
Amersfoort is located nearby Veluwe National Park, one of the
most sought after nature park reserves in Holland.
The property is located very close (~500 m) to the railway
station, the city centre, schools and hospital.
Asking EURO 3000.-/month excl utilities.
Contact: hanneke@singnet.com.sg
13

Extra
Marcel
Heijnen:
nothing lasts
forever
Text Floortje Muskens
Photos Marcel Heijnen, photo of Marcel
by Tan Ngiap Heng
Just catch a random bus. Take a seat, relax and look around,
passing by food courts, flats and playing fields. Hop off the
bus as soon as the eye falls on something that intrigues.
Preferably an area with a bit of an industrial character.
Where the HDB-flats are not completely stylized. And where
there are visible influences of impermanence. This is the
starting point for Marcel Heijnen. Visual artist, designer and
musician with Dutch roots, who spent the last two decades
in Asia. First as a designer at Philips, later to set up his own
company, design agency Chemistry, and now to focus on his
autonomous work. Currently Marcel uses photography as
the main medium for his art. He explores its boundaries in
a quest for beauty and expression that goes beyond realism
but gets perhaps a little closer to truth. Always driven by a
general curiosity of life and its meaning.
Ugly Duckling
Wherever you are in the world, architectural masterpieces
are what attract the most credit and praise of people.
Like the fancy buildings around Marina Bay in Singapore,
the ‘grachtengordel’ in Amsterdam and the pyramids in
Egypt. Only a few of us have an eye for the other buildings
which shape the city. The buildings that are not the most
beautiful ones, according to our current aesthetic norms.
Actually, they are the Ugly Ducklings of a city. Hardly
anybody gives them attention, they are usually ignored,
they are just there. No more, no less. But not for Marcel
Heijnen. He is fascinated by these duckies.
Beauty of impermanence
To Marcel, these buildings, like many HDB-flats in
Singapore, show impermanence. “In our society,
impermanence has a negative connotation. We do
everything to ignore the fact that everything is changing all
the time, that time goes by and leaves his mark. We visit
plastic surgeons and try to control as much as possible.
That is completely against nature. In reality all there is, is
continuous change.” Marcel believes that this temporary
nature makes something or someone more valuable. He
describes it as follows: “People love flowers. The reason for
that? I believe because flowers wither, not despite the fact
that they wither.” Marcel’s opinion has correspondences
with Buddhism. This religion, or philosophy to him, has his
attention for quite some time already. Though not a strict
follower, Marcel became a more active practitioner in the
last five years. “By accepting impermanence and living by
the moment, you’ll make more of your life.”
Double reality
That thought has been the beginning of Marcel’s latest
series, Residue, which flourished during a sabbatical of a
year. “After working for more than 150 per cent, I wanted
to halve that. To reach that I had to start from zero and
build up again from there. In that year I made big steps
artistically. Without that year I would not have reached
the stage where I am now. I had the time to experiment
a lot before I found the technique I use for Residue.”
Residue is about showing buildings through a layer of decay
and change. To stress that everything is a process. And
especially to emphasize its beauty. The technique Marcel
uses is rather remarkable. Being in the surrounding which
might be photogenic to Marcel, he starts his careful search
14

Extra
for weathered walls in the vicinities of urban sprawl to
capture the reflection of the buildings against these walls. He
captures the moment where the walls come together with
the building into the glass panel he always carries with him.
The result: reflecting one reality into another as one seamless
image. The rough, organic surface underneath the glass panel
stresses the continuous change of the building, it disconnects
and it shows its beauty again. “By giving a building new
attention, people become again aware of their environment.
I truly hope they will see the value and beauty of it again.”
What you see is what you get
All the images are generated without relying on digital
trickery. Marcel does not photoshop them nor does he
use double exposures. Also he does not make use of
prepared prints or props. All are single exposures using
just a camera and a clear glass panel. And simply capturing
what was actually there. At that very moment. Because of
this technique, Residue is in an area between photography
and painting. The Residue pieces are not as direct as pure
photography, they have certain subjective elements in it as
well. Who looks more closely sees also a resemblance with
ceramics.
Finding balance
Besides being an autonomous visual artist, Marcel is also
co-founder of Chemistry, a design agency that does work
for both multinationals and smaller, more local clients.
Founded over ten years ago and situated in a historic
shophouse within the old ethnic quarter of Kampong Glam,
Chemistry provides a creative working environment where
commercialism also plays an important role. “Contrary to
what you might expect, the two creative worlds where
I live gives me the ultimate balance. I am completely
aware of the commercial factor when I work for clients. I’ll
always keep the commercial goals of my client in my mind
while designing. So in the stage of creating for example
a new corporate identity for a company, I am willing to
compromise. I don’t have any problems with it, as long as
the result is effective. On the other hand, when I am working
as an autonomous visual artist I will always stick to my
plan. Of course when a client asks me to create a series like
Residue in a certain country, I am willing to do that. Beside
that, I need to have space for my own interpretation and
creativity. It goes beyond my principles when one asks me
make a certain picture in red because it fits nicely with the
couch”, says Marcel.
Redefinition of Singapore
Being in Singapore for almost two decades, Marcel has seen
the city changing. Talking about impermanence, his new
homeland is the ultimate example of it. The urban landscape
is being redefined constantly. “It is captivating what happens
all the time. Having a closer look at the area where I live,
Joo Chiat, you also see the influences of time. Till the first
half of the last century, this area was rather rural with lots
of plantations. The shophouse where I live was one of the
few houses which were built there. By the last decade of
the 21 th century most of the shophouses were decayed and
lots of new buildings have risen. Nowadays you see a revival
of the authentic houses but with a combination of modern
developments.”
15

Extra
Change of mentality
Also Singapore’s mentality and, related thereto, its policy
have undergone changes. At least in the last decade, more
attention is paid to arts and culture. It’s the government
that is bringing all forms of arts to their people. “I believe
the government is doing a good job. It promotes by all
means cultural initiatives. The art fairs and the Esplanade
are examples of this drive. It’s now up to the people. They
have to take over the baton. And that is already happening.
Nowadays I see much more individualism and depth
compared to ten years ago. A change of mentality is going
on. People are encouraged to open their eyes, to have a
look abroad. There have been interesting initiatives on a
small scale. Lately in my neighbourhood, little galleries in
HDB-flats opened their doors for a few days to the public.
An enormous success, people had to wait for over an hour
to enter and were willing to do that.”
Live by the moment
The Dutch art scene in Singapore is also in motion. Within
a few weeks the platform DAiS, Dutch Artists in Singapore,
will be officially launched with an exhibition in Going Dutch
(May 13-June 15). An initiative by five artists, including
Marcel Heijnen, with totally different backgrounds but
with the common intention to present themselves more
visibly to their audience. “I am really excited about it. The
diversity of the group is interesting and gives the right
dynamic. The future? We will see. Live by the moment and
enjoy it, the future will come anyway.”
More about Marcel Heijnen:
www.marcelheijnen.com
www.dutchartists.sg
www.chemistryteam.com
*
Autohuur tarieven vanaf € 23,- per dag
all-in
Laagste eigen risico - Geen extra verzekeringen bij aankomst - No nonsense voorwaarden
www.bblcarrental.nl
*28+ dagen tarief categorie A, excl. Schipholfee
16
bb&l_2010_ad_194x61.indd 2
12/9/09 4:13:43 PM

Uniquely Singapore
by Richard Soemita
column
“A few days away from
Singapore gives you so much
energy, but…it is good
to come back home.”
A while ago I mentioned to leave the island every now and
then for a few days. After all, when living in Amsterdam
you sometimes leave the city to see relatives in The Hague
or go to the Kuip for a good laugh. The latter being twice as
far as going from Tuas to Changi. The alternative is to jump
in a cab and ask uncle to drive you around for 2 hours. But
you may end up sick from his driving style and will bore
you to death when asking each time which way to go. The
amazing thing with leaving the island is that you notice at
once that you are no longer in Singapore, as soon as the
plane doors shut. When I arrived at HKG Central MTR last
week, people actually waited for the passengers to alight
the train before we got in. At the streets there was actually
a pattern of a 2 way stream rather than 10 Singaporeans
walking side by side and manage to block a pavement as
large as Orchard Road. I walked into a small eatery and
the manager immediately waved at me and showed me
a free spot. I often go to more upper class restaurants in
Singapore where the staff makes you wait for a while whilst
there are at least 5 tables free and of course no need to
continue writing about the horror service. The Honky is a
lot more ‘switched on’ and often wonder why Singapore
wants to measure itself with HKG. Needless to say that this
is mainly driven by the HKG business attitude which makes
the rat race even fiercer than in Singapore. The Honkies are
even allowed to protest and they do so! A few months ago
a HK$55 billion ($7.1 billion) project to link Hong Kong to
a national high-speed rail network has run into a protest.
Hundreds camped out in a public square next to the
legislature as lawmakers grilled officials on the proposed
rail link from Hong Kong to the southern Mainland city
Guangzhou. When the hearing was adjourned, about 30
protesters scuffled with police as they tried but failed to
storm the legislature. Another 500 staged a sit-in in front of
the Hong Kong leader’s mansion, shutting down traffic. Can
you image this happening in Singapore?
I also made a quick trip to Bali since I had not been
there for a while. For a change we didn’t fly SQ since this
other airline was much cheaper. A Canadian lady sat next
to me who had ordered a vegetarian meal at the check-in.
But when the ‘trolley lady’ arrived, the vegetarian order
for some reason did not come thru. So the Canadian lady
mentioned this and she got the classic ‘what the hell are
you asking’ look. The 3 of us where so stunned of the
fierce looking, that I actually thought it was a joke. The air
hostess then asked the assistance of the purser who then
asked if the Canadian lady would like to have a cheese
sandwich instead. 15 Minutes later he arrived with a plate
which he said that he personally selected. These were
obviously left overs from business class and …..no cheese
sandwich. The Canadian lady looked at this plate sadly
and said to me: ‘Oh, never mind, I’m so used to it with
this airline’. On our way back the in-flight entertainment
system didn’t work and the staff was still miserable as on
the way to Bali. This was strange since it cannot be due
to tiredness. Apparently a fresh crew comes on board
and only does the SG-Bali-SG leg. Probably they were
annoyed that this trip jeopardized their shopping spree
in Singapore. A few days later I even got an automatic
evaluation request to complete, but didn’t bother to
fill it in. Bali was great as usual, but one gets so tired of
constantly bargaining with the locals. The pollution in Kuta
seems to get worse and the ‘Torremolinos Aussies’ still
terrorize the night life. Ubud made up for all this and we
had a few splendid days staying at this very quaint hotel,
built in the middle of paddy fields. The ultimate way to
come to complete calmness and enjoy the quietness. A
few days away from Singapore gives you so much energy,
but…it is good to come back home. The cleanliness and
organized environment immediately welcomes you when
you arrive at Changi. Visiting HKG is always great, but
eventually you want to live in Singapore. And when you
enter the taxi and uncle immediately ask you which route
to take and then ‘jerks accelerates’ you home… you feel
that you have never been off the island!
17

Lifestyle
ART HOUSE FILMS IN SINGAPORE
TEXT MICHIEL SENGERS
With many theaters conveniently located all over the
island, going to the movies is probably number one
past-time in Singapore. It is even said that Singapore has
the highest movie-going rate in the world. On average, a
Singaporean goes to the movies 8 times a year. Theaters
and cineplexes like Golden Village and the Cathay, which
house up to 10 theaters, offer a wide variety of movies.
Hollywood blockbusters movies make up for the majority
of the movies. But no worries if you are a fan of the art
house genre. Quite a number of theaters cater to your
demand and you will find there is quite a lively art house
scene in Singapore.
The following theaters are known to be the best
amongst the many theaters that offer art house movies,
local movies, and work of local directors.
Sinema Old School
The former Methodist Girls’ School on Mount Sophia may
not look very promising from the outside, but it houses
a impressive platform for indie movies, local music and
cutting-edge modern art that is Old School. For madein-Singapore
productions, there’s probably none better
than Sinema, the resident theater within the six-block
compound. Sinema Old School is a creative partnership
with Old School and Sinema.SG. The name Sinema is a
combination of “Singapore” and “cinema.” It is one of
the best spots to submerge into local cultures and arts.
The owners of Sinema are super-supporters of local
productions, so expect screenings of never-before-seen
Singaporean and Asian films. The theater is especially
keen on films with strong social messages. Film goers get
a cozy cinematic experience with 136 sofa-style plush
leather seats plus a state of the art projection and sound
system.
In 2011, Sinema Old Skool organizes a monthly
‘themed’ screening event named ‘Sinema Showoff!,’ held
on the last Tuesday of every month. It is a curated film
program that shows off some good short films and music
videos produced in Singapore.
Sinema Old School
11B Mount Sophia
www.sinema.sg
The Picturehouse Selection @ The Cathay
Cineplexes
Located not far away from Sinema, the Cathay building at
Handy Road houses the Cathay Cineplex.
Until recently, The Cathay Cineplex used to house a
dedicated art house theater named ‘The Picturehouse,’
where each film ran for two weeks. Because of its
great success, (the movie hall could not accommodate
the increased number of visitors anymore) the Cathay
introduced a new concept in March 2011. The Picturehouse
was converted into a commercial hall and instead, Cathay-
Keris Films now releases the best of cutting-edge films,
international features, regional award winners and local
showcases under the brand label, “The Picturehouse
Selection.” The movies now play on more than one screen,
in more than one location and for a longer period of time.
The Picturehouse Selection titles play at Cathay Cineplexes’
cinema halls in The Cathay Cineplex, Cathay Cineplex
Cineleisure Orchard, and possibly, the other Cathay
Cineplexes located in the suburbs. Previously not allowed in
the former Picturehouse theater, you can now enjoy foods
and drinks while watching a movie.
The new concept brings the best of world cinema.
Since its inauguration in 1990 (it closed a few years later,
but reopened in 2006) The Picturehouse has always
stayed true and lived up to its promise of bringing in films
from established Contemporary Master Directors as well
as cutting edge fare from up and coming film-makers.
The theater states they have “World Cinema exploring
issues, culture and lives from far off places, with a special
18

Lifestyle
interest in Asian Cinema, and closer to home, a Singapore
Showcase exploring local work.”
Dutch comedy/drama movie ‘De laatste dagen van
Emma Blank,’ directed by Alex van Warmerdam, was one of
the movies that played in the Picturehouse this year.
The Cathay Cineplexes
www.cathaycineplexes.com.sg
The Screening Room at The Arts House
This theater hosts domestic productions and international
films (The Taiwan Film festival was held in March) and
supports independent films makers. The Screening Room
is a small theater housed within the landmark heritage
building that’s The Arts House in Parliament Lane. It was
Singapore’s first Parliament House which is now almost
200 years old. The Arts House opened in 2004 and has
been offering its visitors a broad spectrum of activities
ranging from contemporary arts & entertainment events
to lifestyle options, at the same time playing an active role
in the Singapore arts and creative scene. The Screening
Room was actually a space for administrative duties in the
old parliament house which has been converted into a 75-
seater film theater. The facility might be small but it’s great
for indie films. Sell-out runs are not new for this theater.
The Arts House offers special The Arts House annual
memberships, which come in different levels, each with
its own pricing and benefits. All memberships offer
participation in their arts and arts-related activities,
interaction at the Arts House and dining benefits with the
restaurants/cafes/bars housed in the iconic building.
The Arts House
1 Old Parliament Lane
www.theartshouse.com.sg
The Substation Theatre
Also not far away from the previous two theaters is The
Substation Theatre, located at a 5-10 min walk from the
Bras Basah and City Hall MRT stations, in Armenian Street.
Founded in 1990 by the late Kuo Pao Kun, The Substation
is Singapore’s first independent contemporary arts center.
The venue includes a black box theatre, a gallery, a dance
studio and multi-function classrooms. Next to presenting
dance, theater and music, the Substation runs an influential
short films program “Moving Images” which aims to
nurture upcoming filmmakers by giving them a platform to
be heard/seen and learn. Film & video screenings are also
held, as well as talks and workshops running throughout
the year, focusing on short film, independent film-making,
documentary and animation. The 108 seater theater also
stages theatrical pieces and musical gigs.
The Substation Theatre
45 Armenian Street
www.substation.org
Golden Village Cinema Europa at Golden
Village VivoCity
Cinema Europa appeals to the true movie connoisseur
by screening the finest international films from the four
corners of the globe in a sophisticated environment. Many
exclusive movie releases at Cinema Europa will not be
available anywhere else in Singapore.
Featuring digital sound, 108 deluxe stadium seats and
a magnificent floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall screen, Cinema
Europa allows the audience to be immersed in a different
world of movie sophistication. Housed within the monster
of a cinema multiplex that is GV VivoCity, Cinema Europa
is Golden Village’s gift to art house and indie movie lovers.
It offers a much nicer setup than the other GV theaters,
with deluxe seats and more leg room. GV describes it as
‘elegant and intimate, Cinema Europa is where patrons can
experience the concept of “a film festival all year round”
with art-house movies, Asian films, local Singaporean
productions, international award winners, well-loved
classics, and other film fare which otherwise does not
usually get the chance to be programmed and shown in
Singapore.”
Golden Village also hosts the 21 st European Union Film
Festival from 5 to 15 May. The Dutch movie ‘Winter in
Wartime’ will be screened on Wednesday 11 May (see
also Embassy News, page 21). For the complete schedule
and ticket information please visit www.euff.sg.
Golden Village Vivocity
Levels 2 & 3, VivoCity, HarbourFront Precinct
www.gv.com.sg
Don’t miss out on the best productions; subscribe with
the theater’s newsletters to get updated of upcoming
movies and the newest releases.
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Whether you begin with a custom
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19

Not to miss
9 th International Guitar Festival 2011
13-19 June
This festival consists of 4 main components:
CONCERTS - The highlight of this Festival, for the first time, ALL FEMALE
renowned artistes.
COMPETITION - With over S$50,000 worth of Cash and Prizes including specially
crafted guitars for the winners. Guitarists from all over the world will be coming
together to compete for the top prize.
SEMINARS/WORKSHOPS/MASTERCLASSES - A time for every enthusiast to learn
from the best - International artistes and speakers.
EXHIBITION & SALES - Guitars, accessories, books, CDs, DVDs, etc
More Information www.sistic.com.sg
Beerfest
16-19 June
Beerfest Asia returns for the third time from 16 – 19 June 2011. Appealing to
both exhibitors and the many beer lovers in Singapore and around the region,
visitors get to enjoy over 250 different beers from all over the world at affordable
prices from as low as SGD 3 under three marquees that sit 2,000 people German
beer cellar style.
More Information www.sistic.com.sg
International Piano Festival 2011
16-19 June
Transformation - 18 th Singapore International Piano Festival 2011.
“Transformation” demonstrates how life and art are intertwined, how life’s
constant change finds musical and pianistic rationale in the art of the theme
and variations, transcriptions and making seemingly simple musical ideas
metamorphose into large poetic forms. This year’s Piano Festival showcases four
pianists, who bring their own life-changing experiences and personal virtuoso
style to each unique programme, to take you on a transcendental journey over
four magical evenings.
More Information www.sistic.com.sg
World Netball Championships 2011
3-11 July
Catch the prestigious World Netball Championships (WNC) in Singapore in
2011, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from 3 to 10 July. The world tournament
will make its return to Singapore’s shores, 28 years after the Republic hosted
the Championships in 1983! Together with host Singapore, the top 5 countries
Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, England and Malawi together with other top
teams from Africa, Americas & Caribbean, Europe, Oceania and Asia battle it out
for the Championship title!
More Information www.sistic.com.sg
20

Embassy news
European Union Film Festival
Winter in Wartime
The 21 st European Union Film Festival will take
place from 5-15 May, at Golden Village VivoCity.
On Wednesday 11 May at 6.45 pm the Dutch
movie “Winter in Wartime” will be screened.
Winter in Wartime (Oorlogswinter) tells
the story of thirteen–year–old Michiel (Martijn
Lakemeier) in nazi–occupied Holland, in 1945.
In a snow–covered village, he is drawn into the
Resistance when he aids a wounded British
paratrooper. Michiel’s boyish sense of defiance
and adventure soon turns to danger and
desperation, as Michiel is forced to act without
knowing whom to trust among the adults and
townspeople around him. Wartime’s harsh reality
encroaches on childhood innocence as Michiel
confronts good and evil, courage and duplicity,
and his own burden of responsibility.
Tickets are available at S$10.00 from 21 April
2011 at any Golden Village Box Office and online
at www.gv.com.sg. For more information and
updates on the 21 st European Union Film Festival
please visit: www.gv.com.sg or www.euff.sg.
Please be advised that at the time of printing,
the classification of Winter in Wartime is not
known yet. Please visit www.euff.sg for the latest
information.
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands will be closed on:
Monday 2 May
Tuesday 17 May
Thursday 2 June and Friday 3 June
In case of an emergency, please contact the duty officer at (+65) 9661 5704.
21

ADB News
Introduction to Martijn Kuipers,
the new board member
My name is Martijn Kuipers and I am 41 years old. I am
married to my lovely wife Nienke and together we have
3 beautiful children: Tom of 6 years old, Cato of 4 years
old and recently we celebrated the birth of our son Nout,
who is now 4 months old. Besides spending time with my
family I love to play tennis and golf and watching soccer.
Since 1995 I am working for Mammoet, the worldwide
leading company for heavy lifting and transportation.
I started to work with Mammoet in the main office in
The Netherlands as a trainee and stayed to work there
for 8 years in various positions. During my time in The
Netherlands I really liked the international character of the
company and I many times indicated that I would love to
work abroad if an opportunity came up, so in the beginning
of 2003 I was asked to work in Iran on one of their projects
where I stayed for about 5 months. Although I had a great
time with my colleagues, Iran was not the nicest place to
work and therefore I was excited when Mammoet asked
me to move to South Africa to become their Managing
Director of the local office. Nienke and I did not have to
think about that opportunity for long so in July 2003 we
moved to Johannesburg where we stayed for 7 years. We
really enjoyed our time in South Africa, also because of the
fact that our 2 oldest children were born there, as it is a
beautiful country but after 7 years I felt it was time to move
on. So after a farewell party that lasted for about a month
(The Fifa World cup 2010) we moved to Singapore where,
on 1 August 2010, I started to work as the Commercial
Director for Mammoet for the Asia-Pacific region.
When I joined Mammoet in Singapore one of my
Dutch colleagues told me about the ADB and he was
really enthusiastic about it and about the events they
organize. Being new I thought that the ADB would be a
good platform to meet new people quickly and learn from
other business people about the region, hence the reason
I became a member. Another reason for me to join was
that I also think that, if you are new to a country you have
to be active and get involved to make your own stay as
pleasurable as possible. Up to now I must admit that my
colleague was right as I really enjoy being a member of
the ADB and the events I have attended so far. It is a great
platform for networking as well as making new friends.
Since a month now, after reading about the position in
the ADB Magazine, I have joined the Board of the ADB as
a general member being responsible for sponsoring and
advertising. As I said before, if you want to have a good
time you have to be active in social life and that is one
of the reasons I joined the Board. Besides that I like to
organize things as I have also done during my time in South
Africa. Up to now I have attended only one Board meeting
but I must admit that I am even more excited joining,
looking at all the great events coming up and the work that
has been assigned to me. In the coming period the ADB
intends to strengthen its relationship with its sponsors and
advertisers and I look forward to play my part in that.
22

ADB News
Name: Frans van Terwisga
Why did you come to Singapore, and why did you
decide to join ADB?
After working 4 years in Nijmegen I was offered a job to
build up and strengthen the team here in Singapore for
future business in Connectivity Peripherals (Bluetooth,
WiFi, GPS and FM). I’m interested in joining ADB to
broaden my network and seek opportunities for building
my career here in Singapore. I’m looking forward
meeting you all during the informal sessions!
Name: Noor van der Lans
Why did you come to Singapore, and why did you
decide to join ADB?
Last February I moved to Singapore to gain knowledge
and experience in the dynamic Asian work environment.
As previously in the Netherlands, I will be working for
ABN AMRO. Through ADB I hope to meet inspiring
people, broaden my horizon and of course enjoy some
drinks together with (if we are lucky) ‘bitterballen’.
Name: Erik de Boer
Why did you come to Singapore, and why did you
decide to join ADB?
A previous member of the ADB in Singapore, I have
again returned to live and work in the Lion City after
spending 2,5 years in India. Born just outside of
Rotterdam and 35 years of age, I work as Head of Sales
Effectiveness, Asia for Thomson Reuters - the world’s
largest international multimedia news agency. I look
forward to rejoining the ADB, attending the many ADB
events, and meeting other members.
Name: Sylvana Postmus
Why did you come to Singapore, and why did you
decide to join ADB?
In 2011, I moved my business, ZPIN, from the
Netherlands to Singapore. ZPIN was established in
2005 in The Netherlands and offers Career Coaching,
Consultancy and Recruitment. I am a professional
with over 10 years of experience in Logistics, Banking,
Insurance, Youth Care and Business Services. Through
ADB I hope to meet new people who I can interact with
about working and living in Singapore.
Jobseeker/Internship
Name
: Laurens Koppelaar
Age : 24
Tel. no. home : +65 8406 8602
Email-address : laurenskoppelaar@gmail.com
Study:
• Master International Business – Grenoble Graduate
School of Business (delivered in Singapore)
• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Vrije
Universiteit, Amsterdam
Internship:
– Regional Fundraising Coordinator
Empowering Communities (Sydney)
Apr-Jul 2010
– Collection Senior Officer / Master Data Officer
Anheuscher-Busch InBev (Prague)
Feb 2009 – Jan 2010
– Operational & Maintenance Executive
PT. Bintang Bangun Mandiri (Bandung)
Nov 2007 – Oct 2008
– Intern
City Cargo B.V. (Amsterdam)
May-Jun 2007
– Volunteering experience:
Beneficiary and Events coordinator
Gone Cyclin’ (Singapore)
Feb-July 2011
Looking for: Looking for either a job opportunity or
graduate traineeship in the fields of sales & marketing
and business development. Available from Aug 2011
onwards.
23

ADB News
Networking on the “Cheng Ho”
26 May
After a successful boat trip last year, we have decided to
once more organize a trip on the “Cheng Ho” for you and
your partner (if applicable) on Thursday 26 th of May.
Join us onboard the “Cheng Ho” for the Singapore
experience, offering panaromic view of the city’s skyline,
Southern Islands and the renowned busy port on board
the replica of the famous Ming Dynasty imperial vessel.
You will enjoy attractive sights of little vessels anchored in
Marina South Pier Bay, the Singapore flyer, Sentosa Cove,
Tanjong Pagar Container Port, the busiest in the world
by shipping tonnage, and the coastline of Singapore’s
pleasure isle, Sentosa.
Programme:
18:45 hrs Boarding at Marina South Pier
(31 Marina Coastal Drive)
19:00 hrs Boat trip, international buffet & drinks
22:00 hrs Return to Marina South Pier
Registration:
Cost for this event will be SGD 50 per person (including
food and free flow of drinks for duration of tour).
Please register at http://www.adb.org.sg/events and
arrange payment a.s.a.p.
Sponsored by:
No-show policy applies. In case of cancellation, please do so
before the 20 th of May, otherwise full registration fee applies.
New members
Erik de Boer, Thomson Reuters
Frans van Terwisga, ST-Ericsson
Joost den Herder, ArcelorMittal Projects Asia
Judith Cranssen, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Laurens Koppelaar
Noor van der Lans
Raymond Hofstede, Loyens & Loeff
Sylvana Postmus, ZPIN
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Frank Kuijsters, Chief Editor
Floortje Muskens
Gene Kwee
Lineke van Nederpelt
Marieke Ghijsen
Michiel Sengers
Richard Soemita
SECRETARIAT
Lineke van Nederpelt
MAILING ADDRESS
c/o 22 Camden Park
Singapore 299814
Telephone: 9101 6201
email: adb@pacific.net.sg
WEBSITE
www.adb.org.sg
DESIGN
Michiel Sengers
Jennifer Phua
PRINTER Khoo Sun Printing Pte Ltd
MITA 373/03/2001
This magazine is distributed free of
charge to all members and relations
of the ADB.
We invite members to contribute to
the next issue.
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
Membership fee is S$ 100 per
calendar year. For registration, please
see the website www.adb.org.sg
Membership is renewed
automatically effective the first
month of the new calendar year.
Make your cheque payable to
“Association 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. 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.
24

IHC Merwede anchors in Singapore
IHC Hydrohammer B.V.
• Hydraulic hammer sales
• Hammer rental from
Regional IHC Office
Singapore
• Geotechnical service
• Engineering support
• OEM support
IHC Parts & Services B.V.
• Dredger renovation
• Dredger maintenance
• Dredger parts
• Engineering support
• Life cycle support
IHC Handling Systems V.O.F.
• Internal Lifting Tools
• Pipe recovery tools
• Jacket pile grippers
• Upending tools
• Hydraulic shackles
• Skidding equipment
6 Chin Bee Avenue, #01-03, Singapore 619930
Phone: +65 6264 8433 | Fax: +65 6264 1933