ScandAsia July-August 2020

JUL-AUG 2020

BUSINESS:

Danish webinar on Covid-19 impact

ENVIRONMENT:

Nordics and Waste4Change

cooperation

DOCUMENTARY:

Danish ship escaping Singapore 1942

sunk by Japanese destroyers

Danish man

wins lawsuit

against Thai wife

for not sharing assets

Realise your

ambitions in Asia.

Being the leading Nordic bank in Singapore we understand the unique challenges

you face when living and investing in Asia. As your partner, we will use our decades

of experience in the region to help you achieve your goals.

Contact us at singapore@seb.sg

Care for ambition

July-August 2020

Nordics and

Waste4Change

22

ScandAsia

Stories

9 Denmark warns against

visiting Hong Kong

10 Norway helps fight marine

trash in South East Asia

11 Cambodia has “opened up”

12 Sven Dokkedal passed away

Dane won lawsuit against

wife for not sharing assets

14

Japanese tragic

sinking of Danish

ship in 1942

28

9

10

40

Nordic ideal of rules-based

world order threatened by

China

11

12

36

Irma Ylikangas

explains Helsinki

Business Hub offer

4 ScandAsia • July-August 2020

Editorial

The ‘threat from China’

In a way, the article at the very back of this issue of

ScandAsia is the most important. It deals with how

China and Russia is a threat to the rule-of-law based

world order which has kept peace in Europe - and

largely also in Asia - since the Second World War ended

in 1945.

The second most important news might be the

warning issued by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Denmark

to check your social media record if you plan to visit

Hong Kong. Now that the new “security” law is in place,

foreigners are not immune to arrests and imprisonment

by the regime. In fact, foreigners never were, as Sweden

can testify in the case of Gui Minhai.

As a foreigner living in Thailand I am privileged to

have frequent contact with Chinese visitors here and

we often spend hours discussing the political situation in

the world. It is reassuring to experience first hand that

not all Chinese agree with the ruling Communist Party

of China.

I would therefore like to comment on the threats

that the Nordic report describes against the Nordic

countries. The report uses throughout the report

the word “China” and “Chinese”, where it in my mind

should in many cases rather have used the words

“Communist Party of China”. It is important to keep

in mind and in particular for politicians in the Nordic

countries for whom China used to be a country

far away.

I would encourage readers to read the report -

there is a download link at the end of the article - and

tell me what you think.

Have a great summer - stay safe!

Gregers Moller

Editor in Chief

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July-August 2020 • ScandAsia 7

News brief

Norway opens borders for most

European countries

The Norwegian Ministry of

Foreign Affairs announced on

10 July 2020 their borders

are going to reopening to certain

countries from 15 July 2020. As well

as additional advice that traveling

should be well thought out as Covid-19

situation is still unpredictable

globally.

The statement said:

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is

introducing new exceptions to the

travel advice against non-essential

travel to all countries. The new exceptions

apply to individual countries

in the Schengen area/EEA from

15 July.

From 15 June, exceptions to

the travel advice were introduced

for Nordic countries and regions.

From 15 July, the Ministry’s travel

advice against non-essential travel in

all countries will no longer apply to

the following Nordic countries and

regions and countries in the Schengen

area/EEA:

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech

Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,

France, Færoe Islands, Germany,

Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland,

Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania,

Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia,

Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and

the United Kingdom, as well as the

regions of Blekinge, Kronoberg and

Skåne in Sweden.

The exceptions apply to countries

and regions that satisfy the

criteria for infection levels set by

the Norwegian Institute of Public

Health.

The countries in the Schengen

area/EEA where the travel advice

against all non-essential travel still

apply are: Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary,

Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania and

parts of Sweden (see above).

The Institute of Public Health

will in principle update the list of

countries and regions that satisfy the

The amazing via Ferrata over Loen fjord in Norway

criteria set for infection levels every

two weeks. More information is

available on the website of the Norwegian

Institute of Public Health.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs

is maintaining its global advice against

non-essential travel to all countries

not included in the exceptions. This

travel advice currently applies until

20 August.

The exceptions to the travel

advice should not be taken as encouragement

to travel. Everyone

should consider all the potential

ramifications before they travel.

Those planning to travel abroad

must make sure they know what restrictions

and infection control rules

apply in the country they are visiting.

The spread of infection in Europe

is still very difficult to predict and

can shift very quickly. Each individual

must think carefully about whether

their intended travel is necessary.

The measures and restrictions in

each country may differ widely and

may be more comprehensive than

Norwegian infection control rules.

Those who choose to travel

abroad should have a valid passport

and travel insurance. As always, the

Ministry encourages all Norwegian

citizens travelling abroad to register

their trips using the travel information

portal reiseregistrering.no.

More information is available

on the government website.


News brief

Danish Foreign Ministry warns against

visiting Hong Kong

The Foreign Ministry of Denmark

updated their travel

guide for China on 8 July

2020 with the purpose to warn

Danes either residing in Hong Kong

or Danes who wishes to travel to

Hong Kong.

The Danish Foreign Ministry

warns in their guide that a new national

security law in Hong Kong

has been passed 30 July 2020 with

immediate effect. People, who are

residing in Hong Kong or has travelled

to Hong Kong, can get arrested

if they are suspected to be accomplices

in activities on social media

(both in and out of Hong Kong) that

is declared a risk and threat to the

national safety of Hong Kong.

Foreigners are not excluded

from this law and can risk to be

arrested, imprisoned and punished

– and in worst case, a life sentence

in prison.

The Foreign Ministry of Denmark

therefore emphasizes in the

travel guide that if a person wishes

to travel to Hong Kong, they should

consider if they have participated in

activities that would compromise

the trip.

Singapore, Sweden, Norway,

Denmark and Finland among most

powerful passports

Singapore and the Scandinavian

countries have some of

the most powerful passports

in the world according to the latest

ranking by the Henley Passport

Index.

The Henley Passport Index releases

annually a ranking of the most

powerful passports in the world,

based on how many destinations the

holder can enter without a visa.

Citizens with a Singaporean

passport holds the second most

powerful passport in the world as

they can travel to 190 destinations

without a Visa. Finland follows closely

on 4th place as Finns can travel

visa-free to 188 destinations. On 5th

place is the Danish passport with

187 visa-free destinations. Sweden

is not far behind on 6th place with

186 destinations. Norway is right

after with 185 visa-free destinations.

Then there is a jump to 14th

place where the Malaysian passport

allows its holders to enter 178 destinations

visa-free. On 19th place

ranks Hong Kong with 180 destinations.

The Taiwanese passport ranks

as the 33rd most powerful passport

with 146 destinations.

Thai people hold the 66th most

powerful passport in the world as

they can travel with a visa to 78

destinations. Not much behind ranks

China on 70th place as its holders

can enter 74 countries visa-free.

On 73rd place ranks the Indonesian

passport with 71 visa-free destinations.

The Philippines ranks 76th

with 67 destinations.

Vietnam and Cambodia share

a joint 89th ranking as both passports

allow its holders to enter 54

destinations visa-free. Four ranks

lower places the Lao passport as it

only allows its holders to enter 50

countries without a visa.

The least powerful passport

in South East Asia is the passport

from Myanmar. This passport allows

its holders to enter 47 countries

visa-free.

To find out what countries

your passport allows you to enter

visa-free, click on the link below and

choose your country on the map.

Source: The Henley Passport

Index


News brief

Norway to help Vietnam, Thailand,

Indonesia and the Philippines tackle

waste and pollution

The Vietnam Administration of

Seas and Islands (VASI) and

the United Nations Development

Program (UNDP) announced

on 8 June 2020 that the Norwegian

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the

Norwegian Agency for Development

Cooperation (Norad) would

fund two environment-projects. The

projects will tackle waste and plastic

pollution – both at land and sea.

“Plastic is destroying marine

life and polluting our earth. Tackling

plastic pollution will take a joint

response across nations with innovations

that engage governments,

citizens and businesses at local, national,

regional and global levels,”

said Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident

Representative in Vietnam.

The intention of the first project

dubbed ‘Scaling Up a Socialized

Model of Domestic Waste and

Plastic Management in Five Cities’

(DWP5C), is to develop models

that will help five cities in their local

management of waste and plastic.

Because the project is locally

based, the project will collaborate

with local organizations such as the

Farmer’s Union and Women’s Union

to increase the segregation of waste,

recycling and composting, reports

the Vietnamese daily Nhan Dan.

Project DWP5C will also collaborate

with local businesses to promote

a circular economy businessapproach

and investment in green

technology.

The second project, ‘Ending

Plastic Pollution Innovation Challenge’

(EPPIC) aims to tackle plastic

pollution problems in coastal areas

of Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia and

the Philippines, reports Nhan Dan.

The project is carried by applicants

who propose innovative solutions

to clean up coastal areas. The first

“challenge” will take place at the

popular tourist destinations of Ha

Long Bay in Vietnam and Koh Samui

in Thailand.

“As coastal nations, Norway

and Vietnam understand better

than anyone else the importance of

oceans to our economy. Marine litter

is one of the world’s fast-growing

environmental concerns. Norway

is actively raising this issue in many

global and regional forums, including

the UN and ASEAN,” said Grete

Lochen, the Norwegian Ambassador

in Vietnam.

“We are very eager to cooperate

with Vietnam and UNDP to

tackle the marine litter challenge

through these two projects. We believe

that global challenges require

global solutions and a joint effort,”

added the Norwegian Ambassador.

Source; Nhan Dan

EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement

will enter into force on 1 August 2020

Vietnam’s Council of Ministers

has approved the EU-Vietnam

trade and investment

agreements. The agreement is set

to bring unprecedented benefits for

European and Vietnamese companies,

consumers and workers, while

promoting respect for labour rights,

environmental protection and the

fight against climate change under

the Paris Agreement.

The trade agreement will

eliminate nearly all customs duties

on goods traded between the two

sides in a progressive way that fully


respects Vietnam’s development

needs. The agreement also contains

specific provisions to remove

technical obstacles, such as those in

the car sector, and will ensure that

169 traditional European food and

drink products recognised as Geographical

Indications are protected

in Vietnam. Thanks to the agreement,

EU companies will also be able to

participate in bids for procurement

tenders in Vietnam on an equal footing

with domestic companies.

Following the endorsement by

the Council, the agreements will be

signed by the EU and Vietnam and

presented to the European Parliament

for consent. Once the European

Parliament has given its consent,

the trade agreement can be officially

concluded by the Council and enter

into force, while the investment

protection agreement will first need

to be ratified by Member States according

to their respective internal

procedures.

The Free Trade Agreement will

enter into force on 1 August 2020.

Cambodia reopens to tourism –

if you pay 3000 USD in deposit

News brief

Cambodia opened up to tourism

again on 11 June 2020

with additional US$ 3000

deposit policy upon arrival for travelers.

According to Cambodia’s

health ministry the new policy applies

like this:

1. The deposit must be paid in

cash or by credit card upon arrival.

2. A mandatory test would also

be conducted on arrival at a cost

of $165, to be deducted from your

deposit. This covers also three meals

and a night in a hotel while you wait

24 hours for the results.

If one person on a flight tests

positive, all other passengers will

have to be quarantine for 14 days at

a cost of $1,280 per person (covering

accommodation, meals, laundry

and medical services).

For every passenger who tests

positive, each night spent in hospital

will cost $330. As the total expense

will exceed $3,000, visitors must

also provide proof of valid health

insurance valued at a minimum of

$50,000 to cover any additional

costs.

The ministry also notes that if

a visitor to the country were to die

from Covid-19, $1,500 would be deducted

from the deposit or claimed

from insurance.


News brief

Asia dominates top 100 list of best

universities worldwide

Universities in Singapore,

China, Hong Kong, Malaysia

and Taiwan take several top

spots in the newly published list of

the best universities in the world.

Only two Scandinavian universities

University of Copenhagen and Lund

University - made it into the top 100.

The list is made and published

by the site Top Universities.

The National University of Singapore

(NUS) and Nanyang Technological

University (NTU) both moved up on

the list.

After a few US and UK universities,

we find two universities in

Singapore. The National University

of Singapore makes the list as the

11th best university in the world and

the Nanyan Technological University

ranks 13th.

On 15th place ranks the Chinese

university of Tsinghua. The

fourth best university in Asia is the

University of Hong Kong, that ranks

22nd on the worldwide list. The

Hong Kong University is closely followed

by Peking University in China

as 23rd.

The Hong Kong University of

Science and Technology shares a

joint 27th place with the University

of Manchester. The 34th best university

in the world is the Chinese

Fudan University. 13 spots lower

on the list is the Shanghai Jiao Tong

University who ranks 47th. The City

University of Hong Kong is following

on 48th place.

The Zhejiang University in China

ranks 53rd on the list. On 59th

place is the Malaysian University

Malaya. Seven spots lower ranks the

National Taiwan University on a joint

66th place with the University of

Buenos Aires.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic

University ranks as the 75th best

university in the world and is the last

Asian university in the top 100. Right

after ranks the Danish University

of Copenhagen on 76th place. On

97th place ranks the Swedish Lund

University as the second and last

Scandinavian in the top 100 list.

The Finnish University of Helsinki

ranks 104th, while University of

Oslo in Norway ranks 113th.

The Thai Chulalongkorn University

ranks 208th. The University

of Gadjah Mada in Indonesia is the

254th best university in the world.

The Filipino University of the Philippines

lands a joint 396th place with

the Chinese Huazhong University of

Science and Technology.

The Vietnamese National Universities

in Ho Chi Minh City- and

Hanoi are both ranked in the combined

sub-group 801-1000 – the last

group possible.

Universities in Cambodia,

Myanmar and Laos didn’t make the

list.

Source: Top Universities

Sven Dokkedal has passed away

Sven Dokkedal, an independent

Danish tour guide in Hua Hin,

passed away in a traffic accident

Thursday night, 2 July 2020,

57 years old. According to reports

from his friends, he was hit from

behind by a minibus while riding a

motorcycle.

Sven Dokkedal was a very

popular tourist guide for countless

Danes visiting Hua Hin over

the past 15 years. He was also a

popular member of the Danish expatriate

community in Hua Hin. On

Facebook, many friends and Danish

tourists, whom he introduced to

Thailand through his agency “Din

Guide I Thailand”, have sent their

condolences.

Sven Dokkedal was cremated

on July 9, 2020 at Wat Hua Hin

Temple. The cremation was preceded

with a small memorial ceremony

for friends and acquaintances. Later,

when traveling from Denmark is

possible, his mother and sister will

join spreading his ashes at sea off the

coast of Hua Hin.


Nokia, Ericsson chosen to build 5G

network for Singapore

News brief

Singapore Telecommunications

(Singtel) announced on 24

June 2020, it is in talks with

Sweden’s Ericsson regarding the

equipment providing for its 5G and

localized networks.

Meanwhile, the Starhub and

M1 joint venture confirmed its selection

of Finland’s Nokia as the

favored tech partner to build its 5G

network.

Even though Chinese tech giant

Huawei wasn’t selected as the

main partner in constructing Singapore’s

main 5G networks, it could

be included in building the broader

ecosystem at a reduced capacity.

Singapore’s communication

Minister said in an interview with

Bloomberg Television on 25 June

“We never explicitly excluded any

Singtel, Starhub and M1 will be required to provide 5G coverage of at least half

of Singapore by end-2022.

vendor,” adding that the city-state

has very clear security and resilience

requirements.

On 29 April 2020, the Singapore’s

Infocomm Media Development

Authority (IMDA) announced

that Singtel and the joint venture between

StarHub and M1 as the two

winners of its 5G Call for Proposal.

The winners will roll out Standalone

(SA) networks from January

2021, and will be required to provide

coverage for at least half of

Singapore by end-2022.

According to the plan, Singapore

is expecting to operate a full

nationwide 5G coverage by the end

of 2025.


Report

Danish man wins

lawsuit against

Thai wife for not

sharing assets

The Danish man (left) together with his friend and Thai wife in front of the Buriram Provincial Court

on Wednesday 24 June 2020. (Photo: Gregers Moller)


The Provincial Court in Buriram brokered on Wednesday 24

June 2020 a deal between a Danish man and his former Thai

partner who had denied him any return of the roughly 5 mill.

baht, he had invested in a house they had built together and

a car, they had bought in her name.

By Gregers Moller

The court ruled, that the Thai woman should

transfer the car, a Honda CRV bought for 1.7

mill. baht, to the Dane. The woman had initially

claimed, that the car was a gift of affection and

so was the house and since it was all in her name and they

were not married, he had no right to any of her assets.

That was not how the judge saw it. According to her,

the hearing on Tuesday in the court made it clear that the

couple had entered a common law marriage and lived

together as husband and wife - although not for very

long. He had transferred the funds to her bank account

in steps that corresponded to the steps in payment for

the car and the building phases of the house.

The judge also explained, that since the house was

built on land that belonged to the Thai woman’s mother,

the only alternative to a compromise would be to tear

down the house and sell the used building material and

sell the car and split the money - since the Danish man

was entitled to 50 percent of the shared assets of the

relationship. That would give him half of approximately

900.000 baht.

The judge made no room for doubt that if the Thai

woman should decide not to accept her suggestion, then

she would rule in favour of the Danish man. Leaving the

car to him and keep the house was a better alternative

for both, she proposed.

It took the accused - the former partner - surprisingly

long tome to make up her mind if she preferred to

continue to fight for her claim, that it was all a gift, or accept

the deal offered. Eventually, she declared in tears that

if the Dane would not come back and live with her, which

she had hoped for, then it was OK that he got the car.

The courts ruling - which was brokered into a deal

before it actually became a ruling - is a significant break

from the popular belief among both Thai women and

foreigners in Thailand, that if the marriage has not been

properly registered, then the Thai woman can walk away

as the owner all of the couple’s assets registered in her

name in case the relationship should break up.

The relationship started in December 2018, when

the Danish man visited Thailand for the first time after his

wife had passed away. He met the Thai woman in Hua

Hin, which he visited together with another Danish man

and his Thai wife. She was working in a bar there and

he liked her. After a few days of seeing her every day, he

bought her out of the bar for a full week and together

they went to Kanchanaburi where his friend went up to

play golf.


Winding down afterwards at the Tulip Boutique Hotel Buriram. Attorney, Mr. Wisith Boonoe (right) commented:

“Not all judges are equally hardworking.” Photo: Gregers Moller)

After that, he went back to Denmark only to return

a month and a half later. This time, his girlfriend took him

up to see her mother in Buriram and he stayed for a full

three months.

Between the spring of 2019 and February 2020

when the relationship ended, the Danish man transferred

a total of 5,7 mill Baht from his bank account to hers in

the belief, that they would live together similar to what

he saw his friend did with his Thai wife. The car cost 1.7

mill baht. The house around 3 mill. baht. To keep her from

going back to the bar to work, he sent her 25.000 baht

every month. And then there was the debt of the Thai

woman’s mother of 200.000 baht, which he also agreed

to help pay.

The bank statements left no doubt of the amount of

money, but the Thai woman’s lawyer insisted, it was paid

as a gift of affection even the court was presented with

evidence of the payments of expenses which correlated

to the money transferred.

The breakup happened in the wake of a lavish

house warming party which the Danish man had questioned

the necessity of. The party lasted a day, included

a stage with live music and female dancers and was attended

by around 250 - 300 guests. In the following days

he was given the cold shoulder. Then he noticed that all

the leftover building material was being moved over to

his wife’s mothers house and used to build a wall there.

When he asked who paid for that, the thin ice broke. He

was told he could just move out because this was her

house. And he could not take the car as it was her car.

At first he called his friend who lived around 50

km away and asked if he could come and stay with them

for a few day. They helped him with practical details and

drove him to the provincial police to formerly register a

complaint against the Thai woman.

The first court case, which the lawyer of his friend

and his wife raised for him, was to claim the car as his.

When the lawyer of the woman denied him that, the

Danish man’s lawyer withdrew the case and started a

new case claiming full separation of the home, asking for

50 percent of the 5.7 mill. Baht the Dane had transferred

over time, plus interest since the breakup.

Winning that case could set a significant precedence

for similar cases where the judge accepts that the

intention of the paying foreigner was to live together as

husband and wife with the Thai person and therefore

could reasonably claim to have been cheated into buying

the shared assets and register them in the name of the

Thai national.


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Business

Covid-19 business

impact on Southeast

Asia: Danish business

webinar report

Dorte Bech Vizard, Danish Ambassador to Singapore

By Joakim Persson

The Confederation of Danish Industry held the

webinar ‘Markets in the shadow of Covid-19’

with input from the Danish missions in Singapore,

Thailand and Vietnam and for some 150

attendants.

Sharing her update and report on the impact from

the Covid-19 disease Chairman of the Trade Council in

South East Asia Dorte Bech Vizard, Danish Ambassador

to Singapore, informed about Singapore’s ‘Circuit Breaker’

lockdown, which had been extended due to imported

cases and a big spread among migrant labour communities.

“The government is confident to start signalling that

the economy will open up before too long. And that is

very good news indeed,” said the Ambassador.

The opening up of Singapore will happen slowly

and gradually. Pharmaceutical, petrochemical and logistics,

especially in maritime sector will be first in line.

Tourism will come last as the opening of the border

will be with a gradual and cautious approach.

“A big bang opening I do not see any time soon, and

I don’t think Europe will be first on the list,” continued

Dorte Bech Vizard.

Meanwhile in Vietnam the handling of the Covid-19

crisis is seen, at least statistically, as one of the best in the

world.

The backbone of the Vietnamese strategy has been

to avoid that it enters Vietnam at all and by early May

there had been less than 300 cases and zero deaths.

“When you put that in relation to the population

here, which is around 97 million, it is quite astonishing.

Vietnam has a physical border with China, one of the

biggest partners when it comes to trade and investment.

And there are lots of Chinese tourists coming etc. But

the general evaluation, also among foreigners, including

the WHO, the US, France and Germany that follow the

development very closely say that there’s no intentional

cooked numbers,” said H.E Kim Højlund Christensen,

Danish Ambassador to Vietnam.

“Of course there might be some Covid-19 cases in

the society that are not registered,” he added.

Vietnam only was under semi-lockdown during a

brief period in April. However, over 130,000 people have

so far been in quarantine. The reason behind the chosen

path is that Vietnam’s health system would not be able

to cope with any major community spread of a disease

like this one.

Kim Højlund Christensen also pointed to that Vietnam

has some very valuable experience from previous

virus spreads, not least from SARS, back in 2003. Therefore

Vietnam closed its border with China already in late

January, and gradually stopped all flights between the two

countries.

“We are in a situation now where all international

flights have stopped and it’s not known when these

will be taken up again. People entering Vietnam will

have to go into two weeks quarantine. The civil aviation

authority has not yet given the green light,” explained the

ambassador.

In Thailand the spread of Covid-19 has so far also

been kept low.

“The key takeaway is that the curve has stabilised

and flattened out, according to WHO. More than 92 % of

all cases, almost 3,000, have recovered,” Chargé d’Affaires

Anders Lønstrup, Danish Embassy in Thailand reported.

“The optimism in terms of the corona virus curve


relates to the consistent low number of cases, low transmissions

and good treatment. And Thailand has a wellfunctioning

healthcare system. We have seen the government

prioritising testing of more vulnerable groups, most

importantly migrant workers,” he continued.

Thailand is seeing a re-opening in phases where

the government will reassess every 14 days about the

progress.

“We hope to see further opening gradually.”

The WHO, the US,

France and Germany

that follow the

development very

closely say that there’s

no intentional cooked

numbers

Singapore: trends will remain the

same

The Danish Ambassador to Singapore informed that the

upcoming general elections will likely take place within

2-6 months, as the government will want to reap the

benefits from the points in popularity it has won during

the Covid-19 crisis so far. There is large acceptance of the

government’s approach, also sweetened by very generous

packages that have been put in place.

The economy is however hard hit, with a projected

loss of between 1 - 4 percent in GDP in 2020. “But I think

that is probably optimistic when you compare to private

sector forecasts of a minus growth of up to 8 per cent.

We can for sure expect a deep and protracted recession

in Singapore, their far worst since independence and far

worse than during the financial crisis in 2008,” said Dorte

Bech Vizard.

However, Singapore has very deep fiscal resources

and has not needed to borrow any money to put in place

the stimulus packages.

Job losses could negatively impact work opportunities

for foreigners in Singapore.

“It will be an election theme in Singapore so we will

see some tightening around how many foreigners should

be here. It’s an area where there has always been some

divide between the government’s approach and the general

population. The government’s very rational view is

that economic growth is not possible without attracting

foreign talent and having foreigners as part of their work

force both at the low wage and at the high end levels,”

explained the ambassador.

“It has also some spill-over effect to the high-end

wage earners here; many Singaporeans in mid management

level feel that many foreigners are here on better

packages or higher salaries than them.”

“Looking ahead more long-term I believe that the

trends we witnessed before the outbreak will be the ones

to look out for also after,” continued Dorte Bech Vizard.

“Sometimes it becomes a platitude that we don’t

put much stock in but we can see clearer and clearer

that this is Asia’s Century. Asia now has half of the world’s

GDP in Purchasing power parity and we are seeing a

great rise of an affluent and young middle class.”

The recovery post Covid-19 will include setbacks

from some countries but those with the right policies and

place, and less protectionism, will come out as winners.

“Growth will pick up in Asia and will be driven by a

shift from foreign investment and production for export

to a more domestic consumption and to infrastructure

development.”


It will be an election

theme in Singapore

so we will see some

tightening around

how many foreigners

should be here

Another trend is to look at value chains with news

eyes, taking into account rising costs, more political risk

because of the conflict between China and the US and

new trade barriers as consequence of that.

“Covid-19 adds more uncertainty to the political

landscape and will accelerate this development. So we

will see supply and transportation value chains become

more flexible, more distributed and more nimble.”

“I think we will see a lot of production facilities

and strategic manufacturing operations moving towards

Southeast Asia. This had already started before Covid-19

and we’re seeing it accelerating now. The national interest

in certain industries will blossom up so countries will be

focusing heavily on having supply security in new ways

and not just focus on the lowest cost in the future.”

In addition to mentioning the growth of digital

business and fintech (where Denmark is really engaged

with Singapore) the ambassador also pointed to that

the green transition will not be scaled back in Singapore,

and that they have the resources to continue regardless

of the crisis. They also stand by several plans within the

water sector.

Vietnam: EU Free Trade Agreement

In Vietnam growth in GDP is still expected for 2020 of

between 2-3 per cent (compared to 7 per cent in past

two years).

Kim Højlund Christensen informed that Vietnam

is mainly supplying some liquidity to the companies, as

well as covering salary payments to laid-off workers for

a three-month period.

“But the government aid packages will be what will

save the economy,” the ambassador said and continued:

“International tourism is severely hit and of course that

is a problem when it forms a large part of the 10-15

per cent of GDP generated from tourism in general. So

Vietnam is now trying to encourage Vietnamese to have

vacation at home.”

“Import and export activities are still possible and

have been all along with a few if any restrictions. It is expected

that Vietnam will ratify the EU-Vietnam FTA very

soon and all formalities on the EU side have already been

taken care of. “

“International surveys have shown that the Vietnamese

are among the most positive regarding a quick economic

recovery after the Covid 19 crisis. 80 per cent in

one of the polls actually believe that. I also hope of course

that Vietnam will recover very fast, but like in Denmark

and other places we are dependent on that we can get

the right input to our companies and that there are also

markets at the other end for our outputs and our end

products. But given the circumstances there is no doubt

that Vietnam is doing well and has performed well so far.”

Denmark has identified the green economy as

among the most import sectors, where the demand for

more energy will increase by 10 per cent annually in the

coming years.

It is estimated that Vietnam will lack 10 – 20 billion

kilowatts annually due to short supply. It will create great

opportunities for renewable energy, which is relatively

underdeveloped in this country.

“Also in the general urbanisation process Vietnam

has a huge demand for other solutions in green growth

areas such as water, waste, air quality, infrastructure, energy

efficiency etc. already in the next few years and in

the next decade. And there is a big wish for cleaner air

in the big cities, and that cannot be ignored any longer.”

The healthcare sector is set to increase from around

US 15.5 billion in 2018 to around 43 billion in 2028,

where spending will triple in the next decade. ICT, is also a

special focus area for the Vietnamese government, where

there are business opportunities in various areas such as


The national interest in

certain industries will

blossom up so countries

will be focusing heavily

on having supply

security in new ways

Kim Højlund Christensen, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam

data centres, smart cities, smart traffic systems, fintech,

and cyber security.

Once the FTA is in place the food sector is among

those that will most reduction in tariffs.

Some Vietnamese production facilities will need

some upgrading to cater for the European market and

that could be an area of interest to Danish exporters,

also including pork farming. So, also in that area we see

a lot of opportunity for Danish suppliers of equipment.”

The Danish embassy is looking forward to 2021 as

a very special year: “It will be the 50th anniversary of the

establishment of diplomatic relations between Denmark

and Vietnam. We will celebrate that with a number of

high-level events.”

Thailand: foreign investment remains

high priority

The estimates by both IFM and Thailand’s national bank

are that the country is expected to go into a recession in

2020, with a contraction of minimum 6.7% of GDP.

“Covid-19 has dramatically changed the economy,

including the fiscal and political situation for Thailand in

the near term. However, we have an economy in Thailand

that is overall strong; it’s robust due to its strong credit

merits built up over the years,” said Chargé d’Affaires

Anders Lønstrup.

“Tourism accounts for 12 % of GDP and therefore

it is quite a tough time in Thailand not least because of

the informal sector, and for SMEs.”

“Also, the crisis has worsened the inequality in

Thailand, which has always been significant and given that

SMEs and family businesses are hit the most we see a very

negative impact on the 50 per cent bottom work force in

Thailand, which was already vulnerable before.”

“The good version is that Thailand for better or

worse always seem to manage and pull it through. It is

an impressive country when it comes to production and

their focus and ambition. So we are quite optimistic from

our side.”

“Most Danish companies have an optimistic view.

In addition, it remains a high priority for the Thai government

to attract new foreign companies to come to

Thailand and make sure that they stay on,” said Head of

Trade Peter Sand.

More than 100 Danish companies are established

in Thailand and the export from Denmark doubled from

2015 to 2019 (DKK 3.5 billion).

“The comprehensive value creation by the many

companies in Thailand comes on top. Denmark remains a

significant investor in Thailand. By the end of 2018 the total

amount of direct investment into Thailand amounted

to approximately DKK 4 billion.”

Peter Sand highlighted six structural issues of relevance

to businesses: The retail sector has been hit severely.

Manufacturing and supply chain interruptions have

been seen. Transport and logistics: a decline in activity is

expected later this year. Many investors are seeing a risk

of running out of liquidity. Transfer from head office of

money may not be possible if they face a similar problem

back home. Investment: they are delaying planned business

expansions or do not plan for new investments for

now. There is a risk that layoff of some employees cannot

be avoided.

A few investment opportunities were highlighted:

Thailand depends on energy and securing proper environmental

solutions and coping with water (flooding risk

remains a serious issue).

“There’s a need for management of water resources,

where Danish companies can indeed chip in.”

“Energy efficiency in buildings poses a huge potential;

mainly for hotels and malls. Many Danish companies

have the chance to offer their solutions in that field.”


Environment

Jakarta slum. Photo Jonathan McIntosh.

The Nordics and Waste

4 Change mobilise

to solve Indonesia’s

waste crisis, promote

circular economy

By Joakim Persson

Indonesia’s challenges relating to waste are immense,

while this sector also constitutes very promising business

opportunities - not least for the Nordic countries.

There are huge needs for things to be done. And

while the country’s waste situation is so dire, it is mainly

thanks to some private sector initiatives that efforts to actually

address the problem and pave the way for solutions

can be seen. It is meanwhile encouraging that Indonesia

has started to embrace circular economy while grappling

with its mounting waste.

Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden are all positioning

themselves as providers of solutions, with highly

interesting initiatives in order to take pole position, and of

course to help Indonesia hands-on in the fight against environmental

degradation. Several of the Nordic countries

have also engaged with Waste4Change (W4C), a social

enterprise which offers waste management services with

an environmental friendly and responsible approach towards

a zero-waste Indonesia.

Waste4change, along with some of the Nordic em-


bassies in Indonesia, share further insights into the waste

topic and on their joint efforts to increase attention

around the numerous methods and available solutions to

deal with what is a big waste crisis not only for Indonesia

but also for the world.

Mr Mohamad Bijaksana Junerosano started W4C

on the basis that that many people are desperate to do

better for their waste, especially when it comes to segregation.

Many of them are willing and already segregate

the waste, but they find it useless as the waste collector

ends up mixing it back together again.

The solution must be responsible waste management,

offered by W4C as 100% holistic, end-to-end waste

management for companies, buildings, and businesses to

reduce the number of waste that piles up in the landfill.

Their service ensures that all waste will be managed responsibly

and with no waste is transported to the landfill.

Indonesia currently produces nearly 200,000 tonnes

of rubbish a day and its landfills are running out of space.

“We consult and campaign on the issue of waste

management to the private sector, government agencies

and communities alike, while at the same time we collect

waste and create value out of it from our clients (the 4

Cs of W4C). Our work strives towards implementing

circular economy in Indonesia to give bigger impact to

the society and environment,” informs researcher Adhitya

Prayoga.

The Embassy of Sweden in Jakarta has been implementing

W4C’s Zero-Waste to Landfill (ZWTL) waste

management service for its office since 2018. All the

waste from the embassy office and residence in Jakarta

office is thus being collected and responsibly managed.

The Finnish and Norwegian Embassies are also customers.

“The Embassy of Sweden, just like other embassies

and offices we serve in Jakarta, are our clients. As with

any other client, we first conduct training to the staff so

that they understand how and what to segregate. We

then collect the waste responsibly (keep the waste segregated)

to our material recovery facility (MRF). In our

MRF, we segregate in more detail and collect data from

the waste. This data is reported to the client, who gets

information on the composition and characteristics of

their waste, as well as the segregation performance of

their staff. We then give tips on how to segregate better.

The report is given monthly and clients are paying based

on the volume they generate, thus giving them incentives

to reduce their waste,” explains Adhitya Prayoga.

Sweden’s Ambassador to Indonesia, HE Marina

Berg has expressed her support in creating a better

environment for Indonesia and the world through early

education about waste management. Through W4C, the

Embassy is hoping that it could help promoting waste

sorting in Indonesia.

“We believe that it’s a reputable waste management

company, and that is currently working on promoting

recycling culture in Indonesia,” replies the ambassador.

“We learned about their services in early 2018 and

discussed with fellow Nordic embassies to start using

their services, which reflect Nordic values on sustainability

as a way of life. We procured their services in July

2018 and renew the agreement annually.”

According to Marina Berg it is still not very common

among businesses in Indonesia to use such services but

that the interest is growing - not least among Swedish

companies and other embassies.

“W4C is the first of its kind and we feel that there is

a positive response from the public on what W4C has to

offer. The Swedish Embassy is happy to support its businesses

and help it grow.”

The embassy thinks that in order to reach circular

economy Indonesia needs to start with something small,

such as the 3Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle. And not only

the authorities but also citizens have to be aware of the

importance of sustainable living, including waste management

and energy consumption.

Commenting on the feedback and demand for their

services W4C states: “The fact that we are currently

growing rapidly with increased revenue every year shows

that the demand is increasing. We have received positive

feedback from communities, government agencies and

private sectors alike and we aim to sustain the quality of

our services.”

Sweden’s Ambassador to Indonesia, HE Marina Berg

meeting with Waste4Change

Stockholm Vatten & Avfall illustrates how the circular

economy flows within the smart city concept in Stockholm


Sweden’s Ambassador to Indonesia, HE Marina Berg

There are many similar organizations in other cities;

EcoBali in Bali, Roda Hijau in Medan, Parongpong in

Bandung. But W4C currently operates with the biggest

capacity (average 15 TPD with max capacity of 25 TPD).

“The government supports the establishment of

the so-called TPS 3Rs and Waste Banks. These facilities

encourage source segregation and maximized recycling

by doing some pre-processing or organic composting.

However, these are led by community groups and are

often not sustained after being established. As much as I

hate to say it, it does seem like it is entirely up to a company

like us to catalyze waste management that aligns

with circular economy,” says Adhitya Prayoga.

“According to the Ministry of Environment and

Forestry in 2015, only 7.5% of Indonesia’s waste is being

recycled and composted. Source segregation is rarely

enforced in Indonesia. In 2014 the National Statistical

Agency reported that 81% of our waste is mixed. And

the issue of waste management has just lately been talked

about due to the popular Jambeck study and recent flash

floods. The problem with Indonesia is not that there are

no policies. In fact, the policies and laws are actually good

laws. The problem is that the laws are not enforced!”

Based on research led by Jenna Jambeck of University

of Georgia, Indonesia is the world’s second-largest

ocean plastic polluter. Population size and the quality

of waste management systems largely determine which

countries contribute the greatest mass of un-captured

waste available to become plastic marine debris. Without

waste management infrastructure improvements, the cumulative

quantity of plastic waste available to enter the

ocean from land is predicted to increase by an order of

magnitude by 2025.

The informal sector dominates completely as source

for recycling companies to buy up waste with value. “The

value chain always starts from the informal sector; scavengers

or material pickers collect as individuals. They then

sell to junk shops that usually bale the waste. Junk shop

then sell to bigger aggregators that usually have some

sort of pre-processing infrastructure. These aggregators

then sell to recycling factories or end-users of the material,”

continues Adhitya.

“The fact that the value chain is long makes recycling

expensive. To cut through the value chain also means

the loss of jobs, albeit very high-risk but nevertheless

jobs. Our vision at W4C is to accommodate and find a

sustainable solution to this–very–nuanced situation in

Indonesia’s recycling sector.”

Embassy of Sweden, Jakarta also has views on the

role of legislation and sees the low level of recycling in

Indonesia as both an opportunity and challenge to work

on: “There’s an opportunity for recycling businesses to

grow and for foreign investors to invest. Most of all it’s a

challenge that needs to be tackled immediately. The current

conventional system of waste sorting and recycling

must be changed through cooperation between the

Government, the private sector and the academia. Only

by increasing the awareness and the education you and

change the mindsets of people. That is what’s needed

to make the Government change rules and regulations.

Political reforms are desperately needed in order to improve

recycling and waste management in Indonesia. The

political will and support will grow by public awareness,”

says Marina Berg.

W4C, meanwhile, informs that Indonesia actually

has set an ambitious target with a policy decision called

National Strategic Policy for waste management. It sets

a target for Indonesia to manage 100% of their waste by

2025; 30% by reduction and 70% by processing (recycling

and recovery).

“The National Policy is expected to be enacted at

the regional level (called Jakstrada) and one example in

Jakarta is the plan for the so-called ITFs (Intermediate

Treatment Facilities). The first ITF is a Waste-to-Energy

incinerator with a capacity of 2200 TPD generating 35

Mega Watt per hour. The other ITFs are being planned

but we are racing against time trying to manage the 7500

TPD currently directed to landfill which is nearing its

maximum capacity in 2021.”

According the Embassy of Finland, Jakarta a Finnish

energy company negotiates on this first waste-to-energy

project in Indonesia to be constructed in Jakarta.

“Many other cities face the looming waste challenge

as well so there are similar other projects to be

implemented in Indonesia. Finnish companies have a lot

of experience in renewable energy and their offers are

competitive. Finland has the second-highest share of

renewable energy in Europe,” states Ambassador HE Jari

Sinkari.

Adhitya Prayoga from W4C thinks that waste-toenergy

has big potential in Indonesia. “But of course this


should not be the only solution; it must always be paired

with waste reduction efforts and maximizing recycling

rate. Source segregation is still key to increase calorific

value (on average 50% of Indonesia’s waste is organic

waste with high moisture content) for it to be feasible

for waste-to-energy facility.”

Adhitya also points to that there is so far no proof

of successful pilot projects in Indonesia with biomass

so there is a general disbelief that what works in other

countries may not work in Indonesia.

“And finally, any good sustainable waste management

facility must have a gate fee or tipping fee. The

problem in Indonesia is that any new waste management

facility is expected to not have a gate/tipping fee, as the

city usually doesn’t have enough budget to finance that.

Consequently, this reduces the interest to build waste

management facilities, be it waste to energy, waste to

value or biomass energy.”

Denmark is also strongly committed to help and

offer solutions relating to solid waste management. An

MoU was signed with Indonesia in late 2017 that also

concerns circular economy. A government-to-government

cooperation is included between the two environmental

authorities within solid waste management. On a

peer-to-peer basis they work order to support policies

and regulatory frameworks for better conditions, including

for private sector investment.

Since early 2019 Denmark also has the Strategic

Sector Cooperation (SSC) with Indonesia aiming at,

among others, raising capacity to implement the Indonesian

waste regulation - Jakstranas. The partners explore

preconditions and requirements for best Indonesian

practices in order to suggest successful interventions in

other parts of the country.

And ‘Converting Waste to Energy with Sustainable

Island Initiative (SII)’ is a joint add-on initiative part of the

existing SSC, which aims to support the islands Lombok

and Riau towards a green and low carbon pathway

through more effective solid waste management and

sustainable bioenergy solutions.

Swedish stakeholders, for their part, try to work

together with the Indonesian Government to implement

the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as

the Paris Agreement.

“We promote the Swedish lessons learned and

experience on sustainable living and technical solutions

from the Swedish public and private sectors. We present

the wide range of high technical solutions that Sweden

can provide,” says Marina Berg.

Among the Swedish players The Swedish Energy

Agency is particularly active in Indonesia.

Sweden arranged a Smart City exhibition in Jakarta

in 2019, which included waste management: “The

exhibition showcased that many Swedish cities use

smart systems for waste management. In Stockholm,

the waste management system combines underground

waste transportation and optical sorting technologies,

incorporating smart metering, identification sensors and

software. A city cannot be smart unless it’s sustainable.”

Finland is also focusing on achieving the SDGs together

with Indonesia: “The response to the challenges

related for example to improving material efficiency and

energy access provide also good opportunities for collaboration.

Finland has commercially viable solutions to

offer and strengths based on experimentation of new

technologies and cooperation between public and private

actors,” says its ambassador.

He furthermore points out that usage of renewable

energy also requires smart grid solutions, where Finnish

companies provide such solutions; from intelligent measuring

to energy storage solutions.

Finnish companies are also engaged with their

Indonesia partners in developing electric vehicles, infra-


The Embassy of Sweden in Jakarta has been implementing W4C’s Zero-Waste to Landfill (ZWTL) waste management

service for its office since 2018.

structure, usage of biofuels, as well as production of those.

“Finnish companies have also a special interest

towards solving the marine plastic waste issue from the

collection to recycling and valorisation of the waste. Trials

are about to begin in Indonesia within a few months,” Jari

Sinkari adds and continues: “To make collection of plastic

sustainable you would have to find ways in which it would

have a market price. That would incentivize its collection.

For example, one Finnish company is analyzing the quality

of plastic waste; having taken samples from an Indonesian

river (upstream, midstream) and ocean (downstream).

According to their testing they would decide whether the

plastic could be re-used or if its incineration into energy

be the best solution. Another challenge is also the physical

collection from river. There is an interesting initiative

by a Finnish–Indonesian consortium to test the collection.

Indonesia is also showing interest in circular economy

but has a long way to go, according to W4C. Only

three years ago W4C, together with Greeneration

Foundation, helped to create the first Indonesia Circular

Economy Forum (which has also received funding from

the Embassy of Denmark).

“Circular economy is a fairly new concept in Indonesia

but is growing in popularity rapidly. Policies are now

being made that aligns Indonesia towards implementing

this. However, much more efforts need to be done

quicker,” says Adhitya Prayoga.

In October 2019 the Finnish embassy hosted a circular

economy seminar to highlight Finland’s experiences

and the potential in Indonesia.

“The seminar brought together interested stakeholders

with the aim of increasing knowledge about circular

economy possibilities as well as sharing the Finnish

and Indonesian experiences. The seminar was also instrumental

in intensifying cooperation with Waste4Change,”

informs its ambassador.

“Our seminar can be seen as one stretch of a

relay race for the better future. The seminar/ Finnish-

Indonesian dialogue on circular economy was followed

by strong Finnish participation in the Indonesia Circular

Economy Forum.”

W4C winds up how Indonesia should go about

implementing circular economy: “We believe that there

should be much more collaboration between government,

enterprises and communities in handling waste

management. Producers must consider the life cycle of

their products and allocate their revenue on responsibly

collecting the waste their products generate and ecodesign

their products to generate less waste for resource

efficiency or easier recycling. The government should not

only create laws, but also enforce it. And the way to do

it is involving and talking to stakeholders within waste

management. And the community definitely plays a role

in behaviour change and waste segregation at source. This

is also why we design our services to catalyze these kinds

of collaborations.”


Sweden’s Consul General

in Hong Kong to be ambassador

News brief

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce

In Hong Kong published

a heartfelt congratulation to

Helena Storm, Sweden’s Consul-

General, who will leave Hong Kong

to become ambassador to Colombia

this coming autumn after five eventful

years in Hong Kong. She took up

the position in September 2015.

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce

would like to express our

greatest gratitude to her.

To get to know more of her

please read an executive interview

here

http://www.swedcham.com.hk/

dragon-news-helena-storm-fromhong-kong-with-love/

Danish business to open office

in Vietnam

The Danish company Copenhagen

Offshore Partners are

opening an office in the Vietnamese

capitol Hanoi. The Scandinavian

company provides project

development, construction and operational

management services to

offshore wind projects.

The Danish company has hired

their first two Vietnamese employees;

Development- and Commercial

Manager Khanh Duong and Finance

Manager Giang Phung, reports the

online news site Offshore Engineer.

“I’m very excited to be working

with one of the most experienced

global offshore wind developers

and pioneering large-scale offshore

wind projects in Vietnam. The market

presents good opportunities for

renewable energy developers,” says

Khanh Duong, who will enter the

role as Development- and Commercial

Manager at the Hanoi-office

of Copenhagen Offshore Partners.

The Development- and Commercial

Manager is reported to

be responsible for progressing the

company’s opportunities and lead

project development activities.

The new Finical Manager also

expresses pride over his new position

at the Hanoi-office.

“I’m proud to use my skills and

experience to progress Vietnam’s

transition into renewable energy”,

says Giang Phung.

The office will be located near

to government ministries and embassies

in the French Quarter.

Source: Offshore Engineer


Documentary

S. S. REDANG

Sunk by Japanese

destroyers, on 13

February 1942

By Michael Pether

The Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore

during the World War II, from the time of

the first landings in Northern Malaya on 8

December 1941, was swift and brutal. Within

eight weeks the Japanese had taken Malaya and landed

on the island of Singapore which had become intensely

overcrowded by tens of thousands of fleeing civilians of

all races from Malaya plus almost 100,000 servicemen.

By the second week of February 1942 the Japanese

army was advancing across Singapore Island and a chaotic

evacuation of mainly Europeans, Eurasians and a small

number of influential Chinese was underway from the

port in front of what is today’s CBD.

Any vessel of literally any size was ultimately enlisted

to evacuate people under what had become almost constant

bombing and machine gunning by Japanese planes.

Singapore itself was ablaze, columns of black smoke rose

thousands of feet in the air and the streets were littered

with the dead and dying.

People desperately clamoured for departure passes

from the Colonial government authorities (men under 40

years of age had been banned from leaving the Island for

months and women had not been publicly encouraged

to leave because it would ‘… adversely affect morale …’!)

to board any ship leaving the Island. By 11 January 1942

even the rather incompetent men in authority saw the


absurdity of their bureaucratic incompetence and more

passes were issued for civilian men and women to leave

and some real urgency entered the situation.

About 44 ships of all sizes – from the quite large

refrigerated cargo ship “SS. Empire Star” (525 feet and

12,656 tons) through a range of mid-sized merchant

vessels down to some small craft like the “SS. Tandjong

Pinang” (which at 97 feet only just qualified in the definition

for a ’ship’) – were assembled to leave as a convoy

during the 48-hour period of 11 – 13 February 1942.

Amongst these was a nondescript little cargo ship

by the name of “SS. Redang”.

The “S. S. Redang” was quite an outdated, oil burning,

steel screw steamer built in Copenhagen, Denmark

in 1901 by Kjobenhavens Flydedock of Skibsverft (MS).

It was only a modest sized ship of 500 gross tons

and 165 feet in length which could travel at 8.5 – 9 knots

(but one passenger says it only made 5 – 6 knots on its

last voyage) and prior to the invasion of Malaya by the

Japanese it had been owned by Siam Steam Navigation

Co., Bangkok for some 34 years providing cargo services

on the coast of Siam and Malaya.

It became a ‘Prize of War’ by the British Government

when it was seized on 9 December 1941 upon its arrival

in Singapore.

This vessel with its dark grey hull lined with a white

band and topped with cream coloured masts then was

handed to the Singapore Strait Steamship Co for operation

on behalf of the Ministry of War Transport (MS).

Straits Shipping managed to operate her with a skeleton

crew consisting of about three Officers, five crew in the

engine room, plus five (including at least four Royal Navy

and RNVR ratings) Naval Ratings on deck, and under

the command of Captain S. Rasmussen, a Dane. (www.

merchantnavy officers.com). Mr. D. Robertson of Marconi

Intl who was on board says the ship was managed by

Mansfield & Co (DR).

Survivor Douglas Banks also recorded “… There

was a small upper deck on which there were some cabins

on either side with the engine room housing in the centre

and a narrow alley-way separating this from the cabins

on either side …”.

The story of its sinking after escaping from Singapore

as part of that final, loose, spread-eagled ‘Convoy’

which left between 11 – 13 February 1942 is not well

known and appears in very few books or public records,

so this account is an attempt to clarify the story of the

ship’s fate and more importantly provide a memorial to

the large number of those on board who lost their lives.

[The official file on the “SS. Redang” is held by the

UK National Archives at Kew under Reference Number

TS 13/2042, date 1946-47, (its former reference in its

original department is P.3011) – anyone who would like

to assist the compiler of this memorial document by

photographing the pages of the file and forwarding them

to me in New Zealand or by email would be giving very

much appreciated help.]

Douglas Banks recorded that the Cable and Wireless

Ltd evacuation group (he calls them the ‘Rickwood

Party’) boarded the ship on the morning of 11 February

1942 but for some reason the “SS. Redang’ did not sail

from Singapore harbour until day break on Thursday

12th February. In fact, it left from Singapore Harbour at

7.00 am on the 12th February 1942 carrying 108 souls

including crew, naval and Eurasian armed guards and civilians

(NIRC).

The few sources available show differing numbers

of people on board;

• Captain David Nelson, who led the Bureau of

Record & Enquiry in Changi POW camp, states in

his book “The Story of Changi” that there were

“… passengers civilian men 61, women 6, children

3 [ giving a total of 70 passengers]”.

• Margaret Sypniewska in her webpage states “…

ninety-nine passengers, including its crew… tally

was reported as a crew of ten and 89 passengers

(including 6 women and 3 children) [giving a total

of 89 passengers].

• The website www.merchantofficers .com states

“… She set sail for Batavia carrying seventy-one

evacuees …” [ giving a total of 71 passengers]

• Billie McGee on the mercantilemarine.org website

has 19 skeleton crew and 70 refugees [ giving

a total of 70 passengers]

• Mrs E. Cross, an internee in Palembang camp

and someone who compiled many lists regarding

internees in Sumatra, records the ship had about

100 people on board – 28 saved.

• But possibly the most accurate record is that

of Duncan Robertson of Marconi International

Marine Communication Ltd., who recorded in his

report to his employers at the end of the war:

• “… After we left [Singapore], two launches containing

deserting troops, mostly Australian, came

alongside and boarded the ship after threatening

the captain with rifles if he refused to allow them

aboard. This brought the number aboard up to

about 110, including six women… “(DR)

• So, for the purposes of this document we will

work with ‘up to 100 passengers and ten crew

including officers ’.

It is worth noting that, amongst the passengers, there

were 24 men – many from Australia – who were employees

with Cable & Wireless Ltd on board (DR) and

this was the largest single group of people with a common

link on the ship. To date, this research document

has identified only 22 men from C & W. Only Messrs

Robertson and Banks survived the War – with most C &

W men dying in the shelling, burning and sinking of the

ship but tragically eight of the ten who made it to land

died during internment in the living hell of the Muntok

and Palembang and Belalau Internment camps.


This loss of life amongst the C & W men was one of

the most awful rates of attrition experienced during the

War in any large group escaping Singapore. It compares

with the horrendous loss of life amongst the nurses on

board the ‘SS. Vyner Brooke’ and the “SS. Kuala”.

It is no wonder that Captain Rasmussen did not

want to take on board the twenty, mostly Australian,

soldiers – he would have known that he already had on

board as many people as could be saved in the three

lifeboats he had on board. Logically, at least twenty people

were already doomed, because of lack of lifeboat capacity,

from the time of leaving Singapore if the ship was sunk.

The story of the soldiers – it is not clear if they were

deserters or soldiers with permission to leave Singapore

prior to the Surrender – is also described in the NIRC

report in Palembang camp in 1943:

“… one hour later [after leaving Singapore] a motor

launch containing eight or nine British and Australian

soldiers and a Chinese girl came along side. The occupants

climbed on board and the launch was abandoned.

About noon the same day [this would have been the

12th February] another launch containing about a dozen

Australian soldiers overtook the ship and they also came

on board. The launch was abandoned…” (NIRC).

From the list compiled by “HMS Tapah” after picking

up survivors a few days later this group of soldiers

included men from;

• Royal Artillery

• 80 Anti-Tank Regiment, RA.

• 2/15 Field Regiment, AIF

• 2/4 Field Workshop. AIF

Of the estimated twenty soldiers boarding the ship, only

six would survive the voyage and one of those would die

as a POW in Sumatra – this leaves the identity of some 14

Australian and British soldiers from Singapore who lost

their lives in this sinking a complete, sad, mystery.

During the course of this research another group of

people with a common interest emerged as passengers

boarding the ship in Singapore– they were employees of

the Bata Shoe Company ltd., the Czechoslovakian owned

global shoe company, which by 1940 had grown to 800

employees in Malaya (ST.21.1.40). The Bata Company

head office had been established in the Capitol Building

in Singapore in 1930 and a manufacturing facility at Klang

in 1935. It is not known precisely how many men from

this organization (possibly with other Czech people from

Singapore) actually boarded the ship but to date five

have been positively identified – Messrs. Cervinka, Plohn,

Smrzak, Strangfeld and Zelnik. It also seems highly probable

that Dr. Eugene Straussler and Friedrich Heim may

have been on board but no direct link to the “SS. Redang”,

apart from them being part of the Bata employee escape

group and the use of the same “perished at sea” phrase

for their fate by a colleague, has yet been established.

Apart from the NIRC report, one of the most complete

accounts of the tragic escape attempt on the “SS.

Redang” located to date is by Mr Duncan Robertson of

the Marconi Company in his letter to his employer at the

end of the War. We will let him tell the story first-hand;

“… Although we were rushed aboard on the evening

of the 11th, the ship was held back for some Air

force personnel (who did not arrive) and did not sail until

early on the morning of the 12th. The captain, a Danish

subject named Rasmussen, aged apparently between 60

and 70, said the naval authorities had given him a course

to the entrance of the Banka Straits, which took us right

out to sea. Previously, so far as I know, small vessels, especially

those with speeds of only a few knots, had been

hugging the coastline. …About 10 am the next day a

Japanese seaplane flew over us and dropped one stick of

bombs which near missed. I guessed that the plane would

communicate with other forces, either planes or ships,

and interviewed the captain about provisioning lifeboats

and also making up some sort of boat station list. Up to

then nothing had been done except swing out a lifeboat

which was lying chocked up on the foredeck – this at the

speed we were making could easily have been towed

astern. When I went up to the bridge I found the captain

with signal flags all over the place; I don’t believe he was

very conversant with international flag signals and was

trying to sort them out. We got as far as a rough distribution

of the people amongst the 3 lifeboats : C.&W. people

with a few others in the first one, soldiers in another, and

the rest of the people and crew in the third – the 3 ships’

officers to be one in each boat. To this the captain agreed

and I was on my way down from the bridge when several

Japanese destroyers appeared on the port bow and, after

turning to starboard, they opened fire – the captain neither

putting up a white flag nor stopping the ship…” (DR)


It is stated by one researcher that the ship was attacked

by the Japanese destroyer ‘Asagiri’ north of Batavia

(50 miles from the Berhala Straits) and 58 people were

killed (BM).

Margaret Sypniewska, (whose uncle Alexander Malcolm

was on board) states that the ship was attacked by

two Japanese destroyers, hit, set on fire and sunk within

50 miles of Berhala Strait. She states that only thirty passengers,

including four women and three children got

away by boat (MS).

Mr Robertson, who had 20 years’ experience at sea

including the First World War, Dardanelles landings and

two instances of torpedoing, continues “… I credited the

captain with more efficiency than he proved to possess

(I might add that he was one of the first in the only boat

which got away and saved his life) …” (DR).

It was clearly chaos on board the “SS. Redang” according

to Mr Robertson;

“… After firing a few salvoes and within 5 minutes

of opening fire the ship was ablaze. Most of the people

were forward where the third salvo landed. I was aft (the

bridge ladder was on the after side) when the firing commenced

and at once, with the assistance of several people

on the after deck, commenced to get the starboard

quarter lifeboat (built to carry 17 passengers) into the

water. I think most of the people on the deck who were

left alive got into this boat [which was the only lifeboat

to get away from the ship]; the rest of the people either

jumping overboard from the forward end of the ship, or

being killed by shell fire….” (DR).

Douglas Bank’ view of the events was:

“… There were no incidents during the day’s run

except for three or four alerts and the following night

was uninterrupted. At approximately 11.00 hours on Friday

the 13th February, a reconnaissance plane appeared

and circled over the ship and was leaving us unmolested,

when she returned and circled us again, losing height, she

released two bombs, which, however, fell well clear doing

no damage and left us. At about 11.40 hours three

destroyers appeared on the horizon steaming towards

our course at right angles, until they were dead ahead

when they turned sharply and steamed towards us. Beyond

keeping a wary eye on these, we proceeded with

lunch. It was then seen that two of the destroyers had

approached to within about 1500 yards on our port

bow, the third destroyer was standing off. One of the two

destroyers fired two shots across our bows, whereupon

shouts were made to the bridge to hoist the white flag,

but this was not done. The volunteer 2nd engineer told

me later that the ‘Stop’ was rung down from the bridge,

and that he and the Chief Engineer (also a volunteer)

were standing by for the order ‘Go Astern’ , but as this

had not been received when shells commenced hitting

the ship, they decided to come up. The Chief Engineer

was killed as he appeared above the engine room companion

which was situated about the middle of the port

alley-way. When the warning shots were fired the passengers

on the upper deck took cover in these two alleyways,

the majority of the party being on the port side. I

was on the starboard side, where protection was possibly

a little better, but I was concussed by blast, and, on coming

to, found myself drenched with blood. On turning I

found that Pain, who had been standing behind me, was

no longer there. Shortly after this I was again concussed,

and my only recollection was of following some other

men into a lifeboat, still very dazed. By this time the ship

S/S Redang was built at Kjøbenhavns Flydedok & Skibsværft for Østasiatisk Kompagni in 1901 and transferred to

East Asiatic Company, Bangkok. In 1908 it was sold to the 50 percent EAC owned subsidiary Siam Steam Navigation

Company, Bangkok. Photo is taken after 1917 as can be seen by the Siamese flag at the stern. Prior to that, the falg

was a white elephant in regalia, facing the hoist, centred on a red field. Photo: Museet for Søfarts billedarkiv.


was burning furiously and enveloped in smoke, and I think

it can be taken that the casualties on the starboard side

must have been very heavy, and those on the port side

almost 100%. I was told that twenty seven shells were

put into the ship, but this I cannot vouch for. I do think,

however, that none hit her below the waterline because

she was still visible and burning at nightfall. The japs did

not lower any boats.

A large lifeboat had been slung outboard on the

lower deck, and this was later seen to have capsized, and

there were many men in the water, presumably from

those on the lower deck, none of whom were Cable &

wireless to my knowledge. The port side lifeboat was

smashed by gun-fire and never lowered. The starboard

life-boat was cast adrift with about her normal complement

of passengers which was seventeen. We drifted

around picking up other survivors until we had thirty –

three or thirty -four in the boat, and could not possibly

take any more, as the boat was leaking badly, and only

had about three to four inches of freeboard…” (Banks).

A pre-war photo shows the bridge ladder at the

rear of the bridge and cabin structure as well as the

portside life boat on davits towards the stern of the ship

(the port quarter) and presumably there was another

on the starboard side on davits towards the stern as well.

The lifeboat “… chocked up on the foredeck …” referred

to by Mr. Robertson above was probably an additional

lifeboat taken aboard to cater for additional passengers

during the evacuation. This foredeck lifeboat would have

been damaged by shellfire since people “… were jumping

overboard from the forward end of the ship …”. The

portside stern quarter lifeboat would have received the

direct shellfire hits from the destroyers since they initially

appeared on the port side of the ‘SS. Redang’.

All this is pretty much confirmed in the NIRC report

“…the port lifeboat was broken by shellfire and was

not used and the spare lifeboat carried on the foredeck

was later seen capsized close alongside the ship. The

starboard lifeboat got clear with 33 occupants including

two badly wounded who died and some rescued from

the sea…” (NIRC).

The log of the IJN destroyer ‘Asagiri’ shows that,

from the 13th to the 15th February 1942 it assisted the

destroyers ‘Yura’ and ‘Fubuki’ in attacking Allied shipping

fleeing from Singapore and they sank four vessels (including,

research has revealed, the auxiliary merchant ship

‘HMS. Giang Bee’ on the evening of 13th February and

the Chinese River steamer “Li Wo” on 14th February

after both ships had escaped from Singapore) with great

loss of civilian life.

This was a cruel mismatch in the extreme – these

destroyers of the ‘Fubuki’ class in the Imperial Japanese

Navy were, at the time, amongst the biggest, fastest, most

advanced destroyers in the world at 2090 tons, capable

of 38 knots and armed with six five inch guns, plus over

thirty AA guns plus six powerful torpedo tubes (www.

combinedfleet.com)

The unarmed little “Redang” did not stand a chance

against two or three extremely powerful destroyers, each

of four times its size and eight times its speed.

Mr. Robertson explains what happened in the case

of the only lifeboat (the starboard quarter lifeboat) to get

away from the ship;

“… I estimate that about 20 people were in the

boat when we pulled away from the ship’s side, and apart

from a few burns here and there I managed to escape

injury. We picked up another 13 people from the water

until the boat was dangerously overloaded – amongst

these was Mr Thompson [Henry Thompson was First

Radio Officer on the ship] who was pulled over the stern

of the boat by one of the Danish members of the crew

[probably either Jorgensen or Andersen] and myself….

Asagiri was the Japanese destroyer of the Fubuki class built in 1923. When introduced into service, these ships

were the most powerful destroyers in the world. Photo by Shizuo Fukui - Kure Maritime Museum, Japanese

Naval Warship Photo Album. Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/


[there is then a detailed explanation of the injuries which

resulted in the death of Mr. H. Thompson] “.

The account of there being about 30 passengers

who survived in a lifeboat (including four women and

three children) is restated widely (angelfire.com; archives

of John D. Stevenson AMI. Mar. E; “Escape from Singapore”;

and “Sea Breeze”.)

Captain Rasmussen recorded:

“… I estimate 62 lives were lost in the attack, either

killed by splinters, burned to death or drowned … two

young ladies said to be from Mansfield Co.’s Singapore

office were instantaneously killed whilst by a direct hit

while typing out the passenger list in the Chief Engineer’s

cabin. The Chief Officer, Mr Riemise (a Dane), the Chief

Engineer, Mr Dean (of Straits Steamship Company)

were also killed instantaneously, most of the passengers

rushed below in the ‘tween deck when the attack began,

and were killed either by splinters or burnt to death …”

(www.merchantnavyofficers.com).

The identity of the two young women from Mansfield

Co.’s, Singapore office mentioned by Captain Rasmussen

would appear to have been two telephonists

from Mansfield’s who were travelling with their mother,

Mrs George.

Given that Captain David Nelson recorded that

there were six children on board and the only record

of children surviving are the two children of Mr & Mrs

Chong Kiat, then we must assume that four children lost

their lives in the attack on the ship and/or during the

sinking. One or two of these children would have been a

daughter or two daughters of Mrs George.

Elsewhere the number of people killed is stated to

be 58 (BM) but, simple arithmetic based on Mr. D. Robertson’s

report of the some twenty ‘deserters’ making

a late boarding suggests that up to 75 – 80 people lost

their lives in the shelling and sinking. Of these the two

largest groups would have been about twenty Australian

(and Empire) soldiers plus some twenty men employed

by Cable & Wireless Ltd.

Of the crew the Danish Chief Officer and a British

Lt. (E), plus the five known Royal Navy/RNVR Ratings

were killed. Interestingly four out of five of the Able Seaman

and Ordinary Seamen all came from Glasgow and

Dundee and presumably stuck together as a group when

they were assigned as crew from “HMS. Sultan” (the

shore base in Singapore), onto the undermanned merchant

ships which were attempting to hurriedly evacuate

people from Singapore prior to the Surrender.

The survivors from the ship amounted to less than

a third of those on board. The NIRC report clearly states

“… Concerning the 33 persons who were in the lifeboat,

the following details are known;

2 died in the lifeboat (see above)

12 are in the male internment camp

3 Danes see above, released

2 Czechs, named, see above (this refers to Plhon

and Smrzak).

4 released [researcher note: must be Cervinka, Zelnicek

and two others?]

3 ladies in the female internment camp Palembang

(Mrs. A. Laybourne, Mrs N.W. Nailer, Mrs E.M.C. Pugh)

1 Petty Officer [indecipherable word] Navy

3 Australian soldiers in the service camp Palembang

(names known to Lt. Cmdr. J. N. Hancock, RNVR (Malaya)

3 British soldiers, as mentioned above.

[Not mentioned in the above list – although they

may be two of those in the ‘released’ list -are ‘Chong Kiat,

wife and two children’ recorded as also being in the lifeboat

personnel picked up by ‘HMS Tapah’].

It would seem that of those on board it was the

people at the stern (rear) of the ship who survived whilst

those in the engine room and, those below decks and

The lifeboats on SS

Redang were about

this size. The only

boat that survived the

attack picked up 33

or 34 people untill it

was dangerously full.

The survivors rowed

for 26 hours before

reaching land.


S/S Redang in an early photo taken prior to 1916 as can be seen by the Siamese flag at the stern, a white elephant

in regalia, facing the hoist, centred on a red field. This was change to the current flag in 1917. Photo: Museet for Søfarts

billedarkiv.

those at the front of the ship lost their lives from shells

hitting the ship and being trapped by the burning of the

ship. Mr. Robertson again;

“… Mr. Thompson lost consciousness about 6 or

7pm; before that he told me that he had been hit whilst

running aft and that a lot of people were killed on the

foredeck including Mr. Rickwood of C. & W….” (DR).

As stated above, two lifeboats, one dedicated to the

Australian soldiers and the one for the Cable & Wireless

employees were damaged by shell fire or the burning ship

and were never launched or immediately sank. Therefore,

the deaths in these two groups were very high.

“… It was only possible to lower one of the lifeboats

and thirty-two survivors from the attack abandoned

Redang. It took all that remained of the day and all of

the next to reach Sumatra whereupon the unfortunate

survivors were captured by the Japanese …’ (BM possibly

quoting Captain Rasmussen).

Douglas Banks fills in this part of the events:

” … The Cable & Wireless personnel in this boat

were La Nauxe (sic) Tisshaw, Banks Hunter, Gardiner, Furneaux,

Worster, A. N. Laybourne, Mrs A.N. Laybourne, E.B.

Laybourne, Hoy and Mrs Nailer. The Captain instructed

us to row in a westerly direction, saying we should make

land in four to five hours, running as we were with a

strong current. After four hours, we enquired where we

were as no land was in sight, to which he replied there

were trees ahead, and we carried on. Shortly after this

a passenger died from wounds and he was buried over

the side. He was the Manager of Bata’s Shoe Company

in Singapore. (Mr Thompson of the Marconi International

Marine Company of Singapore died the following morning

at approximately 11.00 hours and was buried in a

similar manner). After an hour or so the ‘trees’ resolved

themselves into four Japanese destroyers and two cruisers.

As we approached three of the destroyers weighed

anchor and left to intercept another ship which we could

see, following up on the ‘Redang’s ‘course. Although they

passed us at about one and a half cables, they ignored us.

At this time six Hurricanes were seen coming into land,

presumably at Palembang, and upon this the two cruisers

and the fourth destroyer left hurriedly, also without paying

us any attention. We continued rowing through the

night, eventually making landfall at about 14.00 hours on

Saturday – very exhausted and hungry. In spite of this,

the only food we could spare was two tablespoons of

brackish water from a small keg from the lifeboat and one

Marie biscuit per head. We could find no water or food,

and it was necessary to cut down palm trees in order to

get the nuts for the water, and the tree hearts for food.

The water in the beaker was sufficient for about three

days at about two tablespoons per head per day. The

mouldy ships biscuits were sufficient for about two small

handfuls each per day for the same time. The nights were

made hideous by sandflies and mosquitoes and sleep was

impossible.

Mr. Robertson gives his brief description of the efforts

of those in the lifeboat to reach land:


“… We cleared the ship, which was blazing furiously

down to the waterline, about noon, and decided to make

for the coast of Sumatra (which incidentally. Had the Naval

authorities not sent us on a deep sea course, would

have been much closer than it was). From then until we

landed 26 hours later it was a constant battle with choppy

seas and heavy swells; the boat was so overcrowded that

continuous bailing was necessary and it was impossible to

make sufficient room to hoist the sail. In fact, it was only

with the greatest difficulty that we got at the fresh water

barrel for a sip of water, which was all we had between

leaving the ship and landing on the beach…”

As mentioned above by Douglas Banks, the lifeboat

reached the coast of Sumatra at around 2.00 pm on the

afternoon of 14th February 1942, only to be met by a

desolate scene described now by Duncan Robertson;

“…four hours later [i.e. after the death of Mr.

Thompson at 10.00am] we landed on the coast of Sumatra

where there was, except for about a dozen coconut

trees, nothing but mangrove swamps – no fresh water; no

inhabitants. That night we slept on the beach but, despite

the exhaustion caused by many cramped hours on the

boat, everybody was up and patrolling the beach from

about 4 am owing to the swarms of sandflies making

further sleep impossible…” (DR).

The survivors had only 10 tins of evaporated milk,

a small quantity of old ship’s biscuits and half a barrel of

fresh water and introduced drastic rationing. Two search

parties struck out along the coast and apart from endless

mangroves they made contact with a Malay fisherman

who agreed to take them to Palembang but then disappeared.

At about 09.00 hours (Banks) on Monday 16th February,

a small ship appeared off the coast and anchored

about two miles away just around a spit, where the survivors

could just see her masts. The survivors were unsure

whether the ship was an Allied or enemy vessel so did not

immediately make contact but later that day – on the afternoon

of Monday 16th February they decided to make

contact rather than almost certainly starving to death on

the beach. The ship was “HMS. Tapah” a Straits Shipping

Company vessel converted into a minelayer which had

anchored up close to the beach but had become stuck

in the mud when the tide had gone out.

The “SS. Redang” survivors were taken on board

the “HMS Tapah” and welcomed with a meal and cigarettes;

but with only one tide per 24 hours in that region

the “Tapah” did not get underway again until 5 pm on

Tuesday 17th February. Later that day ‘Tapah’ made for a

more suitable anchorage in another estuary of the river

‘Moussi’[ actually the called the river ‘Moesi’ in southern

Sumatra in 1942 and now spelt as ‘Musi’] picked up some

of the civilian survivors of the sinking of the “HMS Giang

Bee” which had left in the same large convoy from Singapore

and which the ‘Redang’ survivors had seen intercepted

by the IJN destroyer ‘Asagiri’ and other warships.

At about 18.00 hours (Banks) the ‘Tapah’ left for a

night journey through the Banka Straits and hugged the

coast of Sumatra right up to the entrance of Banka Straits,

by which time it was dark, and it then opened to full

speed (11 knots) on a course through the Straits. As both

Douglas Banks and Duncan Robertson then record at

about 23.00 hours “… We had only been going one hour

when a searchlight was switched on and swung around

until its beam rested full upon us, and shortly after a

Japanese boarding party arrived …”. The first instruction

was to ‘Proceed until told to stop for examination’ and

then the order to ‘Stop’ was received by ‘Tapah’ between

02.00 and 03.00 on Tuesday 17th February.

Most of the survivors of the sinking of the “SS. Redang”

were now internees of the Japanese in Sumatra for

the next three and a half years. Initially, they were taken

ashore at Muntok and after three weeks of overcrowding,

only rice for food, and a severe outbreak of dysentery

the Japanese finally separated the camp into ‘Services’,

‘Civilians’ and ‘Women and Children’. men and women

separated – each group to endure years of privation,

sickness and desperation that would result in many losing

their lives.

Some of the crew were of course from neutral

countries and there was (in the understanding of the

Japanese) some confusion over whether the Czech men

were on the Axis side or otherwise since Czechoslovakia

had been overrun by the Nazis at that point in time. The

NIRC report tells us “… Captain Rasmussen and two

officers and two Czechs, V.A. Zelnick (sic) and H. Cervinka,

both of Bata Shoe Company Singapore were later

released…” (NIRC).

This document has identified some 50 people on

the ship leaving around 60 people yet to be identified. It

is speculated that those yet to be identified will include

British and Australian soldiers, some employees of Bata

Shoe Co. Ltd (and perhaps a few Czechoslovakian residents

of Singapore), plus one or two crew.

Later that year there was some justice when the

IJN destroyer “Asagiri” was attacked by US Marine Corps

SBD Dauntless dive bombers on 24 August 1942 north

east of Savo Island and sunk with the loss of 122 lives

(both ship’s crew and soldiers on board).

For the full passengerlist and details of their lives,

please read the complete article here: https://scandasia.

com/s-s-redang-sunk-by-japanese-destroyers-on-13-february-1942/

Any corrections, additions or suggestions to the content

of this memorial document would be most welcome by the

researcher, Michael Pether, 2/23 Sanders Avenue, Takapuna,

Auckland, New Zealand. 0622. Or email mncpether@

gmail.com

This document and its contents are the copyright of

Michael Pether and not to be used for any commercial

purpose. The document and its contents may be used for

non-commercial purposes with the written permission of

Michael Pether.

Thanks,

Michael Pether.


Business

Helsinki

Business Hub

continues

smart building,

construction

Singapore

collaboration

Since Finland’s 100 Years

independence celebrations

in 2017, Helsinki Business

Hub (HBH), a regional

development and

marketing agency, has

been engaging with

Singapore based on its

’Smart Nation’ initiative for

growth through innovation

and technology.

By Joakim Persson

Helsinki Business Hub’s

Senior Business Advisor

Irma Ylikangas


HBH is the international trade and investment

promotion agency for the Finnish capital region

(from 2021 it will be fully owned by the

City of Helsinki). HBH primarily helps foreign

companies to find solutions, good deal flows and business

partners from Finland, to set-up their business, grow and

develop in Greater Helsinki.

In Singapore HBH collaborates with different organizations

and companies. One of the longest collaboration

partners is Intellectual Property Intermediary (IPI),

an affiliate of Enterprise Singapore that catalyses and

enables enterprises to grow their business through innovation.

The two have been working closely together by

organising technology matching events where innovative

Finnish SMEs in the building and construction space pitch

and seek partners from Singapore. The aim is to strengthen

the business relationship between the two innovative

countries and to spark new joint business opportunities

and innovation projects in the built environment sector.

In connection to a recent business delegation to Singapore,

and the Singapore Week of Innovation & Technology,

HBH’s Senior Business Advisor Irma Ylikangas (a

specialist with more than 20 years of experience in the

smart building and cleantech sector) explained further.

This kind of partnership effort with other countries

in the area of built environment is relatively new as HBH

has been mainly promoting business opportunities in Helsinki

Region and attracting foreign companies to settle in

or invest in R&D or in companies in the Helsinki region.

“We focus on connecting with larger entities, for

example in Singapore at the governmental institutes and

large real estate and construction companies regarding

what kind of interest they have for and are looking for

in the ‘Smart Buildings’ sector. Then we match-make the

companies and fill the gaps that exist on the markets,”

said Irma.

Based on in-depth understanding of the ecosystem

in the Helsinki region (with thriving sustainable innovations

and equal opportunities for all businesses) she can

introduce that to stakeholders in Singapore and explore

opportunities. HBH has a proven track record in connecting

ecosystems and helping companies and start-ups

establish and expand their business.

“When there is interest raised we will find suitable

solutions and technologies from companies and organise

matchmaking events on location. This time we’ve been

visiting the Housing Development Board, the Building

Construction Authority, a Singapore Airlines lab and Singapore

Management University. This is the continuation of

what we started back in 2017.”

It was the fourth time Irma visited Singapore bringing

smart building companies from Finland. Singapore

has also had delegations interested in built environment

solutions to Helsinki about 4-5 times during these years.

Finnish companies possess core strengths in technology

and services for the built environment to collaborate

with Singapore businesses in construction, energy

and the circular economy, seeking ideas for sustainable

urban development. HBH has also spotted the potential

for wider collaboration possibilities outside this particular

sector.


“Digitalisation overall is something that adds to

productivity and increases the efficiency in the construction

and building sector. Energy efficiency is of course

also one. Another is robotics, where we in Finland has

solutions available and under development in the construction

field. Some of the delegations to Finland have

already seen that in action. As for digitalisation it could be

all-encompassing; from digitalizing of building permits to

the whole process,” said the HBH specialist.

While Helsinki has opened up all its big data to be

accessible for everyone there are other things the Finnish

capital has in common with Singapore.

“Both have the same 3D model, and as Helsinki has

opened up the 3D data of the whole city for anyone to

build applications on there is interest in Singapore to follow

the development in this field.”

Smart building solutions aim to bring cost savings,

faster project completion, less pollution, and to minimise

the environmental impact of the construction and energy

sectors.

“Helsinki has committed to be carbon neutral by

2035 and Singapore is also looking to have a carbon neutral

environment, with overall energy efficiency as an included

demand. In the Nordics we do it for heating, while

here we do it for cooling. There we do heat recovery, and

with this heat you can for example warm water. Here, it’s

the reverse way but not that different technology-wise.”


Helsinki Business Hub’s Senior Business Advisor Irma Ylikangas

As circular economy is very high on Finland’s

agenda HBH is currently packaging the Greater

Helsinki offering for this. “Finland’s strength lies

currently in bio-based products and technologies, but

the construction sector is developing fast. Because circular

economy overall needs to have systemic solutions

- you have to take into account the whole ecosystem. So

it’s not something that you do overnight. But there are

already companies in the construction field who have

come up with something: they go to the sites and collect

all the unused materials that can still be used and resold.

This same service offers a digital platform where companies

can directly sell and buy something leftover from the

construction sites,” stated Irma.

“Meanwhile, nowadays you pay attention to, already

at the planning and design stage, how you can separate

the materials at the end of the lifecycle, which I think is

a good trend.. The use of digital twins through the whole

lifecycle will also help in circular economy,” she added.

“Modular design for construction is drawing a lot of

interest in both Singapore and Finland. You can eliminate

at lot quality issues when you can have ready-made elements.

For instance you could have a modular bathroom

that is fully ready before you transfer it to the construction

site. And you can build faster also. We do have a few

companies in Finland doing that.”

“Singapore has also growing interest with circular

economy, and we have discussed during this trip that

more attention will be paid to that so it will definitely be

on the agenda as we go forward.”

In terms of overall results from HBH’s engagement

there are several pilots going on with Singaporean partners.

In addition, cooperation partnership agreements

have been signed too.

“These companies are medium-sized companies,

and half of the group are first-time visitors to Singapore.

We initiate and match-make and help understand the

local business environment when needed. Our job is to

find the right solutions according to Singaporean needs,

open doors and help them to proceed.”

And stakeholders from Southeast Asia can also get

help free of charge from HBH for the following: “If they

would want to set up an office in Helsinki we would help

them. If they want to invest in Finnish companies we have

about 1,200 companies in our database looking for investors

including within ICT; cleantech, mobility, health and

built environment. We would match-make them with the

most suitable ones. If they are missing some components

for example in the smart building area we could connect

them with the right companies in the Helsinki region. If

they are looking for R&D partners we could also connect

them with those. We have a huge selection of services,”

ended Irma Ylikangas.


Nordic report warns

against China, Russia

A new report warns the Nordic countries of threats and

challenges to the multilateral, rules-based world order

coming from climate change, cyber attacks and geopolitical

developments. The report is written by Mr. Björn Bjarnason

of Iceland and deals with how to further develop Nordic

cooperation on foreign and security policy, On 6 July 2020

it was given to the foreign ministries of Denmark, Finland,

Iceland, Norway and Sweden who will discuss the report

at an upcoming meeting.

Climate change is bringing new security threats

to the Nordic countries, Björn Bjarnason

warns in his report to the Nordic foreign

ministers.

“Climate change, coupled with growing tensions in

international relations over the last decade, has led to big

power rivalry in the Arctic between the United States,

Russia, and China.”

“Amidst these drastic changes to the Arctic climate

and environment, China is emerging as a global power

and has defined itself as a “near-Arctic state”. The overall

Chinese strategic interests are access to Arctic resources

and sea routes as well as increased influence on Arctic issues.

China is increasing its bilateral cooperation with the

Arctic states through active economic, social, and scientific

engagement in the region, including polar research.”

“China’s presence and strategic interest in the Arctic

will have security policy implications. So far, Chinese

military activity in the Arctic has been very limited. However,

the Chinese military has now begun to strengthen

its knowledge of the Arctic.

“Since 1999, the Chinese have conducted numerous

Arctic expeditions. They built their first research

base, the Yellow River Station, on Svalbard Island in 2004.

China has officially included the Arctic sea routes in its

2017 grand development strategy, the Belt & Road Initiative

(BRI). China re-emphasised this in its 2018 white

paper on “China’s Arctic Policy”, outlining its interests as

a major stakeholder in the Arctic. In 2018, China and Iceland

jointly inaugurated the Arctic Science Observatory

in northern Iceland, originally intended for observations

of the northern lights. Later its research scope expanded.

Plans have been presented for opening a Chinese research

station in Greenland as well as a satellite receiver

station.”

“All Arctic states agree that the UN Law of the Sea

(UNCLOS) is the legal framework within which states

should solve legal disputes regarding ocean governance.

In the South China Sea, China makes maritime claims

which contradict UNCLOS, although ratified by China.

Such actions must be kept out of the Arctic.”

The report proposes that the Nordic countries develop

a common Nordic analysis, policy and approach to

Chinese Arctic involvement and pursue it within relevant

regional networks to which they are all parties, i.e., within

the Arctic Council, Council of Europe, Council of the Baltic

Sea States (CBSS), Barents Euro-Arctic Cooperation

(BEAC) and Northern Dimension.

Ten years ago, a similar report drafted by Mr Thorvald

Stoltenberg of Norway gave a range of recommendations

which have mostly already been implemented.

The following are more excerpts from the Bjarnason

report regarding the geopolitical security situation

that the Nordic countries are facing:

“The emergence of China as a major economic,

political and military actor in international affairs and its

claim for special status as a “Near-Arctic State” as well as

the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 are defining

factors when describing and debating the Nordic

security environment since the Stoltenberg Report and

the establishment of NORDEFCO in 2009.”

“The effects of climate change, including the opening

up of shipping routes north of Russia and increased

access to natural resources, add to the complexity of

the situation. Russia is, however, dealing with the same

problems as the Soviets during the Cold War, i.e., having


no means to compete with the West. They are also under

heavy strain due to economic sanctions. To get as much as

possible in the shortest possible time, they have therefore

turned to China for financing and trade in oil and gas.”

“US officials widely state worries about Chinese

and Russian intent in the Arctic. For instance, Kenneth J.

Braithwaite, who served as US ambassador to Norway

until he was sworn in as Secretary of the Navy on 29 May

2020, said on that occasion: “The Chinese and Russians

are everywhere, especially the Chinese. You would be

alarmed at the amount of Chinese activity off the coast

of Norway.” Statesmen and officials in the Nordic region

do not seem to entirely share these worries even though

there is understanding of the US position.”

“In August 2019, a total of 30 Russian naval vessels

took part in what Norwegian top military leaders

called “a very complex operation.” An exercise to block

NATO’s access to the Baltic Sea, North Sea and Norwegian

Sea, thereby closing off the Scandinavian Peninsula.”

Going beyond military threats, the report deals also

with cyber issues and hybrid attacks.

“Hybrid threats, including cyber-attacks and disinformation/influence

operations, pose a serious and

increasing challenge to the Nordic countries. By taking

advantage of the vulnerabilities of democratic and open

societies, hybrid threat actors undermine Nordic security,

prosperity, and values. Hybrid threats are ambiguous and

designed to allow deniability. Therefore, it is difficult, but

even more important, to address them.”

“The importance of multilateral cooperation of likeminded

states in fighting cyber and hybrid threats is undisputed.

All Nordic countries recognize the importance

of The European Centre of Excellence for Countering

Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE) in Helsinki, which supports

participating states’ individual and collective efforts to

enhance their capabilities, resilience, and preparedness to

counter hybrid threats.”

“Strong arguments have pointed out that one

should actually not talk about “hybrid threats” but rather

“hybrid warfare” as at least some Nordic countries are

under constant attack.”

“Hybrid warfare happens in the real and the virtual

world. The real-world’s segment is in principle well observed

and understood, while the virtual segment operates

stealthily in the invisible world of computers and

networks until it shows effects in the real world.”

“State and non-state actors deploy hybrid means

to challenge countries and institutions that they see as

a threats, opponents or competitors to their interests

and goals. The range of methods and activities is wide,

including: espionage; influencing information; meddling

in elections; intellectual property theft; exploiting logistical

weaknesses like energy supply pipelines; economic

and trade-related blackmail; undermining international

institutions by rendering rules ineffective; terrorism or

increasing the sense of insecurity; threatening civilian air

traffic, maritime communications, energy cables and causing

maritime incidents.”

“The Nordic countries should join hands in condemning

those conducting hybrid warfare where part of

the game is to deny any culpability.”

“The two state actors most often mentioned as

posing a threat to the Nordics in this regard are Russia

and China. These states have developed effective


subversive means that go much further in weakening

their targets than fake news and disinformation do. Such

means have been used before to prepare the ground

for illegal annexation, as seen in the Crimea in the spring

of 2014. That event represented a swift culmination of

prolonged Russian efforts to destabilise Ukraine. Russia’s

denial of any responsibility characterised the aftermath.

Apart from the illegal incursion in the South China Sea,

China conducts lower key hybrid operations than Russia.

Social engineering and economic espionage are Chinese

trademarks having social, economic, and financial aims,

mirrored in their efforts to gain access through strategic

investments and research projects.”

“As all countermeasures are sensitive and can lead

to reprisals, the multinational aspect of hybrid and cyber

defensive measures make a crucial difference. It would be

of great value if the Nordics developed common Nordic

situational awareness.”

“The total defence concept is highly relevant in

hybrid defence as it covers both civilian and military

security. The defence sector depends on civilian digital

infrastructures and services. Hybrid security challenges in

the civilian sector therefore also affect the military sector.

In worst case scenarios, hybrid attacks on, for example,

civilian infrastructure may challenge a state‘s ability to

safeguard national security.”

As an example, the report mentions:

“Due to COVID-19, the demand for health and

genetic data based on tests has skyrocketed globally. This

could be categorized as a hybrid threat when companies,

often state-connected, compile biometric data, such as

DNA samples, from individuals all over the globe. In

this regard, attention has been drawn to BGI (formerly

the Beijing Genomics Institute), a leading Chinese gene

sequencing and biomedical firm, which has distributed

more than 10 million COVID-19 tests to over 80 countries

worldwide.”

The report says, that it is the role of data protection

agencies and total or civil defence institutions to analyse

and take measures against threats of this kind.

On threats to the rules-based world order, the

report says:

“The Nordic countries are deeply concerned by the

diminishing trust in multilateralism when it is most needed

to solve complex and transboundary global challenges.

They, like other smaller countries, rely heavily on respect

for and the functioning of the rules-based international

system. Its disruption also undermines the core principles

that the Nordics share, such as democracy, the rule of law,

and human rights. Free international trade and travel are

basic features of modern liberal democracies.”

“The liberal world order [after 1945. Ed.] was never

truly global, but the United States had the strength, authority

and will to sustain it. The shifting global power

balances raise question marks about the future of this

order. The US is more inward looking than ever since

the end of World War II and is increasingly withdrawing

from multilateral fora. The United Kingdom, a key partner

for the Nordics in the field of foreign and security policy,

is taking a new international course with Brexit. In the

European Union, a fundamental discussion on the core

values of liberal democracies is taking place. Within the

Council of Europe, Russia’s membership has been called

into question due to its disregard of basic human rights.

And contrary to what so many had hoped, China retains

a different mind-set than liberal democracies.”

“For the Nordics, having been committed to the

established rules-based world order for the last seven

decades, the situation today is a great challenge. The proposals

mainly aim at finding and utilizing the best tools

available to promote Nordic core values worldwide in a

modern and peaceful manner.”

“Overall, the Nordic countries are faced with a

new, fluid, and challenging security landscape characterized

by unpredictability, volatility, and great power competition.

This altered strategic environment means that

the Nordics need to constantly review their common

international position and role in securing an enduring,

prosperous, and peaceful existence for their citizens. Doing

this will require them to secure a meaningful role in

the strife for multilateralism and the rules-based world

order, in tackling the challenges of climate change and in

effectively addressing hybrid and cyber threats, both of

which are being employed by states and non-state actors

to undermine the multilateral system and the rules-based

world order. In a geopolitical context, it is of utmost importance

for all the Nordic countries to keep NATO and

the EU interested in their security concerns.”

https://31ns9t3tahh91zt99bieate1-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NORDIC_FOREIGN_

SECURITY_POLICY_2020_FINAL.pdf


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ScandAsia July-August 2020

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