15 05 ADB October/November 2015

october/november 2015 www.adb.org.sg

business

Manifera: Outsourcing to Vietnam ... page 4

event

adb news

Balkenende about good governance and sustainability ... page 3

Introduction of the new ADB committee members ... page 21

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Board Members

° ° ° ° We want You! ° ° ° ° Dear Members,

Joep Ottervanger President Attorney at Law and Partner Loyens & Loeff

As announced earlier this year we are in the process of further building the ADB organisation by forming Member Committees. The reason for forming these Committees is to bring structure to our organisation, increase efficiency and effectiveness. Having Committees will assure that the active ADB volunteers are known to each other and the other members. In addition

Tom Smeenk Honorary Treasurer Business Development Manager LNG Asia Royal Vopak

we hope and expect that by having more active members the ADB as a whole will become a more interesting, interactive and fun organisation.

Each Committee will consist of 4 to 5 members and will also be comprised of one or more ADB Board members. The ADB Board as

Pleun Brevet Chief Editor Freelance technical writer

a whole will of course remain closely involved in all the tasks that are performed by the Committees. So far four committees have been identified: the Events Committee, the Sponsoring Committee, the Editorial Committee and the Communication Committee and they may

Nynke Kinderman Member Business Development & Innovation Latize Pte Ltd

Ay Wen Lie Member Managing Director M&A Advisory, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Reinder Peek Member General Manager Salvage (Asia) SMIT Singapore Pte Ltd

be described as follows:

Sponsoring Committee: This is the financial cornerstone of the ADB organisation: maintaining contact with our existing sponsors, approaching new sponsors, monitoring (renewal) of sponsor contracts and payments, thinking of and developing innovative ways of fundraising.

Editorial Committee: This is where our beautiful ABD Magazine is created: writing articles, conducting interviews, coordinating sponsor advertisements and contacts with the printer, and everything else that comes with publishing a magazine.

Events Committee: This is the committee that arranges our events, the various tasks are too diverse to summarise!

Communication Committee: What did you say? Why did I not know that!? When is the event? This is the committee that is responsible for answering – or even better – avoiding these questions from our members

Secretariat

Wenneke Vrugt-Repko Communication & Graphic Design Founder of Triple You Design

and potential members. This Committee is central in communicating with ADB members, making sure that our communication channels, Magazine/Website/Social Media, operate and contain the correct up to date information.

In the past month we have built these committees and I am very grateful for the enthusiasm of our new committee members. Further on in this Magazine you can read more about them.

After having said that, we would like to encourage more members to participate, particularly in the Sponsoring Committee and

°°°

The ADB connects Dutch Professionals in Singapore.

°°°

Communication Committee.

If you are interested, let us know at adb@adb.org.sg

Best regards,

... Joep Ottervanger ...

1

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

In this issue 1 Prologue 3 Vintage Balkenende

4 Manifera: Building apps in Vietnam 6

Best practices to maximize Generation Y’s potential

9

Apps for Social Media

10 F1: sensational event in the centre of Singapore 13 Spouses in Singapore: Ingeborg van der Hoek 15 G.r.a.t.i.s in Singapore 16 From the Dutch Embassy: Mei Li Sim, Senior Consular Affairs Officer 17 Stories from the Embassy 19 Personal Finance: MediShield Life: what will change for you?

21 ADB News – Announcements, member info and more 24 Column – Kristel Zweers

Cover photo: Edo van Dijk

4 Outsourcing to Vietnam has its advantages. Herre Roelvink has experience and shares them with us.

9 If Facebook and Whatsapp are your idea of social networking, then you might want to check these apps.

21 Meet the new committee members.

We still have a few vacancies; one of them could be yours!

2

Vintage Balkenende ... By Katrijn de Ronde . Photos by Vie Blonk ...

Rapid-fire jokes, insightful anecdotes and a strong case for sustainability and admitting our failures made for a vintage Balkenende Q&A session at the Hollandse Club.

Small and medium businesses, growing economies versus multinationals from Western countries, the threat of corruption and how to maintain integrity – those were the subjects flagged by the audience for JanPeter Balkenende, professor Governance at the Erasmus University, at the ADB Q&A on sustainability and good governance. It was clear that though the audience wants to believe in the sustainable business case, they still saw many obstacles on the way.

“Let’s be honest, companies need to make money,” said Mr Balkenende to them.

“Sustainability also means: financially sustainable.” He emphasized the importance of working together, with governments, NGO’s and other businesses, to achieve a strong

business case – but he also emphasized that transparency and integrity were integral to any collaboration. A reference to the sleight-ofhands tactics that got the Greek government inside the Eurozone had him visibly upset: “They lied to us. That still rankles.”

All the better to look to the future, where the EY partner and governance professor sees an important role for integrated reporting: not only the financials, but also the societal and environmental impact should be reported by companies. Corporate social responsibility should not be a sideshow, he argued: “The key question is no longer ‘how much did you give back’, but how did you make your profit? What are your values, and is your business aligned with those?”

•

3

Manifera: Building apps in Vietnam ... By Katrijn de Ronde ...

Photo: Manifera

Manifera successfully outsources to Vietnam.

Manifera develops web and mobile apps for areas such as e-commerce, Internet of Things, serious and fun gaming. Its unique selling point is combining Dutch business savvy and communication lines with strong programming skills from Vietnam. Herre Roelevink, founder and managing director, tells us more about Vietnam’s hot outsourcing market.

Even after more than twenty years at the cutting edge of IT,

Born out of frustration

Herre Roelevink still prefers to take pen and paper to meetings.

Manifera was born out of the frustration Roelevink could hear

“To me, a screen feels like a barrier between myself and the

in his Dutch friends’ voices when they were talking about

other person”, he says. “It’s easier to jot down a few things on a

finding good software developers. “At that time I was already

flat piece of paper.” On the other hand, for phone conversations

living in Singapore, nearby lower salary cost countries like

Roelevink prefers Skype: “When I use my headset, my hands are

India, Indonesia and Vietnam, and I got the idea to set up a

free to take notes and look things ups.”

company providing software development services to companies in the Netherlands.”

Clearly, this is a man who follows his own path. He began his career at IT Consultancy firm ICT Automation, and worked on projects for high tech firms Philips and ASML. He was also part of a team within Rijkswaterstaat, which was responsible for the installation and operation of the ubiquitous traffic warnings on the Dutch motorways: “You know, the red crosses and so on.” His work took him to Austria and the US and finally to Singapore, where he has lived for the past seven years with his wife and daughter. In 2014 Roelevink founded not one, but two new companies in Singapore: IT outsourcing firm Manifera and customized magazine reading app MagBe with Olaf Kwakman.

4

Photo: Vie Blonk

The Dutch IT manager analysed the Dutch IT market for

The report mentions the strong push from the government

its needs – mobile apps development – and looked at the

to grow the IT sector, putting in place policies and sturdy

neighbouring countries for the best fit. His in-laws, Nepalese

internet connections.

business owners with a trading company in Ho Chi Minh City, advised him to have a look at Vietnam. Roelevink: “I ended

For all that, Vietnam is not yet the next India. For one, the

up choosing Vietnam for a number of reasons: Firstly, it is

English language remains a challenge, making a country like

considered a politically stable country and safe for foreigners.

the Philippines more attractive. Tellingly, Hung Nguyen, CEO

Secondly, the government strongly supports the IT and

of Silicon Valley testing firm LogiGear, says in an interview

business process outsourcing industry with tax incentives and

with CIO: “(…) Top students have adequate bilingual skills

reductions. Thirdly, Vietnam has a huge and young population.

and are fluent in reading and writing.” This means that email

About 65% of the 92 million people are below 35 years old.

and chatting might be the best ways of communicating.

Fourthly, Vietnam has about 400 universities and colleges,

However, Roelevink points out that in any given team, you

and there are around 79 thousand software engineers working

really only need one or two key people to speak good English to

in the IT sector. Finally, the attitude of the Vietnamese people

communicate well.

is, in general, dedicated and highly motivated.” He goes on to elaborate: “I have also noticed that the engineers in Vietnam

Another issue flagged by many experts is the possibility of a

don’t simply follow what the client or the boss says what needs

labour crunch. Vietnam’s educational system does produce

to be done. Instead they think for themselves and if better

hundreds of engineers and software developers each year, but

solutions are possible or make more sense, the engineers will

that is not enough to populate large scale outsourcing centers

propose these and will start an open discussion helping the

like the ones in Bangalore with five thousand employees. This

client further.” When pushed, Roelevink will admit this is

makes it a decidedly less attractive market for mass production.

not only a difference between Vietnam and other well-known

It also has the added danger of quickly rising labour costs, as the

outsourcing countries such as India and China, but also a

outsourcing market continues to heat up.

difference with Singapore. “In Vietnam, people are less afraid to go out on a limb.”

Room for growth

Manifera is operating in a niche market, building mobile and Vietnamese market for outsourcing

web applications for mainly Dutch and Singaporean clients.

Roelevink is not alone in his positive assessment of the

Manifera offers a full package, including database building

Vietnamese IT and BPO market. Multi-national companies that

and other back end programming, as well as service and

have outsourced part of their operations to Vietnam include

maintenance. “I like to get involved in projects early on”, says

Samsung, Bosch, Cisco, Google and Deutsche Bank. Property

Roelevink. “Listen to the ideas, ask questions, make sure we

developers Cushman and Wakefield ranked Vietnam as the

are building the best possible product.” His enthusiasm is

no. 1 outsourcing destination in their annual report, based on

infectious, and I can see why, even in its first year of business,

cost, risk and operating conditions. “While not the cheapest

so many companies have chosen to work with Manifera.

outsourcing destination, Vietnam is still very competitive when compared to other global locations”, writes Richard Middleton,

Maybe that is why Herre Roelevink is not worried about

head of Cushman & Wakefield’s occupier services for APAC and

competitors flocking to Vietnam. “There is a lot of room for

EMEA. “(…) Wage rises in India and China largely contributed

growth, including for us”, he says with a big smile. Clearly,

to Vietnam surging up the ranking to take first place in 2015.”

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Best practices to maximize Generation Y’s potential ... By Marjanne van der Helm ...

In ADB’s August issue, we discussed the most recurring views on Singaporean Generation Y: they are highly educated, competitive, analytical, thorough and hardworking, but often less experienced in applying the knowledge (in more creative and autonomous ways) and aptly communicating about it. Values such as hierarchy, stability and security seem to be more important to these young people, in comparison with their Dutch counterparts.

This second article describes tips from the interviews with managers and Gen Y-ers to engage and retain Generation Y in Singapore.

Tip 1: Do not blame the generation

When managers find it difficult to collaborate with younger people in their teams, the generation gap might not be the problem. It could be a matter of two people simply not getting along or it might be an inter-cultural issue.

Moreover, managers who work with young people (regardless of what generation they are from) should try to remember 6

how they felt and performed at that age. Did they really do a great job right from the start? Often, managers have forgotten how they themselves come from an MD track and needed leaders who showed them the way, by being genuinely interested, patient and giving them necessary examples and advice. L&D managers interviewed for this article spend a lot of time reminding higher management of this, since ‘Building leaders is an incredibly important skill to have’.

It is better to focus on what motivates the young individual and how this aligns with the manager’s (or the company’s) motivations and goals and start a conversation to find the real issue and more importantly, common ground.

Tip 2: Accept a different ‘Work-life balance’

Work-life balance is contributed to Gen Y. But it actually has been around since the beginning of this millennium.

What is ‘generational’ about work-life balance is how we define the ultimate balance. A younger person might want to continuously combine work and private matters, be on Facebook, Whatsapp and work email day and night, have two-hour coffee or gym breaks in the middle of the day to continue working at home in the evening. An older person might find it important to have a clearly divided work and personal time. Managers have to be aware of these (personal or generational) differences, in order to improve mutual understanding and find a common ground to work together.

Tip 3: Manage their career aspirations

Singaporeans are known for job-hopping, particularly Gen Y-ers. This often is caused by the lack of clarity about career opportunities within the organization. One way to counteract this is to carefully manage career aspirations and expectations. A best practice from one of the local banks in Singapore is to train managers on how to have career conversations with their Gen Y people. Also, they teach their Generation Y employees to discuss career aspirations with their manager.

The Singaporean Gen Y panel confirms this approach: ‘Communicate with us and try to understand our motives.

Maybe there are difficulties that can be taken away. Show us the opportunities and explain what we can get out of it’. The tip for managers is therefore to start the conversation about career aspirations proactively and timely, before it is too late.

Tip 4: Invite Generation Y to speak up

Many Generation Y employees in Singapore tend to be reluctant to share their opinions and ideas, let alone speak up to their managers. To enable Singaporean Generation Y to voice their opinion, it helps when their manager invites them to share their views (not just once, but over and over – this is a process that will take some time to take effect), shows it is alright to disagree and explains that making mistakes is an essential part of self-development and learning. It is crucial to not let the Gen Y down when they experiment with this new behavior. If a manager allows them to make mistakes, but afterwards burns them to the ground, their trust is very easily lost and it will be hard to restore.

wait.’ It becomes important to develop a social media etiquette together, such as: saving up questions, thinking of relevance before sending it and building rapport in real (non virtual) life.

The managers we interviewed feel the need to coach their Gen Y-ers on so-called ‘professional skills’: how to behave in the workplace, how to manage expectations, how to appropriately communicate with the boss, how to take ownership and responsibility, the expected social media etiquette and so on. Explanation of professional and soft skills and their importance, as well as giving ample feedback and being a role-model are the best tools to use. ‘Gen Y (globally) is a generation of people taught to overestimate themselves and their abilities. They are well educated, their parents praised them continuously. So they may be confident in what they already know, but they still need to be taken by the hand, in learning organizational norms and practices.’ From a manager this requires patience and certain coaching skills.

Conclusion

So, is Generation Y in Singapore challenging to manage?

They are young, they bring new perspectives, knowledge and skills and they still have a lot to learn. If they are lucky, they find managers who coach them on the skills they need to develop and keep an eye on their career development.

When managing somebody from another generation (and possibly culture), it is important to keep in mind that the other one may have different values towards what leadership entails and how they would like to manage and be managed. Especially in Singapore, where people from different nationalities, cultural backgrounds and age groups work together, it is very important to have an eye for every individual at work and stay away from generalizations.

This works both ways: This article was written to provide insights for managers of Generation Y employees, but of course Gen Y should also play their part by trying to understand others. Intergenerational collaboration takes effort on both sides. Put oneself in the other’s position and ask questions to verify assumptions. Do not blame it on the generation; focus on the individual.

•

Note: For privacy purposes, names of companies, managers and Generation Y respondents are not disclosed.

Tip 5: Coach on soft and professional skills

Need for immediacy seems higher to Gen Y. ‘My Gen Y employees use messenger apps, such as Whatsapp, with each other all the time whereas face-to-face contact becomes less common. As their manager I get messages too, but way too frequent and for questions that can actually

Marjanne van der Helm – Solution Focused coach and facilitator, trainer and consultant. Owner of QMJ consultancy (www.qmjconsultancy.com).

7

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Apps for Social Media ... By Claire Mutsaerts ...

Social Media has become incredibly influential in our world today. Especially for travellers and expats, social media provide the means to connect with your friends and family back home, find your way in a new city, capture memories, find a partner or spark creativity for new business. Companies inevitably look to social media for new strategies and services or are in pursuit of becoming the next Facebook or Whatsapp. Apart from these two obvious ones, here are a few more social media sites you might want to know about.

Periscope

ooVoo Video Call, Text & Voice

By ooVoo LLC

By Twitter, Inc.

Twitter has recently launched its own live streamingapp: Periscope. Periscope enables you to send live video into the world. You can replay your broadcast for your viewers to watch later and choose if you want all your followers to see it, or perhaps only a few of your friends. You can tweet your video-link and followers can watch it on the web. People can comment and attribute “hearts”; the more hearts, the higher you get in “the most loved” list.

Besides voice calls, text and voice messages, Oovoo allows users to make video calls for free, between 2 to 12 people. They claim they beat Skype in terms of quality standard, but what makes Oovoo especially interesting is their new software: a “lie detector” that analyses human facial expressions. Think about the potential impact on job interviews, financial negotiations, retail customers and even presidential elections.

Only available on iOS

Available on Android and iOS

LOLA | Love Out Loud Asia

Magisto Video Editor & Maker

By Love Out Loud Pte. Ltd.

By Magisto

Lola was founded 2.5 years ago and has matched 10,000 singles since they started, from Singapore, Manila, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Unlike Tinder, were you can swipe and like as many potential dates as you want, Lola sends you one match a day and 24 hours to react to it. Lola, recently bought by offline dating service “Lunch Actually”, is planning to go mobile and aims to be the best dating app for South East Asia.

If you want to capture everyday life or a special event, Magisto is a very easy-to-use tool to make fun videos.

You simply select videos and pictures from your phone and choose from the many different themes and songs to personalize your video. You can also choose music from your phone. You can post your funky video though Magisto, or on Facebook, for others to see.

Available on Android and iOS

Available on Android and iOS

9

F1: sensational event in the centre of Singapore ... By Sabina Godri ...

F1 - the highest class of single-seat auto racing - was one of the most discussed topics after the National Day Parade in August, since that is when the preparations started for the Formula 1 festivities on 18-20 September, 2015. But how did it all start?

In 2007, Singapore and F1 became connected when a 5-year deal was signed between the Singapore Government, Singapore Tourism Board and Bernie Ecclestone (Chief executive of the Formula One Group). The inaugural race in 2008 was the 800th in the history of the world championship and the first to be held at night under floodlights. On the eve of the 2012 event, an extension for the F1 was signed, ensuring Singapore stays on the F1 calendar until 2017.

But did you know that racing in Singapore began way earlier than 2008?

History of racing

The first race organised in 1961, was known as the Orient Year Grand Prix, and renamed to the Malaysian Grand Prix the following year and in 1965, after independence, it became the Singapore Grand Prix. The main purpose of the Grand Prix was to attract tourists to

Photo: Herman Verhoeven

Drivers will see all the highlights of Singapore during their race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit

10

Photo: National Archives of Singapore

In 1966, advertisement banners were common during the race

Photo: Herman Verhoeven

One of the most dangerous turns of the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

the region. The problem was that Singapore did not have a racing circuit, so a new circuit was created along the old and new Upper Thomson Road. Thomson Circuit had many challenges and turns with names like “Circus Hairpin”, “Murder Mile” and “Devil’s Bend”. In 1974, Singapore decided to cancel the Grand prix due to safety reasons.

Marina Bay Street Circuit

In 2007, when the Singapore Grand Prix was confirmed, the route map of the Marina Bay Street Circuit was published. Marina Bay street circuit is laid out on public roads in the centre, taking in some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as the Andersen Bridge, Supreme Court and Parliament. From the beginning, drivers were concerned about the excessively bumpy surface, potentially dangerous pit entry and high curbs. Therefore, the circuit has been revised three times.

Even if you are not a huge fan of cars and/or racing, the F1 in Singapore is a world-class event with performances of well-known artists, fireworks and availability of delicious food and drinks.

•

Autohuur tarieven

Photo: Herman Verhoeven

Ambulance is already standby for the race.

Facts F1 • Marina Bay circuit has the second-longest lap time of current F1 circuits.

• The circuit, with its bumpy surface and 21 turns, is one of the most physically demanding races and also one of the “slowest”.

• Length of one lap is 5.065 km; the total race is 61 laps, making the total race distance 308.83 km.

• Kimi Raikkonen holds the record for the fastest lap ever during a Singapore Grand Prix, with a time of 1:45:599 minutes.

• 1,600 custom-made floodlights are spread around the Marina Bay circuit. They are especially designed to minimize glare, surface reflection and to meet F1’s TV broadcasting standards • 80,000 components are used for one race in a F1 car.

• During a race, drivers experience extreme forces of up to 4.5-5.5 G-force, which means they are basically supporting 5 times their body weight on their necks.

• Drivers will experience sauna-like conditions in the cockpit.

• Drivers can lose up to 3kg of fluid during the race.

• The circuit can accommodate more than 100,000 fans.

• 40,000 fans fly into Singapore each year to see the F1.

• Although the event always has a main sponsor, it is widely known that the Singapore Government is the largest sponsor and pays more than 50% of the total bill.

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° ° ° ° Spouses in Singapore ° ° ° °

Ingeborg van der Hoek ... By Claire Mutsaerts ...

Ingeborg van der Hoek arrived in Singapore a year ago, together with husband Dirk. Since then, they welcomed baby Olle into the world, and Ingeborg launched her own business in customized furniture from Indonesia called “A Luxury We Can Afford”. Who is Ingeborg and what is it like being a mother and setting up a business in Singapore?

About Ingeborg

I grew up in the south of Holland, De Hoekse Waard, and moved to Rotterdam to study business science. I specialized in real estate brokerage, which led me to multiple jobs in real estate companies. My last job was in marketing and sales for The Office Operators, based in Amsterdam and specialized in flexible office space.

I met Dirk in 2003 when I joined the student association Laurentius in Rotterdam. I noticed him being the joker of the group during the introduction week of hazing and we met shortly after.

Dirk went to work for ING before joining Flow Traders, who asked him to move to Singapore in June 2014. A few months after we knew we were moving, we went to Indonesia where Dirk popped the question on the Balinese beach. And as if that was not exciting enough, I found out that I was pregnant a few months later.

What was your first year in Singapore like, with a newborn baby?

My biggest misconception about having a baby was that I thought I would have quite some time to myself; babies sleep, eat and play around all day right? We now have an awesome babysitter, auntie Lea, who makes it possible for me to work outside the house. I meet up with other Dutch people on a regular basis, who are also starting for themselves or are looking for a job.

How did furniture become “A Luxury We Can Afford”?

I knew I did not want a fulltime office job, and that I was in the perfect position to start something for myself.

Moving to a new country, and having stayed in a serviced apartment the first weeks here (which is very impersonal), strengthened my thoughts of making your house feel like home.

Our first trip from Singapore was to Java and Bali while I was pregnant. We rented a scooter and we passed many small factories which make beautiful handcrafted pieces of furniture. That’s when I got the idea. I went back to visit potential suppliers, to see where I could find the best products. My first order was a container filled with teak furniture for our own home. I got many positive reactions from the people around me which made me confident I should do this for others.

I am currently working with three suppliers and each has their own expertise. I know who has the best quality of wood, craftsmen or black steel. And they all work with sustainable material. Besides Singapore I also see the opportunities to expand to the Netherlands; I am already working on a project for a hotel in Amsterdam.

I use my home as a showroom where people can see in person what I can deliver and sit down to discuss a custom made plan. I don’t have to make use of local storage which enables me to keep my costs down. So I can deliver high quality products for a fair price which is what makes this furniture “A Luxury We Can Afford”.

•

Want to see what Ingeborg has in store? Check it out on aluxurywecanafford.com

13

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G.r.a.t.i.s. in Singapore We have had some very hazy days lately, but at some point the haze will be gone and we can all go outside and enjoy Singapore’s nature. If you like to walk or bike, here are some highlights, according to Singaporeans:

The MacRitchie TreeTop Walk

Woodlands Waterfront Park

Whoever said there’s no lush greenery in Singapore has never been to MacRitchie. This is literally greenery on a whole new level. Take the chance to check out the community of animals and plants at the canopy level, something that wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for this suspension bridge. Note that the TreeTop Walk is only accessible from MacRitchie Reservoir Park via MacRitchie Nature Trail or from Venus Drive.

Singapore has many boardwalks and jetties. The Woodlands Waterfront park has the longest jetty (400-meters) where people can fish and a multi-generational playground for the young and old. Besides these activities, you can picnic, fly kites and practice your photography!

Labrador Nature And Coastal Walk The Labrador Nature and Coastal Walk is a 2.1km trail under the purview of NParks. Bring your friends to chill here and spot schools of fish on Bukit Chermin Boardwalk, and look out for Giant Mudskippers (the largest mudskippers in the world) at Berlayer Creek!

Nparks DIY walks and guided tours There are many more parks to visit and for many of them Nparks created a DIY walk that you can download for free from their website: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardensparks-and-nature/walks-and-tours/going-on-a-diy-walk If you prefer to go on a guided tour (and there are many interesting themed tours available) check out their options: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/activities/workshops-andguided-walks

15

from the dutch embassy

“Service with a smile” Mei Li Sim -Senior Consular Affairs Officer- is a familiar face at the Embassy where she started her career in 1976. She is married, has two children and two grandchildren. She speaks English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien and elementary Dutch. And she is a true consular knowledge guru to her colleagues and clients at the Embassy.

Mei Li: “With almost 40 years of experience working in the Consular Department at the Embassy I have gained much knowledge in all consular matters. Besides passport and visa applications, I also handle various consular declarations, civic integration examinations and naturalization (Dutch citizenship).”

“Over the years the processes have changed significantly”, says Mei Li. “When I first started in the late 70’s visas and passports were handwritten and applicants from certain countries needed to be checked from a special hardcopy blacklist. Later we received regular (floppy-/hard-/compact-) disks with names from the ministry in The Hague. Now the whole process of checking applicants is digitalized.”

Mei Li continues: “We started off with visas for the Benelux and in the early 90’s the first Schengen visa was introduced that gave applicants access to the Benelux, France and Germany. Now travelers with a Schengen visa can visit 26 European countries.”

To cater to the ever growing amount of visa applicants, the Embassy has decided to outsource the handling of the visa applications.

You can find more information with regards to the soon to be opened external service centre for visa application below.

16

Mei Li: “Of course I will still be at the Netherlands Embassy to service the Dutch nationals who come to renew their passports and other consular affairs.”

Schengen Visa applications and legalization of documents

At the end of 2015 visa applications for short visits - for tourism or business purposes to the Netherlands and the legalization of documents will be outsourced to VFS Global Services in Singapore.

Mei Li: “Although we have always welcomed and enjoyed working with our clients directly at the Netherlands Embassy in Singapore, the demand for visas for the Netherlands, has increased rapidly and therefore we have decided that outsourcing is a more efficient way of helping our customers.” Since VFS Global Services is already operating as a visa office for a vast majority of other European countries they will handle our visa applications.

Long term visa application, for migration purposes, for foreigners and passport applications and declarations for Dutch nationals will still be handled at the Netherlands Embassy.

•

Stories from the Embassy

A soft touch, a moving wheel and a matter resolved The diplomatic work of the Embassy comes in many shapes; sometimes it is nothing more than a light touch to set certain wheels in motion. This happened when a leading Dutch logistics company ran into trouble with its Singaporean landlord, a major industrial real estate company. The companies had known and worked together for decades, but were unable to resolve their dispute through friendly negotiations. Tempers flared, positions toughened, and the landlord decided to seek legal confirmation of his position.

This pulled the Dutch company up short – after so many years going about their business peacefully in Singapore, they were not looking for a legal fight. So the company called on the Embassy’s Economic Department and asked if Trade Officer Liz Ng could help find an amicable solution for all parties.

An Embassy cannot intervene directly in a dispute between individual companies. But the Embassy can mention certain issues during its regular meetings with partners in the Singaporean government and government agencies. During a meeting with the Economic Development Board (EDB), this was exactly what Ms Ng did.

The result, as told by the logistics company: “Shortly thereafter, a high level meeting was organized between us and the landlord, in the presence of and witnessed by the Embassy as well as senior representatives from the Singapore Government. (…) the matter was given a fair forum and swiftly resolved. We were able to settle on an interim solution on a win-win basis for both parties. Furthermore, we were able to continue other business with the same landlord, which would have been impossible had the issue been left to escalate to higher-level confrontation.”

•

November||10 10AM AM--55PM PM || Hollandse Hollandse Club, 1919November Club,22 22Camden CamdenPark Park Prize: winBuy a KLM return ticket to Amsterdam!

Lucky Draw Grand Prize: a KLM Lucky returnDraw ticket Grand to Amsterdam! your Lucky Draw tickets at the Fair or online: nca.org.sg/shop Buy your Lucky Draw tickets at the Fair or online: nca.org.sg/shop All NCA proceeds benefit local Singapore charities. With special thanks to our sponsors:

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personal finance

Life: what will ° ° ° ° ° ° MediShield change for you? ... By Véronique Ruys-Sliepen ...

As an expat considering Permanent Residency in Singapore, there are a few things that probably crossed your mind already; higher chances of getting your children into a local school if you wanted to, less worry when you are in between jobs because you don’t have to re-apply for a work permit and also the fact that all male PR’s are liable to register for national service!

But there is something else that might be of importance to some of you: health insurance.

As you may have heard, there is a major change coming up in Singapore’s health insurance which affects every Singaporean, PRs and those thinking about becoming a PR. On November 1st, Singapore’s current National Health System, called MediShield, will be replaced

by MediShield Life. MediShield Life is a basic health insurance plan that will protect against large medical bills for life, regardless of your age or health condition.

MediShield Life – the two biggest changes - One of the biggest changes is that health insurance for Singaporeans and PRs is no longer optional!

If you are a PR, you will have to take out this national health insurance plan, and it doesn’t matter if you are already covered through work, a local shield plan or an international plan. There is no need to apply for the new plan, it will start automatically on November 1st.

- Another important feature is that all pre-existing conditions will be covered! Because of the bigger pool of people and the higher premiums, people with heart diseases, cancer, kidney failure or other preexisting conditions, will be covered to a maximum of 100K per year. This is very important since preexisting conditions are currently excluded with most insurance companies.

How does this affect your current health insurance plan?

The fact that the new plan is compulsory and covers everyone and all conditions does not mean that you can go ahead and cancel your private health insurance.

The maximum claim limit per person, per policy year

will be SGD 100,000. The amount reimbursed (paid) will vary depending upon the type of hospital and room chosen. Outpatient treatments (seeing a doctor or a specialist for example) and medicines will not be covered, nor is anything maternity related.

If you have a local ‘integrated shield plan’, there will be no duplicate cover. MediShield Life will automatically replace the MediShield component in your plan. If you have a group-plan through your company, MediShield Life will be additional to your group cover. If you have a private International Plan, MediShield Life will be an addition for any exclusions due to pre-existing conditions you might have.

The difference for Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents?

MediShield Life will cover all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, however Permanent Residents will only receive half of the subsidy rates applicable to Singapore Citizens. For example, the annual premium without any subsidies for somebody in the age group 41 – 50 is SGD 435.

For some PR’s it will be a welcome change and offer benefits especially for pre-existing conditions. For others it will, unfortunately, be an additional cost for an insurance you most probably will never use.

•

Véronique Ruys-Sliepen is a certified financial consultant with over 12 years of experience in banking and financial planning. She provides tailored financial advice and wealth management solutions covering everything from health insurance until retirement planning. Contact her at 81600652 or vsliepen@globaleye.sg.

19

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20

Introducing the ADB committees As you might know, the ADB board has defined a new strategy for the years to come. The idea is to build a closer community within the ADB network. Therefore we have decided to reduce the board and to install several sub committees. Our first call for volunteers was very successful and we made a good start forming the committees: − For the Event committee we found the following ADB members to assist us: Peter Bloemsma, Krista van der Veen, Els van Poucke and Kees den Besten; − The Sponsor committee currently has two members: Reinder Peek and Joris Goebels; − The Communication committee started with Wouter Muis as the initial member.

As you can see we could still use your help. Mail us at adb@adb.org.sg if you would like to help.

More about the Events Committee

At the beginning of this year ADB held a survey amongst their members, which included questions that were related to events. Several ideas came back as a need or nice to have.

The new Events committee has had some brainstorm sessions and are planning to organise the following new events, besides the normal recurring events the ADB always organizes: − Dress for Success: A workshop about the do’s and don’ts about how to dress, for men and women. − Ladies only drinks, network and workshop − “Ondernemers op de zeepkist”: A networking event especially for entrepreneurs, SMEs and one-man-shops:

From left to right: Joris Goebbels - Sponsor committee; Els van Poucke - Events committee; Wouter Muis Communication Committee; Krista van der Veen - Events Committee; Peter Bloemsma - Events Committee.

10 people will have their moment to shine while holding their elevator pitch on a soapbox. − ADB golf tournament: we will be organizing an afternoon for golfers to play 9 holes, non-golfers could participate in a golf-clinic, for all a putting contest and all will end with drinks and buffet.

If you have any more ideas or input for events, please let us know. We’re here to serve you!

•

ADB Off Site Visits One of ADB’s events consists of visiting companies. Would you like to open your doors to ADB members and share some information related to your business? Please send an e-mail to the following e-mail address events@adb.org.sg.

To arrange a personal meeting please contact:

Freddy Meindertsma, MBA Senior Financial Consultant

Mobile: +65 9101 2605 | Direct Line: +65 6372 5745 Email: freddy.meindertsma@proinvest.com.sg

LIFESTYLE TAKES PLANNING • Business and Personal Insurances • Corporate and private Pension solutions

• Employee Benefit Schemes • Investment Advisory Services

SETTING THE PROFESSIONAL STANDARD FOR FINANCIAL ADVICE IN SINGAPORE 6 Shenton Way OUE Downtown 2 #09-08 Singapore 068809 | www.proinvest.com.sg 21

New members introduce themselves Benchi Klaver My wife and I recently relocated to Singapore.

Even before coming to Singapore I was advised by former ADB members to join the ADB as a nice social way to meet new people in Singapore. I work as a tax advisor with Baker & McKenzie, an international law firm. In my new role I will be focused on assisting European companies with operations in Southeast Asia as well as regional companies planning to invest in Europe.

Paula Kemp I started my career as a lawyer for the Dutch law firm Banning Legal & Tax. My primary focus is on real estate activities and serving clients varying between (semi-)government organizations and multinational organizations. Currently I am based in Singapore to build a local network for our Asian inbound work and to do liaison work for Asian companies that want to expand in Europe. I joined the ADB to learn and share experiences amongst enthusiastic entrepreneurs in Singapore.

Jasper Hamaker After more than 10 years in Asia and Africa, my wife Willemijn, our three young children and I landed in Singapore in the middle of last year. Recently, a friend recommended joining ADB. Through ADB I hope to expand my professional and social network, while it will also help me to gain fresh external insights from other business people and companies.

I’ve been working for Heineken for nearly 20 years, and am currently Finance Director for our Asia Pacific region.

Myrthe-Carine Brakel This July we moved to Singapore for my husband’s job. In NL I was working in Branding and Marketing Communications for premium and luxury brands (e.g. Nespresso, Jean Paul Gaultier Parfums, Giorgio Armani Cosmetics, Porsche). Here I registered a Sole Proprietorship, MCB Luxury Brand Communications, to work freelance. My services in Brand Communications cover a wide spectrum, from copywriting to strategic advice. Nespresso NL is my first client, hopefully more will follow - maybe even through ADB!

22

Joost Heeremans Valerie (my wife) and I moved to Singapore last Spring. For the past 4 years we were living in Amsterdam but always had the dream to work and live abroad. So, when Singapore emerged as an opportunity we did not hesitate. We had very good memories of being here in 2010 for an MBA at INSEAD. We feel privileged the transfer worked out with our respective employers ( McKinsey & Company and Google) and are enjoying every moment of it!

All new ADB Members Benchi Klaver Hein Oomen Henk Fennis Jasper Hamaker Joost Heeremans Myrthe-Carine Brakel Nicole Houweling Paula Kemp Remco Kolder

Baker & McKenzie.Wong & Leow SunEdison Stork Gears & Services Asia Pte Ltd Heineken NV McKinsey & Company Self Employed Microsoft Banning Kuehne + Nagel

Leaving Members Arnaud van Oers Edward van Leent Folkert Kamerbeek Frans Janssen Hans De Back Henricus van de Kerkhof Jan-Willem Adrian John van Brecht Kees Jan Boonen Merijn Helle Michiel Steenman Ramon Hendriks Richard Leistra Robert Sunderman Sander Jacobs Stefan Woditsch Vincent Berdsen Wouter de Gier

IHC Asia Pacific EPI The Royal Bank of Scotland Athlon International Dutchman Venture Capital Partners EBI Consultancy CeraMac Services Pte Ltd Hume Brophy SAP DVB Bank Hydro Style Atlas Services Group Singapore ING Bank N.V. Copex Logistics Pte. Ltd. EarlyBridge The Map Collection

For all Dutch sporty types

Let’s color the Singapore Chartered Marathon ORANGE!

Upcoming Events 25th Anniversary celebrations 24 October 2015

Lustrum Party

Singapore celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence last August. Nice to know is that the Netherlands was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Singapore. On 7 December 1965 the Netherlands Embassy was formally opened in Singapore. This year in December we want to highlight this unique moment by organizing an event. We will keep you updated in upcoming months.

But, for all Dutch who are going to run the Chartered Singapore Marathon on 6 December 2015 we already have something nice to offer! If you sign up for the 10K, half marathon or the full marathon you will receive an ORANGE goody bag! The goody bag contains among other things a beautiful unisex ORANGE running T-shirt.

Are you still in doubt to register for this annual run event? Then this is the perfect timing: http://www. marathonsingapore.com/registration/. Register and send an email to sin-events@minbuza.nl regarding “Goody Bag” before 15 October 2015 and indicate what size T-shirt you would like to receive. (size: XL, L, M, S or XS) At the end of November you can collect your goody bag with T-shirt at the Netherlands Embassy. Please bring along your application form for the Marathon and your Dutch Passport.

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE

DESIGN & PrePress

Pleun Brevet, Chief Editor Claire Mutsaerts Jacinta Noonan Lisette Davis Sabina Godri

Jennifer Phua

Email

© ADB (UEN: S90SS0097D).

The contents of this magazine are partly based on information received from third parties and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of ADB. The Committee does not take responsibility for the correctness of the articles.

MCI (P) 148/05/2015

magazine@adb.org.sg SECRETARIAT ADB

Wenneke Vrugt-Repko ADB Singapore c/o 541 Orchard Road, #13-01 Liat Towers, Singapore 238881 adb@adb.org.sg www.adb.org.sg Basic Design

Edenspiekermann Pte Ltd

As part of ADB’s 25th Anniversary celebrations, we are organizing a very special edition of the Dinner & Dance. We will dine, drink, dance & toast to ADB’s next 25 years at an extraordinary location in a tropical ambiance. Hint: you can put on your dancing shoes, but be prepared to take them off…

Save the date. More details will follow!

Golf Tournament 13 November 2015 – 3.30 pm

ADB Golf Tournament/clinic at Champions Golf

PRINT production

Words Worth Media Management Pte Ltd

We invite golfers to come play 9 holes for the afternoon, while non-golfers are very welcome at our special golf-clinic. There will be a putting contest for all and of course we will end with drinks and a buffet.

Save the date. More details will follow!

23

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Home

... By Kristel Zweers ...

I am home at the moment, in The Hague. It’s my second visit since I left in 2013 so I’m pretty much a virgin when it comes to home-visits. Which is probably why I made the beginner’s mistake of telling everyone I was coming; that was the moment I not only lost my virginity but my life as well.

Being the cheap Dutchie I am, I accepted the offer to stay with my friends...all of them. Half of my friends had replaced my absence with babies; which means I’m staying in the husbandescape-room, keeping one eye open all the time just in case he forgets I’m there. The other half of my friends got divorced; which means I follow the opposite schedule of their parenthopping kids. The only me-time I get is on the toilet.

In the meantime, the weather is showing me in one day all the seasons it thinks I’ve missed – everyday, which leaves me more attached to my jacket as I ever was before. I only take it off when I join the left-behind toys and K3 pillows in my undersized bed.

Cold is just like toothache, as soon as it’s out of your life you forget how nasty it can be. And although last Friday I had the ‘honour’ to be here for the last sunny summer’s day, it was too bad I had to spend the whole day inside a train. You haven’t had the full Holland-experience unless the NS fucked something up right? Oh my, I sound so Dutch. I always laugh when I hear a Singaporean say Singaporeans are always complaining. Really?

They all sound pretty positive to me.

Of course it is good to see my friends and family again. I have been fantasizing about each rendezvous from the moment I booked my ticket. But the minute you hug your friends, it feels like you never left and everything seems and feels normal again.

Which is great but it doesn’t come close to the Oscar-winning moments you’ve created in your mind. In reality good moments never happen in slow-motion. Everyone moved on after you left and it takes quite some planning and flexibility to see those who you came to see.

On top of that a lot of the effort goes into not seeing who you don’t want to see. Yes, I confess: I don’t really have 2392 friends.

I’m more social on media than I am in real life. The 1372 real ones keep me busy enough. Got 6 more days to fit them all in, to say goodbye again and then....I can go home!

•

24

… Cold is just like toothache, as soon as it’s out of your life you forget how nasty it can be. …

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