ScandAsia December 2018

DEC 2018 Business

Business Climate Survey Malaysia

Sustainability Sweden fights plastic pollution

Community

New Swedish priest in south Thailand

International Ambassador Marina Berg presented credentials

Vacation 2019 theme:

A Swedish family’s Malaysian Paradise

December 2018

ScandAsia Community

HE Helen Ågren

22

Sweden’s ambassador for the Ocean

9 Sweden’s Ambassador visited Krabi and Koh Lanta 10 Humphrey Lau, Grundfos Lau: Business Person of the Year 40 Swea Asia-Pacific regional meeting 2018

12 Vacation 2019 theme

ScandAsia Business

22 Beat Plastic Pollution

28

9

Mr Kacper Pierzynowski

Project Manager Business Sweden, Malaysia

Sweden hosted partner dialogue in Bangkok

28 Business Climate Survey Malaysia

10

Insights from Swedish companies in 2018

31 China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation 32 Team Finland delegation in Vietnam

Minister Lintilä led the visiting companies

36

Pastor Anders Stenbäck Sweden’s new priest in south Thailand

40

Editorial

Dear Readers,

M

erry Christmas, Happy New Year, and thank you for a great 2018!

On behalf of the entire team at ScandAsia, I’d like to say thank you for sticking with us throughout this past year. We went from four smaller editions of ScandAsia covering each their country or region to a single, larger magazine covering the whole East Asia. We went from being mostly a paper magazine to being mostly an online publication - resulting in a tremendous jump in our online readership. It’s been an incredible year, and I have some good news for you: We’re just getting started!

Now 2019 is almost upon us, and I want you to know that we are serious about what we do here at ScandAsia.

We want ScandAsia to be your first choice when it comes to coverage of the Scandinavian communities and Nordic businesses out here. We want you to think of us when you seek your daily scoop of ScandAsia news. We want ScandAsia to be the website you recommend to friends when they ask you for a good website to keep up to date on everything Scandinavian in Asia.

We have an excellent team who works around the clock bringing you the latest and most relevant news. We have often worked long and odd hours, not because we have to, but because we want to. That’s dedication.

For 2019, among other changes, we will accelerate our opening up for key people and institutions in the ScandAsia universe to have access to contribute news, articles and events of interest to our shared Nordic Asian audience.You will gradually see more news delivered directly from Nordic embassies, Nordic Chamber of Commerce, Nordic churches, Nordic associations as we roll out this big improvement to the authenticity and trustworthiness of ScandAsia.

ScandAsia is a printed magazine and online media covering the people and businesses of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland living and working in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

Who should subscribe:

ScandAsia subscribers are typically Nordic expats and companies from the Nordic countries living in and active in Asia.

Another group of subscribers are Nordic people living in the Nordic countries who subscribe to ScandAsia for personal or business reasons. We also have many Asian subscribers, who for a wide range of rea-

6 ScandAsia • December 2018

This is where you come in. If you like a story you read, please share it to social media. Comment directly on the site. Help us get that exposure so we can continue growing. If you like a story, Tweet it, Like it on Facebook, or share it to Google+ so help more Scandinavians in the region may discover ScandAsia and become new, regular readers.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this past year as much as we have, and we hope you’re planning to stick around for the year ahead. Thank you for being the very foundations of what makes ScandAsia great.

Happy New Year to you all. Stay safe — if you’re going out to party, drink responsibly, and have fun. We hope to see you back in early 2019.

PS: News may be a bit slow until the holidays are over.

sons are following the activities of the Nordic expats and companies via a subscription to ScandAsia.

The ScandAsia magazine is produced every month and distributed to all print version subscribers via postal services and to all eMagazine subscribers via email. Subscribing to the eMagazine is FREE - simply sign up on the ScandAsia.com website.

Become a ScandAsia user/ get free digital ScandAsia magazine or paid subscription via

www.scandasia.com!

Gregers Moller Editor in Chief

Publisher : ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. 211 Soi Prasert Manukitch 29 Prasert Manukitch Road Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8 Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com Managing Editor: Joakim Persson Joakim@scandmedia.com

Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Frank Leong frank@scandasia.com Graphic Designer : Peerapol Meesuwan Peerapol@scandmedia.com Production Manager: Sopida Yatprom Printing : Siam Print Co., Ltd.

News brief

Marina Berg, Ambassador to Indonesia presented credentials

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n 8 November Ambassadordesignate for Indonesia, Marina Berg, met President Joko Widodo for her credential at Istana Merdeka (Merdeka Palace).

Dur ing the ver anda talk with President Joko Widodo, Ambassador Marina Berg mentioned the importance of Paris Agreement implementation.

Indonesia’s success in achieving its national climate pledges will be critical

in keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius as stated in the Paris Agreement that aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change and the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change, repor ted the Embassy of Sweden in Jakarta.

54 per cent (2016) of the energy used in Sweden coming from renewable sources, and Sweden aims to be one of

the world’s first fossil-free societies by 2045 as part of its ambition to combat climate change . Through climate investments, the Fossil-free Sweden initiative and international climate action, Sweden will reduce its emissions at the rate necessary to ensure globally sustainable development.

Source: Embassy of Sweden in Jakarta

Nordic Culture Week Wujiang

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t t h e o p e n i n g c e r e m o ny of Wujiang Road’s Nordic Culture Week on 7 November, speeches were heard from our Consul General Jan Wahlberg as well as representatives from Business Sweden and Jing’an government. Finland’s C u l t u r e C o o r d i n a t o r Ve l i - M a t t i Palomäki also performed Finnish music at the ceremony.

Nordic Culture Week is organized

by Jing’an Government Office as part of an International Culture Festival at the Wujiang pedestrian street. Joining the Nordic Culture Week are Food From Finland (growth program under Business Finland), Finnish National Agency for Education, as well as Business Sweden.

8 ScandAsia • December 2018

The idea behind the international festival is to showcase the latest products, as well as products already familiar to the Chinese consumers, from selected countries.

Nordic Culture Week at Wujiang Road lasts until Sunday 11 November.

Source: Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai

Sweden’s Thailand Ambassador visited Krabi

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n 16 November Ambassador Staffan Herrström made an official visit to Krabi Province, meeting with the Governor, H.E. Pol LtColonel ML Kitibodhi Prawit, to discuss issues of mutual interest and explore areas of enhanced cooper ation.

Discussions focused on the two countries’ remar kable people-topeople relations, tourism, tourist safety, as well as common environmental challenges such as marine plastic pollution.

The Ambassador’s visit was in line with the 150 years celebration of relations between Sweden and Thailand, marked by the signing of their first treaty on Friendship, Commerce and Navigation in 1868. The Embassy is celebrating the anniver sar y by highlighting the remarkable peopleto-people relations that have evolved between Sweden and Thailand over the years.

The Krabi Province is home to one of the largest Swedish communities

News brief

in Thailand. The Ambassador travelled to Lanta island where he met with representatives from the Swedish community, informing them about the Embassy’s priorities as well as addressed issues of particular concern to Swedes living abroad.

The Ambassador also followed up on the Embassy’s strong commitment to join forces with Thailand in addressing the global environmental challenges threatening our oceans (UN Sustainable Development Goals14) by meeting with representatives from Krabi-based civil society: “Trash Hero Koh Lanta” and “Krabi Goes Green”.

The representatives explained a number of bottom-up initiatives on marine waste management and beating plastic pollution, with a purpose to achieve sustainable tourism.

Source: Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok

Swedish food, beverage companies visited Singapore

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n 15 October the Swedish Ambassador in Singapore hosted a reception at his Residence in conjunction with the visit to Singapore by five Swedish companies from the Food & Beverage sector, namely Orkla, Pågen, Paulig Group, Nordic Fine Food and SweCheese.

The companies visited Singapore as part of Business Sweden’s ‘Food Days’, a project that aims to increase Swedish food expor ts to Singapore and the region. Singaporean stakeholder s were invited to an evening of Nordic cuisine and had a chance to learn more about Swedish food and drinks. It is great to see the growing interest in Swedish food products in Singapore and Southeast Asia!

Source: Embassy of Sweden, Singapore December 2018 • ScandAsia 9

News brief

Humphrey Lau, Grundfos China elected Business Person of the Year

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t the Danish Chamber of Commerce China’s Gala Ball on 3 November Humphrey Lau, CEO of Grundfos in China was awarded ‘Business Person of the Year’ by the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China.

“Over 20 years for various companies and in other official capacities, he has pushed the boundaries for what is possible for Danish companies in this fantastic but also complex market. He’s been a pioneer, faced tons of headwind, and yet created superb results proving that the unthinkable is actually possible if you define bold visions and provide just enough direction and then let your organization go do. Kudos Humphrey!” commented a former employee of his, Peter Kiaer, on Linkedin.

10 ScandAsia • December 2018

Back in October 2016 Humphrey Lau presented his new book about his experience with managing Danish Companies in China for almost 20 years.

‘How to Win Over the Red Queen’ (In Danish: Slå den røde dronning) presents Mr. Lau’s observations of how to be a “winner” in the Chinese market by winning over, convincing, attracting and co-operating with your Chinese partners and customers.

In the DCCC presentation Mr. Lau touched upon topics such as: How to create new business specifically for the Chinese market, why it is necessar y to create local brands and address the Chinese segments of “just-goodenough”. Additionally he shared personal reflections on working in China as an ethnic Chinese born in

Hong Kong as well as how the role of Danish business executives in China has evolved over the last years.

Mr. Lau was the fir st Gener al Manager to establish Novo Nordisk and Novozymes in China, the largest Danish investment on Chinese soil at that time.

Later Mr. Lau took the responsibility of heading Grundfos China. In this role, Mr. Lau succeeded in turning China into the Group’s 2nd Home Market with a 2009-2010 sales growth >40%. Mr. Lau was chairman of the DCCC board of directors for 5 years from 2009-2014, and he based his book on 18 years of working experience in China.

Source: DCCC, Peter Kiaer

December 2018 • ScandAsia 11

Vacation 2019 theme

A Swedish family’s Malaysian Paradise Scandinavian tourists often return to the same destination and hotel again and again on their vacation. But to repeatedly visit a relatively unknown island in Malaysia all the way from Sweden stands out. The Larsson family has done that – six times so far. Perhentian Islands is their destination of choice, actually situated just south of Thailand’s border on the east coast of West Malaysia, thus pretty close to much more known holiday destinations, but much more unknown. ScandAsia finds out the secret behind why this island group is such a draw to them.

12 ScandAsia • December 2018

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By Joakim Persson Photos: the Larsson family he Larsson family’s love affair with Malaysia started many years ago, in 1997, when the then young couple arrived to Borneo for adventures, and also, for their first time, ended up on the Perhentian Islands for relaxation at the end of a three-week trip. At that time Ann and Jonas did not yet have children. Now they have three.

They had previously also been to Thailand, in 1992 – just about when Thailand’s charter tourism started to take off.

“There is certainly a difference,” thinks Jonas, as we meet up in Kuala Lumpur, a stop-over that has been added to their itinerary for their two most recent trips to Malaysia.

“We travelled there at very young age. And possibly we should have returned to Thailand with the children but instead it became such a rush to travel there. So it felt very ordinary,” adds Ann. “It felt like Mallorca,” Jonas compares.

“And we like Perhentian Islands and the opportunity to stay comfortably on its larger island called Perhentian Besar,” says Ann, which makes it sound like an understatement, given that it has become such draw for them.

Perhentian has since then also become an attraction for more visitors, but the fact that the island group is only open seasonally puts a lid on any uncontrolled, unwanted

Enjoying Indian-Muslim food in Kuala Lumpur.

Photo: Joakim Persson expansion. Most resorts are closed between October to March and there are no direct international flights to the area.

However, Ann and Jonas, being able to compare a longer period, have noticed the effects these days of environmental impact from climate change and pollution.

“The water has turned murkier, and there is more plastic. We notice effects on the coral system as well. And I went fishing and did not catch anything this time. But back in 1997 I got a lot of fish,” recalls Jonas, who adds that an unsuccessful fishing can of course also be due to bad luck.

It was in that year, over 20 years ago, that they first set foot on the islands.They had been on an adventurous trip to Malaysian Borneo, where they had climbed Mount Kinabalu, among other things. Ann and Jonas have some warm memories from that trip, which included being informed about the rainforest destruction by rainforest people and seeing proboscis monkeys in Bako national park in Sarawak.

“We saw females and a male with their red noses in the sun,” smiles Jonas.

And to wind down at the end of a three-week journey they had chosen to explore Perhentian, then a backpackers’ haven.

Back then one could really find one’s paradise dream beach there, the Swedes think.

“It was amazing; I had not seen anything like it!” says Ann. Back then it was much smaller scale, with only fishing boats available to get out to the two islands from the mainland (which could take up to three hours), of which they chose the smaller one.

They stayed at D’ Lagoon, which still exists today. The first night Ann and Jonas had to sleep in a ver y basic dormitory room without mosquito net and even a fan, until they could be upgraded to a “bungalow”, which came with a fan but still with the toilet and shower separately outside.

One of the adventures there for Jonas was to hike across the whole island in hunt for beer – it could only be bought in one place on the whole island – to then carry a fridge-load back over the island mountain in darkness.

“When we had discovered that trail we went over the mountain and had remote beaches entirely for ourselves,” adds Ann. And this is where they also became hooked on the life under water – going out snorkelling for the first time.

December 2018 • ScandAsia 13

Jonas Larsson on his first Malaysian jungle adventure to Borneo back in 1997 14 ScandAsia • December 2018

When we had discovered that trail, we went over the mountain and had remote beaches entirely for ourselves

From left: Jonas, Johanna, Axel and Gustav

At first, they both became terribly afraid. There were loud, mysterious sounds. Then they discovered that it was the parrot fish eating on the corals that made the spooky sound.

Then there was the first encounter with sharks…

“I had never seen a shark live before and back then there were plenty of sharks there. I was snorkelling 300 metres out when suddenly a big reef shark came straight towards and circulated around me. And under water everything looks bigger so I was frightened to death!” laughs Jonas.

Since then they have learned not to be afraid of sharks.

“We have actually returned to that beach once when the children were small. And were so lucky; when we walked there in the shallow beach water with our children Axel and Johanna, who were then three and five, small baby sharks came up; reef sharks that they got to see for the first time,” recalls Ann.

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fter the first trip to Malaysia , Ann and Jonas decided to get their diving license, which they took in Malta in 1998. And since then they have returned to Perhentian Islands another five times! And during this latest trip in June 2018 also their third child Gustav has learned how to snorkel (he also learned to swim there).

And now Ann, who makes all the holiday planning, feel that they are ready to explore some new islands; on this trip they visited nearby Kapas, which is located a bit further south and closer to the mainland.

At Perhentian Islands they are by now known to the islanders: “They recognise us when we return to the same place,” says Ann.

December 2018 • ScandAsia 15

Suddenly a big reef shark came straight towards me and circled around me.

Under water everything looks bigger so I was frightened to death!

Ann Larsson exploring the jungle on Borneo back in 1997

“I would love to go to Sipadan Island in Borneo, a diving Paradise.”

“But we want the children to take diving license before that and I hope they will ask for that as Christmas gift so that it can be completed back home in Sweden before going on the next vacation trip,” says Jonas.

But what do friends back home say when they travel to this unknown destination in Malaysia time after time? The answer is that both Ann and Jonas have enticed friends to also travel there, who all have returned happy.

To reach the destination one ideally takes a domestic flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bharu and from there via land transport to Kuala Besut, which is the entrance to islands. The last part of the journey out is by speedboat.

And for this family the Malaysia trips have also evolved to include city tourism, by spending some days in Kuala Lumpur.

“We really like being in Kuala Lumpur,” says Jonas, where shopping and Malaysian food are among the draws. “There 16 ScandAsia • December 2018

are many fun things to do here and it’s family-friendly and not too hectic.”

A three-week long trip like this one also gives them the rare opportunity to enjoy lots of quality time together.

“There can be small disturbances, but after three weeks it functions well, even if one gets a bit annoyed sometimes.

That is part of living close together, to get upset and then move on. And that is also a good test for the continuing family life when back home again,” says the father.

And for certain, the Larsson family will return to their favourite Malaysia once again.

December 2018 • ScandAsia 17

Fall in love

with the summerly Finland

Åland sailing ship. Photo: Visit Åland

Midnight sun in Purnujarvi.

Photo: Harri Tarvainen.

18 ScandAsia • December 2018

The stark contrasts between the four seasons are the main characteristics of the annual natural cycle in Finland.

For a great part of the year the land is covered in frost and snow but there is a certain kind of mystique in the air when the seasons eventually change.

The summer isn’t endless in Finland, but there are almost endless summer days.

F

inland is a country of vast green forests, beautiful Baltic Sea island, windswept arctic fells and thousands of blue lakes. Spanning over 1,000 km in length, Finland’s landscape and weather conditions differ greatly between North and South, but the nature is always nearby, even with the largest of cities.

Finland is a clean and peaceful country where the feeling of space, the calm of the wilderness and the beauty of the lake districts is present throughout the year.

Land of the Midnight Sun

Summer in Finland is a spectacular time of the year. For three brief – but oh, so sweet! –months, the temperatures soar high and the sun does not set at all. Summers in Finland

roughly lasts from June to August and are generally warm, but pleasantly fresh.Temperatures tend to stay around +15C – +25C, but temperatures of +30C are not unheard of.

The white summer nights are perhaps Finland’s most iconic natural phenomena. In the very northernmost parts of Finnish Lapland the sun does not set for 70 consecutive days from May to August. Although the full Midnight Sun only shines above the Arctic Circle, nights are white all over the country. It is never really dark, just a period of twilight for a few hours when late at night the sun briefly dips beyond the horizon before rising again. Watching everything bathe in the light of the Midnight Sun continues making indelible impressions on travellers and locals alike.

December 2018 • ScandAsia 19

Photo: Petri Jauhiainen/Vastavalo.

Photo: Harri Tarvainen

Photo: Aku Pöllänen

Photo: Harri-Pekka Savolainen

Autumn colours galore

any kind of holiday. The lake and coastal sea waters have some of the cleanest beaches in Europe and it is possible to swim anywhere you like.

Days again start getting shorter and nights darker in the autumn, but just before winter falls the northern nature presents another spectacular natural phenomenon. Autumn months September to November see Finland’s forest landscape turn into a splendid and unforgettable array of red and gold known as “ruska”. Covered in forests and wildernesses, Finland is a prime destination for some serious leaf peeping.

More water than anywhere else in Europe

When in Finland, water is never more than a stone’s throw away. From the metropolitan area around Helsinki all the way up North, Finland is filled with oases of the clean blue.

There are, in fact, 188 000 lakes in the country. As many of these lakes are very large in size, a great part of Finland is covered in water – making Finland distinquishably different from other European countries.

If the thousands of lakes are not enough, tr y the stunning Finnish Archipelago as a destination. Finland’s 1,100 kilometres long coastline boasts the world’s largest archipelago with at least 70,000 islands. Old wooden towns, lighthouses, historical manors and stone churches, large national parks stretching over land and sea – this is coastal Finland in a nutshell.

Finland’s summer is best enjoyed by water, and unwinding summer activities, such as swimming and going to the sauna, fishing, canoeing, rowing and sailing, can be combined with 20 ScandAsia • December 2018

The simple luxury of cottage life

To truly experience Finland, you have to get out of the city.

That is why Finns head to their cottages both winter and summer, and so should you! Cottages are located over the country and are a very popular way to spend a holiday.

For those looking for a little luxury, there are plenty of options to get the ultimate vacation experience in stunning wilderness surroundings.

In Finnish Lapland one can stay in a range of glass igloos and luxury suites, that are purpose-built for viewing Finland’s most impressive light show, the Northern Lights visible from late August to April. Needless to say, this special type of accommodation is perfect for admiring the beautiful landscape through all seasons.

When saunas outnumber the cars

Finns are the unquestioned champions of sauna. Unofficially there are over 3 million saunas in Finland. In a nation of 5.6 million people that is quite a lot – we have the same number of cars. There are saunas in studio apartments, at summer cottages and public swimming pools, gyms and hotels, on boats and buses.There are several types of saunas, the most common being electric, wood-heated and smoke saunas.

Sweating out the stress with regular cooling dips in the lake is the ultimate way to purify both body and mind.

Photo: Julia Kivelä

Photo: Julia Kivelä

Photo: Harri Tarvainen

Photo: Visit Finland

Healing has been an integral part of sauna for ages, and there are scores of sauna-related wellness treatments available. The Finns believe that there is nothing sauna can’t heal!

birch sap, chaga mushroom and sparkling made of spruce sprout. These drinks will certainly break the ice!

Foodies found Finland

Finland’s diverse nature offers an abundance of outdoor activities for all tastes.Altogether 40 unique national parks are a gate to the Finnish nature and each of them showcase the natural characteristics of the area. They present archipelago dotted by islands and islets, virgin forests reaching quietly to the sky, lakes glimmering in a thousand shades of blue, and the wilderness of the Lapland fells. Spending time in this pristine nature is an unforgettable experience.

These untouched and beautiful landscapes provide habitat for thousands of wild animals and birds – many of which can be seen on arranged wildlife excursions and bird watching sanctuaries.The parks offer ideal opportunities for outdoor fun, such as hiking, climbing, fat biking and other refreshing activities.

There is something for everybody – whether you’d like to walk in the wilderness along age old tracks, go for a short nature trip with your family or just wonder around and – yes, eat wild. The so called “everyman’s right” means that you can walk freely in the nature, anywhere you want and it allows anyone to pick wild berries, herbs, mushrooms and flowers and fish with a rod and a line by the lakes, rivers and sea.

Would you have imagined that Finland has one of the most vibrant food scenes in Europe? Tradition, innovation and nature’s bounty all come together to offer an exciting array of options when it comes to the pure and wild new Finnish cuisine. Local plants and wildlife have found their way to restaurants and have become maybe cooler than ever before. The locals and visitors line up for the wild food restaurants and want to try new tastes they did not even know were there.

Wild food from Finland is pure, simple, seasonal, slowly and naturally grown in about everywhere you look, adding lots of wonderful things to the table according to seasons.

The light of the ‘nightless’ nights added with the world’s cleanest air, soil and water, give Finnish products a distinct range of flavour and intensity.

Think game, such as elk, moose, willow-groak or even bear or reindeer and wild berries from sea-buckthorns and lingon berries to cloudberries or yummy mushrooms such as cep and chantarelle. Or fresh fish from pike to Baltic herring topped with wild herbs such as chives.

The same climate is the secret behind the unique flavours of micro-brewed beers, ciders, and the world’s best gin (Napue by Kyrö Distillery Company) and non-alcoholic

Experience unforgettable moments in the heart of the Finnish wilderness

Source: Visit Finland December 2018 • ScandAsia 21

Business

Towards a world without waste Sweden joins efforts to fight the ocean plastic pollution in the Asia Pacific

By Joakim Persson

C

oinciding with the Swedish Ambassador for the Ocean Helen Ågren’s visit to Thailand, UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), the Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) and the Government of Sweden launched a four-year project in Southeast Asia, a region in which many countries are major plastic polluters.

Significant quantities of plastic end up as marine litter in the world’s oceans.

22 ScandAsia • December 2018

UNEP’s regional director for Asia and the Pacific, Dechen Tsering, explained that “60 percent of all plastic that ends up in our oceans comes from only six countries in Asia.”

Inexpensive plastic packaging and a take-away food culture further contribute to widespread single-use plastic use in the region. An additional challenge is the region’s limited waste management capacity, which contributes to mismanagement of over 75 percent of the region’s plastic waste.

Sweden’s Ambassador to Thailand, Staffan Herrström The new project aims to reduce the use of difficult-torecycle plastic, increase collection and recycling of highvalue plastic such as PET, and boost public awareness on plastic pollution and support for improved plastic pollution policies. The project will also work to improve the region’s waste management systems.

UN Environment and COBSEA will engage stakeholders throughout the plastic value chain, from plastic producers and waste managers to individuals in coastal communities who experience the impacts of plastic pollution.

Sweden’s Ambassador to Thailand, Staffan Herrström said: “The condition of the world’s oceans is critical and ocean governance is a high priority for Sweden. Through our global efforts and collaboration, we strive to improve governance, accelerate behavioural change to save the oceans and achieve SDG 14. As we celebrate 150 years of Thai-Swedish relations, I am pleased to see opportunities for our two countries to join forces in combating a serious global environmental challenge: the widespread plastic pollution in our oceans.”

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lso the Embassy of Sweden hosted a well-visited and fruitful partner dialogue: ‘Beat plastic pollution for a cleaner Ocean’, with the Ocean Ambassador in attendance.

Helen Ågren, appointed since Februar y 2018, has been engaged in environmental issues ever since being a student and then worked at Naturvårdsverket (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency) on research regarding waste and environmental adaptation of products – a very relevant area connecting to marine pollution.

The new project with UNEP and COBSEA she said is about establishing sustainable flows of plastic in Asia.

“The government has increased the funding for the global strategy regarding international development cooperation and focused more on the sea issue. The strategy for

Swedish Ambassador for the Ocean, Helen Ågren

Sweden has been dealing with waste disposal management and has developed that.

And we are experts within several areas, especially within gas from waste

December 2018 • ScandAsia 23

Nuntivat Thamhatai, Public Affairs, at Coca-Cola Thailand

Thailand and other Asean countries rank in the top ten where oceans are found to be most contaminated with plastic debris

24 ScandAsia • December 2018

Ms Lejin Sun from NGO Grin Green International

environment, climate, sustainable natural resources and sea has been given more funding,” Helen Ågren told ScandAsia.

“To beat plastic pollution we have to work on many fronts: from material development and standardization in order to facilitate recycling, to increased consumer awareness and behaviour change, to policy development that incentivizes a circular economy, efficient use of resources and sustainable waste management systems,” the ocean minister said in a statement at the launch.

Know-how and solutions from Sweden could also be transferred to Southeast Asia, she believed. “Sweden has been dealing with waste disposal management and has developed that. And we are experts within several areas, especially within gas from waste.”

Sweden’s 34 “waste-to-energy” power plants. Instead of burning coal or gas, this power plant burns trash. And we recycle 89 per cent of all PET bottles.”

“So it is also about how to set up systems, and what steering instruments one can use to create incentives for the players to collect more and increase recycling and material recycling.”

Commenting on the project Dechen Tsering Director, Asia and the Pacific Office, UNEP said that the idea is to look at how they can all turn the tide on plastics. “We look at the whole plastic economy in Southeast Asia. We work very closely with the intergovernmental mechanism [COBSEA]. This suppor t will really foster par tnerships; really important work is being done in most countries in terms of how they work with the marine environment but this programme will look at how to work with the plastic economy across governments in the region, and together with the private sector and academia. Aside advocacy, also

Dr. Chindarat Taylor, Founder and Director of Resource Efficiency Pathway and Vice President Solid Waste Management Association of Thailand (SWAT)

Dr. Suracha Udomsak, R&D Director and Emerging Business Director, Chemicals Business, SCG

really start looking at what infrastructure and what kind of regulations that are needed.”

Dechen Tsering also said that laws and agreements are not always practical so the idea for this project is foster this dialogue to come up with implementable policies.

Furthermore, there is already a regional action plan on marine litter developed quite some years ago. The idea with the support from Sweden is that they actually have resources to actually implement this regional action plan on marine litter.

reduction of plastic – we have to start with the culture,” said Lejin Sun. “One of the main things and motivations is educational reform. We truly believe that to implement and change the culture of Thai people and the usage plastic we have to start young because we are the future of this generation and should start by educating the younger kids around us so that in the future we would not die because of the amount of plastic. So we are training a new generation of leaders,” she explained.

uring Sweden’s par tner dialogue Dr Wijarn Simachaya, Permanent Secretar y of Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said that the National Environmental Board has already set up the sub-committee on the plastic litter management, including representatives from the private sector and also NGOs. “We are going to find the solutions and submit for consideration how to move forward in dealing with the plastic litter in our country.”

“Thailand and other Asean countries rank in the top ten where oceans are found to be most contaminated with plastic debris, including micro plastic. Also we have set up regional Asean co-operation in the efforts to reduce marine plastic debris,” he added.

Ms Lejin Sun, a 17-year-old student in Bangkok also got to introduce the student-based NGO Grin Green International. This NGO reaches out to organisations to try to encourage them to reduce the use of single plastic waste.

“Our number one mission is to create a change in the Thai culture regarding its views on disposable plastics. Our NGO believes that in order to truly bring changes to - and

he partner dialogue also included a solutions session – with focus on plastic waste reduction. Dr. Suracha Udomsak, R&D Director and Emerging Business Director, Chemicals Business, SCG presented this Thai company’s effor ts. SCG he said took a tough decision already in 2007, to stop producing plastic bags and instead stake on producing plastic pipes.

Earlier in 2018 SCG also arranged a global forum on Sustainability Development in Thailand, the ‘SD Symposium 2018’. It was held under the concept ‘Circular Economy: The future we create’, where all sectors were invited to collaborate in driving a circular economy by drawing inspirations from leading organizations success stories to create sustainability for natural resources. Attendees included leading global companies as well as the government sector, civil society, SMEs, start-ups, and local communities.

“From this year it has been very clear for us that at we are going to move ahead with the circular economy,” said Dr. Suracha.

D

T

December 2018 • ScandAsia 25

Our NGO believes that in order to truly bring changes to - and reduction of plastic – we have to start with the culture

26 ScandAsia • December 2018

“For us the key message is to use the resource efficiently.

In the past 20 years a lot of R&D on packaging was done to serve the convenience of people. I think now the pendulum is going to swing back, and people will use plastic more in terms of their competitive advantages. We try to use our strength as a conglomerate, for example we can send our waste from the chemical plant and use as raw material for pulp and paper industry. In pulp and paper one of the main raw materials is recycled paper so in Southeast Asia we have an extensive of network of people collecting waste paper for us.”

Nuntivat Thamhatai, Public Affairs, at Coca-Cola Thailand had also been invited to present Coca Cola’s efforts – very much a work in progress and not to shine as a role model yet.

“We know the plastic issue is a very challenging issue, and we do not know how we are going to end it but we know for sure that we need to end it, for a better world and for the next generation,” began Nuntivat.

Earlier in the year the Coca-Cola CEO made a global announcement for a ‘World Without Waste’, meaning the multinational’s packaging should no longer end up as waste and which included many commitments.

“We believe that our packaging can be designed in a new way so that it just doesn’t end up being just waste and a burden to society. In this area we made two commitments, first, we need to change packaging so that it becomes one hundred per cent recyclable by 2025. Second one is that we will try to introduce at least fifty per cent of recyclable content into our packaging. “ With their Thai drinking water brand he said the company already changed brand identity some five years ago and stopped using the cap plastic wrap, plus reduced the use of virgin plastic in bottles by 25 per cent.

However, a main legislative challenge remains in Thailand: “The Food and drug administration does not allow the use of recyclable plastic in food and beverage packaging.

That prohibited us from really experimenting around introduction of recyclable PET [Polyethylene terephthalate] into our packaging. We have been engaging with them as well as the Thai Industrial Standard Institute to perhaps consider changing the law to accommodate this. Although right now PET is actually slightly more expensive than virgin PET but we would like to start introducing recyclable PET right away.”

The modern recycling technology is also tried and tested internationally, said Nuntivat, so it should not be an issue.

“There is no reason why Thailand cannot follow other countries’ path. So hopefully in a not too distant future we’ll be able to change the regulation and start introducing recyclable content into our packaging.”

“This is a big challenge and no one single entity can really solve this issue alone. Collaboration is key and it is the same for this par t of our commitment, We are committed to partnering with organisations, civil society, private, government in order to really get people be more aware and do their in terms of keeping the environment clean and debris-free, whether it is on land, sea and a lot of that has to do with communication and education,” he said.

“We are talking to a lot of like-minded entities, especially private companies because we think that the private sector tends to move a bit faster, with perhaps a bit more resources and if they really are into the same purpose that have, meaning creating a World Without Waste then there should be a bit enough common ground for us to work together towards that vision.”

“Let us meet to try to set up this alliance and then

move forward and what I actually found so far is that a lot of people are working on this issue. But each tends to have their focus areas. And not enough people have actually been talking to each other.”

“But a lot of that has to do with legislation as well and that is difficult. Most of us will agree that people right now are using a lot of plastic bags, because we have been doing that for decades. And we need to change that,” Nuntivat added.

“People do not segregate. So if only people start doing that there will be more cans and PET bottles going into recycling and less going to landfill. So source segregation is probably the most impactful thing we can really do in order to really change the game. And you cannot expect the poor to really stop what they are doing. It takes government officials doing their job, enforcing the law, taking action to stop this littering.”

“Right now there is a lot of demand for recycle packaging, so if we can really push for effective source segregation a lot of that will go back to be circular economy already.”

Upcycling of waste into value-added products is another area. “Or if we can use more PET content in our recycling packaging that will probably help create more demand and hopefully more demand would mean a better price.”

Coca Cola Thailand also wants to stop waste from entering into the ocean. “We have seen some technology on how to stop it and we wonder why it has not been invested into already. I want to find out and perhaps we will partner with civil society and even technologies to stop that.

So that is the area we are working on. It’s just the start of our journey but we try to do it in the most evidence-based fashion that we can in order to really ensure that what we are doing will move the needle.”

December 2018 • ScandAsia 27

Business

Business Climate Survey Malaysia 2018 Based on insights from Swedish companies on the ground Business Sweden has launched the Business Climate Survey Malaysia 2018. The report presents an aggregated picture of the Malaysian market from the point of view of Swedish companies present there.

By Joakim Persson

Kacper Pierzynowski, Project Manager at Business Sweden Malaysia 28 ScandAsia • December 2018

“T

he Malaysian spring has indeed been eventful; a historic win in the general election by the opposition alliance led by the countr y’s former leader, Mahathir Mohamad, ended the ruling party’s 60-year-old grip on power. The political turbulence can contribute to some short-term uncertainty but most indicators suggest that Malaysia will grow stronger and continue its progress to a high-income country,” writes Emil Akander, Acting Trade Commissioner of Sweden to Malaysia.

“Understanding where the political and economic situation is headed in Malaysia is not easy. We believe that input from the Swedish players on the market on their expectations and intentions is an important complement to other sources of information and analysis.”

Insights from those with boots on the ground constitute an important complement in the decision-making, Business Sweden argues.

“The Malaysian economy has shown a remarkable strength throughout the last decade, growing by an average of 5% per year since 2008. Many argue that the general election upset, although it will create some shor t-term uncertainty, gives Malaysia the possibility to finally start to tackle some of the institutional problems that are holding back the country’s long-term prospects,” Emil Akander furthermore states in his summary.

The survey took place in late April/May 2018, and was thus conducted before the general election held in May. The repor t represents a diversified and representative sample for the Swedish business in Malaysia covering most company groups represented on the market.

29 companies par ticipated of which 59 % represent large global corporations. Almost a quarter of respondents don’t have a legal entity in Malaysia, being present on the market via partner (e.g. JV, agent, distributors).

44% of the respondents got established in Malaysia between year 1957 - 2000 and it took 18 years to more than double that amount of companies entering the Malaysian market. The Majority of the surveyed companies are present in order to sell their products/services to the local market.

S

wedish companies have a positive market outlook and are planning to invest further. 90 % plan to invest in the next three years.

A majority of the companies (62%) are expecting revenue growth numbers of more than 10% for the coming years. A high degree of respondents indicate that they will invest in ‘Marketing & Sales’ (55%). This may be related to the notion that Malaysians are quite brand-conscious.

83 % expect revenues to grow the in the next three years while 62 % expect positive profit margins. Of the surveyed companies, 69% report a positive historic growth while 83% project positive growth. This positive outlook is shared within most industries and company sizes. Small companies are the most optimistic, closely followed by major companies.

The increased optimism is linked to Malaysia’s strong employment number that is boosting private consumption, while investment is also helping to drive growth, states the report.

The strongest revenue projections by the sur veyed companies are within the ‘Automotive & Transport’ sector.

While they project revenue growth, the sur veyed companies expecting lower profit margins going forward in general.

Malaysia’s business-friendly and mar ket-oriented economy (ranked globally in World Bank´s latest Ease of

December 2018 • ScandAsia 29

Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia, H.E. Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt doing business ranking), in combination with suppor tive government policies and a large local business community, are attracting foreign investments and, concurrently, increasing the intensity of competition (however, there are still some bureaucratic hinders).

The New Economic Model (NEM) launched in 2010 by the government in order to “shift (the economy) to a higher level of value added and productivity” with related initiatives for productivity and sustainability is attracting an increasing number of foreign companies.

For the past several years China has increased its presence in Malaysia coming in with large investments.

This has increased the competition and set a downward pressure on the price levels and thus profit margins.

Price sensitivity and competition are highlighted as the key challenges for market success. The Malaysian customers are, in general, price sensitive.

As for in any market, it is important to communicate the unique selling points and values , and that must be tailormade to fit the local clients. Due to the high diversity in the country´s demographics, demonstrating cultural sensitivity, tact and understanding of the market gap builds trust.

‘Competition’ is not considered a key challenge within ‘Business Services’, ‘ICT’ and ‘Industrial Equipment.

On the positive side Malaysia offers: a cost-efficient market, strategic location and a well developed valued chain.

‘F

inding skilled labour’ is considered a key challenge within industr y-heavy sectors such as ‘ICT’ and ‘Automotive & Transpor t’, suggesting an undersupply of qualified engineers. The positive GDP projection is likely to lead to a corresponding increment in talent demand, particularly within the technology sector.

Demand for mid-to high-level employees with digital skills, such as software programming and data analytics, is increasing fast. In a talent-shor t market (unemployment rate averaging between 3.2-3.7% last 10 years), this means that competition for high-quality candidates will, most likely, become even tougher.

30 ScandAsia • December 2018

A challenge for the Malaysian economy is also the need to increase productivity to stay competitive. This is creating the demand for investments in productive and innovative Swedish products and services – an opportunity to take advantage of, states the report.

79% of the sur veyed companies indicate that the Swedish brand is perceived positively in Malaysia (the rest, 21%, neutral).

The Swedish brand is associated with innovative products and services, which are strong differentiators in the Malaysian market. These should be highlighted, recommends Business Sweden. And while keeping the Swedish brand image, the value offering should be localized to gain the confidence of local customers.

Swedish businesses should also show that they care about the Malaysian market by sharing exper tise within sustainability and innovation.

“Swedish companies operating in Malaysia increasingly differentiate themselves by showing their commitment to the local market, such as carrying out corporate social responsibility programs that contributes to the community, job creation and other added value.”

Malaysia is well-positioned, both with regards to geography and cost structure, for continued growth and Swedish businesses Embedded in the middle of the ASEAN region, Malaysia’s strategic location and competitive position make it an attractive for destination to set up regional hubs and similar.

Malaysia has a low-cost base with workers 25% of what their counterparts earn in neighbouring Singapore.

The country remains strongly focused on assembly, testing, design, and development involved in component parts.

“L

ooking at the aggregated market characteristics and input from the Swedish companies present in the market, we can conclude that the business opportunities are vast and the optimism for the future is big,” concludes Emil Akander.

As the survey was presented on 3 October in Singapore the Swedish Ambassador to Malaysia, Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt commented: “There is great interest for Malaysia among Swedish corporations in Singapore.With more transparency, accountability & good governance, Malaysia’s attraction for investments will increase. Rule of law, transparency, and social and political stability are good for business & investments.”

“There are defined oppor tunities in the areas such as Smar t Manufacturing & Smar t Cities where Swedish companies are already seen as a role model & key partner for value add creation. The country’s strong commitment to implement a digital agenda will further trigger demand for new technologies & innovative companies,” said Kacper Pierzynowski, Project Manager at Business Sweden Malaysia.

Source: Business Sweden

Business

Finland’s Consul General for Hong Kong and Macao, Johanna Karanko

China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation

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he 3rd meeting of China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooper ation was organized on 8 November in Shanghai during the China International Import Expo (preceded by working groups meetings on 7 November).

Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-MariVirolainen also attended the Committee meeting.

The Committee was established during President Xi’s visit to Finland in spring 2017. Its members are leading investment companies from both countries.

Minister Virolainen’s visit was organised in cooperation with Business Finland, which is part of Team Finland.

The Team Finland delegation included a total of 13 Finnish companies, while 36 companies make up the Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation.

In May 2017, Chinese President Xi

Jinping announced at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that China will hold China International Import Expo (CIIE) starting from 2018.

By organizing this Expo, the Chinese government aims to show suppor t to trade liberalization and economic globalization and actively open the Chinese market to the world. This is the 1st time that China organizes an Expo focusing on import. It is one of the most important trade policy events happening in China in 2018.

Chinese government will invite Chinese enter pr ises from across the country to come to do business during the Expo. Merchants from third countries will also be invited. It’s estimated that 150,000 domestic and foreign professional purchasers will participate in the Expo.

Governments and companies from over 60 countries joined the Expo

and Finland also par ticipated. Finland had national pavilion of 160 sqm at the Expo to demonstrate its country image.

“China is Finland’s four th biggest trading partner; last year, the value of trade in goods between the countries reached EUR 8 million. The CIIE offers companies good oppor tunities to network with both Chinese companies and authorities,” said Minister AnneMari Virolainen.

Consul General Johanna Karanko (in Hong Kong and Macau) also attended the China International Impor t Expo with Team Finland, including the opening ceremony for the China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation, organized as part of the Expo.

Sources: Consulate General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macau, Business Finland December 2018 • ScandAsia 31

Business

Minister Lintilä led Team Finland visit to Vietnam

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n 14–19 October 2018 F i n l a n d ’s M i n i s t e r o f Economic Affair s Mika Lintilä headed a Team Finland visit to Vietnam to promote expor ts and internationalisation of Finnish companies. The business delegation accompanying the Minister consisted in 24 representatives especially from the sectors of energy, water and waste management technology, bioeconomy and digital technology.

During the visit, Minister Lintilä and the business delegation met Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam to discuss innovation policy and the bilateral economic relations between the countries. The delegation also met Minister of Science and Technology Chu Ngoc Anh, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Construction Pham Hong Ha, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Hoang Quoc Vuong, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Minister of Public Security Nguyen Van Son, and Deputy Minister of Planning 32 ScandAsia • December 2018

and Investment Le Quang Manh.

In addition, the delegation had a meeting with Eric Sidgwick, Country Director of the Asian Development Bank, and Sebastian Eckardt, the World Bank’s Lead Economist for the region.

The programme also included a round-table discussion with local software developer s, a meeting with representatives of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and a visit to the water treatment plant of Hanoi. The delegation also met Hoang Binh Quan, Communist Par ty of Vietnam External Relations Chairman, and discussed cooperation possibilities in smart city projects with the Mayors of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The delegation introduced Finland’s exper tise in urban waste, energy and water management and public transport in workshops led by different members of the delegation.

The Embassy of Finland in Hanoi also arranged a networking event for local opinion leaders and the Finnish business delegation.

Vietnam is an emerging countr y

with rapid economic growth and more than 90 million people. It is also a Member State of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ASEAN. The relations between the EU and Vietnam are developing, and the for thcoming entr y into force of the free trade agreement will open new opportunities

Business

for investments and trade in Vietnam.

Companies represented in the business delegation were: Cloud Asset Oy, Doranova Oy, EduExcellence Oy, Ferroplan Oy, Finland Chamber of Commerce, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), BMH Technology Oy, FinnSEA Oy, Finnvera plc, Fortum Power and Heat Oy, IQ Payments Oy, IWA Oy, KaukoInternational Oy, Nokia Corporation, Pexraytech, Simosol Oy, Toip Oy,Turku Science Park Ltd.,Valmet Co., Ltd., Wärtsilä Corporation On 18 October a ‘We Love Finland party’ took place in Ho Chi Minh city organised in the honor of the visit of Minister Mika Lintilä. It was an excellent opportunity for the business delegation to network with Vietnamese companies and city representatives. Three Memorandums of Understanding were also signed at the event and a Finnish DJ played some Finnish music at the event.

Sources: Embassy of Finland in Hanoi, Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs

Danske Bank hosted Sino-Nordic Seafood Forum

D

anske Bank has hosted the second ‘Danske Bank SinoNordic Seafood For um’ in Qingdao China. 17 companies on three panels and full house of guests consisting of leading seafood industrial players and investors from China and

the Nordics gathered to discuss growth prospects, sector outlook and cross border cooperation, reported Danske Bank.

Source: Yanling Zheng of Danske Bank in China December 2018 • ScandAsia 33

Business

3rd Sino-Swedish Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum

O

n 21 November Sino-Swedish Innovaton & Entrepreneurship Center’s 3rd Sino-Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum took place in Beijing.

The For um is an impor tant instrument, for enhancing the Swedish profile as a leading innovation- and knowledge nation in China as well as for communicating experiences and developing networ ks for bilateral cooperation between Sweden and China in the field of innovation and entrepreneurship.

“There is a lot to be learned from sharing experiences. Sweden and China are global powerhouses of innovation, one by punching way above its weight in per capita metrics, and the other by the sheer size and potential of 34 ScandAsia • December 2018

its ecosystems,” Mar tin Vercouter, General Manager, Swedish Chamber of Commerce in China, wrote on Linkedin. ”After a great presentation of Swedish strengths by Marie Wall, I had the pleasure to share some thoughts on policy, and the different roles established companies can play, at SSIEC’s 3rd SinoSwedish Entrepreneurship Forum in Beijing.”

T h e fi r s t e ve r S i n o - S we d i s h Innovation and Entrepreneur ship Forum took place in 2016 at Hangxing Science Park in Beijing on 21 November, organized by alumni organization Sweden Alumni Network in China (SANC), Swedish Young Professionals and Zhongguancun Hangxing Science Park.

SSIEC provides an ecosystem with

a physical space for the development of sustainable and lucrative business solutions. With a physical space in the heart of China’s capital and direct access to local resources, SSIEC serves as a project development, match-making and networking platform. Through cooperation with Nordic and Chinese organizations, our platform serves as the link between two innovation-driven societies, and facilitates interactions, business oppor tunities, and cultural exchange.

Source: Martin Vercouter, General Manager, Swedish Chamber of Commerce in china; SSIEC

Business

Nordcham Vietnam launched new logo

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ordcham Vietnam has announced that a new logo, officially implemented by Nordcham Vietnam from now on.

“In partnership with Doodle Brands, we have altered our logo to reflect who we are today and to symbolize

our dynamic future,” states Nordcham in Vietnam.

“The new logo not only features Nordic values, but also captures how we ‘Collaborate & Innovate the Nordic Way’ with our member s/par tner s here in Vietnam. It was designed with combination of distinctive Nordic and Vietnamese inspired colours, shapes and typography. It is a reflection of our Nordic-Vietnam Friendship and our

goal of promoting cross-cultural ties and partnerships across Vietnam.”

This development marks 20th year of Nordcham, an important milestone on their journey of providing support to Nordic companies and individuals operating in Vietnam.

Source: Nordcham Vietnam

SKF consolidates, invests in new China manufacturing facility

S

K F o f S we d e n i s i nve s t i n g approximately SEK 200 million in improving its competitiveness and customer service levels for tapered roller bearings (TRB) in China. The investment is being made in a new manufacturing facility in Changshan, to which the Group’s existing smallsize TRB manufacturing in China will be transferred. As a result, three existing sites in Ningbo, Shanghai and

Changshan will be closed.

“The tapered roller bearing market in China continues to show solid levels of growth, driven largely by the industrial gearbox and drives segments.

The investment in Changshan allows us to capitalise on this trend by bringing our SKF, GBC and PEER brands and exper tise together, under one roof,” says Patrick Tong, President, Industrial Sales, Asia.

The new manufacturing facility in Changshan is expected to be fully operational during Q1 2019.

SKF combines hands-on experience in over 40 industr ies with their knowledge across the SKF technology platforms: bearings and units, seals, motion technologies, ser vices and lubrication systems.

December 2018 • ScandAsia 35

Community

A talk with the new Swedish pastor on Phuket ScandAsia has met Anders Stenbäck, the new pastor of the Church of Sweden in Southern Thailand. Raised in Malaysia, he now returns to Asia to work among Swedes in the region and hopes to let them feel that it is them, and not him, who are the most essential part of the church

By Lærke Weensgaard 36 ScandAsia • December 2018

A church needs a pastor, but the pastor is not the church. It is the people who come here that are the church

T

he Swedish church on the island Phuket looks nothing like a church at all. In fact, it is a normal house. At first glance, only a little picture of Jesus and an interim altar in the living room reveal that it is a religious place. At the same time, it is also the new home of pastor Anders Stenbäck and his wife, deacon Ulrika Stenbäck.

“That’s all there is:The two of us, our home and a car and so we are responsible of the Church of Sweden in Southern Thailand,” says 57-year-old Anders Stenbäck, sitting in the living room.

They began their new positions on Phuket in September 2018. Based on Phuket, they will do their best to help Swedes in Southern Thailand for the next three years.

The new pastor believes the church should be humble and serving. He seems to embody that ideal himself with his calm attitude and soft voice. This day, the church’s choir will practice and when the first member apologizes for showing up early, Anders Stenbäck just smiles and tells him not to worry.

Anders Stenbäck thinks of the church as a community.

The lack of an actual church building does not matter to him, since it is people and not brick walls that makes up a community.

“A church needs a pastor, but the pastor is not the church. It is the people who come here that are the church.

They do not come here to watch what I am doing as a pastor, they come here so that we can do things together as a church,” he says.

As the remaining members of the choir arrive, the house changes from being the home of a couple to becoming the church.

Thailand and Malaysia

Anders Stenbäck hands out songbooks and grabs his guitar.

Together with the choir, he starts singing Abba’s “Waterloo”.

As they sing the sun sets outside the windows that offer a great view of one Phuket’s many beaches.

It is only seven months since the pastor and his wife sat foot in Thailand for the first time. That was in April 2018,when they came to Phuket to see the house and talk to the locals. It was not to consider whether they might want the live and work here – they had already said yes before they arrived.

December 2018 • ScandAsia 37

I was bewildered myself, when I came back to Sweden from Malaysia as a teenager. I had not yet learnt the social codes in Sweden

Originally, it was Ulrika Stenbäck who wanted to work abroad, while at first Anders Stenbäck was not too keen. He began to change his mind 1,5 year ago, when they visited some of Ulrika Stenbäck’s relatives, who were stationed in Los Angeles with the same assignment.

“In Los Angeles I saw that it was very meaningful to work with Swedes abroad and I gradually began to think it could be exciting. I was still very much into my work in Sweden and I was very hesitant leaving, but I am so glad I did. It is a good break after so many years in the same place.”

After 29 year s in Sweden’s second biggest city, Gothenburg, the three years leave in Thailand is their first job outside Sweden.

However, Anders Stenbäck is no stranger to Asia. He was raised in Malaysia and lived there until he was 13 years old. He believes his upbringing in Malaysia will help him settle down quickly in Thailand.

When the choir finishes singing, he slips upstairs to 38 ScandAsia • December 2018

change into a vestment before the service begins. Like many other places in Thailand, the heat means there is no reason to wear socks inside, and Anders Stenbäckis still barefooted when he comes back downstairs in his vestment.

Impact of Buddism

From the house of the Swedish church you can spot Phuket’s famous big Buddha. It overlooks the island on top of a steep hill. Christians are clearly a minority here, which is also the case in Malaysia. With his background in Malaysia, Anders Stenbäck thinks he has an advance in being familiar with belonging to a minority.

In his experience, the Buddist culture of Thailand has an impact on the Swedes living here, making them more aware of the religious dimensions of life. He also thinks many of them have become better at asking for help, because they know it is common to feel bewildered in a new culture.

“I was bewildered myself, when I came back to Sweden from Malaysia as a teenager. I had not yet learnt the social codes in Sweden. Maybe my time in Thailand is a chance for me to understand Swedes even better as they open up,” he says.

More than 20 Swedes fill up the living room on plastic chairs during the service and most of them are long-term residents on Phuket. Just like in many other churches, some sings loudly during the hymns, while others stay quiet.

Expats and tourists

Anders Stenbäck is grateful for the Swedish expats because they help him and his wife to ease into the life in Thailand.

On the other hand, the pastor can help them if they are in need of support: “The expats are the experts, so we can support each other in different ways.”

The expats are not the only Swedes the church is for. It

also offers help to tourists and a few have shown up for the service. Their red, sunburned skin reveals that they have not been in Thailand for long.

“If some tourists are in stressful situations, we can help them understand the big picture as they are new to Phuket. We try to help them to find their own motivation to do things rather than us taking over,” says Anders Stenbäck.

When the service is over, the Swedes sit down to chat.

When you close the frontdoor, only a little sign outside saying ‘Swedish church’ reveals the community inside.

December 2018 • ScandAsia 39

Community

Swea’s 2018 regional Asia-Pacific meeting set the stage for 40 Years Anniversary

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WEA (Swedish Women’s Educational Association International, Inc) in Bangkok recently hosted the 2018 annual regional meeting for the Asia Pacific.

There, the joint activities, including participation in other Swea International events, were presented

by Regional President Anna Centerman in Beijing.

The accounts were duly presented by Regional Treasurer Ann-Marie Gustafsson.

Donations and scholarships in 2017 amounted to 31 847 USD or 45 000+ SEK, and included, among other things, a Swedish cook book in Beijing, Swedish school Melbourne, and a Easter party held in Klong Toey, Bangkok.

‘Tomorrow’s SWEA’, in recognition of international changes was also highlighted, which is to be an active and professional network for Swedish-speaking women with different background and in various stages in their life, as well as to promote friendship, contacts and their Swedish identity.

The Swea vision was presented to the participating local Swea section representatives. This vision includes: • To be the largest Sweden-promoting organisation outside Sweden

ach Swea section presented their activities, where it became clear that in several Asian cities many Swea membes - ‘Sweor’ - are active business women and entrepreneurs these days. ScandAsia here highlights

40 ScandAsia • December 2018

• A “must” for Swedish-speaking women who move abroad • An organisation one is proud being part of • A transparent organisation with a clear message • A professional,modern and communicative organisation

E

Anna Frummerin, SWEA Bangkok

Kjell Bergqvist, special guest

Hong Kong and Singapore, represented by local Presidents Catarina Bygge and Anna Seefeldt respectively.

“We are about 80 members but we have quite a large turnover of members because many stay for 2-5 years and then move on. We had a great 80’s party this spring which was very successful for celebrating our 30th anniversary,” informed Catarina.

“As in all countries where Swea is located, Swea Hong Kong is the most important network, which is a great helpperhaps most of the time in Hong Kong, but also later when you are wondering about something and need help by someone who has previously mentioned or has information about what can be done,” she continued..

Also socially the organisation plays an important role, with many different activities being held, including some

popular recurring events, such as hiking and my ‘My Hong Kong’ (where the members take turn to guide in various parts of the city).

“There are many hiking trails around Hong Kong with stunning scenery and it’s a fun way to see different parts of Hong Kong and the surrounding areas.”

Swea collaborates with other local Swedish organisations, such as the General Consulate, Swedcham, the Swedish Church and the Swedish School, holding regular meetings.

“We also arrange a welcome event together every fall for new Swedes arriving to Hong Kong.”

Swea Hong Kong is also engaged in the celebration of Swedish festivals.

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December 2018 • ScandAsia 41

SWEA Hong Kong was celebrating 30 years during 2018.

Singapore also has a high turnover of members, currently 150-170, of whom some are on their first foreign posting.

“No one has been in the Board longer than two years in recent times. Therefore, we are now trying to put together a few simpler templates so that you can easily pick up when someone new comes along,” reported Anna Seefeldt “An introductory document will make it easier for new people to jump on a position without having a handover.

There is a lot of information about SWEA that can easily be lost otherwise.”

They are also working on having a local photo archive for reuse in the future, and to have an “exciting archive for future anniversaries”.

In general Swea Singapore enjoys strong support from Swedes in Singapore and different companies. Within Team Sweden they have regular meetings to stay informed.

“We are well respected and usually have the greatest impact when it comes to sharing information with the Swedes in the country.”

They also produce their own magazine to be proud of: “It is a lifestyle magazine that, apart from our members, is distributed to different places where we share our experiences and tips to other Swedes in the country or who are on their way.”

Their donation group is also working hard to set up a scholarship for approval at their next annual meeting in 42 ScandAsia • December 2018

February 2019. It is planned to be a language scholarship, valid for a certain place in Sweden.

T

he programme for the coming year will be ver y special, as Swea will celebrate 40 years as an organisation in 2019.

30 March will be the kickoff for this anniversary year. On 11 May the biggest 40 Years celebration takes place when Swea members worldwide gathers.

Following on that a private anniversary trip to Sicily takes place during 22-29 May. And during the summer period in Sweden a trip to the Bjäre peninsula will take place on 2-5 July.

On 9 August a half-day conference will be held at Clarion Hotel Sign, in Stockholm.

The celebrations culminate during 14-17 November, with the world meeting in Dubai as the grand finale for the anniversary.

The regional meeting in Bangkok also had the famous Swedish actor Kjell Berqvist, because of his Swedish family’s charity work and educational efforts in Thailand.

Kjell Bergqvist, suppor ted by his family presented how they star ted a swimming school and how it has expanded, including setting up a proper, registered ‘stiftelse’ foundation back in Sweden called ‘Familjen Bergqvist Insamlingsstiftelse’. This foundation received a donation from Swea.

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December 2018 • ScandAsia 43