ScandAsia South East Asia - February 2013

FEB 2013

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Opinion

Global Economy in 2013 The global economy does not look good.

Sorry but that is the truth.

Your FREE ScandAsia Magazine ScandAsia is the only magazine that covers all the Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish residents in South East Asia.

We also publish a ScandAsia magazine in China, Thailand, and Singapore.

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F

or many years the industrialized countries (US, Europe, and Japan) ran completely irresponsible economic policies. With high growth common sense tells to save for rainy days, but they borrowed to spend even more. It was fantastic as long as it lasted, but in 2007/2008 the bubble burst. A financial crisis plunged well known global financial institutions into bankruptcy forcing governments to step in and print money; they had no choice. If financial institutions were left to fall the economy would have crashed. Neither governments nor banks had savings so print money they did overheating the printing machine! None the less it spilled over into a government debt crisis for ultimately to produce a recession. Remember Stan and Olly from the 1930s ‘another fine mess you got us into!’

For those reading the global financial press it may come as a surprise that the Euro Zone is doing better than the U.S. Euro Zone Government debt is stabilizing close to 90 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and government deficits are brought down from close to 7 per cent of GDP to around 3 per cent forecasts to fall further in 2013 and 2014.

The Euro Zone is taking the pain now bringing their house in order through austerity – it hurt, but it works.

The U.S. has chosen to ignore the debt and deficit speeding down the road full throttle despite bends and roadblocks ahead. The debt ratio to GDP is about 100 per cent and rising.

The deficit stubbornly stays around 7 per cent of GDP. The US hopes that something will show up to solve the debt crisis. Nothing of that sort will happen with the gloomy prospect of a U.S. default on its public debt a likely scenario before 2020 when net interest payments will account for almost 20 per cent of the federal budget– an impossible situation.

Publisher : 211 Soi Prasert Manukit 29 Prasert Manukit Road Chorakae Bua, Lad Prao Bangkok 10230, Thailand Tel. +66 2 943 7166-8, Fax: +66 2 943 7169 E-mail: news@scandasia.com

This takes place at the same time as the world moves from 200 year with easy access to resources available at low prices to an era steered by increasing scarcities. We read about rare earth and similar raw materials, but it is the tip of the iceberg. The global food situation is dominated by rising prices and under-nourishment in 40 countries, commodity prices are up even if during a recession they should fall, energy is scarce and expensive despite shale gas, water scarcity cast a shadow over half of the global population, and clean environment is starting to be a luxury only the well-off can afford.

Editor-in-Chief : Gregers A.W. Møller gregers@scandmedia.com

To sort these problems out we need leadership – global leadership. Look around to see where we find it?

Assistant Editor: Wachiraporn Janrut wachiraporn@scandmedia.com Advertising : Finn Balslev finn@scandmedia.com Piyanan Kalikanon piyanan@scandmedia.com Nattapat Maesang nattapat@scandmedia.com Graphic Designer : Supphathada Numamnuay supphathada@scandmedia.com Distribution : Wanvisa Rattanaburi wanvisa@scandmedia.com Printing : Advance Printing Services Co., Ltd.

Daily news and features here: www.scandasia.com

Joergen Oerstroem Moeller Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore.

Adjunct Professor Singapore Management University & Copenhagen Business School. Author of: • HOW ASIA CAN SHAPE THE WORLD, from the era of plenty to the era of scarcities, 2011 • Political Economy in a Globalized World, 2009.

Coming Events Conductor Carl Davis

ABBA Goes Symphonic Date: Location: Prices:

2 March 2013 at 8.30p.m. and 3 March 2013 at 3.00p.m.

Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) RM 250/180/130/60

Conducted by Carl Davis, the programme consisting of a ten-song retrospective tracing the story of the hugely popular Swedish pop group ABBA in symphonic style will be performed at Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO).

Formed in 1972, ABBA became the first such group from a non-English-speaking country to enjoy consistent success in the charts of English-speaking countries. As a warm up to ABBA, Davis conducts music from great shows that have appeared on the London stage, ranging from Gilbert and Sullivan (Yeoman of the Guard) to My Fair Lady to Cats and Les Misérables.

Make sure to wear something smart as jeans, denim, short collarless, t-shirts/singlets, sneakers and slippers are strictly not allowed.

For ticket purchase, visit www.mpo.com.my

Swedish band ABBA

Danish Pavilion at Water Philippines 2013 Date: Location:

20-22 March 2013 Manila, Philippines

In cooperation with the Trade Council of Denmark in Kuala Lumpur, Danish Water Technology Group (Danish Export Association) is inviting your company to take part in the Danish Pavilion at Water Philippines 2013 Expo.

At the event, participants can get in touch with distributors and co-operation partners as well as gaining more knowledge of the market.

For more information, visit http://malaysia.um.dk (c)www.penangworldmusic.gov.my

B a g s væ r d k o s t s k o l e gymnasium tid til talent

Penang World Music Festival 2013 Bagsværd kostskole & gymnasium (Bk) er en udviklingsorienteret og traditionsrig skole grundlagt i 1908. elever, der vælger en uddannelse hos os, siger ja til fællesskab, faglighed, seriøsitet og individuel talentudvikling. det vi på Bagsværd kostskole & gymnasium kalder for: tid til talent. vi tilbyder: • • • • • • •

dansk uddannelse med et internationalt præg grundskole, 10. kl., studentereksamen (stX) danmarks første femårig Biotek-uddannelse 8.kl.-3.g sport- og talentklasse fra 7. kl. mulighed for morgentræning tirsdage og torsdage aktiv brug af it og internet i undervisningen enkeltværelser til kostelever, lektiehjælp hver dag

scan Qr koden og besøg vores hjemmeside www.bagkost.dk aldershvilevej 138 • dk-2880 • Bagsværd • telefon: +45 44980065 • e-mail: bk@bagkost.dk

6 ScandAsia.South East Asia • February 2013

Date: 30-31 March 2013 Location: Quarry Park in the Penang Botanic Gardens Ticket Prices: RM 80/adult and RM 40/ child for the one-day pass

and RM 140/adult and RM 70/ child for the two-day pass Organised by the Penang State Tourism Development and Culture, the two-night event will feature a mix of well-known international and local musicians, performing a fusion of traditional and contemporary music. The PWMF 2013 performers lineup will include AKASHA from Malaysia, MU from Portugal, Kimi Djabate’ from West Africa, Saharadja from Indonesia, Inka Marka from South America and Kalayo from the Philippines.

The beautiful landscape of the Quarry Park will provide a naturethemed backdrop for the open-air festival which will start from 2pm with art and music workshops followed by the main programme from 6pm onwards. There will also be a festival bazaar on site offering a wide selection of food and beverages, souvenir items, handicrafts and the performers’ CDs specially for festival-goers.

For more information, call 016-4110000 or visit www.penangworldmusic.gov.my

Danish Christmas gathering at the Ambassador’s residence

Past Events

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o amount of rain could ruin the Christmas spirit as 300 adults and 65 kids gathered at the Danish Ambassador’s residence following the Christmas Sermon on 9 December 2012 in Malaysia.

All the outdoor games that had been prepared for the kids were washed away by the rain, but it didn’t spoil the festive mood which was helped along by the traditional Danish “glögg” and “æbleskiver”.

The gathering was generously supported with biscuits from United Plantation’s bakery, cheese from Uhrenholt, fruit drinks from Sunquick, and beer from Carlsberg.

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February 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia

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News Brief

Filipino laser scientist wins Danish optics prize

The plant is also going to be a demonstration site where Biogas Systems’ technique for electricity production will be on display.

(Source: biogassystems.com)

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Filipino scientist has received the highest prize from the Danish Optical Society (DOPS) for his current work with lasers and laser sensors.

Peter John Rodrigo, a researcher for the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Fotonik Optical Sensor Technology group who has been living in the country for the past ten years, won the prestigious 2012 DOPS Prize for his work on wind LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and optical trapping.

DOPS awarded Rodrigo a diploma and cash prize during their annual meeting and the Northern Optics conference on 19-20 November 2012 in Snekkersten, Denmark.

His papers on optical trapping made it in three consecutive December issues of the Optical Society of America’s Optics and Photonics News as “one of the most exciting optics research for 2003, 2004 and 2005.”

Rodrigo’s wind lidar can remotely measure wind direction and velocity accurately. DTU Fotonik is now commercializing the technology developed from his study through a start-up company, Windar Photonics A/S. Peter John Rodrigo took up his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree at the National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman, and his doctorate degree from the prestigious Niels Bohr Institute of the University of Copenhagen. right: Peter John Rodrigo

Ikea may buy part of Sentul City

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Indonesia’s Palu city and Swedish company signed a biogas plant contract

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alu City, represented by the Vice Mayor of Palu, Mr. Andy M. Tombolotutu, and Biogas Systems AB of Sweden, represented by the CEO Mr. Tony Zetterfeldt, signed a contract on biogas plant on 9 January 2013 at the Swedish Residence in Jakarta.

The biogas plant will be installed at Kawatuna Landfill in Palu, and will convert methane gases into electricity. This project was identified as a result of wasteto-value cooperation between Palu City and Borås City, which is a part of the broader Indonesian-Swedish sustainable city (SymbioCity) cooperation between Palu and Borås.

Biogas Systems AB, the supplier of the gas plant, is one of the specialists in the field of biogas in Sweden. It develops solutions that make use of gas from landfill sites, and uses independently developed technology to convert environmentally harmful gases into green energy for the generation of heat and electricity.

The municipality company of Borås, Borås Energy and Environment (Borås Energi och Miljö) is the supervisor of the knowledge transfer in this project.

During the occasion, Mr. Tombolotutu expressed his sincere appreciation of the good cooperation between Palu and Sweden in the field of waste management, and conveyed that this project was an important step towards the realization of Palu’s vision “Green and Clean City”.

Mr. Zetterfeldt stressed the uniqueness of Biogas Systems’ solutions, that is to adapt the solutions to local context and consequently, parts of the plant in Palu would be sourced locally whenever possible. Indonesia is the first country in Asia that Biogas Systems set foot on. Biogas Systems is at present active in Scandinavia, Europe and North Africa.

kea Group might acquire a stake, through its subsidiary Vastint Holding, in property developer Sentul City as it enters the Indonesian market.

Vastin Holding BV is Ikea’s property division, and is based in the Netherlands. It currently holds 750 million euros ($1 billion) worth of assets, according to the company’s website.

Adrian Budi Utama, vice president director of Sentul City admitted that Vastint has expressed interest, but refused to share any details.

He insisted that Sentul City has not agreed to anything with Ikea, including plans to build Asia’s biggest retail store.

Ikea will open its first local store in 2014 through a franchise deal with Hero Supermarket, a Jakarta-based retailer that operates Giants hypermarkets and Hero supermarkets. Ikea’s first store will be located in a complex owned by Alam Sutera Realty in Serpong.

8 ScandAsia.South East Asia • February 2013

Rising consumer demand in Indonesia, coupled with the growing economy, has resulted in more overseas investors putting their funds into the country. Still, weak law enforcement, especially against corruption, has been a stumbling block for many foreign investors.

Sentul City is a satellite city located in Sentul, Bogor, which also home to the Sentul International Circuit, a race course.

Andrian said that the company will spend Rp 460 billion in capital expenditure this year to continue the construction of its projects. He said the company will finish Pertamina Hospital, as well as continue its work on apartment projects, a condotel, and four additional residential clusters.

In the first nine months of 2012, the company saw its net income jump by 130 percent, to Rp 212 billion from Rp 92 billion over the same period in 2011. Revenue grew by 88 percent to Rp 545.29 billion from Rp 289.53 billion.

News Brief

Åge Aleksandersen performing in Singapore Tickets can be purchased at SGD 125.

If you are interested, please contact Norwegian Business Association (Singapore) Tel: +65 6622 9100 Fax: +65 6224 7079 E-mail: admin@nbas.org.sg Contact persons: Kjersti Thorvildsen and Mona M.Brisbane

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ongwriter and performer, Åge Aleksandersen and his lead-guitarist over 30 years, Gunnar Pedersen, the man behind the guitar solo on “Lys og Varme”, will perform at The Tanglin Club on 15 March 2013. Åge is one of the main initiators and creators of the so called “Trønderrock” movement, a rock-’n’-roll style emerged out of Trøndelag, a region in the central part of Norway, anchored in Anglo-American folk-rock traditions, but with strong elements of local culture and traditions. He is the most celebrated and profiled rock-musician in Norway with a significant Scandinavian fan-base.

With his band “Sambandet” he has toured Scandinavia for more than 40 years.

This year he has parked “Sambandet” and is holding a concert series together with Pedersen performing and explaining how his songs have originated and developed. The inspiration and history of the songs are told through a dialogue between Åge, Pedersen, and the audience, delivered in a sordined musical landscape.

The concerts have received fantastic reviews in Norwegian newspapers and all concert dates since the start of the tour have been sold out.

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to experience Åge and Pedersen in this one-off live performance in Singapore.

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February 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia

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News Brief

Telenor awaits to raise stakes in Malaysia’s DiGi

Telenor chief executive officer Jon Fredrik Baksaas at Shah Alam. - Shahrul Fazry Ismail/The Star

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orwegian Telenor ASA is not opposed to further increasing its stake in DiGi. Com but will decide on the exact percentage once the Malaysian Government issues more details on the plan to further liberalise the local telecoms sector to allow foreign equity ownership to go up to 70%.

The current ceiling for foreign equity ownership is 49% and that is how much Telenor has in DiGi, the Star reports.

“We hear the Malaysian Government might make a decision on foreign ownership for the telecoms sector. We wish and welcome that.

We had even asked for that when we had to reduce our stake from 60% to 49% (several years ago),’’ Telenor chief executive officer Jon Fredrik Baksaastold StarBiz in an interview recently.

During Budget 2013’s presentation and at the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) briefing on 16 Nov 2012, the Government said it would permit up to 70% foreign equity/ownership of the Network Facilities Provider and Network Services Provider class and individual licences.

However, no details have come out since as to how the foreign parties can take advantage of buying or increasing stakes in the telecoms sector.

Telenor has been a long-term investor in DiGi and Baksaas said “Telenor has enabled DiGi

to move up the ladder to become a strong number three (player in the local market).”

“DiGi employees and management have managed over the years to consistently build DiGi’s position and I am proud of seeing that happen.

And now we will have to see if the Government finalises what it needs to decide on the liberalisation,’’ he said.

Telenor has several ventures in Asia but the DiGi investment is often referred to as the star investment and it has been a star performer for the group when it comes to investments in Asia.

Telenor is also active in India, Thailand, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Globally, it has mobile operations in 11 markets, and more if its stake in Russia’s VimpelCom Ltd is counted.

DiGi has been declaring handsome dividends year after year. For its third quarter, it reported a revenue of RM715mil and an after tax profit of RM315mil.

The company has 5.6 million subscribers and has pledged to invest about RM700mil in capital expenditure to grow its business.

DiGi was recently awarded the 4G long-term evolution (LTE) 2.6G spectrum to enable it to offer more applications that can run faster on the 4G platform. It intends to deploy 4G-enabled services within this year.

Swede’s complaint over horror movies screened on express bus in Malaysia

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xpress bus drivers in Malaysia have been given guidelines on the playing of movies during trips, and failure to adhere to them could risk them being reported to the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (CVLB) for further action.

Sabah Express Bus Operators Council president Donald Hanafi gave this warning following an incident where inappropriate material was shown during a recent express bus trip in Malaysia.

A Swedish passenger who took that bus ride had contacted the New Straits Times to make the complaint. She claimed the bus driver had shown some gruesome movies along the journey, which were inappropriate for children on board the bus. One of the movies screened was identified as The Wrong Turn, a horror movie.

Donald said the council would investigate the complaint by the Swedish passenger and take action. He stressed the council would not hesitate to refer any offenders to the CLVB. He advised passengers to contact the authority, on the number displayed in every bus, if they found anything to be unsatisfactory. According to Donald, the council’s members include 21 bus companies, with about 400 buses.

Norway pushes CO2 storage potential in Indonesia

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Deputy Head of Mission Marianne Damhaug explaining Norway’s position on CCS. (Photo: Norwegian Embassy) 10 ScandAsia.South East Asia • February 2013

he Norwegian Embassy in Indonesia on 13 December 2012 opened a seminar arranged by CCOP, ITB, Geological Agency and Petrad in Bandung, Indonesia.

Representatives from oil and gas regulatory and supervisory agencies, research organizations, national oil and gas companies, data management as well academic institutions in Indonesia were present.

Resource persons from the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Statoil Indonesia, IRIS AS, Stavanger, the Norwegian Environmental Technology Center shared their experience and knowledge.

The seminar was a part of the preparation for Indonesia’s role in the CO2 Storage Mapping - a new 4-years regional capacity building program of COOP on CCS (Carbon capture and storage) - where Indonesia will be a case study country.

News Brief

Swedish Ambassador presents his credentials in Manila

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ilippino President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed 14 Non-resident Ambassadors who will begin their tour as representatives of their respective countries in ceremonies held in Manila on 10 January 2013.

In a ceremony at the presidential palace, Swedish Ambassador Klas Molin officially handed over his letters of credentials to the President. The letters, signed by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf, are the official proof of accreditation as Swedish ambassador to the Philippines.

The ambassador and the Swedish Embassy in Bangkok are also responsible for other three bureaus: Thailand, Laos and in Burma/Myanmar.

President Aquino stated in his speech that the visit of the ambassadors to the Philippines was a testament to the mutual efforts of Philippines and their respective countries to strengthen relations and “positively engage each other,” reports say.

“Your visit comes at a time when the Philippines is on the rise-a time when we Filipinos hold our heads high because of the great strides we have made as a people. The Philippines stands as a reliable and responsible member of the community of nations, ready to work with those who seek to advance goodwill and hope across the globe,” the President said.

Volvo and Malaysian agency team up for road safety innovation

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wedish manufacturer, Volvo Trucks, has partnered with the Innovation Agency of Malaysia to find innovation solutions to make Malaysian roads safer for both motorcycles and trucks, a Malaysian press reported.

According to Bernama, Volvo Trucks Malaysia managing director, Mansoor Ahmed said in a statement that the initiative named “Innovative Solutions to Reduce Crashes between Trucks and Motorcycles” (iSTREC) would be divided into two stages and implemented throughout the year.

“The first phase involving research to develop innovative solutions will be carried out over the next six months, while the second stage will be the implementation together with a nationwide awareness programme,” he said.

Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) and Kuala Lumpur Hospital’s Forensic Department revealed that commercial vehicles such as trucks, buses and trailers accounted for the highest percentage of total number of fatal crashes involving motorcyclist.

The innovation agency’s chief executive officer, Mark Rozario said in addition to the obvious potential of saving lives and livelihoods, the initiative stands to save the country millions of ringgit in lost time, productivity and other long-term costs related to road accidents.

Swedish ambassador to Malaysia, Bengt G Carlsson said his country was glad to be part of the project as Sweden had been the leading country to record the lowest number of road fatalities since the implementation of Vision Zero.

A Finnish landmark in the Philippines

T Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Giuseppe Pinto, Philippine Ambassador to Canada Jose Brillantes and Finland Ambassador Heikki Hannikainen.

(Photo: Manila Bulletin)

he Finnish Embassy’s celebration of Finland’s Independence Day on 6 December 2012 was more subdued, because its office in the Philippines was closing on the same day.

Ambassador Heikki Hannikainen noted that they had at least been able to celebrate the event in the country since their arrival in 2008.

“However, we are certainly not leaving the Philippines all together. We shall maintain an organic presence in the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Manila. We may no longer have our own embassy here as of next year, but the Finnish Embassy will remain operative here.”

He proudly stated that he had been witness

to many good changes in the country, saying that the Philippines had “rapidly regained the respectability that it rightfully deserves.” Economic indications were good, he said, and added that better investment ratings were just around the corner.

“Your Bangko Sentral is by far the most respected bank in the region; the judiciary system is being revamped. All of which makes the Philippines attractive to foreign investors, especially Finnish ones.”

Calling for a toast, Ambassador Hannikainen promised that they would return, adding, “If anyone will ask me, yes, the Philippines is worth the effort.”

February 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia

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Finnair marks th 90 anniversary W This year Finnair celebrates 90 years of operation.

Mr. Nick Naung Naung, Finnair’s Country Sales Manager based in Singapore, shares the airline’s vision and its success story.

By Wachiraporn Janrut

ith a long history of nine decades, Finnair is one of the world’s oldest operating airlines.

The company started its operation on 1 November 1923 under the name of Aero O/Y with a Junkers F 13 servicing the Helsinki route. Today, Finnair has over 60 aircrafts servicing over 60 destinations in Europe, 13 cities in Asia with a total of more than 70 flights between Asia and Europe.

Mr. Nick Naung Naung joined Finnair as Country Sales Manager – Singapore, Malaysia Indonesia, in February 2011. He has over ten years’ experience in the travel tourism industry, and prior to joining Finnair he was the Trade Account Manager for Air France KLM. Specialising in flights between Asia and Europe, Finnair is one of the most innovative and safest airlines in the world, he says.

The Group’s core business areas are Airline Business, Aviation Services and Travel Services.

The company has approximately 7,000 employees worldwide. The Finnish government is a major shareholder with a 55.8 per cent holding.

Other shareholders include public bodies, financial institutions, private companies and households.

12 ScandAsia.South East Asia • February 2013

“I have this wonderful opportunity to work for a company like Finnair which has a clear vision of what it wants to be, the direction it is taking, goals and more,” says Nick.

ongoing journey towards achieving its vision and being the best in its class and more,” he says.

Finnair’s vision

Nick tells us that in 1923 Finnair started its operation with a Junkers F 13, a single engine monoplane, equipped with a closed cabin and seats for four passengers. The crew consisted of a pilot and a mechanic.

And it served only the Helsinki route.

Long-haul expansion to the United States began in 1969 with flights from Helsinki via Copenhagen and Amsterdam to New York. In 1975 Finnair received its first widebodied aircraft, the DC-10s, which could carry nearly 300 passengers.

Finnair’s Far Eastern expansion began with the start of the company’s direct flights to Bangkok in November 1976. On 22 April 1983, Finnair opened non-stop flights

Finnair’s vision is to be the number one airline in the Nordic countries, the most desired or preferred option among passengers in Asia, and to be among the top three in terms of transit traffic between Asia and Europe.

“I am proud that every day we try to bring to life our customer promise of being an airline that is ‘Designed For You’, through offering quality and being fresh and creative in everything we do,” says Nick.

He believes that these are some of the company’s core success factors that help distinguish Finnair from the other airlines in the field.

“I want to be a part of Finnair’s

Finnair’s history and growth

Finnair’s Marimekko Unikko plane

from Helsinki to Tokyo, the only European airline to offer such a service at that time. Direct flights to Beijing began on 2 June 1988, making Finnair the first Western European airline to have a non-stop route between Europe and China.

The airline currently has more than 60 aircrafts. The long-haul fleet comprises of 15 wide-bodied aircrafts. The present operating scheduled flights to 12 long-haul destinations include Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Delhi, Seoul, Singapore and New York.

“We are moving toward an Asia-focused strategy, the biggest markets will be Japan and Greater China, and of course our own market in Finland,” says Nick.

For Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, Finnair has special arrangement with its partner airlines so passengers flying to Europe can connect to direct flights from cities like Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong.

In the summer of 2013, Nick says that the company will introduce non-stop flights to Xian and Hanoi.

According to him, part of Finnair’s 2020 vision is to double its revenues from Asia by adding markets and increasing frequencies between Asia and Europe.

Finnair’s competitiveness Nick reveals that the foundation of Finnair’s growth strategy includes the growing Asian markets, fast flight connections and its competitiveness in the industry.

“We offer a ‘shortcut’ between Asia and Europe. Finnair flies the short, northern route with optimal business travel timetables and smooth transfers via a highly efficient Helsinki Airport where transfer times are relatively short compared to other major European airports,” says Nick.

“This helps save time for our passengers, both business and leisure travellers,” he adds.

Finnair’s achievements in Singapore Nick says there have been several achievements since the launch of the daily direct flight from Helsinki to Singapore on 31 May 2011. In September that year, Finnair partnered with Rovio Entertainment to organise the first Angry Birds Asian Challenge event where participating fans played the game at an altitude of 10,000 metres – in Finnair’s plane which was painted with Angry Birds’ characters.

Moreover, Finnair has recently won the inaugural Best Marketing award given by the Changi Airport Group. In November 2012, the company held a celebration at Changi Airport to welcome its 100,000th passenger on the HelsinkiSingapore route.

“We surprised Finnair’s passengers by having ‘Santa’ and his elves giving out Marimekko tote bags while they were waiting at the carousel to pick up their bags,” says Nick.

In terms of load factor and revenue on the Singapore route, Nick says that the company is pleased with its performance as they have both exceeded expectations.

“We are getting more corporate clients, leisure travellers and support from other Southeast Asian countries. I am confident that we will continue to fulfill and even exceed our expected traffic and revenue goals,” says Nick.

At the moment, Finnair offers a daily flight on the Helsinki to Singapore route, except during the winter period where a schedule of four flights a week takes place.

Innovative airline Nick shared with us some of Finnair’s innovative marketing programs responding to customer demands and the growing market.

As of 28 November 2012 Finnair has introduced Fare branding - five new ticket types that will simplify the purchasing of flight tickets. He

Mr. Nick Naung Naung, Finnair’s Country Sales Manager

says that Finnair’s frequent flyer program, Finnair Plus, has also been renewed to make it more rewarding than ever before. The new ticket types are BUSINESS, BUSINESS SAVER in Business Class and PRO, VALUE and BASIC in Economy Class. The goal is to improve clarity in ticket pricing and offer fares to all segments of customers in the fastgrowing air travel market, he says.

Finnair and renowned Finnish design house Marimekko have also teamed up to enhance the air travel experience with a new design partnership. From spring 2013, all Finnair aircraft will feature a Marimekko for Finnair collection of textiles and tableware, featuring Marimekko’s classic patterns. Nick says that the Marimekko for Finnair collection is specially designed to add a light and fresh visual and tactile dimension to the onboard experience, while lightening the airline’s carbon footprint.

Skytrax, the world’s leading airline and airport reviews site, has renewed Finnair’s four-star rating status as a seal of quality approval for the airline’s good quality performance.

In fact, Finnair was named the best airline in Northern Europe at the 2012 Skytrax World Airline Awards.

This is the third time that Finnair has come out top in this category.

Celebrating 90 years To celebrate its 90th Anniversary this year, Finnair plans several marketing activities. For Singapore, the 90th Anniversary fares to Europe promotion has been launched, with prices from as low as SGD 1,029 in economy class and SGD 4,845 in business class. Travellers are suggested to check Finnair’s latest promotional fares on www.finnair.sg “I am proud to be working for one of the world’s oldest operating airlines. Its long history is a strong reflection of the company’s ability to be innovative, flexible and nimble to respond to changing passenger demands and business environment,” says Nick.

February 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia

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Nordic Club Jakarta – Nordic Club Jakarta provides the perfect platform for Scandinavian expats to meet, socialize, and even make a positive impact on Jakarta’s community.

By Melissa Holck

N

ordic Club is both a social club for nationals of the Nordic countries and a non-profit social welfare organization with a focus on offering financial and volunteer support to Jakarta’s less fortunate.

As a non-profit organization, it is run by a group of enthusiastic volunteers looking to make a difference in both the Nordic community and the local community while fostering friendship and unity between its

members and host city.

The Nordic Club’s primary objectives are: • To assist newly arrived Nordic expatriates with settling into their new life in Jakarta • To unite the Nordic community in Jakarta through social gatherings • To carry out local charity work through both financial assistance and volunteer support.

The current Nordic Club board was elected at the Annual General Meeting which is held every April.

14 ScandAsia.South East Asia • February 2013

The 2012-2013 board positions are held by Melissa Holck, President, Isabelle Ulvenholm, Vice President, Torill Olufsen, Secretary, Irene Knardal, Treasurer, Carmela Lindell, Charity Representative, Gitte Winberg, Danish country representative, Anne May Rostoen, Norwegian country representative and Monika Engstrom, Swedish country representative.

Membership Membership to The Nordic Club

is as simple as contacting the President or country representative.

Membership is open to nationals of any of the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. Membership is also open to spouses of Nordic nationals and individuals who work for a Nordic company regardless of nationality.

As a member of Nordic Club you are invited to participate in our monthly coffee mornings. Members and their families can join in

Uniting Scandinavians The biggest event of the year was by far the Crayfish Party, which was the organization’s biggest fundraiser hosting nearly 300 guests in 2012.

the many other activities offered such as family events, sports clubs, pub nights and the annual charity fundraiser. In addition to these events there are country specific events arranged related to each countries traditions like Midsummer party, Crayfish party, Lucia celebration, Fastelavnsfest, Juletraesfast and Christmas lunch. Most importantly, as a member you become part of the Nordic community fostering friendship among your fellow countrymen and expanding cultural

growth in our colorful host city.

Events Monthly coffee mornings are held the first Tuesday of every month at a new location each month with each country alternating and ensuring that there is always delicious traditional foods to be enjoyed amongst friends. The coffee mornings offer members an opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet new friends and share their Jakarta experiences and expertise.

The majority of the members join Nordic Club for the opportunity to participate in the various family events planned throughout the year.

These events offer a great opportunity for Nordic families to come together and give their children the sense of tradition that can easily be missed as an expatriate. It is also a chance for Nordic children to interact with their Nordic peers.

The past year has been full of exciting events for the club’s members. Events have included a mini

bazaar where vendors were on hand selling many lovely handi-crafts ranging from housewares to jewelry. Pub nights are another well-attended event, which offers working spouses a chance to get together with fellow members over a nice cold beer. The club’s charity group planned two events last year allowing members to get more hands on experience with the charity aspects of the organization. The first was a meet and greet event which offered members the opportunity to get acquainted with one of their newest charity efforts of supporting, Mama Sayang Orphanage. The second was a Christmas event for Nordic families at Mama Sayang (MS). During this event, the club provided each of the 130 orphans at MS Christmas gifts, which included a new school uniform. Everyone enjoyed a day of outdoor games and spreading some Christmas cheer. The biggest event of the year was by far the Crayfish Party, which was the organization’s biggest fundraiser hosting nearly 300 guests in 2012. The club is continually adding new events to suit the every changing need of its members and community with 2013 is sure to be another exciting year.

For details about upcoming events, membership or for all other inquires please contact Nordic Club Jakarta on the web at www.nordicclubjakarta.org or via e-mail at president@nordicclubjakarta.org or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook/nordicclubjakarta

February 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia

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Together for Charity

English class at the English School of Mui Ne in Vietnam

A group of seven professional Swedish women in Singapore initiated the charity organization “Together for Charity” to make a difference for the needy children in the region.

By Ika Forssell

W

hile realizing that their situation in affluent Singapore is extremely privileged compared to that of most people in the neighboring countries, the ladies – whom most refer to as ‘expat wives’ - have decided to make good use of their professional knowledge in different areas to make a difference where they can.

ScandAsia talks to two of the organization’s founders; Stina Hotine and Elisabeth Lewenhaupt who share the stories with passion and energy.

“This is quite a bubbly place,” says Stina as she refers to the impression of sitting inside a protected bubble in a sea of poverty, but fittingly enough also describing the constant flow of champagne that is commonplace in certain circles.

Everything about the organization is beautifully and respectfully thought through and executed. The group is inviting people to think twice before spending money on the usual things, and offer easy opportunities to do and feel good while at the same time presenting thoughtful gifts to a dinner host or a jubilee.

“People want to know what their donations do and how effective they

are,” says Elisabeth while showing the ‘printed gift card’ where the donor can specify what the amount they donate will achieve for the needy children. At the moment, the organization focuses on the two projects: ‘Deak Kum Pa’ Orphanage in Luang Prabang, Laos, and ‘The English School of Mui Ne’ in Vietnam.

The two main projects Deak Kum Pa Orphanage is run by the Laos government, and to a great extent managed by Australian Andrew Brown. Andrew relies on donations and makes sure that every penny donated to the children is put to the best use. He keeps an

16 ScandAsia.South East Asia • February 2013

eye on the premises to see what needs to be done or purchased for the orphanage to function smoothly.

Children are rescued from the streets and a life in severe poverty. They are given a chance to go to school and live their lives in a safe and relatively comfortable way.

The English School of Mui Ne in Vietnam is a step further in the development. They are inviting children among the poorest in the village to learn English in order to be able to make a living in the future in the growing tourism industry. As they expect these children to be able to support their poor families in the future, they carefully choose the

The Swedish ladies and the children at Deak Kum Pa Orphanage in Laung Prabang, Laos

neediest candidates to admit – and always just one sibling from each family. At the school, which is in addition to the regular school during the weeks, the kids are not only taught English, but also valuable lessons of friendship and sharing as well as computer skills. Through internet, many students have discovered possibilities for themselves for the future and have dreams that they never imagined before.

Five former students of the school have recently posted a video on Youtube speaking in English about the opportunities that have opened up for them. Interested readers can see the video on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DztbebGzqus&f eature=youtu.be The school is also on Facebook sharing events, activities and giving updates to its donors and interested people.

Elisabeth and Stina emphasize that Together for Charity is a lifelong project that they have taken on. They keep it very simple and personal, focusing on only two projects at the moment. They keep close contact with the two entities and aim to offer them 100% of the funds they collect.

For more information, visit www. togetherforcharity.com

Scarcity as a path to a better world He believes that ethics and Asian philosophical values will be part of a new world economy and blames those responsible for the financial crises for being greedy and reckless. But don’t get him wrong, Joergen Oerstoem Moeller is far from being an old hippie.

By Kim Birkkjaer Lund

F

or years Joergen Oerstoem Moeller was a highly respected Permanent Secretary of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was the architect behind the three exceptions which saved both Denmark and EU after the Danes had rejected the Maastricht Treaty in a referendum in 1992. When he decided to leave as head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1997 to become Ambassador in Singapore, he ended up as Ambassador for not just Singapore and Brunei but also Australian and New Zealand. He is a work addict who by the age of 68 still publishes a breathtaking stream of books and articles and when he launched his last book “How Asia can shape the world” Singapore’s Minister of Foreign Affairs showed up to get a copy.

When you choose to leave as Permanent Secretary you were free to choose whatever position you liked. You chose to be ambassador to Singapore – Why? I have always taken great interest in

18 ScandAsia.South East Asia • February 2013

Asia. Back in the 1980’s it was obvious for me that the world economy was moving to Asia. My interest for Asian culture was a second reason.

Being married to a Vietnamese woman of course strengthen my interest in Asia. The last reason can maybe be difficult to understand if you haven’t been head of a large organization, but as Permanent Secretary I had had huge influence on the instructions to our embassies worldwide and some influence on Danish foreign policies in general. Being used to such influence I found it would be difficult to be an ambassador at one of the big Embassies and receive instructions from my successor which I might disagree. So when leaving the top post I thought it’d be wiser to get far away. I didn’t want to be left with a lot of ideas on what to do, without power to actually do it.

But why Singapore, there were other embassies in Asia?

In my opinion Singapore has got the largest assembly of intellectual capacity in the world. All major mul-

tinational companies are represented in Singapore. The Singaporean diplomatic service has always been known for its high standards and Singapore has think tanks on China, Japan, India, Middle-east and Europe, so there is access to enormous amounts of information, which only is comparable to what you find in Washington and London.

In your latest book “How Asia can shape the world” you commit high treason against your profession economy. Why? I believe economic science has killed itself. All economists use very complicated models based on math and thus they have broadly stopped thinking. When you use that kind of models you need some preconditions on how people and companies normally react. To obtain those precondition you look backwards to see how they previously behaved.

That works in stable economic times, where things don’t change much.

But we don’t live in stable economic times. The world is changing.

Singapore has got the largest assembly of intellectual capacity in the world.

The last 20 years we have seen a shift in economy from USA and Europe towards Asia. We have seen soaring commodity prices and we have seen a financial crisis followed by a debt crisis. In such times people don’t react as they used to and economic models based on previous behavior produce false answers. If you look at IMF’s prognoses or official prognoses from USA on economic growth, you will see that they have been wrong and not been able to forecast the development, because they are based on a behavioral pattern which no longer exists.

It becomes increasingly clear that the precondition for the economic theory: “that people are largely guided solely by economic incentives” are wrong. It becomes obvious that psychology, anthropology, and sociology, our relationships with other people have great influence on our economic behavior and dispositions.

And this influence is not part of the economic theory. So today economy is a science which has killed itself.

When you look at what has

happened trough the financial crisis the last 5-6 years then it is trigged by greed, reckless conduct, a totally irresponsible attitude of some of those who are supposed to be pillars of society. Under such conditions you cannot use economic theory.

Have you lost faith in market economy?

Yes greatly. Pricing is what matters but market economy pricing is based on short sighted factors instead of long term. To simplify, it means that a commodity which is cheap to extract but which we know will be used up in 20 years will be priced according to the expenses to extract it. The long-term impact of the raw material utilization is not incorporated in the market economy pricing. I consider it a system failure in the market.

Another failure in market economy pricing is the lack of pricing of side effects. Economic sciences operate with concepts like external diseconomies which try to price side effects, but they are not part of the market pricing. The only reason, that some side effects are priced, is that

governments intervene and with taxes and duties set a price on the side effects. But without intervening it would, as an example, be extremely cheap to smoke despite smoking has a catastrophic impact on society health expenditure.

Market economy pricing does not incorporate these two very important factors and by not doing so, market pricing of course does not function.

You believe a new economy will emerge from Asia. Why from Asia?

I believe the British historian Arnold Joseph Toynbee (a controversial historian who explains civilizations fall with their moral decay. 14 April 1889 – 22 October 1975) was right when he said: “Civilization is a response to challenges.”

In Asia you got the largest population mass, the largest increase in population, the largest economic growth and it is Asia that have had the strongest increase in consumption. The urgency for changes will be stronger in Asia than anywhere else.

And if you believe Toynbee the answer will come from where it is most needed.

The western world offspring is the Abrahamic religions where nature was given man by god. Therefore we are free to do whatever we want with nature. If you want an apple you are free to trap the tree to get it. In Asian religion and philosophy humans are not superior to nature, but parts of nature, so if you want an apple you will have to climb the tree.

If Asians don’t believe they are superior to nature, why do we then see environmental scandals and catastrophes in Asia?

To get where Asia is today, Asia has played a catch-up game with the western world, adopting western values. Now when it becomes obvious that the western model doesn’t have the answers needed for today’s problems, Asia will have to look somewhere else for solutions and my guess is that Asia will turn to its own fundamental philosophical values.

February 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia

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20 ScandAsia.South East Asia • February 2013

Charity calls for partners Little Rose Shelter in Vietnam provides a safe shelter, counselling and education to young girls who survived all kinds of abuse.

Frederikke Lindholm

T

hi was 12 years old Vietnamese girl when her uncle started to abuse her.

Having lost her mother to illness and father to drugs, Thi lived with her relatives hoping for a safe family.

“The abuse was finally discovered, and the local authorities took Thi to our Little Rose Warm Shelter where she is still living and studying today,” says Frederikke Lindholm, a Dane who manages the Shelter Collection, a foundation that supports shelters for disadvantaged youth in Vietnam.

Little Rose Shelter In the last 20 years, Little Rose Warm Shelter has helped more than 800 young girls like Thi who are survivors of abuse of any kinds. The shelter provides counselling, life skills and

education. And the girls support each other along their paths of establishing independent lives.

Frederikke Lindholm, 29, moved to Vietnam in 2008 and quickly became aware of the high risk of exploitation that poverty-stricken girls face daily. Having worked with human rights projects since she left Denmark in 2002, she specialised in women’s development at London School of Economics and is now working for the Shelter Collection to help young people escape exploitation, traumatisation and poverty.

She is calling for others – compassionate individuals, CSR-oriented corporations and long-term volunteers - to get involved as soon as possible.

The Shelter Collection has previously been supported by DANIDA, the Danish International Develop-

ment Agency, but the funding is running out soon.

“There are so many girls in hopeless, desperate situations and it is extremely important that we can continue to offer a safe place to develop – closing the shelter is simply not an option,” she says.

Who are we?

The Shelter Collection is an initiative by the Danish Vietnamese Friendship Association (http://www.davifo.dk/ shelterindsamling), aiming to free children from poverty and exploitation in Vietnam.

What we do?

We can never make the girls forget but we do our utmost to give them access to education, rehabilitation, and safe and independent lives.

How to help us?

Our much urgent need is funding for food, education, rehabilitation and housing.

We want to establish personal and corporate partnerships to ensure the shelter continues to run and develop.

What we need?

Our most urgent need in 2013 is the Little Warm Rose Shelter for young girls aged 8-18 who are survivors of sexual abuse, incest or trafficking in South-Vietnam.

If you can help, contact Frederikke Lindholm, Country Manager, on +84 (0)123 815 7508 or frederikke.lindholm@gmail.com

February 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia

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Medium

Fish sandwich (Stjerneskud)

By Anders Holm Nielsen

W

ith “Stjerneskud” the Danes combine their love for the traditional open sandwich also known as “Smoerrebrøed” and the easy access fresh fish via the large Danish coastline. There are many different variations of the dish but the most common is toast with fried plaice, shrimp, boiled cod, salad, asparagus and the essential red dressing.

Translated, “Stjerneskud” means shooting star because how the dish resembles a star when it is put together in the old fashioned manner. The fresh seafood is key to creating the classic meal, and ordering the dish in a dodgy place can be a risky move, but if made right, the fish sandwich makes for both a fine lunch and dinner.

Evil

Ingredients: (Serves one)

Are you done?

W

hen you have completed the above puzzles, please send your solution by fax to +66 2 943 7169 or scan and email to puzzles@ scandasia.com. We will make a lucky draw among the correct answers. Five lucky winners will receive a ScandAsia polo shirt.

Name:

___________________________________________________

Age: ________________________

Mobile:

___________________

Address:

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________

Email:

__________________________________________________

Deadline for submitting your solution is 15 March 2013

•

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2 pieces of fried plaice in a breadcrumb coating (or other sorts of flatfish) 100 ml flour 100 ml egg whites 100 ml crumbled bread 1 piece of boiled cod 75 g. shrimp 75 g. asparagus 1 slice of toast Butter – salt – pepper 200 ml white wine.

1 lemon Sliced cucumber 2 tbsp. crème fraîche 2 tbsp. ketchup Lettuce of various sorts Dill 1 half, sliced tomato

Directions Take the fresh fillets of plaice and turn them in flour, then egg whites and finally the crumbled bread. Fry them on a pan with oil at a steady heat.

Put the cod in a pot, ad white wine, lemon juice, a dash of salt and pepper and steam it slowly on the stove.

Mix crème fraîche and ketchup and try your way by adding dill, paprika, salt, pepper and lemon juice a bit at the time.

Scrape you toast with the red dressing and put the lettuce on. Place the fried and steamed fish on top. Add the rest of the red dressing and the asparagus and shrimp on top of the fish and finally top it off with sliced lemon, cucumber, tomato and dill. Enjoy!

February 2013 • ScandAsia.South East Asia

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