The seminar on “Is Gold Bullion a Good Alternative Investment?” on 18 April was the first in a series of Alumni activities since the new Management Committee took office.

Attended by more than 20 members, this seminar aimed to introduce gold as a viable asset class to invest in. It was conducted by Mr Leong Kum Kei (picture above), Director of Sin Yi Investments Pte Ltd.

Members engaging in a lively interaction with Mr Leong Kum Kei

Mr Loh Hoon Sun, President of AAS and Managing Director of Phillip Securities, opened the seminar by thanking all members for taking time off to attend this event. He also extended his appreciation to the event sponsor, Sin Yi Investments Pte Ltd, and to the speaker, Mr Leong Kum Kei, for sharing his insights.

Opening address by Mr Loh Hoon Sun, President of AAS

The seminar was a lively one as Mr Leong shared about the effects of compounded interest and the type of investments available. He also responded to queries from participants on how they should go about investing in gold, the returns they could get, and the risks involved. He shared that gold was a good hedge against inflation and hence a viable option that could bring in certain financial gains.

There was a lucky draw after the presentation, where two participants won a bottle of Jack Daniels each, sponsored by Sin Yi Investments Pte Ltd. Giving away the lucky draw prizes was Ms Esther Chng, Treasurer of AAS.

From left to right: Mr Leong Kum Kei, Ms Esther Chng, Mr Woo Guo Wei

From left to right: Mr Leong Kum Kei, Ms Esther Chng, Mr Laurence Chia

The evening ended with Mr Edmund Kwan, Chair of Membersip Committee of AAS, thanking both the speaker and the sponosr.

Alumni members gained valuable knowledge on investing in gold and had a good time networking over dinner. With the success of this seminar, members can look forward to future investment talks and seminars.

Written by:
Mr Ken Tan
Member
Australian Alumni Singapore

Dear Members

 AAS 57^th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The Australian Alumni Singapore (AAS) 57^th AGM, was held on 27^th March 2012 at SMa Institute of Higher Learning, 410 North Bridge Road #05-08.

Members at the Australian Alumni Singapore 57th Annual General Meeting

By 6.20 pm, members started to come in for networking and buffet dinner. At 7.00 pm, President, Mr Loh Hoon Sun, represented AAS in presenting two cheques amounting to
S$ 10,000 to Ms Martina Wong, General Manager of The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund. Ms Wong expressed her gratitude to AAS and thanked everyone present for the donation that would benefit more than 10,000 school children. In her introductory speech for the presentation, Ms Peggy Tan, Vice President, took the opportunity to thank Mr Simon Ho, Immediate Past President, for his efforts and generous contribution in raising this amount through the sales of his photo-book Orchids of Splendour: A Face of Singapore.

From left to right: Mr Simon Ho, Ms Martina Wong, Mr Loh Hoon Sun, Ms Peggy Tan

Thereafter AGM proper proceeded with Hoon Sun, President, in the Chair. Hoon Sun thanked Ms Ally Loo, Dr Angelo M Vernardos, Ms Kristy Wee, and Ms Tammie Quai for their active contributions to AAS. Just prior to the Meeting, Ms Tammie Quai expressed her wish to step down as a member of the Management Committee due to her work commitments. In their place, four new members were duly elected and welcomed onboard the Management Committee for 2012-2014. They were Ms Esther Chng, Mr Edmund Kwan, Mr Jedidiah Tan, and Ms Sylvia Oo.

Peggy shared with the Meeting about some upcoming events, details of which would be made available on the website. Hoon Sun shared with the Meeting about the need for the Alumni to keep in touch with its members, and encouraged everyone present to keep their contact details updated and pass the word around to others within the network and encourage them to update their contact details with AAS.

From left to right: Ms Peggy Tan (Vice President), Mr Loh Hoon Sun (President), Ms Tammie Quai (Secretary), Ms Christina Tan (Treasurer)

The 57^th AGM closed with Professor Lawrence Chia proposing a note of thanks to the Chairman and the outgoing Management Committee. He also wished the incoming Committee all the best.

Members continued networking over the buffet spread.

Following the AGM, the Management Committee held its first meeting and elected its Office Bearers. Mr Loh Hoon Sun and Ms Peggy Tan were unanimously re‐elected President and Vice-President, respectively. Ms Christina Tan was elected as the Secretary and Ms Esther Chng took over as the Treasurer. With agreement by all members of the Management Committee, Ms Peggy Tanwould Chair the Activities Committee, with Mr Jedidiah Tan overseeing the newly-merged Communications Committee as Chair, and Mr EdmundKwan handling all membership matters as Chair of the Membership Committee. Please refer to the full list of Management Committee members (Click to see) and Working Committee Chairs (click to see).

New Management Committee, from left to right: Mr Edmund Kwan (Chair, Membership), Mr Jedidiah Tan (Chair, Communications), Ms Sylvia Oo, Ms Peggy Tan (Vice President and Chair, Activities), Mr Loh Hoon Sun (President), Ms Christina Tan (Secretary), Ms Esther Chng (Treasurer), Mr Simon Ho (Immediate Past President), and Mr Paul Chia. Not in the photo, Mr Foo Ser Seen.

By   Jedidiah Tan

Chair

Communications Committee

On 20 February evening, alumni members were invited to join the after-dinner Karaoke cum Networking Session with members of the Alumni International Executive Committee. The event hosted by AAS, was held at the NUSS SUNTEC City Guild House.

The overwhelming response to the Economic and Stock Market Outlook 2011 seminar prompted AAS to organise another one this year.

The Market Outlook & Investment Seminar was conducted by Phillip Securities, a member of Phillip Capital, on 14 January 2012.  Members and friends turned up at Phillip Securities,Raffles City on this bright Saturday morning to find out what will be the investment outlook for 2012.

Mr Loh Hoon Sun, Managing Director of Phillip Securities, who is the President of AAS, opened the event by thanking all members and friends for taking their Saturday morning off to attend this event. After a short speech, he handed the floor to the three speakers.

The first speaker, Mr Lee Kok Joo, Head of Research, Phillip Securities Research, outlined his view on the economic outlook, locally and globally, and how it would affect the stock market performance inSingapore. Although there were opportunities to invest in shares, he advised that one must always exercise caution due to the volatile global economic market.

The second speaker was Mr Derrick Heng, Investment Analyst, Phillip Securities Research. He introduced his stock picks and recommended the price at which to buy for each stock. The rationale for his each pick was explained, with all factors taken into consideration. Shares that he picked were from companies with potential upsides.

Lastly, Mr Luke Lim, Head of CFD, Phillip Securities, presented an investment medium for the bear market, Contract for Difference (CFD). CFD is a leveraged trading instrument which is trading onmargin. He explained that CFD could be used during a bear market to capitalise the market trend by short selling the shares. It could also be used in a bull market to hold long positions.

After the presentations, Ms. Christina Tan, Treasurer of AAS, rounded off the event by thanking the speakers and Phillip Securities, the event sponsor. This was followed by a lunch where there was networking opportunity for all.

By 
Christina Tan
Treasurer, AAS

Invoice for Year 2012 Annual Subscription
This is the invoice for year 2012 annual subscription which is due in January of each year. Those who joined as members in the second half of last year (2011) are deemed to have paid their subscriptions for the financial year 2012.

An ordinary member may convert his/her membership to Life membership upon a one time payment of $250. There is no annual subscription for Life members.

The annual membership subscription rates are:
Ordinary Member: S$25
Associate member: S$25
Institution Member: S$200

Please kindly check your email for online payment if you have previously registered as member.
[Circular Subject: [Australian Alumni Singapore] – Membership and Year 2012 Annual Subscription
Date: 1st February 2012]

Non-member may click here to register.

Note: PayPal allows you to pay with your credit card if you do not have a PayPal account. Your account will be activated once the correct amount has been paid and processed.

Payments may also be made:

(1) by cheque payable to Australian Alumni Singapore and mail to:
The Secretariat
Australian Alumni Singapore
410 North Bridge Road
Singapore 188726

(2) by bank deposit/transfer to:
Bank: Maybank, Singapore
Account name: Australian Alumni Singapore
Account number: 0 – 420 – 10 – 0235 – 4
Swift code: MBBESGSG
(Please advise the Secretariat (secretariat@aas.org.sg), the date & amount of remittance).

Best regards,
Secretariat
Australian Alumni Singapore

Oroton, a leading international luxury accessories brand from Australia, was established in 1938 in Sydney as an importer of luxurious fabrics from Europe. Bearing a Latin name which translates to mean ‘tonnes of gold’, Oroton is a name synonymous with innovative designs and enduring quality – both of which have shone through every one of its 73 years. Products today are produced by the Oroton design team in Sydney and include bags and wallets, bespoke crystal pieces, jewellery, men’s accessories, sunglasses and more recently, shoes, knitwear and nail polish.

On the 16^th of November, Oroton hosted an exclusive fashion event for AAS members. With champagne and canapes, Oroton displayed this season’s stylish fashion, handbags and accessories. Oroton’s fashion guru showed AAS members how to put together a fashion forward statement for our local climate. Members also spent some time excitedly trying on Oroton’s fabulous clothes and accessories. The event closed with a lucky draw and the lucky winner, Mr Mohan Nainan, CEO of Assetton Pte Ltd walked away with a fabulous handbag and a wallet.

Clockwise from top left: Christina Priya Chandran, David Ow, Paul Chia, Christina Tan, Andy Tan, Tammie Quai, Loh Hoon Sun, Angela Serafin (Group Marketing Manager of OrontonGroup Limited), Nina Razali (Country manager for Singapore, OrotonGroup Limited), Peggy Tan, Ally Loo, Oroton’s Fashion consultant, Falinda Leong.

Mr Loh Hoon Sun (President of AAS), Ms Angela Serafin (Group Marketing Manager of OrontonGroup Limited), lucky draw prize winner, Mr Mohan Nainan, CEO, Assetton Pte Ltd.

 
Text: Tammie Quai
Photos: courtesy of Oroton

The 56^th Anniversary Dinner of the Australian Alumni Singapore (AAS) held on 26 October 2011 at the Raffles Town Club Dunearn Ballroom was another memorable event in the history of AAS. The Guest-of-Honour was none other than the President of the Republic of Singapore, HE Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam, an AAS Patron. He was accompanied by his lovely wife, Mrs Mary Tan.  

 

 

 

At this double celebratory event attended by 400 university alumni and guests, AAS and University Alumni Presidents took the opportunity to honour and share the joy with HE Dr Tan for being the newly-elected President of the Republic of Singapore and thank him for his continued support for AAS and his passionate engagement with younger Australian University graduates.         

As the e-Banner with the Congratulatory Message flanked by logos of the different university alumni associations was being flashed on the screen, HE President Tony Tan Keng Yam stepped forward to receive a Memento, jointly presented by AAS President Loh Hoon Sun and Adelaide University Alumni Association Singapore President Louis Lim. President Tan is a recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award 2003 given by the University of Adelaide of which he is an alumnus; and a recipient of the Distinguished Australian Alumnus Award 2010 given by Australian Alumni Singapore.

President Tan was presented with a copy of a colourful photography book of 55 orchids aptly titled “Orchids of Splendour – A Face of Singapore” by Mr Simon Ho, Immediate Past President of AAS. The book was sold that evening at a special price of S$10 a copy, proceeds of which will be donated to The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund.

Before returning to his seat, President Tan joined AAS’ other Patron, HE Mr Doug Chester, the Australian High Commissioner to Singapore; AAS President Loh Hoon Sun, and Management and Working Committee members in cutting of the Anniversary Cake.  

Formalities aside, guests were kept entertained by teachers from the Seimpi School of Music. Their vocal and musical renditions of popular classics and evergreen tunes blended in with the elegant ambience of the Raffles Town Club Dunearn Ballroom. It was befitting of the occasion.

Peggy Tan                                                                                                                                  Chairman

AAS 56^th Anniversary Celebration Committee

Photo Credits:                                                                                                                                       

Mr Chris Tan Tze Yong                                                                                                                 MrJames Oon                                                                                                                                        Mr Jay Gark Kung                                                                                                                        Mr Sunny Lai                                                                                                                                  Mr Tan Geng Hui (http://www.photojournalist-tgh.tv, http://www.tangenghui.com)

More photos …….

 Address by HE Mr Doug Chester

                                            Address by AAS President Loh Hoon Sun

 A toast to HE President  Tony Tan Keng Yam

   The VVIPs

  Adelaide University Alumni

  RMIT University Alumni

Swinburne University of Technology Alumni

University of Queensland Alumni

   Southern Cross University Alumni

                                      Ngee Ann-Adelaide Education Centre Guests

  Sponsors with Master-of-Ceremonies, Stella, extreme right

 Mr Tan Kah Hoe’s guests

Special Guests

 
More than 300 members from 33 different alumni associations, registered for the AAS Big Walk at the Marina Barrage. On the morning of Walk on 24 September, the turnout of participants was less, possibly affected by the Formula One Race road closures. However, for those who came with family members – spouse, grandparents, parents and children, they were rewarded with a glorious morning of aerobic activity besides family and alumni bonding.

AAS President Mr Loh Hoon Sun welcomed Guest-of-Honour HE Doug Chester, Australian High Commissioner and AAS Patron, and his wife, Lyn and all participants. He also thanked the Organising Committee headed by Macquarie University’s Mr Jude Yue and assisted by Ms Alicia Lim for their hard work, and the generous sponsors, CPA Australia for the caps,SMaIHL for the bottled water and Dr Kelvin Chan for the paramedics and ambulance standby.

At 9 am, HE Doug Chester flagged-off the Walk with an air-horn before joining in the scenic walk around the roof of the Marina Barrage, across the link bridge connecting the Gardens-by-the-Bay and back to the starting point by re-tracing the same route. As work at the Gardens-by-the-Bay was in progress, participants had to make a U-turn at the end of the bridge. Along the way, HE Doug Chester obliged participants with photo-shoots. It was indeed a relaxing and leisurely stroll for the majority. Gentle breezes blew as the sun partially hid behind the clouds, allowing shutter-bugs to capture the beautiful Singapore skyline on the return leg of the journey.

By 10 am, all participants were back at the starting point to enjoy the simple brunch spread and more fellowship with one another. “Will this be an annual event?” some members asked. Most likely, with members’ continued support and participation!

Peggy Tan

Vice-President, AAS

Moving ahead after the flag-off by AAS Patron & Guest-of-Honour, HE Mr Doug Chester

Mr & Mrs Doug Chester and AAS President Mr Loh Hoon Sun

Walking up the Marina Barrage roof garden

Walking round….

Following the trail…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soaking in our Singapore’s beautiful skyline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Walking down……

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, across the bridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stopping for pretty picture poses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

End-of-Walk reward

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On 21 September 2011, Australian High Commissioner HE Mr Doug Chester hosted a dinner for AAS Management Committee (MC) Members at his residence. HE Mr Doug Chester is one of two Patrons of AAS. Dinner guests also included the Second Secretary (Political & Economic) Mr Tony Walter and Austrade’s Senior Education Manager ASEAN, Ms Janice Aw.

It was an opportunity for younger MC members to interact with AAS Patron in a warm and an informal setting over a scrumptious meal. Besides catching up with alumni news, guests enjoyed light conversations and interesting discussions on a variety of topics ranging from personal experiences during their studies in Australia to future plans, as well as current affairs.

I felt that there was never a dull moment; there was always something interesting that madeus go ‘ah!’ and I particularly enjoyed the 4-course dinner so painstakingly prepared by the Resident Chef. The dinner ended at 9.30pm but we stayedon for coffee and more chit-chat. We thanked our Patron for his kind hospitality and a pleasant evening before finally departing at 10 pm.

By Foo Ser Seen

L to R - Back row: Tony, Paul, HE Doug Chester, Hoon Sun, Michael, Simon, Ser SeenSeated: Ally, Christina, Kristy, Peggy, Tammie, Janice

Light-hearted moments

Wish you were here

On 29 August 2011, Management Committee Members representing AAS and 15 different Australian Universities Alumni Associations attended an Austrade/AEI Information Sharing Session held at SMa IHL premises. A buffet dinner preceded the event.

A publication, “Reform of the Australian Trade Commission: Maximising our Value, May 2011” documented the review which commenced in July 2010. It was timely that Alumni Leaders were kept updated on the current roles of the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) and Australian Education International (AEI)which is the international arm of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

Austrade’s Senior Education ManagerASEAN, Janice Aw shared that since 1 July 2010,Austrade had assumed responsibility for international marketing and promotion of Australian education and training. Australian education has been repositioned and rebranded with a new logo ‘Future Unlimited’. She also touched on the 3 strategic objectives and 5 key priorities as documented in the “Framework for International Marketing and Promotion of Australian Education and Training 2011-2012” publication (www.austrade.gov.au/education).

In its effort to effectively engage with stakeholders (key government & non-government organisations, alumni chapters and both onshore & off shore institutions), possible areas cited for potential collaboration with alumni bodies include internship opportunities for returning or graduating Singaporean students; facilitation of R&D collaborations in trade, investment & education; and facilitation of foreign direct investments in student accommodation to meet market  demand in the Australian education sector.

In his presentation on the role of AEI, Mr Stephen Li, Director(Education)enlightened participants on the review of the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 and International Students Strategy of Australia (ISSA) released in October 2010. The ESOS Framework protects Australia’s reputation for delivering quality education services and the interests of overseas students by setting out standards, roles and responsibilities for educational institutions that teach overseas students as well as providing tuition and financial insurance for overseas students. The ISSA outlines 12 initiatives to address 4 key areas of concern including international students’ wellbeing, quality of international education, consumer protection and the availability of better information for international students.

The Transnational Quality Strategy framework (TQS)which aims to protect and promote the quality of Australian education overseas, has led to the establishment of the AusLIST, an online directory of Australian education and training providers in other countries. In addition to the regulatory and resource provision roles, AEI administers the Endeavour Awards which is the Australian Government’s internationally competitive, merit-based scholarship programme providing opportunities for the citizens of the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Europe and Americas to undertake study, research and professional development in Australia.

AAS President Loh Hoon Sun thanked Ms Aw and Mr Li for the updates and opened the floor for discussion and contributions on how the alumni bodies and Austrade can work together to achieve mutually beneficial results, yet meeting individual goals and objectives. Mr Michael Yap, Chair of AAS Business Committee, who initiated this session, welcomed the opportunity to strengthen collaboration with Austrade and shared some forth-coming programmes. Among the active participants were QUT’s Mr Jason Chong, Murdoch University’s Mr Henry Goh, and Adelaide University’s Mr Louis Lim who contributed constructive suggestions and ideas.

By Peggy Tan, Chairman, Activities Committee

Photos courtesy of Ms Christina Tan, Treasurer

Sharing by Mr Michael Yap, Chairman of AAS Business committee

Active discussion among participants

Clarification by  Ms Sherleen Seah, Business Manager of Austrade

Contribution by Mr Jason Chong, Queensland University of Technology