Lee Kian Hwee of Sing Lun Holdings Elected SBF Chairman
Lee Kian Hwee, CEO of Sing Lun Holdings, has been elected the new chairman of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), succeeding former chairman Lim Ming Yan, who had earlier announced he would step down temporarily and would not seek re-election.
The Singapore Business Federation held its 24th Annual General Meeting on Wednesday (June 24) and elected its 13th council, which will serve a two-year term until the end of 2028.
The federation said in a statement that the new council has 24 members, including 12 elected council members, 11 representatives from industry associations and chambers, and one co-opted member.
There are six new council members on the new council, including Adam Click, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore (AmCham Singapore), Moses Mo, president of the Singapore Restaurant Association, Lee Teck Meng, president of SGTech, and Suhaimi Zainul-Abidin, CEO of hedge fund Quantedge Capital.
During the AGM, SBF also held the fifth Future Ready Business Dialogue, with Coordinating Minister for Public Services and Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing as the guest of honor.
With the theme 'Whole-of-system readiness: what must governments and businesses change?', the dialogue brought together many corporate executives and policymakers to discuss how companies can build resilience, future-ready capabilities and the ability to cope with rising uncertainty.
Lee Kian Hwee: Ensure businesses stay competitive and resilient for the future
The new chairman, Lee Kian Hwee, is also a Nominated Member of Parliament. In the statement, he said geopolitical tensions, the rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and shifts in the trade landscape are reshaping the global economy, bringing both challenges and opportunities to businesses.
Lee said, 'My top priority is to ensure businesses remain competitive, resilient and future-ready. We will work closely with businesses, the government and industry partners to develop practical solutions, create a business-friendly environment and help companies build the capabilities they need for innovation, internationalization and steady growth.'
He also noted that Singapore will chair ASEAN next year, which is an opportunity to deepen regional economic integration and strengthen ASEAN as a key engine of global growth. 'SBF will work with partners across the region to turn these opportunities into concrete business outcomes and help ASEAN become more connected, more innovative and more sustainable.'
Lee previously served as SBF vice-chairman and treasurer. While Lim Ming Yan had stepped away temporarily from the chairmanship, Lee had also served as acting chairman.
Lim Ming Yan, 71, said in a statement in May that he would not seek re-election after his SBF chairmanship term ended on June 24. He had earlier temporarily stepped down from several roles, including SBF chairman, executive chairman and director of Pacific International Lines, in order to deal with allegations from the US Department of Justice. Earlier, Lianhe Zaobao reported that US authorities accused him of allegedly taking part in manipulating dry container prices.
