Temasek Holdings

Temasek Holdings Private Limited (abbreviated as Temasek) is a Singaporean holding company, owned by the Government of Singapore. Incorporated on 25 June 1974 as a Commercial Investment Company,[1][3] Temasek owns and manages a net portfolio of $313 billion[4] (as of 31 March 2019), with S$28 billion divested and S$24 billion invested during the year, and 66% exposure to Asia – 26% Singapore and 40% Asia ex-Singapore.[4] It is an active shareholder and investor, and its investments are guided by four key themes – transforming economies, growing middle income populations, deepening comparative advantages and emerging champions. Its portfolio covers a broad spectrum of sectors including financial services, telecommunications, media and technology, transportation and industrials, life sciences and agribusiness, consumer and real estate, energy and resources, as well as multi-sector funds. Headquartered in Singapore, Temasek has a multinational team of 800 people, in 11 global offices[5] including two offices in Beijing, and one office in each of Shanghai, Mumbai, Hanoi, London, New York, San Francisco, Mexico City, Washington, D.C., and Sao Paulo.[6]

Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd
State-owned enterprise
IndustryInvestment management
Founded25 June 1974 (1974-06-25)[1]
HeadquartersSingapore
Key people
Lim Boon Heng[2]
(Chairman)
Cheng Wai Keung
(Deputy Chairman)
Ho Ching[2]
(Executive Director & CEO)
Total assets S$313 billion (2019)
OwnerGovernment of Singapore
Subsidiaries
Websitewww.temasek.com.sg

Temasek differs from many sovereign wealth funds because it invests mostly in equities, is the outright owner of many assets, and pays taxes like other commercial investment firms.[7]

Temasek has credit ratings of “AAA/Aaa” by Standard & Poor's[8] Global Ratings and Moody's Investors Service[9] respectively since their inaugural ratings in 2004. Temasek has also attained perfect quarterly scores[10] on the Linaburg-Maduell Transparency Index, a measure of the openness of government-owned investment funds.

History

Incorporation

At the point of Singapore's independence in August 1965, the Government of Singapore had ownership or joint ownership of various local companies, such as Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (later split up into Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines) and the Singapore Telephone Board (which became Singapore Telecommunications). As part of its push for local and foreign private investment in sectors such as manufacturing and shipbuilding, the government's Economic Development Board (EDB) also bought minority stakes in a variety of local companies.[11] During the first ten years after independence, the government acquired or established several companies,[12] such as the Keppel Corporation (originally Keppel Shipyard, taken over from the Royal Navy after the British military withdrawal from Singapore), ST Engineering (originally a weapon manufacturer set up to supply the Singapore Armed Forces), and the shipping company Neptune Orient Lines.

On 25 June 1974, Temasek was incorporated under the Singapore Companies Act[1][13] to hold and manage the assets previously held directly by the Singapore government. The goal was for Temasek to own and manage these investments on a commercial basis,[14] allowing the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Trade and Industry to focus on policymaking.

Status

Temasek is a company incorporated in Singapore, and operates under the provisions of the Singapore Companies Act. It is neither a government agency nor a statutory board. Like any other commercial company, Temasek pays taxes that contributes to government revenue in the countries it operates in, distributes dividends to its shareholder and has its own board of directors and a professional management team. Its sole shareholder is Singapore's Ministry of Finance.

Temasek is designated a Fifth Schedule[15] entity under the Singapore Constitution, which imposes certain safeguards to protect the government's past reserves. For instance, the approval of the President of Singapore is required for any transaction which is likely to result in a draw-down of Temasek's cash reserves.[16] The president also has the right to appoint, terminate, or renew the members of Temasek's board of directors. In most other respects, however, Temasek operates as an independent commercial investment holding company.

In a 2009 speech,[17] Ho Ching, Temasek's Executive Director and CEO, said that the company had made an effort to instill discipline and professionalism, and to be tested and measured by providing public markers of performance. She noted that Temasek's bonds spreads and credit ratings have been regularly[18] and independently[19] monitored as public markers of Temasek's financial position and credit risks. Temasek had also openly[20] and accurately[21] disclosed its financial information through its annual report (although Ho said that, as a private company, it was not legally obliged to do so).

Initial holdings

Temasek's initial portfolio of S$354 million comprised shares previously held by the Singapore Government, including a bird park, a hotel, a shoe maker, a detergent producer, naval yards converted into a ship repair business, a start-up airline, and an iron and steel mill.

Stake Buy

In June 2018, Temasek invested S$340 million in a minority stake in UST Global, a digital technology services company.[22] The size of the stake was not disclosed.

Controversy

Purchase of Shin Corporation
Main article: Sale of Shin Corporation to Temasek Holdings

Temasek's 2006 acquisition of Shin Corporation, owned by the family of then Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was particularly controversial, with protestors burning effigies of Lee and Ho on the streets of Bangkok.[23] The deal was a factor in exacerbating the Thai political crisis, which eventually led to the downfall of Thaksin and a review of the transaction's legality. The military junta that overthrew Thaksin, later tried unsuccessfully to force Temasek to divest a large part of its investment in Shin Corp.[24] As of 2015, Temasek's stake in Intouch Corporation (as Shin Corporation was renamed) had reduced to 42%.[25]

Fortune magazine described the investment in Shin Corp as a "spectacular misjudgment".[26]

In 2016, Temasek sold a 21% stake in Intouch Holdings, the Thai telecoms conglomerate formerly known as Shin Corp.[27]

See also
  • Government of Singapore Investment Corporation

References
  1. "Temasek Holdings is incorporated". NLB. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
  2. "Management Team - About Temasek". Temasek Holdings. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  3. "Temasek". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  4. "Performance Overview; Temasek Review 2019". www.temasekreview.com.sg.
  5. "Temasek Review 2019: Our Temasek Heartbeat". www.temasekreview.com.sg.
  6. "Contact Us". Temasek Corporate Website English. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  7. "Temasek is different from other sovereign wealth funds and pays tax - Chairman". Venture Capital Post.
  8. "S&P Global Ratings" (PDF).
  9. Ng, Ren Jye (7 March 2019). "Temasek's triple A rating backed by strong credit profile, high-quality portfolio: Moody's". The Business Times.
  10. "Temasek hits perfect score on transparency index". AsiaOne. 5 June 2009.
  11. "About Singapore - Our History - The Sixties".
  12. Government-owned corporation#Singapore
  13. "Singapore Statutes Online - 50 - Companies Act".
  14. "Speeches by Ho Ching, Executive Director & CEO, at the Institute of Policy Studies".
  15. "Modern Meadow Closes $40M Series B Round to Commercialize Biofabricated Leather - Modern Meadow". Modern Meadow. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  16. "Shareholders approve Temasek buyout of Singapore rail operator". Reuters. 29 September 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  17. "Speeches - Media Centre - Temasek".
  18. "Moody's affirms Temasek's Aaa rating".
  19. "S&P CONFIRMS AAA RATING AS TEMASEK UPSIZES GLOBAL NOTES TO US$15 BILLION". 15 July 2013.
  20. "Tougher challenges for Temasek ahead". 17 July 2012. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013.
  21. "Temasek Holdings responds to NSP's claims". 23 August 2011.
  22. hermes (28 June 2018). "Temasek invests $340m in UST Global". The Straits Times. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  23. Thailand: Protesters burn images of Lee, wife. Bangkok Post, 18 March 2006.
  24. Thailand Moves Against Foreign Firms, Asia Sentinel, 10 January 2007
  25. "Temasek Review". Temasek. 4 July 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  26. "Singapore's Lee Family and Nepotism - Asia Sentinel". 24 February 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  27. hermes (19 August 2016). "Temasek sells telco shares to Singtel for $2.47b". The Straits Times. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
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