[14 January 2002]
Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew to Speak on Entrepreneurship at Inaugural Ho Rih Hwa Leadership in Asia Public Lecture

Lecture series organised by Singapore Management University to promote entrepreneurship and global business issues

On Tuesday, 5 February 2002, Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew will speak at the inaugural Ho Rih Hwa Leadership in Asia Public Lecture, organised by the Singapore Management University, held at Suntec Singapore. Senior Minister is without a doubt one of the world's greatest political minds and a pivotal figure in Singapore's history and development. His topic for the lecture will be "An Entrepreneurial Culture for Singapore", as he says: "Singaporeans have been good at becoming managers. Now we need to have Singaporeans more entrepreneurial."

The Ho Rih Hwa Leadership in Asia Public Lecture Series was established at SMU by Mrs Ho Lien Fung in honour of her late husband, Mr Ho Rih Hwa, successful entrepreneur and former Singapore Ambassador. As alumni of Cornell University, both Mr and Mrs Ho had been partners in business, trading under the umbrella of the Thai Wah Company and later the Walon Company. Mr Ho was asked to be involved in the establishment and operations of the Economic Development Board in Thailand and later took on the role of Ambassador of Singapore to Thailand, Belgium and Germany. As Ambassador, he was entitled to an annual salary but chose not to receive any payment for the role that he deemed as his patriotic service to his country. Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew said that it was important for him to speak at the lecture "because I am obligated to Ho Rih Hwa for his past services to Singapore."

Spurred by the idea for a lectureship series after attending an endowed lecture series in memory of her late husband's classmate, Prof Wu Teh Yao, Mrs Ho was convinced that a similar programme concentrating on areas relevant to her husband's own global business endeavours could benefit others. She presented SMU with a S$500,000 donation towards the series, which will focus on business issues pertinent to our global landscape today.

Expected to take place once a year, the series sets out to provide an enriching platform for renowned and accomplished leaders worldwide to share their vision and relevant knowledge in order to motivate and broaden perspectives of young aspiring leaders.

View Lee Kuan Yew's Speech