Look and you shall find, as participants of the 11th Distinguished Alumni Forum, discover.

With so much 'doom and gloom' around, how will you survive? The participants of the 11th Distinguished Alumni Forum had the chance to get a perspective with the help of two prominent speakers.

Both, experts in finance and budgeting, Mr Inderjit Singh (EEE/1985) and Mr Loh Uantchern (NBS/1987), spoke in the context of Budget 2009. They reviewed the Budget, announced during the Budget 2009 statement in parliament, and shed light on how one can look forward positively to the future. The forum was aptly titled 'Budget 2009, Building Resilience and Surviving'.

The forum's Guest-of-Honour did his bid, too, and set the tone with his welcome speech. NTU Provost, Professor Bertil Andersson, said: "…We may be in for a bumpy ride and the paths to recovery still bear a big question mark. Still, crisis means opportunity." 

'Resilience' versus 'stimulus'
Mr Inderjit Singh, better known as the MP from Ang Mo Kio GRC, began with the various phases of the economic crisis. Also an entrepreneur and a member of NTU's Board of Trustees, he shared that Singapore is currently in the first phase.

This involves the meltdown of financial institutions. If no recovery is in sight, a country may experience the next two phases, which include corporate failures and household slumps. To survive, demand must be further stimulated, costs must be reduced and cash flow, facilitated, he observed.

Mr Inderjit attempted to simplify the mechanics of the government's 'Resilience Package'. He highlighted some of the cost-cutting measures for the man in the street and businesses; job retention; and how companies can obtain credit from banks. He summed up that Singapore has what it takes to ride the storm. How so? Its government is able to stay focused, whilst the people, the tenacity, having pulled through crisis such as SARS.

Attitude equals survival
Resilience is more than just a package; so shared the second forum speaker, Mr Loh Uantchern, the Regional Managing Partner for Deloitte's Risk Consulting Services practice in Asia Pacific. Specialising in risk consulting services, he stressed that survival is about having the 'right' determination. It is a state of mind; it is about having the 'right' attitude to overcome crisis. It is also about being passionate in what one does, and in believing that you can, no matter what the odds are.

No stranger to hard knocks, Mr Loh builds enterprise resilience for his clients and helps them to achieve risk intelligence. He also strengthens business processes and corporate governance.

The forum, being a two-way affair, wrapped up with the question-and-answer session. Participants were eagerly popping questions about the Budget and the current crisis. Their concerns were handled sensitively by the experienced panelists, including the chairman, Professor Chew Soon Beng, who is from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He is also Class of 1971 alumnus. The forum was held on 27 February, at the NTU@One-north campus.



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