SINGAPORE : The deputy chairman and CEO of SembCorp Industries,
Wong Kok Siew, died peacefully on Wednesday. He was 58.
SembCorp's non-executive chairman, Peter Seah, said Mr Wong had
been in critical care since Monday evening after suffering a
stroke.
Mr Wong has headed SembCorp since the company was formed in 1998
from the merger of Singapore Technologies Industrial Corp and
Sembawang Corp.
In a statement, Mr Seah described Mr Wong as a brilliant man who
brought tremendous leadership, energy and passion to his job.
He said Mr Wong had made an indelible mark on the whole Group in
more than six years at the helm, and on all those who knew him and
treasured his friendship.
On Tuesday, SembCorp announced that Mr Seah would assume Mr Wong's
duties, with support from senior management.
Mr Wong was well known in the Singapore corporate scene, although
he kept a low profile.
Reports say he was entertaining guests on Monday evening when he
collapsed.
He suffered two brain haemorrhages and underwent surgery on Tuesday
morning.
In his time at SembCorp, Mr Wong steered the group to focus more on
its core engineering and marine businesses.
SembCorp sold off non-core assets like Delifrance and Singapore
Food Industries.
Perhaps the only major setback in his record was the narrow
rejection by shareholders of SembCorp's S$583 million offer to
privatise its ship-repair unit, SembCorp Marine.
SembCorp is due to post its fourth-quarter and full-year results on
Friday. - CNA
