Securities Investors Association (Singapore)

Securities Investors Association (Singapore) or SIAS, a non-profit organization, was founded unexpectedly in June 1999, to champion the CLOB issue. 172,000 retail investors were suddenly stranded when the Malaysian Government froze their investments on Malaysian stocks in September 1998, amounting to US$5 billion. A group of civic-minded citizens leads by Mr. David Gerald got together and took on the challenge to help free the frozen shares with an initial backing by 49,880 retail investors as members. Their resoluteness and unity helped to resolve the issue on our terms. Today, SIAS is the largest organized investor lobby group in Asia, with almost 71,000 retail investors as members. It is run by a Management Committee comprising of professionals who are volunteers. It actively promotes Investor Education, Corporate Governance and Transparency and is the watchdog for Investor rights in Singapore. To-date, SIAS has successfully organized over 700 investor education programmes ranging from basic investment seminars for novices to certificate courses for investment savvy investors. Thus far, more than 80,000 retail investors have benefited from these programmes. which are offered largely free. Members are educated on the features of investment products, and the attendant risks involved in each product. Investors are taught to make an informed decision on investing. SIAS is able to provide a variety of investor education programmes to its members and the investing community at large through collaborative arrangements with financial institutions and listed companies interested in investor education as part of its corporate social responsibility agenda.