And it went there despite having sold out of a telecom asset only last year. Yes, but there's much more to SingTel's Optus bid than meets the eye. Singapore is in the throes of a difficult transition to institute greater transparency in its corporate dealings. When the city-state's biggest company has to do things the Australian way, which has some of the world's best practices of corporate transparency and investor protection, the expectation is that it will rub off back home. And it's not just about disclosure and the law.
Transparency comes in a range of forms, down to employing smart investor and press relations.
Many companies in Europe, the U.S. and Australia have corporate communications officers who sit at or near board level. That doesn't happen in Asia, but it should as we embrace more and more of the information age, a place where Singapore says it wants to be at the heart of. 2001 Time Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.