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NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 

HWA HONG CORPORATION LIMITED

(Incorporated in the Republic of Singapore)

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Fifty-First Annual General Meeting of the Company will be held at the Conference Room, Level 2, 38 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058672 on Friday, 23 April 2004 at 11.00 a.m. for the following purposes:


Ordinary Business

 

1.

To receive and adopt the audited Financial Statements and the reports of the Directors and Auditors for the financial year ended 31 December 2003.

 

 

Resolution 1

2.

To declare a final ordinary dividend of 1 cent per share or 4%, less 20% income tax, in respect of the financial year ended 31 December 2003.

 

 

Resolution 2

3.

To approve the payment of fees amounting to $198,000 to the Non-Executive Directors of the Company for the financial year ended 31 December 2003 (2002: $210,000).

 

 

Resolution 3

4.

To re-elect the following Directors retiring by rotation in accordance with Article 105 of the Company’s Articles of Association:

 

 

 

 

(a)   Mr Boon Suan Lee


(Note: Mr Boon Suan Lee is considered a non-executive and non-independent Director.)

 

 

Resolution 4

 

(b)    Mr Yong Kun Da Richard


(Note: Mr Yong Kun Da Richard, if re-elected, will remain as Chairman of the Remuneration Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.  He is considered an independent non-executive Director.)

 

 

Resolution 5

5.

To consider and, if thought fit, to pass the following resolutions:

 

 

 

 

(a)   “That pursuant to Section 153(6) of the Companies Act, Chapter 50, Mr Guan Meng Kuan be and is hereby re-appointed a Director of the Company to hold office until the next Annual General Meeting of the Company.”


(Note: Mr Guan Meng Kuan, if re-elected, will remain as a member of the Nominating Committee. He is considered a non-executive and non-independent Director.)

 

 

Resolution 6

 

(b)   “That pursuant to Section 153(6) of the Companies Act, Chapter 50, Mr Chew Loy Kiat be and is hereby re-appointed a Director of the Company to hold office until the next Annual General Meeting of the Company.”


(Note: Mr Chew Loy Kiat, if re-elected, will remain as Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Nominating Committee.  He is considered an independent non-executive Director.)

 

 

Resolution 7

6.

To appoint Auditors and to authorise the Directors to fix their remuneration.

 

 

Resolution 8

7.

To transact any other ordinary business which may properly be transacted at an Annual General Meeting.

 

 

 

Special Business

 

8.

To consider and, if thought fit, to pass with or without modifications, the following resolutions as Ordinary Resolutions:

 

 

 

 

8A.

“That authority be and is hereby given to the Directors of the Company to:

 

(a)   (i)     issue shares in the capital of the Company (“shares”) whether by way of rights, bonus or otherwise; and/or

       

        (ii)    make or grant offers, agreements or options (collectively, “Instruments”) that might or would require shares to be issued, including but not limited to the creation and issue of (as well as adjustments to) warrants, debentures or other instruments convertible or exchangeable into shares,

 

        at any time and upon such terms and conditions and for such purposes and to such persons as the Directors may in their absolute discretion deem fit; and

 

(b)   (notwithstanding the authority conferred by this Resolution may have ceased to be in force) issue shares in pursuance of any Instrument made or granted by the Directors while this Resolution was in force,

 

        provided that:

 

(1)    the aggregate number of shares to be issued pursuant to this Resolution (including shares to be issued in pursuance of Instruments made or granted pursuant to this Resolution) does not exceed fifty per cent. (50%) of the issued share capital of the Company (as calculated in accordance with sub-paragraph (2) below), of which the aggregate number of shares to be issued other than on a pro rata basis to shareholders of the Company (including shares to be issued in pursuance of Instruments made or granted pursuant to this Resolution) does not exceed twenty per cent. (20%) of the issued share capital of the Company (as calculated in accordance with sub-paragraph (2) below);

 

(2)    (subject to such manner of calculation as may be prescribed by the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited) for the purpose of determining the aggregate number of shares that may be issued under sub-paragraph (1) above, the percentage of issued share capital shall be based on the issued share capital of the Company at the time of the passing of this Resolution, after adjusting for:

 

(i)     new shares arising from the conversion or exercise of convertible securities;

 

(ii)    new shares arising from exercising share options or vesting of share awards outstanding or subsisting at the time of the passing of this Resolution, provided the options or awards were granted in compliance with Part VIII of Chapter 8 of the Listing Manual of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the “Listing Manual”); and

 

(iii)   any subsequent consolidation or subdivision of shares;

 

(3)    in exercising the authority conferred by this Resolution, the Company shall comply with the provisions of the Listing Manual for the time being in force (unless such compliance has been waived by the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited) and the Articles of Association for the time being of the Company; and

 

(4)    (unless revoked or varied by the Company in general meeting) the authority conferred by this Resolution shall continue in force until the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or the date by which the next Annual General Meeting of the Company is required by law to be held, whichever is the earlier.”

 

 

Resolution 9

 

8B.

“That pursuant to Section 161 of the Companies Act, Chapter 50, approval be and is hereby given to the Directors or any committee appointed by them to issue and allot shares in the Company (including to issue and allot shares to any Director of the Company) pursuant to the exercise of options granted in connection with or under the terms and conditions of the Hwa Hong Corporation Limited Executives’ Share Option Scheme (notwithstanding that the exercise thereof or such issue and allotment may occur after the conclusion of the next or any ensuing Annual General Meeting of the Company), and to do all acts and things which they may consider necessary or expedient to carry the same into effect.”

 

 

Resolution 10

 

8C.

“That pursuant to Section 161 of the Companies Act, Chapter 50, approval be and is hereby given to the Directors or any committee appointed by them to exercise full powers of the Company to grant options over shares in the Company in accordance with the Rules of the Hwa Hong Corporation Limited (2001) Share Option Scheme approved by shareholders in general meeting on 29 May 2001 and as may be amended from time to time and to issue and allot shares in the Company upon the exercise of any such options (notwithstanding that the exercise thereof or such issue and allotment may occur after the conclusion of the next or any ensuing Annual General Meeting of the Company), and to do all acts and things which they may consider necessary or expedient to carry the same into effect.”

 

 

Resolution 11

 

8D.

“That pursuant to Section 161 of the Companies Act, Chapter 50, approval be and is hereby given to the Directors of the Company to allot and issue shares in the Company as may be required to be allotted and issued pursuant to the Hwa Hong Corporation Limited Scrip Dividend Scheme approved by shareholders in general meeting on 7 November 2003, and to do all acts and things which they may consider necessary or expedient to carry the same into effect.”

 

 

Resolution 12

 

8E.

“That:

 

(a)  for the purposes of Sections 76C and 76E of the Companies Act, Chapter 50 (the "Companies Act"), the exercise by the Directors of the Company of all the powers of the Company to purchase or otherwise acquire issued and fully paid ordinary shares in the Company (the “Shares”) not exceeding in aggregate the Prescribed Limit (as hereinafter defined), at such price or prices as may be determined by the Directors of the Company from time to time up to the Maximum Price (as hereinafter defined), whether by way of:

 

(i)     market purchases (each a "Market Purchase") on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited ("SGX-ST"); and/or

 

(ii)    off-market purchases (each an "Off-Market Purchase") effected otherwise than on the SGX-ST in accordance with any equal access scheme(s) as may be determined or formulated by the Directors of the Company as they consider fit, which scheme(s) shall satisfy all the conditions prescribed by the Companies Act,

 

and otherwise in accordance with all other laws, regulations and rules of the SGX-ST as may for the time being be applicable, be and is hereby authorised and approved generally and unconditionally (the "Share Purchase Mandate");

 

(b)  unless varied or revoked by the Company in general meeting, the authority conferred on the Directors of the Company pursuant to the Share Purchase Mandate in paragraph (a) of this Resolution may be exercised by the Directors of the Company at any time and from time to time during the period commencing from the date of the passing of this Resolution and expiring on the earlier of:

 

(i)     the date on which the next Annual General Meeting of the Company is held; or

 

(ii)    the date by which the next Annual General Meeting of the Company is required by law to be held;

 

(c)    in this Resolution:

       

        "Prescribed Limit" means, subject to the Companies Act, 10% of the issued ordinary share capital of the Company as at the date of the passing of this Resolution; and

 

        "Maximum Price", in relation to a Share to be purchased, means an amount (excluding brokerage, stamp duties, applicable goods and services tax and other related expenses) not exceeding:

 

(i)     in the case of a Market Purchase, 105% of the Average Closing Price (as defined hereinafter); and

 

(ii)    in the case of an Off-Market Purchase, 120% of the Highest Last Dealt Price (as defined hereinafter),

       

        where:

 

        "Average Closing Price" means the average of the Closing Market Prices of the Shares over the last five Market Days on the SGX-ST, on which transactions in the Shares were recorded, immediately preceding the day of the Market Purchase, and deemed to be adjusted for any corporate action that occurs after such five-Market Day period;

 

        "Closing Market Price" means the last dealt price for a Share transacted through the SGX-ST's Central Limit Order Book (CLOB) trading system as shown in any publication of the SGX-ST or other sources;

 

        "Highest Last Dealt Price" means the highest price transacted for a Share as recorded on the SGX-ST on the Market Day on which there were trades in the Shares immediately preceding the day of the making of the offer pursuant to the Off-Market Purchase;

 

        "day of the making of the offer" means the day on which the Company announces its intention to make an offer for the purchase of Shares from shareholders of the Company, stating the purchase price (which shall not be more than the Maximum Price calculated on the foregoing basis) for each Share and the relevant terms of the equal access scheme for effecting the Off-Market Purchase; and

 

         "Market Day" means a day on which the SGX-ST is open for trading in securities; and

 

(d)  the Directors of the Company be and are hereby authorised to complete and do all such acts and things (including executing such documents as may be required) as they may consider expedient or necessary to give effect to the transactions contemplated by this Resolution.”

 

Resolution 13

 

 

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD


TAN MEE CHOO
SECRETARY

Singapore, 7 April 2004

Note

A member entitled to attend and vote at the meeting may appoint not more than two proxies to attend and vote in his stead. Where a member appoints more than one proxy, he shall specify the proportion of his shareholdings to be represented by each proxy. A proxy need not be a member of the Company. The instrument appointing a proxy or proxies must be deposited at the Registered Office of the Company at 38 South Bridge Road, Singapore 058672 at least forty-eight (48) hours before the time appointed for holding the meeting.


 

Explanatory Notes to Special Business

Resolution 9, if passed, will empower the Directors to issue shares in the capital of the Company and/or Instruments (as defined above). The aggregate number of shares to be issued pursuant to this Resolution, including shares to be issued in pursuance of Instruments made or granted pursuant thereto, will be subject to the 50% limit and the 20% sub-limit. The 50% limit and the 20% sub-limit will be calculated based on the issued share capital of the Company at the time of the passing of this Resolution, after adjusting for:

 

(a) new shares arising upon the conversion or exercise of convertible securities;

 

(b)  new shares arising from exercising share options or vesting of share awards outstanding or subsisting at the time of the passing of this Resolution, provided the options or awards were granted in compliance with Part VIII of Chapter 8 of the Listing Manual of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited; and

 

(c) any subsequent consolidation or subdivision of shares.

 

The authority conferred by this Resolution will continue in force until the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or the date by which the next Annual General Meeting of the Company is required by law to be held, whichever is the earlier, unless previously revoked or varied at a general meeting.

 

Resolution 10, if passed, gives authority to the Directors to issue shares in the capital of the Company pursuant to the exercise of options granted under the Hwa Hong Corporation Limited Executives’ Share Option Scheme (the “ESOS”), which was terminated and succeeded by the Hwa Hong Corporation Limited (2001) Share Option Scheme (the “2001 Scheme”) at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company held on 29 May 2001. Options that were granted prior to the termination of the ESOS remain exercisable in accordance with the Rules of the ESOS.

 

Resolution 11, if passed, gives authority to the Directors to grant options and to issue shares in connection with the 2001 Scheme (notwithstanding that such issue of shares may take place after the expiration of this approval).

 

Resolution 12, if passed, gives authority to the Directors to issue shares in the capital of the Company pursuant to the Hwa Hong Corporation Limited Scrip Dividend Scheme approved at the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Company held on 7 November 2003.

 

Resolution 13, if passed, will empower the Directors to exercise all powers of the Company to purchase or otherwise acquire (whether by way of market purchases or off-market purchases) issued and fully paid ordinary shares of the Company on the terms of the mandate set out in the attached Appendix to the Notice of Annual General Meeting (the “Share Purchase Mandate”).  The authority conferred by this Resolution will continue in force until the next Annual General Meeting of the Company or the date by which the next Annual General Meeting of the Company is required by law to be held, whichever is the earlier, unless previously revoked or varied at a general meeting.

 

As mentioned in paragraph 3.4 of the attached Appendix to the Notice of Annual General Meeting, the Company intends to use the Group’s internal resources to finance its purchases or acquisitions of shares under the Share Purchase Mandate.  For illustrative purposes only, the financial effects of purchases or acquisitions of shares under the Share Purchase Mandate on the audited financial statements of the Company and the Group for the financial year ended 31 December 2003, based on certain stated assumptions, are set out in paragraph 3.5 of the Appendix to the Notice of Annual General Meeting.

 

 

 

Submitted by Tan Mee Choo, Company Secretary on 07/04/2004 to the SGX