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.
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To receive and adopt the audited Financial
Statements and the reports of the Directors and Auditors for the
financial year ended 31 December 2003.
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Resolution
1
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2.
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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.
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Resolution
2
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3.
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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).
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Resolution
3
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4.
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To re-elect the following Directors retiring
by rotation in accordance with Article 105 of the Company’s Articles of
Association:
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(a) Mr Boon Suan Lee
(Note: Mr Boon Suan Lee is considered a non-executive and
non-independent Director.)
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Resolution
4
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(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.)
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Resolution
5
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5.
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To consider and, if thought fit, to pass the
following resolutions:
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(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.)
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Resolution 6
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(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.)
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Resolution
7
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6.
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To appoint Auditors and to authorise the
Directors to fix their remuneration.
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Resolution
8
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7.
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To transact any other ordinary business
which may properly be transacted at an Annual General Meeting.
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Special
Business
8.
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To consider and, if thought fit, to pass with
or without modifications, the following resolutions as Ordinary
Resolutions:
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8A.
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“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.”
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Resolution
9
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8B.
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“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.”
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Resolution
10
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8C.
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“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.”
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Resolution
11
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8D.
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“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.”
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Resolution
12
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8E.
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“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.”
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Resolution
13
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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
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