Mr Sia: Fly Past

Fly Past

Ken Hickson

• Publisher: WSPC
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9789814596466
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Science General
• Index: Biological Sciences

Introducing the life and times of a legend in international aviation — Lim Chin Beng — the man they called Mr SIA.

Absorbing the life and work of Lim Chin Beng is like watching a fly past of airlines and aircraft old and new. In this book, his past comes to meet you in many forms — designs, shapes, figures, photographs, episodes, places, people and you discover the connections with business, society and international aviation today and into the future. Here's a man who was instrumental in taking the very basic components of a business — like a potter taking the clay — and creating what has become one of the world's leading brands, Singapore Airlines. But this airline "specialist", trained as an economist, had more jobs to do. His broad range of interests — arts and sports, property and tourism — led to him being called on to do his "national service" for Singapore. He was Ambassador to Japan for two terms and trade negotiator, chairman of the Singapore Tourism Board, Changi Airport International, Singapore Airshow, Singapore Press Holdings, Ascott Group, and ST Aerospace. Described as a quiet achiever and a visionary, this modest gentleman was not afraid to make bold decisions and take risks, even to the extent of setting up a budget airline, Valuair. Here was one man, who in his time, played many parts, on the world's stage and at home.

Contents:

• Foreword by JY Pillay
• Foreword by Chew Choon Seng
• Lim Chin Beng: His Story at a Glance
• Delivery Times
• Raffles Inspired
• Designer Days
• Lively Livery
• Tall on Talent
• Singapore Girl
• Meaningful Mentoring
• Piloting Pressures
• Plane Makers
• In-flight Service
• International Relations
• Diplomatic to a Tea
• Dreaded Disasters
• Media & Money Matters
• Business Class
• Value Proposition
• Airports Ahead
• Tourism Chief
• Aerospace Showcase
• Aviation Alliances
• Eventful Times
• Property Guru
• Flying into the Future

Readership: Professionals in the aviation industry, those in the field of business and management, and the general public keen to find out more about the life of the legendary Lim Chin Beng.
Key Features:

• The first book to feature the legendary Lim Chin Beng — a key figure in the international airline business, with an engaging description of his life story and how he succeeded in making Singapore Airlines the brand it is today
• Written by journalist and communications specialist Ken Hickson, who has consulted for Singapore Airlines, and author of the book Flight 901 to Erebus

FOREWORD

When Ken Hickson asked me to write a foreword to his book on Lim Chin Beng, I accepted with alacrity. Chin Beng was a trusted colleague and friend of mine for decades in the airline industry. Contributing a foreword was the least I could do to anchor the memory of his achievements in the annals of Singapore Airlines.

It is no exaggeration to assert that Chin Beng was a seminal personality in the growth and blossoming of the carrier. He joined the legacy carrier of SIA, known then as Malayan Airways in 1960 and later Malaysia-Singapore Airlines. In 1971, still in his 30s, he took over the reins of MSA as Managing Director.

That was an era of great and continual change, and some turmoil, in the legacy carrier. Over a period of years in the 1960s, the two governments of Malaysia and Singapore periodically raised their stake, pari passu, in the joint carrier until they were the dominant shareholders, displacing the private shareholders, which included BOAC and Qantas. Those private owners founded the legacy airline in 1947, and moulded it into a professional carrier, grounded in the basic disciplines of flight operations and engineering maintenance, and offering renowned service in the air and on the ground. Over time, each government evolved its specific strategy for the future of the carrier. That divergence in outlook eventually led to the peaceful break-up of MSA, in October 1972, into two wholly-owned government carriers: Malaysian Airlines System (MAS) and Singapore Airlines (SIA). Lim Chin Beng continued as the CEO of SIA.

Although expectations by the cognoscenti were, for understandable reason, modest for the new carrier, Chin Beng and his team were undaunted. Even before SIA took to the skies in October 1972, Chin Beng, with the blessing of the SIA Board, had placed an order for the mighty Jumbo jet or B747. Hardly a year from SIAs launch, the Jumbo started service. The rest, as the weather-beaten phrase goes, is history, which Ken Hickson has professionally and comprehensively depicted in his book.

The interesting question, often asked, is how that fledgling carrier managed to overcome scepticism and systematically climb its way into the top ranks. Observers have quite often pointed out that the people at SIA did not, and do not, look like supermen. Yet they have consistently achieved outstanding results. What is the crucial ingredient?

It is a function of leadership and steady management applied rigorously, fairly and consistently. There was no pompous, airy-fairy vision thing. But there was a passionate dedication to a very high standard and quality of service and a deep commitment to the integrity of the product.

In the early days there were other factors no doubt that favoured SIA. At a time when most airlines were government-owned and heavily subsidised, SIA had to learn to go it alone. It mastered the discipline of flying solo, and was incentivised to take bold but calculated risks. Other carriers in the region may have been pusillanimous about rapid expansion, ordering wide-body jets, and keeping their fleets young, productive, ship-shape and appealing to the customer. Not SIA, which shot ahead of the competition and has substantially retained its ability to innovate.

It is noteworthy that the management team and ethos that Chin Beng helped to fashion has produced each of the four home-grown CEOs that succeeded him. They have retained the ability to effectively harness all the factors of production, efficiently and harmoniously, to deliver what the customer wants. As long as that compact, esprit de corps and dedication remain, the airline will continue to flourish despite occasional buffeting.

Lim Chin Beng was a key personality in the making of an outstanding airline. It is right and just that this comprehensive and very readable book by Ken Hickson is now coming out to record, commemorate and celebrate his outstanding contribution to SIA.

JY Pillay
September 2014

FOREWORD

As a relatively junior manager, I had the privilege of attending meetings led by Mr Lim and learning from the example he set, especially in negotiations for bilateral air traffic rights and for the purchases of aircraft.

He always held pre-meetings with the support staff and prepared himself well. At the actual negotiations, the things that impressed me most were Mr Lim’s composure, politeness and pragmatism. As a leader of the executive team, he always gave them credit for success and never blamed them for failure.

Mr Lim mixed well with people socially and was comfortable not only with peers but notably also with subordinates. He has a good sense of humour and a ready repertoire of jokes to suit the occasion.

Apart from being a leader, Mr Lim was a gentleman and diplomat. It was no surprise that as Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan, he was instrumental in the successful conclusion of the free trade agreement between the two countries, one of the first moves by Japan towards trade liberalisation.

Chew Choon Seng
October 2014

Mr Chew followed in Lim Chin Beng’s footsteps at two major Singapore institutions. He was CEO of Singapore Airlines from 2003 to 2010 and started with the airline the year it was launched (1971). He is currently Chairman of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Chairman of the Singapore Exchange (SGX).

CONTENTS

Foreword by JY Pillay

Foreword by Chew Choon Seng

Lim Chin Beng: His Story at a Glance

 

Chapter 1     Delivery Times

Chapter 2     Raffles Inspired

Chapter 3     Designer Days

Chapter 4     Lively Livery

Chapter 5     Tall on Talent

Chapter 6     Singapore Girl

Chapter 7     Meaningful Mentoring

Chapter 8     Piloting Pressures

Chapter 9     Plane Makers

Chapter 10   In-flight Service

Chapter 11   International Relations

Chapter 12   Diplomatic to a Tea

Chapter 13   Dreaded Disasters

Chapter 14   Media & Money Matters

Chapter 15   Business Class

Chapter 16   Value Proposition

Chapter 17   Airports Ahead

Chapter 18   Tourism Chief

Chapter 19   Aerospace Showcase

Chapter 20   Aviation Alliances

Chapter 21   Eventful Times

Chapter 22   Property Guru

Chapter 23   Flying into the Future

 

 

Epilogue

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

About the Author

LIM CHIN BENG: HIS STORY AT A GLANCE

1932 Born in Bandung, Indonesia, where his father was an English teacher, on 28 September.

1946 Along with parents and siblings, bundled into a British DC3, evacuated from Bandung and taken to Penang.

1948 Family moved to Singapore and he enrolled as a student at Raffl es Institution.

1951 Enrolled at University of Malaya in Singapore (which was later to be renamed National University of Singapore) to study Economics, Mathematics and Statistics.

1956 Graduated with BA (Honours) in Economics, Class II Upper, after obtaining his BA the previous year.

Joined the Singapore Government Administrative Service in the Ministry of Finance, then called The Treasury.

1960 Joined Malayan Airways in Singapore as an administrative trainee and went on to hold various positions. The airline changed its name to Malaysian Airways in 1963 and Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) in 1967.

1971 Appointed Deputy Managing Director of Malaysia-Singapore Airlines (MSA) effective 1 January and Managing Director, effective 26 July.

1972 First Managing Director of Singapore Airlines when it launched in October that year. He remained in the post for 10 years.

Completed an Advanced Management Programme at Harvard Business School.

1982 First Deputy Chairman of Singapore Airlines, a Board position he held until 1996.

1985 Named Chairman of the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, as it was called then, and remained there until 1989.

1986 Won the Singapore Businessman of the Year Award.

1990 Given the Outstanding Contribution to Tourism Award.

1991 Appointed Singapore’s Ambassador to Japan. He served two terms, returning to Singapore in 1997.

1993 On hand at Changi Airport on 12 October to take delivery of the 1000th 747 aircraft produced by Boeing.

1997 Appointed member of the Singapore Public Service Commission, on which he served until 2008.

1998 Inducted into t...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Halftitle Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Author Page
• Forward Page 1
• Forward Page 2
• Content Page
• LIM CHIN BENG: HIS STORY AT A GLANCE
• Chapter 1     Delivery Times
• Chapter 2     Raffles Inspired
• Chapter 3     Designer Days
• Chapter 4     Lively Livery
• Chapter 5     Tall on Talent
• Chapter 6     Singapore Girl
• Chapter 7     Meaningful Mentoring
• Chapter 8     Piloting Pressures
• Chapter 9     Plane Makers
• Chapter 10   In-flight Service
• Chapter 11   International Relations
• Chapter 12   Diplomatic to a Tea
• Chapter 13   Dreaded Disasters
• Chapter 14   Media & Money Matters
• Chapter 15   Business Class
• Chapter 16   Value Proposition
• Chapter 17   Airports Ahead
• Chapter 18   Tourism Chief
• Chapter 19   Aerospace Showcase
• Chapter 20   Aviation Alliances
• Chapter 21   Eventful Times
• Chapter 22   Property Guru
• Chapter 23   Flying into the Future
• Epilogue
• Bibliography
• Acknowledgments
• About the Author