Petition to Singapore Government - 983 signatures

I will be handing over the Petition tomorrow (9 October) to Dr. Andrew Khoo, Executive Director of Capital Markets of MAS. The Petition is addressed to the Senior Minister and Chairman of MAS, Mr. Goh Chok Tong. Mr. Goh was not able to receive the petition personally and has asked me to pass it to Dr. Khoo.

The wording of the Petition is below. The final Petition has 983 signatures. I have removed signatories with incomplete particulars. The original list has more than 1,000 signatories.

PETITION TO SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT

1. We write to petition the Singapore Government, particularly the Commercial Affairs Department (Singapore Police Force) and/or the Monetary Authority of Singapore, to conduct a full and independent inquiry in relation to the credit linked securities sold by various financial institutions in Singapore. These structured products include, but are not limited to, the Lehman Minibonds, DBS High Notes, Morgan Stanley Pinnacles Notes and Merrill Lynch Jubilee Notes.

2. Singaporeans, including the persons who have signed this petition, lost their hard-earned savings by investing in these financial products. Such products clearly did not suit the risk profiles of these consumers. The consumers were not made aware of the high risks involved in the financial product when buying the product. They became innocent victims of misrepresentation by the financial institutions that distributed the structured products.

3. We now wish to be assured that those who invested in such financial products have not been victims of negligent and/or dishonest conduct and/or fraud by these financial institutions.

4. The Government has a duty to ensure that investment products are marketed and sold appropriately in our jurisdiction. Such products must be sold in a manner compliant with the laws of Singapore. Financial institutions, including their respective key management, that do not follow the laws or regulations applicable to them must be held accountable for such breaches.

5. Please commence a full and independent inquiry into the sale of structured products by various financial institutions in Singapore. If the inquiry deems necessary, the Attorney-General of Singapore should act against these financial institutions.

6. We also ask the Government to help these investors to claim fair and adequate compensation from these financial institutions for their losses which are caused by the mis-conduct of these financial institutions.

7. We ask the Government to act now and restore the peoples' faith in our financial system.