SINGAPORE (Oct 1): The first issue of The Edge Singapore was published on March 4, 2002. For most of the last 16½ years, we have dedicated ourselves to chronicling the markets’ twists and turns, tracking the performance of public-listed companies and piecing together information from the reticent people who run them.
In recent years, the prominent stories in our pages have included our detailed reporting of the penny stock manipulation and the 1Malaysia Development Bhd scandal. The reporting has been investor-oriented, and we have carved a niche for the weekly as required reading for people with a vested interest in the local stock market and financial services industry.
We are not abandoning that aspect of our work. Rather, we are expanding our scope of reporting and analysis to bring you news and views that reflect the opportunities and challenges of the day.
More importantly, financial services and investing do not exist in a vacuum. The shifts in the broader economy and markets are driving social, economic and political change, which in turn is impacting the way decisions are made at all levels.
Against that backdrop, we are set to look beyond the numbers for what makes society function, especially in these changing times. It involves taking a harder look at socio-economic issues.
We are challenging ourselves, and you, to question the narratives that have led to the disorder, disillusionment and disenfranchisement that dominate discourse today. Ultimately, as an independent news organisation and members of society, we have a responsibility to be part of sustainable socio-economic development.
In a way, we have already begun. In recent weeks, we have delved into the unacceptable corporate governance lapses within a number of listed companies here. We have reported on how sustainability and impact investing are themes that will influence investment behaviour in both individuals and companies.
But there is a lot more to cover, in both the corporate sector and wider society.
For this week’s issue, one of our reporters had a heart-to-heart talk with a Singaporean who does not quite conform to society’s idea of a philanthropist, but who has fed and provided shelter for many. Milah is financially constrained, but she has probably been the only lifeline for some of the troubled teenagers in her neighbourhood, filling in the gaps left by official social assistance. In fact, she may have been able to positively influence the youth in a way that welfare organisations could not. Having someone walk with them is something that money cannot buy, says one observer. The reality is that government agencies and their workers simply cannot be everywhere, all the time. The efforts of Milah and others like her need to be recognised and encouraged.
In the coming issues of The Edge Singapore, we will tackle topics that will stimulate thought and dialogue, with the goal of inspiring positive socio-economic change. A lofty ideal? We are rising to the challenge.
Michelle Teo,
Editor
