Significant Events September 1, 1999 December 1999 SPH’s wholly-owned subsidiary, SPH was ranked sixth in the Far AsiaOne Internet Pte Ltd (now Eastern Economic Review’s annual known as SPH AsiaOne Ltd) survey of corporate leadership, commenced business to spearhead among 90 companies from outside the Group’s Internet ventures with November 3, 1999 Asia with operations in the region, greater autonomy for maximum Shin Min Daily News achieved a as well as 10 firms from each of 11 results. record circulation of 151,547. Asian countries. September 4, 1999 December 18, 1999 Fukan, the lifestyle section of ST Timesport 50 Greatest Athletes Lianhe Zaobao, underwent a was organised by The Straits revamp and was renamed zbNOW Times’ Sports Desk to honour to appeal to younger readers. Singapore’s 50 greatest athletes of the century. Prime Minister Goh September 13, 1999 Chok Tong was the Guest of SPH was awarded the Honour. Distinguished Patron of the Arts award for the seventh time since December 26, 1999 Denis Tay, Deputy President of SPH, 1993, affirming our commitment received the Distinguished Patron of the The New Paper On Sunday as a sponsor of the arts. Arts award from Lee Yock Suan, achieved a record circulation of Minister for Information and the Arts. 200,888. September 23, 1999 The Business Times was revamped November 25, 1999 to with a new look and design. January 9, 2000 SPH newspapers co-sponsored October 1 to 3, 1999 Saltimbanco as official media. The Children’s Day Carnival & Staged by Montreal-based Cirque Kids Plus ’99, organised by SPH’s du Soleil, this ‘circus’ without Marketing Division to profile animals combined theatrical Lianhe Zaobao, Lianhe Wanbao and artistry, athletic grace and Shin Min Daily News attracted a situational humour. record of nearly 200,000 visitors. December 1999 SPH was voted the best managed October 9, 1999 Performers of Saltimbanco thrilled Lianhe Wanbao and Shin Min Daily company in Singapore by audiences with their outstanding News started early weekend Asiamoney, a Hong Kong based performance. editions of its newspapers, financial magazine and member of January 15, 2000 available from 3.00pm. Euromoney Institutional Investor Group. Tamil Murasu went online. October 10, 1999 Tamil Murasu Sunday achieved a January 15, 2000 record circulation of 16,457. Deputy Prime Minister BG (NS) Lee Hsien Loong launched Thumbs Up, a new weekly Chinese tabloid for October 20, 1999 students between Primary 3 and 6. Computer Times, a technology pullout, became a weekly First to take a peek: Deputy Prime Minister BG (NS) Lee Hsien Loong and distributed with The Straits Times Tjong Yik Min, Group President of SPH, on Wednesdays. enjoying the new product. 8 April 6, 2000 SPH contributed $50,000 to the Singapore-Latin American Everest Expedition 2001 as the official media, in support of their attempt January 18, 2000 to scale Mount Everest from Tibet Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for via the more challenging Mallory Health, officiated at the opening of route. Paragon following a $130-million facelift and construction of a new April 12, 2000 14-storey commercial building Lim Hng Kiang, Minister for Health, Zaobao.com Ltd was incorporated above the retail podium. Paragon, accompanied by Lim Kim San, as a wholly-owned subsidiary of in which SPH holds a 85 per cent Executive Chairman of SPH, at the SPH AsiaOne Ltd. stake, is a prime commercial opening of Paragon. Looking on from far left is Tjong Yik Min, Group President building in the heart of Orchard of SPH. April 13, 2000 Road. February 8, 2000 SPH AsiaOne Ltd partnered The Fantastic Corporation to form a January 21, 2000 All the text in SPH morning dailies joint venture company called Singapore 1000 companies and was printed in red to announce the FantasticOne (Asia-Pacific) Pte Ltd Singapore 500 SMEs were jointly increase in total newspaper to provide broadband multimedia organised by The Business Times, readership by 18.3 per cent. solutions for the Asian market. DPI Information Network Pte Ltd, Ernst & Young and Singapore February 26, 2000 Productivity & Standards Board. Berita Harian achieved record Dr Richard Hu, Minister for circulation of 69,320. Finance, gave away the awards to the top five companies in each March 2, 2000 category. Ms Jennie Chua was awarded Her World’s Woman of the Year 1999 January 25, 2000 for her achievements in the hotel AsiaOne was relaunched with more and tourism industry. A new online services to users, and a award, Young Woman Achiever new look for asiaone.com and Award, was given to singer Ms Kit Saluting the women of substance: zaobao.com. Chan in recognition of her Award winners (third from left) Teresa successful singing career. A special Hsu, Jennie Chua and Kit Chan, with (from left) Robert Iau, Chairman of January 26, 2000 award for the new millennium went Judging Panel, Evelyn Lauder, Senior Listing of products and services in to Ms Teresa Hsu for her Corporate Vice-President of Estee The Straits Times Classifieds were humanitarian work for the poor Lauder Companies, Inc. and Denis Tay, Deputy President of SPH. made available on asiaone.com. and the aged sick. February 1, 2000 March 10, 2000 Project Eyeball, a new morning Jointly organised by The Business tabloid for young and Net-savvy Times and DHL Worldwide readers, received its licence to Express, Mr Tommie Goh, publish. Chairman of JIT Holdings Ltd, was named Businessman of the Year February 1, 2000 1999. SPH newspapers were made Businessman of the Year Tommie Goh (middle) with Enterprise Award winner available for sale at Tricon Teh Bong Lim of MMI Holdings and CEO restaurants. of the Year, Peter Seah, President and CEO of Overseas Union Bank. 9 Significant Events May 27, 2000 Young Parents organised the first Family of the Year award to April 14, 2000 promote family life. The award was launched by Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, Eating Air and Darkness & Light, Minister for Community two films sponsored by SPH at the Development and Sports. Singapore International Film Festival, won the Singapore Film The Cheong Family with their trophy for Commission Young Cinema Award Young Parents Family of the Year and Best Film Award respectively award. at the Silver Screen Awards. June 5, 2000 April 26, 2000 SPH AsiaOne Ltd made its debut 2nd Long Xi Creative Awards was on the mainboard of the Singapore presented by Lianhe Zaobao and Exchange. organised by Marketing Division. The series of zbNOW advertisements 965 entries from around the world won the silver award at the 2nd Long Xi June 5, 2000 competed in 57 categories to be the Creative Awards. AsiaOne was ranked second in the best in Chinese creative Nielson Net Ratings for Top 10 advertising. Property Web Sites according to time spent. April 27 to 29, 2000 SPH Community Project 2000 June 6, 2000 kicked off with staff visits to Streats, a free tabloid-sized charities and performances by newspaper for morning celebrities to boost participation in commuters, received its newspaper the Community Chest’s SHARE A team from Times Periodicals Pte Ltd publishing licence. programme. SPH matches dollar- brought cheers to the children at for-dollar its employees’ SHARE Spastic Children’s Association of June 8, 2000 Singapore Special School. contributions. Announcement of the formation of SPH MediaWorks Ltd, SPH’s May 12, 2000 venture into terrestrial television. Radm (NS) Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Education, launched June 10 to 18, 2000 the abridged versions of “The The World Book Fair, organised by Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee SPH’s Chinese Newspapers Kuan Yew”, intended for the Division, attracted 760,000 younger generation. visitors. May 21, 2000 “The Singapore Story: Memoirs of Lee Radm (NS) Teo Chee Hean, Kuan Yew”. Minister for Education, flagged off the 10th TNP Big Walk which June 2000 achieved a record 77,500 Go was renamed Go Flirt and participants and qualified for subsequently, Flirt. inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records. 10 July 28, 2000 Trade launch organised by Marketing Division for Streats, a free commuter newspaper. August 14, 2000 July 17, 2000 Project Eyeball was launched. Mr Ivan Fernandez was appointed Editor of The New Paper. August 22, 2000 SPH set up English and Chinese June 19, 2000 July 21 to 22, 2000 TV News units for MediaWorks. The Straits Times and The Business SPH launched Writers’ Lab with the Times were awarded two-year 24-hour Playwriting Competition on memberships in the exclusive board the Superstar Virgo. This International Newspaper Colour marked SPH’s 10th year of Quality Club for their high sponsorship for Writers’ Lab. standards of colour reproduction. July 26, 2000 June 29, 2000 Associate Professor Aziz Nather The redesigned Lianhe Zaobao and was awarded the Berita Harian introduction of the afternoon Achiever of the Year 2000 for his editions of Lianhe Wanbao and outstanding contribution in the Shin Min Daily News were revealed field of tissue banking. Associate Professor Aziz Nather received at a Trade launch. the Berita Harian Achiever of the Year 2000 award from Radm (NS) Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Education. With them July 6, 2000 is Guntor Sadali, Editor of Berita Tamil Murasu inaugurated the Harian. Indian Family of the Year award where over 500 nominations were August 31, 2000 received. AsiaOne launched AsiaOne Markets, a premier financial July 7, 2000 investment website which provides Noon editions of Lianhe Wanbao The first Indian Family of the Year seen the latest business information and Shin Min Daily News were here with Professor S Jayakumar, and sophisticated investment tools launched. Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law. for users. July 7, 2000 Lianhe Zaobao unveiled its new look at Starry Night Concert 2000, an outdoor Chinese pop concert where 8,000 people attended.