A Shameless Restructuring
Like Enron, Hyflux was hiding losses of approximately 1.5-2.0billion with fake valuation models. Many Singaporean chose to believe this company, its founder, its management and its auditors whom hid disclosures, defaults and undisclosed liabilities that fooled even the sophisticated Indonesian consortium.
Last night, Hyflux began the recognition of massive losses and impairments to patch the hole that they hid. Maybank’s internal memo warned that the root of the company’s ills was its toxic management and accounting model. Maybank was certain that they will not increase single cent of exposure until the management and auditors were replaced by credible professionals.
Olivia Lum ruled with an iron-fist according to those who left the company, ignoring due diligences and surrounded herself with obedient mates including her CFO with little experience dealing running listed companies, prior to her position in Hyflux. Both went on to create billions of fake values to qualify Hyflux for more debts. This management is made up of crooks who deceived investors and bankers. They know that they have nothing to fear from their auditors (and restructuring team) who had colluded with them for years or from the abysmal regulatory environment of the Singapore Stock Exchange, ACRA and MAS that has been a contributing factor.
When the bomb was dropped a year ago (default of XD perpetual bonds coupon), they didn’t stop here. The very same team who have deceived more than 50,000 investors and bank are now presenting a highly controversial restructuring proposal that rewards them further and bails themselves out, seeking waivers to pursue wrongdoers from these creditors, if the restructuring goes through.
Their argument argument to support it is extremely simple; Do or Die. This restructuring is terrible for you but the alternative (liquidation) is worse. 3% cash back or nothing, in particulars retail investors (perpetuals, preference shareholders and ordinary shareholders will be wiped out). So you have no choice, even the regulator sided the restructuring and threatened that they will destroy us if you don’t agree to agree.
Today, for Hyflux’s retail investors should question, do we believe what this management tells us? Is this the last opinion?
Here’s the good news. The only thing consistent with Hyflux’s management is lies. There are righteous people working among them. Otherwise I will not know about last night’s influx of announcement.
This restructuring is not the last opinion, it is just the worst, so it is presented to you first. 3% cash back for retail Preference Shares and Perpetual (PnP) holders to compensate for the principle and over appx 10% of accrued interests. Anyone with common sense will reject it and this plan won’t save Hyflux. Retail investors are very important and you are likely to lose almost everything if you consent to it. The restructuring was not designed with retail investors and notesholders in mind. The only people that it will save are its management and enriches the restructuring team.
This plan will not save Hyflux. The regulator’s positions are creating a downward spiral (post restructuring). Wake up, this restructuring did not address the causes that led to financial distress. Olivia Lum has a history of lies, it is just business as usual after restructuring.
Insiders estimate that Hyflux’s restructuring cost more than the cash that they propose to return to the PnPs. This is a conservative estimate. In fact, the cash return is not even half of the unpaid coupons accumulated.
This restructuring will give the full release of any claims and rights that creditors may have against the company’s management and auditors. Look at the payouts for the management when the crisis is over, it’s a reward for failure. Hyflux’s management knows that the ship hit an iceberg, but they just want to make sure that they will not spend the days ahead facing lawsuits.
If the management lose control over Hyflux, outsiders will get access to the internal records. That’s their nightmare. They want to enjoy their retirement in peace, that’s why they want to make sure the restructuring goes through. It is about themselves, understand?
Ok finished my beer, walking over now. Fight another Day.