Jurong, Keppel Hook Up Still Possible

Keppel Corp's outgoing chairman Sim Kee Boon said he did not rule out the merger of the Jurong and Keppel shipyards in the future. "It is quite possible. I will not rule it out. But let the dust settle first and take stock of what we have," Sim said. "It is not a matter of neatness but also a matter of culture, market conditions as well as management," he said. Jurong Shipyard, owned by SembCorp Industries and Keppel's Keppel Hitachi Zosen are Singapore's two biggest shipyards and among Southeast Asia's dominant yards. Speculation has been rife over their eventual merger following persistent comments by Chairman of the Economic Development Board Philip Yeo that Singapore did not need more than one mega yard.