The due diligence that investors in family businesses must not skip

In a commentary, SMU Associate Professor of Accounting (Education) Yuanto Kusnadi and Kenneth Goh, Director of Private Wealth Management at UOB Kay Hian, opined that minority shareholders should understand the specific risks highlighted in company filings. They noted that the greatest risk of investing in a family-controlled company lies not only in its business performance, but also in how controlling families exercise their influence. While Singapore's regulatory framework provides safeguards for minority shareholders, these protections are not foolproof. However, they require significant transactions to be disclosed and give minority shareholders a voice, provided they review the circulars and exercise their voting rights.