While companies are required to meet the minimum notice period for general meetings, companies should consider providing longer notice for meetings, especially when dealing with complex transactions, or where the company has numerous overseas shareholders.

Management is encouraged to make a presentation to shareholders to update them on the company’s performance, position and prospects at general meetings. Presentation materials should be made available on SGXNET and the company’s website for the benefit of shareholders.

In order to enhance shareholder participation in general meetings, companies should use their best endeavours to avoid scheduling meetings during peak periods when the meetings may coincide with those of other companies, especially if they have a large shareholder base. Companies should consider other avenues of engaging shareholders, such as through townhall meetings, briefings and roadshows, or webcasting meetings and allowing electronic online voting of shares.

In general, resolutions should not be bundled or made inter-conditional on each other. This is to ensure that shareholders are given the right to express their views and exercise their voting rights on each resolution separately. However, in situations where resolutions have to be inter-conditional (such as in meetings to approve a reverse takeover), the company should provide clear explanations.

Companies should provide the necessary information on each resolution to enable shareholders to exercise their vote on an informed basis. For resolutions on the election or re-election of directors, companies should provide sufficient information on the background of directors, their contributions to the company, and the board and committee positions they are expected to hold upon election.

Directors should be present for the entire duration of general meetings. The Chairman of the meeting should facilitate constructive dialogue between shareholders and the Board, Management, external auditors and other relevant professionals. The Chairman should allow specific directors, such as board committee chairs or the lead independent director, to answer queries on matters related to their roles.

Directors should take the opportunity to interact with shareholders before and/or after general meetings.