SINGAPORE, Jan 5 — Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat today paid tribute to Singaporean inventor Sim Wong Hoo, saying that the late founder of multinational tech firm Creative Technology dedicated his life to “pushing new frontiers” and that “his success serves as inspiration for Singapore startups that followed”.
“Sim Wong Hoo made it in an era when Singapore was not known for innovation or entrepreneurship,” Heng wrote on Facebook in the caption of a photo taken of the pair at one of Creative Technology’s product demonstrations in 2019.
Sim, who was chairman and chief executive officer of the company he founded, died on Wednesday at the age of 67. The cause of his death is yet unknown.
The company’s board of directors said in a filing with the Singapore Exchange in the morning that he “passed away peacefully” without giving other details.
Describing Creative Technology as Singapore’s first global tech startup, Heng recalled how Sim delighted his generation of personal computer users when the company launched its Sound Blaster sound card, enabling the machines to have audio capabilities.
“The Sound Blaster card brought computers to life, away from the monotonous beeps that we were used to.”
Heng also said that Sim showed gumption when he launched the Nomad series of portable audio players, which competed directly with Apple’s iPod and Sony’s digital Walkman.
Sim’s persistence in research and development brought three-dimensional sound to headphones in the forms new Super X-Fi technology, he added.
In 2019, Heng made a mention of the Super X-Fi technology in the national Budget statement when he was finance minister at the time.
On a personal level, Heng said today that he enjoys classical music and Sim Wong Hoo’s inventions “accompanied my journey of enjoyment over the years, including the Super X-Fi headphones in my room”.
He said that he last met the tech pioneer before the Covid-19 pandemic, when they discussed Creative Technology’s new headphones and expansion plans.
“I found out this morning of his sudden passing. May he rest in peace.” — TODAY
