NKF-that can of worms has already been opened!
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just from the letter, what can happen in indo do happen in SG and all along it happening.... they buy "things" using ppl $$$... nothing happen to durai... i may start thinking of joining PAP... if you cannot beat them you join them and go to hell together....
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i dun think SPH will write what is the out come if there is any in the paper anymore....
walk free... cover.... let it rot deep in....
election coming??? not in any near future... PAP. PAP. PAP.... -
Hmm... let's just hope that IRAS did find something....
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To quote Minister For Health,
Mr Khaw Boon Wan on NKF's Investigations Into Allegations:-
All Members have called for a full and thorough investigation. As Dr Amy Khor put it, many questions remain unanswered and public unrest should be addressed. We certainly intend to do so.
Dr Khor suggested that a committee of inquiry be convened to look into the matter. The Commissioner of Charities has the powers to initiate such investigations. But due process must be observed. The Commissioner must first establish clear evidence of wrongdoing, which includes getting the charityÂ’s side of the story.
At the end of the day, it is the substance of the investigations that matters, and not the form, whether it is called a commission of inquiry, an investigation or independent audit. We are all committed to finding answers to the many questions raised by Singaporeans and getting to the bottom of this matter. That is what counts.
The new Board has appointed KPMG to do an independent review. Let us give them time to work on this thoroughly, away from the public glare and emotions, so that assessment can be made objectively and calmly. All the questions that I asked in my statement yesterday will be addressed. Their findings will be made public.
The various Government agencies are comfortable at this point to have the new Board lead the investigation into past practices. Knowing them, I know they will get to the bottom of the issues. Precisely because of the high standing and reputations of the individuals serving on the Board, this House and the public can feel confident that their review will be full, thorough and that sound judgement will be applied.
In the course of the review, if it is found that laws have been broken, the relevant authorities will certainly step in. I fully agree with Mr Tan Soo Khoon that any wrong-doers must face the law. If there has been any criminal act, the law will take its course. If there have been poor judgements, they will be acknowledged. If there are systemic flaws, they will be fixed.
As I said on July 14, I do not condone fraudulent practices. But we cannot conclude, a priori, that there were criminal acts on the basis of what has been published to date. We are a law-based society. Let us follow the due process.
Let us also try to look at this issue from the perspective of Mr Durai’s family. His daughter emailed the Prime Minister. Let me quote a few lines from her email. She is a young student in JC but very mature for her age. She wrote: “I was adversely affected by this fiasco”. She added: “Since I was young, my father had very little time to spend with us…I always asked myself why my father had no time for us. Were we less important to him than his patients? Was his work more important than us?”
She went on to ask the PM: “after the review by the new board, you will help him to restore his reputation and honour”, if no wrong doings were found?
From the media report on the man, Mr Durai looks to me to be an arrogant man. His achievements are real and significant. But may be the ego and arrogance went to his head, leading to poor judgement and insensitivity.
I think there are lessons for us here. No matter how great our achievements are, we live for others. Look at the late Mr Hon Sui Sen. There was no ego in the man. He completely personified humility. Likewise the late President Wee Kim Wee and hence the huge outpouring of emotions at his funeral. President SR Nathan is another such humble man who has done great for society, but remains his past self.
I scanned through the local media today. I could not help noticing the different spin the Straits Times put to the MPsÂ’ speeches yesterday, compared to all the other local media, like TODAY and ZaoBao. Let us hope arrogance has not also gone to the head of the victor in the Court case.
If really there were some wrong doings and slowly more cans of worms open up, will Mr Khaw end up like Mr. Anwar Ibrahim, and the whole episode just turn up to be another anti-climax of 'Honest Mistake'? -
Minister Khaw qualified himself when replying to Dr. Amy Khor's questions by emphasisng that he cannot accept the press reports on NKF case and even tried to say that the press should be objective even as it had been a victor.
Good advice to the SPH. However, does he not reveal his inner thought process as well in passing such observations about press reports. I would have thought that SPH has consistently desisted from press crusading on issues journalists feel objective about in their profeesional capacities as journalists.
So minister Khaw is now saying that the press has to desist from press reporting against any more unfavorable journalists' own opinions and views or crusades?
What is quite certain out of this furore over the NKF is that Singapore charity organizations have to re-examine all their current pay practices and if assumptions or emotionalism of their own boards are wrong there is a need now to admit mistakes and make changes.
SATA should be commended for being more objective than minister's Khaw cautious stance in this matter. Right or wrong, SATA has objectively taken a stand that all self-rewards in VWOs should not be influenced by the self-reward schemes done for goverment ministers' own over-generous pay packages. There should be no "ifs" and "buts" about the risk of corruptions and shenanigans in government in the light of the factual exposures in court and subsequent public unhappiness in the NKF case. -
nothing will come out of Antkf investigation. just look at wat happen at sata. the crooks have their backside covered.
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This may appear somewhere in the Guiness Book of Records.
The ex-CEO of NKF, a $120 million turnover public charity, is paid S$600K.
The President of the United States of America, a $1.8 trillion revenue turnover government, is paid US$400K (plus $50K allowance) (ie S$750K). The Vice President earns US$202.9K (plus $10K allowance) (ie S$350K).
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0875856.html.
That is, if the NKF ex-CEO earned a "peanut", the US President earns one-and-a-quarter peanut and the Vice-President slightly more than half a peanut!
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What happened at the Singapore Anti-TB Association and how long ago was it?Originally posted by crazy monkey:nothing will come out of Antkf investigation. just look at wat happen at sata. the crooks have their backside covered. -
A reply to forumer (as posted to Feedback Unit on 25.7.2005)
The Asian Financial crisis and its ensuing collapse of banking and financial systems of certain Asian countries has occurred not because of currency speculation.
Currency speculations of the kind engaged in by George Soros and his likes was made possible by Asian countries own fundamental lack of accountability and transparency in managing their investments or economy.
Currency speculators were given the rare opportunities to profit from the disequilibriums in the values of currencies caused by profligacy brought about by lack of accountability and transparency in governance.
Unfortunately people have short memories and have forgotten the important lesson from the Financial crisis, trying to claim their leaderships and talents which in the absence of accountable practices will again lead to many problems the latest incidents from NKF to major fiascos like nicol highway collapses etc might be precursors of worse problems to come.
People only want the leaders to be responsible for duties and will demand to know what actions have been taken to address problems as revealed in all these cases.
Currency speculative attacks of the kind witnesed in the Asian Financial crisis should be dealt with at fundamental level - through accountable professional management or our funds and laying down of standards to be met in deciding billions of investments in risky ventures especially activities our ministers know very little about.
Therefore I disagree that government should be so narrow in their mindset as to keep using currency speculations as the excuse for not answering to people questions as stated in the foregoing arising out of the NKF abuses.
Singapore should be more creative than hiding under such psychological hostage to deny people of transparent and accountable investments of their hard-earned monies in overseas investments.
Citizens have rightly "Where is our monies?" because they are not informed what has happened to the billions of their monies due to non-disclosures.
This latest NKF abuses have ignited the dry cinders of pent-up concern due to persistent refusal to answer to people's rightful queries.
People have been treated as ignoramus or kids not worth listening to so far by the way the government refused to answer their queries or resorted to giving half-cooked answers like currency speculators.
The more important issues is integrity of the government and the people in charge who make all the major decisions over their monies and their lives. Do they have the honesty to govern or even understand enough about such critical issues as short product cycles and risks with obsolescent technologies?
The way the government handles the NKF abuses and careless spending of donation gave rise to more concern as it seems to be glossing over the whole incident even as it reluctantly goes about conducting the investigation.
Any one can see that government has not been objective in claiming success for NKF performance. It has failed to make proper comparison with performance of VWOs like Aravind. It only nelieves the incorrect and misrepresented datas and information of NKF. NKF has over-spent the donations monies on CEO pay and bonus packages by comparison with successful VWOs like Aravind in term of percentages of donation or funding to pro-patient services or the patients turned away to die due to overly unrealistic reserves being created for NKF.
Like what Ms Ho Ching has said : "Two wrongs do not make a right". So the government should not insist in its wrong in not creating over-unrealistic reserves. It should not persist in mistakes in not disclosing to the stakeholders what they ought to be informed like how the decisions are made on billion dollars investments (not just beautiful brochures) that could be otherwise better made to benefit the local business vibrancy or creating jobs for the many unemployed.
There is a saying in Chinese : "paper cannot cover fire". It is far better to disclose information more objectively than having more NKF cans of worms to be exposed again and again.
By asking the government or GIC to be more transparent and accountable people are not stupid to ask for sensitive details to be given to the enemies or competitors.
Let a more proactive and do not continue to treat the citizens as kids. Just let the citizens see that government is capable to provide relevant information. It will do well by engaging independent panel to help to differentiate what are sensitive information but do provide sufficient information on returns etc. More importantly people must participate in overall monitoring of returns and given the right to comment on whether we should alternatively pull back monies to stimulate the local moribund and directionless economy as posted in another thread. -
Reply to Grey Hair (as posted at feedback unit on 25.7.2005)
Pray do read my post. I did not suggest government should disclose sensitive information. I do not think anyone should assume that only a few people are interested in asking government to be accountable as to where their monies are or how decisions are made on overseas investments?
Just watch how NKF has denied disclosing simple information that public has the right to know over 13 years. This has been the same problem with GIC which has given only half-baked justifications not to provide information of relevance to ease public concern.
Problem now is: Government has denied sufficient information to the extent to prevent wrong doings as has happened resulting in accidents and fiascos of all kinds. Even essential information about costs of construction of HDB flats and basis of fees increases for transportation have been denied for years. This is why the public are outraged over the court disclosures of wrong doings within NKF. -
Looks like I need to pray for another Asteriods impact from outer space to eliminate human kind. Hopefully, the new man kind would be created with more passion, not so greedy, less selfish, sincere and take only reasonably more than what is needed.Originally posted by robertteh:Reply to Grey Hair (as posted at feedback unit on 25.7.2005)
Pray do read my post. I did not suggest government should disclose sensitive information. I do not think anyone should assume that only a few people are interested in asking government to be accountable as to where their monies are or how decisions are made on overseas investments?
Just watch how NKF has denied disclosing simple information that public has the right to know over 13 years. This has been the same problem with GIC which has given only half-baked justifications not to provide information of relevance to ease public concern.
Problem now is: Government has denied sufficient information to the extent to prevent wrong doings as has happened resulting in accidents and fiascos of all kinds. Even essential information about costs of construction of HDB flats and basis of fees increases for transportation have been denied for years. This is why the public are outraged over the court disclosures of wrong doings within NKF.
The heaven will not tolerate many of some high ranking officials drawing super high salaries and yet not contented but to get more and more with endless greed. Leaving the poors to suffer in agony with their ears shut.
What the fcuk and how the gov work out high medical & living cost in singapore. Base on land cost?, high salaries? or high oil prices? or their own pockets with fat fat salaries? Are they doing?, by not alarming the pubic, and they are sucking bit by bit for we people!!! and so called the medishield is design to subsidize the unfortunate?
I anticipated the NKF SAGA would be slowing forgotten issue to singaporeans as the way they annoucned it and handling of this matter.
I don't believe there is no fraud in all their transactions!!! -
From the events which have unfolded it is very clear that our government is trying to live up to its own agendas of preventing welfarism and promoting their concepts of paying higest salaries and bonuses to their own version of leaderships and talents. This is to safeguard their own kinds of pays and benefits which the people have been questioning over the years. In doing so, it will not be in its interest to answer to people's request to put more donation monies to spend on patients suffering from illnesses or kidney failures.
Not only has the government been increasing their own hospital and poly clinic medical fees, it is still trying to create their own world-class medical services using the public monies to do so. It will let serving doctors who are already paid to the highest as compared with private consultants it is offering more attractive schemes to let them achieve world-class standards.
People become the genuea pigs to enable government to build world-class this and that paying all the people's hard-earned monies to do so. No thoughts have been given to lowering medical fees or avoid double-charging on lands for esential services.
The key factor of our highest medical costs and all the other costs of living has so far and in the final analysis been prompted by their concept of paying the highest pays to their won versions of talents and building images and names for themselves.
People have no choice in this kind of pretentious look-good government but to help themselves and rally to support charity causes. They have to contribute from their already low wages to support many patients suffering from illness, kidney failures or cancers.
When donations reached millions instead of helping to get the donations to pay the pateints' treatments, the government tries to use NKF to create their own world-class image for their own purpose so that NKF will eventually be red-cross of the world as mentioned by minister Khaw.
Again, this NKF episode simply showed a sick syndrome of a government obsessed to prove its own leadership, standing, image in the world. It is allowing monies donated to save lives of patients being turned to promoting the NKF brand name than saving lives to the fullest possible.
Thus it is very clear that this episode is a contest between people cause to lower costs and save suffering patients on the one hand and government justifying its success in building its own name and institutions.
What if we reach the status of NKF becoming a world red cross? How many patients might be turned away to die due to expensive treatments NKF will still be charging?
Whatever abuses or luxuries spent from our public charity donations by NKF or Durai might be grossed over as can be seen from the latest pronouncements of ministers. The new CEO will not be disclosing his salary. But will he eventually receive higher or close to S$600,000 previously paid to Durai is a question to be answered. It seems from the utterances of ministers and Mr. Khaw that the highest pays of CEOs even if higher than average of medical CEOs is immaterial.
The CPIB and IRAS might not even go into investigation of court-disclosed wrong doings in due course after more pronouncements by ministers and MPs that NKF has been a great world-class institution in their eyes.
Mr Khaw did not disclose Professor Goh Chee Leok's current salaries which showed that in due course, Mr. Khaw might just want to recommend similarly highest minister-like salaries to their own version of talents - the principal government's own agendas in the whole episode. -
The whole government has created hs kinds of perpetual self-rewards of corporate executives' highest pays spinning it out of control of stakeholders and the general economy. The highest pay given to NKF or SATA executives are the result of the same high-pay corporate philosophy started by the ministers.
This sort of greed culture is so strongly ingrained in the whole of private businesses now that many company boards will reward themselves or their CEOs to match the inflated million-dollar salaries the government are paying its collect-and-spend ministers self-promoted as entrepreneurs or talents.
So by paying inflated executive salaries in this artificial manner, Singapore now can no longer make monies. The blame will be pushed to the lowly paid workers who are expected to lower their salaries further. What do businesses do? They have to make their accounts look good as found in so many public listed companies losing monies due to creative accounting of all kinds. Yet Singapore government has been making claims to corporate governance and transparency of all kinds in the media.
It is a whole vicious circle all started because of artificially inflated high ministers and civil servants to equate to boss-category CEO salaries who pay themselves the highest salaries to avoid tax liabilities.
So there is no equitable or apple-to-apple method in equating Government high pays to boss-category of CEOs in the market place. Only Singapore regarded the iron-rice bowl ministers as company bosses who pay themselves any salaries to offset taxes. Yet the ministers' own self-approved highest pay culture has rubbed on to the private sector. Private sector has to keep up their CEO pays to match the government resulting in majority of the businesses failing to make monies and resorting to creative accounting to jack up profits as seen happening to ACCS and all the latest corporate scandals.
Whose fault is this kind of corporate scandals ? -
The leopards will never change its spots!
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Participate in the NON-VIOLENT approach in registering our protests towards the Government's a.k.a. the Ruling Party's failure to respond to our concerngs, displeasures, frustrations, and despair !
Since physical protests cannot happen on our Singapore streets, the next best method is to register our protest by not responding or supporting any activities to raise funds that are sponsored by the Government, the Ruling Party, or such Organisations that have received their approval.
One such opportunity will occur during the President's Charity.
Let the donations from members of the public amount to as small a sum as possible from those not informed of this 'PROTEST', which will result in a "face-saving" effort to get the GLCs to make a bigger and more significant amounts from their MEGA-MILLION DOLLAR Profits !!! -
Ask george bush to be the CEO of NKF better than US president easlier some more.....and at least he got a whole peanutOriginally posted by macjoe:This may appear somewhere in the Guiness Book of Records.
The ex-CEO of NKF, a $120 million turnover public charity, is paid S$600K.
The President of the United States of America, a $1.8 trillion revenue turnover government, is paid US$400K (plus $50K allowance) (ie S$750K). The Vice President earns US$202.9K (plus $10K allowance) (ie S$350K).
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0875856.html.
That is, if the NKF ex-CEO earned a "peanut", the US President earns one-and-a-quarter peanut and the Vice-President slightly more than half a peanut! -
What do you folks think about the appointment of the dermatologist as the new CEO of NKF? Any comments?
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Whatever Dr. Balakrishna has said, the government has not established any track records of working for the people's causes or struggles over the past 40 years.
Only the elites and the rich benefit from its track-minded pro-elite and pro-government policies.
So the announcement that the Ministry of Youth and Community Development will within 1-2 months come out with new policies to help bringing about transparency of VWOs as to their CEOs' pays and perks etc, will be the same - only to benefit the government.
Whichever are the VWOs, IPCs and whoever their CEO, as long as the government has a hand in drafting new policies will end up being used to serve the political agendas of the government e.g. using donations to build 30-year reserves rather than saving lives of patients.
This is the same method as government's tax-and-recover and build-surpluses-reserve policy so nothing is going to change the VWOs in 2 months' time.
The first benefits of any government policy as always will benefit itself not the people. If any benefits are given they will be election-time goodies or means to justify their success stories, building brand names and showing off their own talents.
While the VWOs are building up their donations or funds, patents will bear 80-90 % of market-level treatment costs using creative accounting like the HDB has done with flat pricing system. Medical costs in 2 months' time will again remain high pushed up to highest market prices equated to private consultants' prices and then given some discounts to make them look subsidised.
The VWOs will continue to build up their strong reserves like the government is doing rather than to lower treatment costs for patients.
In the meantime, reserves will be used to buy more mercedes to ferry families of CEOs and business opportunities will be given to reward all the connections including paying highest salaries and 12-month bonuses to whoever are the proteges.
It is the same story and working methodology of all ministers ? Will they learn any lesson from the NKF episode that their bonuses are actually people's hard-earned monies and not their ability like attaining Swiss Standard of living or success in building a resilient or technologically advanced economy? -
Originally posted by iveco:
Lets us hope that with some "clever skin grafting", he can turn the "black patches" back to the familiar "white and healthy skin" that should be the hallmark of an organisation that is dependent on charity, and which should also dispense charity to those in need.
What do you folks think about the appointment of the dermatologist as the new CEO of NKF? Any comments?
My apologies if this touch a raw racist tone. -
We should get retired CEOs, bankers and other qualified professionals to head charities as volunteers. I think this usual argument about having to pay sky-high salaries to retain talent is not justifiable. Sounds to me the ministers are worried we might turn from NKF to ministers' salaries next...
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By the way, has Dr. Balakrishnan solved the problem with the high costs of living and doing business in Singapore.
Are our ministers pro-people action visionary like Dr. Goh Keng Swee. If he has then we will believe he has the standing to change the VWOs to serve the people's causes and struggles presently expected of our leaders.
If not and answers would come with all the "ifs" and "buts" then I am afraid to say we will again be getting more NKFs that is all. -
Nature is taking its course, pains endured and threshold of pains of certain limitation being tested. With each passing day, lies are told, wrong doings are covered up with no solutions ever to any of the 20 problems with autocracy. More pain is being added with each tightening of the screw.
People normally are loose and do not react as individuals. However, collectively, there are thinking and reasoning with sense and sensibilities. Just see the collective reactions of Radio callers, website forumers, kopitiam kakis and all the housewives in the market etc after the accumulated frustrations from years of self-promotions of elites as talents. They have their own minds and thinking. They are not accepting all the excuses put up to make them pay the highest salaries to keep the elites happy and luxuriant. They are all human.
People will keep enduring trying to play their part and be lawful. However with a system which does not care about being lawful by the kind of gerrymandering to promote leaders' own agendas, patience is being tested that is all of the people. Once the pressures go beyond the limit, they might just throw in the towels and say: "enough is enough!!" This has happened in NKF on a smaller scale. It might happen again and again in smaller scale but surely enough pressures will be tested. The ultimate test will be whether people can take any more nonsensical "Tax-and-recover" greed done in the name of reserves or surpluses but for totally self-centred agendas of individuals (Bo Cheng Hu). -
So what happen to the investigation?
I'm still waiting...
I might forgive
but i'll never forget such a big wooha peanut incident in singapore history
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Eh, Robert, you make some good points but I think we all don't have all day to sit here and read your super-long replies...can u shorten it into point form?
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Yes point taken. I will shorten my postings wherever possible.Originally posted by Weirdo80:Eh, Robert, you make some good points but I think we all don't have all day to sit here and read your super-long replies...can u shorten it into point form?
(1) I agree with OldAhPek that the NKF case might eventually be covered up or hushed up so as not to reflect on the establishment which itself is building surpluses and reserves in the same fashion.
(2) It is a shame that none of the million-dollar ministers are man enough to admit this fact.
(3) Instead, the ministers are seen making all the speeches so that Durai himself will take the rap for them on some other grounds like the golden tap etc.
(4) Ministers are seen to talk in such a way as to deflect the real mistakes.
(5) NKF FINDING OF PEOPLE: Ministers/GLCs/NKF instead of applying true talents to creating technology start-ups and creating jobs are taking all kinds of short-cuts such as throwing doors open to foreigners to take away jobs and opportunities or by over-paying themselves the world's highest salaries, creating surpluses and reserves being only the insidious means to enrich themselves.
(6) Many mistakes of the government throughout 40 years' are reflected in NKF case.
(7) COMMITTEE'S FINDING: Without paying top dollars, it would be impossible to build a world-class NKF (The higher patient/donation ratio of Malaysian Dialysis centres or Aravind not comparable as they are not that famous as NKF) as it has done. So golden tap might be regarded as petty or small price to pay as in the Nicol highway case and someone will take the rap instead of million-dollar ministers even though they are the ones who are neglifent. COI verdict: Case closed business will go on as usual and gates shut.