Ex-MP regrets mistake, aims to move on
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Ex-MP regrets mistake, aims to move on
yeah, let's move on
Shocked when investigations started, he later realised an offence had been committed
By Chong Chee Kin
A NEWSPAPER column penned more than 10 years ago made its way to court yesterday, when lawyer Lee Teck Leng urged the court to be lenient to former Member of Parliament Chng Hee Kok.
Mr Lee read out excerpts from the column lauding the former politician as someone who made a difference to the lives of his constituents.
It was in late 1996 and Chng was then an MP for Tampines GRC.
Then columnist Bertha Henson, now an associate editor with The Straits Times, had described him as someone who was more than 'just a People's Action Party backbencher'.
'Perhaps 'just' is not a good word to use here. He has done far too much for the place I used to live in to be relegated to a 'just',' she had written.
The article was reproduced in the mitigation plea Mr Lee prepared in court yesterday when highlighting Chng's contributions to society.
VIDEO
Ex-MP Chng Hee Kok fined, but stays on as NTUC Club chief
(1:56)
Chng - who was fined the maximum $5,000 yesterday for an offence under the Companies Act - told The Straits Times about how he felt when he became the subject of a probe by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) more than a year ago.
'I was shocked when the investigations started,' he said. But as investigations wore on, it dawned on him that he had committed an offence under the Companies Act.
Chng, who sits on the board of eight public-listed companies, was a director and shareholder of IT firm Stoval Technologies, a private limited company which has dealings with a subsidiary of NTUC Club, NCI Leisure. As a director of NCI Leisure, Chng was required by law to disclose his shareholding in Stoval formally at NCI Leisure's first available board meeting. But he did not, even though he did tell a director verbally about the appointment in private.
'I'm very disappointed in myself. It was a mistake which should not have been made,' he said. What made it worse for him was his family worrying about the court case, said the father of two adult children. Even his work at NTUC Club was affected. But what kept his spirits up was his family and his bosses' unwavering support after he told them what happened.
Now, with the case finally over, he intends to move on and put the incident behind him.
'It was a traumatic experience, for me and for my family. My work suffered. Now I intend to make up for lost time,' he said.
[email protected]
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A MISTAKE
'I'm very disappointed in myself. It was a mistake which should not have been made.'
FORMER MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT CHNG HEE KOK -
When own crony make mistake, let move on.
When opposition make mistake, ..... wonder will they say let move on?? -
yeah.. they move on to character assassination
but seriously, why the hell is Chng unaware he contravened the Companies Act?
is this how the MPs are supposed to work? totally unaware of whatever is going on? -
Maybe he was busy living it up with the salary he gets....? -
It's their SOP. Act blur.Originally posted by the Bear:yeah.. they move on to character assassination
but seriously, why the hell is Chng unaware he contravened the Companies Act?
is this how the MPs are supposed to work? totally unaware of whatever is going on? -
if they were that blur, why the hell are we paying them that much?Originally posted by LazerLordz:It's their SOP. Act blur.
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Someone said pay high salary to prevent corruption..........what a freaking bunch of lies.....
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You think we have a choice?Originally posted by the Bear:if they were that blur, why the hell are we paying them that much? -
this isn't really corruption..
however, incompetence, stupidity, being inept, carelessness, apathy...
you know..Originally posted by Mid9Sun:Someone said pay high salary to prevent corruption..........what a freaking bunch of lies..... -
we do actually.. maybe 66.6% to somewhere around.. 46.6%?Originally posted by LazerLordz:You think we have a choice?
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It would have been a more accountable and transparent government if all the MPs and not just Chng Hee Kok who had a little tiff with top civil servant Philip Yeo are equally made to comply with Company Act.Originally posted by LazerLordz:It's their SOP. Act blur.
It is to be noticed that there are so many MPs taking up positions due to their connection to seat of power as company or audit directors in private sector.
How to prevent their using power of connection in doing their private sector jobs?
This is the larger issue facing the country now. -
Tell lies also tell properly. Know and don't know, which one is exactly the reason?
'I was shocked when the investigations started,' he said. But as investigations wore on, it dawned on him that he had committed an offence under the Companies Act.
Edit: tag errors.
As a director of NCI Leisure, Chng was required by law to disclose his shareholding in Stoval formally at NCI Leisure's first available board meeting. But he did not, even though he did tell a director verbally about the appointment in private. -
Don't know why you all bother to hype along with this kind of wayang put up by the government.....
What's the big deal?? What's a few thousand dollars fine to one of them??
You already know, if he's not an MP, it wouldn't be such a simple "mistake and lets move on" show....
they're just showing us that they call this Transparent, by slapping one of their's on the hand...
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yes yes.. let them keep 'moving on'.. n time will tell just how far they have actually 'moved on'..
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pay them huge amount of $$$ to make them corruption free as claimed by LKYOriginally posted by robertteh:It would have been a more accountable and transparent government if all the MPs and not just Chng Hee Kok who had a little tiff with top civil servant Philip Yeo are equally made to comply with Company Act.
It is to be noticed that there are so many MPs taking up positions due to their connection to seat of power as company or audit directors in private sector.
How to prevent their using power of connection in doing their private sector jobs?
This is the larger issue facing the country now.
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Originally posted by the Bear:
yeah.. they move on to character assassination
but seriously, why the hell is Chng unaware he contravened the Companies Act?
is this how the MPs are supposed to work? totally unaware of whatever is going on?
Cheers -
army 9 core value: got caught act blur
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Originally posted by NewAge:army 9 core value: got caught act blur
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they are paid high salary to act blur.
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With great salary comes great responsibility but apparently this won't apply if you make the law. How much longer can they make our laws work for them?
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Sheesh if it was the opposition...
MIW... Men of intregrity? Mmmmh... wonder what is happening at the top? -
It all politics
What you expect him to do?Originally posted by the Bear:if they were that blur, why the hell are we paying them that much? -
is it too much to ask: The right thing?Originally posted by CPTMiller:It all politics
What you expect him to do? -
that's quite a generous 20% swing vote.Originally posted by the Bear:we do actually.. maybe 66.6% to somewhere around.. 46.6%? -
In politics.
It is real.
Right and wrong is very grey at times....Originally posted by the Bear:is it too much to ask: The right thing?