what do you think of this letter in ST? Durai has done......
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Originally posted by Glen999:
ms Carol Chua,
Dec 29, 2005 (ST)
[b]Durai has done far more good than bad for NKF
ALMOST 20 years ago, I was a project manager with the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). At that time, it was a small outfit, with few staff. We squeezed into a modest house on the grounds of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital in Balestier Road, which we shared with the NKF's sole dialysis centre.
Some administrative staff were fortunate to have desks. Project managers camped out in the sole meeting room in the building, sitting wherever we could. Mr T.T. Durai's office was a tiny space under the stairs. He held the position of honorary secretary.
The dialysis centre was a depressing place, with its cold, functional appearance. If I remember correctly, it could serve only about 30 patients then. Funds were extremely limited, so we could not help everyone who applied for help.
The first time we met to select new beneficiaries was heartbreaking. We hated to turn people away just because we did not have enough money, but we had no choice. Feeling helpless, we cried.
We worked long hours but we did not mind, even though we were not compensated and had very modest salaries. Mr Durai was an important motivating force. He had big dreams of a network of dialysis centres, with a bright and cheerful environment to help keep patients' spirits up.
He talked often about improving the lot of patients and their families, and developing programmes to encourage them to lead normal, productive lives. His face would light up with enthusiasm every time he talked about his dreams for the NKF, and he would beam with joy whenever we scored a win.
He worked tirelessly to make the NKF a better organisation, and even played a significant role in pushing through the opt-out scheme, which made more donor organs available for transplant.
Almost three years ago, I met Mr Durai again when I visited the new NKF premises. I was floored by how far it had come. How civilised and stylish! The NKF was truly a pacesetter and I was filled with pride at its accomplishments.
There is no doubt Mr Durai has made mistakes. He is human, after all, and which human being is perfect? He has passion, which can produce spectacular results but can also get him into trouble.
In Singapore, we have been encouraged for years to think out of the box. If not for Mr Durai thinking out of the box when we were all huddled together in the old office at Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, the NKF could well be still an ineffectual beggar charity, like so many others out there. He has done far more good than bad for the NKF.
The man is a visionary, and every country needs visionaries. Had better checks and balances been in place at the NKF, this sorry state of affairs could have been avoided.
People make mistakes, or sometimes they just dare to take a different road, which may rankle with the masses. What is the use of baying for blood? Can we please try to forgive?
Carol Chua Siew Gek (Ms)[/b]
u are real cute in yr "advise" at the end of 2005!!! -
i disagree.
Durai has done far more good than bad for NKF
he just destroyed NKF. how much more bad can you do for it? -
hmm.. i think he have done alot of good for NKF and for his beneficiary patients.
But i also think he has done enough bad that i don't think his good can redeem him from bad.
in fact, had he stayed good, NKF and beneficiary patients will be better from the more good. -
wrong is wrong, regardless of wat right u did last summer. win means win, lose means lose, even if u win 1M in the last round of blackjack, if you bust in the next game...u still lose the $...as straightforward as dat.
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Indeed Durai brought NKF to where it is now, including the unfortunate fund mismanagement incident.
The NKF pioneered (in SG) charity shows and aggressive soliciting of funds through road shows and telemarketing.
All of which (in my opinion) is wholely unethical. To use jackpot prizes and lucky draws that include brand new cars and plasma TVs to entice viewers to call in to 'donate' takes away the true meaning of charity and instead, turns it into a money spinning enterprise. This was a likely borrowed move from their many visits to Las Vegas performances.
Ultimately, greed superceded everything else rather than the welfare of the patients. Let's not forget that the patients, the ones who really needed the cash, saw a mere 10 cents per dollar. It's safe to say that probably 40 cents went to all the productions and road shows and 50 cents went into the volunteer / executives pockets.
Carol Chua Siew Gek will be wise not to over state her case in this matter. -
I won't deny that Durai did a lot of good for a lot of people.
However, there's a Malay saying that goes 'a single drop of ink will contaminate a whole pot of milk'. In other words, a single mistake will completely taint all the good that you've done.
People make mistakes, and they should be forgiven for their mistakes if they realise the error of their deeds, apologise to the wrong parties, and make amends.
However, the way I see it, Durai doesn't seem to be doing any of the above. He doesn't seem to realise the error of his ways, making dumb excuses instead (which were all rejected by KPMG). He hasn't apologised to kidney patients for not acting in their best interests or to the general public for using their donated money wrongly. He hasn't made amends by compensating the people he had knowingly sued wrongly.
So tell me.... how is everyone supposed to forgive him? -
10 right doesn't condone one wrong
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I seriously dunno why people are trying to redeem Durai despite his wrongdoings?
They are simply trying to put his wrongdoings aside simply because he did lots of good.
How about that SIA clerk who cheated SIA of $34 million?
Did he not do good also? he was a hardworking guy, he tried to tell SIA of a loophole...
and why nobody defended him? people say, you cheat money means you cheat money regardless what you tried to tell SIA last time. -
Lets all do lots of good.. rape someone.. then ask for forgiveness
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Look at the present situation, the reputation and goodwill of NKF has been badly demoralised and many donors from the lifedrop programs have constantly withdrawing their donations, which mean their resources is depleting.
No doubt, Mr Durai deployed a excellent marketing strategy to NKF. If this is a private organisation, he will become the most successful CEO, on the other hand, look at how many non-profit organisation are trying to survive and fight a piece of the pie. The fittest ones are to survive and the weak ones are left to die - Darwin's theory. Hence, non-profit organisation got act like a profit organisation, to compete, to survive in the turbulent environment.
However, the grave and serous mistake Mr Durai inappropriately used the donors' funds, not for NKF but beneficial to himself. How can we forgive if that amount of funds could actually save lives of many kidney patients? Take an instance of the cars NKF has bought for Mr Durai, at least worth a few hundrds thousand. How many lives are ruined rather than NKF's main corporate strategy of saving people? -
One does wonder if penalty will ever be meted out considering how such high profile figures are involved in this. Perhaps we may have to settle with just a slap on the wrist.Originally posted by LinYu:he was paid to do his job. if he did not produced any results, he should have being sack 20 years ago.
No one can deny that hanky panky business was going on, therefore there must be penalty belt out.
Some people are just 'fairer' in the eyes of the law.
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he MAY have done this and tat but ask yourself how many ppl can b saved or helped if he had used the funds more wisely. Does it mean i built something out from the ppl's $, i can take more of it cos i deserve it? We donted cos of the kidney patients, no other reasons. U 1 2 b in charity, make sure u have a heart. U 1 2 b a teacher, make sure u behave. U 1 2 b n artiste, then dont complain ppl r hounding u. Simple.
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I think we shld all forgive him..ppl do make mistakes...
but...every wrongdoer shld face the music...
thats for sure.. -
Sometimes i don't understand.. why are people trying to redeem him of his good deeds?
True he have made NKF to what they are now today.
But he should have done better?
As an CEO, he can set an example of flying business class. or better, Economy class. Instead, he bought tickets from India because first class tickets are cheaper than business class there. So shouldn't he be saving more money if he can buy economy class from india?
I mean who will you respect more? CEO of a charitible company flying first class or economy class?
You know when my friend tried to apply for a job in NKF, she was told, "please do not expect much benefits because we are a charity, so cost measures are key" -
Rather, he has one downfall....Originally posted by Honeybunz:With all the good he has done....
He has two downfalls....
Greed -- which started his mistakes
Pride -- the defamation case that he sued SPH on, which brought about the end of his career in NKF and reputation.
Board Members not doing their jobs - i.e. no checks done by them, all say, "go, just do, just do, its ok"...etc no checks or unwillingness of board members to keep CEO in check eventually will turn ANYONE CEO to greed, etc. -
nkf is really going to raise funds again soon.
after all the hoo-ha there are still donors.
do you think it is true? -
The Chairman says so.Originally posted by dragg:nkf is really going to raise funds again soon.
after all the hoo-ha there are still donors.
do you think it is true?
So it must be true.
Really. -
lotsa caring people out there... just fedup with management only....
surely they will get donations...just lesser only.
at least minus me lesser lor... -
then why are they so eager to get on with charity shows?Originally posted by charlize:The Chairman says so.
So it must be true.
Really.
i tend to think otherwise. -
Money my dear, is never enough.Originally posted by dragg:then why are they so eager to get on with charity shows?
i tend to think otherwise. -
Durai have to cough back what he took from the donors & patients. Heartless fella, why should he be forgiven? dun u all feel surprised tat he is renting a house? with the money he's earning, he can easily buy one. He might have planned tat should he have to return the money he took, it would be nothing or minimal. u can't confiscate his rented house.
&$*#@$ -
nkf says that in future 38 cts will go to patient care instead of just 10.
what an improvement!! i am so impressed!!!!!
but still i will never donate a single cent to them ever.
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hey guess wat:
FxxK you understand?
Fxxking naive pple makes e world a more gullible place..cb.. -
how many peanuts she was paid to write the beautiful essay?
That article make things shall make everyone awake!!!
NKF come from humble background but when they are rich laden with funds they abuse it and forgot that what they used to be.
eg. in the past dishearted to reject patient.... yeah now... they reject patient if they are poor and subsidies 10cents out of 1 buck make. Ask nurse to act as debt collector to collect $$$ from the dialysis patient who even owe the little amount of subsidies.
she must have some "closed" connection with Durai.. hahaha Great..... -
qian bu gou yong!Originally posted by charlize:Money my dear, is never enough.