Shanghai "In Conversation" Views, News & Reviews

[just4fun]

July 13, 2005
AFTER THE CASE IS OVER - WHAT NKF CHIEF AND PATRON SAY
T.T. Durai: I have done nothing wrong

OVER two days in court, the disclosures about Mr T.T. Durai and the NKF ranged from his salary and bonuses, to his first-class air travel, directorships in several companies and the charity's finances.

But the NKF chief executive told reporters after dropping his defamation suit against Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) and senior correspondent Susan Long that he did not think the case would have much impact on the public.

He maintained that he did nothing wrong, and saw no reason to step down now.

'Our track record speaks for itself,' he said. 'We may not be perfect, but we have struggled to be perfect. It is inevitable that mistakes do occur. I have tried for 37 years to do my best for the people of Singapore.'

He spent two days in the witness stand before he brought the hearing to a dramatic close by deciding to drop the legal action.

As reporters in the courtroom crowded around him, about half a dozen NKF staff tried to advise him not to speak to the media.

But a drained Mr Durai, who had been on the stand for six hours, waved off his staff and took questions from reporters.

Asked if he had anticipated that he would withdraw his defamation suit against SPH, he replied that litigation was always 'fraught with difficulties'.

He said he stopped the legal action because he saw that it was in the NKF's interest to do so, given that The Straits Times was an 'important partner'.

He added that he was 'not responsible' for what had actually happened in 1994 when the furnishings were fitted in the bathroom of his office. All he knew was that they were part of a 'lump sum contract'.

He was asked what changes he would make at the NKF, as he had admitted in court that there had been 'mistakes' in the way the charity operated.

'Whatever we did was right. We didn't want to hide the truth. Now the public will know and it's for them to decide,' he said.

'We have discharged our obligations in building a world-class programme, a cancer care programme...'

Will he be making changes to the way the organisation operates?

'We will consider it,' he said.

Will he resign?

'No, unless people want me to,' he said. 'I will continue to serve as I have done nothing wrong.'

The impromptu press conference over, Mr Durai walked to the SPH side of the courtroom to shake hands with Straits Times editor Han Fook Kwang and Ms Long.

Sombre-faced NKF officials then accompanied him out of the courtroom.

[shengge]

Originally Posted by just4fun

July 12, 2005
NKF CEO's $600,000 pay revealed in court
By Bertha Henson
SUPERVISING EDITOR (HOME)

Thanks Bro J4F.
Up your points before, but don worry, will get someone to up yours. Please update if there is latest news coming up.
Cheers!

[just4fun]

July 13, 2005
ON ITS RESERVES
Enough for just 3 years? More like 30 to 40 years

CEO admits assertion its reserves would last just 3 years is 'not accurate'
By Sharon Loh

THE National Kidney Foundation falsely inflated the number of patients it treats and understated how long its financial reserves would last, its chief executive Mr T.T. Durai conceded yesterday.

Mr Durai admitted in court that if NKF's reserves of $262 million were used simply to treat dialysis patients, they would last 30 to 40 years, not three years, as the foundation has long claimed. He also admitted that the NKF had made 'a few errors' over the years in telling the public how many patients it treats
But he denied that there was a deliberate strategy to mislead the public, saying that he and his colleagues 'honestly believed' they should raise as much money as they could for the 'patients of the future'.

In May last year, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan informed Parliament that the NKF had treated 1,414 patients in 1999 and 1,512 patients in 2003.

The previous month, the NKF had told The Straits Times that it needed about $2,600 a month to support each of its 2,000 patients, a total of $62.4 million per year.

The charity cited those figures to bolster its argument that its reserves were not excessive. Based on its expenditure of more than $60 million a year for dialysis, the reserves would last three years, it said.

But yesterday, during the defamation case NKF had launched against Singapore Press Holdings, the court was shown how the NKF in fact spent far less on dialysis than the public had been led to believe.

According to its 2003 audited financial statement, it spent $31.6 million that year on dialysis and transplantation. Of that amount, $22.9 million came from dialysis fees it collected from patients and a further $1.5 million came from other related income.

So NKF was out of pocket by only $7.2 million, noted Mr Davinder Singh, who was acting for SPH.

He asked Mr Durai: 'If you stopped all fundraising activities and concentrated purely on treating kidney patients, the NKF can continue for at least another 30 years without raising a single cent. True or false?'

Mr Durai initially disagreed, saying that no one could be sure patients would continue to pay their share for the treatments. But he finally agreed that NKF's assertion that the reserves would last only three years was 'not accurate'.

'It is not accurate; in other words, it is false?' asked Mr Singh.

'Yes,' said Mr Durai.

He told the court that this impression had never been corrected.

'We always took the point that if the patients do not pay the moneys for dialysis, the reserves would last only for three years. That is the way we answered the public,' he said.

But Mr Singh noted that even if the NKF had to foot the entire dialysis bill of $31.6 million a year, its current reserves of $262 million would last more than eight years.

He suggested that there was a 'conspiracy', a 'deliberate strategy' to create a false impression of need so that NKF would get more money, a suggestion Mr Durai rejected.

Mr Durai also denied that his performance bonus was linked to the amount of donations NKF received.

Mr Singh then asked him why he would not come clean on the matter.

'The money is for the people,' said Mr Durai.

'And your taps,' retorted Mr Singh.

NKF had sued SPH over an article written by senior correspondent Susan Long, which recounted an incident in which expensive fittings, including taps, had been installed in the bathroom of Mr Durai's private office suite.

On the question of how many patients the NKF actually treats, Mr Singh noted that the organisation's estimates had changed over time.

A letter written to The Straits Times in April last year by the chairman of its Children's Medical Fund board, Dr Gerard Chuah, had claimed that the NKF had 3,000 patients.

Mr Singh pointed out the number had been overstated by about 1,000.

Mr Durai said he realised there was a mistake only after the letter had been published, but had not corrected it.

Mr Singh asked: 'So in addition to the travel and the reserves, we now know that even the number of patients that were being put out as being treated by NKF was erroneous and remains uncorrected; right?'

'Yes,' Mr Durai replied.

When asked why he had done nothing to correct it, he said: 'It was an oversight. I did not think it was of material importance. The donor gives us money because of the brand of the NKF and I did not think it was so important at that point of time to correct this error.'

Mr Singh suggested that the number had been inflated to create a false impression of need. In fact, according to Mr Khaw's reply to Parliament last year, NKF's 'share' of kidney patients in Singapore had dropped, from 54 per cent in 1999 to 44 in 2003.

Mr Durai maintained that NKF had not deliberately set out to create a false impression to attract more funds. He also disagreed that the failure of the NKF management to correct the errors amounted to mismanagement.

'Whatever we did was to grow the programmes,' he said. 'We did it not with deliberateness to deceive anyone at all.'

[just4fun]

July 13, 2005
ON LACK OF TRANSPARENCY
Board not told of his other seats

T.T. Durai was paid up to $25,000 for holding other directorships, but never informed NKF board
By Selina Lum

WHILE he worked full-time as chief executive of the National Kidney Foundation, Mr T.T. Durai was also a director of a number of other companies. And he was paid sums of up to $25,000 a year by them, over and above his NKF remuneration package.

But he never told the NKF board, and did not list these directorships in his curriculum vitae.

The details emerged yesterday when he was questioned by Senior Counsel Davinder Singh.

It was also revealed that Mr Durai had a business relationship with Ms Matilda Chua, a one-time employee of the NKF, who left to start her own company.

Not only did he invest in her business, but the NKF also gave her telemarketing contracts, and she eventually became a member of the NKF board as well.

Mr Singh said Mr Durai had tried to give the impression in his affidavit that he was being thoughtful when he agreed to come on board as CEO in 1992 for just $12,000 a month even though he had been offered $20,000.

The truth, counsel said, was that Mr Durai had agreed to the lower pay in exchange for freedom to earn extra income outside the NKF.

When Mr Singh produced Mr Durai's CV and asked if it was complete, Mr Durai answered: 'Not exactly.'

He disclosed that he had once worked for a company known as Bonyad Marketing Industries, which he described as an Iranian charity, for $7,000 a month.

He said he was its representative here from 1990 to 1992 but decided to give that up when he became NKF's chief executive.

He admitted that in 2000, he had invested in Ms Chua's company, Global Net Relations, but did not disclose to the NKF board that he was a director of the company.

Counsel then probed him on the director's fees he had collected while he was working full-time as the NKF's CEO.

Mr Durai said he was paid $25,000 a year each as a director of Amcol Holdings between 1990 and 1996 and an Australian company, Overseas & General, 'for a couple of years'.

He also received 'some nominal sum' as a director of MediaCorp TV12.

Mr Davinder Singh told him: 'The position is this: While you were expected to be and paid as a full-time CEO, you were earning fees outside NKF which were not disclosed to the NKF or to the public.'

Mr Durai replied: 'That's correct. The NKF board gave me the liberty to do so.'

Mr Davinder Singh continued: 'Mr Durai, your CV is yet another illustration of the lack of transparency with which you operate.

'You do not come clean on what you do, you do not tell the board what you do, how much you earn. You do not tell the board about your commercial relationship with a person who has a contract with the NKF. Is that transparency?'

Mr Durai said: 'They were not very consequential, in my opinion.'

He said it was not necessary for him to disclose to the board and added that the directorships were 'just appearances'.


Davinder Singh: Directorships are not appearances, Mr Durai. They are serious appointments requiring people to focus on the work that has to be done, do you agree?

T.T. Durai: Yes, I attend board meetings, yes.

Davinder Singh: You have to spend time on these matters, is that not right?

T.T. Durai: I did not spend very much time.

Davinder Singh: Yet you took the fees?

T.T. Durai: Yes, I attended board meetings.

[just4fun]

July 13, 2005
ON CARS
Eight cars, drivers at his disposal

THE National Kidney Foundation has a fleet of eight cars with company drivers and chief executive T.T. Durai is one of six officers who can make use of them at any time.

He also has his own Mercedes-Benz 200 car for his personal and family use, and his wife also drives it. But the NKF pays the car's road tax and picks up the bills for maintenance and repairs.

In his sworn affidavit, Mr Durai said that the office fleet was used by officers who had to visit NKF facilities to attend to the needs of the centres and patients.

Aside from himself, the others are four doctors and a senior nurse educator.

The office cars are also used to transport VIPs and guests of the charity.

'I do not see the availability of cars as a luxury but rather, see them as a necessity in light of the work demanded of us by the NKF,' he said in his affidavit.

Senior Counsel Davinder Singh questioned him on the cars yesterday.

Mr Durai said that as CEO, he was entitled to use any of the cars any time he wanted. He also admitted that he had used the office cars for personal use.

Asked if he also had a private car, Mr Durai said that he had a Mercedes-Benz and that the NKF paid for its road tax, maintenance and repairs. He added that this car was also for important guests and functions.

Davinder Singh: So the donations which are being given by the public also go to repairing a Mercedes-Benz that is used by your wife?

T.T. Durai: By the family and also for the NKF.

Davinder Singh: And the donations which are given by the public are also used to pay for the maintenance and road tax for a Mercedes-Benz for your wife?

T.T. Durai: No, it is also for the use of the NKF at times.

Counsel suggested that in fact, the car was not for the NKF's use. But Mr Durai stuck by what he had said earlier.

Davinder Singh: What really happens is, your wife and family have the benefit of one car, and you, whenever it pleases you, have the benefit of another with a driver. All from donations, correct?

T.T. Durai: These are my entitlements and I use them.

[just4fun]

July 13, 2005
'Commercial relationship' with Matilda Chua under spotlight

MATILDA Chua was a full-time employee of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) who left to form Global Net Relations, a telemarketing company.

One of the investors in her enterprise was NKF chief executive T.T. Durai.

She was also the representative of a second company, Proton Web Solutions, a telemarketing company with a call centre based in India, which was given an NKF contract. She went from being an NKF employee to Mr Durai's business partner, an NKF contractor and finally, she joined the NKF board of directors as well.

Senior Counsel Davinder Singh yesterday probed Mr Durai on his 'commercial relationship' with Ms Chua.

Davinder Singh: Does the NKF have a relationship with (Proton Web Solutions)?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: What is the nature of that relationship?
T.T. Durai: I think we contracted our call centre work with them.

Davinder Singh: They do telemarketing for NKF?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: They earn a fee?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: Is there a member of the board of NKF who is also interested in this company, Proton Web?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: Who is that?

T.T. Durai: Ms Matilda Chua.

Davinder Singh: What is she in Proton Web?

T.T. Durai: I think she is a representative of the company.

Davinder Singh: So she is the Singapore rep?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: And she therefore benefits as a result of that contract between NKF and Proton Web? In fact, she has disclosed it in the financial statements?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: Did you have any relationship with Ms Chua in terms of business?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: What relationship was that?
T.T. Durai: I helped her to - she was involved in setting up a company known as Global Net Relations in 2000.

Davinder Singh: What does that company do?

T.T. Durai: It was also doing call centre work, at the height of the Internet boom.

Davinder Singh: Did you disclose this to the NKF?

T.T. Durai: No, I did not disclose it to the NKF because I just invested in the company. I participated in the growth of the company.

Davinder Singh: So the situation is, you were an investor in a company, in which Matilda Chua is also an investor, right?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: You were a director of that company as well?

T.T. Durai: Yes, I was.

Davinder Singh: As was Matilda?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: All of this is not disclosed to the NKF, right?

T.T. Durai: Yes, it was not material at that point.

Davinder Singh: Matilda Chua is also the representative of a company called Proton which benefits from NKF business?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: And you arranged to bring her onto the board of NKF as well?
T.T. Durai: She joined the board, yes.

Davinder Singh: It has to be on your invitation, surely?

T.T. Durai: No, my colleagues invited her.

Davinder Singh: And you had nothing to do with it?

T.T. Durai: No, I accepted it.

Davinder Singh: You had nothing to do with it?

T.T. Durai: I had a part to play in that, yes.

Davinder Singh: You did. Is it a coincidence that Proton Web and Global operated out of the same premises in Singapore?

T.T. Durai: I would not know that.

Davinder Singh: I am asking you, sir, as an investor, and a director of Global, is it a coincidence that these two companies operate out of the same premises in Singapore? If you do not know what they are, it is 7 Temasek Boulevard, Suntec Tower. Does that ring a bell?

T.T. Durai: Yes, but I had given up my interest in Global sometime last year.

Davinder Singh: That is not my question. My question is: is it a coincidence?

T.T. Durai: No.

Davinder Singh: Why is it not a coincidence?

T.T. Durai: Because Ms Matilda Chua is involved in the companies, I presume.

Davinder Singh: Now, sir, the position therefore is, you have a commercial relationship with a lady, Ms Chua, who has a contract with the NKF through Proton Web?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: Ms Chua benefits from that contract with NKF, correct?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: And you, in turn, have a benefit in that relationship with Ms Chua through Global Net?

T.T. Durai: That is not true.

[just4fun]

July 13, 2005
ON DIRE PICTURE OF ITS FUNDS
CEO 'wanted to raise as much money for patients' future'

ALL along, the NKF had maintained that its reserve funds would last only three years
A different picture emerged in court yesterday when Senior Counsel Davinder Singh took Mr T.T. Durai through the charity's accounts.

Counsel also brought up the Straits Times article by senior correspondent Susan Long, which quoted NKF chairman Richard Yong saying he was worried that if the NKF did not have enough funds, he would end up having to decide which patients would live, and which would be left to die.

Counsel said that was a false statement, and as he proceeded to question Mr Durai, he read out parts of the article. This is an excerpt of their exchange:


Davinder Singh: The purpose of putting out that false statement was to give the public the impression that NKF continued to be in dire need of funds for those poor patients. True?

Related links
Click here to view the details of the case
T.T. Durai: Yes, NKF required funds to support the patients, yes.

Davinder Singh: So that the donors will ignorantly donate more and more, true?

T.T. Durai: The donors will donate, yes.

Davinder Singh: And the more they donate, the more your performance ranking goes up, the more your bonus, true?

T.T. Durai: No.

Davinder Singh: Because yesterday you said you got your bonus based on your performance, so you have a vested interest in publishing untruths to inflate the donations so that, ultimately, you inflate your bonus?

T.T. Durai: No, I did it for the interests of the people of Singapore, to build more and more programmes, go from dialysis to prevention to cancer, to taking care of children.

Davinder Singh: This is not the only place where the false statement was made about three years ago, is that not right? You have also made that false statement in these proceedings, do you agree?

T.T. Durai: Can you confirm that?

Davinder Singh: Sure. Before I take you to that reply, I want you to look at the article itself. (There) is a photo of a very anxious Mr Richard Yong, with a caption which reads: 'I couldn't sleep, I couldn't eat. Who were we to play God?' Do you see that?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: Then below it is reported: 'NKF chairman Richard Yong on how the foundation ran dry in 1986 and had to choose among its 32 patients who should continue with dialysis, and who would have to be sent home with morphine to die. It hit home then. It was important to have 'healthy reserves that can withstand even the most dire economic times'.'

Implicit in that message was: 'Some years ago, we ran out of money.' Right?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: There were people lying down in the beds and we had to choose who to give that money to and who had to go home. Right?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: And, therefore, we need the comfort of health reserves?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: So that that situation will not arise again?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: In other words, the reserves will be there for the patients who need the money?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: Not for fundraising, right?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh (quoting from the article): 'I couldn't sleep; I couldn't eat. Who were we to play God?' It hit home then: It was important to have 'healthy reserves that can withstand even the most dire economic times', and self-generated income 'so that we can be independent, instead of on our knees, poor and begging for life'.

In other words, without any more donations, we can't keep these patients alive?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: Yet, the suggestion was made that (the NKF reserves could last) only for three years. That is another false suggestion, is it not?

T.T. Durai: Not an accurate suggestion.

Davinder Singh: Sorry?

T.T. Durai: Not correct.

Davinder Singh: I used the word 'false'. Do you agree with me?

T.T. Durai: It is a matter of opinion.

Davinder Singh: Is there a difference, in your view?

T.T. Durai: No, it is not a correct comment.

Davinder Singh: Is it true?

T.T. Durai: It is inaccurate.

Davinder Singh: > Answer my question, sir, please. Is it true or false?

T.T. Durai: 'False' implies an intent to deceive. I cannot comment on that.

Davinder Singh: You can, actually, because...

T.T. Durai: I do not think there was any intent to deceive.

Davinder Singh: After what we have heard, after what we have seen from the accounts, you still say that there is no intent to deceive?

T.T. Durai: No. I mean, we honestly believed that we should raise as much money to help the patients for the future. That is the way my colleagues and I work in the foundation.

Davinder Singh: Are you prepared to take out an advertisement in tomorrow's papers, apologising to Singaporeans to say: 'We did not intend to deceive but, unfortunately, you have been deceived. The money is not going to last merely three years, it will last between 30 and 40 years.' Are you prepared to do that?

T.T. Durai: No, I am not. I am not prepared to do that. I am just saying that we wanted to raise as much money for the patients' future.

Justice Tan Lee Meng: Mr Durai, it will help if you answer the question.

T.T. Durai: No.

Davinder Singh: Why? Why are you not prepared to come clean? We already know that, to use your word, there was an 'inaccuracy'. Why are you not prepared to come clean? This is people's money, you know.

T.T. Durai: It is for the people.

Davinder Singh: These are people who earn so little, giving. Why are you not prepared to tell them the truth?

T.T. Durai: The money is for the people.

Davinder Singh: And your taps.

[just4fun]

July 13, 2005
ON THE STATED NUMBER OF PATIENTS
T.T. Durai: Error in patient numbers not so material at that point

THE National Kidney Foundation claimed that it had 3,000 patients. But did it have only 2,000?

And if the right number was 2,000, why was the record not set straight so the public would know how many sick people needed help?

In a letter published in The Straits Times Forum Page on April 9 last year, Dr Gerard Chuah, chairman of the NKF Children's Medical Fund, said 3,000 dialysis patients were saved every year.

Senior Counsel Davinder Singh took NKF chief executive T.T. Durai to task yesterday for not correcting the figure.

Mr Durai admitted it was a mistake, but insisted there had been no intention to deceive the public. Here is an excerpt of their exchange.

Davinder Singh: You knew it was an error?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: Did you correct it?

T.T. Durai: No, I did not correct.

Davinder Singh: You accept it was your responsibility to correct it?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: Why did you not?

T.T. Durai: I thought it was not something which was so material at that point. I went on the basis the public supported us on the basis of our comprehensive programme.

Questioned further, he admitted it was material for the public to know how many patients the NKF served.

Davinder Singh: Therefore, there is a tremendous responsibility on the part of NKF and you to be precise, because everything that you say is designed to and has an effect on the decision-making process of the donor, right?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: If your object is to go out and get as much funds as possible, then clearly it is in your interests to demonstrate a great need for those funds, right?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: To demonstrate a great need of those funds, you would want to play up certain facts or certain figures, right?

T.T. Durai: Not play up, state those figures.

Davinder Singh: State those figures. One of those figures that is relevant is the patient numbers?

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: So you knew all along, and you continued to know that patient numbers have an impact on the donor?

T.T. Durai: It's one of the considerations, yes.

Davinder Singh: Why, then, if you knew that, and if you knew that it was misleading or inaccurate, and you knew that you have a responsibility to set it right, why did you not set it right?

T.T. Durai: Being in fundraising for a long time, we are of the view... I am of the view that people give money for the credibility of the organisation, for the number of programmes we run and (the number of patients) is just one of the considerations. It was not so material at that point of time.

Davinder Singh: We have passed that point.

T.T. Durai: That is the way I view it.

Davinder Singh: We have passed that point because you have accepted that it is one of the factors that the donor will have regard to.

T.T. Durai: Yes.

Davinder Singh: So stick with that. My question is ... why did you not correct the error?

T.T. Durai: I did not think it was of that major importance to correct the error.

Counsel then pointed out that by citing the figure 3,000 in his Forum letter, Dr Chuah had overstated the number of patients by almost 1,000.

Taking the figure of $2,600 that NKF says it spends on each patient, it gave the impression that it needed $31.2 million a year for those non-existent patients.

Davinder Singh: By overstating that number by 1,000, you have given the public the impression that you are in need of $30-over million when that is not true?

T.T. Durai: In a way, yes.

Davinder Singh: In a way. You see, one is either pregnant or one is not...

T.T. Durai: No, it was an error.

Davinder Singh: Is it false or is it true?

T.T. Durai: It is not correct, yes.

Davinder Singh: Another false statement, right?

T.T. Durai: It was not done intentionally.

Mr Durai said he accepted that it was false, but it not done deliberately. Counsel then asked again why he did not correct the error.

T.T. Durai: It was an oversight. I did not think it was material at that point of time, so I did not act on it. I had no intention to deceive.

Davinder Singh: How could that be an oversight?

T.T. Durai: Because insofar as I am concerned, the donor gives us money for a number of reasons and they give us money because the brand of the NKF... and I did not think it was so important at that point of time to correct this error. That is the way I felt.

Davinder Singh: If it was for the brand of the NKF, why bother to state patient numbers? The brand would do the selling. Right? Obviously the patient numbers add a gloss, are a selling point?

T.T. Durai: One of the selling points.

Davinder Singh: How could it be an oversight?

T.T. Durai: I had no intention otherwise. That is the truth.

[just4fun]

July 13, 2005
Mrs Goh: I've full trust in NKF and its CEO

THE NKF's patron, Mrs Goh Chok Tong, told reporters at the close of the case that she had complete trust in the organisation and its chief executive, Mr T.T. Durai.

She had come to court on both days of the hearing and sat on the NKF side. Yesterday, she was there for part of the morning and again in the afternoon.

As Senior Counsel Davinder Singh led Mr Durai to concede point by point that he had no case, Mrs Goh, a lawyer, could be seen shaking her head.

After the hearing, Mrs Goh was asked by reporters what she thought about the way the case went.

She said it did not make sense to her to attack an organisation which helped the sick. All the NKF had wanted from The Straits Times was a retraction, she said, but the case had been extended to question NKF's transparency and 'expensive things'
'Why make a fuss out of it?' she asked.

She said she would continue as patron, and added: 'I have complete trust in the NKF and Mr Durai.'

Asked if Mr Durai's annual salary and bonuses were 'excessive', she replied: 'For a person who runs a million-dollar charitable organisation, $600,000 is peanuts as it has a few hundred millions in reserves.'

[just4fun]

July 13, 2005
NKF donors petition online for Durai's removal

AN ONLINE petition has been started by outraged donors to the National Kidney Foundation, asking for its chief executive officer T.T. Durai to be removed from his position because he has 'breached the trust of the people of Singapore'.

As at 12:00pm, it had drawn more than 2,000 signatures at this website: www.petitiononline.com.

The petition also asks for more transparency - the NKF must show the public how much of its funds goes into helping kidney patients and how much for expenses.

It adds that unless the NKF comes clean with this information, the parties to the petition would be parking their money elsewhere, in 'more deserving organisations' such as the Kidney Dialysis Foundation, the Community Chest and the Salvation Army.

Several Straits Times readers have also e-mailed and faxed the newspaper to say that they are glad the truth is exposed. Many expressed shock and disappointment at this breach of their trust.

NKF premises vandalised
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) building in Kim Keat Road was vandalised late on Tuesday night with the words 'Liar, Liar' spray-painted in red, The New Paper reported on Wednesday.

When The Straits Times went to check it at about 9am on Wednesday morning, the graffiti had already been covered over by NKF with a fresh coat of white paint. A banner covered an NKF sign that was defaced.

The angry red words were both in English and Mandarin, with words like 'hang Turi' and 'big liar' spray-painted in bold all over the outer walls of the building.

The petition and graffiti are both a reaction from angry people who have been donating to the NKF's various fund-raising efforts in the belief that their money was mainly going into helping fund kidney patients' dialysis treatments.

These benefactors were stunned and shocked to find out in a court hearing on Monday that Mr Durai has been getting 10- to 12-month bonuses on top of his $25,000-a-month salary.

This made his annual salary between $550,000 and $600,000, or $1.8 million in total over the past three years.

This fact, and the disclosure that he had been flying first class on NKF's funds, emerged on Day 1 of NKF's defamation suit against Singapore Press Holdings.

The NKF had first filed the suit after The Straits Times published an article on April 19 last year, which reported that a gold-plated tap had been installed and later replaced in the en suite bathroom in Mr Durai's office.

The NKF and Mr Durai contend that this is not the case and that the words in the article had damaged its reputation by implying that donors' funds were being misused.

On Wednesday, what was to have been Day 2, the NKF suddenly dropped the suit. This followed close questioning by SPH's counsel Davinder Singh, who got Mr Durai to concede that there had been nothing defamatory about the article, headlined 'The NKF: Controversially ahead of its time?'

By the time the suit was dropped, more revelations had come about the NKF's use of funds: Its kitty had enough money to run the dialysis programme for 30 more years, not three years as claimed; the NKF was helping 2,000 kidney patients, not 3,000 as claimed.

Two out of every three Singaporeans donate to the NKF, which is entirely dependent on public funds for its dialysis programmes. It recently started a fund to help cancer patients as well.

[just4fun]

Originally Posted by shengge

Thanks Bro J4F.
Up your points before, but don worry, will get someone to up yours. Please update if there is latest news coming up.
Cheers!

No worry for the rep pts....

Just for the benefits of all singaporeans living outside homeland...

For those who have subscribed to Straits Times / read the story...You might need to bear with me for a while....

Anyway...there is a stir at the "Adult Discussion" (for those whom might not hv known) side pertaining to this topic...even Uncle Sam is zapping ppl for posting irrevelant posts....Sorry Boss for wasting your bandwidth... Just trying to benefits other abit....

[shanghian]

Thanks Bro J4F for the effort taken to post the info for all of us. Was a really enlightening reading experience. I can only say it confirms what we already knew since last year and my guess is that this is just the tip of the iceberg with more issues still remaining hidden (Com Chest,Ren Ci...) that may be dragged out in time. Meanwhile , I still prefer to do direct donations rather than thru such orgs. I can see the tsunami relief fund for Aceh will also have such issues as well.
Anyways, thanks for the long post. Sorry can't up your rep point but thats not so important..perhaps when in Shanghai...I'll buy you a drink instead.

cheers

shanghian

[shengge]

Originally Posted by shanghian

I can only say it confirms what we already knew since last year and my guess is that this is just the tip of the iceberg with more issues still remaining hidden (Com Chest,Ren Ci...) that may be dragged out in time.
shanghian

Hello Big Bro Shanghian,
Glad to see you post again.
How have you been doing lately? I hope everything is fine.
Please share some of your valuable experiences with some juniors, like me here.

Cheers!

[shengge]

Originally Posted by just4fun

Anyway...there is a stir at the "Adult Discussion" (for those whom might not hv known) side pertaining to this topic...even Uncle Sam is zapping ppl for posting irrevelant posts....Sorry Boss for wasting your bandwidth... Just trying to benefits other abit....

Don't worry!
There will be a small group of bros here will up your points! For all contributing, towkay Shanghaitan will make sure that points will be awarded, right?

Cheers!

[shengge]

Originally Posted by shanghian

I'll buy you a drink instead.

Don't worry!
Bro Shanghaitan will be glad to buy both of you drinks.

Cheers!