Lessons to be learnt from NKF saga?
There are a few lessons to be learnt from the NKF saga.
1) We cannot place total trust in anyone or anything in Singapore. Despite many years of suspicion and rumours about NKF, we were told repeatedly by the best and most respected people in the government and GLC's that they were not true and that we the man on the street was wrong. We were assured time and time again that there were systems of checks both by the government, private accounting bodies and NCSS to safeguard against such problems occuring. NKF was even lauded for having such stringent checks in place and taking the lead for other charities to follow. Today we read our Health Minister telling us that the "systems" were just structural but there was no action to support it. This is in contrast to what we have been hearing for upteen years.
2) With the best structual systems of checks in place, we still need good people with proper "moral compasses" to make it work. We hear that NKF had a moral compass shift when it became incorporated as a company. What about other areas of our society in Singapore. Would we look back 10 years from now and say our moral compass had shifted when we approved the Casinos or the politically correctly called "integrated resorts"? A spade is a spade. Or maybe the government's moral compass had shifted the day they decided that Ministers should be paid "market value" because "when you pay peanuts you get monkeys". I have always felt that with this change, we could never ever tell if our leaders in office were there truly to serve the nation or for the "market value" remuneration. Another downside of our leaders spouting such remuneration philosophies is that it sends a message to every Singaporean that they should be paid what they are worth and everything is about remuneration. No one wants to be called a monkey and stupid because he accepts a lower than "market" value remuneration. But that is the message. The scholars learn it, and thus they break their bonds to join ego boosting lucrative paying international companies rather than serve out their bonds and "serve" Singapore. Bearing in mind that most of our leaders are from similar cohorts of scholars, you can conclude that they all share the same philosophies. And then the leaders in office chide their own peers, the scholars for caring only about the dollar and not about repaying the nation. Ironic.
3) Who watches the watchmen? TT Durai got away with a lot of "mishandling" all the while playing within the rules. Who checked on him? He is perhaps unparalleled in Singapore as a fund raiser. Hence no one dared to check him for fear of jeopardizing the "essential" fund raising system. Are we going to continue to be too scared to check on the people in power because it may jeopardize the "system"? This is a question we must all find an answer to.
4) Is there transparency in Singapore? Perhaps there is apparent transparency only. If a supposedly transparent organization like NKF could "hide" legally and effectively their misdeeds, what then can we say about those openly declared "non-transparent" companies and organizations? TT Durai shot himself in the foot by choosing to disrupt the balance by suing SPH. If he had not done so, he would today still be leading NKF and building it into a bigger "Taj Mahal" for himself. We really should thank the man for turning himself in. What other non-transparent organizations should we be concerned with? How about the biggest? Temasek Holdings.
5) There is no such thing as a total democracy, total freedom and total trust. Which is why it is always good to have change. Have a rotation of the people in power. Change them regularly so you never have a situation where one individual becomes too "charismatic", influential and powerful. This should be applied to all levels of governance. After all isn't this what we do with the SAF? The SAF is a very powerful organisation which if controlled by a despot could cause great danger to the nation. We change the generals regularly so no one has too much power and can potentially stage a coup? The questions begs then, if it works for the SAF, why not for the other organisations?
posted by Dr Oz bloke @ 5:16 PM
1 Comments:
What is worth learning from the NKF saga:
1. The buck for the blame has to stop somewhere.
2. EVERYONE who has power and influence is a crook and a greedy plunderer unless PROVEN otherwise.
3. Birds of the same feather flock together and help each other in their nefarious schemes.
4. An audit by one of the big four on anything is just worth peanuts.
5. Donating to an ORGANIZED charity is abetting crooks and just asking to be conned.
6. The difference between organized crime and organized charities is that the patron of the latter is someone of prestige and impeccable character whilst the patron of the former is The Godfather, an olive oil peddlar.
7. T.V. "stars" doing all those tear jerking stunts are not doing it for nothing. There is honey for everyone.
8. In the stock market, it is axiomatic that a crooked winner is supported by a pyramid base of losers. Same with organized charities.
9 Winners of the State's public service medals don't guarantee integrity and honesty. On the contrary, it enables crooks to hide behind the generousity and benevolence of the state.
10. If you want to do a charitable act, give DIRECTLY to the really needy beneficiaries.
11. Switch off your TV when one of those con shows comes on again. Once beaten twice shy was not taught to you in school for nothing.
12. When someone is quick on the draw with legal suits on defamation, you can be damn sure he is guilty concious and wants to scare you away before you start digging up more dirt.
13. When someone orders a gold tap for his bathroom, you know that, that is the beginning of the end.
14. When in the airport and you see a local luminary connected to a charity taking a plane in first class, be not afraid to raise a smoking gun. Greedy men never learns their lessons.
15. Be cynical of everything ever thought of by Man. They are the worst creatures who ever walked on earth.
Thanks to The Man and his cahoots for reinforcing the above by no means exhaustive lessons learnt from the Saga of the old NKF.
New NKF or Old NKF what does it matter. I am reminded of some hollywood movies showing you the ending of a horror movie with the devil killed off but his offspring coming to life for the sequel. That, my friend is a LESSON.
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