Thursday, July 14, 2005
The aftermath – NKF, a charity under siege
Disclaimer: I do not condemn or commend.
The aftermath – NKF, a charity under siege
Val Chua
val@newstoday.com.sg
THE National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is fast becoming a fortress under siege — with thousands of supporters deserting it, abusive red graffiti being painted on its headquarters and pressure mounting on its CEO to step down.
For now, the NKF board is standing by the man it sees as an asset. The foundation insisted that Mr T T Durai (picture) was not given the chance to tell his side of the story in court — even though it was his decision to abruptly drop the defamation case against SPH.
But, anger against the NKF is brewing.
The first sign of trouble came at 6am yesterday, when the front wall of the NKF's headquarters at Kim Keat Road was vandalised with red graffiti screaming "Liar".
While this was later covered up, more drama followed.
As its board of directors scrambled to contain the damage, about 3,800 donors want to cancel their monthly donation to the NKF.
An outraged public also voiced their displeasure online — more than 15,700 people have asked for the man at the centre of the storm — the CEO, Mr Durai — to quit over the uproar he ironically created himself.
All this, after a two-day trial had focused on his $25,000 monthly pay and 12-month bonuses, on undisclosed business dealings, expensive toilet fittings and first-class travels.
Said reader Richard Lam: "I think it is time for Mr Durai to bow out gracefully..."
Fervent supporters, however, prefer to separate the man from the organisation.
"Does the NKF not run its programmes well? Have patients not been given dialysis? Why are we attacking the organisation?" said a volunteer.
Amid rumours that Mr Durai had unsuccessfully tendered his resignation, NKF chairman Richard Yong again pledged his support for the CEO.
"He's still very much an asset to us. Mr Durai has done nothing wrong," he told Today.
The board is also understood to be discussing ways to clarify certain doubts that have arisen from the trial.
Said NKF's spokeswoman Michelle Ang: "To a lot of the questions put forth in court, Mr Durai was only able to answer yes or no. We feel that a lot of information that came out is only part of the story. It's not the whole story."
For instance, she said although the chairman of its Children's Medical Fund board, Dr Gerard Chuah, had wrongly claimed that the NKF had 3,000 patients, NKF's chairman Mr Yong had, in fact, used the correct figure of 1,800 patients in a letter that appeared on the same page.
But she admitted that NKF is "still assessing the damage".
What about public calls to revamp the board?
Said Mr Yong, who has been on the NKF board for 18 years: "All the board members are professionals, doctors and lawyers and accountants. They receive nothing in directorship fees. They are all volunteers."
Inevitably, the whole NKF episode has also cast a pall over the charity movement in Singapore.
The National Council of Social Service said it has received several calls from donors who have concerns about how charities manage donations.
Meanwhile, some NKF donors have called to switch their allegiance to the Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF), instead.
Said its CEO Dr Gordon Ku: "It is sad for the NKF episode to have taken place. For the charity scene, there is now a dent in public confidence. But it's positive in that people have suddenly woken up and want to know where their donations are going."
Meanwhile, the show will go on in NKF, which is holding its final fund-raising event tonight (Thursday) to raise money for its cancer patients.
For the first two shows over the past two weekends, it raised a total of $10.43 million.
But Mr Yong said he hopes the public won't take it out on the patients.
Asked if this was the worst crisis NKF has faced, he said: "I would say so. In 1986 and 87, when we had no money, that was also a crisis, but we built it up. This is one crisis which we have to ride through. Patients have to continue their treatment. Everything must go on."
The aftermath – NKF, a charity under siege
Val Chua
val@newstoday.com.sg
THE National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is fast becoming a fortress under siege — with thousands of supporters deserting it, abusive red graffiti being painted on its headquarters and pressure mounting on its CEO to step down.
For now, the NKF board is standing by the man it sees as an asset. The foundation insisted that Mr T T Durai (picture) was not given the chance to tell his side of the story in court — even though it was his decision to abruptly drop the defamation case against SPH.
But, anger against the NKF is brewing.
The first sign of trouble came at 6am yesterday, when the front wall of the NKF's headquarters at Kim Keat Road was vandalised with red graffiti screaming "Liar".
While this was later covered up, more drama followed.
As its board of directors scrambled to contain the damage, about 3,800 donors want to cancel their monthly donation to the NKF.
An outraged public also voiced their displeasure online — more than 15,700 people have asked for the man at the centre of the storm — the CEO, Mr Durai — to quit over the uproar he ironically created himself.
All this, after a two-day trial had focused on his $25,000 monthly pay and 12-month bonuses, on undisclosed business dealings, expensive toilet fittings and first-class travels.
Said reader Richard Lam: "I think it is time for Mr Durai to bow out gracefully..."
Fervent supporters, however, prefer to separate the man from the organisation.
"Does the NKF not run its programmes well? Have patients not been given dialysis? Why are we attacking the organisation?" said a volunteer.
Amid rumours that Mr Durai had unsuccessfully tendered his resignation, NKF chairman Richard Yong again pledged his support for the CEO.
"He's still very much an asset to us. Mr Durai has done nothing wrong," he told Today.
The board is also understood to be discussing ways to clarify certain doubts that have arisen from the trial.
Said NKF's spokeswoman Michelle Ang: "To a lot of the questions put forth in court, Mr Durai was only able to answer yes or no. We feel that a lot of information that came out is only part of the story. It's not the whole story."
For instance, she said although the chairman of its Children's Medical Fund board, Dr Gerard Chuah, had wrongly claimed that the NKF had 3,000 patients, NKF's chairman Mr Yong had, in fact, used the correct figure of 1,800 patients in a letter that appeared on the same page.
But she admitted that NKF is "still assessing the damage".
What about public calls to revamp the board?
Said Mr Yong, who has been on the NKF board for 18 years: "All the board members are professionals, doctors and lawyers and accountants. They receive nothing in directorship fees. They are all volunteers."
Inevitably, the whole NKF episode has also cast a pall over the charity movement in Singapore.
The National Council of Social Service said it has received several calls from donors who have concerns about how charities manage donations.
Meanwhile, some NKF donors have called to switch their allegiance to the Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF), instead.
Said its CEO Dr Gordon Ku: "It is sad for the NKF episode to have taken place. For the charity scene, there is now a dent in public confidence. But it's positive in that people have suddenly woken up and want to know where their donations are going."
Meanwhile, the show will go on in NKF, which is holding its final fund-raising event tonight (Thursday) to raise money for its cancer patients.
For the first two shows over the past two weekends, it raised a total of $10.43 million.
But Mr Yong said he hopes the public won't take it out on the patients.
Asked if this was the worst crisis NKF has faced, he said: "I would say so. In 1986 and 87, when we had no money, that was also a crisis, but we built it up. This is one crisis which we have to ride through. Patients have to continue their treatment. Everything must go on."
