Castaway
Came back from thailand straight into the storm over NKF. As if the turbulence we experienced in the air were not enough, this thunderstorm brewed over the internet and media totally threw me off course. Basically, i don't see the fuss over it (maybe cause i don't donate much but that's another issue altogether). It may be a non-profit organisation but Singaporeans have to realise that there will come a point in time where the expansion requires certain funds backing it. I quote one of the comments made to our national TV "Money VS Morality". My heart goes out to the outgoing board. Even if there was perfect information in our economy, I am uncertain that the number of volunatary workers will match the required specific tasks. This man worked for 37 years and heads an organisation of more than a thousand. Is it too much to give him 25K a mth and let him fly first class? What's with the expensive toilet fittings? I won't want one of our largest and most established charity organisation to look like crap. Who would wanna work there? You may classify me as one of those idiots who spend public's money in an "unjust" manner but to me, maintaining a pleasant working environment for the social workers is part of charity. I believe these people working there can earn better pay outside, despite this, they are willing to undertake a lower pay package in exchange for better job satisfaction. Arghz.
Let me talk about my buys in thailand. More cheerful.
1. 15 T-shirts (Avg 150 Baht per pc but i saw them going for 90 baht ea at Sapanphuat night market)
2. 5 Cool pirated quickiesilver and billy bong
3. 1 billybong berms
4. 2 ultra kena chop belts (199 baht ea, suspect them going for 50baht ea at Sapanphuat)
5. A pair of boxing gloves (bought at 310 baht after much slashing of price only to realise that it was going for 200 baht down the lane.)
6. 2 x slippers
7. Some stuff for my parents
Haiz. I should have kept the money all for myself. Kena scolded by my mother because all the clothes that i bought didn't fit them. I brought back 4 polos/tees for my dad, one polo for my mum and 3 tees for my sis. All didn't fit. In the end? My dad's clothes fitted just nice on my mum and my sis slipped into the burberry polo i bought for my mum. Poor daddy was left with nothing. arghz. This is darn weird.
I think poser lim will have trouble fitting into half of his t-shirts.
MBK is such a huge place (though i think those across the causeways are much bigger). During the day, it is littered with students that (according to my baby) works part time at patpong. Their school uniform is rather weird/pretty. Obviously it didn't struck us initially that they were students because on our small island, no student goes to school with a toilet bag, 2 cm thick of makeup, highheels and leather belt. Except for a minority race, most students don't buy uniforms 2 size smaller to show the non-existent figure. Based on this dolled up fact, my baby concluded that they work part time at patpong during the night, some pingpong shows and stuff. I beg to differ. I think they are just vain. =) Before i struck you with this impression that all the students there dressed up so elaborately, there are students who looked...like students. Dress over the knee, shirts buttoned up, no high heels, carrying proper brief case as school bags... we saw a couple at Swensens while we were having ice-cream. They even carried high class camera phones. Then somebody concluded that they are the rich kids who dun need to part time... nevermind.
Didn't photoshop this... have a look at their uniform.
My friend is getting married tomorrow. He just gave me a call and i asked if he was nervous. His reply? "no leh, i'm not nervous leh. Going to watch movie later...has yet to catch initial D." I faint.
Let me talk about my buys in thailand. More cheerful.
1. 15 T-shirts (Avg 150 Baht per pc but i saw them going for 90 baht ea at Sapanphuat night market)
2. 5 Cool pirated quickiesilver and billy bong
3. 1 billybong berms
4. 2 ultra kena chop belts (199 baht ea, suspect them going for 50baht ea at Sapanphuat)
5. A pair of boxing gloves (bought at 310 baht after much slashing of price only to realise that it was going for 200 baht down the lane.)
6. 2 x slippers
7. Some stuff for my parents
Haiz. I should have kept the money all for myself. Kena scolded by my mother because all the clothes that i bought didn't fit them. I brought back 4 polos/tees for my dad, one polo for my mum and 3 tees for my sis. All didn't fit. In the end? My dad's clothes fitted just nice on my mum and my sis slipped into the burberry polo i bought for my mum. Poor daddy was left with nothing. arghz. This is darn weird.
I think poser lim will have trouble fitting into half of his t-shirts.
MBK is such a huge place (though i think those across the causeways are much bigger). During the day, it is littered with students that (according to my baby) works part time at patpong. Their school uniform is rather weird/pretty. Obviously it didn't struck us initially that they were students because on our small island, no student goes to school with a toilet bag, 2 cm thick of makeup, highheels and leather belt. Except for a minority race, most students don't buy uniforms 2 size smaller to show the non-existent figure. Based on this dolled up fact, my baby concluded that they work part time at patpong during the night, some pingpong shows and stuff. I beg to differ. I think they are just vain. =) Before i struck you with this impression that all the students there dressed up so elaborately, there are students who looked...like students. Dress over the knee, shirts buttoned up, no high heels, carrying proper brief case as school bags... we saw a couple at Swensens while we were having ice-cream. They even carried high class camera phones. Then somebody concluded that they are the rich kids who dun need to part time... nevermind.
Didn't photoshop this... have a look at their uniform.
My friend is getting married tomorrow. He just gave me a call and i asked if he was nervous. His reply? "no leh, i'm not nervous leh. Going to watch movie later...has yet to catch initial D." I faint.
3 Comments:
wa lau, 25K per month is NOT "willing to undertake a LOWER pay package" lor.
go ask the CEOs of huge firms in singapore, most of them get 20K good enuff liao wor... but i dun really care about that coz i knew about their wealth long long ago, besides i dont donate to NKF...=p
anyway, your photo got those 3D effect lehz. i giddy after looking at it lar~ haha. and, poser lim bought XL for more than half of his tees, so should be alright lar.
and my aunty can fit into her burberry's lar...how come your mommy cannot? my aunt is so much bigger than your mommy...
LETS GO BANGKOK AGAIN NEXT YR!! =)
That's the sch uniform for their university students... Even their teachers wear uniforms to teach. Military uniforms some more.
Eh paiseh, fell asleep. Didn't really see your message. So what have you bought bought bought? The 90?
Anyway, not sure if you've been following it closely enough. But to me, the case is not about Durai being overpaid. It's about him being ******** and **********. Sorry ah, scared kana sued ah. Perhaps let me find some more politically correct words - lacks transparency and attempts to hide the extravagance of their spendings. Now I fully agree that 'Just because [they]'re a charity doesn't mean [they] have to operate in a hovel out in the rain.' But are expensive bathroom fittings necessary? Perhaps, to draw an analogy, even MG Desmond uses the same kind of sub-par loo as us NSFs. I'm sure their salaries are comparable in this case, even though he's not at the very top of the organisation (that would be comparing Mr Teo C H and Mr Durai, which will be a skewed comparision).
I managed to find the transcript that I read on Business Times yesterday. I'll just quote a part on it and you decide on your take.
Q. Right? Nothing else was removed. I would like to show you your answer to interrogatories, this bundle, tab 1. Look at page 2, question 2:
'... the bathroom was not for the exclusive use of the 2nd plaintiff.'
That is you?
A. Yes.
Q. Mr Durai, where was the entrance to the bathroom?
A. It was through my office.
Q. Someone who wanted to go into the bathroom would have to go into your office and into the bathroom?
A. Yes, there were many people who used it that way.
Q. Yes. So a member of the staff who wanted to use thatbathroom would have to go, walk right into the CEO's office and then go into the bathroom?
A. That is what it was at that point of time.
Q. It just seems odd that if you were renovating it to make it a common bathroom, that you would have the entrance through your room as opposed to general entrance for everybody.
A. It was done in that fashion at that point of time.
Q. We know that. Now answer my question. If it was meant for everybody, why have the entrance through your room?
A. It was designed in that fashion and I cannot comment on that.
Q. You cannot?
A. It was not meant for everybody, but anybody can use it if they wanted to use it.
Q. Of course. I am sure. Anybody can use any bathroom in Singapore; it is a question of whether they have access and are prepared to use it. Mr Durai, please answer the question. Why if, as you claim, the bathroom was for anyone to use it, did you choose to have the entrance through your office?
A. I can only say it was a design put up and it was what it was and it was functionally used in that manner. It was not something which I deliberately did to prevent people from coming in.
Q. Was it an oversight?
A. It was not an oversight. That is what it was.
Q. Can I take it that you saw, either on the plans or while it was being constructed, you saw that this bathroom was being constructed with an entrance from your private office.
A. Yes, beside my office.
Q. It is attached to your office?
A. Yes.
Q. You saw that there was no other general entrance.
A. Yes.
Q. In fact over and above the bathroom or rather in the bathroom, there was a shower; right?
A. That is one corner of it, yes.
Q. So anybody can come in and bathe?
A. Yes, my other senior colleagues were using it to bathe.
Q. You see, Mr Durai, forgive me if I am wrong, because I have not had the benefit of such a luxury. People do that because they want it to be private, for their private use; would you agree with me?
A. No, it was not -- I want to tell the factual position. It was a simple toilet. The other -- my other colleagues were using it. The other people who were working there for seven months, they used the toilet to take a bath. That is the way we operate.
Q. You see, Mr Durai, what you really mean is this. I am sorry, was there not also a glass dividing wall between your office and the private bathroom?
A. No.
Q. Was it not?
A. No.
Q. What was it then?
A. Wooden.
Q. Wooden?
A. Yes.
Q. Let me just remind you, and while I remind you, if you could just think about that. The article says there was a glass-panelled shower. Is that true?
A. No, it was actually just a glass on a wall.
Q. Answer my question.
A. But it is not true in this sense.
Q. So there was no glass-panelled shower?
A. It was just a glass cover on a wall.
Q. Sorry?
A. It was one corner of the place with a glass door.
Q. Right. So it is a glass-panelled shower. In other words, God forbid, anybody wants to see you bathing, they could see right through; right?
A. Yes.
Q. Is that consistent with it being a toilet or bathroomfor general usage?
A. There was a toilet bowl, anybody could take a bath, that is how it was. If anybody wanted to use it, they could use it.
Q. We will move on. I think what you really meant, to be fair to you, was this is my bathroom, this is my toilet, but if I am having meetings in my office with my senior staff or VIPs or donors, and they wanted to use the bathroom, they were welcome to do it; right?
A. No, and if any of the directors -- many of the directors were using to bathroom for their facilities. My senior associate director and the others.
---- And oh boy, Monte Carlo toilet bowl! ---
Q. Let us just move on. Look at the interrogatories at page 2 of tab 1. You were aware, looking at questions 4 and 5, that a toilet bowl of the Monte Carlo brand was installed; right?
A. From looking at the bills, yes.
Q. And you were also aware, looking at the answer to question 6, that it cost $1,100?
A. Yes.
Q. Right?
A. Yes. I now know that.
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