Consolidated questions & revelations by a conscientious CHC insider on Kong & Family & their internal crony practices

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Consolidated questions & revelations by a conscientious CHC insider on Kong & Family & their internal crony practices

Will there be lawsuits for defamation in view of ST online's wide readership?
Source : ST Discussion Board 'CityHarvest questioned' thread.

Originally Posted by sorenk2233

Kudos to City Harvest for being transparent about their financial statements. They have proudly listed it in their website.

However, some things cause alarm bells to ring.
1. The church has spent millions on television, audio, broadcast, and multi-media.
Audio and Light --> $1.256 and $1.1 million during the past two years.
Christian TV, Broadcast --> $793,000 and $1.039 million during the past two years
Church TV --> $2.105 and $1.374 million, during the past two years.
Internet broadcast --> $573,000 and $432,000, during the past two years.

And if you add them up, a total of $8,672,000 has been spent on multi-media related ventures.

Perhaps the CHC might want elaborate why the need for such expenses?
Perhaps they would also like to explain why Rev. Kong Hee has to be featured on Christian television? The reverend does not receive a salary from City Harvest, but by them endorsing him by placing him on Christian television (seen in US), is that not a benefit/ incentive paid by the Church? Would that not be considered a form of payment?

2. Staff salaries are astonishing! A church is liken to a customer care service. And no doubt there is a need to employ members to meet the needs of Church members. However, how transparent would CHC be in disclosing their staff salaries? I would not be surprised that many senior/ executive level staff in CHC's organization may be receiving 5-figured salaries. There is nothing wrong in paying good and qualified workers well. The question is how much is too much? And whether it is justifiable.

3. A further investigation should look into companies often contracted by City Harvest Church. Are those companies funded by church members? What other interests do the companies play in facilitating CHC? Are any of CHC's board members/ executive members shareholders in the companies? If so, then how much have they benefited?

If such a significant amount is spend on audio and lighting, perhaps a thorough investigation ought to be checked on the co-relation between the company and CHC. Is the same company behind Sun Ho's singing career? High probability it could be so. Also, I understand that CHC started a dance studio to get Youths involved in the arts (great avenue to get kids off from drugs and off the streets). However, has this been a personal gain for Sun Ho's entertainment venture?

3. In the early months of 2010, many CHC members went for a study trip to South Korea. The world's largest church is located there. I wonder if the senior/ executive staff had to pay for the "study trip" or if the trip was absorbed by the church. If so, is this a common practice for independent churches?

Why am I writing this and posing though questions with regards to the financial management of City Harvest Church? Partly because I feel the need for religious organizations to come clean about their transactions. Partly because there is too much going on behind the scenes that needs to come to light. Partly because there needs to be checks and balances in independent mega churches.

A religious organization being extravagant in its spending is not the issue. We see cathedrals, mosques and temples made of great extravagance. In many religions, many high ranking officials often wear robes lavished in gold trimmings, fine fabric and intricate detail. Hence, being extravagant and having state of the art technology should not be part of the discussion. What should be of interest is the co-relation to an independent church with its contracted companies?

1. The lighting and audio for City Harvest Church has contracted Xtron Productions Pte Ltd. This coupled together with the fact that this company is one of the management agencies for co-founder and singer, Miss Ho Yeow Sun.

In addition, many of the employees hired by Xtron Productions are members of City Harvest Church. Many of these individuals are members of CHC's television, media and sound ministries. If this does not raise bells, then perhaps one might like to see who are the owners, co-owners and managers of Xtron Productions.

2. City Harvest Church has changed its financial year-end twice in the last few years. The first in 2007, from 31 December to 30 June. The second in 2008, from 30 June to 31 October. Such unexplained change of financial year-end is commonly seen as a red-flag by auditors and regulators. Should we be concerned?

May those who have read my comments and felt there is validity in it share the burden I have. I have been very careful in my choice of words and tone by which I make my comments. I could have given the names of the owners of Xtron Produtions, who are board and executive members. Unfortunately, my position does not permit or grant me the liberty to be a whistle blower.

Please understand that I am caught between a rock and a hard place. In 2003, when Roland Poon pointed out the church's support of Miss Ho's singing career, I witness the ugliness of hate. However, at the same time, I saw the pain in the eyes of church members who were deeply affected by the media slaughter of the church.

Over the course of days, I question if this was the right time to disclose the information that I have given. Why? Because many of the employees of Xtron, City College, Citycare, Little Big, O School, and along with the staff of City Harvest Church are fully aware of what goes on behind the scenes. Many have families with young children and mortgages and car payments to worry about. There are a large number of individuals dependent on how this system works. Sadly, it is snowballing into something monstrous.

3. Miss Ho Yeow Sun's entourage includes two dancers. They can be seen dancing in Miss Ho's recent music video, Fancy Free. These dancers are instructors of O School, which is funded by City College (that gets funds from City Harvest). These dance instructors are residing in the United States, residing in Miss Ho's Los Angeles home. This brings to question if City Harvest is indirectly paying for Miss Ho's dancers.

4. Xtron Productions have several employees who are board and executive members. Several on its payroll hold positions of leadership in the audio, lighting and media ministries. In November 2009, Rev. Kong Hee had a speaking engagement to Sacramento, California, several church employees (worship band, singers, and media personnel) were flown there with all expenses paid by the Church. In addition to that, Xtron employees were involved in the trip. If the speaking engagement was for the benefit of Rev. Kong, the question is, who pays for the cost to fly and accommodate his entourage?

It is known that Rev. Kong is not a salaried employee of City Harvest church. He relies on speaking engagement fees, love gifts and the royalties of his sermons and bible study material. However, how does the church draw the line between his personal speaking engagements and his service on behalf of the church? Also, why the need for Xtron employees to be part of the trip if this was promoted to church members as a missions trip? For many of Rev. Kong's international speaking engagement, there is an employee from Xtron present to take photographs and record videos. Is City Harvest Church paying for the services or is the Reverend absorbing the costs?

May those who have read my comments and felt there is validity in it share the burden I have. I have been very careful in my choice of words and tone by which I make my comments. I could have given the names of the owners of Xtron Produtions, who are board and executive members. Unfortunately, my position does not permit or grant me the liberty to be a whistle blower.

Please understand that I am caught between a rock and a hard place. In 2003, when Roland Poon pointed out the church's support of Miss Ho's singing career, I witness the ugliness of hate. However, at the same time, I saw the pain in the eyes of church members who were deeply affected by the media slaughter of the church.

Over the course of days, I question if this was the right time to disclose the information that I have given. Why? Because many of the employees of Xtron, City College, Citycare, Little Big, O School, and along with the staff of City Harvest Church are fully aware of what goes on behind the scenes. Many have families with young children and mortgages and car payments to worry about. There are a large number of individuals dependent on how this system works. Sadly, it is snowballing into something monstrous.

From my heart,
Soren

Corruption — a tale from two cities

By Art Harun from The Malaysian Insider

It was sometime in the late 1990’s. And it was in Singapore.

A trailer driver was delivering some goods to a Singaporean buyer. While doing so, he hit some tree branches which fell onto a car behind the trailer and slightly damaged the car.

Both men stopped their respective vehicle. While they were “settling” their “dispute”, a traffic police officer came by and stopped. Upon his inquiry, the trailer driver related what had happened to the officer. The officer then told the car driver that perhaps he should make a claim from his insurance company as it was not the fault of the trailer driver that his car was damaged.

Noting that the damage only involved some minor scratches, the car driver relented and drove off. The trailer driver was so relieved. He was also glad that the officer supported his case and was filled with gratitude to him.

In true Malaysian fashion, the trailer driver took out S$20 and gave it to the police officer. The police officer took it and rode off.

On the way back to Malaysia, the trailer driver was arrested at the Immigration checkpoint and detained. The next day he was charged for giving bribe to a police officer.

I was then advising the transport company for whom the driver worked. A Singaporean Counsel was engaged and he advised that it was an offence to do so. He advised the driver to plead guilty.

He did and was punished, fortunately, with a just rather hefty fine.

Fast forward to last Monday, May 3, 2010.

Time: 1.15am. Location, Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lumpur.

The Sun newspaper (May 6 2010), on page 4, reported of two incidents at a police road block along Jalan Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. The report was entitled “Cop held over alleged bribery, sexual harassment.”

The first lady was driving alone at 1.15am when she was stopped at the roadblock. The police said she was driving beyond the speed limit. According to her, the police officer said the matter could be settled on the spot. She then offered RM15 and the officer agreed to take that sum as “settlement”.

Money exchanged hand. The officer than allegedly told her that she was sexy. He allegedly asked her to lift her t-shirt and pull up her skirts. She immediately drove off.

But not before she performed her side of the agreed bargain. She paid him the 15 bucks and drove off.

Next was a nightclub singer about 30 minutes later. The same thing happened. This time the lady gave RM20. The same officer allegedly made similar advances. The lady also paid him and drove off.

It was reported that the two women were “riled over the incidents.”

The report, however, does not specify whether the two ladies were “riled” over the alleged sexual harassment and the fact that the officer had allegedly asked them for money or whether both of them were only “riled” over the alleged sexual harassment alone.

Reform Party attacked again over its “internal politics” in Straits Times

The fledging Reform Party which has made headlines in recent weeks with a few high-profile recruits and frequent walkabouts, has come under an orchestrated attack yet again in the state media.

Last week, a Straits Times article tried to play up a purported feud between its Secretary-General Kenneth Jeyaretnam and its former Chairman Ng Teck Siong.

Today, another letter was published criticizing its “internal squabbles”. Its writer is none other than the well-known PAP supporter Lionel De Souza.

Mr Lionel wrote about the extradition of Reform Party’s co-founder Balldev Naidu Ragavan to the United States to face charges of conspiring to provide arms and financial support to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as well as the latest “squabble” between Mr Jeyaretnam and Mr Ng which was given extensive publicity in the press.

“Internal party conflicts certainly do not augur well for any political party if it wants to be taken seriously by the voters. Any form of internal conflict is usually the root cause of voters’ disillusionment, for the simple reason that if there is no unity of purpose and vision within a party, there will be division and plenty of infighting,” Mr Lionel wrote.

Being a retired police officer, Mr Lionel should be aware of the fact that politics are part and parcel of life. There is internal politics, squabbling and in-fighting in every organization including the Singapore Police Force.

There are internal conflicts between PAP leaders too, just that they were never reported in the media doesn’t mean they don’t exists.

Mr Lionel extrapolated Reform Party’s situation to insinuate that the party leaders will be “preoccupied” in planning and executing attacks on their rivals that “they will not be able to honour the promises they made in their election manifesto presented to the electorate during the hustings.”

It is strange that the Straits Times allows such a wild and baseless accusations to be hurled against the Reform Party. Both Mr Balldev and Mr Ng had since left the party which is strengthened by newcomers such as former government scholars Mr Tony Tan and Ms Hazel Poa.

In fact, the Reform Party has held a series of seminars this year to discuss important national issues with Singaporeans. The party has also put up a comprehensive counter-proposal of the Finance Minister’s Budget 2010 on its website. None of these were ever reported in the press.

This type of selective reporting as practised by the state media over the years has helped to create an erroneous public impression that the PAP is “infallible” and the opposition is constantly wrecked by internal politics and infighting.

Acting Minister for Communication, Information and Arts Lui Tuck Yew once praised the Singapore media as a “trustworthy” source of news in Singapore.

International media watchdog Reporters without Borders ranked the Singapore media a pathetic 133th position among 187 countries in terms of press freedom in 2009, an embarrassing result which was decried by Law Minister Shanmugan as “quite divorced for reality.”

http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/04/18/reform-party-attacked-again-over-its-internal-politics-in-straits-times/

Wear Black - Water Festival at Bukit Batok

Irate netizen calls on Singaporeans to gatecrash “Water Festival” organized by Bukit Batok grassroots organizations

An irate netizen by the name of Aurora Long has called on Singaporeans to gatecrash the “Water Festival” organized by Bukit Batok grassroots organizations to welcome the New Year for the Thai, Burmese, Laotian and Cambodians living in Singapore:



After the event was publicized on our site, many netizens expressed their dismay and disappointment at grassroots organizations using public monies for doing so.

While they do not object to foreigners celebrating their cultural festivals in Singapore, many wonder why we have to foot the bill for organizing them.

One commentator wrote in disgust:

“When we go to the United States, do we expect its government to organize CNY or Hari Raya for us?”

Due to the PAP’s liberal immigration and pro-foreigner policies, foreigners now make up 36 percent of Singapore’s population, up from 14 percent in1990. Of the remaining 64 percent who are citizens, an increasing number are born overseas.

As too many foreigners were allowed into Singapore within too short a period of time, the PAP is now having serious trouble integrating most, if not all of them.

To tackle the problem, it has unveiled a mega $10 million Community Integration Fund funded by taxpayers to organize events, seminars and language classes to make the immigrants feel welcomed in Singapore.

The exact cost for organizing the “Water Festival” was not revealed, but it is likely to come from the Community Integration Fund.

Ms Long hopes that those who are not supportive of the government wasting taxpayers’ money on foreigners to turn up in BLACK on that day.



Source: Aurora Long's Facebook

Government seeing red or problem with our CPF Board

PAP to consider ways to discourage home owners from cashing out from their flats prematurely

With the prices of HDB flats at an all-time high, an increasing number of Singaporeans are selling their flats to make a quick buck.

Some of them return to HDB to seek help with housing after selling their flats to pay off debts or buy luxury items.

The PAP is now studying ways to discourage them from doing so, revealed National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan to the Straits Times.

“There are many different options that we have to look at, one of which is to see how we can transfer some of the subsidy that is given when the flat is purchased, whether we transfer it into his CPF for retirement or medical expenses or to buy another flat…to make sure they don’t take it out as cash and spend it away,” he was quoted as saying in the Straits Times.

Though no concrete ideas have been floated yet, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong suggested a few weeks ago to lock the profits from the sale of HDB flats into the CPF accounts of sellers.

The plan, if introduced is likely to be unpopular among Singaporeans as they are unable to cash out on their HDB flats.

The prices of HDB flats have sky-rocketed in recent years due to rising demand fueled by immigration in the face of limited supply of new flats.

With the prices on an upward trend, it is not likely that flat sellers are able to make much profits from the sale of their flats unless they downgrade to a smaller flat or leave Singapore and live elsewhere altogether.

Mr Mah, who admitted that he was “caught off-guard” by the astronomical prices of HDB flats has been put on the defensive lately by accusations from Singaporeans that he has not done enough to control the prices.

The combative Mah retaliated by blaming Singaporeans for being “fussy” and showing obscure charts and figures to substantiate his claims that HDB flats remain “affordable” in Singapore.

The increasingly unpopular Mah may prove to be a liability to the PAP in the next general election due by 2011.

PAP strongman Lee Kuan Yew dismissed the threat to Mr Mah’s position by calling Singaporeans “daft” if they dare to vote Mr Mah out of office.

14 year old Singaporean vows to leave Singapore if PAP is not voted out by the next general election

14 year old Singaporean vows to leave Singapore if PAP is not voted out by the next general election

Dear TR,

After reading mails from Ms Melissa Quek, Mr Devoran, Ms T.Rajendran and Ms Judy Eng, I’ve decided to stop idling behind the computer screen waiting for change to happen. I’m writing in hopes that I can reach out to people whom may read and perhaps relate to what I have been experiencing as of late.

First off, I’m a 14-year-old Secondary School student. My family aren’t rich, but we are staying in a 4-room HDB flat. Even though I’m 14, I understand the things that are happening.

A little about my current family position. My mother has cancer and she has to go for check-ups regularly.

Early last month, about 8 hours after my mother had left for a checkup at Singapore General Hospital, I went with my father. It was 11pm then, and we both were worried about her. There was no reason for a checkup to be this long. So we went, but we didn’t know which block she was at. I called her by phone.

Turns out that she was at the emergency block, Block 1.

A little of a back-story. A doctor who removed the tumor in her right lung claimed there was no need for chemotherapy. However, she still complained of pain in her right chest. It turned out that the cancer cells had already infected her lymph nodes and it wasn’t detected then. Now it’s too late though. The cancer cells are slowly eating her life away.

Now that when I recall this incident, I feel disgust and hate towards this medical standard. Is this acceptable? Why should a check-up, in the EMERGENCY block, end up being 8 hours long?! How on earth did that doctor think that chemotherapy was not necessary? I had no idea what happened. By the time my mother had received the report and we reached home, it was almost 2am. I missed school the next day as I was too fatigued.

What is the government doing? Did they even CHECK? Where’s our money going?!

Obviously that greedy geezer and the famiLEE.

This really angers me. My mother also has very little money left in her bank. She cannot go to work, and now I’m also trying to save as much as I can so she doesn’t have to give me too much allowance everyday. GIRO doesn’t help much either. Luckily, my now married sister and brother, who have their own families, are helping. But that doesn’t even amount to much. It’s still a hard road to walk, but walk it we must.

Other than this beyond disappointing medical incident, I also have a school life. It’s not very enjoyable either.

MRT, public buses. I’m sure everyone knows that it’s crowded as heck, and my gigantic monster of a school bag doesn’t help either. Going my car isn’t any better. The road is congested as hell in the morning. In the afternoon, it’s better. But I occasionally have a couple of PRs sitting in the seat before me, talking loudly non-stop. Even the earpieces blasting my ears to deaf doesn’t help.

In school, sometimes we have CME or PG lessons and the teacher gives the class a worksheet which sings praises about what PAP has done for the people. One I recall from memory, was roughly,

“Every time I see old folks gathering recyclables from a garbage can on the street, my heart laments for them. The people these days are lacking filial piety…” …. “…I am glad that the government is helping the needy with assistance schemes. The government is doing a good job.”

Obviously there is something very wrong there. I thought to myself, ‘if the government is doing a good job, then why are these old folks gathering and selling recyclables?’ I asked the teacher so, but he just shrugged and replied that he doesn’t know why.

He’s probably another brainwashed PAP dog, that’s why.

Also, 4 china students transfered into my class during the past month. They are always getting the praises and 1st place for tests/exams. They are leeching the motivation out of everyone. No one really mixes with them. The whole class might as well be a class for PRs instead! I cannot really express myself too well with words, but every time I see them, I can’t help but hate their attitude. I know not all of them are bad, but with all these incidents like then acting all big and mighty, or talking loud and sometimes insulting us behind our back loudly, really left this impression on me.

The government loves them too. They bring money with them. They are also cheaper, faster, better. The way I see it, they are cheaters, liars, asses. Again, I know not all of them are bad. I am referring to the ones that really gives the impression. I have seen it too many times. It’s easy to tell.

I also sometimes worry about my future if I were to continue to stay in Singapore. No doubt the population density would get really dense, and at some point, buying a house would blow a million dollars. Everything sucks you dry. So therefore I arrived with this conclusion. If nothing is done right to change is broken system, then I’m moving to another country. Living here is as good as being in a lifetime debt to the government, and that is the same as being on a leash.
I feel so much rage for this greedy government. Leeching our money, which they then throw them in a well praying a genie would come out. I vow, if PAP is still not voted out after the next election, then goodbye, Singapore, I’m moving onto another country once I am able to stand on my own.

By the by, there’s more mind control worksheets I’ve done.

“Do you feel proud to be a Singaporean? If so, why?”
No. The government is ignorant and greedy, that’s why.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I feel better getting these off my chest. You may do whatever you wish with this.



Kristine Tan


source: http://www.temasekreview.com