The ex-chief of Ren Ci Hospital revealed today that he owns three properties in upscale districts and owned a BMW in Menbourne, Australia as recently as two years ago.

According to Chinese evening daily Lianhe Wanbao, Ming Yi’s response to an earlier question about his lavish lifestyle was, “While helping others, I have to take care of myself as well.”

The monk, 47, is facing four charges for making an unauthorised loan from Ren Ci’s coffers to his ex-personal aide Raymond Yeung in 2004. Yeung faces two charges related to the same case.

When Ming Yi broke down several times as he took the stand today, Wanbao reported. He told the court how he became a monk, how be became abbot of Foo Hai Ch’an monastery and how he set up Ren Ci.

The court proceedings also revealed that the monk has three properties under his name. The properties are located in upscale areas at Orchard, Stevens Road and Holland Road.

According the Wanbao report, the properties were purchased with the help of a wealthy woman from Brunei as well as contributions from devotees. Ming Yi also revealed in court that he lived in one of these properties with other monks when the Foo Hai Ch’an monastery was under construction.

He also told the court that he is one of the listed owners of three other properties, including The Cornwall, a condominium at Holland Road. These properties were purchased using Foo Hai Ch’an monastery’s money and were meant to be investments, Wanbao reported.

The monk also stressed that none of Ren Ci’s money was used in the purchase of all the properties.

Lianhe Wanbao also reported that Ming Yi once owned a BMW which he purchased in Melbourne, Australia.
Ming Yi told auditors in December 2007 that the payments made on his credit card to BMW were not for car parts as previously claimed, but for the purchase of a car. The payments were all made in Melbourne.

But when the auditors questioned him on how he could arrange to pay for a car by credit card, Ming Yi changed his statement, saying that he forgot which car parts were purchased at that time.

The monk also added that the BMW in question was sold in 2007, and that the car belongs to him. His then personal assistant Raymond Yeung, owns a second-hand car, which was subsequently sold.

http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne…21-136618.html

While some funds do trickle down to those that need it (per the original intent of the funds), it is totally unacceptible that the few that has been entrusted with custodial functions are more focussed on accumulating personal wealth.

“If I ever leave Singapore one day, it would not be because of the government. It’d be because of how exceedingly stupid its people are.”

Looks like this writer needs to visit IMH and stay there for a couple of weeks to stabilise emotion and frustrations. Leaving Singapore would be doing Singaporeans a big favour though.

Either you are not coming to terms with this fact or you simply freak out over this incident.

:)

Hahahahahaha…

Man… always a disappointment.
They love to play god when Buddha plays man.

Human rights. Yeah yeah…

Well, if you like to claim credit for all the good that happens here whether directly or indirectly. Naturally, when bad happens, you should know where the finger will be pointed at, again whether directly or indirectly.

Remember the following : -

“” This could happen if voters became bored and decided to give the ‘vociferous opposition’ a chance – out of ‘light-heartedness, fickleness or sheer madness’.

‘In five years, you can ruin this place and it’s very difficult to pick up the pieces,’ he told 650 participants of a dinner forum at the Shangri-La Hotel. “”

http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_251688.html

It’s going to set a very bad and dangerous precedent in my own naive view. Occupation in serveral sector should be promoted with enthusiasm, pride and patriotism and not monetary rewards. Top civil services, teaching, social servicies, uniform group,legal, medical services etc. should never be associated with monetary returns.

Imagine that all the above and many more professional are all now attracted financially, who would be serving the country with patriotism, who would teach for love, who would do social works for that little return, who would want to protect the country one day when opportunities and payroll in private sector are more lucrative, who wants to be a judge when you can be a top QC charging top $, which doctor would treat the poor??????

This place is one of the world most liveable place in my view, if you can afford the luxury… cause everyone talks about money. We seen so many religious leader cant even resist the temptation!!!!

This good government in its attempt to bring Singaporean to the First World have made many of us lost our love, enthusiasm and passion for our work..

Well Done! You have all proven yourselves to be so very credible, when one day you have actually real proof against the government. You would have lots of other like-minded fools who will agree with you anyway. :)

I do not write well. But I recommend this post.

http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.com/2007/09/before-i-die.html

Yes, for all purpose, CPF has nothing to do with GIC / Temasek losses with Suchou, Citibank and UBS. I really don’t know.

Then again, how do you know if the govt will not tell us? And pointedly tells us that they will not give an account to the citizens – or 1) we will clamour for more returns for CPF 2) Be angry at the losses.

Suck thumb.

Surely, many people can/cannot meet the desired Minimum Sum because of many varied reasons BUT this has nothing to do with GIC/Temasek making profit or losses.

There is no control over the amount of money that can be raised. Some organisations raised more money than is needed by their beneficiaries. It got out of hand.

Excessive funds have to be managed prudently. The governance structure of charities does not allow control to be handled efficiently.

I wish to suggest some immediate practical mesures:

1. Set a limit on the funds that can be raised yearly by each charity. It should meet their operating needs, which is measured by the number of beneficiaries, and a small reserve for the future. They should not be allowed to raise more money.

2. The funds raised by the charity should be managed by an independent trust company, and not be the charity.

Schools should not be allowed to get their students to raise funds for these charities. They can only raise funds for the school. Some teachers have complained that fund raising is adding a further burden to their teaching load.

Doublejeopardy is so right when he states, “let’s face it, some people have earn the rights to call others liars, cheaters or even psychopaths if they choose to. likewise, even in religious institutions, sheeps are taught not to touch ‘god’s anointed’. why? because they are special mah.”

He ended with, “and the moral of the story? if you don’t have money and screw around, you may contract fatal chicken diseases . but if you are rich, virgins are for
your picking and at your death bed, many shall sing your praises!”

A very sexual example . . . So sad but so bloody true!

So the poor shall be celibate and the rich celebrates!

Some are even led to believe that corruption is good. “Yes, there was corruption. Yes, he gave favours to his family and his friends. But there was real growth and real progress. I think the people of Indonesia are lucky.” . . . “I feel sad to see a very old friend with whom I had worked closely over the last 30 years, not really getting the honours that he deserves. He deserves recognition for what he did.” So said MM Lee of ex-President Suharto of Indonesia.

Doublejeopardy wrote: “and at your death bed, many shall sing your praises!” How apt!

Thanks again Andrew for this piece and thanks to doublejeopardy for lightening me up with the above.

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Great men are almost always bad men.”
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton (1834–1902)

feedmetothefish

If the whole Board is embarrassed and shameful, they should all step down immediately and reconstitute a brand new one (like the previous hugh fiasco).

But before that, for accountability sake (even though asssuming they are non-paid volunteers, I’m not sure, anyone can verify on this)and for organisation decency, THEY SHOULD APOLOGISE, perhaps not for wrong doing, if any, BUT FOR NON-FULFILMENT OF DOING A PROPER JOB, THUS ALLOWING THINGS to happen such.

Reflecting on this – how can anyone have full confidence and trust in all of our nation’s institutional/commercial Management Boards???? (sounds more like cup-Boards, ironing Boards, wash-Boards!!!!)

The Ren Ci chairman’s startling revelation about loans being extended to other parties was evidence of flawed management of donors’ well-meaning intention. To effect a thorough house cleaning, the roots of the problem must be extricated.

There is no doubt that the whole system is flawed right from the begiining when the chairman confessed that “more transparency and accountability will be practised.”

Lets not be myopic. The entire management is in fact liable for this by-product.