UPDATE: Dr Ong Seh Hong, in a letter to Channel NewsAsia, explained the circumstances under which he received the $60,000 loan from Ren Ci:
“I was an employee of GIC in 1999. I was offered by Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre to be Director, Medical & Paramedical Services in January 2000.
“However to leave GIC, I had to pay S$560,000 to settle my outstanding staff housing loan. I agreed to join Ren Ci on condition that I received a loan of S$60,000, to pay off in part the amount of S$560,000 and I paid the remaining S$500,000 from bank loan.
“When I borrowed the sum of S$60,000 from Ren Ci, I was not an MP. It was lent to me as staff, and was part of the terms on which I agreed to join Ren Ci. I have since repaid the sum fully.”
The court on Thursday heard that Ming Yi had approved several loans to various staff. Among them, was Dr Ong Seh Hong who is currently the community hospital’s chief operating officer and clinical director of Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre.
Dr Ong is also a Member of Parliament for Marine Parade GRC.
When contacted by Channel NewsAsia, the MP said he is unable to comment as the trial is still ongoing.
Testifying in court, Ren Ci’s former human resource manager, Joyce Teng Lee Foong, said the staff loan was made to Dr Ong when he first joined the hospital in 2000. The S$60,000 loan is understood to be the largest sum approved by Ming Yi. It is not known whether the loan has been repaid.
See full story at CNA
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I think we need to know more details about the loan which OSH took from Ren Ci:
1. Was the loan offered by Ming Yi without being requested by OSH, or was it demanded by OSH?
2. What is the interest rate charged?
3. Was OSH a member of the Board that approved the loan to himself?
4. Was there any written contract on this loan, and if so, what is the arrangement for the loan to be re-paid back?
5. What collateral did OSH provide to Ren Ci in order secure the loan?
#73 (lobo76)
The question was NOT whether he repaid those loans, it is WHEN that was done. I hope you have pass your comprehension tests in school becos it seems like you are abit lost leh.
This episode also raise eyebrows on GIC’s employee benefit scheme.
I learned my lessons painfully afte the NKF saga and no I say to me-self
No NKF, No Ren Ci since then ……better give direct to the blind and handicapped @ MRT stations, they provide MUSIC & Songs – worth listeninf & donating….save admin/tax etc. for those crooked CEOs?
Do Rai Me Ren Ci ………..i
>>News also say hor, borrow from loanshark may be crime soon leh ……
i tot bank r no different from loanshark if not worse they even take away ur house & its legal
i hope next time my children grow up can work in gic.
can be dr.
can be a mp.
can have no money problem.
Since Ah Loong took over as PM (even with his dad around), there are shit loads of attitudes problems with the Ministers & MP’s.
It’s worst than Goh or LKY as PM.
PM Lee can’t manage the country, no leadership quality. He can’t set examples for others to follow. When ever negative news on his ministers or MP’s, he always vanished without fail.
MM Lee made a Grave Mistake by allowing his son to PM. PM Lee is Not even an elected PM. He became PM through the back door.
LHL IS A JOKE TO BE A S’PORE PM.
When with dad is not around…….. Ah Loong will be in shit.
Another that surprised me was the revelation that Ong was heading Ren CI BEFORE he became an MP. Given the mismanagement that is being revealed at Ren CI and this loan scandal, I cant help but wonder how PAP selects its members. I think he is not competent enough for the job and not morally wise enough to understand the implications of borrowing from a charitable organization for his personal reasons.
108) tom on April 18th, 2009 12.07 am
like wife like husband, fail flop failures same same sama sama.. without oldman going to get even worst
Which is a more grievious crime? Chee SJ’s few dollars taxi fare or Ong SH’s $60K from charity funds?
PAP needs to clean the filth in its own backyard first !
What a “A” Team !
Under LKY, his bunch of followers can be controlled. Now that he is aged and cannot constantly watch over them, some have started to stray.
In all regimes in history, when the ruler fades away, generals become warlords, each trying to grab a share of the spoils, the Eunuchs become greedy and court officials become corrupted.
History always repeat itself.
The little tiger said to his master, “I am hungry, I need meat” So the master goes and feed the tiger. In return the tiger does his work for his master, killing his enemies and guarding his home.
The master is a feared figure. Because the Tiger was so good, the master says, “I must feed the tiger more and the best, or else the Tiger will become corrupted”.
The tiger gladly accepted more food and better meat. The tiger grew and grew…
And the master took more food from the villages… saying…. “Our tiger is the best and cleanest and uncorrupted tiger in the word… It will never go to the village to eat your chicken and sheep.”
Growl the tiger, “Yes, I am clean, uncorrupted and efficient, FEED ME MORE…”
Soon, the master could no longer justify feeding the Tiger “Millions of chickens and ducks and sheep.”
Tiger started going astray… Tiger went to the villages and demanded that they hand over their chickens, ducks, sheep. When that was no longer enough, tiger demanded that those Humans be handed over to it…
Because Tiger was hungry.
Master found out about Tiger’s deeds. Reprimanded Tiger… But Tiger told the Master, I am very hungry, “Let me eat you”.
The masters better get a grip on their “tigers’. No amount of food was sate their desire if they are Tigers to begin with… No amount of high pay will do, if they are attracted by high pay in the first place.
Hmm… he had joined Ren Ci on condition that he received the loan of S$60,000. So he had joined Ren Ci not because of his commitment and beliefs in charity work but because he is in dire need for the money!
actually this is what i think. he is a petty person, so he thought he maybe getting an interest free loan without any repercussion.
with his pay and benefits plus MP allowance, what is $60,000? really? now this action of his is going to haunt him.
i think some parliamentary observer also saw him sticking his gum on the bench. so i wonder if this is a personality problem?
Tiger story is a great analogy…but you should have changed the stoty of the tiger to a leopard instead cos like what they say ” A leopard can never change its spots”…no matter what amount of salary they draw.
I am sure you wun see this mp next election…. anyone want to have a bet with me??
If I ask $60K loan from my company, my boss will ask me go fly kite. Bloody stupid fake monk and his bunch of kakis. The fake monk shouldn’t be wearing the robe cos he don’t understand buddhist teaching at all. Real monk don’t get salary, fake monk does.
I wonder is it morally correct for PAP MP Dr Ong Seh Hong to accept the $60,000 loan from a charity funded hospital?
#71) tew ah seow on April 17th, 2009 11.56 am To Laura Chew,
’10.7% is alot. Dr Chee claimed taxi fare extra $2 , he was sacked by NUS. $2 only imagine is corruption, not to mention $60k.’
…………………………………………………………
To the PAP, Dr Chee cheated the govt of $2. This is against the law whereas Dr Ong only borrowed $60K. Borrowing from the employer is not against the law although it may be against one’s conscience.
Dr Chee has no foresight. He didn’t remove all his skeletons from the closet before taking on the PAP. When the PAP passed the bill creating the GRCs and limiting SMCs to a minimum of 8, the PAP will not allow more than ten opposition members into parliament or else they will fix them up and get rid of them especially the troublesome people like Chee. I believe many potential opposition candidates have learnt from his mistakes.
71) tew ah seow on April 17th, 2009 11.56 am To Laura Chew,
10.7% is alot. Dr Chee claimed taxi fare extra $2 , he was sacked by NUS. $2 only imagine is corruption, not to mention $60k.
Chee in the wrong party, actually Chee is smart. Too bad
The whole nation is getting very very corrupted now, see no point to carry on living here anymore. Hope the opp parties and the citizens can do something about it to save the country before the whole nation collapse. Now you can clearly see that the law here is only made to protect one party and not the country anymore.
It’s PAP no need to ask why and find out why or show the proof and reasons !
It’s built on trust, you commoners MUST trust our words,
Just go about your work and pay you taxes on time, next time don’t ask too many questions, you know the answer already… It’s an honest mistake, let move on.
I am speechless. I mean, if I were to borrow, I will probably borrow from banks not a from a charity.
Read in papers that the monk has 9 credit cards. Why in the world he needs so many credit card is anybody’s guess. You cannot judge a monk by his frock, so they say.
Just like you cannot judge a government by what it says or how much it is paid. Pay them millions, which govt says will keep the MPs clean, and still get monkeys like this fellow.
#125…well he did said “we are living in a modern world”. He should gone all the way…get his yellow robe custom made by Gucci, Prada…etc with Sworoski diamonds…etc
“PM Lee is Not even an elected PM. He became PM through the back door.”
Dio hor, you no say I also cannot remember lor. I tot the Parliment MUST BE ELECTED lor, then hor, hos liz joker become the PM har?
PM is appointed by the roti prata pres meh?
Lawyers? Anyone?
#122) tiredsingaporean
‘ Now you can clearly see that the law here is only made to protect one party and not the country anymore.’
……………………………………………………..
Sometime ago, a PAP leader wanted to pass a bill prohibiting private investigators from checking on MPs. NCMP Sylvia Lim argued against the bill in parliament. It is common sense who they want to protect.
Why the bill killed? What happened to the bill? This is a bad law. Can anyone enlighten the readers here?
I wonder is it true and legal that Charities, where its said they lack funding like probably most of the times (constant asking for money from public), are suppose to give Loans? If so, I want to apply. But what is the interest chargeable? Is it based on equality? I assume so if the above assumption is true. If a charity can give loans, should it pay business tax to the country?
And why borrow from charities when there are so many banks to choose from? hmmmmmmmmm.
pork n pork
128) Edward on April 20th, 2009 12.36 am #122) tiredsingaporean
Sometime ago, a PAP leader wanted to pass a bill prohibiting private investigators from checking on MPs. NCMP Sylvia Lim argued against the bill in parliament. It is common sense who they want to protect.
Of course Ed, if they allow private investigators to check on MPs, later on it will lead to who we all know, right?
This must be embarrassing for the government.
As Chinese Saying Money can even motivated the Ghost!
So is he motivated by Gold, Goodness or God? Think Goodness is impt, cause Ren Ci is an organisation using public money to help the sick and poor.
No one accused him corrupted!
testing
hey. Dr Ong made a big sacrifice in order to serve in Ren Ci. He had to settle $560k loan in order to serve in the hospital, ok?
but,but, why would he quit a job with half-a-million dollar finaicial obligation? not if he’s digging a bigger pond elsewhere.
the truth is out there. and I want to believe.