The Great Singaporean Expat Exodus
If you know a lot of expats based in Singapore, you would also have noted something else: a lot of them are leaving.
Over the years, my wife and I have come to know many people in Singapore's expat community. We are fortunate to have built up friendships with people from all over the world. However, my wife now seems to have a most regular and discomfiting duty to pay attention to: saying goodbye to our friends - for many of them are leaving.
There was always a low level of turnover among the expats, in that some would come to the end of their terms here, and move on. In recent months, however, there seems to be a great upsurge in departures. Companies are simply deciding that they no longer need, or can no longer afford operations in Singapore and are relocating - or firing - their staff. Hence, the expat exodus, with so many leaving the country, often unwillingly (since they have come to like it, for various reasons.)
Another common situation, these days is the company expense cutting ultimatum. It goes a little bit like this: either you accept a local salary package (in contrast to the expat package they are presently on), or you have to go somewhere else (relocate to a different country of operation), or leave the company. The problem with this kind of ultimatum is that they can't afford the international schools for their children and the rent on their homes, on a local package. It is equivalent to telling them, directly, that they must leave Singapore - because the alternative is not workable, for them. Thus, they generally up and leave.
What is usual with these departing expats is that they are highly skilled. Companies are getting rid of good people, because these good people are well paid, to cut their operating costs in difficult times. It seems to me, however, that they are weakening themselves in so doing. The skills of these staff are not being replaced.
Singapore is now the tenth most expensive city on Earth to live in. This information, combined with the upsurge in expat departures amongst our social circle, makes me wonder if Singapore is making itself too expensive to be internationally competitive. If companies can do business just as readily, elsewhere, for less, then they will relocate operations. Singapore will lose jobs and revenues if this happens. It seems on the evidence of what we see among those we know, that this is already happening. Even if companies don't completely pull out of Singapore, they do seem to be downsizing operations. That is, of course, just a first step to giving up operations altogether.
Were Singapore not the tenth most expensive place to live in the world - were it, for instance, the fiftieth or one hundredth most expensive place to live - then I don't think any of this downsizing and relocation would be occurring. (For comparison's sake, London is presently the 27th most expensive city in the world to live in. Singapore is considerably more expensive, now, than London.)
Personally, I don't think becoming one of the most expensive places to live in the world, is a sign of success. To me, it is a sign that something is going wrong. Many companies seem to think so, too...so they are relocating their staff.
As long as Singapore remains expensive to live in and expensive to do business, this expat exodus will continue. I wonder how long it will be, before the powers-that-be, notice that their economy is weakening, as a result of this talent flight? The big question, for me, is whether they will do anything about it. Or even, whether there is anything they can do about it. We will see. In the meantime, my wife and I have more goodbyes to attend to.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27428.1
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Tang Shang Jun criticises TOC for use of “divisive labels” in article
Tang Shang Jun criticises TOC for use of “divisive labels” in article
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Dear Sir,
I refer to the report: “TOC Report: 150 call for vote of no confidence” by Choo Zheng Xi.
I write this letter in response to two objections I have about what the author of the article wrote. :
1) Christian Fundamentalism
Firstly, I object to the pigeonholing of AWARE ex-co members as “Christian Fundamentalists”, a term which the author employs in his article. After quoting a statement by Angela Thiang about her stance against homosexuals, Mr Choo then makes the logical leap (and a huge one that is) in the very next line to conclude that AWARE is now run by a group of “Christian Fundamentalists.”
I take issue with making this huge leap because (i) nowhere in the article is there suggestion or evidence that the ex-co is now Christian fundamentalist, (ii) an anti-homosexual stance does not equate to Christian fundamentalism.
True, Jenice Chua and Angela Thiang had both previously attracted attention for their anti-homosexual stance. But is that evidence of Christian fundamentalism? Is that a good ground for labelling them as such? How is the Author sure that they are Christians in the first place? And even if they are Christians, why must they be pigeonholed as being “fundamentalist” as opposed to “misguided” or “uninformed Christians” or “Christians who may not be totally familiar with Christ’s teachings as a whole.”
Attaching the “fundamentalist” label on them just results in tarring public perception of their reputation because “fundamentalist” as a term carries with it a negative connotation. A glance through some of the comments on TOC using the search function to look for the term “fundamentalist” would perhaps make this point of mine much clearer.
Mr Choo needs to be more aware of the implications of using certain terms before using them loosely as he has done.
2) Christianity and Regressiveness
The second grouse I have is Mr Choo’s quoting of the Glass Castle Magazine’s editor, Jolene, whose view is that Christian fundamentalism leads to effects that are “regressive to women’s rights.”
Firstly, I think that there must be more justification on Mr Choo’s part first to show why Christian fundamentalism leads to a regression in terms of women’s rights. Simply putting a quote there will not do. Again, we see here a large logical leap that it unjustified. It seems as though the Author has made the erroneous assumption that Christianity is against women having rights or worse, that Christianity leads to a diminution of women’s rights – both of these are untrue.
Many questions follow from his quoting of Jolene’s views:
- What is the Christian stance on women’s rights?
- Does it in the first place negatively affect women’s rights or does it promote women’s rights?
- Is Mr Choo even aware of how Christianity views the issue of women’s rights? If he does not, is he therefore justified in making such an equation between Christianity and regression of women’s rights?
One perspective that I hope Mr Choo will consider is that Christianity holds women in high regard. The Bible affirms that women are equally valued, equally treated and share the same divine image of men. Husbands are to love and honour their wives just as they love themselves. Let it also not be forgotten that the Biblical accounts of Christ’s resurrection sees women as the first ones at the empty tomb.
From this and from other articles on the TOC website, it seems to me that TOC is trying to side with the old committee of AWARE. Based on what Mr Choo wrote and based on the lack of evidence, it seems very contrived for him to try and link the new committee to anti-homosexual and “Christian fundamentalist” stances, both of which are deeply dividing terminologies.
Concluding, I wish to urge against the use of such divisive labels such as “fundamentalist” as it is unhelpful in promoting civil discourse. Even if one believes bona fide that someone is a “fundamentalist,” perhaps there are other less offensive terms that can and should be used.
Yours Sincerely,
Tang Shang Jun
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27358.1
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Dear Sir,
I refer to the report: “TOC Report: 150 call for vote of no confidence” by Choo Zheng Xi.
I write this letter in response to two objections I have about what the author of the article wrote. :
1) Christian Fundamentalism
Firstly, I object to the pigeonholing of AWARE ex-co members as “Christian Fundamentalists”, a term which the author employs in his article. After quoting a statement by Angela Thiang about her stance against homosexuals, Mr Choo then makes the logical leap (and a huge one that is) in the very next line to conclude that AWARE is now run by a group of “Christian Fundamentalists.”
I take issue with making this huge leap because (i) nowhere in the article is there suggestion or evidence that the ex-co is now Christian fundamentalist, (ii) an anti-homosexual stance does not equate to Christian fundamentalism.
True, Jenice Chua and Angela Thiang had both previously attracted attention for their anti-homosexual stance. But is that evidence of Christian fundamentalism? Is that a good ground for labelling them as such? How is the Author sure that they are Christians in the first place? And even if they are Christians, why must they be pigeonholed as being “fundamentalist” as opposed to “misguided” or “uninformed Christians” or “Christians who may not be totally familiar with Christ’s teachings as a whole.”
Attaching the “fundamentalist” label on them just results in tarring public perception of their reputation because “fundamentalist” as a term carries with it a negative connotation. A glance through some of the comments on TOC using the search function to look for the term “fundamentalist” would perhaps make this point of mine much clearer.
Mr Choo needs to be more aware of the implications of using certain terms before using them loosely as he has done.
2) Christianity and Regressiveness
The second grouse I have is Mr Choo’s quoting of the Glass Castle Magazine’s editor, Jolene, whose view is that Christian fundamentalism leads to effects that are “regressive to women’s rights.”
Firstly, I think that there must be more justification on Mr Choo’s part first to show why Christian fundamentalism leads to a regression in terms of women’s rights. Simply putting a quote there will not do. Again, we see here a large logical leap that it unjustified. It seems as though the Author has made the erroneous assumption that Christianity is against women having rights or worse, that Christianity leads to a diminution of women’s rights – both of these are untrue.
Many questions follow from his quoting of Jolene’s views:
- What is the Christian stance on women’s rights?
- Does it in the first place negatively affect women’s rights or does it promote women’s rights?
- Is Mr Choo even aware of how Christianity views the issue of women’s rights? If he does not, is he therefore justified in making such an equation between Christianity and regression of women’s rights?
One perspective that I hope Mr Choo will consider is that Christianity holds women in high regard. The Bible affirms that women are equally valued, equally treated and share the same divine image of men. Husbands are to love and honour their wives just as they love themselves. Let it also not be forgotten that the Biblical accounts of Christ’s resurrection sees women as the first ones at the empty tomb.
From this and from other articles on the TOC website, it seems to me that TOC is trying to side with the old committee of AWARE. Based on what Mr Choo wrote and based on the lack of evidence, it seems very contrived for him to try and link the new committee to anti-homosexual and “Christian fundamentalist” stances, both of which are deeply dividing terminologies.
Concluding, I wish to urge against the use of such divisive labels such as “fundamentalist” as it is unhelpful in promoting civil discourse. Even if one believes bona fide that someone is a “fundamentalist,” perhaps there are other less offensive terms that can and should be used.
Yours Sincerely,
Tang Shang Jun
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27358.1
3 hectic weeks
3 hectic weeks
April 19, 2009
MARCH 28
Aware’s annual general meeting draws an unexpectedly large number of people. Many are new members who joined in recent months. The old guard is shocked when the newcomers defeat more seasoned members to take nine out of 12 positions on the executive committee. The new president is Mrs Claire Nazar, elected unopposed after being nominated by outgoing president Constance Singam. Mrs Nazar nominated six newcomers who became exco members.
APRIL 8
Mrs Nazar resigns as president. No reasons are given. She confirms her exit but refuses to answer further queries from the media.
APRIL 14
The Aware old guard leads 160 members in calling for an extraordinary general meeting, possibly to table a vote of no confidence in the new exco. Longtime members say there are too many unanswered questions about the new women in charge, how they got together to seize power and what they intend to do with Aware.
APRIL 15
# The exco meets to pick a new president. Immediate past president Constance Singam attends but is asked to leave at the start. She is invited back later but walks out shortly. Exco member Caris Lim leaves three hours into the meeting, telling reporters she is disillusioned and disturbed by the proceedings. Ms Josie Lau is made president and makes brief comments to reporters but refuses to answer questions. Her employer, DBS Bank, immediately issues a statement saying it does not support her taking up the presidency and had told her so.
# The new Aware issues a statement announcing its new president and pledging to carry on the good work of the association and its founders.
APRIL 16
# Two-time Aware president and former Nominated Member of Parliament Braema Mathi is told by e-mail that she is no longer in charge of producing a key report on discrimination against women in Singapore.
# DBS Bank issues a second statement revealing that Ms Lau breached its staff code of conduct twice by not informing her bosses that she intended to stand for elections to the Aware exco, and defying advice not to take up the presidency. The sharply worded statement says DBS does not condone such conduct in a leader and will do an internal review.
APRIL 17
Aware president Josie Lau issues a statement emphasising that her exco members were all elected properly according to the association’s rules. She says she does not understand why her team has come in for criticism when they are ‘pro women, pro-family and pro-Singapore’. She questions the motives of the old guard in calling for an EOGM and asks if they harbour another agenda. Ms Lau cannot be reached to answer questions arising from the statement. Other Aware officials say Ms Lau is the only one who can speak about this.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27340.5
April 19, 2009
MARCH 28
Aware’s annual general meeting draws an unexpectedly large number of people. Many are new members who joined in recent months. The old guard is shocked when the newcomers defeat more seasoned members to take nine out of 12 positions on the executive committee. The new president is Mrs Claire Nazar, elected unopposed after being nominated by outgoing president Constance Singam. Mrs Nazar nominated six newcomers who became exco members.
APRIL 8
Mrs Nazar resigns as president. No reasons are given. She confirms her exit but refuses to answer further queries from the media.
APRIL 14
The Aware old guard leads 160 members in calling for an extraordinary general meeting, possibly to table a vote of no confidence in the new exco. Longtime members say there are too many unanswered questions about the new women in charge, how they got together to seize power and what they intend to do with Aware.
APRIL 15
# The exco meets to pick a new president. Immediate past president Constance Singam attends but is asked to leave at the start. She is invited back later but walks out shortly. Exco member Caris Lim leaves three hours into the meeting, telling reporters she is disillusioned and disturbed by the proceedings. Ms Josie Lau is made president and makes brief comments to reporters but refuses to answer questions. Her employer, DBS Bank, immediately issues a statement saying it does not support her taking up the presidency and had told her so.
# The new Aware issues a statement announcing its new president and pledging to carry on the good work of the association and its founders.
APRIL 16
# Two-time Aware president and former Nominated Member of Parliament Braema Mathi is told by e-mail that she is no longer in charge of producing a key report on discrimination against women in Singapore.
# DBS Bank issues a second statement revealing that Ms Lau breached its staff code of conduct twice by not informing her bosses that she intended to stand for elections to the Aware exco, and defying advice not to take up the presidency. The sharply worded statement says DBS does not condone such conduct in a leader and will do an internal review.
APRIL 17
Aware president Josie Lau issues a statement emphasising that her exco members were all elected properly according to the association’s rules. She says she does not understand why her team has come in for criticism when they are ‘pro women, pro-family and pro-Singapore’. She questions the motives of the old guard in calling for an EOGM and asks if they harbour another agenda. Ms Lau cannot be reached to answer questions arising from the statement. Other Aware officials say Ms Lau is the only one who can speak about this.
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27340.5
Some attend the same church
Some attend the same church
April 19, 2009
EVEN as the Aware saga continues to unfold, it appears that some of the newcomers in its leadership are familiar faces at the Anglican Church Of Our Saviour at Margaret Drive.
Aside from new Aware president Josie Lau and her husband Alan Chin, the others are believed to be Ms Charlotte Wong, Ms Irene Yee, Ms Jenica Chua, Ms Maureen Ong and Ms Sally Ang.
So far, the new Aware leaders have refused to answer questions about whether they knew each other before sweeping the elections three weeks ago.
According to a long-time friend, Dr Chin is related to former law dean Dr Thio Su Mien and her daughter, Nominated Member of Parliament Professor Thio Li-Ann.
When contacted, the NMP declined to answer any questions. Dr Chin did not respond to questions e-mailed to him.
But checks yesterday showed that Dr Thio Su Mien and her husband, Mr Thio Gim Hock, the chief executive officer of property investor Overseas Union Enterprise, attend the church and also hold regular faith-healing sessions at their home.
Senior pastor Derek Hong was not answering any questions about his church members or Aware yesterday.
Asked if any of the new Aware exco members attended his church, he replied: ‘No comment.’
Housed in a renovated former cinema near Commonwealth, the church has a congregation of about 4,000.
It takes a strong stand against homosexuality and states so on its website.
‘Homosexual practice is contrary to God’s Word. So we stand against that and the active and aggressive promotion of such behaviour,’ it states.
It believes homosexuals can change, and has a programme to counsel and help those who want to give up ‘homosexual thoughts, tendencies and practices’.
TAN DAWN WEI
Additional reporting by Jamie Ee
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27340.4
April 19, 2009
EVEN as the Aware saga continues to unfold, it appears that some of the newcomers in its leadership are familiar faces at the Anglican Church Of Our Saviour at Margaret Drive.
Aside from new Aware president Josie Lau and her husband Alan Chin, the others are believed to be Ms Charlotte Wong, Ms Irene Yee, Ms Jenica Chua, Ms Maureen Ong and Ms Sally Ang.
So far, the new Aware leaders have refused to answer questions about whether they knew each other before sweeping the elections three weeks ago.
According to a long-time friend, Dr Chin is related to former law dean Dr Thio Su Mien and her daughter, Nominated Member of Parliament Professor Thio Li-Ann.
When contacted, the NMP declined to answer any questions. Dr Chin did not respond to questions e-mailed to him.
But checks yesterday showed that Dr Thio Su Mien and her husband, Mr Thio Gim Hock, the chief executive officer of property investor Overseas Union Enterprise, attend the church and also hold regular faith-healing sessions at their home.
Senior pastor Derek Hong was not answering any questions about his church members or Aware yesterday.
Asked if any of the new Aware exco members attended his church, he replied: ‘No comment.’
Housed in a renovated former cinema near Commonwealth, the church has a congregation of about 4,000.
It takes a strong stand against homosexuality and states so on its website.
‘Homosexual practice is contrary to God’s Word. So we stand against that and the active and aggressive promotion of such behaviour,’ it states.
It believes homosexuals can change, and has a programme to counsel and help those who want to give up ‘homosexual thoughts, tendencies and practices’.
TAN DAWN WEI
Additional reporting by Jamie Ee
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27340.4
Sociable, chatty and a lover of good food
Sociable, chatty and a lover of good food
April 19, 2009
WHEN Ms Josie Lau Meng Lee has her wonton mee, she likes the noodles cooked in fresh, boiling water. If it is not done right, she sends it back.
That is how finicky the 48-year-old DBS vice- president and new Aware chief is about her food, said those who know her.
None of her colleagues and ex-colleagues who spoke to The Straits Times had heard her speak about involvement in volunteer work.
But they were well-acquainted with her gourmet and jetsetting lifestyle, cultivated in part by her work organising glamorous fashion, food and lifestyle events, and accompanying her doctor-husband to medical conferences overseas.
In previous interviews with this paper, Ms Lau said that she and her husband, Dr Alan Chin, had not missed a single World Gourmet Summit since its inception in 1997.
‘I live to eat, rather than eat to live,’ she said in a 2004 interview, adding that she attended seven Gourmet Summit events that year.
‘I’m the type who would rather go hungry than have terrible food,’ she said then. ‘I send things back to the kitchen if they’re not up to standard, even wonton noodles from hawker stalls.’
She was known to frequent upmarket eateries as well as hawker centres.
Friends describe the well-groomed mother of two teenagers as sociable and chatty. One long-time friend said she was a ‘complete opposite’ of her more serious husband.
Before joining DBS, Ms Lau rose through the ranks at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), where she spent 15 years, mostly marketing lifestyle events.
Her CV, released by Aware, said she was instrumental in developing high-profile events like the Singapore Food Festival, Great Singapore Sale and Singapore Fashion Festival.
A former colleague at the STB recalled another side of Ms Lau, saying she enjoyed listening to Christian music in her office.
She would also tell single colleagues that if they wanted to find a spouse, the best place to look was in church. And she would encourage them to attend.
As for areas she will be interested in in her new role, the Aware write-up said she was most concerned about work-life balance and the role of mothers as a stabilising factor in a family.
Ms Lau made brief comments to reporters after her appointment as president on Wednesday night, but has otherwise remained uncontactable.
She has not taken questions about herself or her plans for Aware, or DBS Bank’s public criticism of her for flouting bank rules by joining the Aware exco without its approval and defying her bosses’ advice against becoming president.
TAN DAWN WEI
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27340.3
April 19, 2009
WHEN Ms Josie Lau Meng Lee has her wonton mee, she likes the noodles cooked in fresh, boiling water. If it is not done right, she sends it back.
That is how finicky the 48-year-old DBS vice- president and new Aware chief is about her food, said those who know her.
None of her colleagues and ex-colleagues who spoke to The Straits Times had heard her speak about involvement in volunteer work.
But they were well-acquainted with her gourmet and jetsetting lifestyle, cultivated in part by her work organising glamorous fashion, food and lifestyle events, and accompanying her doctor-husband to medical conferences overseas.
In previous interviews with this paper, Ms Lau said that she and her husband, Dr Alan Chin, had not missed a single World Gourmet Summit since its inception in 1997.
‘I live to eat, rather than eat to live,’ she said in a 2004 interview, adding that she attended seven Gourmet Summit events that year.
‘I’m the type who would rather go hungry than have terrible food,’ she said then. ‘I send things back to the kitchen if they’re not up to standard, even wonton noodles from hawker stalls.’
She was known to frequent upmarket eateries as well as hawker centres.
Friends describe the well-groomed mother of two teenagers as sociable and chatty. One long-time friend said she was a ‘complete opposite’ of her more serious husband.
Before joining DBS, Ms Lau rose through the ranks at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), where she spent 15 years, mostly marketing lifestyle events.
Her CV, released by Aware, said she was instrumental in developing high-profile events like the Singapore Food Festival, Great Singapore Sale and Singapore Fashion Festival.
A former colleague at the STB recalled another side of Ms Lau, saying she enjoyed listening to Christian music in her office.
She would also tell single colleagues that if they wanted to find a spouse, the best place to look was in church. And she would encourage them to attend.
As for areas she will be interested in in her new role, the Aware write-up said she was most concerned about work-life balance and the role of mothers as a stabilising factor in a family.
Ms Lau made brief comments to reporters after her appointment as president on Wednesday night, but has otherwise remained uncontactable.
She has not taken questions about herself or her plans for Aware, or DBS Bank’s public criticism of her for flouting bank rules by joining the Aware exco without its approval and defying her bosses’ advice against becoming president.
TAN DAWN WEI
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27340.3
Quiet, devoted to religious activities
Quiet, devoted to religious activities
April 19, 2009
IF HIS wife is a livewire, he is the quiet one.
Friends say Dr Alan Chin Yew Liang, 51, has never been known to be the life of the party.
In fact, he stopped going to parties in recent years, preferring to devote his time to religious activities, said a longtime friend.
Dr Chin made his presence felt at the Aware AGM on March 28 even though he could not vote.
Aware has long accepted men as associate members and he joined recently. His wife joined in January this year.
Old guard members at the AGM said that he was one of the many unfamiliar new faces who turned up and, during the elections, he helped to count votes.
Later, when they checked to find out who he was, all they could find was that he had penned six letters to The Straits Times between May and August 2007 speaking out against the homosexual lifestyle, and citing the higher incidence of HIV cases among homosexuals.
In one letter, he said that homosexuals could change their sexual orientation.
He and his wife, Josie, have been attending the Anglican Church Of Our Saviour at Margaret Drive since 2001.
They were married in the 1980s at the Anglican St Andrew’s Cathedral, soon after he graduated from medical school at the National University of Singapore.
He and three classmates set up Lifeline Medical Group, which has since expanded to encompass nine general practitioner clinics and one aesthetic clinic.
Among the partners is well-known watch collector and horology expert Bernard Cheong, 51, who has known Dr Chin since they were first-year medical students.
‘He’s a nice guy, and he and Josie are a very loving couple. I would definitely want him as my doctor,’ Dr Cheong said with a hearty laugh.
When The Straits Times called him, Dr Chin declined to be interviewed, but asked to be contacted through his e-mail address.
He did not respond to questions nor subsequent messages.
But in an interview published in the Singapore Medical Association’s newsletter in January 2007, he described himself and his interests.
He said his parents had the biggest influence on his early life, and his father told him when he was in primary school that God gave him intelligence and he would succeed if he worked hard, he said in the same interview.
He said that he spent Sunday mornings going to church and spending time with his family, his favourite book was the Bible, and his favourite song was Faith by Jason Upton, an American Christian singer-songwriter.
He also let on some nuggets about himself: his biggest indulgence was buying a BMW Cabriolet and he thought everyone should watch The Lord Of The Rings because it was the ‘best show and trilogy ever!’.
The BMW Cabriolet has since given way to a Toyota MPV, a friend said.
In the same 2007 interview, when asked what he wanted to be remembered for, he said: a loving husband and father and a loyal friend.
dawntan@sph.com.sg
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27340.2
April 19, 2009
IF HIS wife is a livewire, he is the quiet one.
Friends say Dr Alan Chin Yew Liang, 51, has never been known to be the life of the party.
In fact, he stopped going to parties in recent years, preferring to devote his time to religious activities, said a longtime friend.
Dr Chin made his presence felt at the Aware AGM on March 28 even though he could not vote.
Aware has long accepted men as associate members and he joined recently. His wife joined in January this year.
Old guard members at the AGM said that he was one of the many unfamiliar new faces who turned up and, during the elections, he helped to count votes.
Later, when they checked to find out who he was, all they could find was that he had penned six letters to The Straits Times between May and August 2007 speaking out against the homosexual lifestyle, and citing the higher incidence of HIV cases among homosexuals.
In one letter, he said that homosexuals could change their sexual orientation.
He and his wife, Josie, have been attending the Anglican Church Of Our Saviour at Margaret Drive since 2001.
They were married in the 1980s at the Anglican St Andrew’s Cathedral, soon after he graduated from medical school at the National University of Singapore.
He and three classmates set up Lifeline Medical Group, which has since expanded to encompass nine general practitioner clinics and one aesthetic clinic.
Among the partners is well-known watch collector and horology expert Bernard Cheong, 51, who has known Dr Chin since they were first-year medical students.
‘He’s a nice guy, and he and Josie are a very loving couple. I would definitely want him as my doctor,’ Dr Cheong said with a hearty laugh.
When The Straits Times called him, Dr Chin declined to be interviewed, but asked to be contacted through his e-mail address.
He did not respond to questions nor subsequent messages.
But in an interview published in the Singapore Medical Association’s newsletter in January 2007, he described himself and his interests.
He said his parents had the biggest influence on his early life, and his father told him when he was in primary school that God gave him intelligence and he would succeed if he worked hard, he said in the same interview.
He said that he spent Sunday mornings going to church and spending time with his family, his favourite book was the Bible, and his favourite song was Faith by Jason Upton, an American Christian singer-songwriter.
He also let on some nuggets about himself: his biggest indulgence was buying a BMW Cabriolet and he thought everyone should watch The Lord Of The Rings because it was the ‘best show and trilogy ever!’.
The BMW Cabriolet has since given way to a Toyota MPV, a friend said.
In the same 2007 interview, when asked what he wanted to be remembered for, he said: a loving husband and father and a loyal friend.
dawntan@sph.com.sg
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27340.2
Bank’s public criticism of a senior officer sparks debate
Bank’s public criticism of a senior officer sparks debate
April 19, 2009
DBS Bank was not saying more yesterday about Ms Josie Lau, after it publicly rebuked her for taking on the top post at Aware despite being told not to.
Ms Lau, vice-president in its cards division, reported to work as usual yesterday.
She issued her first statement as Aware’s new president, but said nothing about the criticisms levelled at her by her employer on Wednesday and Thursday.
DBS had revealed that she disregarded its staff code not once but twice, first by not seeking approval before joining the Aware executive committee, and then by defying her employer’s advice against becoming president.
The bank’s action has drawn flak, with some taking issue with the fact that Ms Lau needed approval before taking up a voluntary position.
A female human resources executive at a multinational corporation here said: ‘DBS should be proud that someone from their company wants to take up this position.’
But others noted that Ms Lau flouted a rule staff should have known about.
A senior corporate affairs officer at a large Singapore-based company said that most top companies would have codes of conduct to deal with conflict-of-interest issues. ‘In this case, it seems that she was aware of it and yet chose to breach the bank’s code of conduct.’
Still, Mr Josh Goh, senior manager for corporate services at search firm The GMP Group, pointed out: ‘In most cases, this would have been kept a private issue.’
Asked why he thought DBS reacted the way it did, he said it could be because Aware is an influential group.
‘It seems there are serious concerns over whether she should take up such a major role. So they had to come out strongly,’ he said.
Others felt that DBS acted the way it did because it was unhappy at the prospect of being drawn unnecessarily into controversy.
Ms Lau’s team had been asked last year to identify a suitable charity to benefit from a DBS credit card fund-raising drive.
The bank chose Focus on the Family, and ran into protests from some customers upset that the charity and its American parent group took a strongly anti-homosexual line.
A banker with extensive consumer banking experience said: ‘Given that DBS only recently went through a fiasco when it chose the anti-gay Focus on the Family as the Christmas charity for its credit cards, they would understandably have been very worried about Josie taking a leadership role at Aware.
‘It’s easy to make the link from Josie to the DBS cards division and the Focus on the Family issue.’
So while the bank’s actions may strike some as excessive, she pointed out: ‘It wasn’t just any officer taking on any appointment.’
chanckr@sph.com.sg
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27340.1
April 19, 2009
DBS Bank was not saying more yesterday about Ms Josie Lau, after it publicly rebuked her for taking on the top post at Aware despite being told not to.
Ms Lau, vice-president in its cards division, reported to work as usual yesterday.
She issued her first statement as Aware’s new president, but said nothing about the criticisms levelled at her by her employer on Wednesday and Thursday.
DBS had revealed that she disregarded its staff code not once but twice, first by not seeking approval before joining the Aware executive committee, and then by defying her employer’s advice against becoming president.
The bank’s action has drawn flak, with some taking issue with the fact that Ms Lau needed approval before taking up a voluntary position.
A female human resources executive at a multinational corporation here said: ‘DBS should be proud that someone from their company wants to take up this position.’
But others noted that Ms Lau flouted a rule staff should have known about.
A senior corporate affairs officer at a large Singapore-based company said that most top companies would have codes of conduct to deal with conflict-of-interest issues. ‘In this case, it seems that she was aware of it and yet chose to breach the bank’s code of conduct.’
Still, Mr Josh Goh, senior manager for corporate services at search firm The GMP Group, pointed out: ‘In most cases, this would have been kept a private issue.’
Asked why he thought DBS reacted the way it did, he said it could be because Aware is an influential group.
‘It seems there are serious concerns over whether she should take up such a major role. So they had to come out strongly,’ he said.
Others felt that DBS acted the way it did because it was unhappy at the prospect of being drawn unnecessarily into controversy.
Ms Lau’s team had been asked last year to identify a suitable charity to benefit from a DBS credit card fund-raising drive.
The bank chose Focus on the Family, and ran into protests from some customers upset that the charity and its American parent group took a strongly anti-homosexual line.
A banker with extensive consumer banking experience said: ‘Given that DBS only recently went through a fiasco when it chose the anti-gay Focus on the Family as the Christmas charity for its credit cards, they would understandably have been very worried about Josie taking a leadership role at Aware.
‘It’s easy to make the link from Josie to the DBS cards division and the Focus on the Family issue.’
So while the bank’s actions may strike some as excessive, she pointed out: ‘It wasn’t just any officer taking on any appointment.’
chanckr@sph.com.sg
http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=27340.1
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