Before more people misunderstood "KVETCH" as a person name, perhaps I should explain the meaning a little.
Kvetch actaully meant to complain and whine. This blog named "Kvetch Haven" so that I can complain a little, whine a little about life. Of course, this blog will not be solely on constant whinning and complain.
NKF Saga: Court Case Day 2
whispered @ Wednesday, July 13, 2005 by stardusz
Note: The case, a 10-day trial, was cut short after NKF decided to withdraw its defamation suit against SPH. The lawsuit was filed after SPH senior reporter, Susan Leong wrote and published an article on 19 Apr 2004 regarding the "pricey bathroom fittings in Mr Durai's office suite". Four days after the article was published, NKF and Mr Durai sued SPH and Ms Susan Leong saying that the article was defamatory.
Personal note: Seriously, if that article is so damaging, why was the lawsuit dropped when it was only the 2nd hearing on 12th Jul 2005? What's up NKF and Mr Durai's sleeve? Are there some darker secrets that NKF and Mr Durai feared the public, that is us, to know when Lawyer Davinder Singh probed further?
Will T.T. Durai make a public speech soon to explain for himself and NKF on several issues as below:
- Why the case was drop?
- Why did they boost the number of patients that they have with them (actual figure: 2000, reported figure: 3000)
- Will the donations by the public be made transparent, so that we, the public will be made known where our HARD EARNED money goes to.
T.T. Durai: Error in patient numbers not so material at that point
[Extracted from The Straits Times on 13 July 2005]
THE National Kidney Foundation claimed that it had 3,000 patients. But did it have only 2,000?
And if the right number was 2,000, why was the record not set straight so the public would know how many sick people needed help?
In a letter published in The Straits Times Forum Page on April 9 last year, Dr Gerard Chuah, chairman of the NKF Children's Medical Fund, said 3,000 dialysis patients were saved every year.
Senior Counsel Davinder Singh took NKF chief executive T.T. Durai to task yesterday for not correcting the figure.
Mr Durai admitted it was a mistake, but insisted there had been no intention to deceive the public. Here is an excerpt of their exchange.
Davinder Singh: You knew it was an error?
T.T. Durai: Yes.
Davinder Singh: Did you correct it?
T.T. Durai: No, I did not correct.
Davinder Singh: You accept it was your responsibility to correct it?
T.T. Durai: Yes.
Davinder Singh: Why did you not?
T.T. Durai: I thought it was not something which was so material at that point. I went on the basis the public supported us on the basis of our comprehensive programme.
Questioned further, he admitted it was material for the public to know how many patients the NKF served.
Davinder Singh: Therefore, there is a tremendous responsibility on the part of NKF and you to be precise, because everything that you say is designed to and has an effect on the decision-making process of the donor, right?
T.T. Durai: Yes.
Davinder Singh: If your object is to go out and get as much funds as possible, then clearly it is in your interests to demonstrate a great need for those funds, right?
T.T. Durai: Yes.
Davinder Singh: To demonstrate a great need of those funds, you would want to play up certain facts or certain figures, right?
T.T. Durai: Not play up, state those figures.
Davinder Singh: State those figures. One of those figures that is relevant is the patient numbers?
T.T. Durai: Yes.
Davinder Singh: So you knew all along, and you continued to know that patient numbers have an impact on the donor?
T.T. Durai: It's one of the considerations, yes.
Davinder Singh: Why, then, if you knew that, and if you knew that it was misleading or inaccurate, and you knew that you have a responsibility to set it right, why did you not set it right?
T.T. Durai: Being in fundraising for a long time, we are of the view... I am of the view that people give money for the credibility of the organisation, for the number of programmes we run and (the number of patients) is just one of the considerations. It was not so material at that point of time.
Davinder Singh: We have passed that point.
T.T. Durai: That is the way I view it.
Davinder Singh: We have passed that point because you have accepted that it is one of the factors that the donor will have regard to.
T.T. Durai: Yes.
Davinder Singh: So stick with that. My question is ... why did you not correct the error?
T.T. Durai: I did not think it was of that major importance to correct the error.
Counsel then pointed out that by citing the figure 3,000 in his Forum letter, Dr Chuah had overstated the number of patients by almost 1,000.
Taking the figure of $2,600 that NKF says it spends on each patient, it gave the impression that it needed $31.2 million a year for those non-existent patients.
Davinder Singh: By overstating that number by 1,000, you have given the public the impression that you are in need of $30-over million when that is not true?
T.T. Durai: In a way, yes.
Davinder Singh: In a way. You see, one is either pregnant or one is not...
T.T. Durai: No, it was an error.
Davinder Singh: Is it false or is it true?
T.T. Durai: It is not correct, yes.
Davinder Singh: Another false statement, right?
T.T. Durai: It was not done intentionally.
Mr Durai said he accepted that it was false, but it not done deliberately. Counsel then asked again why he did not correct the error.
T.T. Durai: It was an oversight. I did not think it was material at that point of time, so I did not act on it. I had no intention to deceive.
Davinder Singh: How could that be an oversight?
T.T. Durai: Because insofar as I am concerned, the donor gives us money for a number of reasons and they give us money because the brand of the NKF... and I did not think it was so important at that point of time to correct this error. That is the way I felt.
Davinder Singh: If it was for the brand of the NKF, why bother to state patient numbers? The brand would do the selling. Right? Obviously the patient numbers add a gloss, are a selling point?
T.T. Durai: One of the selling points.
Davinder Singh: How could it be an oversight?
T.T. Durai: I had no intention otherwise. That is the truth.
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