Published Monday, April 24, 2006 by Singapore Election |
Article from The New Democrat, you decide what's so defamatory.
Ministers went out their way to defend NKF even as people were unhappy over the organisation’s operations
In all the hand-wringing and breast-beating by the Government over the NKF issue, Singaporeans must not lose sight of one thing: Such a scandal is inevitable given the kind of secretive and non-accountable system, bred by the PAP.
The Government now tries to exonerate itself by playing the innocent and gullible party duped by greedy NKF officials.
It forgets that in April 2004, Minister Khaw Boon Wan had, in reaction to public unease about the NKF, sought to appease Singaporeans by telling them that the Ministry of Finance “would have reacted many years ago” if there was any breach of rules by the NKF. (See Channel News Asia report on right.)
At the same time the Second Minister for Finance, Mr Lim Hng Kiang, said that the NKF had “quite a sound record” because it spends “ore than 80 percent of its funds on its beneficiaries” (See Straits Times report on right) whom we now know are not kidney patients.
Clearly, alarm bells were raised. People could see that something was wrong and they had expressed their unhappiness over the years.
And yet, the Government which had the power to do something, chose not to.
Not only did it choose not to rein in NKF but it also continued to praise the charity and encouraged people to donate to it.
With assurances from not one but two Ministers, the charity went on its merry way.
The question that is on everyone’s lips is: If Mr TT Durai had not taken out the legal suit, would the Government have bothered to look into the NKF records? NKF would in all likelihood have continued to operate with the Government’s blessings.
The NKF fiasco is not about bad practices. It is not even about negligence on the Government’s part.
It is about greed and power.
It is about the idea that the political elite must be paid top dollar, no matter how obscene those amounts are and regardless of who suffers as a result of it.
It is about a system engineered over the decades by the PAP that ensures that it and only it has access to public information and by fiat decides what is allowed and what is not.
It is about what a “democratic society, based on justice and equality” should not be.
Singaporeans must note that the NKF is not an aberration of the PAP system. It is, instead, a product of it.
To ensure that there is transparency and that Singaporeans are kept informed of matters directly affecting them and their future, the Government must:
One, disclose the breakdown of the cost of building HDB flats and the profits HDB makes.
Two, reveal where and how GIC uses our savings.
Three, disclose the salaries of the top executives of Temasek Holdings and other GLCs.
Four, declare the assets and incomes of its Ministers.
Five, reform the election system to ensure that it is free and fair.
It goes without saying that someone must be held accountable over the sordid NKF affair. However, real accountability starts much higher up.
Showing posts with label Healthcare. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Healthcare. Show all posts
Govt to push for filial piety: PM
Health care and medical cost will be Singapore's long term problems, says PM Lee.
Speaking in Mandarin at the National Day Rally held earlier this evening, he said that the Government has adopted a number of measures to moderate the increases in medical costs.
He said: "Basically, the majority of Singaporeans can afford medical costs, but I know that this continues to be a problem that many Singaporeans are concerned with.
"I understand the thinking. Many people need to look after their aged parents who are sick. The burden is quite heavy."
He also highlighted the reality of an aging society.
"When a person gets older, he becomes more sickly... and the recovery period will take longer. It can't be helped. It's part of human nature," he said.
The government is taking active measures to respond to this situation.
One such measure is to build more acute hospitals, like the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in the North and the Jurong General Hospital in the West.
However, he emphasised that besides building such large-scale hospitals, community hospitals must also be set up.
Complementary support systems
He explained that community hospitals can complement the larger medical facilities by providing low-cost and appropriate step-down care for older patients during recuperation after their discharge from acute hospitals.
Community hospitals also have another function, he said. They are closely connected to the community and are able to get support from various sectors.
Citing the relationship between Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and Ren Ci Hospital - which are located next to each other - as an example of a good model, he said that the Health Minister is currently looking into how it can be extended to other government hospitals.
"TTSH provides medical assistance and comfort. After patients have stabilised, they can then go on to Ren Ci until they are fully recovered.
The patients at Ren Ci need not worry because if their conditions deteriorate, they can immediately return to TTSH."
He also highlighted the positive activities carried out at Ren Ci.
"When I went to Ren Ci, I saw a group of volunteers, together with the patients, singing karaoke," he said. Such activities help the patients to become more cheerful, enabling them to recover earlier.
Speaking in Mandarin at the National Day Rally held earlier this evening, he said that the Government has adopted a number of measures to moderate the increases in medical costs.
He said: "Basically, the majority of Singaporeans can afford medical costs, but I know that this continues to be a problem that many Singaporeans are concerned with.
"I understand the thinking. Many people need to look after their aged parents who are sick. The burden is quite heavy."
He also highlighted the reality of an aging society.
"When a person gets older, he becomes more sickly... and the recovery period will take longer. It can't be helped. It's part of human nature," he said.
The government is taking active measures to respond to this situation.
One such measure is to build more acute hospitals, like the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital in the North and the Jurong General Hospital in the West.
However, he emphasised that besides building such large-scale hospitals, community hospitals must also be set up.
Complementary support systems
He explained that community hospitals can complement the larger medical facilities by providing low-cost and appropriate step-down care for older patients during recuperation after their discharge from acute hospitals.
Community hospitals also have another function, he said. They are closely connected to the community and are able to get support from various sectors.
Citing the relationship between Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and Ren Ci Hospital - which are located next to each other - as an example of a good model, he said that the Health Minister is currently looking into how it can be extended to other government hospitals.
"TTSH provides medical assistance and comfort. After patients have stabilised, they can then go on to Ren Ci until they are fully recovered.
The patients at Ren Ci need not worry because if their conditions deteriorate, they can immediately return to TTSH."
He also highlighted the positive activities carried out at Ren Ci.
"When I went to Ren Ci, I saw a group of volunteers, together with the patients, singing karaoke," he said. Such activities help the patients to become more cheerful, enabling them to recover earlier.
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