Wednesday, January 26, 2011

李国基 Patrick Lee Kwok Kie

Old boy Patrick Lee Kwok Kie is the Chairman (董事长) of Sing Lun Investments Pte Limited (星纶投资私人有限公司). He was borned in 1948 and left school in 1968.

Sing Lun Investments Pte Limited was originally founded in 1951 as a textile trading and wholesale company. In 1969, the company expanded into apparel manufacturing. Since then, the company has grown to be a renowned apparel contract manufacturer for international brands and retailers, supplying fashion apparels to the North America, EU and Asia markets. The company now possesses production facilities in Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam and China. In 1999, the company transferred the apparel business to a subsidiary Sing Lun Holdings Limited. Sing Lun Holdings was listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange Main Board in Year 2000 and privatised in Year 2008. Besides the apparel business, Sing Lun Investments also invests in real estate, hotels and engineering businesses in Singapore, Malaysia, USA and China. 

In 2009, the Singapore Management University (SMU) has established the Sing Lun Scholarships, Sing Lun Fellowship and Sing Lun Seminar Room with a S$1 million gift from Patrick Lee and his family. The gifts are named after Sing Lun, in honour of Patrick Lee's late father, Mr Lee Chee Hung (李子衡), who founded the business. The gift attracts a 1:1 matching by the Singapore government for SMU's endowment. To thank and recognise Patrick Lee and his family for their exemplary support of higher education and research at SMU, Seminar Room 2.8 at the Lee Kong Chian School of Business will be named Sing Lun Seminar Room. 

Patrick Lee said, “We share SMU's vision to nurture all-rounded ethical business leaders of tomorrow. Through this donation, my family and I hope to contribute towards supporting the aspirations of SMU undergraduates, especially now more than ever, when access to financial resources is much needed. Educational causes have also been of special focus for my family and we hope the gift will also play a part in SMU's long term development as an outstanding institution of higher education and research.”

The Straits Times report on 26 Jan 2011:

In October 2010, Patrick Lee was elected secretary-general of the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA). Patrick siad that he agreed to step into the post because he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, the late Lee Chee Hung, founder of textile company Sing Lun. His father was known for his contributions to Kong Chow Wui Koon, the 170-year-old Cantonese clan association formed by fellow clansmen from their home town in Xinhui, Guangdong province, China. He died in 2003 at age 86.
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In the past few years, he has been involved in more than 20 government-linked, civic and grassroots organisations in which he is either a trustee, patron, director, committee member or some other honorary title holder.
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He now sits on the boards of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra (SCO), Business China Singapore, Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) and Tan Kah Kee Foundation, among others.
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He was elected vice-president of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) in 2007, and will be the new chairman of Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital and Nursing Home when the new management committee is sworn in on March 6.
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On the role of SFCCA, which celebrated its 25th anniversary at a gala dinner last week, he says: 'It was the importance of clan associations in the community and what they could do to preserve the good old values for the younger generation that convinced me to take up the challenge.'

Far from being irrelevant and outdated, Chinese clan associations have a role to play in society, he says.

He recalls how the early clan associations were set up by immigrants to help fellow clansmen related to one another by the same surname, dialect group or the province, county, area and even village in China where they came from.

'When Singapore was still ruled by the British, the Chinese community had to take care of its own members, and clan associations played the important role of providing basic social services such as education and health care,' he says.

Although the Government has taken over most of these roles since Singapore achieved self-government in 1959, he feels that the charitable and selfless spirit of the forefathers who set up the clan associations and provided for the poor and needy should be preserved and promoted.

'This is social capital which can contribute to building a nation of people who care, not a younger generation of selfish individuals who care only about themselves and go after material things,' he says.

As he sees it, another urgent task for the clan associations lies in integrating new Chinese immigrants who have arrived in large numbers from China recently.

Unlike the earlier generation of Chinese immigrants who came here to build a new life and future, he observes that many newcomers are here in search of better opportunities but have no sense of belonging.

'We need to help them integrate into our society and see Singapore as more than a place to work and buy a house to live in.

'As Singapore's birth rate is still far from the replacement level, we must continue to welcome new immigrants and foreign talents to help our economy grow,' says Mr Lee.

To prevent the emergence of a divided Chinese community in future, he wants to forge closer ties between Singapore- born Chinese and new Chinese immigrants.

One way is to bring the newly formed new immigrant groups into the Chinese clan federation's fold. There are now six such groups: Tianjin Club, Shanxi Association, Hua Yuan Association, Tian Fu Club, Kowloon Club, and the Singapore Chinese Scholars and Students Association.

'If left to themselves, the new Chinese immigrant groups may develop in another direction and the two groups can end up suspicious of each other. It will be a problem,' he cautions.

Noting that the new immigrant groups have expressed interest in joining the federation, Mr Lee says: 'Many told me they find living in Singapore interesting as they can meet Chinese from all over China here.'

On the immediate plans of the federation, he says the strength of his secretariat will be increased from the present 10 to 17 or 18 members.

'We need more event organisers and a bigger communications team because connecting and reaching out to members and informing them about our programmes will be our priorities,' he adds.

The number of its governing council members will be expanded to allow more clan associations to participate in the decision-making process.

There are now 15 members on its present council, with seven seats reserved for representatives from its seven founding member clans: Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan, Teochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan, Singapore Kwang Tung Association, Nanyang Khek Community Guild, Singapore Hainan Hwee Kuan, Sam Kiang Huay Kuan and Singapore Foochow Association.

'So with only eight seats in the council open to contest at each election, few will have the chance to be on the governing council,' he points out.

By increasing the number of members on the council, the process of leadership renewal can be speeded up, he says.

Chinese language and culture is another area which the federation wants to promote this year. An annual cultural award will be instituted soon to recognise clans which excel in the promotion of Chinese culture and the arts.

Noting that the Chinese operas of all the major dialect groups are practised and performed by local groups, he says: 'They should be promoted and the federation will help the clans do so.'

The federation is also offering five annual scholarships to students for undergraduate studies in top Chinese universities.

The federation's headquarters in Lorong 2, Toa Payoh, which occupies the premises of a former primary school, will be undergoing a major makeover soon.

Last month, the federation closed the kindergarten in its headquarters after 20 years because of dwindling enrolment. It will make room for 'a historical corridor or passage' where the history of Chinese clan associations in Singapore can be told in words and pictures.

'We want our visitors to feel the spirit of selflessness and charity of our forefathers and understand our past when they step into our premises,' he says.

In his view, the future of Chinese clan associations lies in the younger generation. Each clan association has to address the problem of not attracting enough young members.

'They have to recruit more young talent and organise activities appealing to the young and to have them interested in their past,' he says.

He had already persuaded his daughter Anne to be the youth group leader at Kong Chow Wui Koon last year and hopes his son will join them at the clan association when he can find the time.

'I have even started taking my four-year-old grandson to the clan association's activities,' he quips.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Martin Huang 黄祥瑞:被少女起诉索赔

1月29日联合早报报道:
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一名少女声称她找知名整形外科医生黄祥瑞进行疤痕缝合术,却被护士扯下内裤拍摄照片,她备受侮辱。不过,医生辩称少女同意拍摄有关照片,且是为了管理她的病情。

这名17岁少女去年11月29日在母亲和妹妹的陪同下,到位于百利宫(Paragon)的手术中心The Specialist Surgery And Laser Centre,接受由整形外科医生黄祥瑞(Martin Huang,49岁)操刀的疤痕缝合与脂肪重塑手术。

少女指黄医生和几个护士在手术前擅自拉下她的内裤,拍摄她一丝不挂的下身。少女认为黄医生等人的行为侮辱和伤害了她,起诉黄医生和手术中心,要求对方交出照片和赔偿。

根据上个月入禀的起诉状,少女未成年,由她的母亲在手术前代她签署同意书接受手术和麻醉。同时,少女的母亲也确认她明白手术中心会拍摄少女的照片存入病历档案。

注:黄祥瑞是公教校友

郑斌辉 Tay Ping Hui:如受邀竞选 必认真考虑

联合早报1月23日报道有关郑斌辉的新闻。郑斌辉与马炎庆都是公教的校友。

当身旁的同事和朋友知道新传媒艺人郑斌辉,接受人民行动党青年团邀请出席昨早举行的政治论坛时,第一个反应是“确定了啦,郑斌辉这次一定会出来竞选!”

接着,他最常被问的问题是“什么时候大选?到哪个集选区?”

郑斌辉昨天向参加论坛的年轻人澄清,关于他即将从政的消息纯属谣言,表明自己还未被行动党领导人邀请参加物色候选人的茶会,不会代表行动党参加来届大选。

自从本报去年3月独家报道郑斌辉是行青团成员后,坊间一直揣测郑斌辉将在近日内从政。

他在论坛结束接受记者访问时表示他对政治存有浓厚兴趣,如果有朝一日被邀出来竞选,他必定会认真考虑。

“基于我对政治的兴趣,加上到了我这个年龄,如果可以为社会和其他人作一些贡献,我应该是会义不容辞。如果真的被邀请,我觉得是一种荣誉,我绝对不会轻易地拒绝,会慎重地考虑。”

那新加坡社会是否能接受艺人担任议员呢?

郑斌辉认为不应该低估新加坡人的成熟度和接受度。“我坚信凡事都有可能。无论是演员、歌手或从事任何工作的人,只要是真心爱护我们的国家,有正直的人格,为什么不可能呢?重要的是,这个人是否能有所贡献,而非他的职业。”

昨天上午,郑斌辉和丹戎巴葛集选区国会议员马炎庆同150名年轻人进行约两个小时的对话会,轻松分享他们对政治、名人参加政治、议员的公众形象等的看法。
郑斌辉坦言,名人效益确实能对政治家的工作有一定的帮助,然而最终还是得靠个人实力才能为民服务,赢得选民的信任。


向来关心本地政治动态的他,希望有一天能见到内阁部长与反对党代表在电视上,针对热门课题进行辩论。“我觉得这样做能加强公众对这些课题的认识,同时也能让他们更关心政治发展。”

马炎庆也谈到年轻一代议员与老一代议员的不同之处,以前的议员形象比较严肃认真,现在的议员比较善于透过各种媒介,包括社交网站等拉进与选民的距离。

行青团主席、社会发展、青年及体育部兼交通部高级政务次长张思乐也参加了昨天的论坛。行青团今年将举办系列的论坛,让团员有机会同商界领袖和各界名人交流,多了解社会和商界动态。
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郭丽娟报道。
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