A little bit more background info on Durai
Confident, cocky, combative
and...
By Karen Wong
July 14, 2005
MR T T Durai strode into court on Monday, the first day of the
defamation court hearing, looking self-assured and confident.
One could even say, a little cocky.
In the first hour or so of being cross-examined by Senior Counsel
Davinder Singh, he shot back, 'Best of luck,' when the lawyer told
him that it was Singapore Press Holdings' case that the National
Kidney Foundation, under his management, had been less than
transparent about its financial affairs.
After two days on the witness stand, Mr Durai's tone had slowly
lost its confident ring as he withdrew his libel lawsuit.
His face was now drawn, his voice shaky.
While answering reporters' questions, he could barely string his
sentences together.
At certain points, he had to be prompted by one of his employees
from the communications department.
As Mr Durai, 57, left court defeated, his supporters, mostly NKF
employees, rallied around him.
Two were seen shedding tears outside the courtroom.
One of them, Ms Joanne Long, said she was 'upset' by the
outcome.
Asked if she'd continue working in the NKF in the light of the
recent revelations, she replied emphatically: 'Of course, I'll
still continue with the organisation. He's doing everything
possible for it.
'At the end of it, it's the patients we're talking about.'
Who is this man who gets paid $600,000 a year and sues a newspaper
for reporting that gold taps had been installed in his office
bathroom because it gave the impression that he spends donors'
funds on personal luxuries ?
Who is this man whom Mr Singh had accused in court of having
'misled the public' and 'mismanaged' NKF funds?
Who is this man who justifies using NKF funds to fly first class,
saying it is within his 'entitlement' as long as it was pegged to
Singapore Airlines' business-class rates?
Who is this man who inspires deep loyalty from his staff and
supporters?
Who is this man who has, through his 37 years in the NKF, has
become the foundation's alter ego?
Criminal lawyer Subhas Anandan, who was two years his senior in the
law faculty in university in the late 1960s, said: 'He was involved
in the NKF from the time he was a student.
He was a former vice-president of the then University of Singapore
Students' Union.
'He was very active in the students' union. He was always
well-dressed and he had a lot of friends,' said Mr Subhas.
'I thought he was ambitious.'
Mr Durai was also a grassroots leader.
Former Cabinet minister Othman Wok, 80, said that Mr Durai had
helped him in constituency work when he was MP for Pasir Panjang in
the 1960s.
'At that time, he was just a young man, a nice person. I appointed
him as a member of the Pasir Panjang Community Centre management
committee.'
When asked if Mr Durai struck him as politically ambitious, Mr Wok
said: 'I can't recall. He never expressed his views to me. But he
was keen to serve in the community.'
Mr Durai graduated with a law degree and worked in the government
legal service for six years until 1977.
During that time, he also studied for and obtained a master's of
law in London.
In 1979, he joined law firm Rodyk and Davidson and was there for
four years. He later left and was a director in several companies
before taking up his CEO position in the NKF in 1992.
Mr Durai is, by his own admission, the NKF man.
He said in his own sworn statement: 'After more than 30 years with
the NKF and 13 years as its CEO, my reputation is closely
intertwined with that of the organisation.'
He is known to work 12 to 14-hour days, seven days a week.
He often schedules staff presentations of projects to him on a
Sunday.
He is described as one former employee as being a 'hands-on'
boss.
So 'hands-on' that he has weekly 'training sessions' with all staff
in the Kim Keat headquarters auditorium called 'CEO speak',
sometimes lasting up to two hours.
Mr Durai had separate sessions for 'management staff', said the
Indian expat who left the NKF recently.
Under Mr Durai's helm, NKF's work has been ground-breaking.
About 80 per cent of his own sworn statement is about the work he
has done with and for the NKF.
The self-professed 'private man', spoke of how he has helped raise
funds for the NKF, of how he has opened satellite dialysis centres
and the programmes he has come up with.
He said: 'I had painstakingly built the NKF on strong fundamentals
and guarded its reputation.'
Ironically, though, it is Mr Durai's pursuit of redress against his
and NKF's reputation that may spell the beginning of the end for
the man and, by painful extension, his cause.
WHAT WAS REVEALED
The court proceedings revealed his $25,000 monthly salary (a
closely-guarded secret until now), which shocked many.
Also revealed: His bonus and car perks, non-disclosure of outside
business interests and paid directorships.
The NKF was also shown to have led the public to believe its
reserves could last only three years when there was enough for
about 30 years. It also overstated its number of patients by
1,000.
This has sparked a backlash as some donors withdrew their support.
(See report on page 6).
After withdrawing his lawsuit yesterday, Mr Durai told reporters:
'The track record of the NKF will speak for itself. We are all not
perfect. It's inevitable that mistakes occur...
'I have not done anything wrong or deceived the public.'
- Additional reporting by Clarence Chang
I just love the last line. Classic Denial
