Clarification from NTUC Income as reported in 27 Dec ST Forum
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Dec 27, 2004
We're not selling cars, says NTUC Income chief
I REFER to the report, 'NTUC Income to sell cars' (ST, Dec
25).
The article is misleading. We are not selling cars. We are not
promising discounts.
Here is the correct situation:
Last month, we asked our policyholders if they are interested in
participating in collective purchase of vehicles and properties.
About 1,000 of them expressed interest.
Two weeks ago, we held a briefing for the interested policyholders
to discuss several issues, including collective purchase, parallel
import, warranty, certificate of entitlement, loan and insurance.
Two hundred policyholders attended this seminar.
At the briefing, we invited a few dealers to present their offer of
a discount for certain car models.
A few days later, your senior correspondent Christopher Tan wrote
and asked me to comment about our proposed car cooperative. I did
not know what he was talking about. I replied that we were not
forming a new car cooperative.
Later, he clarified that he was interested about our collective
purchase briefing. I referred him to my colleagues who were
responsible for this project.
In the ST report, he said that 'the usually chatty Mr Tan was
evasive about the bulk car purchase plan'. I find this remark to be
unjustified and mischievous. In any case, we do not consider our
activity to be worth reporting. This is why we did not invite your
journalist to cover our event.
If your paper wishes to report this event, you should at least
ensure that your report is reasonably accurate. Your headline was
particularly misleading.
You have caused a lot of unnecessary trouble for us. I ask you to
have my reply displayed prominently in your paper.
Tan Kin Lian
Chief Executive Officer
NTUC Income
CHRISTOPHER TAN REPLIES:
We reported factually what happened at the presentation NTUC Income
made to prospective car buyers. Getting them to buy cars through
Income is, in our view, getting into the car-selling business. That
was the gist of our report.
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