Most of the people linked directly to the NKF saga have thrown
in the towel. For their wrongdoing, I assume they'll have to pay
compensate NKF.
But thinking back, NKF is an organisation that surely must have
operated under some kind of govt's charity-permit. As the
permit-granter, surely the govt has the responsibility of
'oversight' to make sure NKF operates above board.
Fact: NKF abused its authority for so long and to the amount of
millions of dollars. Fact: the govt, throughout the wrongdoing
period of the NKF, was its permit-granter. Fact: When the NKF
scandal 1st made the news, prominent people in govt, and those
married to prominent people in govt, 'defended' NKF's conduct to be
'above board'.
Yes, we should go after the NKF board members for their wrongdoing.
But what should be done to those in govt who had the duty of
'oversight', but failed to 'oversee' that NKF was properly
run?
This is not a situation where I suggest that the entire Ministry of
Health is to take the blame for one single unclean satay stall in
Bedok. The NKF was a high-profile charity with million-dollar
fund-raising TV shows, with a patron married to an ex-PM, with
previous public debates about 1st-class travel for staff...etc.
Surely the internal affairs of such a prominent NKF should be of
interest to the govt, who should sensibly be 'auditing' it from
day-one.
I'll give a poor anology: I have a dog, which is licensed in my
name. One day, the dog runs away and bites someone. The dog is
caught, and killed for the saftey of the public. I, as the dog's
licensed owner, was not present during the biting, but I would be
in trouble nevertheless for not locking it up securely.
So, shouldn't the overall 'master' of NKF be put under scrutiny as
well?
