Roy Ngerng’s article comparing GIC with Xtron got him into a legal suit for defamation against Hsien Loong. So touching on this issue demands extra sensitivity to keep Sue away. I have avoided this issue for a long time not so much because of Roy’s law suit but more because it involves a religious organization and a religion. They said it is better to stay away from religion and race. So I took the good advice. I barely read or follow the discussion in the media on the Xtron’s case, perhaps at most glancing at the headlines and giving it a casual glance over.
Yesterday someone pointed to me an article in TheNewPaper on the City Harvest Church Leaders Trial. It is very interesting to note that as early as 2008, according to the news report by Ng Jun Sen, Xtron and its relationship with CHC was compared to that of GIC and the Govt. And to be very safe, I quote, “Xtron Productions is like City Harvest Church’s (CHC) own GIC. Its founder Kong Hee had told church members in a speech…Just like the GIC, Xtron was meant to protect the interest of CHC, he had said in August 2008.”
These words became the main topic of discussion in the court. And the revelation included how Xtron models and functions, and in a way very similar to GIC. Were they trying to say that Xtron not only modelled its functions like GIC but also works in the same way?
And I quote again, “You know, in Singapore, we have GIC? Every time you ask the Govt what is a GIC, they say ‘national security, we cannot make it known to everybody.’” And using this example Kong Hee told his members to keep Xtron’s relationship to the church “within the four walls of the building”.
The report in TheNewPaper has many other interesting quotes and revelations as to how Xtron works and the need not to tell the world. Go look up the article yourself, dated 16 Sep. Get a copy of the paper.
Finally, let me conclude this post with a final quote. “Tan(Sharon) claimed that Wee(Serina) had told her not to record minutes at board meetings that pertained to Xtron’s decisions because the church ‘was not supposed to be aware’ of them.
The trial continues. This case is getting more and more interesting by the days. Let me double check to ensure that I have not misquoted anything. Please let me know if I have said anything that I am not supposed to say.
Chua Chin Leng AKA RedBean
*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/