Loh Lin Kok & his $120K entertainment expense claim

jw5 · Jan 10, 2010

Re: Why get rid of Loh Lin Kok now?

I don't know him personally, but based on what I read in the newspaper reports over the years, I don't think I like him.
But I do respect him for having the guts to take on the establishment and say it as he sees it.
Perhaps that's also why they want him out.

elephanto · Jan 10, 2010

Re: Why get rid of Loh Lin Kok now?

pachinko said:
He is perceived as a man with deep passion and generosity for sports for over 30 years ! Doing a thankless job to assist Singapore produce better atheletes using his priceless time and personal money to groom youngsters and those helping them are rewarded with entertainments( I supposed they are mainly dinners ) . Why must a lawyer spend his time here when he could have piled up more business and enjoying his time with family and friends ?

Have a thought for this relentless Singaporean who has sacrificed so much for so long , if a suitable volunteer has been found , he would have graciously handed over . But how many are prepared to do something for free? If he wants glory , I am sure he knows where he should go to achieve that , what's the big deal in becoming President of this club? There was Tang Weng Fei before , he left shortly into the job. Like Cheah Kim Teck , Tang is also very into horse racing , they get more kicks and satisfaction in their money making hobby .

Geriatric Loh has outlived his usefulness ? Dont be mean to this old man of sports who is noble and unselfish in his contribution for all these years. Why put him to shame now?

So Pachinko, a close scrutiny of his presidential rule cannot jive with your description of him.

He cannot create synergy with athletes, coaches, SSC, ministers, even own exco members.

He used egositic, bullying language that betrays his autocractic stand.

Yes, I concede - he has given time, effort, sacrifice even own finances.

But all in vain. I rather he spared himself & his family.

elephanto · Jan 10, 2010

ahleebabasingaporethief said:
Please look at the facts in this SAGA before you condemn Loh. Loh should be commended as a HERO not a villian like the SCUMS and the prostitute press make him out to be.

Loh does not want quick fixes like inporting FT sports talent. That is ONE main reason why the SCUMS hate him and want him removed.

</td> </tr> <tr> <td height="60" valign="top"> </td> <td class="update" height="80" valign="top"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="138">Photos </td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="47">1 of 1</td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="18"><input disabled="disabled" id="btnPrev" value="<< Previous" onclick="Prev();" src="http://172.31.254.244/www.channelnewsasia.comm/images/butt_previous.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"></td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="19"><input id="bntPlay" value="Play - Stop" onclick="Play()" src="http://172.31.254.241/www.channelnewsasia.comm/images/butt_stop.gif" height="15" type="image" width="19"></td> <td bgcolor="#f6f6f6" width="18"><input disabled="disabled" id="btnNext" value=" Next >> " onclick="Next();" src="http://172.31.254.243/www.channelnewsasia.comm/images/butt_next.gif" height="15" type="image" width="18"></td> </tr> </tbody></table>

UNSUCCESSFUL?: DU Xianhui (left) and Zhang Gui-rong announcing their return to China last year.</td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td class="update"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> <td>
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He once memorably said that if medals were what Singapore was after, then he could simply "hire" athletes from China to deliver.

Under the country's Foreign Sports Talent Scheme, Mr Loh Lin Kok eventually recruited China-born shot put specialists Du Xianhui, Zhang Guirong and Dong Enxin.

The two women received their Singapore citizenship in October 2003, while Dong got his in May 2001.

Another shot putter, Luan Wei, and hammer thrower E Xiaoxu, touted as possible graduates of the scheme, were brought to Singapore in 1999.

But today, Mr Loh, who is president of the Singapore Athletic Association (SAA), brands his association's efforts a "failure".

Du and Zhang are back in China after disagreements over training and salary issues; Luan is currently embroiled in a court case with the SAA over unfair dismissal; E Xiaoxu dropped a similar action due to financial constraints; while Dong has failed to live up to his billing thus far.

"The foreign talent scheme has failed miserably," Mr Loh admitted in an interview with this newspaper.

"The characters were, quite simply, unreliable. Two have abandoned us and another two have charged us in court. As a medal prospect, Dong is unreliable, too.

"When I brought the China-born athletes over in 1998, I wanted the sport to be more professional, to have full-time athletes training professionally. But they've abused my generosity."

Does that mean the SAA has lost faith entirely in the foreign talent scheme, launched in the 1990s?

"No, we are not going to abandon it," said the SAA chief. "It's just that the previous failures have taught us a bitter lesson. From now on, we will have to tread even more cautiously and look at each case with a microscope before making any decision."

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ahleebabasingaporethief · Jan 10, 2010

Re: Why get rid of Loh Lin Kok now?

elephanto said:
So Pachinko, a close scrutiny of his presidential rule cannot jive with your description of him.

He cannot create synergy with athletes, coaches, SSC, ministers, even own exco members.

He used egositic, bullying language that betrays his autocractic stand.

Yes, I concede - he has given time, effort, sacrifice even own finances.

But all in vain. I rather he spared himself & his family.

Very looped sided articled chronology....only the negatives of LOH in the whole article.

Why dont you tell yourself or whoever penned the "negative only" article of LOH to do one of the SCUMS?

There would be plenty to write on...CPF, HDB, GIC, Trermasick etc.

Never print an article of NEGATIVES ONLY. It does not carry weight.

ELEPHANTO, I honestly think you are one of the young CBK's spin doctors.

ahleebabasingaporethief · Jan 10, 2010

All your attacks on LOH are negative.

You even copied a Very looped sided articled chronology in your posting "Why Loh Lin Kok"....only the negatives of LOH in the whole article.

Why dont you tell yourself or whoever penned the "negative only" article of LOH to do one of the SCUMS?

There would be plenty to write on...CPF, HDB, GIC, Trermasick etc.

Never print an article of NEGATIVES ONLY. It does not carry weight.

I honestly think you are one of the young CBK's spin doctors.

elephanto · Jan 10, 2010

Tsk Tsk Tsk, ALWAYS avoiding shirking a direct challenge - own facts wrong quickly switch to some other irrelevant point.

DID LOH BRING IN OR NOT BRING IN PRC THROWERS ?

DID LOH ADMIT FT POLICY - EVEN THOUGH HE BOTCHED UP HIS OWN ?

Now you smear me by suggesting I am a hiring of Cheah Kim Teck.

Old timers know I have been here since 1999 under an old nick - so cut yr crap.

For the matter, I was so disillusioned with LOH , i's ANYBODY BUT LOH for me. That SOMEBODY may be a toad with no guarantees of success but at least somebody break Loh's negative vicious cycle.

You say I am negative throughout - I disagree to the extent that I have made fair remarks about him whenever possible. It's just his record speaks for itself.

And many more elsewhere have said worst things of him in worse language than mine.

Your problem is : WE ALL (ok, not all) hate MIW ( Ho Jinx, Old Man, Pinkie etc etc) but ....
of all people you want to adopt LOH LIN KOK as the model hero against MIW.

That is your greatest problem - becos Loh is more similar to LKY in temperament, language & mannerism than you think.

In fact, that will be the topic of my next post - the Messiah Complex - common in LKY & Lin Kok i.e. they are the best judge of successors out there & die die they will go on & on becos they distrust all other alternatives , that they are the only MESSIAH for their cause.

That is the reason why I believe LOH can continue a thankless fruitless & controversial mission for coming to 30 years.

elephanto · Jan 10, 2010

Re: Why get rid of Loh Lin Kok now?

Tsk Tsk Tsk, ALWAYS avoiding shirking a direct challenge - own facts wrong quickly switch to some other irrelevant point.

DID LOH BRING IN OR NOT BRING IN PRC THROWERS ?

DID LOH ADMIT FT POLICY - EVEN THOUGH HE BOTCHED UP HIS OWN ?

Now you smear me by suggesting I am a hiring of Cheah Kim Teck.

Old timers know I have been here since 1999 under an old nick - so cut yr crap.

For the matter, I was so disillusioned with LOH , i's ANYBODY BUT LOH for me. That SOMEBODY may be a toad with no guarantees of success but at least somebody break Loh's negative vicious cycle.

You say I am negative throughout - I disagree to the extent that I have made fair remarks about him whenever possible. It's just his record speaks for itself.

And many more elsewhere have said worst things of him in worse language than mine.

Your problem is : WE ALL (ok, not all) hate MIW ( Ho Jinx, Old Man, Pinkie etc etc) but ....
of all people you want to adopt LOH LIN KOK as the model hero against MIW.

That is your greatest problem - becos Loh is more similar to LKY in temperament, language & mannerism than you think.

In fact, that will be the topic of my next post - the Messiah Complex - common in LKY & Lin Kok i.e. they are the best judge of successors out there & die die they will go on & on becos they distrust all other alternatives , that they are the only MESSIAH for their cause.

That is the reason why I believe LOH can continue a thankless fruitless & controversial mission for coming to 30 years.

elephanto · Jan 10, 2010

On a lighter note, ahleebaba, you will be surprised your postings & mine are anonymously copied to Channel news Asia forum.

Was so surprised to read there. Did you do that ? :confused:

elephanto · Jan 10, 2010

Just ONE sample of What others are saying, ahleebaba ....

http://singaporelifetimes.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-marvel-at-mr-loh-lin-kok-erstwhile.html

<center> <script type="text/javascript"> </script> <script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> </center>Saturday, January 09, 2010

Time to go

I marvel at Mr Loh Lin Kok, erstwhile President of the Singapore Athletics Association (SAA). But I don't envy him. It is amazing that this man is taking such an nonchalant attitude towards it woefully underachieving group of athletes under the SAA umbrella - the biggest and probably the only group that brings together the athletic fraternity in Singapore. That he has been at the helm since 1982 without being challenged is also damning of the more capable athletes who should have stepped up to the plate to dislodge a President that has presided over the steady decline of athletics over the last 28 years. It had to take a crisis, such as their failure in the just concluded SEA games in Laos, for someone to step up to the plate to challenge his almost uninterrupted reign at a key national athletics body. Only 2 golds were won, with one coming from an ageing athlete.

Personally, I thought Mr Loh should have stepped aside voluntarily ages ago, or at least made a real effort to find someone more capable than himself to take over. But his heck-care attitude, and derisive stance, even in the face of auditors findings of serious lapses in the way the Association has been run just demonstrates why athletics has slid so far. He ridicules the Singapore Sports Council (SCC) and anyone else who tries to help, and he always blames the SCC for withholding its funding, but seems to forget that this money comes from the taxpayer. He seem to imply that the SAA is entitled to this money, but I think the SCC has done right in demanding more accountability towards the use of public funds. Looking at Loh's behaviour, I, as a taxpayer, wouldn't even trust one cent of my money to his management of it in the SAA. Who cares if you have put out your own money for entertainment and the like on behalf of the SAA? SAA doesn't belong to you, Mr Loh. It is not your personal fiefdom. If Mr Loh wants to boast about his generosity and self-sacrifice, then let him really be generous - don't put those money he has spent on SAA's books. The man cannot see where he may be wrong. He doesn't know how 'shame' is spelled.

Mr Loh, it is time to call time and fade into the sunset. Otherwise, you will likely get booted out, which is already too kind a gesture for your mismanagement of athletics in Singapore.

P.S. I don't know Mr Loh personally, nor am I an athlete. Whatever views and opinion expressed here has been formed from various local media reports. I am just an interested Singaporean who is concerned about Singapore athletics.

Posted by Epilogos at 2:29 PM
Labels: Competition, Governance, Money, Sports

Papititis · Jan 10, 2010

elephanto said:
On a lighter note, ahleebaba, you will be surprised your postings & mine are anonymously copied to Channel news Asia forum.

Was so surprised to read there. Did you do that ?

Is that really true? Waaaaahhhh not bad man! From Geylang to Orchard Road. No mean achievement.

zeebjii · Jan 12, 2010

Even though i don't really like Loh, i cant agree with the witchhunt. They want to oust him because he's not one of them. That's not right.

You claim to follow athletics, but do you know that for a small country liker singapore, 2 golds in track and field is the norm. you can even say we have exceeded expectations.

Track and field is an event ALWAYS dominated by the big countries. Yes small countries have done well, provided you have BLACK athletes.

In SEA Games, it's thailand and indonesia. In Asian Gaems its China, Korea, Japan. In Olympics it's USA and Russia.

China won their first ever track gold in 2004. Can you say they have done 'dismally'?

At a time when we shjould rejoice over the record breaking performance of the relay boys, the big guns go after Loh on a unjustified witchhunt. To me the main culprit in this saga is teo ser luck. I used to think hughly of him. Now i find him to fit to even lace Ng Ser Miang's shoes.

ahleebabasingaporethief · Jan 12, 2010

zeebjii said:
Even though i don't really like Loh, i cant agree with the witchhunt. They want to oust him because he's not one of them. That's not right.

You claim to follow athletics, but do you know that for a small country liker singapore, 2 golds in track and field is the norm. you can even say we have exceeded expectations.

Track and field is an event ALWAYS dominated by the big countries. Yes small countries have done well, provided you have BLACK athletes.

In SEA Games, it's thailand and indonesia. In Asian Gaems its China, Korea, Japan. In Olympics it's USA and Russia.

China won their first ever track gold in 2004. Can you say they have done 'dismally'?

At a time when we shjould rejoice over the record breaking performance of the relay boys, the big guns go after Loh on a unjustified witchhunt. To me the main culprit in this saga is teo ser luck. I used to think hughly of him. Now i find him to fit to even lace Ng Ser Miang's shoes.

You are either very sharp or you have been speaking to the HONEST people in S'pore's sporting fraternities.

apogee · Jan 12, 2010

The achievement of the athletices scene can be described as a Rolling Cock Gathering No Moss.

scroobal · Jan 12, 2010

Good points. There have been 3 previous attempts by the government to get rid of him. The government can't move unilaterally against Loh because they will be sanctioned by the IAAF, a supra national body and no Singapore athlete will be allowed to race. This is one occasion where all the organs of state are powerless and very much impotent. The affliates are well aware of Loh and will be delighted to have a change but they have seen the government involvement in other sports bodies and are not impressed. They also seem to enjoy seeing Loh roasting ministers since the days of Barker. He also does not allow people like Dhillion walk over him like others do.

Loh however should have been responsible by now for completing a succession plan. No man should be this indispensible.

zeebjii said:
Even though i don't really like Loh, i cant agree with the witchhunt. They want to oust him because he's not one of them. That's not right.

ahleebabasingaporethief · Jan 12, 2010

zeebjii said:
Even though i don't really like Loh, i cant agree with the witchhunt. They want to oust him because he's not one of them. That's not right.

You claim to follow athletics, but do you know that for a small country liker singapore, 2 golds in track and field is the norm. you can even say we have exceeded expectations.

Track and field is an event ALWAYS dominated by the big countries. Yes small countries have done well, provided you have BLACK athletes.

In SEA Games, it's thailand and indonesia. In Asian Gaems its China, Korea, Japan. In Olympics it's USA and Russia.

China won their first ever track gold in 2004. Can you say they have done 'dismally'?

At a time when we shjould rejoice over the record breaking performance of the relay boys, the big guns go after Loh on a unjustified witchhunt. To me the main culprit in this saga is teo ser luck. I used to think hughly of him. Now i find him to fit to even lace Ng Ser Miang's shoes.

Did someone tell you?

ahleebabasingaporethief · Jan 13, 2010

Upzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

scoobyhoo · Jan 13, 2010

I respect Mr. Loh from the story. Believe he will be blessed for those good things he has done. (Even though he may not think of any blessings nor rewards for what he has been doing)

scoobyhoo · Jan 13, 2010

scroobal said:
Loh has been paying out of his pockets for the last 30 years. Thats the reason why the affliates continue to vote him in. There is no money in Athletics. Who wants to pay to watch someone sprint unless its world class.

I would however say Loh should have stepped down long time ago. No one sure have a tenure more than 3 to 5 years for anything that involves national interest. The constitution should be amended so that continous hold of such nature be removed. He can always recontest after a break of 3 to 5 years. And no one should go more than 2 terms.

Tang Weng Fei is also another joker. He brought in PRC chaps who created more trouble than anyone else. Loh aleast will yell at you for the money given.

Yes, I agree.

singaporebomb · Jan 13, 2010

If any individuals or organisations goes against the government of LKY,they make a big fuss out of everythings,using the government controlled media to attack them till the cliff for them to jump,but if they have problems in them,they just keep quiet,just look at temasek and GIC.right until now,the government has not punish or investigate and made a big issue out of this,the only person to appear is Ho Ching and she is still the boss of temasek.:oIo:

elephanto · Jan 13, 2010

Well, I am glad it's not just ahleebaba & myself dominating discussion on Loh Lin Kok.

Ahleebaba, I am afraid of engaging him in rational discussion any moire after reviewing a long list of his hysterical posts in th e past.

In fact, I think he is less for Loh Lin Kok (even got his facts wrong & avoided my direct factual challenges that Loh is not against importing PRC) but more against the Establishment in particular one teo ser luck. Well, I am no fan of Teo after watching him impotent in the Lee Bee Wah saga last year.

I am slightly disappointed with Scroo who while acknowledging Loh should go & SAA Presidential Terms should be limited (all I agree), feels that Loh at the very least thumbed his nose at Barker & Dhillon etc.

I guess anti-establishment is our basic creed but I really would love to hear Scroo's views of Loh's personality & leadership.

Especially juxtaposed against his record with my own prejudiced comments attached in the account below. Pardon the tediousness - I know I hv post this in another thread. Consolidate for easy rference.

Also meant for bros like scoobyhoo who felt he has done good over the years.

As for zeebjii comments & use of the word 'witchhunt', I think witchhunt is too strong a word. In any case, the athletics fraternity's Sep 09 Petition against Loh started long before all this SSC-SAA spat.

I still contend that others in other forums have made worse vilifications against Loh in more colorful language than mine.

But I am going to be less emo now after reflecting on Cheah Kim Teck's approached as reported in Today.

Whether he is the estab man or not to me is another story, but I say kudos to him for refraining from commenting on Loh's reign & stating he has a cordial relationship with Loh. He feels the row is getting too personal & want to mend fences & bring everybody together. I guess harmony & an end to polarizing personalities are a good start.

One comment zeebjii made that is both true & thought provoking. Asians are not world beaters in athletics - even China in Olympics. True.

But all we want is for Spore Athletics to at least fare better at SEA Games & Asisan Games level.

Unless our heroes & heroines achievement in 50s,60s & 70s are an abberation, in spite of many limiting factors in Spore (studies, society etc), I am sure a better showing than the past 2 decades is possible.

Not necessarily medals wise ; equally important is a create an athletics scene - vibrant with synergy between public & private sector, instead of sackings & lawsuits, calling athletes lazy & removing local coaches as unqualified.

Loh Lin Kok & his $120K entertainment expense claim

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