Chitchat Zainuddin and his 7 years in FAS

[scroobal]

Disappointing. Supposed to help kids at risk, develop the game etc. At least the younger brother married into wealth, the olders one appears to be a wandering adventurer.

 

[CoffeeAhSoh]

If you take a look at Bill Ng's company website, you have an idea what he may be up to. He has interests in stocks like ISR and this listed company has been in the headlines for the wrong reasons. Look at the penny stocks in the list which are not investments in the real sense but manipulation to make it look good. Naga Corp has been refused listing in Singapore before it gets its chance in HK - why? A casino stock - one can understand about the concerns in Singapore. If you are dealing with a third world casino company, what do you expect to deal with? I think this has a lot to do why he gets interested in jackpot machines running in these football clubs. To think he has this ingenious plan to privatise football clubs tell you the intentions - it is not about football but the cash generation capabilities of these clubs.

He is smart yet dumb to think that the authorities will not look at his background - what a character. He seeks publicity when he should be lying low - that tells you that much about him. To have his club paying rental on the premise to his wife again makes wonder whether he is smart or dumb and it is likely both.

His days are numbered.

Smell like he is doing a Chew Eng Han.

 

[halsey02]

luckily laura ran off, otherwise they would have grab and impound her mangoes

You mean, she ran off, when the 'teh gus' came? or she was wearing those blue tooth earpiece connected to 'somebody', who conveyed the message, 'teh gus coming'....& "tell Laura I Love her"...so, she close the stall & scooted off with the mangoes?

 

[gatehousethetinkertailor]

More coincidental press coverage - subtle nudging of the Chairman and his situation post-foray into contesting the FAS elections - The Game Changers or the Game has changed for them? I assume given his affiliations the press are covering this carefully - I wonder if they will ever go for the jugular...

Tampines in a money muddle
May 25, 2017 06:00 am

S.League club Tampines Rovers ran into cash-flow problems last April, and it appears that the club are facing another money muddle this year.

The New Paper understands that the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board is looking into the club, with former sponsor Komoco Motors recalling a $190,000 loan.

Tampines are also facing a repayment of a $756,000 "sponsorship credit line" from Taiwanese tech company Nogle, starting next year.

This comes after TNP reported in March that Tampines were late in paying player salaries in January and February, with other administrative issues seeing the club facing fines by local and regional football authorities.

1) CASH-FLOW PROBLEMS

Tampines general manager Desmund Khusnin told TNP that the club had faced cash-flow problems earlier in the year but, while he remained confident that the Stags will sort out their financial issues, he could not explain exactly how they will do so.

"There was a delay (of CPF payments) in March - a three-week delay - but, after that, it's all been sorted out. During that period, there was a cash-flow issue, but now I'm sure it will not happen again," he said.

TNP has seen letters sent by the CPF's Recovery Department, asking for a meeting with at least five Tampines players and two of their non-playing staff members at its office next month. Desmund confirmed that he, too, had received a similar letter.

"In March, there were a lot of payments due, including those for the AFC Cup," he said, referring to Tampines' involvement in the continental tournament.

The club had to travel to Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines during the group stage, but their involvement in the tournament has ended with their failure to qualify for the knockout stage.

"Those things (bills) were coming in, but now we're stabilised without the AFC Cup. There's only the S.League," said Desmund.

2) KOMOCO LOAN

TNP understands that Tampines' former sponsor Komoco has recalled a $190,000 loan made to the club, understood to be for last year's AFC campaign.

The loan recall came this month, when Stags chief Krishna Ramachandra was paying some players' salaries with his own money.

Desmund revealed that the money was used to pay eight players who needed their wages earlier, although the club have yet to repay Krishna.

"Those (players) who needed (their salaries) urgently came forward and, because they needed it urgently, they were paid through the chairman's personal account... but that is not a cash-flow issue," Desmund said.

"I think there were eight of them. We are in the process of paying him (Krishna) back in the coming months.

"Once the club are stabilised, we can work out all this."

3) SPONSORSHIP CREDIT LINE

Last July, The Straits Times reported that Tampines signed a $750,000 "sponsorship deal" with Taiwanese tech firm Nogle, but TNP has learnt that the deal is a "credit line" that requires the club to either return the money or convert the monies to shares in the club if they privatise.

S.League clubs are registered societies - not private entities - that come under the umbrella of the league.

"There's some agreement, because it's a sponsorship credit line, it's like later on they will monetise, or make it into a sponsorship," said Desmund.

TNP understands that Tampines were initially required to repay Nogle $21,000 per month, starting January this year.

When asked if Tampines need to repay Nogle, Desmund said: "Yes, in 2018."

4) REVENUE STREAMS

Tampines have already given up their licence to run jackpot operations, with Krishna previously telling TNP that it was a decision made on moral grounds.

But TNP understands that the club have re-applied for the licence.

While the Police Licencing and Regulatory Department, which determines if an organisation receives approval to run such operations, declined to reveal if Tampines' application has been approved, Desmund confirmed that the club have yet to receive the nod.

But he asserted that the club are in good stead, although another of their revenue streams has fizzled out.

Its partnership with the Ronaldinho academy is dead in the water. International Football Group (IFG) - the partner company in the deal - is run by Krishna's brother Gane Ramachandra.

The Today newspaper reported last week that IFG owes its employees up to eight months of unpaid salaries.

Tampines bid and won the lease for a pitch at Dempsey for the academy, costing $18,888 per month, but have since given up the pitch.

"The CSR (corporate social responsibility) project is almost there," said Desmund, pointing to Tampines' revenue stream that will replace the Ronaldinho academy and their jackpot operations.

"The chairman and the committee have sorted it out. Details will come out in the future, but I'm confident that none of these (payment) delays will happen again."

5) BOARDROOM DEPARTURE

Not all is well in the Tampines boardroom.

As reflected on the club's website, there are now only four members in the club's management committee, following the resignation of vice-chairman Chris Wong.

When contacted, Wong would only say: "I left the club at the end of April due to work commitments."

Desmund remained optimistic, but revealed that the club will not be splashing the cash in the next three years.

He said: "The budget for the next three years will probably not be so big, but we will survive. (But there will be) no more of the 2016 kind of budget (that saw the entry of marquee players like Jermaine Pennant)."

In response to TNP's queries on the Tampines situation, the S.League's director of operations Kok Wai Leong said: "We have heard concerns raised about this matter, and are looking into it."

http://www.tnp.sg/sports/singapore-football/tampines-money-muddle

Coverage of Ng, his wife Bonnie Wong, former FAS president Zainudin Nordin and FAS general-secretary Winston Lee all gone quiet it seems - maybe "still assisting in investigations".

 

[scroobal]

I am really surprised it has come to this. It was long established club and in a good catchment area. The details are bewildering on the various financial arrangements and the U-turn on the jackpot license. No sports club has survived without a jackpot license. Does he not know this in the first place. Its the same with the clubs along Balestiers, SCC, SRC etc. And he is the MD of the an established law firm or is his mother-in-law actually running it.

More coincidental press coverage - subtle nudging of the Chairman and his situation post-foray into contesting the FAS elections - The Game Changers or the Game has changed for them? I assume given his affiliations the press are covering this carefully - I wonder if they will ever go for the jugular...

 

[gatehousethetinkertailor]

I am really surprised it has come to this. It was long established club and in a good catchment area. The details are bewildering on the various financial arrangements and the U-turn on the jackpot license. No sports club has survived without a jackpot license. Does he not know this in the first place. Its the same with the clubs along Balestiers, SCC, SRC etc. And he is the MD of the an established law firm or is his mother-in-law actually running it.

More coincidental press coverage - subtle nudging of the Chairman and his situation post-foray into contesting the FAS elections - The Game Changers or the Game has changed for them? I assume given his affiliations the press are covering this carefully - I wonder if they will ever go for the jugular...

She is still very much helming the firm and chief rainmaker - K has been very active in the whole football scene over the past few years after relinquishing his stewardship of the Ferrari Owners Club (he is a massive sportscar fan). K was probably truthful about moral objections - the reluctance to have a jackport licence may actually have been a condition of sponsorship.

 

[scroobal]

I guess he is pretty innocent to what local sports are like. The govt does not get involved at grassroots levels. Imagine paying half a million to the CEO of the league as salary who is a retired Colonel while none of the players in the league earn anything close to that and the money comes from sponsors. Really screwed up.

I think MP Zainal Sapari is right about politicians not getting involved in sports as they have no background in it.

She is still very much helming the firm and chief rainmaker - K has been very active in the whole football scene over the past few years after relinquishing his stewardship of the Ferrari Owners Club (he is a massive sportscar fan). K was probably truthful about moral objections - the reluctance to have a jackport licence may actually have been a condition of sponsorship.

 

[Kuailan]

Just in : ST 21 april 2017 friday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sPupEK8EGE

 

[CoffeeAhSoh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sPupEK8EGE

Wow !!! veri veri goodd . Boss, pls Ivy Singh some space here

 

[scroobal]

Thanks, I did not know she did this. Looks she was right. She did however did a good job with Netball.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sPupEK8EGE

 

[gatehousethetinkertailor]

I guess he is pretty innocent to what local sports are like. The govt does not get involved at grassroots levels. Imagine paying half a million to the CEO of the league as salary who is a retired Colonel while none of the players in the league earn anything close to that and the money comes from sponsors. Really screwed up.

I think MP Zainal Sapari is right about politicians not getting involved in sports as they have no background in it.

Well, that did not take long:

http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/football-krishna-quits-as-tampines-chairman

Football: Krishna quits as Tampines chairman

Krishna Ramachandra will step down as chairman of five-time S-League champions Tampines Rovers, less than two years after taking over the chairmanship from Teo Hock Seng in November 2015.

And while the club appear to be mired in cash-flow issues last season, the corporate lawyer insists the Stags are in a sound financial position for now.

Explaining his decision to quit, Krishna, who is managing director of law firm Duane Morris & Selvam LLP, said he could no longer volunteer " at the level of intensity that is needed".

The 45-year-old, who was part of the Game Changers team which lost in the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) election in April, said: "The high demands of my professional career have overtaken my ability to keep volunteering at the level of intensity that is needed to fulfil the role of chairman.

"I intend to step down in the coming weeks, in any event no earlier than after Tampines' 2016 accounts have been audited and finalised.

"I will be dealing with all outstanding queries relating to Tampines' statement of accounts before stepping down.

"It has been an honour and privilege to serve this wonderful club. I will, however, remain a committee member, to assist in this transition."

It is believed a new candidate for chairman has been identified and his name has been lodged with the FAS for approval.

WHY HE IS QUITTING
The high demands of my professional career have overtaken my ability to keep volunteering at the level of intensity that is needed to fulfil the role of chairman.
KRISHNA RAMACHANDRA , on his decision to step down as Tampines Rovers chairman.
The Straits Times asked the FAS when it would make the new appointment and if it was concerned about the timing of Krishna's decision, but the FAS did not respond by press time.

The leadership change comes as Tampines find themselves plagued by money woes. In May, The New Paper reported that several players and staff had been asked to meet the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board over the club's late CPF payments.

That same month, former sponsor Komoco Motors sent the club a letter of demand over a $190,000 sum it had made to the Stags, according to a Today report.

The cash-flow issues arose in part due to Krishna's decision to stop running jackpot machines, although the club have since re-applied for a licence from the Police Licencing and Regulatory Department.

The outgoing chairman said the club's finances are sound and added that he has loaned the club $1 million to tide things through.

On the obstacles he faced, Krishna said: "There have been challenges along the way, but it was a good learning experience.

"I have absolutely no regrets on the footballing experience I have had in the last six years and I will certainly continue supporting Singapore football."

Tampines striker Fazrul Nawaz said the players were surprised when Krishna informed them of his decision via WhatsApp before training yesterday but added that morale has not taken a hit.

He said: "Coach Jurgen (Raab) gathered us for a short meeting to explain the chairman's decision. Chairman said he will speak to us soon and we are looking forward to meeting him. As players, we just want to do our job and right now we are focused on today's game against Warriors FC."

The Stags are currently second in the S-League, seven points behind leaders Albirex Niigata.

Money woes aside, the club witnessed some highlights during Krishna's tenure, including the signing of former Arsenal and Liverpool winger Jermaine Pennant, a move which set the league alight last year, albeit briefly.

The Stags also reached the quarter-finals of the Asian Football Confederation Cup for the first time since 2007. The Cup run saw them become the first S-League club to play at the new National Stadium when they took on Selangor at the 55,000-capacity venue.


Very busuk: http://www.theindependent.sg/fas-deliberate-leaks-on-resign-letter-anger-tampines-rovers/

FAS ‘deliberate’ leaks on resign letter anger Tampines Rovers
June 22, 2017

SINGAPORE’S No 1 football club Tampines Rovers is reeling in shock that flamboyant chairman Krishna Ramachandra will step down “in the coming weeks”.

More impassioned smoke is coming from the five-time S-League champion that the boss’s restricted note to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) big-wigs was probably leaked out to the media, which has reportedly made the 46-year-old lawyer see red.

Close family members and friends say that Krishna wrote to FAS Chairman Lim Kia Tong and Deputy President Bernard Tan with a copy to SportSingapore Chief Executive Officer Lim Teck Yin earlier this week. But the private script is believed to have been deliberately circulated, in an apparent move to embarrass him.

Krishna declined to comment on the matter but close friends said he is “very disappointed and disgruntled that an internal note had been revealed”.

A S-League club vice-chairman, who asked not to be named, says: “It looks like he was sold down the river, a double-cross by the FAS leadership to smear Krishna. This is not honourable or humane to do.”

Krishna’s contentious relation with newcomer FAS Vice President Teo Hock Seng, the former Tampines Rovers president, also surfaced because there was reportedly bad blood after he took over the club in November 2015.

“The FAS top management has done this in very bad taste. They appear to have revealed the information to make Krishna look like a scapegoat. Such confidential notes must remain confidential,” said another FAS club official, who declined to be named.

Krishna is a top-ranked lawyer, who is Managing Director of Duane Morris & Selvam LLP in Singapore and of Selvam & Partners LLC in Myanmar. He is head of the Corporate Finance and Investment and Private Client Practice Groups.

MEDIA STATEMENT

He was not available for comment but in a media statement, he said the demands of his work meant he could no longer fulfill his role “at the level of intensity that is needed”.

“I intend to step down as chairman of TRFC in the coming weeks, in any event no earlier than after TRFC’s 2016 accounts have been audited and finalised. I will be dealing with all outstanding queries relating to TRFC’s statement of accounts before stepping down,” said Krishna, who was part of the Game Changers team which lost in the FAS election in April.

He will, however, remain as a committee member and help guide the new chairman. It is believed the club has proposed a candidate to the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) and is awaiting confirmation.

The outgoing chairman said he has loaned the club over $1 million and said the club is in a sound financial situation for now.

He said: “I have absolutely no regrets on the footballing experience I have had in the last six over years and I will certainly continue supporting Singapore football.”

UNHAPPY TAMPINES MOOD

The mood at Tampines Rovers, who are second in the S-League behind champion Albirex Niigata with 24 points from 11 matches, was one of dejection and despondency. Team officials and players shook their heads disappointed.

General Manager Desmund Khusnin said: “I’m very sad to see him resign but I’m glad he is still in the committee. I know first-hand he really cares for players and staff. His efforts and creative ways of raising the profile of the club and football in general should be applauded. I do hope he carry on contributing to Singapore football with his energy and out-of-box ideas.”

Award-winning SNOC ‘Coach of the Year 1981’ Jita Singh, who is overseeing youth development at Tampines, described Krishna as “brash, young and charismatic”.

He explains: “He’s got his own unique style of management like Nadesan Ganesan (former FAS Chairman of the mid-1970s). It was a learning experience for me, too, to adapt to his ways but he’s got a very big heart for the club and whatever he does, he means well, without being vindictive.”

Tampines Under-17 head coach P. Sugunan adds: “He’s an energetic chairman who loves football and enjoys the game very much. A football-thinking man I admire and look up too. He had plenty of dreams for Tampines and Singapore and it’s sad it has come to this crunch.”

DEMANDS OF LEGAL WORK

Corporate lawyer and former S-League Geylang International Vice-President Lau Kok Keng pointed to the “demands of legal work against the pressures of a top club chairman”. He says: “Based on the reason given by Krishna – that the demands of his work meant he could no longer fulfil his role as Chairman – I’m not at all surprised by his decision to step down.

“It can’t be easy helming a club with an illustrious history like Tampines Rovers. Even a seasoned official like Teo Hock Seng gave up the club’s chairmanship due to age and poor health (as reported), but still had enough in his tank to run for and serve in the FAS Council after leaving the club. That says something about the commitment to time and effort that is required to manage Tampines Rovers.

“Krishna is also first and foremost a practising lawyer, and managing a successful law firm in an increasingly highly competitive legal landscape here is no mean task. Time is a finite quantity, and he is entitled to decide which community projects his time is best spent on, having regard to the output that is produced, the environment within which he has to function, and the value his efforts can add and the material difference he can make to the project. That goes for every other volunteer official as well, including Krishna’s successor at Tampines Rovers.”

The coming weeks will decide the respective fallouts of Krishna’s unexpected exit. Back of his mind will surely be painful memories to how confidential notes to FAS President Lim Kia Tong were unsportingly exposed.

It’s just not fair play!

 

[scroobal]

$1m, quite a sum. Does not strike me as someone savvy with finances. Without the Jackpot machines I wonder how he thought the bills were going to be paid.

 

[gatehousethetinkertailor]

$1m, quite a sum. Does not strike me as someone savvy with finances. Without the Jackpot machines I wonder how he thought the bills were going to be paid.

http://m.todayonline.com/sports/tampines-rovers-must-be-financially-sound-krishna-leaves-fas

Quite the headline and note that they leaked his resignation and the revelation that he fronted a cool $1m for the club...they are really put for his blood for daring to come up against them...

Tampines Rovers must be financially sound before Krishna leaves: FAS

SINGAPORE – The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has promised to work with outgoing Tampines chairman Krishna Ramachandra to ensure that the club will be in good shape finally when he officially steps down from his position.

Krishna had publicly declared on Wednesday that he plans to leave his role as chairman of the Stags in the coming weeks, citing a busy work schedule as his reason for doing so.

The 45-year-old managing director of law firm Duane Morris & Selvam LLP also said that he would only step down once all of Tampines’ financial obligations were resolved.

One outstanding financial issue facing the S.League outfit is a legal request from former sponsors Komoco Motors for the repayment of a sum of S$190,000, although the club has disputed the veracity of Komoco’s claims.

Tampines also needs to pay off a S$750,000 interest-free “credit line” loan, which they took from Taiwanese company Nogle in July last year. They are expected to start doing so in installments from next year.

While Krishna has signaled his intent to step down in the “coming weeks”, the FAS said that they will make certain all these issues are resolved before he does so.

Said FAS vice president Edwin Tong: “You can’t stop someone from wanting to step down, but what we (the FAS) can do is to ensure that the club he (Krishna) leaves behind is financially sound, has proper structures, and is not disrupted by (the) resignation.

“We must also assess that apart from financial stability… whether it’s the right time to (step down) in the context of it being in mid-season, and in the context of the changes being considered for the S.League. I think the council will grapple with these issues when we reach a decision with the club.

“But we are in touch with Krishna, and we also see that he has given statements that he intends to ensure the financial stability of the club, so I’m sure we’d be able to work it out in good time.”

Tong confirmed that Tampines’ loan repayment to Nogle, as well as Komoco’s legal demand to the club, would be “part and parcel” of their discussions with Krishna and his team.

He added that the FAS council will not be setting a deadline on when these issues need to be resolved.

“On both sides, we have a desire to want to work very quickly towards getting this sorted out,” he said.

“But it depends on the nature of the issues, so I don’t want to put my finger on a particular timeline.”

Krishna took over Tampines from former chairman Teo Hock Seng in November 2015.

Under his stewardship, the club tried to inject life into local football and the S.League by signing former Liverpool and Arsenal player Jermaine Pennant last year.

Eschewing clubhouse jackpot operations as a source of revenue, Tampines also tried to set up a football academy in partnership with Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho as an alternative income stream but the venture ultimately did not take off.

However, these initiatives, along with Tampines’ heavy spending on former LionsXII players for last season, resulted in the club experiencing financial difficulties. Krishna has since revealed that he had to contribute over S$1 million from his own pocket to aid the club.

Tong also refuted claims that have surfaced online alleging that it was the FAS who leaked confidential information of Ramachandra’s impending resignation.

The senior counsel, who is a partner at law firm Allen & Gledhill, said sternly: “It is not in our interest to have confidential information that is going between FAS and its club members and stakeholders to be leaked...it’s not right. We have very strict policies in place, and that covers confidential information.

“So you can be sure that the council did not leak this information, as has been suggested.”

FAS president Lim Kia Tong added: “This council takes the issue of integrity very seriously, and as such, it’s unimaginable that the leak has come from anyone of us, if indeed there was a leak at all.”

 

[scroobal]

Goodness me, this completely paints Krishna differently. They are basically asking him to clear the mess he created. Not sure if realises that running a football club is for adults.

 

[gatehousethetinkertailor]

Goodness me, this completely paints Krishna differently. They are basically asking him to clear the mess he created. Not sure if realises that running a football club is for adults.

MIL and FIL will definitely not be pleased with this negative publicity as they have always been very low-key over the duration of their careers and seldom featured in the public space for anything else but the work/reputation they have cultivated so carefully.

What a mess. Krishna has really been played and now being played - I sense they are not done with him yet as they are also obviously tarnishing his reputation as a lawyer and the managing partner of a law firm that can be trusted with financial matters, the bread and butter of his practice. His abrupt decision to step down after the fiasco with FAS elections was somewhat naive but probably he was getting a feel already where this would be heading next. His comment about "work comments" just flies in the face of his attempted candidacy of FAS as VP and the proclamations made around that role and his involvement. Hopefully for him he can somehow extract himself with less damage done.

Very very busuk.

 

[micromachine]

Just fucking scrap the S-league already, nobody watches except for a few punters and the coaches themselves.

 

[Semaj2357]

MIL and FIL will definitely not be pleased with this negative publicity as they have always been very low-key over the duration of their careers and seldom featured in the public space for anything else but the work/reputation they have cultivated so carefully.

What a mess. Krishna has really been played and now being played - I sense they are not done with him yet as they are also obviously tarnishing his reputation as a lawyer and the managing partner of a law firm that can be trusted with financial matters, the bread and butter of his practice. His abrupt decision to step down after the fiasco with FAS elections was somewhat naive but probably he was getting a feel already where this would be heading next. His comment about "work comments" just flies in the face of his attempted candidacy of FAS as VP and the proclamations made around that role and his involvement. Hopefully for him he can somehow extract himself with less damage done.

Very very busuk.

and this stinks to high heaven, courtesy of vp hock sack, no doubt.

 

[scroobal]

Much of it is Krishna's fault. Its poor judgement and leadership - removed the clubs's financial support mechanism, took onerous loans, brought in an expensive performing clown from the UK, his brother running his own ill-conceived scheme with unpaid salaries and bills using the name of the club etc. And picking the wrong side. His in-laws who built the firm are still running it with his wife and the MD title is a show from what I can gather.

and this stinks to high heaven, courtesy of vp hock sack, no doubt.

 

[gatehousethetinkertailor]

Much of it is Krishna's fault. Its poor judgement and leadership - removed the clubs's financial support mechanism, took onerous loans, brought in an expensive performing clown from the UK, his brother running his own ill-conceived scheme with unpaid salaries and bills using the name of the club etc. And picking the wrong side. His in-laws who built the firm are still running it with his wife and the MD title is a show from what I can gather.

Its always been the MIL for the corporate work and after stepping down from the bench, the FIL for contentious work but not in the public arena usually (he is getting on in age) - K's wife Priya is completely not practising law anymore - manages the equine vet practice with her sister, Roshni.

 

[Bigfuck]

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/sg/features/fas-elections-candidates-profiles