A businessman, an architect and younger brother rallied to ex-charity chief’s aid
By K.C. Vijayan 17 June 2012
Mr. T.T. Durai raised record millions for the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) as its chief executive officer, but when he had to pay the charity more than $4 million or face bankruptcy, three men rallied behind him.
They helped him in clearing his $4.05 million debt last year.
The three were businessman Charles Letts, architect Albert Hong, and Mr. Durai’s younger brother, a business consultant.
The lead contributor was Mr. Letts, who at 93 is arguably the oldest chief executive in the Central Business District. Mr. Durai himself is said to have been stunned when Mr. Letts handed him a cheque for a substantial sum.
Mr. Letts told The Sunday Times: ‘I’ve got my own convictions. They usually lead me to do the right thing.’
He declined to say how much he gave Mr. Durai, describing it as a ‘personal matter’. But he said it reflected their long friendship, going back 30 years, as well as what he thought of the former NKF chief.
‘I think he led the NKF brilliantly. He is one of the many people I helped. I help any friend,’ said Mr. Letts.
Mr. Durai and three other former NKF board members landed in hot water after he sued Singapore Press Holdings in 2005 over an article in The Straits Times.
He withdrew the defamation suit after his $600,000 annual salary, first-class air travel and other details of his time in office were made public. The revelations led to public outrage and Mr. Durai and the entire NKF board stepped down.
In 2007, the NKF sued Mr. Durai and the other three to recover about $12 million that had been ‘improperly paid out or used by the former board and CEO’.
Mr. Durai paid up what he owed in 11 instalments, and the NKF recently closed its chapter on Mr. Durai and the others.
Based in Singapore, Mr. Durai now runs his own consultancy and, among other things, promotes an anti-ageing product.
‘Now he is doing very well, travelling all over the world,’ said Mr. Letts, adding with a smile that Mr. Durai is dealing in a product that helps ‘older men get younger’ and recently helped an American doctor set up an aesthetics practice in Indonesia.
Making clear what he thought of Mr. Durai, he said: ‘I hold him in great esteem. You would if you knew him well. I am more than ever impressed by his ability. He is strong and healthy and a good family man.’
Wheelchair-bound, diffident and camera-shy, Mr. Letts runs a company looking after his various interests, including palm oil in Indonesia and gold mining in Australia, Brazil and Argentina.
He has worked in the region since before World War II and was spared execution by the Japanese in 1945 because of the war’s timely end. He was knighted by the Norwegian government for his work with Norwegian seamen decades ago.
The Sunday Times learnt that RSP Architects, Planners and Engineers chairman Albert Hong and Mr. Durai’s younger brother also helped round off in loans the total sum he needed to pay the NKF.
A source said Mr. Durai was determined not to be made a bankrupt as he felt he had not done anything wrong while working for the NKF.
‘He has no regrets about having worked in the charity field. His deep regret is in not being able to help his three colleagues stave off bankruptcy as they did a lot of volunteer work,’ added the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
‘Dr. Hong, out of his own good heart and in recognition of Durai’s immense work for the NKF, also gave a scholarship for his daughter to study medicine abroad,’ he added.
Dr. Hong, who is currently overseas, grew RSP into a major architectural and engineering practice with projects worldwide.
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How did T.T. Durai clear $4m debt to NKF?
A businessman, an architect and younger brother rallied to ex-charity chief’s aid
By K.C. Vijayan
17 June 2012
Mr. T.T. Durai raised record millions for the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) as its chief executive officer, but when he had to pay the charity more than $4 million or face bankruptcy, three men rallied behind him.
They helped him in clearing his $4.05 million debt last year.
The three were businessman Charles Letts, architect Albert Hong, and Mr. Durai’s younger brother, a business consultant.
The lead contributor was Mr. Letts, who at 93 is arguably the oldest chief executive in the Central Business District. Mr. Durai himself is said to have been stunned when Mr. Letts handed him a cheque for a substantial sum.
Mr. Letts told The Sunday Times: ‘I’ve got my own convictions. They usually lead me to do the right thing.’
He declined to say how much he gave Mr. Durai, describing it as a ‘personal matter’. But he said it reflected their long friendship, going back 30 years, as well as what he thought of the former NKF chief.
‘I think he led the NKF brilliantly. He is one of the many people I helped. I help any friend,’ said Mr. Letts.
Mr. Durai and three other former NKF board members landed in hot water after he sued Singapore Press Holdings in 2005 over an article in The Straits Times.
He withdrew the defamation suit after his $600,000 annual salary, first-class air travel and other details of his time in office were made public. The revelations led to public outrage and Mr. Durai and the entire NKF board stepped down.
In 2007, the NKF sued Mr. Durai and the other three to recover about $12 million that had been ‘improperly paid out or used by the former board and CEO’.
Mr. Durai paid up what he owed in 11 instalments, and the NKF recently closed its chapter on Mr. Durai and the others.
Based in Singapore, Mr. Durai now runs his own consultancy and, among other things, promotes an anti-ageing product.
‘Now he is doing very well, travelling all over the world,’ said Mr. Letts, adding with a smile that Mr. Durai is dealing in a product that helps ‘older men get younger’ and recently helped an American doctor set up an aesthetics practice in Indonesia.
Making clear what he thought of Mr. Durai, he said: ‘I hold him in great esteem. You would if you knew him well. I am more than ever impressed by his ability. He is strong and healthy and a good family man.’
Wheelchair-bound, diffident and camera-shy, Mr. Letts runs a company looking after his various interests, including palm oil in Indonesia and gold mining in Australia, Brazil and Argentina.
He has worked in the region since before World War II and was spared execution by the Japanese in 1945 because of the war’s timely end. He was knighted by the Norwegian government for his work with Norwegian seamen decades ago.
The Sunday Times learnt that RSP Architects, Planners and Engineers chairman Albert Hong and Mr. Durai’s younger brother also helped round off in loans the total sum he needed to pay the NKF.
A source said Mr. Durai was determined not to be made a bankrupt as he felt he had not done anything wrong while working for the NKF.
‘He has no regrets about having worked in the charity field. His deep regret is in not being able to help his three colleagues stave off bankruptcy as they did a lot of volunteer work,’ added the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
‘Dr. Hong, out of his own good heart and in recognition of Durai’s immense work for the NKF, also gave a scholarship for his daughter to study medicine abroad,’ he added.
Dr. Hong, who is currently overseas, grew RSP into a major architectural and engineering practice with projects worldwide.
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