Royston Tan’s first English feature film is a trilogy of tales, one of which is inspired by Janelle Leo.

PHOTO: Carol Lee

Director and producer of acclaimed films such as 881, 15 and 12 Lotus, Royston Tan’s first English language film, The Birdsong Trilogy explores three themes: passion, betrayal and forgiveness.

City News: This is your first English feature film. How do you think it stretches you as a director?
Before this, I’ve only done either Hokkien or Mandarin films. Trying to make a Singaporean English film seem natural is difficult, as the lingo is different. Because we are so used to speaking ‘Singlish, it just feels weird hearing perfect English.

CN: Why did you base your stories on those three themes?
Because these are the basic experiences we go through in life. We fall in love; we are betrayed, be it in love or friendship, but the most important lesson we can learn is forgiveness. If you do not forgive, you are actually suffering more than the person you can’t forgive. I came to the realization that sadly, many people stop at betrayal. It’s also a reflection of my life journey, how I have grown.

CN: Will we be seeing more English language films from you after Birdsong?
I feel that after this, I can do better. I still feel a lot for Mandarin films, because they are full of hidden meanings. They contain the flavor of human expressions. But I had this fear of doing an English film, hence I made myself confront the fear. And now that I have done it, I can do better at it.

CN: Which of the three stories is your favorite?
I like them all, because there is something different in each of them. The first story on passion is a whimsical musical love ballad. For the second, on betrayal, I drew inspiration from my friends and their experiences. The final story on forgiveness, I was inspired by my friendship with a 4-year-old girl, Janelle, who was undergoing treatment for cancer. She was meant to play the lead role, but because she was quite weak during the time of filming, I had to release her from the 14-hour shoot. I was very touched by how brave and positive she is; she taught me a lot. I used to top my school in art, and I would draw cards for others when I saw how down or discouraged they were. However, I had stopped drawing for a long while. When I visited Janelle, I drew her a monkey, which she colored in. She was so happy with the simple monkey that I bought a notebook and drew more than 40 animals in it for her, which she is coloring in now. That incident helped me to reconnect with myself; it reminded me of how I used to be. Even my mother commented that it’s been a long time since she saw me draw anything. When I saw Janelle’s courage and strength, I realized that many times, children give us the best solutions. So I modeled the last show after her. Although she is not physically in the show and it’s not her life story, I want it to represent her strength and spirit.

The Birdsong Trilogy will be telecast on March 28 on Okto at 10 p.m.

The drama team uploads a 21st century Easter story.

Over the years, City Harvest’s Easter production has gained a reputation for its original storylines that underscore the significance of the season in contemporary yet relevant ways.

This year’s drama is titled Life-book and director Jaslynn Khoo, promises that the churchgoers will not be disappointed. She refuses to reveal much except that while Easter plays are typically period dramas, Life-book takes place in modern times.

The publicity postcard provides a hint: Both the title and graphic interface bear close resemblance to Facebook. Khoo reveals that “[social networking] will be a tool in the drama and will be instrumental in whatever happens in the plot.”

CHC’s creative director, KC Gan is even more cryptic. “What price are we willing to pay to ‘win’? If we have to win at all cost, have we already lost? The drama will explore these issues and struggles, through the gospel story presented from a new angle.”

Cast member Timothy Wan says, “I think people will enjoy seeing the story of Jesus being told in a relatable and modern manner.”
Despite the contemporary setting, Khoo says that there will be “parallel scenes” in the story to help the audience relate to the story of Jesus. “It will almost feel as if Jesus is walking among us in the 21st century.”

Life-book will be performed at seven services next weekend, starting from Good Friday.

This single mother inspires many with her tremendous courage.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CECILIA QUAH

Seven years ago Cecilia Quah thought all was lost when she separated from her husband. Yet, in spite of the heartbreak and disappointment, she picked herself up and was determined to move on in life, to raise and shoulder the expenses of bringing up her two children (both below 10 years of age then) single-handedly.

Although a single mother, Quah had a strong desire to bring love and happiness to those around her. She decided to join City Harvest Community Services Association as a volunteer to work with underprivileged children. Her motivation was to give these young ones “a glimpse of hope in this broken world.”

While Quah’s road to recovery was particularly challenging, she managed to balance the demands of her job as a teacher and being  both “mummy” and “daddy” to her children.

Her role as a single mother with a passion for teaching is not one for the faint-hearted. Quah recalls times when she had to walk in the rain to send her children to school, even before the school gates opened, so that she could hurry off to teach in the morning session.

On top of her personal challenges, Quah also took on the responsibility of finding her unemployed father a job, and enrolling her younger brother, an early school leaver, into a private school so that he could attain some skills.

As a volunteer for CHCSA, Quah visited and helped many children from low-income families by giving them free tuition. She even sponsored some of them for enrichment camps. Often, Quah would go the extra mile to help parents cope with various stages of parenthood by offering practical assistance and sharing her experiences.

Through her volunteer work, Quah noticed that some of the children under her care had hidden talents. She sought the permission of the parents and brought these children to audition for the first musical production by YoungTalents, which was staged at the Victoria Theatre in 2008. Her efforts paid off when these children were given the opportunity to perform on stage.

Yeow Yong Wen, a 10-year-old girl who has central processing learning disability, gave an outstanding performance on the night of the musical. For Yeow, this proved to be a great morale booster, and she has since become more confident and vocal.

Despite a life that is full of pressing and urgent demands, Quah keeps increasing her capacity as an individual, seeking to improve the quality of life for others with her unceasing, tireless acts of kindness and service to her family, her students and the children whom she volunteers for.

Since January this year, CityCare has sent teams to help the Haitians in Carrefour. The next phase of aid is to raise funds and help rebuild the town.

Contributed By Wayne Chan

A formal letter of appreciation to CityCare from Mayor of Carrefour

The most recent reports about Haiti say that Port-Au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, still needs much help. Widespread hunger is a key concern; social problems like child prostitution have reared their ugly heads. These can only be brought under control if basic needs are met. The temporary housing, namely tents, are mostly built on slopes due to the unevenness of the ground post-quake. A flash flood last week destroyed one such housing site. Aid groups are rushing to stabilize living conditions for 200,000 displaced Haitians.

Aid to Haiti must continue and does. Most recently, the British government and public donated GBP121 million and pledged long-term aid.

For CityCare, the non-profit organization that sent six aid teams between January and March to help administer medical aid and bring supplies, the town it chose to help appears to be ahead of the curve in its recovery.

Carrefour is a poor area in the Port-Au-Prince metropolitan area, and has an estimated population of about 400,000.

Working with a local church there, the Church of Light, CityCare saw a total of  7,943 patients in Carrefour. The organization’s teams comprised doctors, nurses, other medical personnel and volunteer workers. A total of 12 doctors volunteered their time to join the Haitian relief trips.

Kenneth Sim, 40, CityCare’s field director, explained that though the Singapore teams have returned, the makeshift clinic set up by them remains to serve the people of Carrefour.

“Our clinic saved many lives and treated many of the casualties and the sick in Carrefour. The Mayor was very grateful and thanked us. After our last team left on March 6, we handed our operations over to two American medical teams who are still running the clinic today.”

To date, CityCare has spent S$374,438 on medical supplies, four-man tents, water filters, solar lamps, cards and balloons for the children, among other items, for the people in Carrefour.

For the tireless support the organization had shown Carrefour, the town’s Mayor wrote an official letter of thanks to CityCare. Sim also noted that their partners in Carrefour, the Church of Light has seen more than 300 new people join the church.

Sim also told City New that now that things are beginning to stabilize in the town, the organization’s plan to set up an orphanage is underway.

“Our counterpart is securing the land by the end of March,” he said. “They can begin construction in May. The challenge we face is mainly a matter of funds, because the cost of building has gone up now that it is mandatory that buildings constructed must be able to withstand earthquakes up to a certain magnitude.”

When completed, the orphanage will house 100 orphans.

Although Carrefour is seeing progress, Sim noted, “There is a lot more to be done in and for Haiti. In Singapore, CityCare is working with Flyer Entertainment to hold a fund-raising concert this June to help to build homes for the displaced Haitians.”

Haiti is but one of CityCare’s many beneficiaries. In Sri Lanka, a “widow center” will be completed in early April. In China, CityCare is currently building schools in Sichuan and Yunnan, plus student dormitories in Guizhou and Inner Mongolia.

This movie brings to life the popular Diary Of A Wimpy Kid book series by Jeff Kinney. The essence of the Napolean-esque pre-teen Greg Heffley is beautifully captured by the angel-faced Zachary Gordon.

Greg is the egotistical middle child in the Heffley family sandwiched between annoying teen older bully-brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick), and little brother Manny (Connor and Owen Fielding).

Greg and his goody-two-shoes best pal Rowley (Robert Capron) have just started middle school. Greg is convinced that he will be the most popular guy in school before term is over.

But he is limited by his dimunitive stature (which is diametrically opposed to his self-confidence). He and Rowley find themselves outcasts, eating their lunch next to the dustbin.

Determined to gain respect, Greg joins the wrestling club (only to be trashed by a girl), the school safety patrol (only to be kicked out when he leaves the kindergarteners he’s tasked to protect, in a ditch in the rain), the school musical (only to be cast as a tree).
So blinded is he by his quest that he lets Rowley take the blame for his abandonment of the kindergarteners, and in a freak accident, causes Rowley to break his arm. Schoolmates ask to sign his cast, and soon Rowley is sitting with the prettiest girls in school. Greg, on the other hand, finds himself the most unpopular boy around.

A well-paced,well-acted morality tale that has both kids and the parents thinking hard about the importance of character in a dog-eat-dog world, Wimpy Kid the movie succeeds in transcending the puerile gags in the books, to teach a valuable lesson in integrity.

Rating:

A new batch of volunteers undergo an Enablers’ Orientation session to empower them to serve effectively.

Contributed By Shaun Isaac

CN PHOTO: Andy Loh

Set up in March 1996, City Harvest Community Services Association has become a household name in Singapore. Part of their mission statement is “to be an effective service provider to every client, regardless of race, language or religion.”

Having stayed true to their vision, CHCSA has clients in every aspect of the community. Ranging from children, youth, elderly, and the terminally-ill, the association has been providing support and help through the contributions of their volunteers, numbering just under 1,000.

Being a volunteer takes more than just showing up. CHCSA takes pains to train volunteers so that they can be better prepared to serve as effectively as possible. Volunteers are known as “Enablers.”

“We coined the term ‘Enabler’ as we want our volunteers to be individuals who impact the beneficiaries positively in such a way that their interaction will allow both the Enabler and beneficiary to develop and grow,” states Darryl Loh, Executive Director of CHCSA.

As is the case with many community service organizations, although there is a high demand for volunteers, there are also certain requirements that need to be met should anyone wish to contribute time to the community. Enablers recruited need to fulfill the requirements of being “SHARP”: Sensitive, Happening, Always positive, Responsible and Pro-active.

On March 20, CHCSA held the first Enablers’ Orientation of 2010. Over 40 Enablers braved a cold and wet Saturday morning to report for their orientation at The Riverwalk on Upper Circular Road. From all walks of life, these Enablers came together for what was to be an eventful Saturday morning.

After presenting the vision and core values of the association, the staff provided an overview of the services offered by the association. Throughout the presentation, the Enablers were attentive, and were quick to ask questions after the presentation.

The highlight of the day was the session on team building and interaction. The staff engaged the Enablers through a series of games which required them to think through and solve problems with teamwork, trust and effective communication.

Through the activities, the Enablers realized the importance of trusting one another. “We may all help out in different services within the association, but we are really all part of one family,” says Sheryl Lim, 26, a social worker at CHCSA.

“I decided to become an Enabler working with youth because I believe that the youth are our future. Shaping their lives is essentially shaping the future,” says Bernard Lau, 20, a student.

CHCSA views its volunteers as valuable assets to the association. Because of the help of all their Enablers, the organization has been able to reach out to the community and impact society in significant ways.

“All our Enablers are important because they are our extended arms and legs that help us meet the needs of our clients and serve the community,” quips Lim.

COPE–A Community Outreach Program for the Elderly

POD–People Of Destiny is a youth center set up by CHCSA, in collaboration with Tampines Changkat Citizens’ Consultat ive Committee and Ministry of Community Development Youth & Sports

KITE–Kids In Total Embrace encompasses Smartkids Tuition as well as YoungTalents programs

RAYZ–RAYZ aims to provide a “ray of hope” to the intellectually- challenged

Talking Hands–Talking Hands is an outreach for the hearing-impaired in the community

FIRST Hand–Friends In Reaching and Serving the Terminally-ill reaches out to patients suffering from HIV/Aids

MS Care–MS Care is a service dedicated to supporting people living with Multiple Sclerosis

STAR Families–STrengthening And Restoring the family unit in society

M3–Mighty Men in the Making provides rehabilitation services for inmates and ex-offenders

The Columbian mega-church pastor shares the keys to being a fruitful Christian.

CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

Founder of the 200,000-strong International Charismatic Missions Church in Bogota, Columbia, Cesar Castellanos is a heavyweight in the field of soul-winning, evangelism and multiplication. The church, having more than 45,000 weekly cell group meetings, is making world-shaking impact in its city and all around South America.

The minister addressed the congregation at City Harvest Church’s English service at Jurong West on March 21.
Castellanos began his ministry with eight people, using his living room to hold their meetings. After nine long years of struggling to grow the church, God showed him a vision that would cause his ministry to expand exponentially. His vision, parallel to that of Abraham’s in Genesis 12, was for spiritual children numbering hundreds of thousands, just like countless grains of sand on the beach and stars in the sky.

Discouraged by the lack of visible and effective retention, yet desperate to see his vision come to pass, Castellanos sought hard after God’s heart in prayer for an answer. His hunger for a breakthrough led him to David Yonggi Cho, founder of the 750,000-member Yoido Full Gospel Church; the largest standalone church in Asia and in the world.

Castellanos was deeply inspired by his mentor’s faith in building YFGC amidst difficult times and applied what he learned to his own ministry. Taking Cho’s concept of having weekly home cell groups to the next level, Castellanos established the
G12 Vision.

The G12 Vision was birthed from the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, also known as the “Government of Twelve Vision.” It is a home cell group structure modeled after Jesus’ practice of training 12 disciples, 11 of whom were to become true witnesses of Christ.

A typical home cell group has 12 individuals who in turn become 12 leaders for their own groups of 12. Through this principle, MCI has grown steadily over the past 15 years.

The G12 Vision is also to see Christians following after the character of Jesus, their lives changed by the power of His Blood and through the power of the Cross.

Emphasizing that prayer is an essential component in every meeting, Castellanos exhorts his members to seek after the Holy Spirit in all that they do.

A father of five children; four daughters and one son, with two granddaughters, Castellanos shared his thoughts on his burden for youth in this current day and age.

“The youth are always a blessing to the ministry; they always bring new and refreshing ideas to engage our present society.” Going further, he also playfully commented that his children had signed him up on social networking site, Facebook, in order to make family life more contemporary and relational.

Recounting his life testimony, Castellanos, like many of us, was initially a non-believer of Jesus and the Christian faith. Formerly an atheist, he wanted to disprove the accuracy of the written Word. In his readings, it was ironic that the Word acted as a mirror to his soul and helped address certain sins and personal issues at heart. Leading up to his salvation, Castellanos had a strong desire to serve and fulfill God’s purpose for his life.

Coming to the crux and Castellanos’ true message, however, questioned the aspect of being fruitful in our daily walk with God, lest we meet with an unexpected end. To illustrate this, he told the congregation of two incidents when he came face to face with death—one was a gunfight, the other when he was stabbed in the chest. The pastor highlighted how God provides many chances for Christians to bear good fruit, and urged the people not to think of fruitfulness only as praise and worship, good works or good character, but Christlikeness, a dedication to daily soul-winning.

Castellanos ended the service by giving two altar calls and challenging the congregation to stir up their passion for the lost.

Eileen Tan, 22, undergraduate attended the service and left inspired. “Pastor Cesar’s testimonies were beyond ordinary—they were captivating. The dramatic experiences he had were just amazing. His message impacted and convicted me deeply. I’m now motivated to evangelize and bear good fruit.”

Children and people with special needs prove that regardless of age or limitation, everyone can do their part for charity.

CN PHOTOS: Michael Chan

The sound of young voices singing reverberated from television sets all over Singapore as 30 children from YoungTalents, an arm of City Harvest Community Services Association, took to the stage in the opening act of the Thong Chai Charity Night.

Telecast live on Channel 8 from MediaCorp’s TV Theatre, the children, aged between five and 11, joined Campus Superstar 2009 winner, Jarod Lee, 15, and runner-up, Ai Jia, 16, to perform the fundraiser’s theme song, “Shou Hu”.

The star-studded TV fundraiser also featured international superstar Jackie Chan, and Hong Kong singer Wakin Chau. But these stars were not the only stars that night.

Also pitching in to raise funds that evening was a group of 11 individuals with special needs, representing RAYZ, a department of CHCSA that caters to the intellectually-challenged.  Their simple sincerity, seen in the expressions on their faces, touched many hearts as they used sign language to accompany veteran artiste Zhuang Xue Fang as she rendered her evergreen hit, “Gan En De Xin”.

Performing alongside them were contestants from MediaCorp’s Channel 8 reality show, Super Mummy, who were moved by what these special needs people could do despite their challenges they. “I really admire them; they picked up the tune in no time,” said contestant, Natalie Lee, 35.

This can-do attitude towards doing their part for the community regardless of age or ability lies at the heart of YoungTalents’ and RAYZ’s involvement in Singapore Thong Chai Medical Institute’s first-ever television charity show.

“We have received a lot from the community, so when there is a chance for us to do something in return, we should definitely take that opportunity,” said Santhi Singaram, program coordinator for RAYZ’s item. “Sign language is something that they are skilled at, so that was their gift to the show.”

The program coordinator for YoungTalent’s item, Constance Yong, echoed Singaram’s sentiments. “We want to ensure that we don’t just perform, but in whatever we do, we are giving back to society,” said Yong.

Other performers who did not let their limitations hinder them from making a contribution included physically-impaired dancing duo, Ma Li and Zhai Xiao Wei, as well as singers Ricky Hsiao and Kelvin Tan, both blind.

The Chinese dancers each lost a limb in devastating vehicle accidents. Even though Ma is missing her right arm and Zhai, his left leg, their heartfelt determination in overcoming their handicap is an inspiration to all, especially those who are physically-challenged. Donations poured in as the pair effortlessly careened around the stage, cleverly using Zhai’s wheelchair and crutch as props.

Hsiao, a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, and Tan, winner of Project SuperStar 2005, also impressed studio audience and TV viewers with their flawless solo and duet song items.

The strength of the human spirit expressed in these performances resonates well with CHCSA and STCMI as both organizations share a steadfast commitment to the community at large, irrespective of race or religion.

CHCSA espouses an ethos of extending practical demonstrations of love, especially to the marginalized of society, which includes the elderly, the young, the intellectually-challenged and the physically-impaired.

STCMI was started as a charitable clinic in 1867 and has been serving people by providing free medical consultation and traditional Chinese medicine for over a hundred years. The television fundraiser was held as part of efforts to expand the institution’s 33-year-old building at Chin Swee Road, housing its clinic, as well as to upgrade its medical facilities and equipment.

The theme song, “Shou Hu”, meaning “watching over,” aptly reflects STCMI’s work in partnering with the public to watch over patients in need, helping them towards recovery. The song was specially composed for the event by SuperBand 2008 runner-up, Da Feng Chui, with lyrics penned by solo artiste, Lin Jiayu.

“The song is about the challenging life that patients lead,” said Lin, 25, contemplating the words of the ballad. “If everybody can do their part in love, every patient will eventually see their rainbow,” he continued.

Da Feng Chui’s keyboardist, Estella Sia, 27, added that they hoped the song could, “encourage the patients, and also thank their parents, caregivers, and [STCMI] on [the patients’] behalf.”

Speaking about their involvement in the show, 29-year-old lead singer of the band, Zhen Liang said, “If foreign artistes like Jackie Chan and Wakin Chau can travel here just to perform for charity, all the more we should be helping our fellow Singaporeans.”

Concurring with him was young singing champion, Lee. “I don’t mind doing more charity shows because it can help more people,” he quipped.

The international guests who showed support for the event, apart from Chan and Chau, included TV star Michelle Yim and singer Sky Wu.

Renowned for his kungfu flicks and Hollywood crossovers such as Shanghai Knights, Chan, who is also STCMI’s charity ambassador, announced during the show that he was personally donating S$100,000 to the institution’s cause.

Being in such fine company, the YoungTalents found themselves starstruck. Flash bulbs went into overdrive as the friendly actor obliged the children and special needs people with a photo opportunity backstage.

Many of the YoungTalents will remember the evening because of the celebrities they got to meet. RAYZ client Jun Quan, 23, was excited to have had a chance to interact on stage with one of the night’s host, local actor Mark Lee.

Quan, 23, told City News, “I am so excited to meet all the actors and actresses in MediaCorp.” A big fan of celebrities, Quan endearingly refers to himself as Jay Chou, after the Taiwanese pop idol.

For others, participating in the show marked their maiden appearance on national television. Asked why the night was special, 5-year-old Ephraim Tan from YoungTalents gushed, “Because I got to appear on TV!”

By the end of the three-hour event, S$7.23 million had been raised for STCMI from members of the public and corporate donors.

Family-run Ngai Hakka serves up simple yet well-done authentic Hakka fare.

PHOTO: Terence J.R.Lee

At the Ngai Hakka kiosk at Bukit Timah Plaza, the food is simple yet well-prepared—the kind you crave for most when you’re overseas and homesick. Serving a capacity crowd at lunchtime on a Saturday, this stall seems to have found a formula for success.

Staff members are friendly and approachable. This being my first experience with Lei Cha Fan (Thunder Tea Rice, S$4.50, S$5.00 with brown rice), I asked the waitress how it was supposed to be eaten. “Some people mix it with the tea, but you don’t have to,” she said. “For a stronger flavor, don’t mix it. You should give it a try first. The taste might be unfamiliar, but the more you eat, the tastier it is.”

Lei Cha Fan is rice topped with long beans, tau kwa, chai po (pickled radish), chye sim, cabbage and peanut, served with a green tea “soup” mixed with basil, sesame seeds and mint. I chose to have it with brown rice, which proved to be the tasty thing to do.

It was a textural treat, crunchy vegetables and yielding nutty rice grains complemented by the flavor of hay bee (dried small prawns). Though initially salty, the flavor is balanced by the strong, cooling tea, creating a dish that gets better and better towards the end.

The Niang Dou Fu (S$4.50, ala carte pieces also available) offered another textural surprise—minced pork sandwiched by soya bean skin and fried till crunchy. It surprises by being savory and meaty beyond the initial crunch. The Stewed Pork (S$4.50) is well-prepared though unexceptional. The fat is rich and creamy without being too oily, and the meat is spiced with star anise and cloves. Served with rice, this is real comfort food.
Ngai Hakka is relatively generous with its servings—you are pleasantly full at the end, with room just enough for dessert.

Dessert is gingko nut, beancurd skin and barley (S$1.80) simmered in soy milk. When I asked what the dish was called in Chinese, she simply replied, “Gingko nut, beancurd skin and barley.” The Cantonese have a similar version they call fu chok. The soy milk gave the dish a depth of flavor that its water-based cousins lack. The sweetness of the ingredients makes this a pleasant, balanced hot dessert to soothe the stomach.

I enjoy the care that the owners take with their food. This is evident in their takeaway boxes, which have separate compartment for the starch and the ingredients, so your meal tastes just as it should even in the office. Overall, this is good old comfort food, perfect after a busy day.

Ngai Hakka
1 Jalan Anak Bukit
#02-K46
Bukit Timah Plaza
Open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Rating:

Suntec Singapore issues stakeholder CHC a license agreement for the use of the building; it is a win-win arrangement for both.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNTEC

On March 6, 2010, City Harvest Church announced that it will be moving to a new, central location at Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre in March 2011.

The primary reason for this move is to house its growing congregation of 33,000, and to allow the church to better serve its members. Currently, CHC operates out of two locations: its Jurong West Street 91 premise which holds 2,300 in its auditorium, and Singapore Expo Hall 8, which the church has been renting since the end of 2005 to hold two English services on the weekend.

As the church has many activities during the week, such as leaders’ meetings, prayer meetings and Bible study sessions, members regularly have to commute across the island for different meetings at different locations across the island.

Currently, the smaller services such as those for the intellectually-challenged (Jesus for All Minds or JAMs service) and the elderly are only held at at the Jurong West church. This means that such individuals in the East may not have a chance to attend service due to the distance.

Having a central location would mean that members have ease of access by public transport, and would take less than an hour to commute to from nearly any other part of Singapore.

The hunt for a central location began in 2005 and has culminated with Suntec Singapore. From April 2010, Suntec Singapore will be within walking distance of three MRT stations: City Hall, the Promenade and the Esplanade. There is also ample parking within Suntec and the surrounding areas, including Marina Square and Pan Pacific Hotel.

In its license agreement with Suntec Singapore, CHC has use of the Level 6 convention halls, the Gallery on Level 3 and the 600-seat Theatre on Level 2. With the amount of space CHC now has access to, the Church can bring all its services under one roof.

Facts And Figures

Suntec Singapore was acquired by ARA Asset Management Limited through the ARA Harmony Fund last year. Harmony Fund’s investors comprise Suntec REIT (which holds 20 percent) and a consortium company which holds 80 percent. CHC has bought a stake in this consortium.

Through a special purpose investment holding company wholly-owned by CHC, the church has acquired and holds an indirect minority stake in the holding company of Suntec Convention Centre. Using this special purpose investment allows for distinct accounting for the investment and segregates the investment from other regular activities of CHC, meaning that the financial risk for the Church is limited to that company. This private entity does not have charitable status and is not entitled to any tax or other concessions.

The issue has raised some questions, as the media inaccurately reported that CHC directly holds the stake in Suntec Singapore and purchased it for S$310 million.

As reported in the March 6 issue of City News, the sum of S$310 million covers rental costs, renovation and equipment costs, rental deposits, periodic shifting costs and other items, over and above the cost of the shares. (See What Does Our S$310m Building Fund Pay For?)

The arrangement of space usage between CHC and Suntec Singapore is similar to what CHC has had with Singapore Expo since 2005. The key difference is that CHC is a shareholder in Suntec Singapore. This means that it will receive dividends as a shareholder. It is CHC’s intention that the dividends it receives as a shareholder be ploughed back into rental, making the use of Suntec self-sustaining after a period of time. That is the nature and intent of its investment.

As a charity body, CHC is allowed to invest donor funds into different investments such as stocks, bonds, currency deposits and properties, as stated in its constitution. The Church’s Management Board engaged in much deliberation and calculation before making what is a prudent and considered decision. This investment is specifically intended to hedge the Church against its rental costs at the same convention centre, using the dividends received to help defray rental costs.

CHC has been transparent with its voting members, who are presented the detailed income and expenditure of the building fund at each year’s General Meeting. The Church has taken great care to operate within the proper guidelines of corporate governance, and makes it a key priority to deploy the funds that have been donated in the most responsible and effective way possible.

John Lam, a member of the Management Board, says, “In 2006, the executive members at the General Meeting came to an agreement with the Board to look for a venue that could house its growing congregation. The vision was to look for a stadium, concert hall or auditorium that can sit between 10,000 to 15,000 people, in a central location.

“The Board has also regularly given updates to the voting members about the land search and our building fund collection. We have also made clear to the members that it would take a number of years of fundraising, as the estimated cost of embarking on such a project would be between S$200 and S$500 million.”

Business As Usual At Suntec

Suntec Singapore will be the new location of CHC. It will rent the spaces in Suntec just like clients such as NATAS or IT Show do.

CHC and Suntec Singapore have a license agreement that will come into effect in March 2011. Suntec Singapore has built flexibility into its agreement with CHC to allow for the retention of events.

CHC plans to construct an auditorium with the latest sound system in the Level 6 Convention Halls. The Church will use the Level 6 auditorium for its services. This auditorium will be available for Suntec Singapore to market for Meeting-Incentive-Convention-Event (MICE) business, and other concerts and performances during the week. There will be additional meeting rooms built in the Gallery on Level 3. These rooms are not used exclusively by CHC and the license agreement has flexible arrangements for the licensed areas to be given up during certain periods to accommodate mega shows and global conferences.

Therefore, business will continue as usual at Suntec Singapore—there will be no changes to its operations. Suntec Singapore will continue to function as Singapore’s premier MICE location, and will continue to bid for large-scale events. It is the venue for the upcoming Youth Olympic Games in August. It has also partnered with MCI Group and Resorts World to enhance and attract more events to Singapore. Any improvements or additions to Suntec Singapore’s business will benefit all stakeholders, CHC included.

How does it benefit Suntec Singapore to have CHC as a tenant?

CHC’s congregation is a potential crowd for Suntec Singapore’s lease tenants (Food Republic, Joachim Buffet Restaurant, Pearl River Palace, Starbucks etc), as well as for other vendors who want to hold sales or events and tap on the congregation’s buying power. It’s for the same reason that John Little gives CHC’s congregation coupons when it holds a sale at the Singapore Expo.

Clearly, this arrangement benefits both Suntec Singapore in terms of greater traffic for its vendors, and CHC in that the Church gets a venue in the heart of the marketplace.

Rental

CHC pays Suntec Singapore a rental fee for the use of Level 6 convention halls, the Gallery at Level 3 and the 600-seat Theatre at Level 2 on weekends.

Renovation and equipment

CHC’s new auditorium will require renovation to create seating space for up to 12,000, plus meeting rooms. There is also the cost of equipment such as staging, lights and sound system.

Periodic shifting costs

The shifting cost from Singapore Expo to Suntec Singapore. Also for the various times that CHC will need to move to another location to accommodate mega shows and global conferences at Suntec Singapore.

Professional building fees

These are fees used to engage architects, designers and consultants.

Refundable deposits

These are deposits that will be refunded at the end of the license period.

ARA Harmony Fund shares

Part of the building fund goes to the cost of owning shares in a consortium that holds 80 percent of the ARA Harmony Fund that has acquired Suntec Singapore. CHC as shareholder will receive dividends which will be used to defray rental costs.

Elim Chew, 43, founder and president of 77th Street
“I’ve been a church member for 19 years and my life has been transformed by CHC. I believe in the leadership of our church—our leaders have always been wise and prudent.”

Cheo Meng Chin, 37, Manager
“When I first heard about Suntec Convention Centre, my first thought was, what a brilliant idea. We won’t have to go through the hassle of construction and architecture, and deal with the cost of maintaining a large building.”

Lim Lay Hoon, 34, vice-president in an investment bank
“People who have been in CHC for a while will know the number of venues we’ve used as our congregation grew! The amount we have spent on rental in the last 20 years has not been a small sum. So to me, this model makes perfect sense—we get dividends even as we pay rental.”

Ignatius Yeo, 39, business owner
“Non-disclosure agreements s are perfectly normal, to protect the interests of both parties. This clause is not exclusive to CHC—it’s common practice in organizations. Some things are confidential for commercial reasons—disclosing everything may jeopardize the deal. Whatever the Church can disclose, I believe it has already done so.”

Joshua Xu Fu Ming, 35, realtor
“The authorities are privy to details that the public are not—and as long as they are kept aware  as they have been, and give their approval, then there is no issue.”

Jared Lim, 30, credit professional in an investment bank
“Over the years, Pastor Kong always shared with the executive members about the various locations that we tried to get. It’s been a four-year journey for all of us as a whole. I feel that with most of us being savvy, schooled individuals, it’s hard to pull wool over our eyes. The Church Management Board has always been transparent, and has consistently acted in the best interests of the church.”

Ruth Yong, 36, risk consultant
“I am not an Executive Member who is entitled to vote, but whatever information is shared at broad to the Church is sufficient for me. The Management is not obligated to tell me everything; especially not if they have an agreement to honor. Knowing the details is not an issue for me, as long as I know that the money I donate is managed well; which in my opinion, it is.”

Jonathan Kang, 34, banking business manager
“To new members or to the public, who do not have the benefit of our history as a church and what we have been through together, they may not realize that this is not just one man’s dream. It is a corporate vision we have as a church. The desire for a central venue is not just the leaders’, it is also our our desire.”