Image via EDMW

A Sense of Proportion: What S$23 Million Can Do…

Borrowing from MM Lee’s quote on the need for us to have “a sense of proportion” on monetary investments, here’s what S$23 million (USD$18 million) can do:

Buy 34,964 sets of the new iPad. This is enough to equip every post-secondary students in a year’s cohort with a new iPad and still have over 5,000 excess sets, with change to spare.

Fund more than 63,000 children for their cleft lips and/or palate surgery under Operation Smile Singapore. 

Fully cover the pocket money for 34,848 Singaporean primary school students from low income family for an entire year, with change to spare. 

Sponsor over 42,000 children from poor, developing countries with clean water, healthcare, education and other basic necessities under the World Vision Singapore Sponsor a Child program for an entire year. 

Buy 51% stake in insurance’s giant, Aviva’s subsidiary in Sri Lanka, Aviva NDS.

Pay our current Singapore President Tony Tan’s salary for 15 years. 

Pay our current Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s salary for 13.5 years. 

Pay Hollywood star, Charlize Theron’s salary for the whole of 2011. 

OR

Image via EDMW
Image via EDMW

Fund the “Crossover Project” for three years and attempt to make Sun Ho into a worldwide superstar. 

I understand it’s all a matter of choice. Many long-time City Harvest Church supporters have came forward to pledge their support for Pastor Kong Hee, Sun Ho and the Crossover Project. It’s their money that was spent and if they do not mind, we should respect their decision.

For me, I think it is a pretty bad investment, both from a humanitarian stand point or from a business perspective.

“I can see the sun. I can see the sun with love.
我祈禱在每一天 都有一個夢想實現
I can see the sun. I can see the sun with love.
愛讓我的心裡面 出現了晴天”

– Lyrics from Sun Ho’s 2002 Chinese song, “Sun with Love”

10 comments

  1. That’s a hilarious GIF! But yeah, it’s sad that people honestly and wholeheartedly believe that this money can be better spent on a fruitless pop star career instead of more tangible and charitable causes.

  2. Wrong, its not their money, CHC is registered as a charity so its no longer their money to use as their own.

  3. I understand it’s all a matter of choice. Many long-time City Harvest Church supporters have came forward to pledge their support for Pastor Kong Hee, Sun Ho and the Crossover Project. It’s their money that was spent and if they do not mind, we should respect their decision.

    No. The point is, they collected the money in the name of Charity. There are strict rules and laws on such collection, which they’ve apparently broken. They courts will decide. It’s not the decision of those who donated. That is the point.

  4. Great article. Even though CHC’s goers might argue that it is their money, they can choose to support Sun’s singing career in the US, but they must understand the $23m is not taxable. They should have registered the organization as Sun’s Fan Club or something.

  5. They bellow their opinions publicly like a herd of cattle knowing they are safely hidden behind the cloak of anonymity.. Or wolves baying ..

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