Sunday Straits Times Article - 5 April 2009

For those of you who missed the Sunday Times article the other week, I have scanned it down and attached above. Click it to see a larger version.

I could not find an online version at asiaone.com or straitstimes.com

Finally, Herbert send a letter...

Click to view

Harry's Reply: "Trustworthy" Proprietor's Club

Ok, here is Harry's reply to the "high handed" email from the Club:

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Ms Cheong,

I attached a weblink which explains one of the reasons why I decided to take up membership of the TLFC despite the rather negative views of Proprietor's Club vs Member's Club, and this was an open statement recorded by Mr Oh Chee Eng which assured

'... prove to the members that we're trustworthy, ...'

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/finance/moneymind/ep46-bigpic2002.htm

and as specified in Para 2 of the Rules & Regulations:

2. 'The object of the Club is to provide for the use and enjoyment by the Members of facilities (the “ Facilities ”) for recreation, entertainment, dining and/or such other activities as the Proprietor may from time to time at its discretion decide.'

I believe many of the Club Members would have given full support to the Plans if there were more timely engagement on the business challenges facing the Club and the actions going forward to mitigate these challenges.

I am afraid that this was done very late and I would give the benefit of doubt to the Club given focus on the other more pressing matters and oversight by certain internal functions. Nontheless, I would be monitoring the development plans closely and looking forward to the use of the improved facilities in Apr-09.

Rgds
Harry
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WOW!!! I don't know how Harry found that transcript of the ChannelNewsAsia show, but there is very interesting stuff there.

Another quote from Chairman Oh:
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"If you look at all the other clubs that run into trouble, it's not because the operators of the club has run into trouble but because the money of the club was used in the ventures. The thing that we want to do is to guarantee members that we would not misuse this funds and use the clubs property to raise loans and use it for any other businesses other than the club purposes."
Oh Chee Eng, Co-Exec Chairman, The Legends at Fort Canning
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I am still waiting for a response from the Club regarding the $80 per month for golf members and whether or not the Legends Golf & Country Resort is draining Legend Fort Canning's cash. A somewhat related issue to the above.

My comment on StraitsTimes

Go here and comment. Link back to this blog if you can.

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Main Issues:

1. Short notice given to members

URA preliminary approval was issued months ago but the management did not update the members at that time. URA final approval was issued in early Sept but members only got a letter on 25 Sept 08 inviting us to attend a meeting on 6 Oct 08 and stating that use of all facilities will be suspended with effect from 16 Oct (today!!!). IT IS UNREASONABLE TO GIVE LESS THAN ONE MONTH'S NOTICE BEFORE SUSPENDING ALL FACILITIES.

2. No consultation process or feedback dialogue with members

Members were never consulted on the construction of the new 3-storey glass building. Many members bought into the membership because we love the colonial architecture of the main building but under the proposed renovations, the building is going to be converted into a hotel and members are squashed into a glass building. THIS INDICATES THAT MANAGEMENT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT MEMBERS' FEEDBACK AND ARE DETERMINED TO PROCEED WITH RENOVATIONS NO MATTER WHAT.

3. Why couldn't the renovation be done in stages?

The management obviously could not care less for the members. Members buy the membership because we wish to enjoy the facilities with our families and friends. Why couldnt the management stagger the renovation, ie build the glass building with the necessary facilities and thereafter renovate the colonial building for the hotel rooms?

4. No buy-back scheme

Members feel short-changed. It is one matter to renovate the club to spruce up the facilities but it is DRASTIC matter if members are shifted out of the beautiful heritage building and squashed into a tiny glass building. Management is however not offering any buy-back scheme for members who are aggrieved.

5. URA Guidelines – Members are entitled to at least 50% of the covered area.

Further to the meeting with URA on 15 Oct, members understand that we are entitled to EXCLUSIVE USE OF 50% of the covered area of the current development. We are not even aware of this fact! The point is that the ball rooms and functions rooms are being constantly leased out for weddings and events and members have NO priority in booking such facilities. Members have lodged a formal complaint with URA to look into this matter as we take the view that our rights have been infringed and we do not have exclusive use of 50% of the property.

Secondly, URA has told us that members are entitled to EXCLUSIVE use of the 3 storey glass building after renovations. According to the management, the 3 storey building comprise of a café on the first level, a spa on the second level and the gym on the 3rd level. Management has however told us that public can have access to the spa and that hotel guests can have access to the gym. Members need to understand from management which 50% belongs to members exclusively so we can enforce our rights, but management has been tight-lipped.

6. The misleading verbiage of a supposed survey that none of us recall pertaining to the desire for "guest rooms" by members, which is quite different than the complete conversion to a hotel. The club management misleading stated and attempted to make the public believe that their renovation in converting the main building to a hotel was favored by the members, when in fact, nearly every single member of the club DOES NOT SUPPORT turning the main building into a hotel.

7. The issue of the 2 tier subscription fees which most of the earlier members are not aware of. And the $80/- fees for the next 6 months with not even the use of the parking facilities at the club.
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Sunday Straits Times: "The Legends' members irked"

Yay! We are heard in the Sunday Times. I did ask for the URL to be posted, but that did not happen. It was just a wish in any case.

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Oct 19, 2008

The Legends' members irked

By Gracia Chiang

IT BEGAN as a gripe that The Legends Fort Canning Park's colonial-style club building was to be converted into a hotel. Members would be moved to a new glass building, one-quarter the size of the original clubhouse. After a blog was started by a member, another grouse surfaced: that the management did not properly tell members that the club will be closed for six months. Now, some members have signed a petition against the temporary closure, protesting that they have been left out in the cold. The closure, from Oct 16 this year to April 1 next year, is for a $70 million renovation project to turn around the ailing club, which has a membership of 1,200 - just 10 per cent of its target. Members like regional manager Joe Nguyen, 37, protested that they were given short notice about the closure. He said: 'We feel like we're being kicked out. We were never consulted.' The club said it had sent out a letter to members on Sept 25, informing them about the closure date and inviting them to a presentation briefing on Oct 6. Its public relations director, Ms Amy Cheong, acknowledged that while the 1,200 members were not given 'exact details', they had been told as early as January in their newsletters that they should expect upcoming renovations. She explained that the club had been waiting for plans to be approved by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) before releasing details to members. Mr Nguyen was among some 250 members who attended the Oct 6 briefing. He set up a blog the same day, giving members a platform to air their concerns. Some 40 members have since visited the website and left their contact details. They also aired other gripes. 'When we bought our membership, we really liked the colonial-style architecture,' said Mr Nguyen. On the hotel project, club CEO Oh Chee Eng explained that unless members were willing to pay a substantially higher monthly subscription, the club needed the new business model to stay viable. He stressed that as a proprietary club, it had every right to make changes to the club's facilities. During the briefing, the club's management also cited a survey it conducted two years ago, in which members said they would like to have guest rooms. But member Jerry Barisano, 55, chairman of a media company, was not convinced. 'Guest rooms are very different from turning the building into a hotel,' he said. Some members also took issue with the fact that hotel guests would have access to facilities in the members' new glass building. This was disclosed to them at the briefing. When contacted, Mr Oh called this 'a mistake' and said the management had since come to an agreement on Thursday that all facilities in the new members' block would be exclusive to members and their guests. Separately, the URA also met five club members earlier last week. They had wanted to seek clarifications on its consideration of the proposed renovation work. The URA told The Sunday Times it was able to support the management's proposal to partially convert the club for hotel use as it proposed to keep the predominant floor area of the development for sports and recreation use for the club members. During the renovation period, monthly subscriptions will be suspended except for golf members who will pay a reduced fee for the continued use of facilities at The Legends Golf & Country Resort in Malaysia. Golfing members, who currently pay a monthly fee of $125 for families and $105 for individuals, will now pay $80 and $60 respectively. Social members have been paying $105 for families and $85 for individuals. Mr Barisano is resigned to the fact that the hotel conversion will go ahead, but he hopes the petition will persuade the URA to advise the club to carry out its renovation work in phases. He added that there are now some 100 signatures to the petition and he intends to submit it to the URA this week. Not all club members are so vexed. Ms Julinn Siah, a 32-year-old manager, felt that the issue has been blown out of proportion. She said: 'My main worry is that these unhappy people will push the owner too far. If this goes on, the owner might just say since people are so against it, let's just close the club. All of us will suffer then.'

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TODAYOnline: " Some members unhappy about renovations"

Ong Dai Lin, the Today Reporter, came to the Club last night during the Bin Sale to interview us as well as the Management. The article came out this morning here. A member has commented that it seems tame considering that Mr. Hofer was bombarded with questions by one member after another. The poor General Manager was left by himself to deal with us as Mr. Oh had to take a call when the questioning started. Having said that, I would like to know who is Mr. Hofer's tai chi master as I could use some lessons.

Click on the image below to see a larger version of the story (with picture!).

This website has been blocked my Management!

Last Friday when I was in the Club, I had trouble accessing the blog and other google sites. I thought that they were just having normal connectivity issues.

Just found out today that this blog HAS BEEN BLOCKED at the club and from all staff except management.

As one member has written to me: "Are we in China, North Korea, or Singapore? What are they trying to hide?"

If you really need your fix of this blog, go to www.anonymizer.com and enter this url: http://legendsfortcanning.blogspot.com/

CORRECTION: They have blocked access for their staff and their PCs. The public wifi for members is not blocked. Must have just been a glitch last week.

Meeting with URA today!!!

A big "Thank you!" to all those members who have contacted the URA to tell them about our displeasure at what is happening to our Club. URA has heard us!

They are meeting us today. See below from Lyn:

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ALL LEGENDS MEMBERS,

URA has finally heard our voice and is inviting us to attend a meeting
this afternoon (15 OCT 08) AT 3PM.

1. If you are interested in attending the meeting, pls call Siok Kheng
from URA at 6329 3308.

2. The meeting is held on the 7th floor of URA Center at 45 Maxwell Road
(next to Maxwell Food Center).

3. This is very last min (I got the call only this morning) but do try
to attend if you can.

4. A director from URA will address our queries and we will have a
chance to look at the plans.

5. An update from Jerry - The Historical Society is against the
renovation works proposed by management and Jerry will update us with
the details in due course.

6. For those with friends in the press, pls highlight this matter. We
will need all the support we can get. Thanks
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Today Newspapers: "New building, new problems"

We are heard!

A journalist for the Today newspaper from MediaCorp came by to the club yesterday to look around and interview some members. The article is in today's edition on page 6. "The Legends Town Club. New building, new problems". The online version is here; I also put it below for easy reading.

She quoted me a few times in the article, but I feel she sensationalized it a bit. Getting the juicy parts. I guess this means my family and I will likely be booted from the club, and our membership will be summarily dismissed.

Wait!!! My wife says that they quoted a "John Nguyen" and not me (Joe Nguyen). There are lots of Nguyens around - half of the population of Vietnam are Nguyens. Must be another member. I am innocent. Don't kick me out!

Then again.. I could use "John Nguyen" as my alias... It kinda sounds like "John Wayne".

Too bad, they did not give the URL of the blog. I hope this spreads the word, but from my experience, word of mouth works better - so please get other members on this site.

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New building, new problems
Plan for hotel draws ire of some members
Thursday • October 9, 2008

Ong Dai Lin (dailin@mediacorp.com.sg)

A TOWN club set amid the lush landscape of Fort Canning Park will be turned into a luxury boutique hotel as part of a multi-million dollar revamp — but some club members are unhappy about the change.

Mr John Nguyen, a member of The Legends Fort Canning Park, said: “We will lose the feeling of being in a spacious, colonial setting. We will lose the ambience and charm of the place.”

The building was built by the British in 1926 and housed the British Far East Command Centre during World War II.

Under the $70-million renovation plan, the club building will be converted into a boutique hotel, while the club itself will be housed in a three-storey glass building constructed on the space that the present tennis court currently occupies.

Mr Nguyen added: “If the hotel is built here, we (club members) will become second-class citizens.”

The 37-year-old was “quite upset” — enough to set up a blog about the renovations after attending a members’ briefing session on Monday.

“I set up the blog after the meetingbecause I wanted to get members of the club together and use it as a forum of discussion to see how other people felt and for the management to see it,” said Mr Nguyen.

Some members were also unhappy about the suddenness of the announcement. Mr Ken Low, director of a trading company, said: “We are not happy to be rushed into a deal that they planned — a lot of things are hanging in the air and we want to know more about our rights as members.”

Ms Amy Cheong, director of marketing of The Legends Fort Canning Park, said the club knows about Mr Nguyen’s blog and is replying to its members’ queries and is considering their comments.

Ms Cheong said the club had to revamp its business model because it is making losses. “The club was built for 10,000 members but right now we only have 1,200. There is not enough economic use of the space.”

When asked about the short notice given to club members, she said: “Since January, we have informed members in our bi-monthly newsletter that there will be renovations to the club, although no details were given.”

For now, Mr Nguyen hopes to get enough support from the club members to have a conference “to decide what we want, like maybe a petition and have a dialogue with the management”.
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It's Now Official: There are press releases and articles

There is an article in today's Business Times: Singapore News section titled "Legends Fort Canning to undergo $70m revamp". The online version is here. This may be a paid section and will require log-in. There is a "reprint" of the article here.

There is also a press release by the PR agency (McGallen & Bolden) with those artist's impressions that we all saw on Monday. Click on the images below to see a larger version. (Check out the last one.)

(Sorry, I just couldn't resist this imagery. Hahahhaah!)