• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

MindChamps in controversial grassroots letter debacle, a close partner of Temasek

by Correspondent
02/08/2018
in Opinion
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0

Source: Liang Court

Last Friday (27 Jul), MindChamps Preschool issued a controversial letter to the parents of children attending at the school. It was condemned by netizens for its allegedly elitist and discriminatory content regarding the application for the grassroots leadership of the River Valley Neighbourhood Committee (RVNC).

In the letter, it said that parents of children attending MindChamps Preschool “have been given priority access to sign up as grassroots leaders with River Valley Neighbourhood Committee”.

According to the CEO of the preschool, signing up as grassroots leaders, will allow them to “receive recommendation letters for schools within our [River Valley] precinct, for example River Valley Primary School”. He added that “in order to be an active grassroots leader”, parents are required to “participate actively in their program and organize up to two activities or major events”.

He also said that the primary aim of the priority access is “to help ease the stress during the Primary 1 enrollment exercise”, on top of giving back “to society” as well as to “foster greater synergy […] amongst Singaporeans”.

With mounting criticism coming from netizens, RVNC then quickly went into damage-control mode on Sunday (29 Jul) by posting a statement on its Facebook page, saying that while MindChamps sent the letter “with good intention to encourage parents to contribute to the community”, the information cited in the letter was “inappropriate and inaccurate”.

It added that the letter was “prepared solely by the school”, without consulting it, thereby distancing itself from any responsibility with regard to the debacle.

Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Joan Pereira also quickly distanced herself from MindChamps, telling the media, “It was unfortunate that MindChamps sent out a factually inaccurate letter to parents.” RVNC has “no such arrangements with MindChamps or any other organisations”, she added. Ms Pereira is the grassroots adviser for River Valley area.

However, past Facebook posts show Ms Pereira being close with [email protected] Courts, having them to participate and perform at grassroots events.

MindChamps co-invest a fund with Temasek

A check on the Internet shows that MindChamps, in fact, has a very close working relationship with the government. In particular, it is a close partner of Temasek Holdings.

In Apr this year, MindChamps PreSchool entered into a partnership with a Temasek Holdings unit by co-investing in a fund for international franchisees.

The MindChamps PreSchool Global Fund will invest, directly or indirectly, in local education funds to buy and set up schools run under the MindChamps brand.

The holding company to manage the fund will be 70 per cent owned by MindChamps, with the rest held by Palace Investments, a subsidiary of Temasek’s Pavilion Capital Holdings.

Temasek is said to commit some US$50 million to the fund. MindChamps is expected to earn profits from the operations of the investment manager, which will receive annual management fees from the MindChamps PreSchool Global Fund.

Temasek’s Pavilion Capital CEO Tow Heng Tan praised MindChamps, “Preschool education is a growing sector due to rising demand from the middle-class population globally. MindChamps is an established brand in Singapore. We are pleased with the opportunity to work closely with them to internationalise through expanding their network of overseas franchisees.”

According to information from Bloomberg, Mr Tow has been also a Board Director at CapitaLand Township Holdings Pte Ltd since September 16, 2004. He has been a Non-Independent & Non-Executive Director of Keppel Corporation Limited since September 15, 2004. He serves as Director of International Enterprise Singapore.

He also served as a Non-Executive & Independent Director of ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited since February 18, 2003 until 26 April 2017, and served as an Independent Director of Comfort Group Ltd since September 16, 2002.

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

Kajang cops chided for denying woman access to police HQ because she was wearing shorts
Community

Kajang cops chided for denying woman access to police HQ because she was wearing shorts

03/02/2023
Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID
Current Affairs

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

03/02/2023
Minister Tan See Leng only reveals 500 intra-corporate transferees from India for last year – a Covid year
Opinion

Increasing number of working Permanent Residents in Singapore but with a stable PR population

03/02/2023
Opinion

A multi-party parliament is the only way to make sure that Singapore continues to not condone or tolerate corruption

03/02/2023
Anwar criticised over appointing own daughter as his senior advisor
Malaysia

Anwar criticised over appointing own daughter as his senior advisor

03/02/2023
Level of unemployment in Indonesia shows failure in the Job Creation Law, says KSPI
Indonesia

Level of unemployment in Indonesia shows failure in the Job Creation Law, says KSPI

02/02/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Kajang cops chided for denying woman access to police HQ because she was wearing shorts

Kajang cops chided for denying woman access to police HQ because she was wearing shorts

03/02/2023
Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

03/02/2023
Minister Tan See Leng only reveals 500 intra-corporate transferees from India for last year – a Covid year

Increasing number of working Permanent Residents in Singapore but with a stable PR population

03/02/2023

A multi-party parliament is the only way to make sure that Singapore continues to not condone or tolerate corruption

03/02/2023
Anwar criticised over appointing own daughter as his senior advisor

Anwar criticised over appointing own daughter as his senior advisor

03/02/2023
Level of unemployment in Indonesia shows failure in the Job Creation Law, says KSPI

Level of unemployment in Indonesia shows failure in the Job Creation Law, says KSPI

02/02/2023

The Keppel bribery scandal tests Singapore’s zero-tolerance policy towards corruption

02/02/2023
Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

02/02/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
36

...

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
41

...

Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023

Less than 1 in 10 jobs created in first three quarters of 2022 went to Singaporeans?

by Leong Szehian
28/01/2023
69

...

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

by Terry Xu
31/01/2023
39

...

August 2018
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Jul   Sep »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz