Shi Ming Yi
Encyclopedia
Ven. Shi Ming Yi is a Buddhist monk from Singapore
, currently serving as the abbot
of Foo Hai Chan Monastery. In September 1994, Foo Hai Ch'an Monastery, under the leadership of Ming Yi, established the 175-bed Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre
for the poor and needy chronically ill patients.
On October 7, 2009, Ming Yi was convicted of four charges of conspiracy, misuse of funds and forgery. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 months in jail but was reduced to 6 months after appeal.
awarded the Public Service Medal to Ming Yi in recognition of his contributions to the country. In September 1998, the hospital established its affiliate, Ren Ci Day Care Centre for the Elderly. Ming Yi received his Masters in Healthcare Management from the University of Wales
.
The Public Service Medal awarded in 1996 was forfeited by the President of Singapore, N R Nathan, subsequent to Shi Ming Yi's conviction and imprisonment for conspiracy, misuse of funds and forgery with effect from 23 May 2011.
, the Kwan Inn Temple in Petaling Jaya
, Malaysia, and the vice-chairmanship of the affiliated Heung Hoi Ching Kok Lin Association.
In 1999, Foo Hai Ch'an Monastery took over the management of 270 beds in 11 single-storey wards which were formerly part of Tan Tock Seng Hospital
. It organises fund raising activities such as concerts with such luminaries as Andy Lau
, Liza Wang
, Adam Cheng
, Roman Tam
, and Frances Yip
who performed for free.
In the course of the investigations by auditing firm, Ernst & Young Associates
, a few financial transactions could not be satisfactorily explained. To get a clearer picture, the Ministry of Health referred the case to the Commercial Affairs Department
in February 2008 and the final outcome of the investigation was completed sometime in March 2008.
Ming Yi was arrested after a five-month probe. On July 14, 2008, he stepped down from all his positions regarding charities. The arrest comes five months after he went on long leave when the police were asked to probe the charity's finances. His trial commenced on July 15, 2008. The Ministry of Health
found 'possible irregularities' in Ren Ci's records after an audit.
At the heart of the issue were questionable loans made by the hospital, amounting to several million dollars. Some of these loans were allegedly given to companies with links to the venerable. There were also loans given to a helper with the charity as well as investments made over the years in his name.
On October 7, 2009, Ming Yi was found guilty of misappropriating Ren Ci's funds by approving the loan, falsifying accounts and giving false information to the Commissioner of Charities (COC) He was sentenced for 10 months in jail and had appealed the case. On March 8, 2010, Ming Yi's appeal was postponed due to his lawyer having a medical condition. On May 27, 2010, during the appeal in High Court, Justice Tay Yong Kwang dismissed the appeal but reduced the sentence from 10 months to 6 months based on Ming Yi's significant contributions to Ren Ci and society. Ming Yi serves his jail sentence immediately.
On August 26, 2010, Ming Yi was released from prison after serving four months. He was given one-third remission on his jail term for good behaviour. However, Ming Yi was put on the home detention scheme which he was tagged with an electronic monitoring device and only allowed to leave the house at fixed times. He completed his sentence on September 27, 2010. For the six remaining charges against Ming Yi, he was given a discharge amounting to an acquittal for them.
in Philosophy
that was awarded by Mannin University in Ireland
. However, the existence of this university is questionable. Ming Yi's spokesman commented that the research degree was undertaken through distance learning and that the monk never visited the said university.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, currently serving as the abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Foo Hai Chan Monastery. In September 1994, Foo Hai Ch'an Monastery, under the leadership of Ming Yi, established the 175-bed Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre
Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre
Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre is a charity/hospital mainly treating long term aged patients in Singapore. Its main branch is at Buangkok View, north of Hougang while the other branch is located at Jalan Tan Tock Seng at Moulmein...
for the poor and needy chronically ill patients.
On October 7, 2009, Ming Yi was convicted of four charges of conspiracy, misuse of funds and forgery. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 months in jail but was reduced to 6 months after appeal.
Awards
In 1996, the Singapore governmentGovernment of Singapore
The Government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to mean the Executive branch of government, which is made up of the President and the Cabinet of Singapore. Although the President acts in his personal discretion in the exercise of certain functions as a check...
awarded the Public Service Medal to Ming Yi in recognition of his contributions to the country. In September 1998, the hospital established its affiliate, Ren Ci Day Care Centre for the Elderly. Ming Yi received his Masters in Healthcare Management from the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
.
The Public Service Medal awarded in 1996 was forfeited by the President of Singapore, N R Nathan, subsequent to Shi Ming Yi's conviction and imprisonment for conspiracy, misuse of funds and forgery with effect from 23 May 2011.
Buddhist Work
Ming Yi took over the abbotship of the Kun Chung Temple in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, the Kwan Inn Temple in Petaling Jaya
Petaling Jaya
Petaling Jaya is a Malaysian city originally developed as a satellite township for Kuala Lumpur comprising mostly residential and some industrial areas. It is located in the Petaling district of Selangor with an area of approximately 97.2 km². On 20 June 2006, Petaling Jaya was granted a...
, Malaysia, and the vice-chairmanship of the affiliated Heung Hoi Ching Kok Lin Association.
In 1999, Foo Hai Ch'an Monastery took over the management of 270 beds in 11 single-storey wards which were formerly part of Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
The Tan Tock Seng Hospital is the second-largest hospital in Singapore after the Singapore General Hospital, but its accident and emergency department is the busiest in the country largely due to its geographically centralised location...
. It organises fund raising activities such as concerts with such luminaries as Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
, Liza Wang
Liza Wang
Elizabeth Wang Ming-chun, SBS, commonly known as Liza Wang, is an accomplished diva, actress and MC in Hong Kong. She is a well-known personality in Chinese-speaking communities. She has been nicknamed "The Big Sister" in the HK entertainment circle...
, Adam Cheng
Adam Cheng
Adam Cheng Siu-chow is a Hong Kong TVB actor and Cantopop singer.-Career:Cheng started his career in the 1970s, where he gained a reputation for playing the lead roles in TVB Wuxia drama series based on the works of Louis Cha and Gu Long, such as The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber and Chor Lau Heung...
, Roman Tam
Roman Tam
Roman Tam, known by the stage name Lo Man , nickname Law Kee , was a renowned Hong Kong Cantopop singer. He is regarded as the "Godfather of Cantopop".-Career:...
, and Frances Yip
Frances Yip
Frances Yip Lai-yee is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer. She is best known for performing many of the theme songs for television series produced by TVB in the 1980s and early 1990s....
who performed for free.
Ren Ci Hospital investigations
On 26 November 2007, Ren Ci Hospital was under investigation by the Charity Council of Singapore for three possible violations of the Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of a Public Character. Ming Yi was alleged to have made interest free loans in violation of Ren Ci's own guidelines on Financial Management and Controls and Disclosure and Transparency, and had also served as both Board Chairman and CEO of the hospital which is an infringement of existing guidelines since it creates a potential conflict of interest and a lack of check and balances.In the course of the investigations by auditing firm, Ernst & Young Associates
Ernst & Young
Ernst & Young is one of the largest professional services networks in the world and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms, along with Deloitte, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers ....
, a few financial transactions could not be satisfactorily explained. To get a clearer picture, the Ministry of Health referred the case to the Commercial Affairs Department
Commercial Affairs Department
The Commercial Affairs Department is a staff department of the Singapore Police Force and is previously known as the Commercial Crime Department....
in February 2008 and the final outcome of the investigation was completed sometime in March 2008.
Ming Yi was arrested after a five-month probe. On July 14, 2008, he stepped down from all his positions regarding charities. The arrest comes five months after he went on long leave when the police were asked to probe the charity's finances. His trial commenced on July 15, 2008. The Ministry of Health
Ministry of Health (Singapore)
The Ministry of Health is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for providing information, raising health awareness and education, ensuring the accessibility of health services, and monitoring the quality of health services provided to citizens and visitors in the Republic of...
found 'possible irregularities' in Ren Ci's records after an audit.
At the heart of the issue were questionable loans made by the hospital, amounting to several million dollars. Some of these loans were allegedly given to companies with links to the venerable. There were also loans given to a helper with the charity as well as investments made over the years in his name.
On October 7, 2009, Ming Yi was found guilty of misappropriating Ren Ci's funds by approving the loan, falsifying accounts and giving false information to the Commissioner of Charities (COC) He was sentenced for 10 months in jail and had appealed the case. On March 8, 2010, Ming Yi's appeal was postponed due to his lawyer having a medical condition. On May 27, 2010, during the appeal in High Court, Justice Tay Yong Kwang dismissed the appeal but reduced the sentence from 10 months to 6 months based on Ming Yi's significant contributions to Ren Ci and society. Ming Yi serves his jail sentence immediately.
On August 26, 2010, Ming Yi was released from prison after serving four months. He was given one-third remission on his jail term for good behaviour. However, Ming Yi was put on the home detention scheme which he was tagged with an electronic monitoring device and only allowed to leave the house at fixed times. He completed his sentence on September 27, 2010. For the six remaining charges against Ming Yi, he was given a discharge amounting to an acquittal for them.
Educational qualification
It was reported that the venerable claims to hold a Doctor of PhilosophyDoctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
that was awarded by Mannin University in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. However, the existence of this university is questionable. Ming Yi's spokesman commented that the research degree was undertaken through distance learning and that the monk never visited the said university.
External links
- Biography from Buddha.sg
- "A monk first, a CEO second", The Straits Times & The Dhamma Times, 31 August 2001
- Aseanpedia.com: Biography of Shi Ming Yi
- Ming Yi On Trial - He buys BMW, racehouse in Perth