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Loot quits over sexual
harassment claims
VETERAN Chinese educationist
Loot Ting Yee quit all posts on
Sunday following claims of sexual
harassment against him, the Chi-
nese press reported yesterday.
Loot, 78, former Jiao Zong
(United Chinese School Teachers
Association) deputy president,
was adviser to both the education
movement and Lim Lean Geok
Foundation before he announced
his resignation from the posts in a
three-paragraph statement to the
press on Sunday.
A Chinese daily on Sunday re-
ported his inappropriate behaviour
towards female reporters after one
of his victims posted her complaints
in her blog.
The blog posting attracted com-
ments from those who had similar
experience with the well-respected
Chinese education activist.
In the statement to express
his unreserved apology to those
who felt offended and hurt by his
gestures, Loot said he had seriously
considered the complaints against
him, and decided to quit all posts so
as not to tarnish the image of the
two organisations.
He said he would not make any
more public appearance and would
instead spend his remaining years
quietly.
News of Loot’s “scandal” and his
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
resignation shocked and saddened
many Chinese educationists.
Many who were contacted
by the Chinese press declined to
comment but felt that the personal
misconduct of an individual would
not affect the public’s perception of
Chinese education.
Chinese education activist
Datuk Sim Mow Yu said Loot’s
decision to resign from his posts is
a loss to the Chinese education and
urged the younger generation not
to overlook his lifetime contribu-
tions to the community but instead
emulate and carry on with his fight-
ing spirit.
Dong Dong (United Chinese
School Committees Association)
president Dr Yap Sin Tian said he
was not aware of Loot’s resigna-
tion until he was contacted by the
press.
He said it was not appropriate
for him to comment as he did not
know what really happened.
Meanwhile, Lim Lean Geok
Foundation president Zhou Sou Han
said the foundation would meet to
discuss Loot’s resignation.
Telco probes millions
in kickbacks to staff
COMPANY EXPECTED TO LODGE REPORT WITH ACA
by Tim Leonard
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: A
telecommunications company
is conducting an internal
probe into “kickbacks”
amounting to millions of
Obama ringgit received by its staff
over the past few years.
raises The company, with
goal to international links, is
3m jobs investigating its staff,
including a senior executive,
pg 12 for allegedly accepting
kickbacks over procurement
contracts.
theSun learnt that the
contracts were awarded to
local contractors and vendors
by the telco’s officials who
are believed to have received
the money for facilitating the
deal over the past two to three
years.
It is learnt that the contracts
were for the supply of
materials, maintenance parts
and other equipment required
by the telco, which had been
aggressively expanding its
network in the country.
Sources said that the
management has recorded
statements from one of the
executives on three occasions.
He was found to have several
hundred thousand ringgit in
a bank account. It is believed
that the amount in his other
bank accounts totalled more
than a million ringgit.
The executive had also
travelled extensively to
various parts of the world.
It is learnt that the
management, which is
interviewing several other
employees and witnesses,
is expected to report to the
| TUESDAY DECEMBER 23 2008
Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA)
once its internal probe is
completed.
A spokesperson for the
telco, when contacted by
theSun yesterday, confirmed
the investigations and said a
report will be lodged with the
ACA.
“We are looking at all
angles to find out if other staff
were also involved.
“This is a serious issue
and we will leave no stone
unturned in our investigations.
Once our own findings are
completed, we will pass the
information to the authorities,”
the spokesperson added.
theSun learnt that several
representatives of prominent
local companies which
supplied materials to the telco
and had dealt with the staff,
are also under investigation.