http://allsaintscathedralsabah.blogspot.com/2011/10/response-to-bishops-address.html#comment-form
william thien15
December 2011 00:48
An open letter to the bishop of Anglicans Diocese of
Sabah.
William Thien,
Email: jkthien@gmail.com
Chinese 9:30 am service
...
15th December, 2011
The Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Sabah,
Sabah, Malaysia.
Dear Bishop Vun,
As you will realize, the recent accusations of corruption against you will not only triggered off a crisis in the All Saints Cathedral, but also the Diocese of Sabah. I could hardly believe that you, as a honorable bishop, would have committed the offences. I would rather believe that it is bitterness that caused the complaints.
There is no denying that the congregation are anxiously waiting for your response to the matter. However, you have disappointed them because you have displayed a willful disregard of the accusations, giving the reason that the complainants did not reveal their identities. You are destroying your prestige which you have gained during your hard work in the past years. How do you rectify your mistake?
You should have sensed their disapproval of your leadership. The bloggers have initiated a move to boycott you and there is no excuse for this chaotic state of affairs to drag on and remain unsolved. Though some members in the Chinese 9:30 am service appeared to be quiet, their silence could not be construed as agreement with you. Don’t you feel embarrassed facing them on Sunday service? The key to the door of solution is with you and it is within your discretion to settle the matter.
I must emphasize that I and some members still remain neutral till all the facts are made known. You have stated that you are under no obligation to respond to the unidentified letters and I agree with you to a certain extent. But I must remind you that your insistence has undoubtedly been causing a harmful effect to the good name of All Saints Cathedral and the Anglican Diocese of Sabah as unfavorable rumors regarding the church leaders are being spread around in the State. Are you saddened to hear of this bad news?
I love All Saints Cathedral and I am proud to be a member of the Anglican church. Realizing that you will ignore all unidentified letters, I have therefore sincerely revealed myself hoping that you will, for the sake of All Saints Cathedral’s unity and without any further excuse, give the congregation a clarification.
I trust that the issue will be resolved amicably within the church.
Yours faithfully,
William Thien
Note:
This letter will be published :
--on my wall in the Facebook.(I have added you )
--on the blog http://allsaintscathedralsabah.blogspot.com/2011/10/response-to-bishops-address.html
William Thien,
Email: jkthien@gmail.com
Chinese 9:30 am service
...
15th December, 2011
The Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Sabah,
Sabah, Malaysia.
Dear Bishop Vun,
As you will realize, the recent accusations of corruption against you will not only triggered off a crisis in the All Saints Cathedral, but also the Diocese of Sabah. I could hardly believe that you, as a honorable bishop, would have committed the offences. I would rather believe that it is bitterness that caused the complaints.
There is no denying that the congregation are anxiously waiting for your response to the matter. However, you have disappointed them because you have displayed a willful disregard of the accusations, giving the reason that the complainants did not reveal their identities. You are destroying your prestige which you have gained during your hard work in the past years. How do you rectify your mistake?
You should have sensed their disapproval of your leadership. The bloggers have initiated a move to boycott you and there is no excuse for this chaotic state of affairs to drag on and remain unsolved. Though some members in the Chinese 9:30 am service appeared to be quiet, their silence could not be construed as agreement with you. Don’t you feel embarrassed facing them on Sunday service? The key to the door of solution is with you and it is within your discretion to settle the matter.
I must emphasize that I and some members still remain neutral till all the facts are made known. You have stated that you are under no obligation to respond to the unidentified letters and I agree with you to a certain extent. But I must remind you that your insistence has undoubtedly been causing a harmful effect to the good name of All Saints Cathedral and the Anglican Diocese of Sabah as unfavorable rumors regarding the church leaders are being spread around in the State. Are you saddened to hear of this bad news?
I love All Saints Cathedral and I am proud to be a member of the Anglican church. Realizing that you will ignore all unidentified letters, I have therefore sincerely revealed myself hoping that you will, for the sake of All Saints Cathedral’s unity and without any further excuse, give the congregation a clarification.
I trust that the issue will be resolved amicably within the church.
Yours faithfully,
William Thien
Note:
This letter will be published :
--on my wall in the Facebook.(I have added you )
--on the blog http://allsaintscathedralsabah.blogspot.com/2011/10/response-to-bishops-address.html
william thien26 December 2011 18:28
ReplyDeleteFrom : William Thien
To : The Bishop of Diocese of Sabah
Date: 27th December, 2011.
Dear Bishop,
I regret to inform you that I am disappointed by the points which you have expressed in your reply to my letter dated 15th December 2011.
You told me that you have never read the blog and you do not know what the issues are. I must tell you that the blog is known by all the members of the Diocese of Sabah and your saying shows that you are insensible of the critical time in the church. This is a lame excuse and it clearly indicates that you are unwilling to solve the problem.
You further told me that it is the advice of the Standing Committee and your Chancellor which induced you to ignore all the allegations. In my opinion, their advice may not be justifiable as this is an issue which is causing strong public feeling of you morality. They have apparently failed to consider all the factors involved before giving you the advice. Your strict adherence to their guidance will no doubt plunge you into a sea of unfavorable speculation about your behavior in the Diocese of Sabah. Would you please let me know their reasoning for giving you such an advice? After all, this is not a personal matter. The congregation are entitled to know the facts.
Realizing that you are too busy to read the blog, I will work out and sum up for your easy reference all the accusations in a separate letter. I and most of the church members believe that the allegations against you are ungrounded. We all love our church and we are saddened to see that the Diocese is on the verge of divide. We are longing for your actions. You would be assured of our whole-hearted support if you take the necessary steps to prove to the complainants that you are innocence in the issue. By the grace of God, I believe that you will defeat God’s enemies.
As the present situation is posing a grave threat to our church’s unity, I hope that you should work to the full extent of your capabilities to avoid the disastrous consequences.
May God advise you !
Yours truly,
William Thien
Reply
william27 December 2011 18:20
ReplyDeleteFrom : William Thien
To : The Bishop of Diocese of Sabah
Date: 27th December, 2011.
... Dear Bishop,
I regret to inform you that I am disappointed by the points which you have expressed in your reply to my letter dated 15th December 2011.
You told me that you have never read the blog and you do not know what the issues are. I must tell you that the blog is known by all the members of the Diocese of Sabah and your saying shows that you are insensible of the critical time in the church. This is a lame excuse and it clearly indicates that you are unwilling to solve the problem.
You further told me that it is the advice of the Standing Committee and your Chancellor which induced you to ignore all the allegations. In my opinion, their advice may not be justifiable as this is an issue which is causing strong public feeling of you morality. They have apparently failed to consider all the factors involved before giving you the advice. Your strict adherence to their guidance will no doubt plunge you into a sea of unfavorable speculation about your behavior in the Diocese of Sabah. Would you please let me know their reasoning for giving you such an advice? After all, this is not a personal matter. The congregation are entitled to know the facts.
Realizing that you are too busy to read the blog, I will work out and sum up for your easy reference all the accusations in a separate letter. I and most of the church members believe that the allegations against you are ungrounded. We all love our church and we are saddened to see that the Diocese is on the verge of divide. We are longing for your actions. You would be assured of our whole-hearted support if you take the necessary steps to prove to the complainants that you are innocence in the issue. By the grace of God, I believe that you will defeat God’s enemies.
As the present situation is posing a grave threat to our church’s unity, I hope that you should work to the full extent of your capabilities to avoid the disastrous consequences.
May God advise you !
Yours truly,
William Thien
william Thien6 January 2012 01:53
ReplyDelete6th Jan 2012
To : The Bishop of Diocese of Sabah
From : William Thien ( jkthien@gmail.com)
Dear Bishop,
I note with much regret that you will ordain Philip Lo as the reverend of the Diocese. I am not acquainted with him and I have never seen him preaching in the pulpit before. I do not know much about his contribution to the church. Your sudden announcement of the ordination has aroused widespread discontent among the congregation.
The bloggers are criticizing your decision because they all have a poor opinion of his eligibility. They have expressed their strong objection and I hope that you will take heed of their criticism in the issue.
As what I mentioned in my letter dated 30th December 2011, one of the allegations lashed out at you is your improper appointment of “yes-men” to the position of authority. He is infamous for his character(informed by the bloggers) and your decision will further aggravate the crisis in the Diocese. It is quite likely that you are creating every reason for the congregation to believe that the accusations against you are true.
I hope you will not blame me for writing you this letter. No one is complete and flawless, except for our Lord Jesus. You must listen to all the criticism, digest it and improve your performance.
We are brothers in Christ, we need unity in the church. Can we work to iron out all the differences?
May God advise you!
Yours truly,
William Thien
* this letter will also be published in the blog.
william thien9 January 2012 20:56
ReplyDeleteDate : 10th Jan 2012
To : The Bishop of DOS,
From: William Thien
jkthien@gmail.com
Dear Bishop,
I have to express my thanks for your reply to my letter as it shows that you are a bishop who does not ignore an ordinary parishioner’s enquiry into a series of accusations about you. However, your reply has again disappointed me as you have failed to show your sincerity to solve the crisis.
I understand that my writing to you via the internet might have caused you some degree of embarrassment, and I apologize for it. But, if you were me, what would you do? The cause of the complaints via the blog is due to your ignorance of their powerful signals about your violation of the Diocese’ Ordinance. You must defend yourself if you think that you are not guilty of all the allegations.
I have to reiterate that we (the parishioners only) love all the Anglican churches in the Diocese of Sabah. We all agree that it is a scandal that the leader and his team are being alleged to have committed several irregularities in the Diocese. We are making every effort to prevent it from spreading around. We want to know the truth. We demand you to refute all the allegations and give us a clarification. But, very much to our regret, you have again depressed us because you expressed that this is your last reply.
Your attitude towards the matter has caused a boiling discontent among the members and you have to admit that it is having a ripple effect over the whole Diocese. The bloggers are piecing together an account of all the evidences which had not been truly transpired. You are standing at the crossroads, and you must decide and judge by yourself before it is too late.
May God Bless you!.
Yours truly,
William Thien
william thien10 January 2012 21:57
ReplyDelete11th Jan 2012
To : The Bishop of Diocese of Sabah
From: William Thien
Dear Bishop,
From your reply to my letters, I am afraid that you have not appreciated the seriousness of the current issue both in the All Saints Cathedral and the Diocese of Sabah.
You said that you will not answer my letters via the internet and I agree with your stance. I will resend you the formal letters (with my signature) when I return from Melbourne. I believe you will give the parishioners a satisfactory answer.
They (the parishioners) love you and respect you because you are the Bishop of the Diocese. At present their Bishop is being bombarded with numerous accusations of corruption, abusing of power and arrogance. They are unwilling to believe that the accusations are true. They are now struggling at the crossroads of judgment; they are in a dilemma of choices-- to continue giving you their unswerving support or to condemn you. They are praying to our God for guidance.
Praise to our God, He has answered their prayer. They are prone to believe that all the accusations against you are true because they are not a group of senseless people. They have made their right choice – they are blaming themselves for having wrongly placed their trust on you and your relatives; they demand you and your relatives to repent before our God. Unfortunately, you are still reluctant to listen to their advices, you do not repent, you do not fear our God and you decide to go against His Will.
May God open your eyes, your ears and your heart so that you can discern the right path, you are able to listen to advices and you can accept differences.
I sincerely wish you good luck in all your future undertakings.
Yours truly,
William Thien
• william thien23 July 2012 18:21
ReplyDeleteAN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHANCELLOR OF ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF SABAH
Fabian Lai
fabianlai47@yahoo.com,
Chinese 9.30 a.m. service
Date : 15th June,2012
The Diocesan Chancellor,
Anglican Diocese of Sabah,
Kota Kinabalu.
Dear Datuk Stephen Foo,
I am writing this open letter to you because you were mentioned several times by our honorable Bishop regarding queries over the current Diocese crisis.
I need your comment on the widespread criticism of our great leader for his misconduct to which he neither denies nor admits. In his reply to William Thien’s letter dated 15th December 2011, he said that he chose not to respond because of your advice. I hope you will kindly explain to the church members why you gave him such an advice.
A further reference to the undated “Pastoral Letter from the Bishop” which he released on the 27th of May 2012, he has clearly indicated that if church members who wish to know more about the transactions related to the sale and purchase of land or property for the Diocese can write or call to the Diocesan Chancellor.
Our Bishop is striving to create a conducive environment in resolving the controversies and I strongly believe that you will have no hesitation in revealing the following information, which the whole congregation are very anxious to know.
(For Land/Property Purchase over the past six years )
1. Name of Seller
2. Land Title No.
3. Purchase Price
4. Date of Purchase
5. Location of Land
6. Area of Land/Property
7. Name of Valuation Company
8. Mode of Payment
9. Reason for Buying
(For Land/Property Sale over the past six years )
1. Name of Buyer
2. Land Title No.
3. Selling Price
4. Date of Sale
5. Location of Land
6. Area of Land/Property
7. Name of Valuation Company
8. Mode of Payment
9. Reason for Selling
I do not think there is any need for me to stress the importance of your cooperation in the matter. I trust in your integrity and believe that you will make every effort to restore the unity and order to the Diocese.
I look forward to receiving your reply.
Yours truly,
Fabian Lai
…..page 2
Reply
•
william thien23 July 2012 18:22
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHANCELLOR OF ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF SABAH
Fabian Lai
fabianlai47@yahoo.com,
Chinese 9.30 a.m. service
Date : 2nd July, 2012
The Diocesan Chancellor,
Anglican Diocese of Sabah,
Kota Kinabalu.
Dear Datuk Stephen Foo,
You will remember that on the 15th of June I wrote you a letter requesting you to openly unveil a detailed account of the transactions of land or shop lot purchased and sold by the Diocese of Sabah during the past 6 years.
Regrettably, I have received no response from you as yet and I can only assume that you might have ignored reading the blog. Under the circumstances, I am writing to remind you of the matter and hope that you will give the congregation an early reply.
Following the arrest of the five members of City Harvest Church in Singapore, all of our church members have expressed their concern about the crisis in our Diocese, and they believe that your response will help resolve the problem.
Our Bishop needs you, as pointed out in his “pastoral letter”, to make it known to the public of all the transactions in question so as to prevent them from speculating unfavorably.
While most of the church members think that you will not give me a reply, I do not agree with them and I fully trust, as our Bishop does, in your integrity.
May God guide you!
Yours truly,
Fabian Lai
**************
The leader and his cronies are under criticism for their irresponsible attitude toward the questions raised by parishioners.
Are they hiding any secrets? If not, why do they refuse to respond? Why did one of his cronies advise him not to respond?
By William Thien
Dated 24th July, 2012
william thien9 August 2012 18:48
ReplyDelete(part 2)
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHANCELLOR OF ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF SABAH
Fabian Lai
fabianlai47@yahoo.com,
Chinese 9.30 a.m. service
Date : 15th June,2012
The Diocesan Chancellor,
Anglican Diocese of Sabah,
Kota Kinabalu.
Dear Datuk Stephen Foo,
I am writing this open letter to you because you were mentioned several times by our honorable Bishop regarding queries over the current Diocese crisis.
I need your comment on the widespread criticism of our great leader for his misconduct to which he neither denies nor admits. In his reply to William Thien’s letter dated 15th December 2011, he said that he chose not to respond because of your advice. I hope you will kindly explain to the church members why you gave him such an advice.
A further reference to the undated “Pastoral Letter from the Bishop” which he released on the 27th of May 2012, he has clearly indicated that if church members who wish to know more about the transactions related to the sale and purchase of land or property for the Diocese can write or call to the Diocesan Chancellor.
Our Bishop is striving to create a conducive environment in resolving the controversies and I strongly believe that you will have no hesitation in revealing the following information, which the whole congregation are very anxious to know.
(For Land/Property Purchase over the past six years )
1. Name of Seller
2. Land Title No.
3. Purchase Price
4. Date of Purchase
5. Location of Land
6. Area of Land/Property
7. Name of Valuation Company
8. Mode of Payment
9. Reason for Buying
(For Land/Property Sale over the past six years )
1. Name of Buyer
2. Land Title No.
3. Selling Price
4. Date of Sale
5. Location of Land
6. Area of Land/Property
7. Name of Valuation Company
8. Mode of Payment
9. Reason for Selling
I do not think there is any need for me to stress the importance of your cooperation in the matter. I trust in your integrity and believe that you will make every effort to restore the unity and order to the Diocese.
I look forward to receiving your reply.
Yours truly,
Fabian Lai
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHANCELLOR OF ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF SABAH
Fabian Lai
fabianlai47@yahoo.com,
Chinese 9.30 a.m. service
Date : 2nd July, 2012
The Diocesan Chancellor,
Anglican Diocese of Sabah,
Kota Kinabalu.
Dear Datuk Stephen Foo,
You will remember that on the 15th of June I wrote you a letter requesting you to openly unveil a detailed account of the transactions of land or shop lot purchased and sold by the Diocese of Sabah during the past 6 years.
Regrettably, I have received no response from you as yet and I can only assume that you might have ignored reading the blog. Under the circumstances, I am writing to remind you of the matter and hope that you will give the congregation an early reply.
Following the arrest of the five members of City Harvest Church in Singapore, all of our church members have expressed their concern about the crisis in our Diocese, and they believe that your response will help resolve the problem.
Our Bishop needs you, as pointed out in his “pastoral letter”, to make it known to the public of all the transactions in question so as to prevent them from speculating unfavorably.
While most of the church members think that you will not give me a reply, I do not agree with them and I fully trust, as our Bishop does, in your integrity.
May God guide you!
Yours truly,
Fabian Lai
**************
This article was written based the sad reflection of church members.
The leader and his cronies are under criticism for their irresponsible attitude toward the questions raised by them (members).
Are they hiding any secret? If not, why do they refuse to respond? Why did one of his cronies advise him not to respond? Church members will continuously ask the same questions until they obtain the answers.
By William Thien
1st published on 24th July,2012
Dated 10th August, 2012
william thien7 September 2012 19:07
ReplyDelete8th September, 2012
To: Bishop Albert Vun (vunalbert@gmail.com)
From: William Thien (jkthien@gmail.com)
Dear Bishop Vun,
Re Police Personnel
I was prompted by church members to write you this letter.
We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of a police patrol car stationed at our church compound at the time when your beloved Philip Lo was ordained as God’s servant. Several plain-clothed policemen were found inside the church--the holy and worshipping place for Christian.
There is no denying that the appearance of police personnel in the All Saints Cathedral has invited widespread negative speculation about our church, and you are held responsible for sowing the doubts.
We have the following questions and hope that you will give us the answers as soon as possible. We need to remind you that God’s law clearly forbids intentional lying and we believe that you will tell us the truth.
1. Do you agree that you have acted blasphemously by calling the police to the church?
2. Did the police act upon a confidential tip-off from you?
3. Can you tell us what did you expect would happen at that night?
4. Can you tell us what did you fear and why?
5. Do you need the police to protect you on every Sunday service?
6. Do you have peace in your mind?
7. Do you feel guilty of ordaining an unqualified person as a priest?
We are your sheep, we are not wolves. You are our shepherd, we need your guidance and protection, but…are you capable of doing that?
May God Bless you!
Yours truly,
William Thien & others
william thien11 September 2012 15:13
ReplyDelete8th September, 2012
To: Bishop Albert Vun (vunalbert@gmail.com)
From: William Thien (jkthien@gmail.com)
Dear Bishop Vun,
Re Police Personnel
I was prompted by church members to write you this letter.
We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of a police patrol car stationed at our church compound at the time when your beloved Philip Lo was ordained as God’s servant. Several plain-clothed policemen were found inside the church--the holy and worshipping place for Christian.
There is no denying that the appearance of police personnel in the All Saints Cathedral has invited widespread negative speculation about our church, and you are held responsible for sowing the doubts.
We have the following questions and hope that you will give us the answers as soon as possible. We need to remind you that God’s law clearly forbids intentional lying and we believe that you will tell us the truth.
1. Do you agree that you have acted blasphemously by calling the police to the church?
2. Did the police act upon a confidential tip-off from you?
3. Can you tell us what did you expect would happen at that night?
4. Can you tell us what did you fear and why?
5. Do you need the police to protect you on every Sunday service?
6. Do you have peace in your mind?
7. Do you feel guilty of ordaining an unqualified person as a priest?
We are your sheep, we are not wolves. You are our shepherd, we need your guidance and protection, but….are you capable of doing that?
May God Bless you!
Yours truly,
William Thien
ps 1st REMINDER. WE ARE WAITING FOR YOUR REPLY.
Dated:12th September, 2012
william thien11 September 2012 22:17
ReplyDeleteDate: 12th September, 2012
To : Church members
From : William Thien
RE Police Personnel
You will remember that I had on the 7th of September written a letter to our Bishop asking him to clear our doubt about the police patrol car found at the church compound.
He did give me a reply today and I am pleased to inform you that I have accepted his explanation.
Yours truly,
William Thien
CC Bishop Albert Vun
william thien23 September 2012 06:36
An Open Letter to the Chancellor of the Diocese of Sabah
To : The Chancellor of the Diocese,
Mr. Stephen Foo,
Email address: sfks@tm.net.com
From : William Thien
Email address: jkthien@gmail.com
Date : 23rd September, 2012
Dear Chancellor,
In one of the undated “pastoral letter from the bishop”, Bishop Albert Vun mentioned that he is always guided by you in the transactions of buying and selling of church properties.
It is with this reason that I am writing you this open letter to seek for your clarification on some points that pertain to the purchase of one unit of 2-storey corner shophouse known as Lot No. 6, Block A, Pangle Light Industrial Complex, held under Town Lease No.167503844 in the District of Tenom, Sabah.
As you will realize, there are some discrepancies found in the transaction. According to the auditor’s report, the price appeared in the Development Fund Account is RM473,830.00 which showed an extra payment of RM58,830.00 as compared to that as stated in the agreement.
I have personally viewed the “Sale and Purchase Agreement”, and in order to verify the purchase price I have made a telephone call to the firm which was engaged to prepare the agreement; they confirmed that the price is RM367,500.
As you will agree, the difference in the purchase price is likely to confuse every church member. Under the circumstances, and after careful deliberation, I am compelled to ask you the following questions and I strongly believe that you will do your best to solve church members’ doubt.
1. What is the actual price of the shophouse-- RM367,500, RM415,000 or RM473,830 ?
2. How many sets of the Sale and Purchase Agreement are being kept in the Diocese? Are there three sets?
3. What is the main purpose of keeping three different sets of agreement for one transaction?
4. Is it a criminal offense to under declare a transaction price with a view to evading stamp duty?
5. How much was the stamp duty paid for this transaction?
This letter will be published on the blog and on the wall of my Facebook account and I hope that it will not cause you any embarrassment.
I look forward to receiving your reply at your earliest convenience
Yours truly,
William Thien
william thien27 September 2012 22:05
ReplyDeleteDo you accept the explanation from our Bishop?
from: A Vun vunalbert@gmail.com
to: Thien William
date: Wed, Sep 12, 2012 at 7:40 AM
subject: Re: 1ST REMINDER
Dear William
Please refer all Cathedral matter to Canon Thiam Choy who is the Rector of the Cathedral. He and the wardens are in-charge of all the security and the Services of the Cathedral.
God's blessings
Bishop
• william thien1 October 2012 07:03
Hi, church members,
The following passage of text is excerpted from Stephen Foo’s reply to my letter. Do you accept it?
"I refer to your letter dated 23rd September 2012.
For your information, the transaction for the purchase of the 2-storey shop-house was not handled by our legal firm. It was handled by a legal firm in Keningau engaged by the local Church in Keningau. As such, I do not have the details you requested. Since you are already in contact with the legal firm engaged by the local church in Keningau, all the details should be available in their file. However, due to the restriction on professional confidentiality, they are not obliged to disclose client’s information without the consent of the parties concerned."
william thien1 October 2012 07:11
ReplyDeleteAN OPEN LETTER TO Datuk Bishop Vun
William Thien,
Lot 202, Radiant Tower A,
JLN Tuaran, Mile 3 ½,
88300 Kota Kinabalu.
1st September, 2012
The Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Sabah,
Wisma Anglican, Kota Kinabalu.
Dear Datuk Bishop Vun
Re Thailand 2nd Home Visa
After much deliberation, I have decided to write you this letter. The purpose of this letter is to request for your clarification on some points that were mentioned in the Honorary Auditor’s management letter.
As most of the church members do, I denounce those people who spread negative hearsay and false accusation against the church leaders. I think I owe you an apology for my writing of the articles on the blog just based on the feedback from church members; some of which might have offended you or other clergies.
While I agree that you are not perfect in many respects, I do accept some of your meritorious contribution to the growth of the Diocese. I must confess that I had confidence in you; however, after studying the Honorary Auditor’s Management Letter, my confidence in you is shaking.
Presently, I am facing the dilemma of choices. I am now standing on the cross roads, struggling to make a difficult decision. Under the circumstances, I feel it necessary to ask for your explanation about your application for a “Thailand 2nd Home Visa”.
1. Citizens of Malaysia are permitted to stay up to 30 days under the “Visa Exemption Rule, why do you need to apply for a Thailand 2nd Home visa?
2. Are you intended to migrate to Thailand?
3. If your answer to question 2 is “no”, then why should you transfer the amount of RM85,000.00 to your personal bank account in Bangkok?
4. The questioned amount was then entered as “Project Fund” in the Diocese Account. Do you realize that it has raised questions about your integrity by doing so?
5. Do you think it appropriate to mix up your personal matters with those of the Diocese?
I regret having to write you this letter and hope that it will not cause you any embarrassment. I strongly believe that you will give all the church members a satisfactory reply and thus regain our confidence in you.
I and all the church members are looking forward to receiving your sincere reply at your earliest convenience.
Yours truly,
William Thien
c.c. The Most Revd. Datuk Bolly Lapok,
Archbishop,
The Province of the Anglican in South East Asia
william thien2 October 2012 03:09
ReplyDelete2nd Oct, 2012
The Chancellor,
Datuk Stephen Foo,
Anglican Diocese of Sabah,
Wisma Anglican, Kota Kinabalu.
Dear Chancellor,
I thank you very much for your prompt reply to my letter dated 23rd September, 2012.
Due to my poor standard of English, you seemed to have misunderstood the contents of my letter. I apologize for causing so much trouble to you.
As I do not understand what you wrote in your letter as well, I am therefore compelled to consult some of our church members, asking for their help to interpret your letter. Regrettably, they do not get your points as well.
Under the circumstances, I think it necessary to repeat herewith my letter and your reply for your study. I would like to suggest you, as I do, to consult your church friends about the contents of my letter before giving me your reply.
****Contents of my letter dated 23rd September, 2012.****
Dear Chancellor,
In one of the undated “pastoral letter from the bishop”, Bishop Albert Vun mentioned that he is always guided by you in the transactions of buying and selling of church properties.
It is with this reason that I am writing you this open letter to seek for your clarification on some points that pertain to the purchase of one unit of 2-storey corner shophouse known as Lot No. 6, Block A, Pangle Light Industrial Complex, held under Town Lease No.167503844 in the District of Tenom, Sabah.
As you will realize, there are some discrepancies found in the transaction. According to the auditor’s report, the price appeared in the Development Fund Account is RM473,830.00 which showed an extra payment of RM58,830.00 as compared to that as stated in the agreement.
I have personally viewed the “Sale and Purchase Agreement”, and in order to verify the purchase price I have made a telephone call to the firm which was engaged to prepare the agreement; they confirmed that the price is RM365,000.
As you will agree, the difference in the purchase price is likely to confuse every church member. Under the circumstances, and after careful deliberation, I am compelled to ask you the following questions and I strongly believe that you will do your best to solve church members’ doubt.
1. What is the actual price of the shophouse-- RM365,000, RM415,000 or RM473,830 ?
2. How many sets of the Sale and Purchase Agreement are being kept in the Diocese? Are there three sets?
3. What is the main purpose of keeping three different sets of agreement for one transaction?
4. Is it a criminal offense to under declare a transaction price with a view to evading stamp duty?
5. How much was the stamp duty paid for this transaction?
This letter will be published on the blog and on the wall of my Facebook account and I hope that it will not cause you any embarrassment.
I look forward to receiving your reply at your earliest convenience.*******
****** contents of your reply ******
I refer to your letter dated 23rd September 2012.
2.For your information, the transaction for the purchase of the 2-storey shop-house was not handled by our legal firm. It was handled by a legal firm in Keningau engaged by the local Church in Keningau. As such, I do not have the details you requested. Since you are already in contact with the legal firm engaged by the local church in Keningau, all the details should be available in their file. However, due to the restriction on professional confidentiality, they are not obliged to disclose client’s information without the consent of the parties concerned.******
I apologize again for causing you so much inconvenience. I hope to receive your reply in your capacity as the Diocesan Chancellor.
Yours truly,
William Thien
c.c. The Most Revd. Datuk Bolly Lapok,
Archbishop,
The Province of the Anglican in South East Asia.
william thien5 October 2012 18:10
ReplyDeleteAN OPEN LETTER TO THE BISHOP OF THE ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF SABAH
Date: 6th October, 2012
From : William Thien (jkthien@gmail.com)
To : Bishop Albert Vun (vunalbert@gmail.com)
Dear Bishop Vun,
Re Thailand 2nd Home Visa
I thank you for your reply to my letter dated 1st October, 2012.
You have disappointed me because your answer, as what I expected, is regarded as vague and evasive. I must point it out to you that as a bishop, you need to maintain your dignity, but this depends very much on a good character.
Regrettably, the way you answer parishioners’ questions, especially at this time of the Diocese crisis, shows that you have never honestly faced the mounting public criticism. You are not only damaging your prestige, but also the reputation of Anglican Diocese of Sabah.
As what you did in the past, you have never given me a definite answer in your replies to my letters. Is there any secret or difficulty that refrain you from doing so? This time, you have again absolved yourself of the responsibility by pushing the issue to Philip Lo.
As you will realize, the application for a Thailand 2nd Home Visa is deemed your personal matter, it is therefore inappropriate to approach Philip Lo for the answer. I advise you not to make him the second LAUGHING STOCK after the Tenom shoplot.
You have always ordered your clergies not to believe false accusation against you and I agree with you. But parishioners and the clergies do need you to convince them that you are innocent of the false accusations.
Parishioners are curious to find out the truth. Please be reminded that the more you hide, the more will be exposed. As what you said, the church is not about you and me, it belongs to all parishioners who are entitled to know the truth.
We need to move forward, we need to solve the crisis, and we need to remove the stumbling block.
I hope you will answer my (our) questions in a more sincere way and help regain our confidence in you.
May God’s peace be with you!
Yours truly,
William Thien
william thien8 October 2012 20:09
ReplyDeleteDate: 9th October, 2012
From : William Thien
jkthien@gmail.com
To : Bishop Albert vun
vunalbert@gmail.com
I thank you for your prompt reply to my letter dated 6th October, 2012.
Your explanation has confused me as it is too complicated. It seems to me that you have sacrificially done something just for the growth of the missionary work in Thailand. You deserve the praise from parishioners.
I have some other questions which I hope you can answer me directly.
1. In the Issue No. 39 of the Diocesan Bulletin, you wrote “we have invited them to meet with us—to see how we can solve whatever the problems were—but they did not.” You will remember that on the 22nd of August, 2012, you had consented to hold a dialogue with members at Wisma Anglican, but you, repeated the same tactic as what you did in the last AGM, were found missing. Can you tell us where were you? Why were you absent from the dialogue?
2. Can you advise us if a spiritual leader is found lying to or hiding something from the parishioners, should we trust him continuously?
3. What action should we take against a spiritual leader if he is found guilty of mismanagement or dishonesty? Lodge a police report for criminal breach of trust or remove him from the office?
4. Do you accept your Chancellor’s explanation to the questions raised in my letter about the Tenom Shoplot?
5. Can you tell me who will be the retired couples in your mind to serve in Thailand?
6. There are various accounts termed “Funds”, like Mission Fund, Project Fund, and Development Fund in the Diocese Ledger. Can you tell us how these accounts are operated?
You said that I should stop writing emails that may destroy trust and confidence in our church. I do not accept your view about me and I must ask you not to push the blame to me. I must correct you that it is due to your lack of transparency in the Diocese Accounts that caused the complaints via the internet.
Anyway, your honesty is needed to face the criticism and it will certainly help stop the gossip, doubt and falsehood.
I look forward to receiving your reply at your convenience.
May God Bless you!
Yours truly,
William Thien
• william thien12 October 2012 18:38
ReplyDelete(1st reminder)
William Thien,
Email: jkthien@gmail.com
2nd Oct, 2012
The Chancellor,
Datuk Stephen Foo,
Anglican Diocese of Sabah,
Wisma Anglican, Kota Kinabalu.
Dear Chancellor,
I thank you very much for your prompt reply to my letter dated 23rd September, 2012.
Due to my poor English standard, you seemed to have misunderstood the contents of my letter. I apologize for causing so much trouble to you.
As I do not understand what you wrote in your letter as well, I am therefore compelled to consult some of our church members, asking for their help to interpret your letter. Regrettably, they do not get your points as well.
Under the circumstances, I think it necessary to repeat herewith my letter and your reply for your study. I would like to suggest you, as what I did, to consult your partners in your legal firm about the contents of my letter before giving me your reply.
****Contents of my letter dated 23rd September, 2012.****
Dear Chancellor,
In one of the undated “pastoral letter from the bishop”, Bishop Albert Vun mentioned that he is always guided by you in the transactions of buying and selling of church properties.
It is with this reason that I am writing you this open letter to seek for your clarification on some points that pertain to the purchase of one unit of 2-storey corner shophouse known as Lot No. 6, Block A, Pangle Light Industrial Complex, held under Town Lease No.167503844 in the District of Tenom, Sabah.
As you will realize, there are some discrepancies found in the transaction. According to the auditor’s report, the price appeared in the Development Fund Account is RM473,830.00 which showed an extra payment of RM58,830.00 as compared to that as stated in the agreement.
I have personally viewed the “Sale and Purchase Agreement”, and in order to verify the purchase price I have made a telephone call to the firm which was engaged to prepare the agreement; they confirmed that the price is RM365,000.
As you will agree, the difference in the purchase price is likely to confuse every church member. Under the circumstances, and after careful deliberation, I am compelled to ask you the following questions and I strongly believe that you will do your best to solve church members’ doubt.
1. What is the actual price of the shophouse-- RM365,000, RM415,000 or RM473,830 ?
2. How many sets of the Sale and Purchase Agreement are being kept in the Diocese? Are there three sets?
3. What is the main purpose of keeping three different sets of agreement for one transaction?
4. Is it a criminal offense to under declare a transaction price with a view to evading stamp duty?
5. How much was the stamp duty paid for this transaction?
This letter will be published on the blog and on the wall of my Facebook account and I hope that it will not cause you any embarrassment.
I look forward to receiving your reply at your earliest convenience.*******
****** contents of your reply ******
I refer to your letter dated 23rd September 2012.
2.For your information, the transaction for the purchase of the 2-storey shop-house was not handled by our legal firm. It was handled by a legal firm in Keningau engaged by the local Church in Keningau. As such, I do not have the details you requested. Since you are already in contact with the legal firm engaged by the local church in Keningau, all the details should be available in their file. However, due to the restriction on professional confidentiality, they are not obliged to disclose client’s information without the consent of the parties concerned.******
I apologize again for causing you so much inconvenience. I hope to receive your reply in your capacity as the Diocesan Chancellor.
Yours truly,
William Thien
c.c. Bishop Albert Vun
c.c. The Most Revd. Datuk Bolly Lapok,
Archbishop,
The Province of the Anglican in South East Asia.
william thien14 October 2012 01:16
ReplyDelete14th October, 2012
To: Rev Canon Yong Thiam Choy (thiamchoy@hotmail.com)
From: William Thien (jkthien@gmail.com)
Dear Rev Yong,
Re Police Personnel
I was prompted by church members to write you this letter.
We were deeply shocked and saddened to learn of a police patrol car stationed at our church compound at the time when Philip Lo was ordained as God’s servant. Several plain-clothed policemen were found inside the church--the holy and worshipping place for Christian.
There is no denying that the appearance of police personnel in the All Saints Cathedral has invited widespread negative speculation about our church, and you are held responsible for sowing the doubts.
We have the following questions and hope that you will give us the answers at your soonest possible. We need to remind you that God’s law clearly forbids intentional lying and we believe that you will tell us the truth.
1. Why did you need to call the police to the church?
2. Who were threatened and what did you expect would happen at that night?
3. Church members complained that you had acted blasphemously to our God by calling the police to the church, do you have any objection?
4. Can you tell us what did you fear and why?
5. Do you need police protection on every Sunday service?
6. Do you have God’s peace in your mind?
7. Will you invite the police personnel to the dialogue to be held tomorrow night?
We are your sheep, we are not wolves. You are our shepherd, we need your guidance and protection, but….are you capable of doing that?
May God Bless you!
Yours truly,
William Thien
So after reading all the letters from a known active member of the ADOS, we would appreciate our action.
ReplyDeletemore letter from the other titles in asc blog.
Did the Diocesan Chancellor know or not know about the Tenom shophouse purchase?
ReplyDeleteIf not, he should not talk about that?
Did not the AVCF refer to him about the S&P?
If AVCF had done it alone, then AVCF is wholly responsible for this deal and not blame anyone else.
Now AVCF please show all the documents concerned..
The question of S Foo not talking about the Tenom deal should not arise. PERIOD. Why is S Foo covering for AVCF.
An open letter to the new treasurer, Mr. Michael Tong
ReplyDeleteDated : 26th October,2012
From : William Thien (jkthien@gmail.com)
To : Mr. Michael Tong (ystong@horwathkk.com)
I refer to your letter dated 3/10/12 addressing to Bishop Vun and a copy of which was sent to me.
You mentioned that Lily Liaw, the accounting staff, was not aware of the details of a number of journal adjustments made by the Honorary Auditor, George Lim and that you had instructed her to approach him for the details.
You seemed to indicate that the details of the adjustments entries may help reverse the stunning report compiled by the auditor, which revealed that the Diocesan Management team had spent more than RM 10 millions for the last two years without any supporting documents. It is very hard for me to believe that the auditor had made such a mistake in conducting their audit. It is, of course, understood that I will fully support your findings if they are proven to be true.
There is no denying that the Financial Accounts, prepared by Lily Liaw and Paul Chong, appeared to be very confusing and difficult to understand. In order to justify my claim, I would like to exemplify some of the points to which I hope you can give me a clarification and explanation. My doubts are listed below:
Fixed Deposit Interest Income
The Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2011 showed that we have Fixed Deposit amounted to RM 34,206,499 and RM 33,701,009 at the end of year of 2010 and 2011 respectively. However, the interest income received for the two years was only RM 356,482. I am inclined to ask-- why did the interest income not reflect the actual Fixed Deposit balances in our bank accounts?
Development Fund
There were possibilities that a large portion of this Account was withdrawn for the acquisition of properties, but instead of posting it to the fixed assets accounts, it was debited as expenditure in the ledger. In order to solve the doubts, I hope you can give me a detailed list of properties purchased during years of 2009, 2010 and 2011.
I believe that you will not display a willful ignorance of my request for your answers.
Your early reply will be much appreciated.
Regards,
William Thien
An Open Letter to Rev Yong Thiam Choy
ReplyDeleteDated : 23rd October, 2012
To: Rev Canon Yong Thiam Choy (thiamchoy@hotmail.com)
From: William Thien (jkthien@gmail.com)
Dear Rev Yong,
Re Police Personnel
I thank you for your reply dated 22nd October, 2012.
I could hardly accept your explanation about the issue of calling the police to our God’s Place. It is absolutely beyond my expectation that you had excused yourself by pushing the responsibility to Joshua Kong, assuming that he would pose threats of disorder for the Cathedral just because he had filed a suit against the Bishop of Sabah.
Though Joshua always voices out his concerns over issues which he thinks may cause harmful effect to the church, it does not mean that he is a trouble maker. Instead of being a man as what you described, he has deeply impressed the public that he is a righteous man who dares to fight against the treacherous people. Moreover, there is no proven record that he had ever disrupted any church functions or meetings in the past. Your blame on him is therefore condemned.
I would like to ask you the following questions and hope that you can satisfy me:
Why did you fear Joshua and not our God?
What did you expect an old man like Joshua can do to the church?
Do you agree that by inviting the police to the church, you had committed blasphemy against our Holy Spirit?
Do you agree that your greatest security comes from knowing the peace of God through prayer?
Do you know how to pray?
Can you make it clear who is the Bishop of Sabah?
Do you know how old is our church?
Were there any police personnel invited to our church in the past years?
You are responsible for your own behavior and will bear the consequences—now and in eternity.
Please read Mathew 12:32 “ 32 Anyone who blasphemes against me, the Son of Man, can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, either in this world or in the world to come.”
May God’s Peace be with you!
Regards,
William Thien