Crisis Centre Singapore’s fund-raising suspended after “serious concerns”

The Commissioner of Charities has suspended all charitable fund-raising appeals done by the Crisis Centre (Singapore) (CCS). CCS was set up in Jan. 2018 and granted charity status in May 2018. It aims to provide a transitional shelter for homeless men, or men at risk of becoming homeless. The suspension will last for six months with effect from today, August 15. According to a press release from the Ministry of Culture, Community, Youth and Sports (MCCYS) : “During the suspension period, the Charity can continue with its daily operations. This order serves to protect the public while investigations into the Charity’s fund-raising activities are ongoing.” The Commissioner, Ang Hak Seng, added: “We have received feedback about the fund-raising appeals conducted by the Charity. Investigations to date have raised serious concerns about the Charity’s governance, record-keeping practices and ability to be accountable to its donors”. “Therefore, I am satisfied that there are grounds to exercise my powers under the Charities Act to suspend the conduct of fund-raising appeals by the Charity during the stated period, pending further investigations into the concerned appeals, in order to safeguard the public interest”, he added. Last year, a video of volunteers from Crisis Centre Singapore mocking disabled people went viral. In the video, a man whose face is blurred can be seen imitating the way a handicapped person walks and tries to speak and gesture. A woman can also be heard laughing with amusement in the background. The incident seemed to have taken place at night, at the void deck of a HDB flat. The man was also wearing a t-shirt with the Crisis Centre logo on it. http://theindependent.sg/netizens-slam-volunteers-from-crisis-centre-singapore-who-were-filmed-mocking-disabled-people/