CORPORATE directory - Epilepsy Care...Calvin KOH Chin Khoon Dr LEONG Wei Shin MOK Wai Pun Board of Consultants Prof Michael CHEE Dr LIM Kim Whee Dr Adrian WANG Dr Vijayan LOGANATHAN

ECG ANNUAL REPORT 20182

PresidentDr CHOONG Chew Thye

Vice PresidentDiana KOH Hwee Hoon

Honorary SecretarySherman GOH Keng Hwee

Assistant SecretaryTAN Jun Long

Honorary TreasurerLEE Soon Chua

Assistant TreasurerTAN Zheng Yuan

Welfare OfficerCHAN Wen Ting

Council MembersANG Wei JieGOI Ming YingCalvin KOH Chin KhoonDr LEONG Wei ShinMOK Wai Pun

Board of ConsultantsProf Michael CHEEDr LIM Kim WheeDr Adrian WANGDr Vijayan LOGANATHAN

Executive Director/Epilepsy CounselorSherman GOH Keng Hwee

Registered Office112 Lavender Street #03-01 Singapore 338728Tel: (65) 6358 0566 Email: [email protected]: www.epilepsycare.org

SolicitorMr Anand Nalachandran, DirectorTSMP Law Corporation6 Battery Road Level 41Singapore 049909Tel: (65) 6534 4877 Fax: (65) 6534 4822Website: www.tsmplaw.com

AuditorTan, Chan & PartnersCertified Public Accountants26 Eng Hoon StreetSingapore 169776Tel: (65) 65337393 Fax: (65) 65336831Website: www.tanchan-cpa.com

Principal BankerUnited Overseas Bank Limited1 Park Road #01-01/02 People’s Park ComplexSingapore 059108Tel: (65) 6535 3444 Fax: (65) 6535 0956

AffiliatesInternational Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE)7 Priory Office Park, Stillorgan RoadBlackrock, Co Dublin, A94 FN26, IrelandTel: (353) 1 210 8850 Email: [email protected]: www.ibe-epilepsy.org

National Council of Social Service170 Ghim Moh Road #01-02Singapore 279621Tel: (65) 6210 2500 Fax: (65) 6468 1012Website: www.ncss.org.sg

CORPORATE directory

ECG ANNUAL REPORT 2018 3

MAY

APR

22

15

16

17

29

12

YE

AR

20

17

APR

JUN

JUL

AUG

Adventure Trail

Talk on Psychiatric & Legal Issues of People with Epilepsy

Citi-YMCA Youth for Causes Official Launch

Talk on Protecting Yourself from Mobile Threat

ECG 22nd Annual General Meeting

Epilepsy Walk

27

25

YE

AR

20

18 JAN

FEB

ECG 16th Flag Day

Lunar New Year Get-together

28OCT

ECG 24th Anniversary Celebration in Batam

3DEC

Christmas Celebration

21-23DEC

Christmas Fair @St Andrew’s Cathedral

2-6SEP

32nd International Epilepsy Congress, Barcelona

DIARY OF events


Dear Members, Friends and Supporters

ECG From 10 Years to 25 Years and BeyondI recall fondly and vividly the privilege and honour of celebrating ECG’s 10th Anniversary 15 years ago. It was a momentous occasion, with many of you coming together to celebrate and pledging to build on the legacy of ECG’s founders: “enhancing quality of life for persons with epilepsy”.

ECG 10th Anniversary 2003 - Celebrating Who We Are

‘So let’s exchange our shoes and walk together, to dream the impossible,

to reach for the previously unreached, to try the untried,

to risk the possibility of failure, to dare to go into places where we have never been’. Fast forward 15 years. Come October 2018, ECG will mark its 25th Anniversary. Much has happened since. As a resource-limited charitable organization, ECG has faced, and will continue to face, challenges and daunting times. Growing the membership, engaging members and volunteers, manpower, funding, and programs were priorities. Wonderfully, the indomitable spirit of the ECG members together with the group of volunteers and supporters prevailed, and we were able to turn challenges into opportunities for growth and development. Highlights of initiatives and programs over the years include:

• The Millennium “World without Borders” education trip to Perth

• Setting up the Epilepsy Support & Development Centre at 26 Dunearn Road, with thanks to the Ministry of Health

• ECG-Sanofi~Synthelabo BLAZE Awards• EnAble support group program • Opportunity! Shop• Book publication ‘Seizures in the City’• Physical wellness activities, eg dragon boating,

epilepsy out in the open walks

• Training and education talks, epilepsy conferences

• Partnership with the National Council of Social Services (NCSS), President’s Challenge, International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE), corporate, educational institutions

ECG strongly believes in empowering persons with epilepsy through education and information, participation at epilepsy lay symposia, outreach programs, sharing of life experiences, skills training as well as physical and mental wellness programs to promote health. It is my pleasure to report that in terms of funding support, ECG is one of the beneficiaries of the Care and Share Movement, the Community Chest Charity Support Fund, and the President’s Challenge 2018.

In AppreciationI wish to thank our partners, donors and sponsors and volunteers for working alongside us. My appreciation also goes to ECG members, friends and families, the Executive Council members, the Board of Consultants, Mr Anand Nalachandran, our legal advisor, Mr Goh Keng Hwee, our executive director; for their dedicated invaluable efforts and commitment through the years.

We live in a complex world abound with uncertainties and challenges. Looking ahead, can ECG continue to be sustainable and relevant? Can we build a better world for persons with epilepsy?

Your continued support, care and share are vital. Let us work together to make that difference. Warmest wishes to all,

DR CHOONG CHEW THYEPresident

MESSAGE FROM THE president


Dear Members and Friends

We are half way to 50!

Epilepsy Care Group (Singapore) (ECG) celebrated many milestones, and at around the quarter of her birth, she took a plunge into the river with dragon boat program. The end result was not the several medals we had won but the solidarity, camaraderie, and the building of self confidence in people with epilepsy as they entered the mainstream of society.

ECG widened its border of stakeholders when the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) accepted us into their Full membership. We are thankful for the support from both the Ministry of Health and the NCSS; all members and volunteers, Executive Council members and staff.

Apart from counselling, support group, and continuing educational and training programmes via talks, activities, and conferences, we entered into literary and research with the launch of our book - Seizures in the City, and a poster presentation at an international epilepsy congress in Barcelona.

Where do we go from here? What are the needs? What would keep us going? I draw lessons from recent happenings in our surrounding and far away countries. The various parties set out with great passion, end in mind, and altruistic others-serving. When they grow and stabilize, some turn inwards and become complacent and self-serving. A sense of entitlement sets in and that risks wrecking havoc, creating division and dissension. The parties that stay strong are those who are steadfast, focused, unperturbed by turbulence as they deliver their work.

ECG is blessed with dedicated volunteers. As we forge forward, may we go with a refreshed sense of mission, a larger purpose for the good of the epilepsy community, united goals, and by doing this, makes ECG and its causes great again!

Best wishes and warmest regards

DIANA KOH HWEE HOONVice-President

MESSAGE FROM THE vice-president



Recently, I found a small music box that my mother gave me from one of her holidays abroad. It’s vintage, made of plastic. When I open it, a cricket was supposed to produce chirping to attract and impress another, while both are bouncing. It was supposed to play music too, but the box had long since lost its life and song.

Our family moved to a new home that I could never feel quite at home in, even though my mother died there. I had watched my mother wasted away day by day as the end drew near. It had been painful watching her leave the new home in a gurney. It was a place branded with sad and dark memories for me. I am also not attached to the new surroundings the way I did develop a love of my previous home where I have lived there long enough for me to finish my studies and started work - it was like a second skin. In the period when we had just moved out, I went back to the emptied family home where my mother, my sisters and I had lived almost a quarter of a century, imagined it being occupied by another family. I pictured all the younger versions of myself and my sisters still running around the rooms, and they would be left homeless. I’m a person for nostalgia; it is a curse on me sometimes.

All I wanted to do was get as far away as I could from this setting, putting as much distance between me and home as possible. It’s my own way of escaping the memories. But I knew that you could never run far enough or fast enough to get away from the pain completely. It is always lurking nearby, and a sound, a smell, or a memory could bring it back to mind. I was no longer a son, and had lost the two people I loved most in my life. All I hope was that time would

ease my wounds and help me live with what had happened. My mother’s death had changed my life forever and left me adrift. I could not imagine a world without her in it. My heart still throbs with a sense of loss; and acute, inconsolable pain.

And so it was in this context that I travel. After all, isn’t our life always in transit? I reckon I won’t have the time to think when I’m travelling. But travel, as well as being exhilarating, is also a process of disillusionment, of measuring your expectations against a very different reality. I can never go everywhere and see everything. Even if I did, there would come a point where I would grow satiated with travel and long to be home. St Augustine states in his Confessions, “…our heart is restless …” One day I would have to stop and face it, no matter how hard I ran, or how far, the two people I had lost were gone and always would be. The immutable fact remains: they had become a pile of charred bone and ash.

In the early morning of June last year, I walked through the main entrance of a hospital and headed straight for the first surgery in my life. It seemed to take me forever, but surprisingly I was calm and recollected and not weighed down by fear or anxiety.

Life is full of silent indications. It may be a little nudge through a friend, through a book, or through what we see as a failure – even through accidents. Just when I thought the planning of a post-work trip in September had all been set up and perfectly arranged, someone sneezed, or God blew on it, and all the building blocks came tumbling down. The synchronicity was staggering. I remain alert, and recalled the words of a mystic, St Teresa of Avila,

MESSAGE FROM THE executive director


“Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you.” Then slowly… I begin to feel as if this was divinely planned. I needed much healing, just like everyone else whether one is religious or not, with or without epilepsy. Grace can happen to anyone. I owe it to myself to allow the healing to happen and move on. I think this was what sparked the interest in Diana Koh, Goi Ming Ying, and Ang Wei Jie, of experiencing Lourdes in France when I suggested it to them. They too knew that they needed healing and wanted to make a personal spiritual journey in their own ways.

Lourdes is the most famous healing shrine in the world and one of the most-visited of all pilgrimage sites. Miraculous cures have been associated with this French town since 1858. The Sanctuary was an impressive sight, impossible to behold without feeling a sense of one’s own insignificance. I was totally lost in wonder, love and praise.

One of the great joys of travelling with them was their spirit of camaraderie. There is no perfect friendship. The proposition that we can look into another person’s heart with perfect clarity strikes me as a fool’s game. You never know all of a person; you only know them in a specific moment of time. If we hope to truly see another person, we have to start by looking deep within ourselves. To find companions with an open heart and open mind, who share your desire to know more, to take the initiative, and to laugh in the face of our shared human limitations, is a gift.

Society is not going to help us, and the medical world is no friend of spirituality though this is changing. Turning towards the sacred is itself the healing act. I was deeply touched to see our president, Dr Choong Chew Thye standing prayerfully before the famous statue of the Black Madonna and lighting a votive candle in Montserrat. We may not receive a cure, or some miraculous turnaround, but we may receive healing.

In my years of teaching catechetics, I believe one does not have to subscribe to an institutionally sanctioned image of God but simply to sense a power greater than oneself. The gifts of healing and renewal come from life itself, and we are all invited to open our hearts to receive them. As one of the core messages in the Twelve Steps suggests, the important point is to surrender to a greater force as if one’s life depended on it, …and because it does.

G.K. Chesterton summed up very well in a wonderfully vivid and independent appreciation of the spirit.

‘Mysticism keeps men sane. As long as you have mystery you have health; when you destroy mystery you create morbidity. The ordinary man has always been sane because the ordinary man has always been a mystic. He has permitted the twilight. He has always had one foot in earth and the other in fairyland. He has always let himself free to doubt his gods; but free also to believe in them. He has always cared more for truth than for consistency.’

Thanks and blessings be to all of you, and more,

SHERMAN S. GOH KENG HWEEExecutive Director/Epilepsy Counsellor

MESSAGE FROM THE executive director


Members present: Mr Ang Wei JieMr Chan Wen TingDr Choong Chew ThyeMr Goh Keng HweeMdm Elizabeth KeeMr Calvin Koh Chin KhoonMs Diana Koh Hwee Hoon

Mr Lee Soon ChuaDr Leong Wei ShinDr Lim Kim WheeMdm Mok Wai PunMr Tan Jun LongMr Tan Pek AnnMr Edward Tan Sen Liet

Mr Tan Zheng YuanMr Teo Wee MengMs Joey Tseng Wee WeiMdm Wong Joon HuaMs Wendy Woon Yuet Mei

Minutes of the 22nd Annual General Meeting held at Epilepsy Care Group (Singapore), 112 Lavender Street #03-01 Singapore 338728 on Saturday, 29 July 2017.

Present:Members’ Strength as at date of AGM - 153 Ordinary / Life Members required to form a quorum - 30No. of Ordinary / Life Members present - 19

Observer: Mrs Cecilia Tseng

1. Commencement1.1 The meeting was called to order at 1530 hrs after a thirty-minute wait and chaired by the incumbent

president, Dr Choong Chew Thye.

2. President’s address2.1 The outgoing President, Dr Choong Chew Thye presented her appreciation to the members and

volunteers for their continued support at this afternoon’s Annual General Meeting.

2.2 She shared that ECG will jointly organise a walkathon under the umbrella of the Citi-YMCA Youth for Causes project. This will be held on Saturday, 12 August 2017. She urged all present to support the event and to bring their families and friends.

2.3 Dr Choong noted that there has been an increase in membership and hope that more would participate in the activities. She highlighted that the 12th Asian and Oceanian Epilepsy Congress (AOEC) will be held in Bali from 28 June to 1 July 2018 and hope that ECG will be able to support more patient-members there, just like the previous 2016 congress in Hong Kong .

2.4 She informed the meeting that ECG will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2018 and she urged all members to be actively involved in the celebrations.

2.5 Dr Choong expressed her heartfelt thanks for the blessings of her 22nd Executive Council who had worked very hard during their term, the Board of Consultants, ECG’s legal advisor, volunteers, sponsors, ECG’s only staff, Mr Goh Keng Hwee and all members for their dedication and contributions. She urged the members to continue to support the new team soon to be elected. Lastly, she wished everyone happiness, peace and good health.

3. Passing of minutes of last AGM3.1 Mr Chan Wen Ting proposed to pass the minutes of the 21st Annual General Meeting held on 20 August

2016. Dr Lim Kim Whee seconded the motion. The minutes of the 21st Annual General Meeting was thus passed with no amendments.

4. Adoption of the Honorary Secretary’s Report4.1 The Honorary Secretary, Mr Goh Keng Hwee, presented his report for the work year 2016/2017.

4.1.1 In addition, Mr Goh informed the meeting that the Guest-of-Honour for the epilepsy walk is Mr Desmond Lee, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and National Development.

MINUTES 22nd anNual general meeting


4.1.2 He also mentioned that ECG hopes to send 25 delegates at affordable fee for next year’s AOEC to commemorate the group’s 25th Anniversary, and he encouraged all to sign up soon.

4.1.3 Mr Goh informed the meeting of the demise of an active Life Member, Mr Tong Mun Cheong late last year. ECG was sorry that this had happened, and extends our deepest condolences to the family. The Executive Council and members provided emotional support and assistance to Mun Cheong’s family and affected members of ECG.

4.2 Subcommittee Reports4.2.1 Dragon Boat Subcommittee Manager of the dragon boat subcommittee, Ms Goi Ming Ying, reviewed the activities of the dragon

boat team over the past year.

She reported that her team had organized 2 community rows followed by dinner. She urged more members to be more proactive in participating in dragon boat activities, which is relatively safe.

4.2.2 Editorial Subcommittee Chairperson of the editorial subcommittee, Mr Goh Keng Hwee, presented the work of the editorial

subcommittee.

4.2.3 Fundraising Subcommittee The Vice Chairperson of the fundraising subcommittee, Mr Tan Jun Long, presented the statement of

accounts for Flag Day 2017 and thanked the sponsors, donors and volunteers for their support.

He told the meeting that ECG was allocated a date (after balloting) which was the first weekend of the beginning of the new school year. This made it difficult for schools to send in students. He hopes for a better Flag Day 2018.

4.2.4 Human Resource Subcommittee Chairperson of the human resource subcommittee, Dr Choong Chew Thye, reported no staff

movements. She expressed her appreciation to Mr Goh Keng Hwee for his hard work over the years.

4.2.5 Information Technology Subcommittee Chairperson of the newly formed information technology subcommittee, Mr Chan Wen Ting, presented

the initiatives over the past year. He mentioned particularly of his subcommittee in seeing to the IT concerns of the Group.

4.2.6 Membership Development Sub-Committee Chairperson of the membership development subcommittee, Dr Lim Kim Whee, reported on the

membership status. He expressed his gratitude to the long serving members such as Mdm Mok Wai Pun and Mdm Elizabeth Kee, for their dedication over the years.

4.2.7 Training & Education Sub-Committee Chairperson of the training and education subcommittee, Ms Diana Koh Hwee Hoon, reported the

events and activities organized over the past year. She encouraged the members to attend ECG’s monthly support group meeting. She also briefly mentioned about the 11th Asian and Oceanian Epilepsy Congress held in Hong Kong last year.

4.2.8 Volunteers, Welfare, and Social Integration Sub-Committee On behalf of the Chairperson of the volunteers, welfare and social integration subcommittee, Mr Goh

Keng Hwee, presented the events and activities organized over the past year.

He said that although the activities planned were not many but they were highly intensive ones, such as the overnight trip to Malacca and the one-day tour to Bekok.



4.2.9 Research Subcommittee Chairperson of the newly formed research subcommittee, Dr Leong Wei Shin, gave an update on the

progress of the poster that his team would be putting up at the coming 32nd International Epilepsy Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

He thanked the members who had participated in the survey held prior to the AGM and assured them that the findings would be meticulously analysed.

4.3 Dr Lim Kim Whee proposed to adopt the Honorary Secretary’s report. Ms Wendy Woon Yuet Mei seconded the motion. The Honorary Secretary’s report was thus adopted without any amendments.

5. Adoption of the Audited Financial Statements 5.1 The Assistant Honorary Treasurer, Mr Lee Soon Chua, presented the audited financial statements for

the year ended 31 March 2017

5.2 It was resolved that the audited financial statements for the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 be adopted as proposed by Ms Diana Koh Hwee Hoon and seconded by Mr Calvin Koh Chin Khoon. The Audited Financial Statements was thus adopted without any amendments.

6. Election of the 23rd Executive Council for the year 2017/20186.1 The Election Officer, Dr Lim Kim Whee, conducted the election of the 23rd Executive Council and

received the following nominations:

6.2 President : Dr Choong Chew Thye Vice-President : Ms Diana Koh Hwee Hoon Honorary Secretary : Mr Goh Keng Hwee Asst Secretary : Mr Tan Jun Long Honorary Treasurer : Mr Lee Soon Chua Asst Treasurer : Mr Tan Zheng Yuan Welfare Officer : Mr Chan Wen Ting

Committee Members : Ms Goi Ming Ying Mr Calvin Koh Chin Khoon Dr Leong Wei Shin Ms Mok Wai Pun Mr Ang Wei Jie

6.3 As there was no contest for any of the positions, the Election Officer announced to the general meeting the elected members who would form the 23rd Executive Council.

7. Appointment of Auditor7.1 The 23rd Executive Council was empowered to appoint an auditor for Epilepsy Care Group (Singapore)

for the period up to the conclusion of the next Annual General Meeting of the Group and the incoming Executive Council was authorized to fix the remuneration of the auditor.

8. Any Other Business8.1 The general meeting was informed that there was no written motion received under Article 27 of The

Constitution of Epilepsy Care Group (Singapore). As such, the Annual General Meeting was called to a close at 1700 hrs.

8.2 A note of thanks was accorded to all present.

Recorded by:

Tan Jun Long Assistant Secretary

Confirmed by:

Goh Keng Hwee Honorary Secretary

President : Dr Choong Chew Thye Vice-President : Ms Diana Koh Hwee Hoon Honorary Secretary : Mr Goh Keng Hwee Asst Secretary : Mr Tan Jun Long Honorary Treasurer : Mr Lee Soon Chua Asst Treasurer : Mr Tan Zheng Yuan Welfare Officer : Mr Chan Wen Ting

Committee Members : Ms Mok Wai Pun Mr Calvin Koh Chin Khoon Dr Leong Wei Shin Mr Ang Wei Jie Ms Goi Ming Ying




Time really does flies! It’s time again to look back on the year in review and reflect on what we achieved together as one ECG. The theme over the past year has been on new ventures … as in venturing to what we’ve not tried before … outside of our comfort zone.

We organized new events, such as the Adventure Trail in April and a talk on ‘Protecting Yourself from Mobile Threat’ in June. We also launched the Epilepsy Walk in August at the Chinese Garden with help from a group of students from River Valley High School as part of the Citi-YMCA Youth for Causes program. We hope that the members enjoyed the event and will continue to support such events. Members are the backbone of ECG and any futures can only be sustainable with the active participation from everyone.

Behind the scenes, we formed the 1st ECG Research Team where we narrowed future research priorities on 3 key themes: 1. Quality of Life of People with Epilepsy, 2. Employability of People with Epilepsy, and 3. Education on Epilepsy. The efforts of the Research Team culminated in a poster presentation at the 32nd International Epilepsy Conference held in Barcelona, Spain, where a team of delegates from ECG braved security threats to attend. This was the first time a team from ECG attended an International Epilepsy conference outside Asia (once again, stepping outside our comfort zone).

As we look ahead for the year, ECG will continue to venture into new territories while remaining steadfast in our commitment to serve the epilepsy community. ECG celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2018 and a team has already been formed and tasked with planning on celebrating this important milestone. We look forward to having each one of you celebrate this milestone together and we have no doubts that we will have many more anniversaries to celebrate in the future.

We look forward to the continued support of our members, friends and volunteers in the coming year. We are sure that 2018/2019 will be a great year for us!

Till the next time…

THE 23RD EXECUTIVE COUNCILEpilepsy Care Group (Singapore) held its 22nd Annual General Meeting on 29 July 2017. The following members were elected into office:

PRESIDENTDr Choong Chew Thye

VICE PRESIDENTMs Diana Koh Hwee Hoon

HONORARY SECRETARYMr Goh Keng Hwee

ASSISTANT SECRETARYMr Tan Jun Long

HONORARY TREASURERMr Lee Soon Chua

ASSISTANT TREASURERMr Tan Zheng Yuan

WELFARE OFFICERMr Chan Wen Ting

COUNCIL MEMBERSMr Ang Wei JieMs Goi Ming YingMr Calvin Koh Chin KhoonDr Leong Wei ShinMs Mok Wai Pun

SECRETARIES' Report


SECRETARIES' Report

DECLARATION OF CONFLICT OF INTERESTCouncil members should avoid any position of conflict of interest in any transaction, project or matter relating to the Group and should make full and frank disclosure of any such potential conflict of interest to the Council immediately. If a Council member has any interest (directly or indirectly) in any transaction, project or matter relating to the Group to be discussed at any meeting, the Council member should:

(i) disclose the nature of his interest before the discussion or vote on the matter, and (ii) withdraw from the meeting. The remaining Council shall then decide on this matter.

We confirm that each member of the Council and the Board of Consultants is not in a position where his personal interests may conflict with his role as a member of the Council or the Board of Consultants.

We also confirm that the paid executive management of ECG does not comprise more than one-third of the Executive Council nor chair its meeting.

With effect from 1 April 2011, ECG is required to submit the Governance Evaluation Checklist within six months after the end of its financial year.

SUB-COMMITTEESDuring the first Executive Council Meeting held on 8 August 2017, the following members were designated the following responsibilities:

Chair, Board of Consultants – Dr Lim Kim WheeChair, Dragon Boat Subcommittee – Ms Goi Ming YingChair, Editorial Subcommittee – Mr Goh Keng HweeChair, Fundraising Subcommittee – Mr Tan Zheng YuanChair, Human Resource Subcommittee – Dr Choong Chew ThyeChair, Membership Development Subcommittee – Dr Lim Kim WheeChair, Training & Education Subcommittee – Dr Leong Wei ShinChair, Welfare & Social Integration Subcommittee – Mr Chan Wen TingChair, Information & Technology Subcommittee – Mr Chan Wen TingChair, Epilepsy Congresses – Ms Diana Koh Hwee Hoon

ECG BOARD OF CONSULTANTSThe Executive Council would like to express their gratitude to the following who were invited to serve as Honorary Consultants in their areas of specialization:

NEUROLOGYProf Michael Chee Wei LiangDr Lim Kim Whee

PSYCHIATRYDr Adrian Wang Chee Cheng

DENTISTRYDr Vijayan Loganathan

LEGALMr Anand Nalachandran

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETINGSA total of 5 meetings were held during the tenure of the 23rd Executive Council.


Goh Keng Hwee Honorary Secretary

Tan Jun Long Assistant Secretary

PRESIDENT’S CHALLENGE 2018ECG has been selected to be one of the beneficiaries supported by President’s Challenge 2018.

IN MEMORIAMIt was with deep sadness that ECG announced the passing of: 1) Robert Leslie Cole (Australia) – 27 May 20182) Wendy Woon Yuet Mei – 13 July 2018

CONCLUSIONLastly, Jun Long and I would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the Board of Consultants and our fellow members of the 23rd Executive Council for contributing considerable time and effort, without which all the programmes and projects during our term would not have been possible. Our thanks also go out to the President’s Office, the Ministry of Health, the National Council of Social Service, all our sponsors and donors for their continuous support.

SECRETARIES' Report


Editorial SubcommitteeEditor : Goh Keng HweeSub-editors : Chan Wen Ting, Tan Jun Long

In financial year 2017 to 2018, the editorial subcommittee produced a total of 6 newsletters and the annual report.

Fundraising SubcommitteeChair : Tan Zheng YuanVice-Chair : Calvin Koh Members : Lee Soon Chua, Mok Wai Pun

16th ECG Flag DayEpilepsy Care Group’s (Singapore) 16th Flag Day was held on 27 January 2018. 247 student-volunteers from schools turned up for the event to help raise funds for the epilepsy community. There was a marked improvement compared to last year. ECG appreciates the help rendered by all the volunteers in this fundraising project.

We earnestly look forward to greater support again in the year 2019.

ECG would also like to thank Tote Board for their contribution of $8,768.25 in support of our Flag Day.

Income and Expenditure for ECG 16th Flag Day – 27 January 2018NCSS Approval No.: 2017100674

INCOMETotal proceeds collected $43,841.25

Less:EXPENDITUREAudit fee $ 300.00Flag day tin labels $ 185.11Flag day tins $ 363.80Refreshments $ 392.00Petrol $ 65.38Processing fee $ 117.40

Net proceeds for 16th Flag Day $ 42,417.56

SUBCOMMITTEES' Report



Christmas Fair @St Andrew’s CathedralECG managed a stall selling books and gift items at the Christmas Carnival at St Andrew’s Cathedral from 21-23 December 2017. We would like to thank Ms Wendy Woon for arranging this opportunity with St Andrew’s Cathedral, and also the many volunteers who helped out.

Information Technology SubcommitteeChair : Chan Wen TingVice-Chair : Goi Ming Ying

Talk on Protecting Yourself from Mobile ThreatWelfare Officer Chan Wen Ting gave a talk on ‘Protecting Yourself from Mobile Threat’ on 17 June 2017. Wen Ting shared about some of the trends about mobile usage in Singapore, and how to identify some of the recent attacks and privacy thefts. Last but not least, he also shared some tips to the members on how to safeguard their phones, and how to avoid being a victim of an attack.

Human Resource SubcommitteeChair : Dr Choong Chew ThyeVice-Chair : Dr Lim Kim WheeMember : Diana Koh

The human resource subcommittee reported that in financial year as at 31 March 2018, ECG has only one paid staff.

Membership Development SubcommitteeChair : Dr Lim Kim WheeVice-Chair : Dr Choong Chew ThyeMember : Goh Keng Hwee, Diana Koh In the year under review, there were 149 members as at 31 March 2018. Adults with epilepsy make up for majority of the members. Other members include their caregivers and volunteers.

A breakdown of the membership into categories as at 31 March 2018 is as follows:

Life Membership - 91Ordinary membership - 58Total - 149

Training & Education SubcommitteeChair : Dr Leong Wei ShinVice-Chair : Diana Koh

EnAbleEnAble is an on-going support group held on the last Friday of each month. It provides an atmosphere where members meet to share their experiences and learn from one another on how to care for people with epilepsy. It also provides them with an opportunity to render emotional and moral support to each other.


Talk on Psychiatric & Legal Issues of People with EpilepsyPeople with epilepsy suffer from seizures. Some may appear to be confused or under the influence of an intoxicating substance. Some may perform involuntary acts that are perceived as intentional or malicious. In these situations, a person with epilepsy may be accused of criminal conduct and may even be arrested, investigated and charged with a criminal offence. How does criminal law apply to people with epilepsy? How should someone with epilepsy take precautions? These questions and more were addressed at a talk on ‘Psychiatric and Legal Issues of People with Epilepsy’ presented by Dr Adrian Wang and Mr Anand Nalachandran on 22 April 2017. The afternoon’s talk also considered the condition of epilepsy in relation to the criminal justice system as well as the other legal issues and implications for people with epilepsy.

32nd International Epilepsy Congress (Barcelona) Eight delegates from ECG attended the 32nd International Epilepsy Congress (IEC) held in Barcelona from 2 to 6 September 2017. They also presented a poster on ‘Developing Research Trajectories and Capabilities in Epilepsy Care Group (Singapore)’. The Congress itself was largely medical but it also included some psychosocial behavioural science and technology.

Welfare & Social Integration SubcommitteeChair : Chan Wen TingVice-Chair : Goh Keng Hwee

Adventure TrailCouncil member Goi Ming Ying organized an Adventure Trail for ECG members on 15 April 2017 that explored some eastern parts of Singapore. Teams comprising of 3 members were formed. The teams were provided with clues to locate the venues and they were required to take a photo at the venues as evidence. Members had fun making new friends and solving the mystery together.



ECG 24th Anniversary Trip - BatamPlease read the write-up on page 43.

Christmas Celebration ECG closed the year with a Christmas Get-together by the poolside at the Medical Alumni Association on 3 December 2017. Members and their families and friends were treated to a fun-filled celebration. Lucky draws were also conducted at various intervals during that evening’s program. The evening ended with a KTV session. And last but not least, what is Christmas without a sumptuous spread of great festive food from Cedele, nasi lemak from Dr & Mrs Tan Bin Seng, and warm fellowship? ECG acknowledged the members’ and friends’ support and donations for this event.

Epilepsy Walk: You’ll Never Walk AloneClose to 150 participated in a 3.3km walk on a Saturday morning of 12 August 2017. The Epilepsy Walk was organized by students from River Valley High School as part of the Citi-YMCA Youth for Causes project. The objective was to help raise awareness of epilepsy and empower people living with this condition. The walk was graced by Guest-of Honour, Mr Desmond Lee, Minister from the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and National Development. At the end of the walk, participants left with a sense of ‘togetherness’ and a better understanding of the struggles faced by people with epilepsy.


Lunar New Year Get-together This year’s Chinese New Year celebration was special. It was held in the function room of a condo, kind courtesy of Mdm Yu Yueh Shia and her family. The evening’s program on 25 February 2018 started off with a game, followed by a belly dance arranged by Mrs Christina Tan. And as with any Chinese New Year celebration; festive songs were sung. The highlight of that evening was nonetheless the tossing of the auspicious Lou Hei, (kindly sponsored by Mdm Rosalind Yan) signifying abundance, prosperity and vigour and the sumptuous buffet dinner. Not only were the food filling to their stomachs, their heart were also filled with warmth, as they continued to share the festive spirit of the Lunar New Year in a KTV room. Everyone brought home a bag of sweet mandarin oranges (kindly sponsored by Dr and Mrs Tan Bin Seng) which brought much joy to the members’ faces.


By: Sherman S. Goh

Twenty-four ECG members and their families celebrated the group’s 24th anniversary in a day trip to Batam, Indonesia on 28 October 2017. We took the earliest ferry out as it would give us plenty of time to enjoy the island. Singapore is an hour ahead of Indonesia. Our first stop was at a Taman Mini Indonesia Indah featuring 33 types of miniature houses originated from different provinces in Indonesia. There were also some animal sculptures in the park. But the park turned out to be quite disappointing and boring. Not only was the park small, the miniature houses looked almost similar to one another; and it took us less than 10 minutes to view the entire attraction. Some of the younger members with their families headed straight to the Go-Kart Circuit Centre which was located right next to the Miniature Park. These colourful four-wheeled vehicles were designed to thrill the adrenaline junkies by allowing them to zoom around a spacious race track for 10 minutes.

After those two outdoor activities, we proceeded to a factory outlet called the Golden Factory Outlet which basically sells outdated fashion wear, and mostly imitations of the original ones. Then after, we were brought to this Batam Layer Cake factory where we could see the staff making Kueh Lapis behind a glass window. Making Kueh Lapis is laborious work, requiring each layer to be baked separately. After one layer is baked, the tray is removed from the oven, with the next layer of batter slathered on and returned to the oven once more. This process is repeated until the desired layer is reached. The Kueh Lapis comes in various flavours such as Pandan, Mocha, Chocolate, Prune, Cinnamon, Cheese, etc; and they come in 1kg each that you could request it to be packed into two boxes of 500g each. Our members grabbed boxes of them like as though they were free! After all, what is a trip to Batam without having some Kueh Lapis at a fair price?

We headed for lunch at a seafood restaurant which was partially built over the waters ‘kelong’-styled. After a delectable meal which most of the members enjoyed, we proceeded to Yong Heng Food Trading which sells a wide variety of crackers, and Bengkong dry market.

Our final stop was at Nagoya Hill mall where everyone was on their own free choice activities. I rested at Starbucks as I was down with a bad flu.

Finally, after a long wait, our ferry came eventually, and it was yet another round of catching up on those much needed sleep, since all of us woke up very early on that day. To think of it, one could actually get a lot of fun things done all before sundown in Batam!

ECG 24TH ANNIVERSARY TRIP TO BATAM ISLAND


DONORS honour roll

…..and numerous other generous donors who prefer to remain anonymous

Note: In compliance with Regulation 8(1) (c) of the Charities (Institutions of a Public Character) Regulations 2007 on Duty to Donors, consent has been sought from the above donors to be acknowledged for their monetary contributions.

DONATIONS

$10,000 plus Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho TempleLee Foundation

$6,000 plusThe Shaw Foundation Pte

$5,000 plusTan Ean Kiam Foundation

$3,000 plusSingapore Totalisator Board

$1,000 plusMr Kevin Kwek Tze HernMr Leong Wah KheongDr Lim Kim Whee Mdm Rosalind Yan Foong Peng NTUC FairPrice Foundation LtdSingapore Press Holdings Foundation LtdYMCA of Singapore

$600 plusMr Goh Keng Hwee

$500 plusDr Ho King HeeMs Diana Koh Hwee Hoon Ms Maggie Su Seok HuahMr Gerald Yeo Shibin

$400 plusMs Alice Koh Gek Choo

$300 plusDr Choong Chew ThyeMs Dayna Ong Yee Mun Mrs Jacqueline Tan Kim Hoie

$200 plusMr Eddy Heng Teng KuanMr Ho Liam Chew Mdm Kwek Lee HoonDr Leong Wei Shin Mr Jimmy TanMrs Aileen Tan-Choo Beng TinMr Yap Bau Tan

$100 plusMs Josephine Chan Yoke LanMr Chiu Guo ChyuanMs Dawn Er Soo Tsing Mr Gho Wie Min Ms Mylene Koh Su-YingMr Tan Hui MengMs Amelia A TanumihardjaMdm Mary Yeo

$50 plusMs Doreen LyeMs Pang Wei ShenDr David Yong

Flag Day 2018 Ms Josephine Chan Yoke LanMr Chiu Guo ChyuanDr Choong Chew Thye Mr Goh Keng HweeMr Gho Wie MinMr Eddy Heng Teng KuanDr Ho King HeeMr Ho Liam ChewMs Diana Koh Hwee Hoon Mdm Kwek Lee HoonMr Kevin Kwek Tze HernMr Leong Wah KheongDr Lim Kim Whee Ms Doreen LyeMs Pang Wei ShenMs Maggie Su Seok HuahMrs Aileen Tan-Choo Beng TinMr Tan Hui MengMr Jimmy TanMrs Tan Kim HoieMdm Rosalind Yan Foong PengMr Yap Bau TanMdm Mary YeoMr Gerald Yeo ShibinDr David YongNTUC FairPrice Foundation LtdLee FoundationSingapore Press Holdings Foundation LtdSingapore Totalisator BoardThe Shaw Foundation Pte

(AS AT 31 MARCH 2018)

Documents

CORPORATE directory - Epilepsy Care...Calvin KOH Chin Khoon Dr LEONG Wei Shin MOK Wai Pun Board of Consultants Prof Michael CHEE Dr LIM Kim Whee Dr Adrian WANG Dr Vijayan LOGANATHAN