Public Statement on Recent Allegations and Falsehoods Towards ThisConnect

It has come to my attention that there has been recent allegations and defamations circulated about what ThisConnect does and what I stand for personally. It is both for myself and the community members I work with that I am writing this.?

I find it unnerving that allegations were made without any proper investigation or even a first-hand experience of what ThisConnect does in our exhibitions, events, or workshops, even while imploring others to go deeper into researching organisations and understanding their intentions. Not only did the certain man not do the due diligence to investigate the work of ThisConnect thoroughly, there was also no consultation or engagement directly with me about the rumours that he heard.?

When I started ThisConnect 5 years ago, my intention had always been to keep the ground-up movement a space for volunteerism – myself included. It is a space dedicated to raising emotional literacy, self-awareness, and mindfulness. There are many ways to raise the consciousness of a society. In the case of ThisConnect, I had intended for it to be a non-profit ground-up community social movement as a way to give back, not as a business. We have run exhibitions and art workshops for years, and in the last six months, we kickstarted large-scale community events with an attendance of up to 100 pax. We do not offer courses or programs. Nor do we discriminate against anyone from any socioeconomic status, race, or religion. Most of our volunteers have day jobs - hold ranks in the corporate space or run their own businesses, passion projects, and partake in multiple forms of volunteerism. However, we have always clearly defined the boundary between ThisConnect and all other personal engagements and emphasised that they must be kept clean amongst our volunteers.?

I have kept these lines clean all these years, even as I was running my own businesses and companies, one of which includes self-improvement development programmes and courses mindfulness and self-awareness.?

Just because I am currently running multiple businesses, companies, and spearheading charities does not mean that they are one and the same. Business is strictly business. Public service is public service. Certain lines have to be kept separate and that is something I adhere to.?

Some people may know that I also train top leaders and celebrities around the world.

Where I do mean business, we do not force or coerce individuals to take courses with us. It is not my place to meddle with how much people have in their bank accounts, much less to tell them what to do with their money - not unless they approach me for advice from a line of relationship. Students who had studied with me around the world and worked with me directly can testify to that and vouch for my character. Besides, it takes two hands to clap – a willing client and a willing service provider. People pay for what they find value in and the courses I offer in my companies are priced with full transparency.?

ThisConnect is a social movement, and not an organisation. We have always ensured that our spaces are safe enough to talk about things that matter. We have also received many positive feedback and testimonials over the years. This is true even in our recent community events by first time attendees who applauded us for our mindful curation of activities that advocate more self-awareness and authentic connections. Why should these allegations come along at this point when our principles have never changed since the start??

Here’s the problem. Things get complicated when people conflate the two, enmeshing the different roles and hats I wear, lumping them all into one.

It has come to my attention that there are two individuals who are acquainted with the man publicly making groundless accusations and false claims - not only sowing discord, seeding mistrust and driving rifts among our members but among members of the public.

To complicate matters, the first individual made a decision to attend my courses in my company, requested partial payments which I obliged, subsequently owed money, ran away and disappeared after courses and programs had been delivered. I subsequently found out that she was spreading falsehoods among our members and sowing mistrust. She happened to be the former intern of the social enterprise that belonged to the man who made the post about ThisConnect. There is evidently a web of falsehoods being spread in a close-knitted circle.?

Another associated individual within the circle perpetuated the allegations while completely disregarding the teachings I have offered. With all due respect, I do not see how stopping someone – who had the privilege of being raised in an upper/middle class environment – from tarnishing her own body for monetary gain, is wrong of me. I challenged that individual multiple times to find other means of earning an income in an honorable and dignified manner within a perfectly free economy to rebuild her life. This individual had been contacting our members and friends of those members to spread untruths. It ruined and tainted the pure relationships amongst those who believed in the work. We have seen and received these screenshots of messages from those who had stepped into the light to inform us of this matter.

Ironically, both of these individuals, who are in close association, had come to me requesting for personal favours multiple times outside of the paid training hours in courses and programs. They were only subsequently later on invited to participate in volunteerism under ThisConnect movement.

We are presently taking legal actions against these two individuals for their breach of agreements.

Stories are created by people. And people will always see the world through their tinted lenses - their biases and assumptions. To insinuate ThisConnect as a cult publicly, label-shaming us as manipulative, dangerous and pretentious without cross-checking facts with us, visiting or experiencing any of our events is a classic example of toxic cancel culture, victimizing and scapegoating.?This is also a convenient way to conflate everything I do in my life.

It’s funny how this concept is familiar in the wellness space, and yet the purported statements and comments against ThisConnect bear so many assumptions and ignorance. I have just lost all my respect for the particular social enterprise who we used to share the same space with. We will be consulting professional legal advice.

Furthermore, to make claims insinuating that our volunteers and community members prey on people out there, play on their emotional weakness, and employ manipulative tactics is out of line. This generates paranoia, fears and doubt amongst the members of public. Firstly, that is not something I or we stand for. Secondly, people are not dumb or stupid. Just because one man believes that he knows better and that he’s doing the right thing does not make his conclusions the only explanation.?

Let me emphasise again - we have public servants, government officials, medical personnels, lawyers, directors, angel investors, and high profile individuals who choose to attend ThisConnect’s monthly events in their personal capacity. They had a positive experience with us, enjoyed the experience, and gave us positive testimonials after the event.?

The lack of openness and consultation from the very communities doing the work of wellness is unnerving, troubling and unsettling. And you wonder why there's little progress in Singapore’s mental health scene.?

The next time somebody tries to tell me how to run my house(s), I’d suggest they first look inwards at their reality, and keep their own house in check and order, before passing judgement onto others.

My integrities and values are clean. ThisConnect is clean.

P.S. If you have an issue with me, at least have the decency and courage to come to me and tell that to my face. Moreover, get your facts in order first. Ask me.?

When things are taken out of context, it can mean something completely different. Even truths can be misconstrued. And do not confuse the passion and enthusiasm of our volunteers who believe and stand for the causes that ThisConnect advocates – on emotional literacy, self-awareness, mindfulness - with something else that is not.

Hun Ming Kwang

Founder and Creative Director

ThisConnect.today