APPENDIX 4
The Electric New Paper :
HARD TO SUE, SAY LAWYERS
IT may be an uphill task to sue a fengshui master unless the victims can prove their misfortune is due to the bad advice.
11 June 2007
IT may be an uphill task to sue a fengshui master unless the victims can prove their misfortune is due to the bad advice.
Lawyer Loo Eng Teck, from Harry Elias Partnership, said: ‘One of the issues the court will look at is whether the families are able to prove that their damages were caused by following the advice of the geomancer. This would be the hardest part to prove in a court of law.’
Veteran lawyer Amolat Singh added that, unlike accountants, doctors and lawyers, geomancers are not regulated by any board.
‘As such, there are no objective ways of measuring if one’s interpretation is right or wrong,’ Mr Singh said. He once had a client who changed his name twice in three months for fengshui purposes.
There may be recourse if claimants can prove that they have been misled into paying for the geomancer’s services.
Veteran lawyerPeter Low said it may be prudent to set up a body to regulate and accreditate the practitioners.
But, at the end of the day, it is most importantly, a case of ‘buyers beware’.
Mr Singh said: ‘They can offer advice but you’re the one acting on it.’
The Electric New Paper :
Fengshui masters trying to clean up industry UPSET with what they think are the bad apples among them, a few renowned fengshui masters here have formed an association to set a
professional code of practice.
11 June 2007
UPSET with what they think are the bad apples among them, a few renowned fengshui masters here have formed an association to set a professional code of practice.
Geomancer Tan Khoon Yong, who is one of three vice-presidents of the two-year-old International Feng Shui Association (IFSA), said: ‘One of the association’ s main objectives is to forge the standard of the profession by approving accreditation only to those who have
passed the stringent checks imposed by our committee.’
Agreeing with him was MrVincent Koh, who founded the Singapore Feng Shui Centre in 1997.
He has been teaching Basic Science of Feng Shui at Singapore Polytechnic since 1998.
STRICT PROCESS
Mr Koh, 59, the IFSA’s honorary treasurer, said: ‘The selection process is conducted strictly; different grades are awarded depending on the practitioner’ s experience.’
But, until the young IFSA gains a firmer foothold in Singapore, the fengshui masters felt that the public should take note of some basic tips when seeking fengshui consultations.
Start by doing your research. MrKoh said: ‘A good practitioner does not go around saying he is good. Ask for referrals.’
It may not be necessary to pay top dollar for consultation, but be wary of those who charge ‘reasonable fees’, for you can end up paying more for ‘supposed necessary auspicious items’, MrTan cautioned.
Geomancer Adelina Pang, 40, also an IFSA member, said: ‘Giving the practice a bad name are the ones who sell all kinds of things. Fengshui is not just about selling auspicious items.’
Also, fengshui masters are no psychics or magicians.
Mr Koh said: ‘The geomancer must visit the premise that’s to be assessed.’
Mr Tan added: ‘And his job does not stop there.
‘He has to visit again after the recommended work is completed to ensure that everything is aligned accordingly. ‘
When clients approach Mr Koh with a health issue, his first question is always: Have you consulted a doctor?
He said: ‘In life-threatening situations, I tell my clients honestly there is nothing I can do to prolong the person’s life.
‘I can only help to reduce his suffering by working on the fengshui elements of his home.’