19 May 2015 – Sun’s EIC (Part 1) (MrsLightnFriends: 20 May 2015)

Today, May 19 2015, Ms Sun Ho was on the witness stand. The courtroom was crowded with City Harvest members, X-members, reporters and some public. At 9am, there was no more morning session ticket.

Recap updates

Crossover Project is the main mission of City Harvest Church.

Chew: Sun, I remember there was a trip that you made with Pastor Ulf, and it was told to us that Pastor Ulf profess sized to you and he had a vision of how he saw you singing to millions of people. Can you just explain?

Sun: Yes. Yes, your Honour. That was after we came back from Taiwan, after we have actually approached a music producer to talk to him about wanting to produce an album to reach out to the non-Christian. And that, I remember, your Honour, it’s also the time after we came back from New York, after 9/11, we went to Hong Kong with Pastor Ulf. And at the street of Hong Kong, I remember we passed by a electronic store and there was a TV playing rock music concert, and Pastor Ulf turned to me and said that, “Sun, I believe that you will have the opportunity to sing to millions and God will give you an opportunity to sing to millions and God will give you an opportunity to reach out to them to convert them into Christianity”.

Chew: Has that vision come to pass, singing to millions?

Sun: Your Honour, I believe that the vision has come to pass. I didn’t count how many people I have sung before, but I believe that they are in tens and hundreds of thousands. And the best thing that I feel privileged to be part of, your Honour, is to be able to share my testimony, and also invite them to accept Jesus Christ into their lives.

…

Chew: Sun, could you tell us about the Crossover concerts in 2003 to 2004. I believe there were 80 concerts that you sang in, and most of this was secular concerts but there were about 140,000 people that got converted into Christians?

Sun: That’s correct. Your Honour. We started that concert after I launched the album “Lonely Travel”. It was sometime in 2003, and it lasted for seven and a half years months. Altogether, there were 80 concerts. I travelled from city to city in Taiwan, and then from Taiwan to Hong Kong to Malaysia, back to Singapore, Indonesia. I believe we went to Australia too, your Honour.

And in those concert, I saw thousands that would come for each concert, and I would perform for one hour and 15 minutes of my songs in all the three albums that I have. And at the end, I would share my testimony on how Jesus helped me to walk out on my depression. In the end, Kong would come up to invite people who are interested to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior to come forward.

Chew: What was the response you saw?

Sun: Your Honour, I’m very privileged to be able to see that in most of these concert, at least 50 per cent of the people would actually lift up their hands and walk forward and give their hearts to Jesus. And those churches that partner with us in this outreach concerts would have counselors ready, and they would take down the names of these people that responded. And the churches will reach out to them and integrate them to the respective churches in the cities.

Chew: To the best of your knowledge, did these people who responded subsequently attend church?

Sun: Your Honour, to the best of my knowledge, I would think so, because from what I heard is that churches have grown, and new churches has sprung forth because of the Crossover salvation decisions.

Sun mentioned about New Life Church and how the Crossover Project impacted Liu Geng Hong, two of the members in FIR and Jay Chou through Geng Hong. (Taiwanese singers)

Chew: Sun, artiste or non-artiste, the substance of the Crossover is getting souls saved. Correct?

Sun: That’s correct, your Honour.

Chew: And it is the main mission of City Harvest?

Sun: That’s correct, your Honour.

Who in the church has commissioned Sun to the US Crossover Project?

Sun: Your Honour, I always feel that the church supported me in this whole Crossover Project. I remember sometime in 2002 the church prayed for me and commissioned me to the Asia Crossover, and sometime in 2004, after I had a big concert in Singapore, the next day we have a service in Indoor Stadium, and the whole church prayed for me and commissioned me to the US Crossover Project. I know that they have faith in God and this mission.

Chew: Who in the church in particular commissioned you to cross over?

Sun: Your Honour, I would think that the whole church, the board members, the EMs and the whole church has commissioned me, because the whole church has prayed for me.

Chew: Did you know that the board was 100 percent supportive of you crossing over?

Sun: Your Honour, to the best of my knowledge I believe that the board was very supportive of the Crossover Project. I remember some of the board members actually came and joined me for the outreach concerts.

How many albums were sold?

Answer from Sun during her EIC

“I don’t keep track of the unit sales”,
“I didn’t talk about unit sales”,
“I am not sure did I talk to him [refers to Johnny Wright] about unit sales”,
“I’m not sure of the exact unit sales for “Sun With Love”.
“But I believe that it definitely has sold more than 15 to 20,000 copies.”

Chew: Sun I will take you to a new exhibit.

First exhibit is about S-Curved, which is the music publishing company that released “Who Let the Dogs out” album. The album went on to sell 4 million copies album worldwide winning a Grammy award.

Sun: I’m not familiar with S-Curved records up to that time, but I know that they came highly recommended by Justin and Johnny Wright.

Chew: Did you meet Steve Greenberg? [CEO of S-Curved]

Sun: Yes, your Honour, I met Steve twice, I believe.

BlackBerry pins messages
6 Feb 2010
Dear WL,We need to work in the morning:
1. I know there’s some Taiwan newspaper that reported on Sun and mentioned her sales figures for her mandarin albums.
2. We need to send to Mark the web pages of sales chart (S’pore + Taiwan)
3. Send pictures of the platinum albums + awards Sun received for best selling albums. TYP

6 Feb 2010 Subject From Sun to me
Pin from Kong to TYP
Johnny told me that Steve finally came back with the contract and he refuses to put down the exact figure of his market budget cos he said that EMI Asia told him that I only sold 15-20k albums! And he was very very shocked! He said he was hoping that he could sell hundreds of thousands of copies in Asia.

Johnny told him that he never really asked me the exact amount of how many I’ve sold. But yes, he’ll check with me.

I need newspaper reports Johnny is thinking of a million for one record cos we said 4 millions sold for 5 albums. I remember there were articles reporting something like that

Chew: Whatever is written in this pin was written by you?

Sun: Yes, your Honour.

…..

Chew: And the reason he said was EMI Asia told him that you only sold 15 to 20,000 albums. Who is EMI Asia and what’s the relationship to you?

Sun: Your Honour, actually, to the best of my recollection, I don’t know anyone personally from EMI Asia. And I don’t think I have any kind of work relationship with them.

…..

Chew: So 15 to 20,000 copies was shocking to you, right?

Sun: That’s correct, your Honour.

Chew: You told Kong Hee, “I need newspaper report Johnny is taking off a million for one record.”
 Is that what Johnny was budgeting for the sales, 1 million copies?

Sun: Your Honour, I wouldn't know what he was budgeting for the US record. I know he’s very confident with the commercial success of the US record.

Chew: Where do you get this 1 million from?

Sun: I think Johnny is thinking of a million for one record. I cannot remember, your Honour, whether it’s Johnny talking about the US album or is he taking about the Asia album, that he thought that I sold 1 million for an album.

Chew: Actually, if you read on, it says: “Johnny is thinking of a million for one record cos we said 4 million sold for 5 albums.”

Sun: Mh…hmm..

Chew: So, actually, what you meant was you told them that you’ve sold 4 million copies for the five Mandarin albums and so Johnny is now thinking that the US album would sell 1 million?

Sun: Your Honour, I ..personally, to the best of my recollection, I don’t think I have talked to Justin or Johnny about how many units I’ve sold in Asia. That’s why I think in the second paragraph, you can see that Johnny told Steve Greenberg that he never really asked me. We never really talk about the Asia album sales that much.

So in this conversation, he must have asked me, and I told him that I would check with the team back in Asia. And when I said 4 millions because I vaguely remember that I must have seen it in some newspaper reports. So I just wanted the team to find those report, you know, and maybe could send it to Steve or Johnny just to verify.

Chew: So basically, you were asking for newspaper reports as evidence that you had sold 4 million copies of the Mandarin albums?

Sun: Your Honour, because I cannot really remember where I saw this figure, so I was just asking the team to assist me.

Chew: Did anyone come up with the press articles after that, stating 4 million?

Sun: I cannot really remember the details. That’s why here I said that we need newspaper reports, because I remember vaguely that I must have read it somewhere from some articles.

Chew: So this 4 million figure came into your head, and that’s why you brought it up to Kong and to bring it up to TYP. Right? Correct?

Sun: That’s correct, your Honour.

….

Chew: Sun don’t you keep track of how many copies you sell for each of the Mandarin albums?

Sun: No, your Honour. I don’t keep track because I was very busy with the Crossover Project, and I was travelling from one city to another, and one country to another. Usually the tabulation of the sales would be left to the record company and the managers.

Chew: After each of the five albums were launched and sold, didn’t you ask how many copies were sold?

Sun: Your Honour, to the best of my recollection, I don’t really remember asking, but the impression was that the album had sold well. I remember fairly early, your Honour, in the project, must be my first or second record, that in Singapore alone I was given double platinum. And at that time, a platinum would be 15,000 copies, so it would be at least 30,000 copies in Singapore alone for one album.

And I remember sometime during my Gain album, when I was under Warner, they have a press conference, your Honour, and in Taiwan, and I remember Warner mentioned that for the that album alone I sold more than 500,000 copies. So in my mind, the album has sold well. But as in, do I ask people for each album exactly how many have sold, to the best of my recollection, I don’t remember asking.

…

Chew: Sun, you knew by this time that Xtron was managing your Mandarin albums. Right?

Sun: I know that they managed me from 2003, your Honour, to 2007, and then after that it’s UA.

Chew: Yeah, actually, it’s 2003 to 2008. UA came into the picture in 2008.

Sun: Okay.

Chew: So when there’s this dispute and this attack by EMI Asia about your actual sales, why didn’t you ask Xtron for the figures of how many copies you sold?

Sun: Your Honour, I didn’t ask for the exact copies sold because in my mind we have sold well, and this figure that this person from EMI asia has mentioned, it just you know, it is just look a little bit far fetched. So and I remember that after that, Johnny and Justin didn’t actually ask me much about it. It was kind of like a non-issue after.

Chew: When you needed evidence of your sales, why is it that your first recourse was to the newspaper report, not to Xtron.

Sun: No. When I asked for the newspaper reports, was because I kind of remember that maybe this figure was reported in some kind of articles. That’s why I asked for those articles. I cannot really remember where I read it from.