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Tag: Aljunied

  • PAP Activists Distributing Flyers Urging Residents To Quiz Their Workers’ Party MPs

    PAP Activists Distributing Flyers Urging Residents To Quiz Their Workers’ Party MPs

    People’s Action Party (PAP) activists in Aljunied GRC have gone on the offensive, distributing flyers today (March 13) urging residents to quiz their Workers’ Party (WP) Members of Parliament (MPs) over the accounting and corporate governance lapses committed by Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC).

    Titled “What You Should Ask WP’s Aljunied Hougang Punggol East Town Council”, the flyer — which was in English and Chinese and came complete with a chart — compared AHPETC’s managing agent rates with those of some PAP town councils. Among other things, it charged that there was improper governance by AHPETC and that the town council had “overpaid its friends at FMSS by at least S$6.4 million”.

    “This is our ‘lost money’. It means we have less money to clean and maintain our estate,” the flyer said, reiterating that serious problems that could affect residents were flagged by the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO).

    The lapses, which were highlighted by the AGO in its audit report on AHPETC, prompted National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan to table a motion in Parliament last month. Among other things, the motion called on town councils to uphold higher standards of accounting and reporting to safeguard residents’ interests.

    During the parliamentary debate, PAP ministers and MPs had zeroed in on a potential conflict of interest: AHPETC secretary Danny Loh and his wife, the town council’s general manager How Weng Fan, are also the main directors and shareholders of AHPETC’s managing agent FM Solutions and Services (FMSS).

    Adding that the WP had deliberately remained silent to queries posed by auditors and in Parliament, the flyer also listed questions that residents should confront the WP MPs with, including how much FMSS and other businesses owned by AHPETC employees earnt from the town council, as well as what the town council’s latest financial situation is. The flyer added: “Why did AHPETC allow the husband-and-wife team to verify and approve payment on work done by FMSS, which is owned by them?”

    It was not stated on the flyer who had come up with the contents. When contacted, PAP Paya Lebar branch chairman K Muralidharan Pillai confirmed that the flyers — which were distributed to units in Kovan — were handed out by PAP activists today. Adding that it was a ground-up initiative by the activists, he said they had nothing to hide and that “there was no difficulty in understanding that (the flyer) was from the PAP”. The plan is to distribute the flyers throughout Aljunied GRC, he said.

    He pointed out that the WP MPs had said in Parliament that they would answer to residents directly on AHPETC’s lapses. Adding that the flyers contained publicly available information, Mr Muralidharan said: “Our activists decided to help residents understand the core issues and suggested questions that they may wish to ask of their MPs. Residents are free to make up their own minds as to what they wish to do after reading the flyer.”

    The WP did not respond to queries by press time.

    Some Kovan residents who received the flyer told TODAY that they were wondering who had distributed them. Nevertheless, a resident who gave his name only as Mr Seah said: “Everything in the flyer is directed at WP. It is quite obvious that it is from the PAP.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council Found Guilty Of Holding Festive Trade Fair Without Permit

    Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council Found Guilty Of Holding Festive Trade Fair Without Permit

    The Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC), run by the opposition Workers’ Party, was on Friday (Nov 28) found guilty of holding a festive trade fair, without permit, earlier this year.

    At the heart of the case, is whether the town council, flouted Section 35 of the Environmental Public Health Act, by holding a Chinese New Year fair, without a permit. The National Environment Agency, prosecuting the case, said it did.

    The town council, represented by lawyer Peter Low, challenged the charge. Among the defence was the argument that the event was simply a “mini-fair” which does not require a permit. It  also took issue with the need to get a letter of support to organise the fair, from the area’s Citizens’ Consultative Committee, which is chaired by a People’s Action Party grassroots leader.

    The judge ruled on Friday that since Section 35 of the Act created a strict liability offence, this means prosecution does not need to prove beyond reasonable doubt that AHPETC deliberately did not intend to obtain a permit to hold its fair.

    As for the defence’s argument that AHPETC can hold events without a permit in common areas that it manages, the judge said it seems the town council’s objection was related to the suitability of the application form and not the fact that a permit was required. He said the court is not an appropriate forum to examine conditions tied to the permit application form.

    Commenting on the decision, AHPETC Vice Chairman Pritam Singh said: “We’re disappointed with the verdict. We will take advice from our lawyers as to the next course of action going forward. We won’t rule anything out.”

    He added that no town council funds were used with respect to this case, saying: “The MPs are contributing to the lawyers’ fees.”

    The court was adjourned until Dec 24 for mitigation and sentencing.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • MND Targets Aljunied Town Council Again

    MND Targets Aljunied Town Council Again

    SINGAPORE: The Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council’s (AHPETC) “persistent poor performance” in several areas is of “grave public concern”, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said.

    The comments were made in the annual Town Council Management Report, released on Tuesday (Nov 4), which assesses the 16 town councils on five indicators – estate cleanliness, estate maintenance, lift performance, service and conservancy charges (S&CC) arrears management and corporate governance. The town councils’ performance is rated in three bands – green, amber or red.

    In the latest report, the MND said most town councils performed well last year, although some “could do better” in certain areas.

    Estate maintenance remains an area for improvement, with 11 town councils scoring “amber” in this category. The obstruction of common areas was the topmost observation, accounting for 32 per cent of total estate maintenance observations, the report said.

    AHPETC BANDED “RED” IN TWO CATEGORIES

    On AHPETC’s performance, MND said this is the second successive report that the Workers’ Party-led town council has been banded “red” for corporate governance, and the third successive report it has been banded “red” for S&CC arrears management.

    Under corporate governance, the town council’s independent auditors for Financial Year (FY) 2011 and 2012 have reported various legal and regulatory contraventions, MND said.

    “Unfortunately, the town council has not shown that it has rectified them. In fact, it has not submitted its FY13 financial statements and its self-declared corporate governance checklist,” MND said in the report.

    Additionally, the sharp decline in AHPETC’s S&CC arrears management is of “grave public concern”, MND said. Aljunied’s S&CC arrears rose from 2.6 per cent in FY2010 to 8.4 per cent in FY2011 and FY 2012 – after Aljunied merged with Hougang – significantly above the national norm of about 3 per cent, the report said.

    In December 2012, the town council committed to improve its arrears situation. However, its S&CC arrears rate had further increased to 29.4 per cent as at end-April 2013, the report said. It added that the town council stopped submitting its monthly S&CC arrears report from May 2013, despite repeated reminders.

     

    Source: channelnewsasia.com

  • PAP Reshuffling Grassroots Advisers in Opposition Wards

    PAP Reshuffling Grassroots Advisers in Opposition Wards

    SINGAPORE — After serving as grassroots advisers in constituencies where they lost during the General Election in 2011, Mr Ong Ye Kung and Mr Desmond Choo are leaving their positions in the opposition-held wards of Aljunied GRC and Hougang.

    The People’s Association (PA) announced today (Sept 18) that Mr Choo had been appointed second adviser to Tampines Grassroots Organisations (GROs) for Tampines East.

    Mr Ong, who has been volunteering in Sembawang GRC, relinquished his post as adviser for Kaki Bukit in Aljunied.

    Replacing them are veteran grassroots leaders Goh Chee Koh, 69, and Dr Kee Wei Heong, 64.

    Mr Goh, the honorary chairman of Punggol Central Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC), is now adviser to Hougang GROs, while Dr Kee, chairman of Bukit Gombak CCC, takes over from Mr Ong.

    The changes mean the positions of adviser to GROs at the two Workers’ Party-held constituencies — typically occupied by People’s Action Party (PAP) Members of Parliament or potential PAP candidates — are now almost all filled by veteran grassroots leaders.

    Apart from Dr Kee, advisors to the Aljunied GROs include Mr Anthony Loh, 75, Mr David Tay Poey Cher, 69, and Professor Brian Lee Chang Leng, 73. The fifth advisor is former Senior Minister of State (Foreign Affairs) Zainul Abidin Rasheed, 66, who was part of the PAP team that was defeated in the 2011 election.

    Political analysts TODAY spoke to said the moves are not surprising, coming in the wake of earlier appointments of grassroots veterans at Aljunied GROs. For example, Mr Loh replaced former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo in Bedok Reservoir—Punggol in 2012, said Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Gillian Koh.

    Singapore Management University law professor Eugene Tan said the PAP faces a dilemma in Aljunied and Hougang. Fielding a strong candidate with no guarantee of an electorial victory would upset the PAP’s leadership plans, he said. If a weaker candidate is fielded, voters could feel they are not taken seriously.

    The latest move also suggests that while the PAP considers Mr Choo — who also lost in the Hougang by-election in 2012 — and Mr Ong MP material, the party feels the ground in Aljunied and Hougang are not sweet enough. “The party is seeking to be realistic in electorial prospects,” said Assoc Prof Tan.

    The PAP received 57.2 and 63.9 per cent of the vote at Tampines GRC and Sembawang GRC during the last General Election. Tampines GRC and Sembawang GRC are currently helmed by Education Minister Heng Swee Keat and National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan respectively.

    At Tampines, Mr Choo will be working with Mr Mah Bow Tan — current Adviser for Tampines East. Mr Mah stepped down as Minister of National Development after the 2011 General Election. Mr Ong, meanwhile, was reportedly slated to join Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower Hawazi Daipi said at his Marsiling Meet-the-People Sessions.

    Asked whether the move to place Mr Ong and Mr Choo in Sembawang and Tampines was intended to ensure they stand a higher chance of getting elected into Parliament, Dr Koh said the PAP knows there is no such thing as a stronghold and each constituency has to be taken seriously. Voters have become more demanding and will scrutinise the candidates, she added.

    On whether the move would give them a better chance of getting into Parliament, Mr Choo and Mr Ong – who was both the PAP branch chairman and grassroots adviser for Kaki Bukit at one point – stressed that the announcement was made by the PA, and not by the party. The PA appointment and whether a candidate is fielded in the constituency where he is adviser are two separate matters, Mr Choo said.

    “I think the PA is quite clear about this separation. Whether I will be fielded as a candidate in Tampines, that is something that is still very much (the) party’s decision,” he added.

    When contacted, Dr Kee, who hopes to do more for seniors in Kaki Bukit, said he is not interested in becoming an MP and prefers serving residents through grassroots work. “I had predecessors who actually died on the job when they are in their 80s. Even at 80 years old, they still come and help out at functions and do their best for the community. I will be like that,” he said.

    Previous media reports have identified several chairmen of the PAP branches in Aljunied GRC as potential candidates. The next General Election is due by Jan 2017.

    http://m.todayonline.com/singapore/ong-ye-kung-desmond-choo-appointed-other-constituencies

  • Workers’ Party on Hijab Issue: Government Should Conduct Constructive Public Consultations

    Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS)
    Every Wednesday, 7.30pm – 9.30pm
    @ Blk 550 Bedok North Ave 1 | Map: http://bit.ly/xShedV
    faisalmanapWP
    Office: Member of Parliament
    District: Aljunied GRC
    Party: The Workers’ Party

    By MP for Aljunied GRC, Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap
    [Delivered in Committee of Supply on 12 March 2014]

    Since 2011 the government had set out to foster social cohesion and to build an inclusive society through the budget. While an ‘inclusive society’ means different things to different people, it is important to know that a fundamental tenet of an inclusive society is the tolerant and respectful embrace of the cultures and values that each community in Singapore holds dear.

    In the context of the ‘new normal’ in Singapore society, Singaporeans are increasingly more vocal and want their views to be heard. I believe that in fostering multiculturalism, public dialogue and constant consultations are the way forward. In the case of the recent hijab issue, to the best of my understanding, the dialogue that was conducted with representatives of the Malay community was more of a platform for the government to convey its stand, rather than a dialogue. This is because the government has already came to the decision of not allowing hijab to be worn prior to the dialogue session instead of making decision at or after the session. I am of the view that the government should enhance not only the manner in which it communicates but also its attitude when performing the communicating. At the same time, consultation with one community alone is inadequate as it may lead to hasty conclusions and unnecessary assumptions. A more constructive approach would be public consultations conducted with different stakeholders, and the different ethnic communities. The Singaporeans I meet from the different ethnic communities understand that the final policy outcomes may not go according to their preferences. Nonetheless, they hope that the government should also understand that the process is equally important to them.

    It is the responsibility of any government not to overtly impose its assumptions on any issue, particularly on sensitive and emotional issues. Rather it should base its understanding on scientific findings and in the event that such information is not available, commission a study on the matter. The government should also make available the information that it has. Public engagement and consultations that adopt a more transparent, forthright and comprehensive approach would allow us to better understand the issue at large and the context and the nuances behind each issue. I hope the Minister would agree with me that such an approach would bring us closer to a consensus that is workable, productive and acceptable by the various stakeholders involved. That should be the way forward towards an inclusive society and a multicultural Singapore.

    Source: Workers’ Party