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Tag: Open letter

  • Open Letter To Halimah Yacob From Your Neighbours: Others Are Being Inconvenience So That You Can Remain Convenient

    Open Letter To Halimah Yacob From Your Neighbours: Others Are Being Inconvenience So That You Can Remain Convenient

    Dear Halimah,

    Ok, thank you very much, the show has been fun, but please move on now. We are quite upset that you have indicated that you will stay in your Yishun flat instead of moving to the Istana. Please consider the following points:

    1)
    By insisting on staying in your flat in Yishun, you are causing a major inconvenience to your neighbours. Already, 2 parking spots downstairs have been reserved for police vehicles, as well, the constant stream of reporters, and other members of your presidential entourage compete for parking space in an already scarce parking lot. Look at the size of the parking lot, you can see how small it is, it’s not a multi storey parking structure. How and where are we going to park our vehicles? We as locals are being flooded by a deluge of non resident parking in our area, much akin to our locals being flooded by a deluge of FTs.

    2)

    Please dignify the Presidential appointment by residing in the official residence. This is the highest office in the land. All our prior Presidents have accorded it the respect it deserves by residing in the official residence where they easily entertain foreign guests and dignitaries. The residence of the President lends prestige and honour to the position. A HDB flat does not. There is a multimillion $ budget created for the upkeep and maintenance of the Istana. If you are not planning to reside there, then it’s just taxpayer money that is wasted, or do you care at all? Obviously, you are not going to entertain foreign VIP guests in your flat, which means you have to commute every day in your entourage of police outrider bikes and police cars to fulfill your duties at the Istana. For a govt that is harping on productivity and for a supposed Union chief, this does not sound to productive to me, versus staying in the Istana and walking to your appointments. Is this a case of “You can take the Makcik out of the kampong, but you cannot take the kampong out of the makcik?”

    3)

    Already, the Police and other assorted SOs are stopping everyone around the area to ask for their IC and their business. People living in the neighbouring blocks have to go through police questioning every time they leave and return home. Maybe this means nothing to you. But it does mean something to us. You have claimed that your flat was very convenient. That’s great. Others are being inconvenience so that you can remain convenient.

    4)

    If you think that you are being like one of the people by staying in your HDB flat, we want to tell you that the Elected President Non election show was already too much, the show has ended but you are continuing the wayang. In the first place, no heartlanders have a flat the size of yours. Your own husband Mr Mohamed Adullah Alhabshee, said was “as huge as a penthouse”. We all know you obtained your flat by buying 2 units and then tearing the war down between the 2 flats to make a jumbo flat. How many flat dwellers are allowed to do this? How many flat dwellers live in a flat that is as big as yours? They will be lucky to have a flat half the size. And they will receive a letter from HDB lawyers if they went ahead to tear down a common wall between 2 units. Lets be clear on one thing. You have not live like a common HDB flat dweller, you have earned your money the hard way like a common person, and you sure are not like a HDB dweller. So, lets drop the wayang.

    So, for all these reasons listed above, kindly pack up as soon as possible and vacate the premises.

     

    Source: facebook

  • Workers’ Party – 2nd Open Letter To Residents Of Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town

    Workers’ Party – 2nd Open Letter To Residents Of Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town

    Dear Residents,

    In my First Open Letter to you in June 2015, I explained three main points concerning various allegations made against Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC).  These were:

    1. AHPETC does not and cannot reserve contracts for “friends” due to the public tender process;

    2. The alleged “overpayment” by AHPETC to its former Managing Agent (MA), when compared to rates paid by PAP TCs in 2014, was an exaggeration, looking at the rates paid by PAP TCs in 2011, 2012 and 2013 according to data provided by the Ministry of National Development (MND);

    3. The MA rates that AHPETC agreed to pay its MA in 2012 were arrived at taking into account the MA rate paid by the PAP management of Aljunied TC to its former MA.

    If you missed the first open letter, you can read it online at http://www.ahpetc.sg/sylvia-lims-open-letter-to-residents/.

    In this Second Open Letter, I would like to clarify and reassure all residents that AHPETC places your interests at the heart of its work and continues to make improvements to its financial management.

    This letter will cover the issue of Conflicts of Interest and AHPETC’s financial position.

     1.      Conflict of Interest and Related Party Transactions

    There have been allegations concerning related party transactions between AHPETC and its former MA, FM Solutions & Services Pte Ltd (FMSS).

    First, there is no longer any issue, as AHPETC is now directly managed and does not outsource its work to an MA.  The previous MA contract expired on 14 July 2015, and there were no bidders to take over the MA services after 14 July 2015.

    Since 15 July 2015, AHPETC has been self-managed.  This means that AHPETC is now directly hiring staff to handle estate, finance, administration and other tasks, instead of outsourcing the work to an MA.

    Under direct management, AHPETC’s contractors continue to deliver services under the existing contracts, now supervised by TC’s directly hired staff.

    Second, there was never any conflict of interest whatsoever between the Workers’ Party (WP) or any of its Members of Parliament (MPs) and FMSS.  Neither WP nor any of its MPs or members has any interest in the business of FMSS.  None of the directors and shareholders of FMSS is a member of WP.

    Third, there have been accusations that when the MA was working at AHPETC, the husband and wife team who owned FMSS could freely sign payments to themselves.  This is not true.  When WP took over in 2011, one of the first decisions made by the new Aljunied-Hougang Town Council was to require any cheques to the MA, no matter how small the amount, to require the counter-signature of AHPETC Chairman and Vice-Chairmen who have no interest in the MA’s business.

    2.      Financial Position of AHPETC

    Some people have accused AHPETC of bankruptcy and running huge deficits that are not sustainable, and also warned residents of other towns not to vote for WP so as not to subsidise AHPETC.  These allegations are misguided.

    AHPETC filed its audited accounts for FY 14/15, on time, by 31 August 2015.  Though these accounts show AHPETC in annual deficit, this is because AHPETC has still NOT received its annual S&CC operating grant of $7.2 million from the government, which would normally have been paid to all Town Councils in April 2014.   Taking into account the $7.2 million in grant which AHPETC expects to receive, AHPETC’s annual income and expenditure statement would show an annual surplus of $1.7 million.

    The past operating deficit was largely the outcome of higher tender price for various service contracts and start-up costs.

    The current positive position came about through a combination of steps taken by AHPETC. These included lowering its utilities costs by using contestable energy, reducing its general and administrative expenditure, and increasing its revenue.

    Throughout the difficult initial years, AHPETC management believed that it could improve the TC’s financial position, and the latest audit shows that it has.  We expect to further consolidate and improve AHPETC’s financial position going forward.

    We have done our best to serve residents, and I would like to express appreciation to our staff for their contribution to the progress we have made and to our residents for their support and understanding.

     

    SYLVIA LIM
    CHAIRMAN
    ALJUNIED-HOUGANG-PUNGGOL EAST TOWN COUNCIL

    August 2015

     

    Source: www.wp.sg