Tag: Singaporeans

MND Applies For Court-Appointed Accountants To Safeguard Grants To AHPETC

The Ministry of National Development (MND) has applied to Court to appoint independent accountants to safeguard Government grants to the Workers’ Party-run Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) and to oversee its use of those grants.

MND said that the court documents were served on AHPETC on Friday.

This is a step that MND is taking before disbursing several million in government grants to AHPETC. Grants are disbursed to all town councils, but MND has withheld AHPETC’s grants for FY2014 due to concerns over lapses in governance and compliance at Opposition town council.

In a parliamentary debate last month over these lapses, found by the Auditor-General’s Office after a year-long audit, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan had said that AHPETC would not get the grants, which are about $7million annually, until it sets its house in order.

In a statement on Friday, MND noted that AHPETC had written to it in June 2014 to request disbursement of the Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) Operating Grant for FY 2014 without further delay, stating that ‘the continued withholding of the grant to AHPETC is likely to critically and adversely affect the town council’s cash flow position.’”

“But before MND does so, there must be adequate safeguards to ensure that AHPETC accounts for and manages these grants properly,” said MND.

MND has therefore applied to Court to appoint independent accountants to safeguard the grants to be disbursed to AHPETC.

If the Court grants the order, MND will be able to disburse the S&CC grants for both FY14 and FY15 to AHPETC.

“AHPETC will have to keep the grants in segregated accounts, and payments out of these accounts exceeding certain thresholds will have to be co-signed by the independent accountants,” said MND.

MND is also asking the Court to empower the independent accountants to look at past payments made by AHPETC and to “take appropriate action to recover losses suffered by AHPETC and its residents.”

Government ministers have charged that AHPETC’s managing agent, FM Solutions & Services, over-charged it by $1.6 million a year compared to what other town councils pay their managing agents.

“But the independent accountants will not take over the operations of AHPETC nor seek to remedy the problems identified at AHPETC. These remain the responsibility of AHPETC’s WP MPs, the MND statement emphasised.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

March 21, 2015
More Children Afflicted With HFMD Now Compared To Same Period In 2014

More children in Singapore have been afflicted with Hand, Foot and Mouth disease (HFMD) in the last 11 weeks, compared to same period in 2014.

Latest figures by the Ministry of Health showed that just last week, there were 609 cases, almost twice the number of cases compared to the same period last year.

Two childcare centres – PCF Sparkletots Boon Lay and Sunflower Preschool @ Balestier – have seen more than 10 cases and prolonged transmission. PCF Sparkeltots Boon Lay, located at Jurong West, has seen a total of 16 HFMD cases from Mar 3 to 12.

Health experts said current trends suggest that the number of weekly cases may continue to remain higher than last year’s.

More information can be found at the Health Ministry’s website.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

March 20, 2015
SPF: PAP Activists Did Not Commit Any Crimes In Distributing Flyers

The Singapore Police Force has issued a statement on a police report made about PAP activists’ distribution of flyers in Aljunied GRC.

Activists had gone around last week, urging residents to question opposition Workers’ Party Members of Parliament about accounting and governance lapses by Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC).

In a statement on Thursday (Mar 19), police said: “In consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers on the police report made on the distribution of flyers at Aljunied Group Representation Constituency, it has been determined that there is no offence disclosed.”

“The distribution of flyers in itself is not an offence in Singapore,” police added.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

March 20, 2015
Goh Meng Seng: Backlash – You Reap What You Sow

There are many people who are so puzzled or even ANGRY against those who “attack” or “criticise” LKY when he is on his death bed. There is basically a war of words between the two camps and even me, was dragged into it, for stating the obvious facts and simple commentary based on these facts. I shall publish my full view later, on what I think of LKY.

But let’s put this clearly. Anyone who wants to be Great Political Leaders and not just any other politician, will have to bear in mind that “Winning” is not everything. You must be prepared to be judged by the mass, historians and history, even after your passing. If you are in politics just for money, those million dollar annual salary, then please make sure you will just be a politician, not some Great Leader.

Great Leaders in ancient times, are all judged by history. The great Qin Emperor 秦始皇 had great achievements beside uniting China thousands of years ago. He had united written text, standardize metrics, standards size of roads, currencies etc etc. However, he is only most remembered as a blood thirsty TYRANT in history who executed or massacred of massive number of peasants. Unfair? That’s World Class Politics. No matter how good you are, how Great you are in many policies and achievements, any missteps or inhumane acts, you will forever remembered by that.

That is why in Ancient Chinese History till now, Great political leaders were very mindful of what they did in their lifetime. They would not go all out to kill or massacred indiscriminately for fear of how History will remember their bad legacy.

Back in Singapore, have you wonder why among all those pioneer political leaders from the White, only LKY created such a huge criticism and attacks on him while he is dying? Not Dr Goh Keng Swee. Not Rajaratnam. This is basically karma. You reap what you sow.

So for aspiring young politicians or future great leaders, please bear this mind. Whatever you do, you will be judged by history and the people, when you die. For those who are unhappy about why people start to criticise LKY at this moment, it is about time to ask, why didn’t anyone attack other PAP pioneer leaders when they died?

Source: Goh Meng Seng

March 20, 2015
Passengers To Get Cash Back If Train Is Two Minutes Late

Rail passengers will get an automatic compensation pay-out if their train is more than two minutes late under a new crackdown by the Government.

Travellers will receive more money for every extra minute their train is delayed – with a full refund if it is over an hour late.

Operators will be forced to sign up to the hi-tech ‘pay as you delay’ scheme which is designed to make it easier for passengers to get refunds.

Ministers believe the scheme – to be trialled in one region this year but eventually applied nationwide – will end the perceived rail compensation ‘rip-off’.

While train companies get massive automatic pay-outs from Network Rail if the track provider is to blame for a delay, individual travellers have to wade through reams of form-filling and red tape to get compensation. Research by watchdog Passenger Focus shows nine out of ten passengers never bother to claim.

Crucially, the new scheme will compel train companies to pay out automatically. It will rely on passengers switching to new ‘smart’ forms of paying for tickets – such as over the internet, using travel smart-cards, with smartphone apps or even on conventional credit cards.

These allow companies to pinpoint exactly who is travelling on which service – and who is due a refund. Compensation payments would be made directly into a passenger’s bank account.

Under the scheme, commuters will receive compensation if a train is just two minutes late. They will receive an additional 3p per extra minute of delay – up to 29 minutes. If a train is between 30 and 60 minutes late, passengers will receive 50 per cent of the value of their ticket. Beyond an hour and they will get a full refund.

Train punctuality will be measured ‘to the minute’ and ministers say the aim is to create an automatic ‘hassle-free service for passengers’.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin told the Daily Mail that trials of the scheme will begin in December with Essex-based operator c2c, with the aim of rolling it out across the UK as each rail franchise comes up for renewal. Among the next in line are Northern, TransPennine, West Coast, Midland Mainline and CrossCountry.

The minister said: ‘If people are delayed, they should be repaid. I want to end the frustration endured by millions when they are delayed – and then have to jump through hoops to claim compensation. I’ve experienced it myself.’

The growing trend towards the use of travel ‘smart-cards’ – such as London’s Oyster Card – cashless credit and debit ‘swipe’ cards and even smartphone payments will make the system increasingly widespread, say officials.

One way of tracking the movement of passengers using open tickets or season tickets is to have them swipe their smart-cards as they get on and off a train, or at the platform entrance and exit.

A Whitehall source said: ‘The new initiative … is expected to provide a longer term way forward to enable full automation of the compensation process where smart ticketing is in use.’

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

March 18, 2015