Politics
Ex-WP NCMP recounts AHTC saga, stresses residents’ welfare ‘should never be used as a political tool’
Following the resolution of the Workers’ Party’s long-standing town council lawsuits, former WP NCMP Yee Jenn Jong recounted the saga, emphasizing that residents’ welfare should never be politicized and advocating for a non-partisan approach to governance.
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Following the conclusion of long-standing lawsuits between Workers’ Party leaders and the Aljunied-Hougang (AHTC) and Sengkang Town Councils (STC), Yee Jenn Jong, former WP Non-Constituency Member of Parliament expressed relief.
Recalling the saga, he mentioned Action Information Management (AIM), a company owned by the PAP, “has the ability to deny a TC of the use of the computer software in opposition-run wards with a very short notice. ”
This situation, he noted, compromised the TC’s ability to maintain accurate records and report to the Ministry of National Development (MND).
He implied that this led to AHTC failing in its reporting and audits, exacerbated by a poor handover from the outgoing PAP TC to the WP TC, and resulted in intense external audits and withheld grants.
Mr Yee emphasized that matters related to residents’ welfare should never be used as a political tool, no matter who they had voted for, and advocating for a non-partisan approach to governance.
‘Outgoing party’s mechanism to trigger destruction a ‘definite NO-NO’ by any standard’
In a 25 July Facebook post, Mr Yee reflected on the case’s origins, noting that it spanned nearly 14 years.
He clarified that he never held any official role in the town council during this period and shared his personal perspective on the matter.
Mr Yee recalled how AIM could withdraw computer software from opposition-run Town Councils on short notice, compromising their operations and ability to maintain accurate records.
He emphasized the importance of data for TC operations, which depend on accurate records and regular reports to MND.
“I spoke once with someone senior with one of the big international consulting firms specialising in merger and acquisitions. ”
“He told me that such a mechanism in which an outgoing party has a button to trigger destruction in the former company is a definite NO-NO by any standard, ” Mr Yee added.
He noted that AIM did not develop the software but took it over from Horizon Technologies, a now-defunct company. This takeover occurred shortly before the 2011 General Election.
“With information failure, AHTC started to fail reporting to MND and with their audits. Other issues could also have been related to a poor handover between the outgoing PAP TC and the WP TC. ”
As a result, external audits by the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) and KPMG were initiated, employing forensic audit tools.
“No other organization in Singapore has faced such intense scrutiny”
Mr Yee remarked that no other organization in Singapore “has been subjected to such close scrutiny by perhaps up to 100 different audit personnels over a continuous period of time.”
He recalled at the time MND withheld millions in grants to the TC, which every TC in Singapore relies on to stay solvent, otherwise “S&CC fees will balloon up, especially for the smaller type flats.”
Mr Yee noted that MND officials, including Khaw Boon Wan and Lawrence Wong, accused the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) of mismanagement.
Mr Yee believed that at the time the TC had to appoint an independent panel from an MND-approved list to secure the grants and avoid insolvency, as the MND had significant influence over this decision.
The long legal battle began when an independent panel took legal action against WP leaders who were involved in TC’s financial mismanagement in July 2017.
Despite being held liable for damages in the High Court in 2019, the town councillors largely succeeded in their later appeal.
In November 2023, AHTC and SKTC were ordered by the Court of Appeal to pay approximately S$388,800 (US$292,000) in costs and disbursements for the appeals.
In a comprehensive 38-page judgment issued on 29 November last year, the Court of Appeal elucidated the reasons behind mandating the payment of costs by the two councils.
The court clarified that costs are typically granted to the prevailing party. In this instance, the town councillors and employees achieved substantial success in their appeals, effectively overturning multiple findings by the trial judge.
The court struck out most of the S$33 million in questioned expenditures, emphasizing that even alleged oversight failures needed to be proven to have resulted in higher costs compared to other contractors.
Mr Yee noted that during this period, AHPETC developed an alternative software that has been operating effectively for several years and is now utilized by opposition wards.
“Opposition wards can use the software. It should never have been a tool for politics – residents’ welfare have to be taken into account, no matter who they had voted for. This is not the Singapore that we want.”
2013 Review clears controversial 2010 sale of PAP Town Council Software to AIM
In 2010, 14 PAP-run town councils, including Aljunied Town Council, sold their town council management software (TCMS) to Action Information Management (AIM) Pte Ltd, a company owned by former PAP members of parliament, for S$140,000 through a single bid. The town councils then leased the software back at a similar cost.
The TCMS software was originally developed for PAP town councils by National Computer Systems (NCS).
AIM, which had only two part-time staff and was directed by former PAP MPs S. Chandra Das, Chew Heng Ching, and Lau Ping Sum, came under scrutiny when the Workers’ Party, which took over the town council management after the 2011 General Election, cited difficulties in developing new IT systems as a reason for AHTC’s poor performance.
During the Punggol East by-election in 2013, WP Chairman Sylvia Lim criticized the sale of the AIM software, alleging it was created with taxpayers’ money and then sold to a PAP-affiliated entity.
In response, Dr Teo Ho Pin, then Coordinating Chairman of PAP Town Councils, clarified that AIM was awarded the contract through an open tender and did not profit from it, asserting that AHTC had terminated the contract, not AIM, and that AHTC’s financial issues were unrelated to AIM.
In May 2013, the Ministry of National Development released a review report on the controversial sale of PAP town council software to AIM, confirming that there was no conflict of interest or misuse of public funds.
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Do you think the ruling government cares? Recall who said that opposition constituencies would have lower priority for upgrading works.
They are more than happy to lower the quality of government services, so long as their salaries do not follow in tandem.
The 70% Cotton Sheep are perfectly fine with accepting lower standards, so the ruling government lowers their standards again and this goes on until we are all underground.
LKY actually bothered to strive for excellence. That is one of the few praiseworthy things about him.
Joo Chiat constituents who didn’t vote him are infidel FOOLS !
They didn’t believe he would make a great MP.
Lost opportunity.
WP huat arh !!!
What happened to the $2.00 AIM Company set up by PAP Administration Bandits.
No similar HDB enforcement action, no AG attn, no Police investigations, no Home Affairs checks?
Another Pappy (MND) clearing ownself (AIM) case. There is no conflict of interest. It is based on Intentnational Standards.
Just wondering how the regulator (MAS) under Lawless Wong has the moral authority to enforce this regulation?
VTO. VTO.
This is very straight forward
‘ COMPLEX ‘
NO MERCY
The PAP is well versed in the art of lawfare.
It’s worth noting that it was HaraKiriKhaw and LawLan whom were the keenest and swiftest, … to accuse AHPETC of mismanagement !!!
And to think, that most held high hopes of a new dawn for SillyPore, … with LawLan as PM, as they did with Tharman as President !!!
This long and drawn out saga is but a reminder for the forgetfuls and deniers, … that this regime in itself, .. are the founding fathers and mothers of evilness, vindictiveness and maliciousness, … of the highest degree !!!
PAP is smart enough to create the legality of separation. AIM was created to buy over the Town Council software. This makes it look commercial.But that is another lobang that a lawyer can attack. AIM was created to take over control of the software to disrupt any opposition’s administrative capabilities in Town management. This again is evidence of pre empting and causing disruptions and PAP will politicize it by pointing out how incompetent opposition parties are in town management. It will appear that PAP did nothing to cause disruption and anyone accusing can be sued, as AIM is not connected… Read more »
Mr.Yee, WP stands tall today because of the persecution of its members unjustly by the PAP. Instead of competing on an even field, they chose underhanded methods. However it may have helped WP win another GRC. The PAP forget that the voter is the audience. When we are pushed to our limits, our survival instincts become activated. The lessons, though painful at that time must have made WP members better politicians. You have developed your own software and cannot be bullied anymore in this area. It shows the Public that you are ready to represent more constituencies. I am confident… Read more »
More-err, more cheap-err, more faster-err and beter-err oppostion MP’s needed. Please apply.
Save Singapore. next to go is NTUC Insurance 51% to foreign company?
I wonder what deal was strikes, if any?
What was discussed behind closed doors in a system based on Trust?
Will WP pursue the Ishiwaran own self goal ownself?
And who are the directors of the $1 company? Any conflict of interests?
Yee Jen Jong. we need more people like you to serve Singaporeans and Singapooreans.
This guy has the gold heart to serve the residents but denied by…… I can only say the weather🫣
Very simple. The incumbent never never had thought then that Opposition party can win a GRC in 2011.
And you remember the recently retired No.1 man said if there’s more opposition MP in Parliament, he will need more time to FIX them.
This AHTC fiasco is one of the fixing using all available resources thrown at WP
Just like copying in an exam or test. I sit behind my smart frenz and I copy what answer he put. But alas this smart frenz is smart but recently mixed with bad company and have not been studying. Signs of his slack was shown
But I still copy becos he smart.
And result: All failed cos one slack and one just blindly copy. No?!?
Team B or followers of PAP.
The wayang show of Pap and their affairs are replicated in WP.
妈妈说, 好的学坏的不学。不是吗?
Team A Team B seems to copy each other?!? 谁比谁坏, 是吗?
Would I vote both?!? No, becos I would be choosing the SAME TEAM all over and the operation parallel each other. or should I say the style of operation will most likely be the same and then they will laugh and say … So stupid voters to vote the same team of operation again. No?!?
And what political tools that is?!? The question is simple: is there a mismanagement of funds in the operation. Settle outside among urself indicate there is. If not, why it cannot be reported or account put out for all to see. So obviously, there is mismanagement somewhere ?!? No?!?