The Court of Appeal ruled on Friday that Aljunied-Hougang Town Council, referred to subsequently as AHTC, will have to appoint accountants to ensurethat wrong payments are recovered, identify lapses and submit monthly reports to HDB. Accountants have to be approved by HDB.
It is disappointing that when the case was brought to the Court of Appeal, the facts that 13 of the 16 lapses flagged by then AHPETC's auditors, hadbeen resolved. There was no evidence of fraud and the issue of "conflict of interest" by FMSS is still mentioned in spite of clarifications that the contract was awarded to FMSS after no management agent was willing to submit tenders after an open tender was called. FMSS is still mentioned despite the fact that their contract has already been terminated.
These are the points raised by the WP which the PAP has never been able to respond accept to continue repeating their accusations, taking after the infamous Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels statement that "a lie when repeated becomes the truth".
It has been more than 2 months since the PAP has taken back Punggol East. Charles Chong promised during the hustings that once he is in charge, he will dig up Punggol East's books. However, we have not heard from him since the past 2 1/2 months. On the other hand, Pasir Ris Punggol Town Council has not been upfront or truthful about the deficit in the accounts during the 2013 handover. Where is the honesty in the AHPETC issue? Is this the "clean and honest" government the PAP promises?
Until today, the lapses in the People's Association is barely mentioned. It appears that when grassroots heads approve payments to their own companies, it is acceptable. When government agencies and the People's Association were found to be involved in conflicts of interest or awarding contracts without open tender, the case is swept under the carpet? Is not the approval of government funds to one's own companies an offense and awarding contracts without tender and conflict of interest unethical practices at least? Did not K Shanmugam kick a ruckus in parliament over AHPETC "giving away money from the man on the street to its friends"? Yet somehow the PA's "good intentions" are justified? If Kong Hee's "good intentions" got him into jail, why are the grassroots people remaining scott free?
The enforcement of rule of law and justice by the executive is shocking. Incidences involving taxpayer's money has been dealt with through cover ups. There has been no court cases against the PA or the grilling the WP had to undergo and the subsequent damage to its reputation it had to undergo. In the Hepatitis C incident, the Ministry of Health repeatedly dealt with calls for a commission of inquiry by covering up. Is this the what a responsible government all about, when lapses involving loss of lives are only reviewed by a review committee?
It is time for people to stand up against the PAP for the good of everyone. Although the PAP will threaten and intimidate, the public needs to see the cover ups, dishonesty in discourse and the skewed enforcement of the law behind the veil of the "clean and honest government" mantra. The public needs to understand fully that absolute power corrupts absolutely and as such giving the PAP a super-majority will does not bring about an "efficient" government, but abuse of the executive. The dated Confucian ideas of respect for hierarchy should be reduced to the trash can of history. The Confucian concept of hierarchical societies has brought ruin to countries such as Imperial China and Korea due to monopolisation of power among the elite few, government abuse and a refusal to accept new ideas. Confucian families and businesses have wrought more misery upon those below the pecking order. The Confucian system, similarly, should be reduced to the ash heap for the betterment of society.
Ron Tan
ASS Contributor
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