ahpetc
In a statement released by Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) on 10 December, “AHPETC Remains Steadfast to Serve the Residents of the Town“, the town council’s chairman, Ms Sylvia Lim sought to clarify on the points made by the article written by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture Community and Youth (MCCY).
The article by Mr Wong made reference to the town council for not releasing information on its financial matters.
“First, its leaders say it is not a big deal. Then, when they can no longer pretend it is not a big deal, they blame someone else – the National Environment Agency, the People’s Action Party, even the AGO. Then, when their excuses are exposed one by one, they say “we are looking into the matter”, or that things will be explained – in “due time”. And then, more silence.
“Perhaps, the WP hopes that by lying low and keeping its head down, the matter will go away. The public may forget, or even better, not notice.
But it will not, and the public will not. Instead, the WP’s credibility and integrity are slowly but surely draining away,” wrote Mr Wong in the Straits Times op-ed.
Ms Lim clarified on the measures the town council have taken to address the requirements set by the Ministry of National Development and why is the town council unable to submit the said financial documents.

“Minister Wong asked the same questions as his colleagues about AHPETC having stopped submitting monthly arrears 10 months before the AGO audit began. He may have been under a mistaken impression due to mass media reports.
When the mass media interviewed me on 10 November 2014 on the MND’s Town Council Management Review (TCMR) results for Financial Year 2013, I was asked about the circumstances leading to AHPETC’s non-submission of two sets of documents – the TC’s audited financial statements for FY 13 as well as the arrears reports.  I had told the media that the audit for FY 13 could not reasonably commence while the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) special audit was still in progress; as for the arrears reports, I told them that the finance team had been tied up with audits by our commercial auditors for FY 12 and then by the AGO.
Unfortunately, my responses to the two matters were conflated in certain media reports. At no time did I say that focusing on the AGO audit was the sole cause of the delay in submission of the arrears data to MND.  In any case, MND should have known this from my earlier correspondence.”

Ms Lim added that she believes that once the audited information is available, more productive discussions can be entered into and urged Mr Wong not to confuse or alarm the public by speculating on whether the S&CC arrears situation has worsened or whether AHPETC is facing “bigger problems”.

Below is the letter by AHPETC’s chairman, Slyvia Lim in full.

I refer to the article published in the Straits Times and Lian He Zao Bao on 10th December 2014 written by Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture Community and Youth.
In his article, Minister Wong repeated the same tune of his party colleagues about Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) allegedly not releasing information on its financial matters.  He also raised doubts about some statements attributed to me as AHPETC Chairman on the arrears situation and reporting of arrears to the Ministry of National Development (MND).
Let me clarify the matter.
Minister Wong may have not known that the TC had explained to MND its challenge in submitting arrears data in MND’s format from mid-2013.  I had explained that while the IT system being used at AHPETC could churn out arrears reports, manual counting and sorting was required to get the information into the format required by the MND.  I had also informed MND that AHPETC had requested its software developers to enhance the system to churn out the reports in the required format, but this was work in progress.  MND had been informed that AHPETC’s Finance Team and its software developers had been involved in (two consecutive) audits, first by the TC’s own auditors (commencing mid 2013) and then by the Auditor-General (commencing March 2014), and that this had led to a deferment of reporting requests, including MND’s request for arrears data in its prescribed format.  I had concurrently offered to submit to MND the arrears data the TC had as it was, but this was rejected by MND.
Minister Wong asked the same questions as his colleagues about AHPETC having stopped submitting monthly arrears 10 months before the AGO audit began. He may have been under a mistaken impression due to mass media reports.
When the mass media interviewed me on 10 November 2014 on the MND’s Town Council Management Review (TCMR) results for Financial Year 2013, I was asked about the circumstances leading to AHPETC’s non-submission of two sets of documents – the TC’s audited financial statements for FY 13 as well as the arrears reports.  I had told the media that the audit for FY 13 could not reasonably commence while the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) special audit was still in progress; as for the arrears reports, I told them that the finance team had been tied up with audits by our commercial auditors for FY 12 and then by the AGO.
Unfortunately, my responses to the two matters were conflated in certain media reports. At no time did I say that focusing on the AGO audit was the sole cause of the delay in submission of the arrears data to MND.  In any case, MND should have known this from my earlier correspondence.
Due Diligence into Arrears Situation and Arrears Data
Minister Wong further wrote that “when pressed recently, Ms Lim said that she was looking into the matter and would release her findings in due time. That was the same answer she gave two years ago, when the arrears issues were first flagged”.
It was unfortunate that Minister Wong has chosen to generalize the issue in a different context.  He referred to my statement in 2012 that AHPETC would be looking into the arrears situation and my recent statement that AHPETC would verify the arrears data.
Minister Wong impliedly wondered whether anything had been done to recover arrears since 2012.  As residents will attest, AHPETC has been following up on households in arrears by issuing reminders for payment and engaging law firms to proceed with court actions where other steps have failed.  Residents in financial difficulties have also been placed on instalment plans.  As for the 2013 S&CC arrears figures recently highlighted by MND, we have made public several times that we are looking into the arrears data, and will respond to the query on the financial and arrears situation in due course.
Transparency and Accountability Accusation – A Non-Starter
Finally, I refer to Minister Wong’s “queasiness” about whether AHPETC and indeed the Workers’ Party (WP) is deliberately trying to avoid answering questions about the TC’s financial management and situation, and hence was not transparent and failed to account to the residents.
I thank the PAP ministers for repeatedly reminding Singaporeans of the issues that are close to our heart.
First, the public can expect that the PAP will be the first to hold WP to account.
Secondly, the PAP government has all the investigative arms within its disposal to hold WP to account on any matter under the sun.
Thirdly, AHPETC has been facilitating the special audit by the AGO, and like all Town Councils, AHPETC will have to have its annual accounts audited by firms approved by the MND.  We trust that the government will duly make public the AGO audit findings; the AHPETC’s annual audited accounts will also have to made public when audit is completed.  I believe that once the audited information is available, more productive discussions can be entered into.
In the meantime, I urge Minister Wong not to confuse or alarm the public by speculating on whether the S&CC arrears situation has worsened or whether AHPETC is facing “bigger problems”.
SYLVIA LIM 
CHAIRMAN
ALJUNIED-HOUGANG-PUNGGOL EAST TOWN COUNCIL

Subscribe
Notify of
17 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

PSP announces final slate of candidates for GE2020 including party secretary-general Dr Tan Cheng Bock

The Progress Singapore Party (PSP) announced its final slate of candidates who…

陈清木祝国民国庆快乐 前进党短片向新加坡精神致敬

新加坡前进党秘书长陈清木昨日在脸书发文,代表该党祝福国人国庆日快乐。 与此同时,他也分享该党日前制作的短片,向新加坡精神致敬。 短片开头展示熟悉的新加坡组屋、街道和地铁等场景,背景有妇女的声音,叙述新加坡经历着许多变化,提到赚取薪资总是不够、生活艰辛;另一男声则叙述,似乎熟悉的新加坡正从大家眼前消失。 之后,则带出陈清木的心声:从我当医生、当议员的时日,反思这些是否符合国人的利益?我必须照顾人民。 画面跳转到一名印裔同胞,忆述他所怀念的15、20年前的加冷体育馆,近乎每周都能听到“加冷狮吼”和汹涌人潮,马来西亚杯球赛把大家凝聚一起,那是个美好日子。 “可是现在狮吼沉寂了,加冷变得商业化,很大可是安静,似乎失去了新加坡精神。” 短片也采访了不同族群人士,谈到生活、饮食和医疗成本负担增长、甚至促使大学生只好选择那些本不是自己有兴趣的科系,只为了能保障未来有更高薪资,结果是失去生活-工作平衡,在职场承受压力之苦。 一名青年也提到,尽管新加坡以富有国家自居,但仍有许多年长者继续工作;另位受访者也提及,政府50年来一直用同样的论述回答国民的疑问,但如今他们理应提出新的方案,来回应截然不同的问题。 一名年长者则用福建话说:“你们(政府)也应该到基层走走嘛,了解百姓的生活怎么样,政府必须去了解、体恤民间。” 短片后段则展示新加坡人生活的多元样貌,穿插旧时光的黑白片段,以及体现国人族群关系的融洽和谐。最后受访的民众坚信,国人能团结一致,共同面对困境。 “我生于这美丽的新加坡,也希望能和这片土地和同胞长眠” “我的国家我的家园,还有哪里可以去?”…

More than 200 schools in S. Korea forced to close again after biggest surge in COVID-19 in weeks

Right after South Korea had allowed children to return to school last…

Reduced legal cost does not mean overcharging: LawSoc

The Law Society of Singapore (LawSoc) has issued a statement to clarify…