• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Managing agents in key positions in town councils – a common practice

by Andrew Loh
11/02/2015
in Current Affairs
Reading Time: 4 mins read
25

hdb

The Auditor General’s Office (AGO) report on its audit of the Workers’ Party-led Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) has raised the issue of a conflict of interest in the management of the town council.

The AGO said AHPETC “did not adequately manage the conflicts of interests of related parties arising from ownership interests of its key officers.”

Essentially, the AGO pointed to the two companies engaged by AHPETC to provide managing agent services and essential maintenance and lift rescue services.

The two companies were FM Solutions and Integrated Services (FMSI) and FM Solutions and Services Pte Ltd (FMSS).

“The Secretary of AHPETC was the owner of FMSI, a sole proprietorship. The Secretary, General Manager and Deputy General Manager of AHPETC were directors and shareholders of FMSS,” the AGO report said.

While the AGO took issue with how such a relationship was managed by AHPETC, the engagement of the two companies itself is not unusual.

In its response to the AGO, the AHPETC said the relationship was not improper and that in fact this is quite a “common practice” among town councils, including PAP-run ones.

“The TC had no intention to hide any material information, as it had specifically made a disclosure under the heading Related Party Transaction that had not been made by other TCs,” AHPETC said.

It added: “It is the norm/common practice to have management personnel of Managing Agents hold key positions in the TCs they manage.”

AHPETC’s views are confirmed by news reports in 2011, following the WP’s victory in Aljunied in the 2011 elections.

A report in the TODAY newspaper on 30 May 2011 said:

Photo: The Alternative View FB
Photo: The Alternative View FB

“They are general managers accountable for the day-to-day administrative functions of town councils. Some of them are also employees of managing agents who win contracts from the town councils to service the estate.

“This arrangement – known to occur in at least four town councils in Singapore – has raised the issue of conflict of interest in town council management.

“At Aljunied [then under the PAP] and Jurong town councils, the respective GMs, Mr Jeffrey Chua and Mr Ho Thian Poh, in fact also hold the position of managing directors at CPG Facilities Management and UGL Premas.

“CPG is currently the managing agent of Aljunied Town Council [under the PAP], although it is not clear if the agreement will continue following the Workers’ Party taking over of Aljunied and the subsequent merger to form Aljunied-Hougang Town Council.

“UGL Premas, meanwhile, is the parent company of Emasco Township management, the managing agent of Jurong Town Council.”

“At Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council, its secretary Albert Teng is also an employee of its managing agent, EM Services.”

The Straits Times also carried the following report in 2013, during the debate which had erupted over the saga following revelations that the PAP-run town councils had sold off the computer system used by the town councils to a PAP-owned company, Action Information Management (AIM).

“Mr Ho Thian Poh, secretary of Jurong Town Council, is also a PAP member. Mr Ho is also the managing director of the town council’s managing agent (MA), Esmaco Township Management.” (Straits Times, May 2013.)

And incidentally, the Minister of National Development, Khaw Boon Wan, explained in Parliament in 2013 that even party members are not prohibited from providing services to the town councils, when he defended the relationship between AIM and the PAP town councils.

“The [Town Councils] Act by design does not prohibit transactions between the TC and party-related entities or persons… TCs run by MPs from all political parties have at one time or another appointed party supporters or former candidates to provide services to the TCs they run.” – Khaw Boon Wan, 13 May 2013.

Such relationships, however, have been called into question even before the current AHPETC issue was raised.

In 2013, when the AIM controversy surfaced, many expressed concerns about the link between AIM and the PAP.

A Straits Times report then said, of the review conducted by the MND into the sale of the computer system to AIM:

“It gave the all-clear, but some remain unconvinced by the finding that the deal is above board, MPs and experts said.

“One point of contention is why the company, Action Information Management (AIM), would take on a loss-making venture in 2010.

“AIM had said it was to help the PAP town councils, which had no takers for a near-obsolete software programme.

“But some think “this is too good to be true”, said MP Baey Yam Keng of Tampines GRC.

“While many were not surprised by the findings, most of the 50 polled felt that having the MND do the review affected public perception of the report’s finding, even if it was wholly objective.”

The government has since taken on a review of the role of town councils. It is unclear when the review will be completed.

Read this very good write-up on the issue: “Town Councils – conflict of interest?”

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.
Tags: AHPETCfeatured

Related Posts

Current Affairs

China cannot be absent: Xi Jinping, in new year message

01/01/2016
Current Affairs

Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss launches Mountbatten Manifesto

31/08/2015
Current Affairs

AHPETC Chairman’s Review

31/08/2015
Current Affairs

Is the “controversial” AHPETC management fee really that controversial?

31/08/2015
Current Affairs

Workers’ Party releases video of candidates

31/08/2015
Commentaries

Is the PAP really listening, or just hearing us?

31/08/2015
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
25 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Earthquake kills more than 3,800 in Turkey, Syria

Earthquake kills more than 3,800 in Turkey, Syria

07/02/2023
Leong Mun Wai calls for a reset of housing policies to deliver affordable and accessible HDB flats and protect retirement adequacy

Leong Mun Wai calls for a reset of housing policies to deliver affordable and accessible HDB flats and protect retirement adequacy

07/02/2023
LTA revises ERP rates up after latest review; Gantries reach as high as S$5 for 8:30am – 9:00am

LTA revises ERP rates up after latest review; Gantries reach as high as S$5 for 8:30am – 9:00am

07/02/2023
Stern warnings was an “in-between” solution as CPIB lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute six former KOM executives for bribery, said Indranee Rajah

Stern warnings was an “in-between” solution as CPIB lacks sufficient evidence to prosecute six former KOM executives for bribery, said Indranee Rajah

06/02/2023
19-year-old delivery rider in China covers 5km in 22 minutes to deliver antivenom to woman who had bitten by snake

19-year-old delivery rider in China covers 5km in 22 minutes to deliver antivenom to woman who had bitten by snake

06/02/2023
Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?

Adani shares dive again as Indian opposition stages demos

06/02/2023
Josephine Teo defends SPH Media Trust in Parliament on its circulation scandal; Commitment of S$900 million funding will still be made available

Josephine Teo defends SPH Media Trust in Parliament on its circulation scandal; Commitment of S$900 million funding will still be made available

06/02/2023
Japanese-Canadian junior high school girl breaks national record with 3km in 9:02 mins

“I want my normal life back,” Sherry Drury withdraws from National Junior High School Tournament due to overheated public attention

06/02/2023

Trending posts

Cognizant India transfers staff to work in Singapore as recently as this year

Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA

by Correspondent
05/02/2023
96

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
47

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
26

...

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

No response from Josephine Teo on whether Mediacorp has been instructed to stop coverage of SMT circulation scandal

No response from Josephine Teo over alleged blackout of coverage by Mediacorp over SMT circulation scandal

by Terry Xu
06/02/2023
11

...

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

Singapore Law Watch removes commentary on CPIB’s decision to not prosecute former Keppel executives

by The Online Citizen
02/02/2023
19

...

February 2015
M T W T F S S
 1
2345678
9101112131415
16171819202122
232425262728  
« Jan   Mar »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz