AGO Finds Lapses in PA's Financial Management System

Yes, it is true! The independent Auditor-General Office (AGO) found lapses in People's Assocation's (PA) financial management of funds. This is the same AGO who after auditing AHPETC, found that "there can be no assurance that AHPETC’s accounts are accurate and reliable, or that public funds are properly spent, accounted for and managed."

 

As expected, opposition supporters were quick to jump on the bandwagon to draw similarities between the PA and AHPETC. While there are some similarities, what they fail to acknowledge is that there is a significant difference in how the lapses are being handled. Organizations of respectable sizes are bound to have lapses. It is impossible not to have them as the large numbers of people and transactions make it a mathematical certainty that it will happen. What is more important, and this alludes to the character and value of the organization and its management, is how the lapses are handled.

 

In the case of AHPETC, the Worker's Party continued to hide, lie and mislead the public. Instead of being open and transparent, they continue to keep crucial information and records from even their own appointed auditors. Even after their promise in Parliament to submit an unqualified audited statement by July 2015, this has not happened. WP MPs have continued to dodge the issue and those running AHPETC have stayed silent. Pritam Singh even went to extent to tell Singaporeans that they do not need to answer to Parliament. In the case of AHPETC, no investigation, no accountability, no responsibility, no transparency.

 

Compare this to how the People's Action party responded to the lapses. The PA took the lapses seriously, immediately convened an investigation, accepted responsibility for the lapses and the Chairman of the Citizen's Consultative Committee (CCC) resigned from his position even before wrong-doing (if any) was confirmed.

 

Thus while we are disappointed in what has happened to the PA (and the other Government agencies named in the AGO's audit report), we are confident that, where the Government is concerned, things will always be open and transparent.

 

I hope that through this incident, Singaporeans will be able to see through the smoke and mirrors of the Worker's Party and realise the true character and values of opposition leaders like Low Thia Khiang, Sylvia Lim and gang. For the sake of Singapore, we must indeed vote wisely!