Singapore GE 2015: Is the WP Running Scared?

Is the WP Running Scared?

 

Just 4 days after Workers' Party (WP) Low Thia Khiang confidently told the media that the WP would stick to its usual practice of introducing their candidates before Nomination Day without revealing where they will be standing, Sylvia Lim today (16 August 2015) announced that WP's elected members of Parliament would be defending their constitiencies.

 

What is significant about this change is that the WP had only days before said they would not change their practice, and that this annoucement came on the back of an announcement by AHPETC that they would be releasing their updated audited town council financial report on 31 August 2015. Political pundits see this change as an indication that the audited town council financial report would once again be qualified (meaning that its accuracy cannot be verified) and that this will raise questions and concerns from Aljunied residents. WP's decision to keep their "A-Team" in Aljunied is seen as a desperate attempt to strengthen their chances of retaining  Aljunied GRC.

 

Hougang MP Png Eng Huat's public comment that any discussion about AHPETC's financial position would only be meaningful once the report has been released , is  another clear indication that they are feeling the pressure from residents. One must not forget that 45% of Aljunied GRC voted for the PAP and WP's dubious track record of managing the Town Council will certainly lose them the swing votes. WP would most certainly have lost the votes of the residents of Florence Regency and the 2 DBSS projects where the WP had failed to perform their statutory duties to maintain the estates despite collecting S&CC fees.

 

There is a famous saying that you can bluff some of the people some of the time and some of the people all of the time, butyou cannot bluff all of the people all of the time. 

 

WP, your time has come and I predict that you will lose Aljunied GRC. 

 

SG Bumiputra

Aljunied Residents' Regret Voting for The Workers' Party

In response to the Workers' Party of Singapore stunning declaration that they do not need to answer to Parliament for their actions, residents of Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East are beginning to voice their regrets voting for the WP.

One pool of extremely unhappy Aljunied-Hougang residents are those living in the former HUDC estate at Hougang Avenue 2 (now known as Florence Regency). Since gaining the rights to privatize their estate on 22 May 2014, these residents (via their Management Corporation) have been in protracted and one-sided negotiations with AHPETC to recover money owed to them.

The main point of contention is the amount of Sinking Fund which owners of the HUDC estate have due from AHPETC. By their own estimates and records, in 2012, residents of the estate had accumulated more $1.2 million in Sinking Funds. Hence, residents were taken aback when AHPETC offered to refund the estate $385,000. After rejecting the offer, AHPETC counter-offered to refund the estate $600,000. While much less than the $1.2 million owed, residents had no choice but to accept. Unfortunately, correct as at today, even the reduced amount of $600,000 has not been fully paid to the estate despite a written promise by AHPETC to do so by August 2014.

There are several issues with this matter. Firstly, why is the amount AHPETC owes in Sinking Fund subjective? According to the Town Council Act, a fixed proportion of monthly S&CC is to be set-aside as Sinking Fund. So if AHPETC had done this, what happened to the additional $600,000. Secondly, if AHPETC is as financial sound as the Workers' Party claimed in Parliament, then why is AHPETC unable to pay the outstanding amount to the residents of Florence Regency?

Unfortunately, the residents of Florence Regency are helpless in this situation and have no recourse. They had chosen to elect the Workers' Party into Parliament (and by default to run their Town Council). As the Workers' Party has openly rejected the authority of Parliament and government agencies to check on them, there is little that the Government can do.

The only option that remains is for the residents of Aljunied, Hougang and Punggol East to see the Workers' Party for who they truly are and to vote wisely at General Election 2016. #VoteWPOut