Background Story: Desmond Lee: WP still hasn't Explained the "Serious Financial Mismanagement"
MND’s Desmond Lee Points out WP's Town Council Deficit but not PAPs ones
Hi Mr Lee
I am compelled to write a response over your baseless attack on the Worker's Party's Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol-East Town Council (AHPETC) as I am worried about the ridiculous stance you are adopting as a Minister for National Development. Here are some of the issues that you have brought up and from a third party's point of view, it is obvious you have only engaged in third world politicking antic and not done your due diligence serving Singaporeans living in AHPETC constituents:
1) Alleged "coordinated online campaign to distract the public, using falsehoods, half-truths and speculations"
This claim is toxic, where is your evidence when you make such claims? The fact remains that the general populace is able to see through your party's political plot and people are commenting as is. It is a fact that Opposition wards get lesser funding than PAP wards as tacitly admitted by Lee Hsien Loong himself, and shamefully as the Minister directly in-charge of National Development, you did not put this to a stop. With the mainstream media, we have seen your political party coordinated a series of mainstream campaigns to cast a negative light on AHPETC. This could be perhaps why Singapore mainstream media is ranked 154th in press accuracy. Who is the one distracting the public, using falsehoods, half-truths and speculations?
2) AHPETC's arrears position
It is a delight that the town council have adopted an understanding and chosen to give leeway to Singaporeans who could not afford paying Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC). This contrasts greatly to the PAP town councils where a 75 year old elderly woman was arrested and summoned to court for outstanding S&CC. The Worker's Party is Singaporean's blessing, they have shown benevolence in their management of residents. Unfortunately, this kindness has been exploited as a weakness by inhumane wolves to pounced on, cast empty accusations of mismanagement and shred away what little social fabric left of our united nation.
3) AHPETC has transparency and accountability to the public
The Worker's Party has published their town council's yearly annual reports on the website, but has the PAP published the amount we have in our National Reserves, GIC and Temasek Holding? How dare you preach about transparency and accountability when your backyard has a truckload of skeletons? Has the PAP been truthful to the public and answered questions about the state of our national finances? Which is more important, the country or the constituents? Shouldn't we call in the AGC and external audits to investigate the Ministry of Finance then? When you cast aspersions and objectionable on the Worker's Party, are you clean and uncorrupted in the first place?
May I remind you that your primary role is an appointment holder and secondary a politician. This third world politicking antic is not to be tolerated because the ultimate casualty are residents and Singaporeans living in Aljunied, Hougang and Punggol East.
Alex Tan
TRS Contributor