Lim Boon Heng, the big gun of yesteryears, is seen in a grassroot affair in Aljunied and Hougang, leading a team of freshies that are likely to be the candidates for the next GE. Just my guess. The question, why Boon Heng and not some incumbent ministers? Perhaps Boon Heng has volunteered to throw his weight in Aljunied GRC to carry the new team to victory. By the look of things, Boon Heng is the most worthy heavy weight that could to do the job now, or is the bravest to lead the charge.
Boon Heng’s first salvo is to question what would happen if WP would be in charge of SG? For him to ask such a question is like saying what PAP has done is the best, or WP would make a mess of everything. Can WP do anything worst? What do you think?
The other issue is about the finance of AHPETC. Boon Heng was horrified that the Town Council has turned a $3m surplus to a $734k deficit. I can understand the surplus part, ie excess revenue collected. Good thing. Collect more is good and better to transfer the excess to the Sinking Fund and sink to the bottom and be forgotten. Another untouchable fund?
What is this deficit? Is the deficit due to losses due to bad investments or mismanagement? Or is it because some residents are facing hardship and have problems servicing their monthly conservancy fees? Or is it that some ‘above the law’ citizens chose not to pay because they did not vote for the WP and they have the right not to pay?
In the first case, hardship, would it be better to ruthlessly chase for payments by issuing legal letters or threats of evictions? In the second case, are there people above the law that they can choose not to pay their conservancy fees because they did not elect the MP? Is there any law about such hooligan behavior? Can the residents in PAP constituencies who did not elect the PAP MP do the same? If can then it would be a good precedent for more lawlessness in this City with gangsters running wild everywhere. And the best part, no law to apprehend them and to bring them to justice in a rule of law country.
What is the issue? What do you think?
Please also read TRE’s editorial on the disproportionate distribution of govt grants to GRCs and why AHPETC got among the least and how some GRCs covered their deficits by huge govt grants. The TRE article is titled ‘Desmond Lee, all town councils run deficits.’
Chua Chin Leng AKA RedBean
*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com