AHPETC: Hri Kumar lists ‘basic questions’ that WP has not answered
TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — Outgoing People’s Action Party Member of Parliament (MP) Hri Kumar Nair today (Aug 20) fired a riposte at Workers’ Party’s (WP) Gerald Giam over the latter’s remark that Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) had already addressed issues raised by the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) on its finances.
In a Facebook post today, Mr Hri Kumar, asking if Mr Giam was “serious”, listed seven “basic questions” he said the WP has not answered. These included why there has been no independent investigation into the many areas of concern in the town council raised by the AGO, and why none of the independent auditors it has hired has issued unqualified reports on its books.
In a forum organised by the National University of Singapore Society on Tuesday, Mr Giam, a Non-Constituency MP, said the WP has addressed points raised by the AGO on the town council and that the party did not see a need to constantly respond every single time the Government raised the issue. He added: “Just because the PAP does not want to accept our explanations does not mean that we haven’t explained.”
Rebutting the comments, Mr Hri Kumar, who previously spoke about this in Parliament, said people are “no closer to knowing the truth” six months after a High Court judge pointed out there were “numerous breaches” of the statutes covering town councils at AHPETC.
Justice Quentin Loh had dismissed the Ministry of National Development’s application for independent accountants to oversee government grants to the town council, but flagged AHPETC’s “far from satisfactory” management of its funds and finances, and the validity and propriety of payments it had made previously to related parties.
Mr Hri Kumar added: “Significantly, the WP has avoided stating categorically that no public funds have been lost, and no damage suffered. How could it, given its own conduct?”
WP’s posturing, he said, also ignores the “fundamental point” that MPs manage millions of dollars of public monies and owe a duty to the people to ensure that town councils comply with the law. “MPs are all accountable and must act with honesty and integrity,” said Mr Hri Kumar. “If for any reason a town council goes wrong, MPs have the responsibility to be transparent and take effective action to put things right, regardless of how embarrassing it may be to the MPs personally or to their party.”
Citing the National Library Board (NLB) as an example, Mr Hri Kumar said after the AGO found flaws in the way NLB procured electronic resources, NLB tightened its processes. “NLB’s parent ministry, the Ministry of Communications and Information, acted swiftly and decisively by referring the matter to the police. No cover-ups; no sweeping under the carpet. That is what honesty and integrity are all about,” he added.
Mr Hri Kumar also said WP MPs “know what they need to do to put things at AHPETC right”. “The WP must commission a thorough forensic investigation, get its friends in FMSS (FM Solutions and Services) and FMSI (FM Solutions and Integrated Services) to open their books, clean up the accounts and sue to recover any losses suffered,” he said. He added: “The WP has lawyers, and it knows it can be done. But the WP does not want to do it. Why not? That is one more question it has not answered.”
When contacted, the WP declined further comment, and referred to an open letter AHPETC chairman Sylvia Lim sent to residents in June, in which she disputed the assertion that AHPETC had awarded contracts to “friends”, and assured that steps were being taken to improve its accounting practices and controls. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY NG JING YNG
