AHPETC lapses not treated as political game: DPM Tharman
DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Photo: Ernest Chua.
SINGAPORE — The financial management lapses committed by the Workers’ Party (WP)-run Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) are not being treated as a “political game” and the issue is “not aimed at putting the (WP) down”, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam today (Aug 28).
“All that the Government has wanted to do, is to ensure that we have responsible and honest politics in Singapore, whether by the PAP, individual MPs (Members of Parliament), or GRC teams and the Government as a whole or by the Opposition,” said Mr Tharman, who is also the PAP’s second assistant secretary-general.
Speaking at a press conference to introduce PAP’s candidates for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Mr Tharman was responding to a question on what the PAP would say to a voter who is deliberating whether to give the WP another chance, given how it is their first time managing a town council of this size.
Mr Tharman reiterated that he has never been against the idea of an Opposition in Singapore. “So when I speak about the issue ... it’s because I’m really worried. It is not because I’m trying to put an Opposition down, or the Workers’ Party down ... I’m not like that. When I speak about an issue, it’s because I’m worried and I want to make sure we have responsible and honest politics in Singapore, that’s all,” he said.
By the same token, if the Government does wrong, “expose us, criticise us and we must get it right and we expect the same of everyone else”, said Mr Tharman, who is also the Finance Minister.
In Parliament last week, Mr Tharman had likened the AHPETC accounts to a house “in danger of collapsing” when he was asked about the difference between the Auditor-General’s Office audits on public agencies and the one on APHETC. He also said there were fundamental problems and a lack of transparency in AHPETC’s accounts.
Responding to the same question put to Mr Tharman in Mandarin, PAP candidate Yeo Guat Kwang said the ruling party will let voters make their own informed decision. But he stressed the importance of candidates being trustworthy and not use the lack of experience as an excuse.
Former PAP chairman Lim Boon Heng, who was also present at today’s press conference, said that given Mr Yeo’s experience — he has served four terms in Parliament — the party will have a team that is not new to town council work.
On whether the team felt the AHPETC saga had gained traction among Aljunied residents, PAP Aljunied GRC candidate Victor Lye said the feedback that he got from talking to Singaporeans was that they sensed that “something isn’t quite right”, even though they may not understand how the town council accounts work. “Let the people decide, let the people think about it; there is no need to expect them to know every bit of the issue in terms of accounting, but I have confidence in our people, especially our young people,” he said.
