AHPETC comes under fire for project management, ‘distortion’

SINGAPORE — The way the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) had handled upgrading projects in its constituencies came under scrutiny in Parliament yesterday.

In one case, the Workers’ Party (WP)-run town council pulled the plug on its plan to build a shelter over a basketball court in Serangoon North Avenue 1 because of cost overruns, said Minister of State (National Development) Mohamad Maliki Osman during the Ministry of National Development’s (MND) Committee of Supply debate.

Not only were residents deprived of the promised facilities, they were also given the impression that the plans had been scrapped because their wards are run by an opposition party, which Dr Maliki described as a “mischievous distortion”.

WP Member of Parliament and AHPETC vice-chairman Pritam Singh rejected Dr Maliki’s charge. Mr Pritam had earlier called for an avenue to appeal for funds disbursed by the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC), especially where opposition-run town councils are concerned.

CIPC projects have long been a sticking point in opposition wards as they are assessed by Citizens’ Consultative Committees, which are grassroots bodies under the People’s Association.

Unlike town council-nominated projects under the Home Improvement Programme and Neighbourhood Renewal Programme, funds for CIPC projects are not meant to be disbursed through any town council.

Dr Maliki stressed that AHPETC’s proposals had been given significant consideration and support. For example, 12 of 17 projects approved for CIPC funding in AHPETC wards were proposed by the town council.

Fellow Minister of State (National Development) Desmond Lee also criticised AHPETC for shirking its responsibility in maintaining common property such as letter boxes — a statutory duty that all other town councils have abided by for many years.

Instead, Mr Lee told the House that AHPETC had insisted that the Housing Development Board (HDB) require residents in its constituencies to sign a letter of undertaking to maintain their own letter boxes.

AHPETC had also asked that it be given the letter-box keys of residents who refused to do so.

“HDB cannot agree to this as it is clearly a town council’s responsibility to maintain the letter boxes, as it is collecting service and conservancy charges,” said Mr Lee, adding that residents’ privacy would also be compromised.

Addressing AHPETC chairman Sylvia Lim’s call for a “low-cost housing tribunal” to arbitrate disputes among the HDB, town councils and residents, Mr Lee said town councils have several options in such situations. They include writing to the MND, which has a team of officers overseeing town-council matters.

“That said, town councils must also be prepared to accept the decision and abide by the rules and procedures that govern all town councils. A town council cannot accept decisions or rules that suit the town council and disregard what is inconvenient ... ,” Mr Lee said. KELLY NG