AHTC saga: Aljunied residents will judge for themselves, says PAP branch chairman

SINGAPORE — Aljunied residents are “clear and aware” about the saga surrounding the Workers’ Party-led Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) and will make their own judgments, said a People’s Action Party (PAP) branch chairman on Sunday (Nov 10).

Mr Alex Yeo Sheng Chye, the chairman of the Paya Lebar branch within the Opposition-held ward, told reporters on the sidelines of the PAP65 Awards and Conference that he trusts that residents will be able to discern for themselves what kind of elected representative they want.

Last month, the High Court ruled that WP leaders Low Thia Khiang, Sylvia Lim and Pritam Singh are liable for damages suffered by the AHTC and the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council. In particular, the judge found that Ms Lim and Mr Low had breached their fiduciary duties to the AHTC, “as they had failed to act in AHTC’s best interests and had acted for extraneous purposes”.

Last week, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat urged Parliament to hold the WP and two of its top leaders accountable for their roles in the saga, and called on Ms Lim and Mr Low to “recuse themselves” from all financial matters related to the town council.

Asked how residents viewed the AHTC saga after DPM Heng’s parliamentary motion was passed last week, Mr Yeo said that both sides — the PAP and WP — have aired their own views of the episode.

“On the ground, I think Aljunied residents are very clear and aware of what the situation is — they live in Aljunied after all and I trust them. They will make the judgment themselves and (decide) what kind of representatives they want for themselves in Parliament,” said Mr Yeo, a 40-year-old lawyer. He had replaced Mr Murali Pillai as PAP's Paya Lebar branch chairman following the latter's victory in the Bukit Batok by-election in 2016.

“As for us PAP activists, we continue being focused on only one thing, to work very hard, with sincerity, and to show them that we will be here no matter how hard it is, we will be here serving them.”

Mr Yeo was one of four PAP activists who spoke at the conference, where he highlighted his team’s activities over the years, such as giving out meal vouchers to Aljunied residents.

He told reporters: “It takes a lot of time and that is really what our motto in Opposition wards is about. We build and rebuild relationships one at a time, and however long it takes, we will still be there.”

PAP ACTIVISTS

The other activists who spoke were businesswoman Rachel Ong Sin Yen, 47; senior lecturer Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah, 40; and lawyer Kawal Pal Singh, 36.

At the conference, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong exhorted party activists to be prepared for a "tough fight" ahead and to convince Singaporeans of the PAP's cause.

Asked about the coming polls, activist Ong said that she and other members of the PAP Telok Blangah branch have been engaging with residents, such as thinking about how to help seniors integrate better in the community.

Ms Ong is the chief executive officer of consultancy firm Rohei and is also the chairman of social service agency Trybe, which works with disadvantaged youths.

Another activist, Dr Wan Rizal from the PAP Pasir Ris East branch, said his branch members have been “working hard” even as Opposition parties have been walking the grounds.

“I think at the end of the day, it's about connecting with the people… understanding them and I think we've been doing really well."

“I can see that the members are battle-hardened. (It’s) nice to see this, and I feel like the members are confident," added the 40-year-old senior lecturer at Republic Polytechnic.

Mr Singh has been serving the PAP’s Kembangan-Chai Chee branch, assisting Marine Parade GRC MP Tan Chuan-Jin in his meet-the-people sessions as a volunteer and later as a party activist.

The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) graduate shared how despite his average results in his N-Levels, ITE became a turning point in his life and led to him becoming a lawyer.

When asked if they would be fielded in the next General Election, which must be held by April 2021, Ms Ong and Mr Singh said they were unable to comment. Mr Singh said: “That would be the prerogative of the party.”