AHTC will decide on WP leaders’ future roles: Low Thia Khiang

SINGAPORE — Mr Low Thia Khiang from the Workers' Party (WP) said that the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) would decide on his and fellow WP leader Sylvia Lim's future roles, and he would not be involved in any discussions or vote on the matter.

When asked about the actions that WP would take in regard to the matter, Mr Low also said: "I don’t want to prejudge or anticipate what the town councillors will do. This... has nothing to do with WP. WP is a separate legal entity."

Mr Low, who was party chief until April last year when he handed the reins to Mr Pritam Singh, was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his meet-the-people session in Hougang on Wednesday (Nov 6) — a day after Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat moved a motion calling on AHTC to remove Mr Low and Ms Lim from overseeing financial matters at the town council.

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Mr Low said that he would recuse himself from discussions about the next steps that AHTC would take.

He added that Mr Faisal Manap, fellow Aljunied Group Representation Constituency Member of Parliament (MP) who chairs the town council, has said that the matter would be tabled at the next quarterly town-council meeting.

Mr Low said: “I will recuse myself from participating in any discussion... (as well) as for the voting if there is a vote to be taken.” The date of the meeting has not been fixed, he noted.

On whether Ms Lim, who is WP’s chairperson, will recuse herself from the discussions, Mr Low said that he could not speak for her, but he believed she would “do the same”.

When asked if he would continue in his present roles at AHTC if the town council decides that he need not recuse himself from his responsibilities, Mr Low said that “we (would) think about it” when a decision is made.

“Anyway, my role in the financial matters is very limited. I am only a member of the committee who looks at some projects and some of the approvals,” Mr Low added. He is an elected member of the town council, and a member of its estate and community-liaison committee.

TODAY had earlier on Wednesday requested comment from WP and Mr Singh on the matter. They have not responded.

Tuesday’s motion, which stemmed from a High Court judgement last month, saw several Cabinet ministers and MPs from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) spar with WP's MPs.

Ultimately, Mr Singh, one of the defendants in the court case, called for a division — a parliamentary procedure to record how each MP present in the House would vote.

Fifty-two PAP MPs and Nominated MPs voted in support of the motion, nine WP MPs and Non-Constituency MPs voted against it, and two Nominated MPs abstained from voting.

On Oct 11, the High Court ruled that Mr Low, Ms Lim, Mr Singh and others were liable for damages suffered by the AHTC and the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC).

PRPTC had sued the WP MPs to recover any losses incurred when the WP-led town council managed the Punggol East constituency from 2013 to 2015.

Ms Lim and Mr Low had breached their fiduciary duties, Justice Kannan Ramesh had said, and the MPs were liable for damages suffered by the two town councils.

WP had appointed FM Solutions and Services as managing agent and emergency-maintenance service provider without a tender process.

The next stage of the trial will determine the damages incurred by the breaches, and the court will assess the compensation owed to AHTC and PRPTC.

All three MPs could owe part of the S$33.7 million in claims by the town councils.