MND report on AIM

[koxinga]

The report by MND is out. I will refrain from commenting on the report for now as I have yet to read through and analysis the contents. But here it is nevertheless.

MND report

 

[trento]

Basically no public funds loss, but that was never the issue for the public anyway.

 

[Kiwi8]

They coming up with that report is like treating the citizens as idiots.

 

[ponpokku]

heard on the news and it was like no public funds lost?

can they plz elaborate how much the whole developement costs and how much it was sold? and why it was sold when the town councils still need to use it? so far no numbers after such a long investigation?

i can only lol...

 

[celsus]

honest and no mistake lets move on

 

[Inix]

For a review that's done by MND, this is as good as it gets liao lah. I didn't expect anything that would be remotely critical, but what surprised me was the fact that MND actually highlighted the need for TCs to evolve and the never ending tension between TCs and HDB which is a very fair point.

Personally, I had faced with this issue recently where I had the HDB and TC finger point each other. And I'm not living in an opposition estate..

 

[reimina]

Singapore falls to record-low place in press freedom ranking

 

[archcherub]

So the AIM saga is concluded liao ah?
everything is okay?

 

[sunzoner]

For a review that's done by MND, this is as good as it gets liao lah. I didn't expect anything that would be remotely critical, but what surprised me was the fact that MND actually highlighted the need for TCs to evolve and the never ending tension between TCs and HDB which is a very fair point.

Personally, I had faced with this issue recently where I had the HDB and TC finger point each other. And I'm not living in an opposition estate..

That is just a distraction from the core of the report.

 

[holidayforever]

So the AIM saga is concluded liao ah?
everything is okay?

Of course la, if got problems also will not tell us

 

[Inix]

That is just a distraction from the core of the report.

But seriously, you mean you had expected MND to criticise their political masters???

 

[Petrelli_83]

Of course la, if got problems also will not tell us

Sometimes i think it's hilarious that we are staring at a wayang show played out like a soap opera.

 

[sunzoner]

But seriously, you mean you had expected MND to criticise their political masters???

Thats why i said it is a distraction. I have expected nothing more.

 

[Providence]

Now the MND is looking into the town council management issues. Why must the authorities wait till something happens to take necessary actions? This is not efficient. And the government officials are getting paid handsomely every month. Why can't they just review everything in advance?

 

[koxinga]

The can of worms finally opened in Parliament yesterday and what a big can.

Bottom line from yesterday is, the rule on conflict of interest does not apply in its entirety as far as TC is concerned. If you read the report, AIM's bid was simply too good to be true and it has been acknowledged that AIM had the backing of PAP to make this offer and WP has been using a company (FM Services) with links to them. If we go strictly by AGO's and IM guidelines, even if there is no material benefits and one is doing a 'social' service, it is still a conflict of interest and the reason for such a strong line against it within the civil service is the probability that it is slippery slope to something more unsavory. Interesting and more interesting.

 

[sunzoner]

The can of worms finally opened in Parliament yesterday and what a big can.

Bottom line from yesterday is, the rule on conflict of interest does not apply in its entirety as far as TC is concerned. If you read the report, AIM's bid was simply too good to be true and it has been acknowledged that AIM had the backing of PAP to make this offer and WP has been using a company (FM Services) with links to them. If we go strictly by AGO's and IM guidelines, even if there is no material benefits and one is doing a 'social' service, it is still a conflict of interest and the reason for such a strong line against it within the civil service is the probability that it is slippery slope to something more unsavory. Interesting and more interesting.

I wonder how MND's definition goes with CPIB's. Not saying that there is anything wrong, but CPIB's definition seems to be different...

 

[James Tang]

I wonder how MND's definition goes with CPIB's. Not saying that there is anything wrong, but CPIB's definition seems to be different...

Many years ago I was told by some speaker from CPIB that it is required (or something along the line) that if I am calling for tender for my company, and I have some relatives working in the companies putting up the bid, I have to declare the potential conflict of interest to my company even if my relative has nothing to do with the bidding process. This is to make sure that there will be no surprises when the bid is awarded

 

[Carnage]

The can of worms finally opened in Parliament yesterday and what a big can.

Bottom line from yesterday is, the rule on conflict of interest does not apply in its entirety as far as TC is concerned. If you read the report, AIM's bid was simply too good to be true and it has been acknowledged that AIM had the backing of PAP to make this offer and WP has been using a company (FM Services) with links to them. If we go strictly by AGO's and IM guidelines, even if there is no material benefits and one is doing a 'social' service, it is still a conflict of interest and the reason for such a strong line against it within the civil service is the probability that it is slippery slope to something more unsavory. Interesting and more interesting.

So in the end it was a case of pot calling kettle black?

 

[NTB2DO]

Tsk.. tsk.. Khaw was still insisting that the AIM deal was "not" politically motivated..

Which to me, it's as believable as (ex-)MM's claim that paying themselves (his own, the PM and his ministers') world's highest ministerial salaries was to "prevent our men from becoming foreign labours and our women becoming maids in other countries"!!!

 

[superman]

Khaw have not answered why does the contract have a term which allow AIM to terminate the contract 1 month after there is a change of management of the TC and how does this term benefit residents?

Khaw say that WP can ask for an extension, which is true but the final decision is still up to AIM and why did the previous TC management give them this power.