Bargain Hen: $26k for Engrish lessons for PLA office is chicken feed & a bargain

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen's explanation for spending $25,900 on a language challenged People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officer makes you wonder if he was dropped on his head when he was a child. Or born stupid. Answering a question from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP), he said the personalised, one-on-one, 360-hour course, was needed to get the officer to the level of proficiency conducted by a qualified English instructor.

The PLA is a big army, why did they have to select one that can't understand basic English? What's so special about this officer who can't find the way to the men's room without subtitles? Is he a PRC version of a White Horse, the type that makes general in 10 years, 7 years of which was spent in classrooms, scion of some powerful political family, destined to be the El Supremo of the whole damn country? That's $25,900 for English tuition, on top of free board and lodging, and probably several more thousands to acquire parade ground language proficiency in Malay. Oh, we forgot, this type won't be addressed in mono-syllabic expletives by some drill sergeant, or pass a basic marksmanship course. They'll probably assign a Pinoy domestic to carry his pencil box.

This waste of public funds reminds one of the hundreds of of "scholars" from PRC now learning English in

http://singaporedesk.blogspot.sg/2014/11/expensive-english-tuition.html

beucase the people they serve are stupid, dont you know?

http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?193404-PAP-Mindef-pays-PLA-for-training-its-officers

I started the discussion way before

Why Mindef paid $26,000 for China military officer's English course

Why Mindef paid $26,000 for China military officer's English course
The New PaperSaturday, Nov 08, 2014
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Why Mindef paid $26,000 for China military officer's English course
Soldiers from China's PLA in a training exercise.
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If necessary, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) pays for language lessons for some foreign military officers who attend courses here.
This is to help them gain enough language proficiency so that they can benefit from their time here, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in Parliament yesterday.

He was responding to a question from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Lina Chiam, who had asked about a recent tender that had been called to provide an English-language course for a People's Liberation Army (PLA) officer.
Dr Ng said armed forces regularly hold exchange programmes, where personnel attend courses of other militaries, to bolster ties.
For instance, Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officers attend staff college courses in other countries to build relationships with the armed forces of these countries and to understand their perspectives.
- See more at: http://news.asiaone.com/news/singap...-officers-english-course#sthash.XCMoWeHI.dpuf

Re: Why Mindef paid $26,000 for China military officer's English course

i suggest they also pay me $90K for me to teach the chinese peng how to speak to our local hokkien peng so that they can better integrate into army camp. dont worry, you can see i charge lower then alvin. if you worry, i will even throw in hokkien expletives for free. now double confirm he will integrate very well.

MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

source: http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/11/08/mindef-found-doing-business-with-a-1-firm/


November 8th, 2014 | Author: Editorial

Yesterday (7 Nov), TRE published an article (‘MINDEF spends $26K for 1 PLA officer to learn English‘) highlighting that MINDEF had spent $25,900 in September engaging a training consultancy firm to teach English to a PLA officer from China.

The tender was awarded to a company called Language Works Pte Ltd.

The matter came to the public’s attention when NCMP Lina Chiam asked Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen to elaborate on the expenditure in Parliament on Wednesday (5 Nov).

Dr Ng first explained the supposed advantages of militaries sending their officers on exchange programmes so as to establish better ties.

“But one of the problems in doing this is, of course, language of instruction,” Dr Ng explained. So, for some foreign officers who attend SAF’s military courses, MINDEF has to help them gain language proficiency so they can benefit from their time here, he said.

“And for this particular (PLA) officer which the Member asked for, we required a personalised 360-hour course. One-on-one, 360-hour course, is standard to get them to the level of proficiency conducted by a qualified English instructor,” Dr Ng added.

Explaining the tender, he said, “We had about five or six people, companies, who replied. The contract was awarded to the lowest offer that met the requirements and this was the amount of $25,900, which worked out to about $70 an hour. All this was in strict compliance with government’s regulations.”

MINDEF did not award the tender to the lowest bidder

TRE searched GeBiz, the official government procurement site, and found that MINDEF had indeed put up the said tender on 28 August 2014.

6 companies had bid for the tender. However, the tender was not awarded to the lowest quote.

There were 2 companies whose bids were higher than Language Works’ $25,900. But 3 other companies submitted a lower bid, with Megatrons’ being the lowest at $21,240:

Cyber Aided Computer Training Center – $24,000
Globibo – $25,860
Megatrons – $21,240

Apparently, these 3 companies were deemed by MINDEF not to have “met the requirements”, since Dr Ng said, “The contract was awarded to the lowest offer that met the requirements…”

Hence, Language Works must have met MINDEF’s stringent “requirements”. However, Dr Ng did not elaborate in Parliament how those 3 companies with lower bids failed to meet its requirements.

Language Works Pte Ltd

According to ACRA, Language Works was set up in October 2011. Its principal activities are:

Language instruction
Corporate training services and motivational course providers

However, its paid-up capital is only $1:

The $1 share is held by a Singaporean, Sun Liqin:

Not too long ago, PAP town councils were found doing business with a $2 company. It seems quite fashionable for the PAP government and MPs to do business with $1-2 companies nowadays.

What do you think?

Re: MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

$1 company surely linked to cronies.

Re: MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

GoldenDragon said:

$1 company surely linked to cronies.

Click to expand...

lower bids not successful...............

[GLGT] MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

Just happen to come across this on TRE...now doing biz with a 1 dollar company.

MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm


Yesterday (7 Nov), TRE published an article (‘MINDEF spends $26K for 1 PLA officer to learn English‘) highlighting that MINDEF had spent $25,900 in September engaging a training consultancy firm to teach English to a PLA officer from China.

The tender was awarded to a company called Language Works Pte Ltd.

The matter came to the public’s attention when NCMP Lina Chiam asked Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen to elaborate on the expenditure in Parliament on Wednesday (5 Nov).

Dr Ng first explained the supposed advantages of militaries sending their officers for exchange programmes so as to establish better ties.

“But one of the problems in doing this is, of course, language of instruction,” Dr Ng explained. So, for some foreign officers who attend SAF’s military courses, MINDEF has to help them gain language proficiency so they can benefit from their time here, he said.

“And for this particular (PLA) officer which the Member asked for, we required a personalised 360-hour course. One-on-one, 360-hour course, is standard to get them to the level of proficiency conducted by a qualified English instructor,” Dr Ng added.

Explaining the tender, he said, “We had about five or six people, companies, who replied. The contract was awarded to the lowest offer that met the requirements and this was the amount of $25,900, which worked out to about $70 an hour. All this was in strict compliance with government’s regulations.”

MINDEF did not award the tender to the lowest bidder

TRE searched GeBiz, the official government procurement site, and found that MINDEF had indeed put up the said tender on 28 August 2014.

6 companies bid for the tender. However, the tender was not awarded to the lowest quote.

There were 2 companies whose bids were higher than Language Works’ $25,900. But 3 other companies submitted a lower bid, with Megatrons’ being the lowest at $21,240:

1 Cyber Aided Computer Training Center – $24,000
2 Globibo – $25,860
3 Megatrons – $21,240

Apparently, these 3 companies were deemed by MINDEF not to have “met the requirements”, since Dr Ng said, “The contract was awarded to the lowest offer that met the requirements…”

Hence, Language Works must have met MINDEF’s stringent “requirements”. However, Dr Ng did not elaborate in Parliament how those 3 companies with lower bids failed to meet its requirements.

Language Works Pte Ltd

According to ACRA, Language Works was set up in October 2011. Its principal activities are:

1 Language instruction
2 Corporate training services and motivational course providers

However, its paid-up capital is only $1:





http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/11/08/mindef-found-doing-business-with-a-1-firm/

Re: MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

Got to teach a commi officer English to foster tie... don't know got teach KNNBCCB so that he can gain better rapport with the men.

Re: MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

halo wu buay kok lien kun boh

Re: MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

Any idea how our HDB contracts are awarded?to the lowest bidder with the worst requirements? But stringent requirements for this tiongs?

Re: MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

What's wrong with a $1 English language tuition company? The teacher doesn't need to invest expensive equipment or machinery. Just needs to rent a classroom with whiteboard, and cough up some money for stationery.

Re: MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

Another aim again?

Company that won $25k mindef contract to teach prc officer english is a $1 company

[h=1]COMPANY THAT WON $25K MINDEF CONTRACT TO TEACH PRC OFFICER ENGLISH IS A $1 COMPANY[/h]
<!-- /.block --> <style>.node-article .field-name-link-line-above-tags{float: right;}.node-article .field-name-ad-box-in-article {float: left;margin: 15px 15px 10px 0;}.node-article .field-tags{clear: both;}</style> Post date:
8 Nov 2014 - 6:40pm





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TRS recently exposed that MINDEF spent over $25,000 of taxpayer money to teach English to 1 PRC Military Officer. The government tender on GeBiz was awarded to a company Language Works Pte Ltd.

What was concerning is the fact that according to the Language Works website, the company offered several courses which even when added up, only amounted to $14,000.
Full story see: MINDEF Spends $25k of Your Money to Teach English to One PRC Military Officer

Following this, NCMP Lina Chiam raised a question about it during parliament and Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen explained that it was a justified cost and it was necessary.
He also said that the course was specialised and one on one that’s why it was more expensive than the available courses put together.

Read More: Ng Eng Hen: The $25,900 Language Course for a PRC Military Officer was Necessary




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Now, an even more concerning revelation has come to light as the company, Language Works is actually just a $1 company, raising concerns about whether it is just another shell company like AIM Saga.

Is this another case of Singaporeans’ taxpayer money being wasted?

It was also apparent that the tender was not awarded to the lowest bidder, in fact, there were other companies who offered the service for as low as $21,240 but it seems that the three other companies with the lower bids did not “meet the requirements” of the tender as Dr Ng explained.

A look on the ACRA records for Language Works also revealed that it was set up in October 2011 and only has paid up capital of $1. This $1 share is also held by just 1 shareholder, Sun Liqin:

What do you think?



Tags:
Editorials

Re: Company that won $25k mindef contract to teach prc officer english is a $1 compan

Using PRC to teach another PRC Engrish. And paying a bomb for it. Nice!

Re: Company that won $25k mindef contract to teach prc officer english is a $1 compan

makapaaa said:

Using PRC to teach another PRC Engrish. And paying a bomb for it. Nice!

Click to expand...

This bloody "Hen" deserves to be slaughtered and made into Hainanese chicken rice. Why can't the Chink government pay for it instead?

Re: MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

Altogether now...HUAT AH !

Re: MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

yang ying can go screw himself. if he has held longer, the $25K would hv been bagged.

Re: MINDEF found doing business with a $1 firm

They will say :

It was an Honest Mistake, let's move on!!