Workers' Party hits back as grassroots advisers stick to their guns
by Tan Weizhen 04:46 AM Aug 25, 2011
SINGAPORE - The dispute between the Workers' Party (WP) and the People's Association (PA) went up a notch yesterday, as WP chief Low Thia Khiang hit back at allegations that his party has made life difficult for the grassroots organisations (GROs) in Opposition wards Hougang and Aljunied.
Mr Low, who became a Member of Parliament for Aljunied following the May General Election - after a 20-year tenure as MP for Hougang - also issued a seven-page point-by-point rebuttal against "untrue accusations" levelled against the town councils run by the WP.
Speaking to reporters before his Meet the People Session yesterday, a visibly worked-up Mr Low said: "The way I look at it is ... it seems to me to be the case that some Residents' Committees behave like the king in their own kingdom ... They expect to be treated (with) priority."
He added: "Now they want to cut out - after they lost Aljunied GRC - part of the common property, to be their own kingdom ... (and) to impose conditions on people who want to use the premises."
In response, Hougang grassroots adviser Desmond Choo and his counterpart at Aljunied GRC, Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, also issued a joint statement yesterday that they stand by the earlier account of the difficulties faced by the GROs in the two constituencies.
Their statement added: "The Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC GROs remain committed to serve the residents to the best of our abilities. We welcome the Workers' Party stated intention to work with the PA and GROs in Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC to serve the residents. Our GROs look forward to a more positive relationship with the new Aljunied-Hougang Town Council."
The dispute was sparked last week by a Facebook posting by Aljunied GRC MP Chen Show Mao, where he recounted how an invitation to him was withdrawn by organisers of a Hungry Ghost Festival dinner.
It then emerged that, at the request of the PA in May, the HDB has leased 26 sites on HDB land within Aljunied GRC to the PA for them to organise community activities - with WP chairman Sylvia Lim alleging that the move was "politically motivated" and HDB was abusing its power.
In response, the PA and the Ministry of National Development (MND) explained in a joint statement on Tuesday that the PA has had "many difficulties" in getting access to sites in WP-held Hougang and it was concerned that it "might encounter similar difficulties" in Aljunied GRC.
On the same day, Mr Choo - the defeated PAP candidate in the Opposition ward - and several of his grassroots leaders issued a statement lising more than 10 examples of how grassroots activities were allegedly curtailed in Hougang and Aljunied. Mr Choo also revealed that he is in talks with PA to transfer the lease of six plots of land from Hougang town council (HGTC) to PA.
Mr Low yesterday dismissed these allegations and described them as an attempt by PA to sidetrack the issue of its "real role".
In his rebuttal, Mr Low said: "Both MND and PA are bankrupt on their ideas on how to justify the exclusion of the common property in HDB estates from the management of opposition-managed Aljunied-Hougang TC. This is unprecedented and politically motivated."
He added: "Mr Desmond Choo's statement was thus intended to mislead all that HGTC had stopped issuing permits for all sites which RC intended to use for their functions and to use this as the reason to support their application for exclusive use of various common areas in Hougang Estate."
Speaking before his Meet the People session, Mr Low also described the claim that WP restricts the invitation of guests to PA functions as "utter rubbish".
He told reporters that for the past 20 years, defeated PAP candidates and the ruling party's MPs from other constituencies have been present at functions held in Hougang on common property under the management of the town council.
Said Mr Low: "We respect the rights of residents, who they want to invite."
In fact, Mr Low said he was "caught by surprise" by the allegations, as he felt that he had been on good terms with the GROs.
Mr Low said that by transfering the lease of some sites in Aljunied and Hougang to PA, the HDB would inconvenience residents. Such a move means that residents will have to apply to two separate entities.
In a separate statement, WP's Yaw Shin Leong - who succeeded Mr Low as Hougang MP - reiterated that he is prepared to work with Mr Choo if he faces difficulty in getting access to sites in Hougang.
Mr Yaw, who is vice-chairman of the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC), added there have never been any conditions about who residents need to invite to use the town council's managed properties. Till date, AHTC has only received two applications from RCs and duly approved both of them.
Mr Yaw felt this episode "has clearly illustrated how key Government agencies with intense outreach capabilities can be mobilised to advance the political interests of the ruling party, and to undermine the mandate of Opposition MPs given by the electorate". "We trust Singaporeans can assess what is fair for themselves," he added.
Meanwhile, the Singapore People's Party (SPP) - helmed by veteran Opposition figure Chiam See Tong - also waded into the issue. In a statement, the SPP said Mr Chiam, who had been MP for Potong Pasir for 27 years before he lost the recent General Election, had "suffered this kind of abuse" during his tenure. It added: "The SPP stands in solidarity with the WP in this matter."
by Tan Weizhen 04:46 AM Aug 25, 2011
SINGAPORE - The dispute between the Workers' Party (WP) and the People's Association (PA) went up a notch yesterday, as WP chief Low Thia Khiang hit back at allegations that his party has made life difficult for the grassroots organisations (GROs) in Opposition wards Hougang and Aljunied.
Mr Low, who became a Member of Parliament for Aljunied following the May General Election - after a 20-year tenure as MP for Hougang - also issued a seven-page point-by-point rebuttal against "untrue accusations" levelled against the town councils run by the WP.
Speaking to reporters before his Meet the People Session yesterday, a visibly worked-up Mr Low said: "The way I look at it is ... it seems to me to be the case that some Residents' Committees behave like the king in their own kingdom ... They expect to be treated (with) priority."
He added: "Now they want to cut out - after they lost Aljunied GRC - part of the common property, to be their own kingdom ... (and) to impose conditions on people who want to use the premises."
In response, Hougang grassroots adviser Desmond Choo and his counterpart at Aljunied GRC, Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, also issued a joint statement yesterday that they stand by the earlier account of the difficulties faced by the GROs in the two constituencies.
Their statement added: "The Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC GROs remain committed to serve the residents to the best of our abilities. We welcome the Workers' Party stated intention to work with the PA and GROs in Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC to serve the residents. Our GROs look forward to a more positive relationship with the new Aljunied-Hougang Town Council."
The dispute was sparked last week by a Facebook posting by Aljunied GRC MP Chen Show Mao, where he recounted how an invitation to him was withdrawn by organisers of a Hungry Ghost Festival dinner.
It then emerged that, at the request of the PA in May, the HDB has leased 26 sites on HDB land within Aljunied GRC to the PA for them to organise community activities - with WP chairman Sylvia Lim alleging that the move was "politically motivated" and HDB was abusing its power.
In response, the PA and the Ministry of National Development (MND) explained in a joint statement on Tuesday that the PA has had "many difficulties" in getting access to sites in WP-held Hougang and it was concerned that it "might encounter similar difficulties" in Aljunied GRC.
On the same day, Mr Choo - the defeated PAP candidate in the Opposition ward - and several of his grassroots leaders issued a statement lising more than 10 examples of how grassroots activities were allegedly curtailed in Hougang and Aljunied. Mr Choo also revealed that he is in talks with PA to transfer the lease of six plots of land from Hougang town council (HGTC) to PA.
Mr Low yesterday dismissed these allegations and described them as an attempt by PA to sidetrack the issue of its "real role".
In his rebuttal, Mr Low said: "Both MND and PA are bankrupt on their ideas on how to justify the exclusion of the common property in HDB estates from the management of opposition-managed Aljunied-Hougang TC. This is unprecedented and politically motivated."
He added: "Mr Desmond Choo's statement was thus intended to mislead all that HGTC had stopped issuing permits for all sites which RC intended to use for their functions and to use this as the reason to support their application for exclusive use of various common areas in Hougang Estate."
Speaking before his Meet the People session, Mr Low also described the claim that WP restricts the invitation of guests to PA functions as "utter rubbish".
He told reporters that for the past 20 years, defeated PAP candidates and the ruling party's MPs from other constituencies have been present at functions held in Hougang on common property under the management of the town council.
Said Mr Low: "We respect the rights of residents, who they want to invite."
In fact, Mr Low said he was "caught by surprise" by the allegations, as he felt that he had been on good terms with the GROs.
Mr Low said that by transfering the lease of some sites in Aljunied and Hougang to PA, the HDB would inconvenience residents. Such a move means that residents will have to apply to two separate entities.
In a separate statement, WP's Yaw Shin Leong - who succeeded Mr Low as Hougang MP - reiterated that he is prepared to work with Mr Choo if he faces difficulty in getting access to sites in Hougang.
Mr Yaw, who is vice-chairman of the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC), added there have never been any conditions about who residents need to invite to use the town council's managed properties. Till date, AHTC has only received two applications from RCs and duly approved both of them.
Mr Yaw felt this episode "has clearly illustrated how key Government agencies with intense outreach capabilities can be mobilised to advance the political interests of the ruling party, and to undermine the mandate of Opposition MPs given by the electorate". "We trust Singaporeans can assess what is fair for themselves," he added.
Meanwhile, the Singapore People's Party (SPP) - helmed by veteran Opposition figure Chiam See Tong - also waded into the issue. In a statement, the SPP said Mr Chiam, who had been MP for Potong Pasir for 27 years before he lost the recent General Election, had "suffered this kind of abuse" during his tenure. It added: "The SPP stands in solidarity with the WP in this matter."