Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Insights From The Past

It was an unusual find at the Christmas tree, a hardcover book published in 2003. The book provides a great deal of detailed information and analysis about the peculiarities of the elitist and highly controlled system of governance in Singapore. It also has the only documented narration of how Richard Hu, S Dhanabalan and Tony Tan threatened to resign en masse over an act of violence in a cabinet meeting (click on cover for the relevant page content). No wonder the country is in such a mess today.

There are loads of priceless insights from the book. Nearly a decade ago, Ross Worthington already expressed doubt that economic performance is an adequate substitute for trust. The lack of accountability, complicated by the high levels of remuneration and those aspects of their public duties hidden within the GLC and statutory boards, is starting to bear rotten fruit. Ergo, the work of the government owned National Computer Services (NCS) sold to a political party owned Action Information Management Pte Ltd (AIM) for $140,000 and leased back to the public through the Town Councils (TC). With such shadowy money making schemes in play, no wonder the Service and Conservancy Charges keep increasing year after year.

Worthing quotes this on page 232:
"Intellectuals and professionals sense an atmosphere of corruption - not corruption of money, for there is nothing in Singapore corresponding to the activities of families of Presidents of some of the ASEAN countries, but corruption in the disbursement of power and influence."
(John Goldring, "The legal profession and government in Singapore and Malaysia", Australian Quarterly, 60, 4, 1988)

Earlier, in 1973, T J S George ("Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore", Eastern Universities Press, 1984 p.213) noted:
"Even Singapore's famous graftlessness has an unseen face.  Petty bribery is, of course, unknown and no minister of government official grows fat on illegal takings - a unique virtue in Southeast Asia. But this does not preclude the existance of a form of political corruption. Falling in with the government's line of thinking is recognized as a way of getting official favours such as the allotment of choice apartments; a proportion of housing estates' accommodation is set apart as a reward for political support. Government pressure through red tape is brought to bear on industrialists and traders... If, however, the businessmen concerned  are personally close to the top political hierarchy, they are spared the pressures."

Frankly, Dr Teo Ho Pin, Coordinating Chairman of 14 PAP TCs, did no favour for Chandra Das by coming to his defence of the latest variant of BromptonGate. This businessman is so close to the top political hierarchy, no pressure will ever be brought to bear on him. Ever.

23 comments:

  1. The ones in the shadows are the puppeteers.

    3 letters, 4 letters and more...
    Tan, Lee, Kwa, Phua, Teo, Kwek ( Quek )...

    They will be the first ones out.. months before the fall.. observing their movements will save you time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. No wonder the City Harvest case is taking so long, the pastors and pristesses kept insisting what they were doing were copied wholesale from their VVIP(ap) churchgoers on how to do it the "legal way". See, unlike the Koreans, Indons and Malaysians who accomplish the same goal thru "slush funds", here the sophisticated civil servants have developed perfectly "sell and lease backs" (via specially arranged public tender with just 1 bidder, ahem Brompton Cow, where art thou?). Loong live the PAP way! Btw, Teo Ho Pin has again dodged the question of when and if the PAP town councils which lost millions in minibonds would ever reimburse their residents before the next increase. Needless to say, AHTC will not need to worry about refunds.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Take a look at the home addresses of the three AIM directors. Read new nation article and have a preview of their bungalows.. These people should feel immensely gratified for their rewards, just or unjust.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As we know by now, AIM does not in any way value-add to the management of the TC management system. All hardware is still owned by the Town Councils and NCS continues to manage the system.

    One can speculate that AIM is a company set up by proxies of PAP to monetize software programs the were developed under the ambit of public projects using public fund. The shady business dealings between the PAP-run TCs and AIM bears all the trademarks of the PAP government - socializing costs and privatizing profits.

    AIM has been in existence for 20 years and it begs the question how many IT software developed using public fund were previously sold to them at discounted rates and leased back at market rates? To where does the money make by the company goes to if the directors do not receive any fees for their "management service" and the sale of the IT software in their possession?.

    AIM is a can of worms that the PAP would want to keep close for as long as possible. Meanwhile, Singaporeans will just have to bear being shortchanged every single day from public transport, housing, utilities, CPF to S&CC.

    ReplyDelete
  5. They will not investigate AIM or charge anyone with illegal wrongdoing. They can't because someone will start talking. Then the skeletons in the closet will be on public display for all to see. That will be the end of PAP and Singapore.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Governemnt keep on telling companies to be transparent and be accountable. Is it a one way street? No?

    ReplyDelete
  7. On one hand we are told that some IT jobs had been won with oral sex thrown in as the attractive sweetener.

    Then now we are told that one particular govt IT tender attract only one bid, the only bid submitted by a company which happened to be owned by 3 PAP members ?

    And that alone would have attracted the attention of CPIB if it had been anyone else. It just makes one wonder whether the devil is in the details again ?

    ReplyDelete
  8. CPIB are you still around in singapore or u only charge Singaporeans who are scared

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Their master is the PM. Had this scandal (corruption?) involved WP, they would be all over WP by now.

      Delete
  9. Shocking instance of self dealing. I am sure there are many more instances of this which have been swept under the rug for decades. I look forward to the PAP coming clean on all such behaviour

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't hold your breath.

      Delete
    2. the past haunts everyone...12/26/2012 11:22 PM

      Swept under the rug?

      No way!.. its all there, visible to the naked eye. Yes, they are that bold.

      Just that our media does not report it!
      And you & I do not know how to recognise it.

      Mind you, all perfectly legal, registered entities with ACCRA. just look a little deeper behind the names, behind the background, the affiliations, the network, the relatives, the marriages, the histories.

      ... then you get the eureka moment!

      History.. always track the history.. it leaves a delightful trail! ( it even goes back to dead people at Bukit Brown and Bidahari cemeteries.

      Delete
    3. "Just follow the money (trail)."

      “Follow the money,” was the memorable quote from the non-fiction book 'All the President’s Men', about the Watergate scandal involving USA President Nixon.

      The secret informant nicknamed "Deep Throat" advised authors Woodward & Bernstein that the key to understanding the Watergate mystery was the money.

      Delete
  10. It is bloody disappointing man. I don't trust anybody any more! Shit!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Not so bad la.

    If and had there been any corruption in Sin, few had ever feel it.
    How can we know? Talk to another Sinkie and You will get to hear 'we have the lowest corruption in the World'. How did the person know? Dont ask, because he, she was just letting go liked letting go of the gas from the tummy. BUT, that is how much trust and faith the Sinkies have of the Leadership.

    So, those decrying and or believing there are corruptions in the Sin Regime must be imagining things.

    ReplyDelete
  12. From Article 14:

    "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"

    Dr Teo said although five companies collected the tender agreement, the sole bid was submitted by AIM, a company fully owned by the PAP.

    I am going to take all the facts above as true and accept Dr Teo and Mr Chandra Das' statements as true.
    AIM is a company fully owned by the PAP, a registered political party.
    The devil is in the details.


    (Computer firm says town council’s claim "inaccurate" - xinmsn News)
    http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/computer-firm-says-town-council%E2%80%99s-claim-inaccurate

    (Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority Singapore)
    http://www.acra.gov.sg/Compliance/Common+Offences.htm

    (Singapore Statutes Online - 32 - Business Registration Act PART II
    REGISTRATION)
    http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;ident=9a9b1fe8-532b-4979-a573-0fd110e4afcf;page=0;query=DocId%3A58ab8295-57df-42f5-9bdf-
    774553f0d9bd%20%20Status%3Ainforce%20Depth%3A0;rec=0#pr5-he-.

    (Singapore Statutes Online - 32 - Business Registration Act PART III
    MISCELLANEOUS)
    http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;ident=36c7e26b-8f2c-
    403f-a2f3-9e5d7522f1a6;page=0;query=DocId%3A58ab8295-57df-42f5-9bdf-
    774553f0d9bd%20%20Status%3Ainforce%20Depth%3A0;rec=0#pr27-he-.

    (PAP TCs, Aim and NCS: The Real Story with Singtel, Temasek and the Government « The Heart Truths)
    http://thehearttruths.com/2012/12/25/pap-tcs-aim-and-ncs-the-real-story-with-
    singtel-temasek-and-the-government/

    (Framing Issues Without Context- a common tactic used by PAP Jentrified Citizen)
    https://jentrifiedcitizen.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/framing-issues-and-not-
    telling-the-whole-truth-a-popular-tactic-by-miw/

    (Of Opportunists and Sycophants in Academia « Singapore Armchair)
    http://singaporearmchaircritic.wordpress.com/2012/07/11/of-opportunists-and
    -sycophants-in-academia/

    (Article 14 Not profiteering_ But politicking)
    http://article14.blogspot.sg/2012/12/not-profiteering-but-politicking.html

    Joshua Chiang

    ReplyDelete
  13. The KEY QUESTION is;
    ----------------------
    Why did the town councils sell the software to a $2 company in the first place?
    Let's not answer for the PAP town councils. Although we can guess.

    Let's employ due process and let them explain themselves.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Reminds me of KMT in those days squandering their country's wealth under the names of proxies, which until this day is often debated and brought up as an issue in the elections. Many Taiwanese are still very bitter about how greedy KMT was in those days just like what Pussy Action Party is doing now.

    ReplyDelete
  15. what I would like Tony Hu and Dhana is to come out and categorically speak about this slapping incident!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Dhana.
      Come clean.
      Were you slapped like a pig?

      Delete
    2. Why would Dhanabalan clarify the "slapping" incident when he was the one that publicly and openly endorsed Ho Ching appointment for the CEO of TH as the best thing to happen to Temasek?

      Delete
    3. yes shameful fellow if the slapping incident was true then he is a man with no principles

      Delete
    4. Do not mistake principles for balls.

      Delete