Lame reply by HDB and PA on why LUP are announced by PAP losers and not the elected MPs
October 9th, 2009 | 
Author: From our Correspondent
Two deputy directors of HDB and People’s Association (PA) have written a letter to Straits Times Forum in their official capacities to explain why the Life Upgrading Programme (LUP) is announced by the PAP grassroots advisers, or rather the losers in the last general election instead of the legitimate MPs in the two opposition wards of Potong Pasir and Hougang. (read letter here)
The letter was written in reply to an earlier letter by a Mr Muhammad Yusuf questioning why the LUP was announced by the two PAP non-MPs who were rejected by the residents in the 2006 election. (read letter here)
It is both shocking and incredulous that the two government agencies found fit to reply to public queries on behalf of the PAP. Aren’t the HDB and PA supposedly non-partisan and apolitical in nature? Since the announcement was made by the two PAP losers, Mr Eric Low and Mr Sitoh Yi Pin, the onus is on them or the PAP to clarify matters.
In any case, the reply was equally vague and baffling:
“It is the Government’s practice to implement its national programmes for residents through advisers to grassroots organisations who are appointed by the Government to gather feedback from residents.”
Is this the practice of the government or the PAP? A clear demarcation must be drawn here. The PAP is only a political party. The government of Singapore can be formed by any political parties other than the PAP.
Since the PA is involved in the drafting of the official reply, is it in charge of these grassroots organizations? Are the two grassroots advisers acting on behalf of PA or the PAP? Or are they wearing two hats at the same time?
It is stated clearly on its website that:
“The People’s Association (PA) was established as a statutory board on 1 July 1960 to promote racial harmony and social cohesion….To achieve our mission in building and bridging communities to achieve one people, one Singapore, we initiate and offer a wide range of programmes and services to cater to the needs and interests of Singaporeans from all walks of life.”
Shouldn’t a statutory board be kept above the political fray? How can the PA achieve its mission to “achieve one people” when it is affiliated to a particular political party? How is it going to cater to the needs and interests of Singaporeans who do not support the PAP?
The letter also divulged that it is the PAP grassroot adviser who gathers feedback from the residents on LUP:
“In the case of the Lift Upgrading Programme, the adviser gathers input from residents, thereby ensuring that the programme’s plans meet residents’ needs. The adviser may also propose changes based on residents’ feedback, and seek residents’ support when the programme’s package is final-ised.”
Shouldn’t this work be left solely to the MPs? The MPs of both wards should be the de facto grassroots advisers as they were given the mandate by the residents to serve them in the constituencies and represent their interests in parliament. Both losers have no right to be meddling in the affairs of Hougang and Potong Pasir.
It added that “Therefore, it is appropriate for the adviser to announce the programme precincts and lead the programme’s working committees in all constituencies.”
This entire fracas is handled inappropriately by the PAP, HDB and PA from the very beginning!
It is inappropriate for the PAP losers to undermine the authority of the legitimate MPs by replicating their work at the grassroots level.
It is inappropriate of HDB and PA, being government and not PAP agencies, to work with the losers and not the MPs.
It is inappropriate, rude, callous and disgraceful of the PAP losers to ignore proper protocol to announce the LUP without informing or inviting the MPs to be represent.
Are we having a situation where the PAP grassroots adviser have more power and influence than elected MPs? This is making a mockery out of our electoral system!
Singaporeans get to vote for the MPs to serve them every 5 years. During the 2006 elections, the residents of Hougang and Potong Pasir have made their choice clear that they want Mr Low Thia Kiang and Mr Chiam See Tong to represent them! Are the PAP, HDB and PA respecting the wishes of the voters by sabotaging the work of their elected MPs?
This is not a trivial affair affecting only Hougang and Potong Pasir. Should the opposition win more seats in the future, will their MPs be relegated to the sidelines as mere spectators by the PAP, HDB and PA as well?
The PAP’s usual practice of working through their grassroots advisers must be dismantled immediately! The elected MP of the ward should be the grassroots adviser and take charge of all municipal affairs concerning the estate including upgrading and LUP.
All government agencies should deal directly with the elected MP regardless of their political affiliations and not outsiders who have no right or business to be intefering with the management of the ward in any way.
Posted in Editorial
Coz it’s true to character of...
PAP will not want to respond because it will make them look bad mah. They come out with the strange procedure that they have in place which is that the announcement is made by the grassroot adviser who is appointed by PA.
See, so simple one stroke and they are in the clear and simply following the standard procedure. They setup all these agencies trying to smoke us that these agencies are non-political in nature but they are the furthest from that.
Its the usual “confuse if cannot convince” approach. Sadly, people are starting to wise up but I guess this MBT and the two losers hasn’t.
a bunch of ‘elite’ crown.
It seems like even if you are any MP for any GRC it does not means anythings unless you belong to certain group of people. It is so disappointing especially you know that what we know are only the tip of the iceberg. HDB have shown us that who they are serving all this while. One thing for sure is they are not serving the commoners like us. The objective of HDB is not longer what we previously know.
It is abundantly clear that the HDB, PA and others cannot distinguish between PAP and government agencies. To them, they are one and the same. After decades of brainwashing, what do you expect? The only solution is to kick out the damned pappies.
Uniquely Singapore!
Only happen in Singapore!
hi there
1. honest, who to make the announcement is immaterial.
2. most important is that citizens in the two wards are enjoying the same benefits and stuffs.
3. sinkies in hougang and potong pasir are no less sinkies than you and me. we are sinkies.
4. the other thing is that messrs chiam and low are doing good stuffs.
5. such crap shall not harm them in any way.
6. ah cow, he may crap this or that, it is still the people’s monies and decision.
we don’t need a good dose of bad government to wake up…we are already facing several doses of bad govt and still not waking up!
haiz…singaporeans (me included).
Dear TR, I hope you are not too shocked to read this kind of response from HDB and PA. Just as the pappies have no respect for opposition parties, they probably can’t or won’t demarcate the boundaries between gov agencies and political parties. In life, they are also unlikely to tell the difference between black and white. All they care about are wealth, power and fame!
Just kick them out. Enough said!
Hougang and Potong Pasir residents, including MP of these constituencies, are hero regardless what these PAP loser going to claim !!!
Aiya, HDB, PA, NTUC, SPH, MediaCorp whatever all belongs to pap. When it’s appropriate they will join together to ‘fix’ the opposition. And when it suits them, they will say they got nothing whatsoever to do with the government. Anything they can also make up.
Because NO GUTS… “GUMPTION” per LKY’s LINGO of IONS gone by and he said OF OTHERS!!!…
SO NOW THEY DON”T HAVE THAT “GUNPTION” HE REPEATEDLy SAID ABOUT at a time when many of you were either little childrens… Or WORSE… NOt EVEN born yet!!!…
Perhaps… and ONLy PERHAPS… he maybe be wishfully thinking of and HOW to live for another 50 years…
So THAT… he can go gone “To Lick AND Leak you all young ones”… because WE… THE OLD GEEKS… are no more around to HIGHLIGHT these REVERSALS OF his and OF THIERS!!!
What is the point? Whatever they reply will always be right. If not, they will change their processes and policies to make it right. Mah Bow Tan you know, those people in PA will shiver and piss in their pants with fear when they see him.
“I make no apologies that the PAP is the Government and the Government is the PAP.” – Lee Kuan Yew, Petir, 1982
This was what our dear MM said when he was much younger, so my guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise. What is concerning though is how much control he has placed in place for his party to remain in control after he is gone.
We are in trouble our highly paid civil servants cannot tell the difference between the responsibility of a public servant and their political affiliation. Maybe we need to replace them with Foreign Talents?
grassroots leaders are getting arrogant and out of hand. either remove them or remove their masters, see if they still yaya PAPaya
Is the government trying to tell us that if we vote for the opposition, we don’t have to pay tax, do NS and contribute to CPF?
U people like to pay the PAP member on High Salary fo 50year, just one small question all went hiding. If Singapore being attack,from this scenario they will be the first one to run, leaving the allegiance citizen to foot the bill.In early days with Malaysia
during the riot LKY himself hiding in no where.Till the riot is over he pretend to came along with excuses. A Great Pretend.
Amitabah
Hi All,
Is it true that PM Lee Hsien Loong is the Chairman of PA?
If so, then PA is not really a non-political organisation.
Hi All,
I just visited the PA website. Take a look at the latest annual report:
http://www.pa.gov.sg/media-files/about-us/annual-report/ARReview(1-95).pdf
The Board of Management is actually like a mini-PAP working committee. So confirmed it is a politically-motivated organisation!
To achieve any progress, the first step we need to achieve is to remove the GRC system. Don’t say I am foolish! With GRC in place, opposition can never achieve any good successes. We need to find a way and actually do it. Use the power of the people.
Folks,
The only real power you hold, is the piece of ballot paper.
Cast the shit out of their shameless replies.
To : Eric Low & Seetoh .. please lah, have some sense of shame. Both of you will lose more votes in next GE, get MBT or better still SM Goh to contest in either Potong Pasir or Hougang. Don’t trouble them to pull votes for both of you.
Go join in any GRCs with heavy Minister …learnt from MBT example.
Just treat GRC as road humps in election. NO need to think, simply blindly vote for any opposition party.
Our tactic is simple – just run the GRC artificial roadblocks over to your intended destination and leave them behind as irrelevant of outcome.
When they see all the GRCs is just swept away by the on rushing traffic like debris, they will wake up that it is a useless obstacle to the path of true meritocracy and democracy.
Just three questions!
Why did the P.A not appoint the two opposition MPs as grassroot advisers when all the MPs in the PAP wards act as grassroot advisers? Why the double standards?
Why spend extra money on extra manpower when the opposition MPs simply can act as grassroot advisers without extra costs incurred?
Should it not be more appropriate for the MPs to decide who should be grassroot advisers?
Those who post here is the noisy minority. The silence majority think that you are shooting your mouth off for nothing. It is only a small matter. Will the announcement make PAP any better.
AND STILL SOME Citizen People OF SINKINGaPOORe STILL WANT TO TRUST HIM AND THEM?????????????????????????????????????????? WHY???????…
As…. DON’T YOU guys who do that… HAVE ANY Self-DIGnity??????… AND…
DO YOU Silly guys KNOW WHAT’S… “A PARADIGM” SHIFT… Or… CHANGE???…
BE NOT AFRAID… As you’ve BEEN A COWARD… By Allowing YOURSELVES… TO BE… BULLIED BY COWARDS!!!… DIDN”T YOU JKNOW THAT???!!!…
SO… GO FOR CHANGE… AND BE BRAVE LIKE BARACK OBAMA… WHO IS FIGHTING OSAMA… AS AN OBAMA!!!
Stat boards should be partisan and work with PAP as well as opposition wards. Don’t take voters as fools. Perhaps the oppositions should ask this question in the parliament next time.
Vote for PAP in my ward = PAP lose money with my SC&C in Lehman minibond investments. They tell me to be thankful instead of opening up their accounts for me to see. I get sued if I refuse to pay SC&C and get hammered in the MSM if I decided to blow up the matter…
Vote for opposition in my ward = Opposition will be prudent with my SC&C, investing in bonds. I get opposition grassroots and PAP grassroots in my ward. PAP MP wannabe will “try very hard to lobby the authorities to upgrade the lifts”.
I got 1 opposition to check on the government, and then another “relentless and unyielding” MP wannabe to fight for upgrading of the facilities of my ward.
It’s no-brainer on who would I vote for.
To: silenceisgolden on Fri, 9th Oct 2009 9:58
The question people are screaming here is not about the upgrading annoncement but the underlying mistake committed by Statutory Boards and bypassing of authority in favour of PAP. It is very serious and deep-rooted implications not beneficial to Singapore. Since the trust between PAP and Singapores is broken, we also saw the cracked forming up in Statutory Boards now. I believe this is very serious matter warrant international attention and we want them to witness the coming election for fair play. Our president Nathan should not be sleeping, he must be aware and lets send a strong reminider to him that his duty is to the people and not the PAP.
Highly paid imbeciles.
I heard that civil servants are getting their spouses to vote for the opposition. If half of all household that voted for the PAPies previously voted for the opposition, the PAPies could be out of a job.
The MPs of the opposition ward might as well treat the grassroot advisors as contractors to do the LUP since they are “contracted” by the HDB to carry out the LUP right.
But to ask the Town Council to co-pay would be ridiculous, since the LUP should be carried out years ago.
If Town Council is to co-pay then rightfully they should announce the LUP rather than by some “kelong” advisors!
And what sort of government practice is it to get the advisors and grassroot to implement the LUP when they are not paying!!!
Aren’t MP is in charge of the ward and advisors/grassroot should come under its umbrella. This is seriously over riding the authority. They should be charged if they are in army!
The elected MP is NOT necessarily the appointed Grassroots Advisor. There is therefore nothing wrong in the replies from both PA and HDB since neither Low Thia Kaing nor Chiam See Tong may be the Advisors, per se.
Smart right?