TR EMERITUS

Mr Mah Bow Tan
National Development Minister
Republic of Singapore

Dear Mr Mah,

RE: DISCREPANCY BETWEEN TOWN COUNCIL ACT AND STATEMENT BY MR LIM YUIN CHIEN, PRESS SECRETARY TO MR MAH BOW TAN

I hope this email finds you well. I am an editor from Temasek Review, an internet newspaper with focus on socio-political issues in Singapore.

In a letter published in the Straits Times Forum on 27 October 2009, your Press Secretary Mr Lim Yuin Chien wrote:

This was what he wrote:

“In Singapore, MPs also have an important role in running town councils. As provided for in the Town Councils Act, this role includes managing the common property of HDB estates and carrying out local improvement projects, thereby contributing to the well-being of the people of the constituency.

As for the government-appointed adviser, his main role is to assist in implementing national programmes, such as government campaigns, and HDB’s upgrading programmes, including the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP).”

Mr Lim’s reply appears to give one the impression that the PAP’s “grassroots adviser” is obliged to implement the LUP under the law and not the MP. However, there is NO ROLE stipulated for grassroots advisers under the Town Council Act (CAP 329A) at all.

Attached below are selected segments of the Town Councils Act (CAP 329A)

Declaration of precincts
24B. —(1)  The Minister may, after consulting the Board and the Town Council concerned, from time to time by order published in the Gazette, declare any housing estate of the Board or any part thereof within that Town Council’s Town to be a precinct for the purposes of the Town Council carrying out any lift upgrading works in buildings within the precinct.

Lift upgrading works in a precinct
24C. —(1)  Where any housing estate of the Board or any part thereof within a Town has been declared a precinct under section 24B, the Town Council for that Town shall, as soon as practicable —

(a) make arrangements to conduct in the manner prescribed a poll of such owners of the flats within the precinct as may be prescribed with a view to establishing their opinions about the Town Council’s proposals to carry out lift upgrading works  in buildings within the precinct; and (b) do such other things as the Minister may direct.

It is stipulated under the Town Councils Act that the minister will have to liaise with the Town Council to implement the LUP. Since the Chairman of Hougang Town Council is its MP Mr Low Thia Kiang, it follows naturally that your ministry should liaise with him directly instead of the government-appointed grassroots adviser Mr Eric Low.

As a concerned citizen of Singapore, I would like to seek your kind clarifications on the following:

1. Did you instruct Mr Lim to draft the letter on your behalf? Were you misrepresented or misquoted in any way?

2. From my limited understanding of the Town Councils Act, am I correct to say that LUP is supposed to be implemented by the Town Council in charged of the precinct designated by your ministry for upgrading from beginning to end?

3. Is Mr Eric Low an office-bearer of Hougang Town Council?

4. If he is not an office-bearer of Hougang Town Council, is there anywhere in the Town Councils Act which give him the authority or power to implement the LUP?

5. Are there any discrepancies between the Town Council Acts and the implementation of LUP in Hougang and Potong Pasir?

6. For future LUP, will it be implemented through the MP in charge of the Town Council or the grassroots adviser?

I have taken the liberty to copy this email to the above recipients.

Thank you very much for your time and attention and I hope to hear a favorable reply from you soon. 

This will help to dispel the doubts and cyncism pervasive in the public about this saga.

Editor
Temasek Review

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