wertblog
This domain serves primarily as a platform for the rant on everything and anything that interests wert.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Chiam and Sitoh
Just this week, there is a public spat in Potong Pasir over some broken lights. I will start off by recalling the facts of this case.- Six of the eight solar-powered lights (costing a princely $20,00) installed by Mr Sitoh had been vandalised. Those lights are along a concrete footpath leading to the MRT station - thus highly utilised by residents.
- Mr Sitoh refused to repair the lights. He had leased the land from the Singapore Land Authority early last year to set up the lights. Lease for the land runs out on Oct 31 this year.
- It is illegal for Mr Chaim to use town council funds for the repairs, because the land in question was not under the council's jurisdiction.
- No lights leading from MRT to esate, residents suffer.
I find it's strange that such a small and simple matter of repairing lights can escalate to such a degree. It is a simple and straight forward job of calling a contractor and getting it fixed. But why? Well, politics. This is a classic case whereby politics is played at the expense of the public welfare. (think upgrading)
For Mr Sitoh, his enthusiasm for serving the residents of Potong Pasir had markly ebbed after the election. Almost immediately after the election, Mr Sitoh, along with Mr Eirc Low cancelled most services they had provided in the two opposition-held wards. It's simple, no votes, no help. The lease for the land only ends in October, thus strictly speaking they are under the responsiblity of Mr Sitoh. If he isn't even responsible enough to fix the lights which is bulit by him on the property leased to him, I don't have the confidence that if elected, he would be responsible for other public areas.
One can only wonder if he is more enthusiastic in winning the election or serving the people of Potong Pasir. On the same measure, he could as easily cancelled the services even if he had won the election.
I don't know Mr Sitoh personally, so I think it's harsh to pass such judgement on him. Maybe he is just following his party strategy to do the minimal. Furthermore, the past defeated PAP candidates in non PAP held wards like Mr Andy Gan and Mr Heng Chee How were "transfered" to a GRC in the next election, so it's hard to blame Mr Sitoh for being less "enthusiastic" in Potong Pasir and planning for his "new hunting ground".
As for Mr Chaim, I think he is slow in addressing the concerns of residents. But at least he had belately addressed their problem.
Aug 11, 2006I do not know Mr Chaim personally too, so I can't be sure if he isn't trying to pass the buck. What I know is that at least Mr Chaim care enough about the residents to do something. My hope is for both of them and other MPs to remember: they are to serve the residents. Please do not pass the residents' welfare to each other as a political smashball.
Spotlight put up and link way planned
I REFER to the article, 'Mah: Chiam should focus on residents' (ST, Aug 9).
Mr Mah Bow Tan, as a minister of over 15 years, should know that I, as the MP for Potong Pasir for 22 years, have been serving the residents there faithfully.
As regards the dispute concerning the solar lamps, I would like to inform the minister that my town council immediately installed alternative lighting once it learnt that six of the solar lamps were spoilt. The footpath between the MRT station and Block 147 is now brightly lit with a powerful spotlight.
Mr Mah may also like to know that whereas the PAP members are only planning to carry out improvement works, we in Potong Pasir have already awarded contracts for repair-and-redecoration works for 31 blocks and work will commence soon.
A covered linkway will be built at the said footpath once permission is granted. Other projects are being planned.
The solar lamps were installed by Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and the Citizens' Consultative Committee along the footpath without the town council's knowledge. Now, Mr Mah and Mr Lim Boon Heng are of the opinion that I, as the elected Member of Parliament, should bear responsibility for the mistake made by Mr Sitoh and the CCC. If the PAP indeed holds this view, it does not augur well for the future of PAP politics.
Chiam See Tong
MP-elect for Potong Pasir
One had to jump through hoops to serve the people, the other jumped ship.
Technorati: singapore, potong pasir, chaim see tong, sitoh yih pin, singapore politics
posted by wert | Friday, August 11, 2006
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17 Comments:
Where did you get the reply from Mr Chiam ? I don't remember seeing it in the Straits Times or the Today papers.
It's on the ST forums. It's still available here.
One Question:
WHAT ELSE DID SITOH & HIS "TAXPAYERS' FUNDED CCC" BUILD IN POTONG PASIR ???
PLEASE COME CLEAN ALL AT ONCE !!!!
If Sitoh and his CCC wants Chiam and his Town Council to take over the lights, please handover the resources, funds and documentation to the Town Council.Hand over all related documents and the CCC to the Town Council.
Town Council is the rightful authorities.
Be professional about handover process.
To Chiam and Town Council:
Do not take over the responsibility of the lights until all proper documents and funds are handed over by Sitoh and the CCC.
This is how the Private Sector works.
To Sitoh,
do not build anymore infrastructure if you do not want to take responsibilty for it.
To Potong Pasir CCC,
please do not politicise grassroots, if the others CCCs in Singapore can appoint their respective MPs as Advisors, why can't you follow the same? Same goes for Hougang CCC.
Keep politics out of grassroots.
People's Association(PA) already say CCC not suppose to be political.
If Sitoh cannot even conduct a simple thing like proper handover, how to be MP?
Old Chinese Saying:"There cannot be two tigers in the same mountain"
We must have at least some proper rules and laws to govern the Grassroots situation. This incident have badly expose the systems in Grassroots are not going well and certainly not apolitical.
If all the CCCs (Citizen Consultatve Committee) in Singapore have power and rights to construct infrastructure in a constituency without approval or cooperation from relevant Town Councils and access to such funds meant for the constituency, then it creates alot of tensions and confusion among the community who is the rightful authority and who makes final decisions.
If CCCs in PAP wards can cooperate and take instructions from PAP Town Councils, why can't the CCCs in Hougang and Potong Pasir do the same for administrative and financial efficiency?
I think laws should be in place to ensure CCCs and CIPC funds be govern by the respective town councils. Ensure Advisor to the CCC is the same MP of the constituency. This applies to any political party in charge of the area.
This is to prevent a repeat of this situation in future. We must allow the official authority who is the MP of the area to do his job properly because he was elected under the Constitution of Singapore.
I mean if our PM Lee Hsien Loong can complain that he cannot do a proper job if there are 10-20 Opposition in Parliament because of distraction and competition, then the same applies to MPs Chiam see Tong and Low Thia Khiang.
How do you expect both MPs to do their jobs properly if grassroots funds are withheld from them and grassroots organisations keep on opposing their Town Councils just base on the reason of that the heads are from different political parties?
This also prevents duplication and confusion of authority. Sitoh with CCC/RC backing behaves equally as Chiam See Tong even though Sitoh is only an non-official advisor. Everything he does is non-official.
We cannot allow such situation whereby both have equal authority, everybody must know their own place in a hierarchy.The Town Councils are the rightful and official authorities and must have the final say in everything and not non-official organisations like CCCs and Sitoh.
Imagine if we have an official PM and non-official PM. Singapore will be confused.
Furthermore, we cannot allow non-official candidates to go around building expensive/cheap infrastructure in the area but when he lose the election, simply give up responsibility of the infrastructure he built. It sets a bad precedent.
Can you imagine if WP go around building infrastructure in PAP wards in non-election time out of goodwill but abandons maintenance of it after losing election? There will be a mess of infrastructure hardware and waste of money all over Singapore because of no proper coordination.
What Sitoh did is like abandoning an unwed mother after making her pregnant. Yes, Sitoh may be leaving Potong Pasir for a GRC in next election but at least do a proper handover to the official and rightful authority of the constituency before he goes . That is at least his responsibility. Everyone who has a job and leaves knows this rule.
If Mah Bow Tan says all under the Potong Pasir is Chiam's responsibility, please legislate grassroots organisations to be politically free and responsible only to the elected MP and Town Council for at least the 5 years. Grassroots should always remain constant despite any changes at MP level.
Either CCCs close down or Sitoh and Eric Low handover control of grassroots organisations and the grassroots funds to the official MP to concentrate all the funds and resources under one official and rightful authority. CCC/ RC funds come from taxpayer's money and not PAP coffers. There is no reason why CCCs should consistently pick PAP candidates as Advisors despite not being an MP of the area.
Grassroots should serve the community of the area and not any political party.
Only when the grassroots situation improves, then we can see peace and avoid a repeat of this situation. Residents of the area will benefit. Play politics only during elections and not before and after elections
We should maybe change the grassroot systems to prevent future duplication and confusion of work in the same area. Put the CCCs under charge of respective Area Town Councils for an enlarged development fund (Combine CIPC funds with Town Council funds), better coordination and to streamline the process.Town Councils should have the final say in the constituency since it was elected by the people in that area. This should apply to PAP and Opposition held wards.
Suggested methods to prevent future confusion of roles could be:
1) Close down CCCs since we already have RCs to foster community spirit among grassroots and CDCs to help with community projects.CCCs which according to People's Association(PA) are not political organisations has been far from apolitical with its conduct in Potong Pasir and Hougang.
It was responsible for helping Sitoh build lights and cook abalone porridges. CCCs so far has been use as an organ by PAP to appoint potential candidates (Sitoh/Eric Low) in Oppositon held constitiencies to use its resources to challenge the authority of the Town Councils. CCCs have access to government funds like CIPC that was set aside for development of individual towns
2)Closing down CCCs prevents duplication of efforts in the same area , prevents disruption and confusion who should do what.
3)If PAP wants grassroots activities to challenge Opposition incumbent, PAP should use its own funds to mount a challenge and set up PAP grassroots organisations rather than hide behind CCCs to access government funds from MCYS to do their party's own work.Government funds should not be use to further any individual party's objectives.
4) Put CCCs under Town Councils as explained earlier on. Town Councils should have final say on all matters in the consituency as the they are the rightful authorities since they were elected. This should apply to both PAP and other parties. CCCs should hand over CIPC funds to the Town Councils since it came from MCYS.
5) Ensure members in government funded grassroot organisations keep their politics at home and still function as normal should any change of political party in the constituency. RCs/CCCs should not be seen helping any other party but only should help the Town Councils who are the rightful authorities in the respective areas.Applies to both PAP and other parties.
6) Ensure members in government funded grassroot organisations actually lives in the constituency when beginning their terms so that they have vested interest in what they do in the area. Sitoh's right hand man did not live in Potong Pasir but was Chairman of Potong Pasir CCC and quit after Sitoh lost again. He was nicknamed the Soup Man for organising the preparation of soups.
These suggestions should change the grassroot landscape to be more responsible, apolitical and matured in the long run. It also will prevent confusion and maintains harmony in the constituency after elections are over for at least 5 years.
It will also prevent residents from being use as political gambling chips during non-election time.
To the people living in Potong Pasir,
Potong Pasir cannot have two husbands to govern it. There can only be one! Make up your minds and choose the right husband that you want!
If you have voted for Chiam, you cannot commit smeaking adultery with Sitoh. In the olden days, people who commit adultery were stoned to death!
Stop being shameless and be more faithless, and stick to one husband!
The other districts are all gossiping about your two-sided adulterous minds.
Whybegay,
It is the grassroot's systems fault. The people of Potong Pasir and Hougang are innocent.
PAP invented CCCs for a reason. But since PA (People's Association) already say CCCs are not suppose to be political,
it is time CCCs in Potong Pasir and Hougang follow the example of the other CCCs in Singapore and pick the MP of the Town Council to be Advisor instead of non-officials like Sitoh and Eric Low.
These two maybe are from PAP but are nothing compare to Chiam See Tong and Low Thia Khiang who are elected into Parliament under the constitution of Singapore. These two are the proper authorities.
Why don't WP go around PAP wards and build infrastructure too and abandon them if not elected ?
The result will be total chaos. It is time PAP stop playing politics with grassroots and hand them over to the respective Town Councils for proper governance and procedures.
If PAP Town Councils can do that, why not those in Opposition Wards?
If Potong Pasir cannot discipline its residents to take proper care of its facilities from being vandalised, it has to bear with the consequences.
Yeah, and out of all the facilities in Potong Pasir, the vandalised facilities has to be built by Sitoh. And specifically just a *few months* before the area of the vandalised lamps expires.
Sitoh is not responsible for the residents' lack of discipline.
Vandalism on enemy's facilities is a blindingly obvious act of war, specifically to target the weakness of the bilateral infrastructure, and it is a criminal offence no less. Such outdated tactics, must be the work of some middle age uncle.
"Keep politics out of grassroots"
Tell that to the vandalists/people living in Potong Pasir.
If you build a castle on water, why keep the bridge lowered to invite in the outside forces? Unless there are defectors living in the castle.
What should the residents do to deal with the conflicts in the castle?
MCQ
1) Fix the lever of the bridge so that the castle stays permanently closed or open
2) Gather more helpers for the king of the castle to push out the outside forces
3) Create an uprising and overthrow the king so that outside forces can enter and rule
I'm staying out of this medieval game, even though Potong Pasir is part of my country, I don't live there. The people deserves the ruler they have. Go play with yourselves if you like it so much yawnzzz...
I forgot to add, if the number of Opposition wards are forever greatly outnumbered by PAP wards, the people living in Opposition wards would have to forever live with what they are given. They cannot have their dream cake with the icing.
Sorry but majority wards rules.
"Keep politics out of grassroots"
You might as well say, keep politics from the people. Then where is the people's democracy, but tyranny perhaps?
bye yawnzzz...
I think Mr Chaim should be the one responsible for doing good the damage as he is the elected MP.
However, it is terribly iresponsible for Mr Sitoh to bulid such a expensive project and then abandon it. Moremore, he certainly could not be less helpful in this issue. He is the current leasee of the land, but he made no effort to cooperatively solve the problem.
If he had no intention or not capble of maintaining such a grand project, I think he should not had started it, instead of acting in such bad faith now.
Yes, he is not the MP so he isn't the one responsible but this clearly reflects how smallminded he is and his lack of concern for the residents' welfare.
Vandalism in Singapore is a very serious criminal offence.
I don't believe anyone would vandalise something without a good purpose.
Of course the vandals knows the self-sustaining free energy solar-powered lights belongs to Sitoh.
To purposely damage the "outpost" of Sitoh is an outright demonstration of war.
Unless the vandals have been caught, what is to stop the vandals from targeting Sitoh-made properties in the future?
Does anyone thinks Sitoh would be so foolish as to waste MORE taxpayers' money to build something which could be vandalised AGAIN?
There is no negotiations for vandals but to give them a tight spank!
What is the use of wasting one's own energies and precious tax-payers' money on the Ungratefuls?
Damaging the solar-powered lamps is the same as damaging the property of every Singaporean.
I specifically FORBID Mr Sitoh to fix the lights or provide any help using our precious tax-payers' money. The people of Potong Pasir will have to start their own fundraiser and rebuild the precious lights THEMSELVES, or get the vandals to pay. And give them a lesson on Responsibility and Consequence.
I am going back to sleep, don't wake me up again yawnzzz
WhyBeGay,
You seem out of point with the root of the problem.
There is no evidence the lamps were vandalised for political or vindictive purpose. It could simply be another case of vandalism, but just so happen to be Sitoh's project.
The root of the problem is the grassroots like CCC/RC helping Sitoh and in this case, helped him with resources and funds to build those lamps.
If those CCCs/RCs followed other CCCs/RCs in Singapore by picking the MP of the area as Advisor, there will not be a finger guessing game. It will be a clear cut case of Town Council responsibility.
Sitoh is just a PAP member with no authority whatsoever.In future, just let Chiam and his Town Council do everything as they are the rightful authority.
But Sitoh must hand over the grassroot resources and grassroot funds to Chiam. These funds came from MCYS which is taxpayer's money. PAP cannot use taxpayer's money to play their own political game with Chiam and his Town Council during non-election years.
Lets just follow the system that is practised in other PAP wards that grassroots take instructions from Town Councils and the problem will be solved and there will no be a a repeat of this problem.
My area also get vandalised frequently but we know who to look for as grassroots and Town Council are run by the same MP.
The root problem is still the grassroots.
For the conclusion
Now we have all seen the true cunningness as a cat power of Mr Sitoh hahaha
Mr Sitoh, I admire your cunningness power. And you are very pinch-face cute, looking at your picture makes my worries go away. Why the people never vote for him? I don't understand. The right man is right in front of them, but people are too blind to appreciate. Well, pay the price!
Too bad there will always be innocent casualities of war in frontline crossfires. But its the price to pay for future peace and well-being.
Oh apologies to everyone, just ignore all that I have said, the gravity of the full moon is influencing my sanity and logic. Its even making me a little attracted to Mr Sitoh.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_moon
"Full Moons are traditionally associated with temporal insomnia, insanity (hence the terms lunacy and lunatic) and various magical phenomena such as lycanthropy. On a full moon the moon is in opposition to the sun, thus indicating that one's inner world of feelings and outer persona and expression may be in conflict with each other."
Oh I hope the full moon doesn't make me gay.
wert: the do-and-then-abandon mentality is prevalant among many civil servants, not withstanding the political reasons behind this particular act. only when you work in the civil service, will you see more of such acts with your very own eyes.
You should visit Clementi,Marine Parade and Ang Mo Kio that has flats as old as Potong Pasir, they are no better off or even worse.
Please do take in account also PAP uses state resources to do their own dirty work. If HDB was left alone to do what they should do with no politics involved, Singapore would have been better off.
Potong Pasir and Hougang from no upgrade to upgrade last is a political decision and not a HDB decision. It could have happen to anywhere in Singapore. Remember HDB built some of the finest flats in Potong Pasir with sloping roofs and much bigger 5 room flats than elsewhere.
Potong Pasir and Hougang are already doing very well given the resources they have. If HDB was more independent,I am sure HDB with a duty to improve Singapore landscape and housing would have also improve Potong Pasir and Hougang.
Singapore is already very small, these kind of politics played by PAP whereby "If you do not vote for me, I will use all my resources to starve you to death" tactic is both cruel and divisive. How long more does PAP wants to starve residents in Potong Pasir and Hougang?
Parliament must decide and state clearly what can de done at national level, what can de done at constituency level and what can de done at grassroots level. Now it is all a mess that even someone un-official like Sitoh and Eric Low can also have rights to construct infrastructure whereever they please with CCCs funds.
What has Parliament been doing for 40 years when these basic ground rules have not even been set up yet?
With people as the only resource in Singapore, it would be better if we avoid politics at some areas of decision making even though western democracies practise it.
If we want to use western democracies as reasons, please also modify the sedition laws(dated from colonial times to protect the British), internal security act (dated from colonial times to protect the British), modify defamation laws (dated from colonial times to protect the British), allow pornography etc
Please read the entire message and earlier messages before asking stupid questions like "Sitoh is not the MP, what is there to hand over? What is the incumbent MP for?"
The guy/girl who ask Sitoh to handover is not about the Town Council but the CCC/RC (grassroots) which Sitoh from PAP controls. The grassroots help Sitoh to construct those lamps and challenges the Chiam's Town Council in many other ways and they hold development funds (CIPC funds) given by taxpayer's money, not PAP's coffers.
Is PAP politicising grassroots and taxpayer's money to do work for themselves?
If CCCs/RCs from PAP areas can be run by the MP and take instructions from the Town Council, why Hougang CCC and Potong Pasir CCC cannot do the same? Why choose a non-official status guy like Sitoh to run the grassroots.
Peoples' Association already say grassroots not suppose to be political.
Chiam is elected under the Constitution of Singapore and that represents him as the rightful authority of Potong Pasir. Where are the First World Laws to govern the grassroots? Can we have an official and non-official PM as well?
How can Sitoh go around building infrastructure in Potong Pasir when he has no official status? It will be a mess. You want WP go around building infrastructure in PAP areas?
The problem will be solved and prevented from being repeated if Sitoh hands over the grassroots resources and grassroots funds to Chiam or the CCCs themselves kick Sitoh out as Advisor and choose Chiam as Advisor.
Even if Sitoh wants Chiam to just do the lights, Sitoh must at least do a proper handover by handing over documents and funds connected to the lights. Everyone who works knows rules of proper handover or do not accept the handover if the handover is not clear.
Go here:http://wert-sg.blogspot.com/ for further analysis.
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