PM Lee directs MND to fully review AIM transaction
"Two months is about right. Everyone will forget about the issue then. Hahaha haaaa..."
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has asked the Ministry of National Development (MND) to fully review the transaction of PAP Town Council's management software to Action Information Management (AIM) in 2010.
In a media statement, Mr Lee said he is calling for the review in the interest of transparency and maintaining trust in the system, for MND to "satisfy itself that public funds were safeguarded and residents' interests were not compromised".
He said MND will take a broad-based approach, including re-examining the fundamental nature of town councils, with a view to ensuring high overall standards of their corporate governance.
Mr Lee said last week, Mayor Teo Ho Pin had explained the circumstances of the sale of PAP Town Council management software in an open tender to AIM.
He noted that the transaction was not raised as an issue by any of the external auditors who audited the FY2010 accounts of these town councils.
He said MND has begun the review, which is expected to take a month or two.
The Ministry of National Development said its Town Council Review Team is led by its Deputy Secretary Tay Kim Poh.
The team will report to the Ministry's Permanent Secretary.
Planning had begun last week and field activities should start soon, and the team looks forward to the cooperation of all town councils.
Town Councils are autonomous bodies managed by elected Members of Parliament and governed by the Town Councils Act which the Ministry of National Development administers.
Really, if there is nothing wrong, why the review? Not to mention that all the issues brought up pertaining to AIM are currently unanswered. Add that to the point the results of the review is going to take two months, it looks like PM wants to sweep everything under the carpet - before calling a by election at Punggol East. That's if one is held in the first place.
5 comments:
This belated "review" is farcical: it is like asking the DPS of MND to examine LHL's posterior orifice and thereafter certify it as pristine and fragrant.
Unlike his old man, LHL is indecisive and cowardly: his modus operandi is quite simply, to ignore, to deny and then to obfuscate. Notice how the "review" appears to put distance between himself and the whole sordid affair. And the hapless DPS is mandated to whitewash the crap or risk being condemned as less than competent.
Note that the operative word is "review", not inquiry.But for the seriousness of the matter the idea that the MND be tasked to do the review is laughable.They were charged by law to supervise the Town Councils. Any lapses on their part would be their responsibility.Can we expect a thorough and impartial review?.Lastly, it appears to be a low level review when a high powered public inquiry should be conducted.The whole exercise appears to be one of gamage control.
Asking a subordinate to do a review is akin to saying that this is an internal problem. However AIMgate is more than just an internal problem.
Just like the MRT train breakdown, SMRT did an internal review but there was also a COI because of public interest.
Only an idiot will beleive that an non-independent committee which has a vested interest can conduct a independent review which is suppose to be transparent. Sorry I stand corrected, elites in white also do that all the time
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