I have got to say that WP’s Sylvia Lim was pretty feisty in her response to PAP’s Teo Ho Pin on the issue of the computer system termination that occurred in Aljunied-Hougang Town Council.
I missed out on quite a bit of the wrangle coz I was too busy eating this Christmas, so I had to look back at past news stories to get a handle on the issue. So the firm in question, AIM, did reply on why it terminated the deal. It was, it said, merely following a contract clause on “material changes’’ in composition of town council.
But Ms Lim is right in saying that the PAP has yet to answer some fundamental questions about the issue. Mr Teo had chosen instead to focus on how the town council had actually been preparing to replace its systems ahead of the termination in their latest exchange of words. And to use a favourite phrase of the PAP, they told WP to “come clean’’. (You know, this phrase is rather over-used…)
This is pretty distracting. The more important question is over AIM’s role and how it came to be in that role. Here’s where I think the online commentators have one over the MSM, asking detailed questions on whether there was any impropriety in the way the system was handed over to a PAP company. It looks clear to everyone that the clause “material changes’’ in composition is codeword for “political changes’’ – unless AIM and Mr Teo can show instances to the contrary.
Mr Teo said he would answer the questions in the next few days. I hope he answers every single question. And for good measure, he should also say if there are other PAP-owned companies and tell us what they do. Finally, he should articulate (or a higher-ranking PAP leader should) the role of the PAP in business. I am sure there’s some code of conduct on business somewhere no? Or do they only apply to members, and not to the party as a whole?
An ex-journalist who can't get enough of the news after being in the business for 26 years
