Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu weighs in on AHTC-AIM saga

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Grace Fu says a fundamental point in the discussions on AHTC and AIM revolves around the management of the town council. 

In a post on her Facebook page, she said town councils were set up to make Members of Parliament responsible for the maintenance and cleanliness of their constituencies. 

Ms Fu said when The Worker's Party contested in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency, it assured the voters that it could manage the estate well, based on its track record in Hougang. 

She noted that after WP won the GRC in the 2011 General Election, it promptly put its people into the town council and directly appointed its own managing agent. 

Ms Fu pointed out that 18 months later, AHTC got a "red band" for its collection of Service and Conservancy Charges or S&CC in the reports card on town councils. 

More than half of its monthly S&CC collectible is overdue for three months or longer. 

AHTC was also the only town council whose grade for corporate governance was pending its auditor's report. 

Ms Fu said AHTC Chairman Sylvia Lim blamed the PAP which allegedly terminated the financial systems provided by AIM. 

She said this is untrue - and that it was WP that served notice to terminate AIM, and later asked for and received two extensions of time, until its own system was ready. 

Ms Fu said it's the WP's responsibility to provide services in AHTC, as it did in Hougang Town Council - not the government's or the PAP's.