Shocking!!! NEA BUYS 26 ah pek looking bikes for 2.2k Each

[makapaaa]

High Ministerial Pay Leading to Rampant Corruption in Civil Service

[h=2]‘If my minister gets millions why not I get something too’[/h]

July 8th, 2012 |

Author: Contributions

NParks bought Brompton bikes, each costing $2200 through 1 tender bid only

The trouble is that the whole civil service had gotten so fat and unsupervised that all are in cahoots in their clandestine way intentionally maneuver all manner of purchasing in such a way that they will make it appear to the vendors they are helping their sales so that they may in some way or other, try to gain favours from the suppliers.
Singapore has gotten to this unsavory stage that whatever they do, be it their duty or not, there will be this nagging question in their minds “Whats in it for me”. “If my minister gets millions why not I get something too” even though they are relatively just about the highest paid civil service in the world.
Maybe the CAD or CPIB should investigate this.
.
Singaporean
* Comment first appeared on: Not My Own Money

 

[makapaaa]

Re: High Ministerial Pay Leading to Rampant Corruption in Civil Service

[h=2]Bromptongate highlights the need for transparency in civil service[/h]

July 8th, 2012 |

Author: Contributions

NParks bought hand-made Brompton bikes, each costing $2200


So $2200 got warranty or not? Having worked in the Civil Service myself, I find the whole evaluation process hardly impartial. Most of the time, the head honcho or an elite group already had in mind what product, service or vendor they want. The rest is just for show.

I know being objective is tough when the govt employees are usually not experts in the product or services to be purchased. But there is a process for due diligence which sadly are often circumvented. What you get is a letter of award to a specific vendor with lots of window dressings to support a foregone conclusion. However, analyze in-depth and you can see many holes like in this instance.

The government bidding system had been hijacked for the longest time by elite civil servants who pay lip service to public service but in truth, are driven by their own agenda. Unfortunately, it is only the obvious blunders that are spotted. How many such cases had gone unnoticed simply because the entire tender process is too complicated for the public to understand, let alone spot the shenanigans. A few exceptions where they are exposed, like the SCDF and CNB corruption cases, happened because the losing vendors decided to blow the whistle. And the whistle-blowers probably had very substantial technical/cost justifications to prove that an inferior proposal was accepted surreptitiously. If not for them, we would all still be in the dark!

A culture of blind obedience, a tall reporting structure as well as a lack of whistle-blowers are factors that encourages elite civil servants to amass disproportionate power and influence. When these elite civil servants are not public-spirited but are self-centered, then we have a recipe for disaster. Political leaders are judged by voters every few years and punished if they are incompetent or even corrupt. However, our elite civil servants are not subjected to such inconveniences and equally unfortunate is that the workings of our Civil Service are relatively obscure and you can be given a merry-go-round when making requests for legitimate information that are to the public’s interests. Perhaps, it is high time for a Freedom of Information Act. Without more transparency, there will be even more nooks and crannies to hide incompetent and questionable acts.
.
Daemonic
* comment first appeared in: NParks did not buy $2200 bike from authorized dealer

 

[makapaaa]

Re: High Ministerial Pay Leading to Rampant Corruption in Civil Service

[h=2]NParks did not purchase bike from authorized dealer[/h]

July 7th, 2012 |

Author: Contributions

Brompton foldable bike - $2200 each, bought by NParks


The recent purchase of the expensive hand-made Brompton bikes costing $2,200 each by the National Parks Board (NParks) has drawn a firestorm on the Net.

NParks bought 26 Brompton bikes for its officers to use on patrols in Jan this year, costing a total of $57,200. The explanation given by Nparks is that they only received 1 bid for the tender from 1 company. The company, BikeHop, offered 2 models in the tender – the $2,200 model and a more expensive one. Hence, the $2,200 model was chosen.

In the latest twist of the NParks’ bike saga, the authorized dealer of Brompton bikes in Singapore, Diginexx (MightyVelo), has revealed that NParks did not buy the Brompton bikes from them but from a parallel importer (i.e, BikeHop).
Diginexx further disclosed, “Almost all local bike companies do not follow Gebiz tenders as one would not expect government agencies to want to buy high-end bicycles for group use.”

As the product to be purchased is not a common item like tissue papers and pens, Diginexx felt that it would be fairer if NParks had sought out the various bicycle sellers in the industry first to invite them to bid. However, this is not the case. It appears that either BikeHop stumbled upon the tender on the Govt Gebiz site by accident or they have been “tipped off” by someone in NParks.

Diginexx added, “NParks is aware that Diginexx is the authorized distributor that offers the 5-year warranty on the frame and 2-year warranty on parts. If it was really intended for local bike companies to tender for this bulk purchase, NParks would have been able to find through the various bids that there are likely cheaper alternatives to the Brompton and/or be able to receive a competitive price quote from Diginexx so that NParks can buy and save public money in the process.”

“In this case, no local bike companies was aware of this tender, and there was only one bidder.”

Diginexx also did not think $2200 was a fair deal for NParks.

Diginexx said, “And even if NParks had really specifically wanted just the Brompton for their usage, the model in question is a M6L. A M6L retails at S$2250 per bike at Diginexx which will cover the 5-year frame warranty and 2-year warranty on parts. In comparison, buying a total of 26 M6L Bromptons at $2200 per bike is unfortunately not a fair deal for NParks especially when the bikes come from a non-authorised reseller, which do not and cannot offer the official five-year frame warranty and two-year parts warranty.”

As a result, NParks’ purchase of the $2200 Brompton bikes remains contentious as reflected by comments on the Net:

Sangrawi: I own a foldable bike – a Dahon. From U.S. Not some cheap China made bike. I only pay S$ 500+ for the bike and not $2,200. I agree having a foldable bike is a great idea. But why pay S$2,200? Why do we need to pay top range? Are we saying the park officials have to be on the bike for 8 hours or there are steep slopes and river streams to cross?

Emeritus Singaporean: Clearly, either the tender exercise was not well publicized, or that there was no attempts to bring more bids into the exercise. It is disingenuous to simply accept the lower of two bids since there were no other bids, as the entire exercise could have been aborted for failing the requirements of getting more competitive offers.

BGKL: What’s next in the PAP “money to burn” crossover project?

Poor Retiree: So if only Mercedes and BMW place a tender for a transporter for NP, it will accept the lower bid even if it costs $250000 of TAXPAYER MONEY?

Rotten Banana: Good Singapore made folding bike weight 8-9Kg only costs S$800-900. S$2,200 is able to buy almost 3 bikes.

21-year old citizen: The next thing they will do is to buy the officers the most expensive uniforms, the most expensive Nike shoes, the most expensive Parker pens, the most expensive Hallmark paper, etc. Can the officers really improve productivity just by using all the most expensive stuffs?

Joey: It’s symptomatic of the current govt – sucking in a lot of money to spend on themselves but very little for those who are truly in need – the poorest, the handicapped, the special needs.

newly qualified voter: Looks like Tin Pei Ling’s penchant for Kate Spade brand has caught on in the Ministry. The Brompton bike is the Kate Spade equivalent of handbags. You pay 95% for its brand name and only 5% for its function.

Refree Kayu: Do bicycle dealers have pretty, sexy sales managers or directors with names starting with Cecilia, Ester, Aminah or Suzie?
​

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[makapaaa]

Re: High Ministerial Pay Leading to Rampant Corruption in Civil Service

[h=2]Mr Khaw, have you cycled 30-40 km in your life?[/h]

July 7th, 2012 |

Author: Contributions

Instead of thinking it through properly on how to improve productivity for NP Officers, they further make it difficult for them. National Parks Board and our esteemed Minister KBW said that the bikes are foldable so that they can be easily transported, and NP Officers can take them on buses and trains, other than cycling 30-40 km per day.
1. KBW, have you cycled 30-40 km in your life?
2. Why couldn’t NPB consider electric bikes for the NP Officers? If you want productivity, then built proper facilities for the electric bikes to be stored in the various parks.
3. By stating that the officers can take the bikes on buses and trains just shows how unproductive your thinking is. Please, just for one day, you take a foldable bike from your house to your work place, using bus and train. I make you Forever Minister if you do that. You think NP Officers are slaves?
Talking male chicken!
.
samwoh
* Comment first appeared in: Not My Own Money

 

[Einfield]

Re: High Ministerial Pay Leading to Rampant Corruption in Civil Service

KBW is not very smart by just calling NEA to ask and start defending the purchase.

His respond made it worse as it sounded like lame excuses and off target.

He is just not serious in doing his own due diligence, if this is how he choose to engage the voters, he is better off following his boss, which is to act blur and stay under the radar.

 

[numero uno]

gahmen Gebiz is a joke!! staff inside would have already fixed with suppliers! which bike to purchase, already discussed pre-agreed,
and they would call for tender minimum 3 tenders in the gebiz, just to show that they have called for tender, to save their ass!

No matters which excellent and cheaper bike u tender for you'll will not get it! they will find excuses to get their bike!

I personally have tried to tender many times even same/better quality and lower prices, you'll get a knock out! (not bicycle)
why? they already fixed with their regular suppliers,, this is one of the loop holes not covered! and can't be covered!

This is a BIG fat joke and just tip of the iceberg. Thiose who work in garmen knows that there is a lot of hanky panky going on. Under the table dealings is the norm and these cr@ ministars are out of touch or just plain ignorant and trying to bluff their way. if the CNB and SCDF big shots are caught with corruption, just imagine their minions,(thousands of them) are up to . alot of tenders are suspect and its long overdue CPIB should investigate all these suspicious tenders. seem almost everyone even cahrities and church who deal with large sums of money are cheats. so much for moral and ethics in singpore

 

[Seee3]

I don't think there is any hanky-panky. Too small a sum. It may be more interesting to look at why was there the fixation to get Brompton bike? Who first mentioned it before the purchase? Why the unnecessary press release on the bike that get them into this shit?

My guess - it is the result of an attempt to porlumpar the minister that goes really wrong.

 

[ChaoPappyPoodle]

I don't think there is any hanky-panky. Too small a sum. It may be more interesting to look at why was there the fixation to get Brompton bike? Who first mentioned it before the purchase? Why the unnecessary press release on the bike that get them into this shit?

My guess - it is the result of an attempt to porlumpar the minister that goes really wrong.

Cops have been busted for corruption for a few hundred dollars. No sum is too small when a person is corrupted. It is too early to say one way or the other if corruption did take place. The most worrying issue is that the $8man has emboldened the civil service with his carefree lip service to back up such frivolous yet costly expenditure.

 

[limpeikanli]

every bike get $200 also have around $5k.

 

[wendychan]

Cops have been busted for corruption for a few hundred dollars. No sum is too small when a person is corrupted. It is too early to say one way or the other if corruption did take place. The most worrying issue is that the $8man has emboldened the civil service with his carefree lip service to back up such frivolous yet costly expenditure.

a minister no less has already said nothing wrong was done.
dream on if you think anyone will be prosecuted..

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

How about a Lambo for the cops?

 

[ChaoPappyPoodle]

a minister no less has already said nothing wrong was done.
dream on if you think anyone will be prosecuted..

The same minister that insisted for ages that Durai did nothing wrong?

Posts such as yours suggests that you are in a state of denial or possibly you are a Stockholm Syndrome victim.

 

[johnny333]

How about a Lambo for the cops?

View attachment 5598

It will spoil the lambo market

People with $$$$ want the snob appeal of exclusivity. People like Gurmit Singh a lambo owner would lose face

 

[ChaoPappyPoodle]

It will spoil the lambo market

People with $$$$ want the snob appeal of exclusivity. People like Gurmit Singh a lambo owner would lose face

People with Gurmit's face will welcome such a move. Lambo is cheaper to change than his fucked up face.

 

[laksaboy]

I also have a Lambo you know. Why are you all ignoring me? :(

 

[Confuseous]

Do not defend blindly, Mr Khaw - it makes you look a silly $8 Cow

Productivity

In the article, Mr Khaw explained that a foldable bicycle was chosen because such bicycles “would eliminate the need for an office van to transport the bikes and the staff to the areas of their daily rounds”. The NParks staff would also be able to carry them onto buses and trains where necessary.

How does staff travel faster and further riding on bicycles the whole day, “using public buses and trains where necessary”, as compared to a company van dropping staff and bikes? If you are talking about cost cutting, maybe. You can make that van driver jobless and save a good few grands per year. Fair. Productivity? Pure cycling is faster than a van reducing most distance for the staff? Public buses and trains? Increased productivity? This is Brompton, not Nimbus 2000. Some people have to go back to school. Especially you, Mr Khaw.

At least do some studies and provide some facts instead of spurting some airy figures on national newspaper, people. This isn’t the Industrial Revolution, even the Millennium had came and went. People are not receiving drones as before.

- http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.sg/2012/07/know-what-you-are-defending-mr-khaw.html

 

[Television]

I also have a Lambo you know. Why are you all ignoring me? :(

It drives a falali.

 

[methink]

a minister no less has already said nothing wrong was done.
dream on if you think anyone will be prosecuted..

Then we change this ministar! Out he goes in 2016!

 

[halsey02]

Re: High Ministerial Pay Leading to Rampant Corruption in Civil Service

KBW is not very smart by just calling NEA to ask and start defending the purchase.

His respond made it worse as it sounded like lame excuses and off target.

He is just not serious in doing his own due diligence, if this is how he choose to engage the voters, he is better off following his boss, which is to act blur and stay under the radar.

He is never that smart, he attacked the opposition in the current BE & nothing from that attack was original. He is so damn cocksure that his 'castle in GRC' can not be toppled & have painted many times, the "target" sign for any one to attack!

 

[halsey02]

Re: High Ministerial Pay Leading to Rampant Corruption in Civil Service

Maybe the opposition WP should buy a few of this bicycle at $2,200 & say that Hougang/Aljunied/ GRC is a very large area, they need to go visiting the residents & you can bet, the Shitty Press of SINgapore, will jump onto it & published volumes of comments from their "ghost writers' criticizing the purchases.