How the tax payers' monies are mis-spent

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Founders’ Memorial’s construction set to cost $335 million​

Slated to open in end-2028, the Founders' Memorial will be dedicated to independent Singapore’s pioneers and the values they exemplified. PHOTO: COURTESY OF GARDENS BY THE BAY AND NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD

Ng Keng Gene
Correspondent

Sep 09, 2024

SINGAPORE – The upcoming Founders’ Memorial at Gardens by the Bay’s Bay East Garden is set to cost $335 million to construct.
Responding to a question from Mr Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC), Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong told Parliament on Sept 9 that the development cost is based on current outlook and projections.
The sum “encompasses building construction and fit-out costs for the exhibition galleries, viewing gallery and outdoor amphitheatre, education and family spaces and amenities, and a 5ha outdoor public garden”, said Mr Tong in a written response. He added that the annual operating cost of the memorial “is being worked out in tandem with the development of operational plans”.
Slated to open in end-2028, the memorial – which was mooted in 2015 following founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s death – will be dedicated to independent Singapore’s pioneers and the values they exemplified. It broke ground on June 5.
Mr Tong said the memorial “will be an integrated gallery and gardens experience”, adding that it will be a space “to capture the spirit of our nation and unify Singaporeans”, by enabling them to reflect on the past and be inspired for the future.
Its twin two-storey buildings, which will be connected by a common basement, were designed by Japanese architecture firm Kengo Kuma & Associates, working in collaboration with Singapore firm K2LD Architects.
The opening of the memorial was originally planned for 2025 – in time for Singapore’s 60th birthday – but its completion date was pushed back owing to extensive infrastructural work that was taking place at its Bay East Garden site. Its adjusted 2027 completion date was then revised due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Founders’ Memorial MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line will open in tandem with the memorial in 2028.

 

[jsctan]

As long as majority sinkies think nothing is wrong with collecting more money (GST, COE, increases in public housing prices, transport fee, levies, stamp duties for 2nd house of sinkies ...etc while rental so low for ridout, the huge spendings will continue to feed their selected industries.

 

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2 jailed for submitting fake tender to NLB to help another firm win $4.7m contract​

On Sept 23, Kwa Kaoh Wee (left) and Soh Ling Ling pleaded guilty to one corruption charge each. ST PHOTOS: KELVIN CHNG
Andrew Wong

Sep 23, 2024

SINGAPORE - A company director allowed his firm to submit a fake tender to the National Library Board (NLB) to help another company win a contract worth more than $4.7 million, believing that the latter would give part of the project to his company.
The ruse came to light when the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau began investigating NLB assistant director Adrian Chan Siew Leng, 48, over a series of corruption and cheating charges.
On Sept 23, Kwa Kaoh Wee and Soh Ling Ling pleaded guilty to one corruption charge each.
Kwa was sentenced to a month’s jail while Soh was sentenced to two weeks’ imprisonment.
The court heard that at the time of the offence, Kwa was the managing director and sole shareholder of Multimedia Maestro, referred to as MM in court. Its primary business include cinema maintenance and broadcast consultancy.
Soh was an administrative manager in the company. She became a director in the firm in 2019.
A search on Singapore’s business registry showed the pair are still co-directors of at least two other companies.

In March 2018, the NLB opened a tender to commission a fully operational digital cinema system at the Oldham Theatre, of which Chan was the project lead.
Around that period, Chan had indicated to an associate, John Paul Tan Wei Ming, that he wanted the tender to be awarded to Electronics and Engineering, referred to as E&E.
The prosecution did not elaborate on why Chan wanted the tender to be awarded to E&E.

Chan told Tan, a co-accused, to find at least two other companies to submit bids higher than E&E’s to ensure that the tender would proceed.
This would also ensure E&E’s bid would appear the most attractive. Tan then spoke to another co-accused named Fong Choon Yew, 52, who in turn informed his subordinate, Ho Chan Shen, 57, to contact MM to make the fake tender bid.
The court heard that Ho contacted Kwa and told him to submit a tender bid for the project.

The prosecution said Kwa understood the ramifications behind the request but decided to proceed as he believed E&E could give a part of the project to his company if E&E was awarded the tender.
Kwa then told Ho to contact Soh for the paperwork.
The prosecution said Soh had understood that Ho was asking for MM to submit a bid to help E&E win the tender. She and Kwa agreed to help.
In April 2018, Tan sent MM a quotation he had prepared for Soh to submit for the tender. The prices indicated in the quotation were significantly higher than E&E’s bid.
E&E won the five-year contract valued at more than $4.7 million in June 2018.
The prosecution said in this case, Kwa’s culpability appeared higher than Soh’s as he was her superior at the time of the offence.
The prosecution added that all the co-accused in the case have been charged.
The cases involving Fong and Ho have been fixed for a pre-trial conference on Oct 1.

 

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Forum: Disappointed by results of renovation at hawker centre​

Oct 29, 2024


The Old Airport Road Food Centre was recently renovated. How much did the Government spend on the works, which required the centre to be closed for four months?
New flooring, tables and chairs were installed.
However, despite the installation of larger ceiling fans, ventilation remains poor because there is no proper suction system and smoke emitted from the barbecuing and deep-frying accumulates and makes people cough.
Cooks and helpers also have to work in very cramped conditions.
With the installation of the new tables and chairs, the walkways seem narrower. There is little aisle space for diners to walk through.
Those using mobility vehicles or wheelchairs find it impossible to navigate between tables.
Residents and visitors are disappointed by the results of the renovation.

The National Environment Agency may have done a great job in grading hawkers on hygiene; it must now step up and improve the working conditions of hawkers.

Lim Kee Yong

 

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Upgraded Old Airport Road Food Centre cleaner, brighter, but some bemoan the ventilation​

The Old Airport Road Food Centre and Shopping Mall is managed by Kopitiam, which is part of the FairPrice Group. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Chin Soo Fang and Fatmah Khan

Nov 07, 2024

SINGAPORE – Dakota resident Oh Ai Khim missed making a daily pit stop for a meal at her favourite food centre when it was closed for four months to get upgraded.
“I was ‘suffering’ as I missed the variety of delicious food here,” she said on Nov 4. “I’m glad to be back and I can see that it’s cleaner, cooler and brighter.”
The 70-year-old retired dishwasher summed up the sentiments of quite a few patrons and hawkers after revisiting the food centre and shopping mall at Block 51 Old Airport Road, which reopened on Oct 1.
The popular food centre had been closed from June 1 to Sept 30 for refurbishment.
Marine Parade Town Council said the cyclical repair and redecoration (R&R) works included repainting interior and exterior walls, repairing defects in common areas and replacing tables and chairs.
High-volume, low-speed fans were installed, in addition to energy-efficient LED lighting. The toilets were refurbished and exhaust systems enhanced.
Bird netting and spikes were added and the outdoor seating area was improved, along with the installation of new floor and wall tiles.


Mr Ding Fang Zhi, 50, opened his new stall – 98 Handmade Noodle, Fish Soup & Spinach Soup – at the food centre after the refurbishment.
Mr Ding, whose stall was previously in Serangoon, said: “I appreciate the fans which make the place cooler, and the new tables and chairs for a better dining experience.”
Others, however, had mixed feelings about the upgrading works.

They include Mr Lim Kee Yong, whose letter was published in The Straits Times Forum page on Oct 29.
He said that despite the installation of larger ceiling fans, “ventilation remains poor because there is no proper suction system, and smoke emitted from the barbecuing and deep-frying accumulates and makes people cough”.
The cooks and helpers also have to work in very cramped conditions, he added.

The popular food centre was closed from June 1 to Sept 30 for refurbishment. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
He said that with the installation of the new tables and chairs, the walkways seem narrower. There is little aisle space for people to walk through and those using mobility vehicles or wheelchairs find it impossible to navigate between tables, he said.
This was echoed by Mr Zainudeen Talib, 53, who runs Safura Muslim Food, another stall at the food centre. He said the space between tables has become more cramped and his older customers have bumped against the chairs.
“Previously, people with strollers and those using electric wheelchairs could come in and order their food. Now, no space,” he said.
In its reply on Nov 5, the town council addressed concerns about the perceived narrowing of space with the new tables and chairs, saying that it maintained a similar number of seats as before.
On concerns about enclosed spaces in the centre, it said additional wall fans and high-volume low-speed fans have been installed to improve airflow.
“We are also working closely with the hawkers’ association to remind stallholders to ensure that the filters and fans of the exhaust systems within the stalls are maintained and cleaned regularly to help manage cooking fumes,” it added.

Some people felt that the facelift was “too little, too slow”.
Mr Ali, 54, who manages 786 Nasi Lemak and gave only his first name, said: “We had hoped that the upgrading works would help to improve the kitchen area, but no, they told us no.”
Mr Alan Lee, who owns Geylang Lor 20 Banana Fritters, said while he was satisfied with the upgrading works, the progress was too slow.
“Two months should be enough. I had to survive on my savings during the four months of closure,” he said.
Mr Shawn Loke, a 54-year-old construction manager, said: “Judging by the upgrading works, two months should be enough. Maybe they did not want to rush, but the hawkers cannot be out of jobs for too long.”
Marketing professional Allan Koh, 61, said the works were “nothing spectacular”.
“Brighter, cleaner but not much of a difference,” he said. “This should not have taken four months.”
Ms Jane Lim, a 35-year-old housewife who lives nearby, felt that while the food centre is now brighter and cooler, the “changes do not justify the length of the upgrading works”.

Bird netting and spikes were added and the outdoor seating area was improved, along with the installation of new floor and wall tiles. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
Replying to queries from ST, Mr Lim Biow Chuan, MP for Mountbatten, said: “It is cyclical R&R works and not for renovation or for reconstruction. The intent was to create a rejuvenated space and enhance the dining experience for consumers.”
He added that there should not be any reduction of walkway space as no additional tables and chairs were installed.
Given that it is one of the larger food centres in Singapore – with 168 hawker stalls on the first floor and 54 shops on its second level – the R&R works were scheduled for four months, he said, adding that this was determined in consultation with the hawkers’ association to account for the scale of improvements.
As the works were extensive, the town council carried out the works in stages, and factored in time for additional checks and thorough cleaning, Mr Lim said. The allocated timeline allowed the town council to clear the sewer lines, and carry out the degreasing and cleaning of the main exhaust ducts.
“I have already walked around the food centre a few times and feedback from patrons and stallholders has been positive, with some noting improved ventilation and lighting from the new fans and LED installations,” he said.
However, he said that further enhancements to airflow could help reduce cooking fumes and reiterated that the town council is working with the hawkers’ association to encourage stallholders to maintain and regularly clean the exhaust filters and fans within the stalls, as grease build-up can limit their effectiveness and present a fire risk.
With the reopening, some hawkers have raised prices to cope with rising operational costs.

Mr Derek Lim of Western Barbeque in Old Airport Road said he has increased his prices by about 50 cents.
“It is not due to the upgrading works, but the increase in GST and suppliers’ costs,” he said. “We held back from raising prices for a long time but felt that the reopening was a good time to do so finally.”
Ms Ellis Phua, who has been running 97 Nasi Lemak at the food centre since 2021, also made slight adjustments to her prices after the reopening.
She said that though the recent upgrading works might seem “minor” to some, they have made a noticeable difference from a stall owner’s perspective.
“The hawker centre now feels brighter and cleaner, which enhances the overall atmosphere for us and the customers,” the 44-year-old said.
Although several hawkers saw a slight improvement in footfall after the reopening, those on the upper level said it still feels like a “ghost town”. This is where stall owners provide clothes alteration services and sell a range of items like children’s toys, clothes and shoes. Only a handful of stalls have reopened and few patrons venture upstairs.
Hardware store owner Colin Ma, 75, said: “Business was slow before, but it is worse now.”
The Old Airport Road Food Centre and Shopping Mall is managed by Kopitiam, which is part of the FairPrice Group. The group’s spokesperson said overall traffic has increased and out of the 222 stalls in total, 205 are occupied.
There will be a new FairPrice supermarket on the second level in 2025.

 

[k1976]

U see all Bengali busy cut trees at PIE, BKE and SLE, dun think is $$$$$ well spend, these manpower should be use for MRT maintenance or infrastructure construction