[h=2]New RC Council formed to strengthen grassroots movement in
Singapore[/h]
November 11th, 2012 |
Author: Editorial
A Residents’ Committee (RC) Council has been set up to
better coordinate outreach efforts of all the 569 RCs in Singapore. 25 RC
members from the various districts have been appointed to the Council which is
led by Nee Soon GRC MP, Dr Lim Wee Kiak.
The People’s Association (PA) said the Council is set up to guide the RCs in
understanding residents better and to come up with innovative programmes. Most
of the funding for RCs comes from PA.
The Council said it is currently working with PA and the Infocomm Development
Authority (IDA) to roll out a broadband scheme to support RCs in connecting with
residents through social media.
RCs were introduced in 1978 to promote neighbourliness, racial harmony and
community cohesiveness amongst residents within their respective RC zones in
Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates.
The functions of RCs are to:
The PA’s deputy chairman, Lim Swee Say, assured that RCs will be well
supported by the PA.
Mr Lim said, “We want our RCs to become an even more innovative grassroots
movement, so in the other words, every RC will be encouraged to look at your
catchment, look at your priorities and then the resources will be supported, so
not all RCs will be the same, in fact we want all RCs to be same same, but
different. Same same as in we are out there to serve the residents, but it must
be different depending on the interests and priorities of the community that you
serve.”
Chairman of the RC Council Dr Lim said, “The RC Council will now serve as a
separate platform whereby the RCs themselves will be able to come together to
inform PA as to what programmes they will like to see and how they would like to
move forward. Likewise, PA can also engage the RC Council directly now, so that
they can reach out to all the 569 RCs – not as a top-down approach but as more
of a little approach.”
In recent years, however, some RC members have made use of their RC network
to get business for their companies or themselves. Two years ago, a complaint
was made to PA against YPAP members Sear Hock Rong and Fong Yoong Keong on
possible conflict of interests in their business dealings with Eunos grassroots
organizations.
Both Mr Sear and Mr Fong are business partners in an education service
provider company and are also active grassroots leaders in Eunos grassroots
organizations. Mr Sear is the Chairman of Eunos Community Club Youth Executive
Committee while Mr Fong is the Assistant Secretary of Eunos Zone “3″ Residents’
Committee.
In less than six months, their company managed to get 24 clients, nearly a
quarter of which are grassroots organizations in Eunos including Eunos Zone “3″
RC. Since the online revelations, Netizens were asking if there are any conflict
of interests in their business dealings with Eunos grassroots organizations
where they served.
At the time of the controversy, PAP MP Lee Bee Wah said there are no rules
forbidding grassroots leaders from doing business with the grassroots
organizations they are serving in.
MP Dr Lim Wee Kiak said there are no reasons not to engage the services of
companies owned by grassroots leaders so long as they are not directly
involved in the decision-making process of the tender.
And finally, after its investigation, Ms Adlina Jaffar the Head of the
Corporate Communications Division of PA replied that they have “checked the
transactions between Mr Sear Hock Rong’s company, R2E Concepts, and the Eunos
Grassroots Organisations” and they “observed no impropriety in the
transactions.”
.
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Singapore[/h]
better coordinate outreach efforts of all the 569 RCs in Singapore. 25 RC
members from the various districts have been appointed to the Council which is
led by Nee Soon GRC MP, Dr Lim Wee Kiak.
The People’s Association (PA) said the Council is set up to guide the RCs in
understanding residents better and to come up with innovative programmes. Most
of the funding for RCs comes from PA.
The Council said it is currently working with PA and the Infocomm Development
Authority (IDA) to roll out a broadband scheme to support RCs in connecting with
residents through social media.
RCs were introduced in 1978 to promote neighbourliness, racial harmony and
community cohesiveness amongst residents within their respective RC zones in
Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates.
The functions of RCs are to:
- Promote neighbourliness, harmony and cohesiveness amongst residents;
- Liaise with and make recommendations to government authorities on the needs
and aspirations of residents; - Disseminate information and gather feedback on government policies and
actions from residents; and - Promote good citizenship amongst residents.
The PA’s deputy chairman, Lim Swee Say, assured that RCs will be well
supported by the PA.
Mr Lim said, “We want our RCs to become an even more innovative grassroots
movement, so in the other words, every RC will be encouraged to look at your
catchment, look at your priorities and then the resources will be supported, so
not all RCs will be the same, in fact we want all RCs to be same same, but
different. Same same as in we are out there to serve the residents, but it must
be different depending on the interests and priorities of the community that you
serve.”
Chairman of the RC Council Dr Lim said, “The RC Council will now serve as a
separate platform whereby the RCs themselves will be able to come together to
inform PA as to what programmes they will like to see and how they would like to
move forward. Likewise, PA can also engage the RC Council directly now, so that
they can reach out to all the 569 RCs – not as a top-down approach but as more
of a little approach.”
In recent years, however, some RC members have made use of their RC network
to get business for their companies or themselves. Two years ago, a complaint
was made to PA against YPAP members Sear Hock Rong and Fong Yoong Keong on
possible conflict of interests in their business dealings with Eunos grassroots
organizations.
Both Mr Sear and Mr Fong are business partners in an education service
provider company and are also active grassroots leaders in Eunos grassroots
organizations. Mr Sear is the Chairman of Eunos Community Club Youth Executive
Committee while Mr Fong is the Assistant Secretary of Eunos Zone “3″ Residents’
Committee.
In less than six months, their company managed to get 24 clients, nearly a
quarter of which are grassroots organizations in Eunos including Eunos Zone “3″
RC. Since the online revelations, Netizens were asking if there are any conflict
of interests in their business dealings with Eunos grassroots organizations
where they served.
At the time of the controversy, PAP MP Lee Bee Wah said there are no rules
forbidding grassroots leaders from doing business with the grassroots
organizations they are serving in.
MP Dr Lim Wee Kiak said there are no reasons not to engage the services of
companies owned by grassroots leaders so long as they are not directly
involved in the decision-making process of the tender.
And finally, after its investigation, Ms Adlina Jaffar the Head of the
Corporate Communications Division of PA replied that they have “checked the
transactions between Mr Sear Hock Rong’s company, R2E Concepts, and the Eunos
Grassroots Organisations” and they “observed no impropriety in the
transactions.”
.
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