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[h=1]WP again calls for “definitive clarification” from PAP on PETC accounts[/h]
The Workers’ Party (WP) is still waiting for the “definitive clarification” from the People’s Action Party (PAP) on the state of the accounts of the Punggol East Town Council (PETC) when it was handed over to the WP in 2013.
Mr Low Thia Khiang, who was responding to reporters’ questions on Wednesday, reiterated what WP chairman, Sylvia Lim, had said on Tuesday – that the PAP needed to explain why its candidate and now MP-elect for Punggol East SMC, Charles Chong, had claimed that there was a $1 million surplus in the town council’s accounts at the point of handover to the WP in 2013.
Mr Chong’s remarks were reported by the Chinese paper, Lianhe Zaobao, during the recent elections.
“Charles Chong said in the papers, based on the Zaobao that I read, that there’s a $1 million surplus which we couldn’t find in our account,” Mr Low said. “So for the accuracy of the account and the transfer of the account back to Punggol East, Charles Chong may want to explain where the $1 million surplus is.”
Lianhe Zaobao report on Mr Chong’s comments. Parts in yellow reporting Mr Chong referring to the purported surplus in “Punggol East Town Council” Mr Low also noted that after questions were raised by the WP about Mr Chong’s claims, the latter himself had clarified that the $1 million surplus he was referring to was in fact in the accounts of Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC), and not that of PETC.Punggol East was part of the larger PRPTC in 2013.
Mr Low, however, said if this was true, it would raise further questions about Mr Chong’s claims.
“If that is the case,” Mr Low said, “then why is it that when Punggol East accounts were handed over to us, there was a deficit of $282,000? So perhaps they may want to make clarification of the accounts first so that we can look at the accounts properly.”
Mr Low said that the PAP’s organising secretary, Ng Eng Hen, had promised during the elections that the PAP leadership will issue a “definitive clarification” with regard to the accounts.
“We are still waiting for the ‘definite clarification’ from the PAP,” Mr Low told reporters.
The WP had earlier issued a statement in response to Mr Chong’s claims made during the hustings.
“We have seen no supporting evidence for Mr Chong’s claim that there was a surplus of $1 million in the accounts of Punggol East SMC at the point of merger into AHPETC,” the WP said.
Charles Chong At her first Meet-the-People session after the elections, Ms Lim sought answers from the PAP on its claims that the PETC would be in a deficit position if the PRPTC had about S$1.7 million in surpluses at the time.Said Ms Lim: “Even if we take what he says at face value, at the point of handover, (Punggol East) should have had a pro-rated share of the S$1 million surplus anyway, but what we see from the accounts handed over to us at that time was that there was a deficit.”
Ms Lim said it was important to have the clarification so as to ensure that the accounts which are being handed over to the PAP would be accurate.
The Town Councils Act requires the town council to be handed over within 90 days after an election.
Read also: “Important for PAP to provide “definitive clarification” on PETC accounts: Sylvia Lim“.
http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/201...tive-clarification-from-pap-on-petc-accounts/
