Former NCMP issued Pofma order over posts on AHTC saga

Comments by WP's Yee Jenn Jong on basis for actions against town council false: MND

- Ng Wei Kai

Former Non-Constituency MP Yee Jenn Jong has been issued a correction direction under Singapore's fake news law for statements on the long-running Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) saga.

The case concluded in July, when AHTC and Sengkang Town Council dropped their claims for damages and costs in civil suits against the leaders of the Workers' Party (WP). Mr Yee is a WP member who was most recently fielded in the 2020 General Election contesting Marine Parade GRC.

The suits had charged that WP leaders, including party chief Pritam Singh and chairwoman Sylvia Lim, breached their fiduciary duties as town councillors.

Protracted legal proceedings eventually found that WP town councillors did not owe AHTC fiduciary duties, among other findings, but also that the town councillors were negligent in allowing conflicts of interest to persist at AHTC.

Mr Yee on July 25 and 27 published posts on his Facebook page about the Ministry of National Development's (MND) basis and motivation for actions taken against AHTC.

In his post, Mr Yee said the comments were his personal ones as a ringside observer because he never held any appointment in AHTC nor was he involved in any of the decision-making.

Some of his statements were false and misleading, said MND in a statement on Aug 26.

These statements are as follows: First, that MND was wrong to call in external auditors.

Mr Yee's reasoning was that it was Action Information Management's (AIM) termination of the Town Council Management System (TCMS) on insufficient notice and handover issues with the previous PAP-controlled Aljunied Town Council that led to AHTC's failures in reporting to MND and its audit findings. The WP had won Aljunied GRC from the People's Action Party (PAP) in the 2011 General Election.

The PAP-owned AIM became a source of controversy due to its dealings with town councils.