The Reform Party Speaks Up Against the Abuse of the PA and HDB for Political Purposes
Published: 25th August 2011The Reform Party notes the press release by WP complaining about HDB’s recent transfer of sites from the control of AHTC to the PA which then excluded WP from the use of these sites.
We support the WP in its battle against a flagrant abuse of power by the HDB and the PA.
Firstly the HDB is a statutory board and not an arm of the PAP. However Singaporeans could be forgiven for thinking they are one and the same. This is one of the reasons the RP have proposed opening up the public housing sector to more private sector competition and giving HDB owners the right to buy out their freeholds.
Secondly the PA itself is supposed to be non-political and not there to advance the interests of the PAP. It uses taxpayers’ money to fund its activities.
This arrogant abuse of power has been going on since 1981 when JBJ, the founder of the Reform Party, was elected as MP for Anson. At that time he did not even have control of the Town Council and his application to use the CC and PA sites for MPS and other grassroots activities was summarily dismissed without any reasons being given. Despite repeated requests, HDB also refused to lease him an office in the constituency and he was forced to use the void deck for MPS and other activities.
We note that the PA have now backed down and hope that this means that the government will in future respect the people’s will and not revert to past tactics aimed at preventing elected MPs from other parties from doing their jobs in an effort to reverse a democratic mandate.
Released by Kenneth Jeyaretnam on behalf of the Reform Party on 25th August 2011