WP politician Yee Jenn Jong issued correction direction over statements on MND’s role in AHTC saga
Yee Jenn Jong, a former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) and Workers' Party (WP) member, has been issued a correction direction under Singapore’s fake news law. The Ministry of National Development (MND) cited false and misleading statements made by Mr. Yee regarding the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) saga.
The AHTC case, which involved claims of fiduciary breaches against WP leaders, concluded in July 2023 when AHTC and Sengkang Town Council dropped their civil suits against WP leaders, including Pritam Singh and Sylvia Lim. Despite the conclusion, Mr. Yee's posts on July 25 and 27 on Facebook raised issues with MND's handling of the AHTC matter.
MND responded to several claims made by Mr. Yee:
-
External Auditors: Mr. Yee claimed MND was wrong to call in external auditors, blaming AHTC's issues on the termination of the Town Council Management System (TCMS) by Action Information Management (AIM), a company linked to the People's Action Party (PAP). MND countered that it called in auditors due to serious concerns raised by AHTC’s own auditors about financial mismanagement, not because of AIM.
-
Withholding Grants and Independent Panel: Yee alleged that MND’s actions, including withholding grants, were politically motivated to pressure AHTC. MND refuted this, stating its actions were based on genuine audit concerns and statutory responsibilities under the Town Councils Act (TCA). It also clarified that withheld grants were released before an independent panel was formed.
-
Panel Appointments: Yee suggested that MND influenced the selection of the independent panel members. MND clarified that AHTC had appointed Senior Counsel Philip Jeyaretnam to chair the panel, with AHTC having input on the panel's composition, ensuring its independence.
MND emphasized that these falsehoods could undermine public trust in its integrity and operations. Mr. Yee has since complied with the correction direction by posting notices on his Facebook posts, clarifying the factual inaccuracies.