Pritam Singh: HDB unfairly advancing interests of losing PAP candidate is divisive politics

Sharing Workers’ Party (WP) member Bernard Chen’s recent Facebook post where he cried foul about HDB unfairly advancing the interests of PAP’s Grassroots Advisor in Aljunied GRC over that of the duly elected MP of the ward, Member of Parliament (MP) for Aljunied GRC Pritam Singh said that he has had similar experiences as well.
Mr Singh said that Mr Chen’s note is central to anyone who wishes to understand one aspect of Singapore politics in opposition wards, and encouraged Singaporeans to read it (link: https://theindependent.sg.sg/wp-cries-foul-hdb-unfairly-advances-interests-of-paps-grassroots-advisor-in-aljunied-grc/).
Mr Singh said: “I noticed a similar letter addressed to me by the HDB as I reviewed my MPS replies this week. It was worded similarly – we (HDB) have informed “Mr Chua Eng Leong, Advisor to Aljunied GRC Grassroots Organisation” for Eunos, about the spalling concrete problem.”
Mr Singh further said that these letters from HDB confirms that it is the Grassroots Adviser that has to approve the use of HDB’s Goodwill Repair Assistance (GRA) scheme to assist residents.
He added that this is another example of how the People’s Action Party (PAP) uses the People’s Association (PA) as a cover for the losing PAP candidate to remain relevant to residents and to “stay connected” with them between elections.
The MP suggested that “agencies like the HDB are then roped in to the back the PA up. At the polls, the Grassroots Advisers will then say, “I have never left Hougang, Aljunied, etc. etc.””
In asking if this was good politics, Mr Singh replied tongue-in-cheek, “only for the PAP. And yet, PAP politicians routinely remind us of the dangers of divisive politics, like in the US!”