SKTC lawyers say Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council case “involves novel and complex issues of law”

Singapore—The lawsuit filed by Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council against Workers’ Party (WP) MPs Sylvia Lim and Pritam Singh and others “involves novel and complex issues of law,” said the legal team appointed by the new Sengkang Town Council (SKTC).

The General Election in July of this year had seen a redrawing of boundaries, and Punggol East, which had been a single-member constituency (SMC), became part of the new Sengkang GRC.

Due to a by-election in 2013, Punggol East SMC was represented by the WP’s Lee Li Lian for two years. However, the People’s Action Party’s Charles Chong won at Punggol East SMC in 2015’s GE.

And now, Sengkang GRC is under the WP again. It is made up partly of the former Punggol East SMC and the Sengkang Central division of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, both of which were previously managed by the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC). It is also made up of parts of Sengkang West SMC, which was managed by Ang Mo Kio Town Council.

The PRPTC filed the lawsuit to recover alleged losses incurred by the former Punggol East SMC when it was under the WP from 2013 to 2015. It began the civil suit after the WP-run Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) had sued the same people.

A judge found that Ms Lim and Mr Low had breached their fiduciary duties to the town council and that Mr Singh had breached his duty of skill and care. The town councillors and the PRPTC are appealing against the decision.

SKTC said earlier that it is fully committed to ensuring that all decisions taken in relation to the management of the court appeals are fair, transparent and in accordance with the law.

Ms Marina Chin, the joint managing partner of the law firm Tan Kok Quan Partnership, was formally appointed on Oct 28, the same day as all the assets and liabilities of the former Punggol East Single-Member Constituency (SMC) were transferred to SKTC.

Ms Chin’s firm requested that the hearing of the case before the Court of Appeal be postponed to early 2021. It added that because of the changes to the electoral boundaries, the case may be in effect one pursued by SKTC and “involves novel and complex issues of law.”

—/TISG

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