GE2015: Low Thia Khiang says no surplus in Punggol East
"I want to ask the PAP to respond to the Workers' Party and residents of Punggol East - where has the money gone to?" shouted Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang in his rally speech on Saturday night.
Speaking in Mandarin at the field at Punggol East, it appears Low does not want to lay the Aljunied-Hougang Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC) issue to rest despite saying a day earlier that he did not want to "go around in circles with the PAP" over the subject.
During the rally, he held up a report showing that in 2013, Punggol East had a deficit of $280,000 when WP took over the SMC after the by-election.
Low disputed what PAP candidates Charles Chong and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said on two occasions where they said Punggol East's finances were in the black before WP took over.
In response on Sunday morning in a Facebook post, PAP candidate for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Zainal Sapari said Punggol East SMC was in "good financial health when the whole set of accounts handed over to AHPETC is read together".
"At the handover to AHPETC on 30 Apr 2013, although there was a deficit in the accumulated routine fund of $282,009, the same set of accounts also showed an amount of $303,372 claimable as reimbursement from the CIPC fund, which PRPGTC had already secured for Punggol East SMC. This was made known by PRPGTC to AHPETC at the point of takeover of Punggol East’s accounts and monies, which would give an actual net surplus of $21,363," he explained.
