SINGAPORE: Action Information Management (AIM),
which runs the People's Action Party (PAP) town councils' computer
systems, will no longer operate the systems when its contract
expires on April 30. It said on Wednesday that it will not
participate in the latest tender exercise.
The arrangement between AIM, a company fully owned
by the PAP, and the PAP town councils had caused controversy even
though both parties had explained that the process by which the
open tender was awarded to AIM was above board.
AIM Chairman S Chandra Das said: "Given that AIM had
helped prepare the tender documents, it decided not to participate
in the tender."
When contacted, Dr Teo Ho Pin, who is the Coordinating Chairman of
the PAP town councils, confirmed the news: "AIM should not bid for
this tender as they are involved in the tender specification
preparation."
Dr Teo declined to reveal how many parties had collected the tender
documents "as tendering is in progress".
In media reports last week, Mr Das declined to say whether AIM had
- or would - bid for the tender, which was put up by the PAP town
councils on February 4 and will close on Monday. Dr Teo had also
said the latest tender was for developing a new town council
management system. The previous tender - which was won by AIM in
2010 - was to sell and lease back computer software to the PAP town
councils.
The saga began on December 14 after Aljunied-Hougang Town Council
(AHTC) Chairman Sylvia Lim explained the town council's
less-than-stellar performance in a management report.
Ms Lim, part of the Workers' Party team which took over management
of the town council after the General Election in 2011, blamed the
AHTC's poor performance on the need to develop new IT systems
within two months of the PAP-owned AIM terminating its contract
last August.
Her explanation was followed by a series of statements by the AHTC
and AIM. Among other things, questions were raised about the
termination of the contract and the fact that AIM won a tender to
manage the computer systems used by the town councils.
Last month, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that the
Ministry of National Development will review the transaction. Among
other things, the review will re-examine the fundamental nature of
town councils, after much public debate about whether the town
councils are public institutions or political
organisations.
-- TODAY
