IN recent years, the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) appears to have set off one political landmine after another.
The latest was the public furore over the party’s purchase of assets, a software programme, developed with public money – via a two-dollar shell company.
After several abortive explanations by party representatives, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stepped in to order an official probe into the deal. It is a political blow to the PAP who will be facing a difficult by-election in two weeks’ on Jan 26.
This preceeds another bombshell – an extra-marital affair that resulted in the departure of its Speaker and promising MP Michael Palmer.
The latest problem involved a computer system developed by 14 PAP-managed town councils using service and conservancy fees collected from Singaporeans.
After seven years of maturing, the IT system was sold to a dormant PAP-owned company, “the only bidder”, for S$140,000 (RM345,700). Full story
