What the PAP says about what Murali said

OKAY, so the People’s Action Party (PAP) is saying that the party can’t push forward THAT particular type of Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) for Bukit Batok if their candidate isn’t voted in. Why? Because that’s the Town Council’s job to do so.

Which means whoever’s doing the pushing has to be in charge of the Town Council. That, naturally, depends on who’s the constituency’s Member of Parliament.

In other words, what Mr Murali said was not a “threat”. He was simply stating facts, said PAP.

Anyway, here’s what the party said in its own words, in an email to us last night (April 27):

Murali did not actually say what is reported in your article, which stated:

“The only clash was over the status of infrastructure upgrading in the single-seat ward. There was some confusion over whether the PAP’s proposed $1.9m plan is under the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) supervised by the HDB or part of a URA masterplan. Mr Murali’s statement that the programme would be realised only if he became MP and entered the town council has been met with much derision online.”

Contrary to online versions and interpretations, Murali did not issue any such threat. What Murali said, in response to a reporter’s query on Sunday, was merely that the PAP Town Council would obviously be unable to proceed with its plans if he was not elected.

His answer was similar to what the PAP put out in its response to SDP last night (below). Both he and DPM Tharman also explained likewise at his press conference yesterday.

“If a candidate for election as Member of Parliament is not elected, his Party’s Town Council naturally cannot be responsible for the constituency, and cannot carry out its NRP plans for that constituency.” This simple fact was what Mr Murali Pillai had stated in response to a query from the media on April 24. It will then be for the new Town Council that is formed to decide on its plans and what it should proceed with.

The Government funds NRP projects for all Town Councils. The number of NRP projects approved for each Town Council takes into account characteristics such as the age profile of the HDB units governed by each Town Council. It is the Town Council that nominates the neighbourhoods which should be prioritised for NRP, when it applies for Government funding.

Geddit?

 

Featured Image by Sean Chong.

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