Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s former personal lawyer Davinder Singh went on a rampage for the second day yesterday (Oct 17), in his strategy of firing a volley of baseless attacks hoping that one of them hit WP MP Low Thia Khiang. Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, a former PAP MP for Bishan Toa Payoh GRC, tried his first shot speculating that Low Thia Khiang created a company to ensure his Hougang SMC town council employees with 20 years of experience be transferred to handle Aljunied Town Council:
“The Workers’ Party’s (WP) Low Thia Khiang had directed FM Solutions and Services (FMSS) to employ workers from Hougang Town Council (HTC), even before FMSS was appointed as managing agent of Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC). This meant that FMSS was not the independent party Mr Low had made it out to be. In the email, Mr Low wrote that the managing agent of AHTC should employ existing employees of HTC, at least for a start. You would not have been giving these instructions to Ms How for FMSS to engage the Hougang staff unless their position was already confirmed?”
WP MP Low Thia Khiang calmly responded that the employment of the Hougang staff was instead a prerequisite for the new managing agent, and that the new managing agent was then not decided yet.
This led to the government-hired prosecutor to attack the WP MP of engaging in cronyism.
Senior counsel Davinder Singh then bit the Opposition MP on why was the PAP-owned managing agent CPG not given an opportunity to discuss the new contract. The WP MP stated that there is a high level of distrust in CPG and he is worried that CPG might sabotage him the same way AIM did (the PAP-owned software company who stole the Town Council Management System).
This led to the Prime Minister’s favourite dog to bark at the WP MP of being guilty of, again, cronyism:
“It would have crossed your mind that if CPG had found out, CPG at that meeting might say – what are you doing? You have to put out a tender…You had Hougang staff and you needed to find a home for them. The managing agent, therefore, would comprise “a team of people led by Workers’ Party supporters and a staff including WP members.”
Davinder Singh then briefly became a magician and pulled out an email from an anonymous “T T Tan” as court evidence. The PAP senior counsel alleged that the email was addressed to Low Thia Khiang, telling him to call for a tender. Using that anonymous email, Davinder Singh charged that the WP MP lied about not being informed of the need to call for a tender:
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The email was sent to Mr Low on May 13, 2011, by a person identified only as T T Tan.
“In the email, Mr Tan warned Mr Low about “the ongoings at ATC”, and urged Mr Low to “act now” to take steps needed to take over ATC as WP would be “in a difficult position” if he did not. Among the suggested solutions Mr Tan gave was one where he wrote: “Start employing or ask for tender now. At the last minute when you realise they (ATC) are playing you out, prices are going to shoot up. As early as the 13th of May, 2011, six days after you were elected, you were reminded by a WP member to prepare yourself for a tender because of what he had heard about CPG. Therefore, your entire evidence that you gave today about the tender not having crossed your mind and no one telling you about the tender – is regrettably untrue.”
Davinder Singh then fired another aimless shot, attacking the WP MP for being “dishonest” about the final decision of not continuing the contract with CPG:
“An email sent on May 27, 2011, by Ms Lim to Mr Low and others, where Ms Lim stated that “the existing management of ATC, CPG, will report to us until we release them at such date not later than Aug 1”. That sentence makes it clear that there was already a decision to release CPG.”
MP Low Thia Khiang did not take his bait, and declined that the senior counsel was just speculating. To which Davinder Singh was angered and taunted that he is “going to give you another opportunity so think carefully”:
“I’m going to give you another opportunity. I’m reading this sentence again. Please think carefully Mr Low. The existing management of ATC, CPG, will report to us until we release them at such date not later than Aug 1. Does this not suggest that a decision to release them had already been made and that this sentence is about the timing of the release?”
MP Low Thia Khiang said the Aug 1 date was the deadline if CPG did not continue the contract, to which Davinder Singh angrily blurted:
“I’m sorry to say you are not honest.”
Davinder Singh then fired his last bobo shot, alleging that Low Thia Khiang funded the start up of FMSS:
“Davinder Singh: On the 28th of May, 2011, did you know what was FMSS’ capitalisation?
MP Low: I’m not very sure. Probably S$200,000 or something?
Davinder Singh: You knew that, or are you telling us what you know now?
MP Low: At that point, I don’t know.
Davinder Singh: So if you didn’t know, where did you think FMSS (found) the money?” Mr Singh pressed.
MP Low: They go and find lah, it’s their company what.”