Andrew Loh /
Mr Sitoh Yihpin has gone back on his promise, says the Singapore People’s Party (SPP). Mr Sitoh, the People’s Action Party Member of Parliament of Potong Pasir, had assured the SPP’s Mrs Lina Chiam that he would retain 16 employees of the town council of the ward. But this is being disputed by Mr Sitoh who says that he has not reneged on his word.
After the May election results were announced, which saw Mr Sitoh beating Mrs Chiam by a mere 114 votes, Mrs Chiam had expressed concern for the town council staff’s employment prospects. She had then asked Mr Sitoh for assurance that he will continue to employ them now that he has won the elections and would be running the town council.
However, 13 of the 16 employees were issued termination letters last week, while the other three were offered employment in Potong Pasir Town Council, according to news reports.
When asked by the media why he was not keeping most of the staff, Mr Sitoh explained that since the town council has engaged EM Services to manage the town, he “has to abide by EM Services’ regulations.”
“It has its own way of doing things that is developed over the years,” he said, “which is why I adopt this system. My paramount interest is the Potong Pasir residents, so EM Services has to bring in its own people. I can’t compromise on standards of services I deliver to residents.”
The SPP is delivering a “request” letter to Mr Sitoh on 2 June to ask him to keep to his promise. In the letter, the party reminded him of what he had said to Mrs Chiam “in the morning of the day after General Elections”:
“Since you [Mrs Chiam] have raised this issue to me personally, I will keep all the staff at the Town Council. I will honor my words.”
Referring to the new arrangement which the staff will have to undergo with EM Services, the SPP said, “Under this arrangement, if they were to re-apply for hiring under the EM Services company and be accepted, they shall be deployed to other town councils and their employment conditions shall be subjected to their new contract with EM Services.”
The SPP wants Mr Sitoh to honour his promise to hire and retain the staff at the Potong Pasir town council. “Terminating them and referring them to reapply to be hired under a different employer – EM Services – is not the same as the promise to keep them,” the SPP said.
The party also said that there were no reason given to the staff on why their services were being terminated. Some of the employees had been working at the town council for five to ten years.
“Even if you did choose to go back on your word and terminate them,” the SPP letter said, “there has been no offer of appropriate and adequate compensation in terms of severance or retrenchment package for them. We do not think this is a fair and equitable termination practice based on accepted industry and HR practice.”
The party asked Mr Sitoh to “reinstate all the staff back to the Potong Pasir Town Council or offer an appropriate retrenchment or severance.”
If re-employed under EM Services, these staff would have to undergo a six-month probation period and be subject to new contractual terms. Some of the council employees were concerned about this.
According to the Today newspaper, when asked about the probation period, Mr Sitoh said this was standard human resource policy for all EM Services staff. He added: “If they’re good performers, what’s the worry?”
You can read the SPP’s letter in full here.
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Pax Orientis is the PAP spy out in the net like many others, trying to protect PAP and screw the opposition or any person who supports opposition……F U C K O F F!!!
this is a FREE history lesson to sitoh the cheapskate b a s t a r d abalone porridge $2 seller mp…
…………
when nelson mandala( you do know who is nelson mandala right?) no it not behind tan tock seng mandalay road.. that mandala is from myammer..burma.. aung su ki home town…
nelson mandala was jailed by the white men for 27 ears for preachin what chia tye poh did..for the people by the people stuffs…
when he was released simply because white south africa needs to trade with the whole wide world onced again..too many diamonds would not filled 1 white man stomachs..xcept their teeths…
when he won the ERECTION fairly from the white men government..
the FIRST thinggie he did when he waltz into Union Buildings, Pretoria…all the white people crews men and women were already packed up and prepared to ORD…
did nelson mandala fired all the WHITES since the whites was his jailer in the FIRST place?
he just says.. i know you all hates me for being NON white.. you are FREE to leave this office unharmed/unsued or even bein jailed…
OR…
you could stay..
and WORKED together for i, nelson mandala valued all YOUR xperiences for ALL the south africans..black and white doesn’t matter include michael jackson..
even the special branch security agents were bein retained and he trusted the white men special branch with HIS life…
did all these previous white people crews failed in their tasks as crews?
no.. did any attempts for the white men special branch even shoot him in the back?
yes no?
if no why not?
so sitoh ole boi..you ain’t no kid..stopped actin liked ONE..
to me you are just worth TWO dollars..the same prize as the abalone porridge you onced offered if proton pasir voted for you…
This is just the beginning of the lobbyed ‘Change’
Such a rash and cunning act is seen as cruel.
Families’ livelihood jeopardised ruthlessly.
It really hurts to bottom of the heart.
Toying with the lifeline of human beings.
Time will tell. Lose more votes.
Retributions.
Pax Orientis is the PAP spy out in the net like many others, trying to protect PAP
………..
neigh.. he just a lappy DOG who just liked to be called in a foreign argentinan name to improve his alter egos
and he think that he can get away by smudgin the charecters of the chiams family…
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
Let’s be objective and avoid words that are too offensive…or people will think that opposition supporters are rude or unruly…
Objectively, all has their points and views…the immediate concerns must be for the families affected… and SYP must act now (or lay out his plan) on what the purpose of terminating staff with a valid reason….
Is now why the termination of the staff, is was the way and approach handled by the newly elected MP…. if good evaluation processes and transparency on the while saga…. so far no comments from the PAP minister(s) to air their view on this….WHY?
If it has been the other way, I believe many ministers would have jump and sides the families stories!
By the way, pardon my grammatical mistakes, typing too fast.. :)
FYI, if you are a PAP supporter, try not to fake… its too obvious…and be sure that you are looking at both sides of the coin…not just the PAP side..ok?
As for me, I am just giving my views as a neutral party….my vote will change depending on who serves the people the right way… thats my principle..
Is there no law anymore in SG? This clearly violates LABOUR LAW (sacking without any reason). If it is retrenchment, then they should not re-hire staff, thats not retrenchment. PAP people are not above the law. This country is slowly rotting away if this sort of thing is practised without reprieve or a word from the PM or an minister.
Forgot to add, if they can do this, they can do anything to anyone without the law touching them as long as they are PAP. Does any non-PAP citizen still feel safe? No, so they are trying to tell you either be with us or we can do anything to you.
@Breaky
I get your point and I do agree with you that the termination might not be deemed as fair to many people.
However the reality is that if there is a change in management, it usually leads to a change in staff, thats understandable as well.
In the case of SPP staff, they have it better than the private sector, as they are automatically offered employment oppurtunities.
Of course, Sitoh probably is an ass for not hand holding those staff through the entire process. You are right to say a termination letter alone can lead to a heart attack. I also did mention this point in the other forum.
But he did arrange with EMS services to give those 13 jobs right? He didn’t just fire them and leave them to rot which is what iPUSHleekingyouwheelschair is claiming.
Mr Sitoh promised pple to have better town council. How u expect to have better town council if he cannot change anything?
I bet if WP do the same thing to Adjunied Town council, no one will make any noise.