Dr Teo Ho Pin, the Coordinating Chairman of the 14 PAP Town Councils, released a 26 points rebuttal to the questions about selling the software to AIMS, a PAP backed company, and leasing back of it, highlighted some bad IT management practices on developing the original software.

So if you don't have any background in IT but left in charge of a IT program, here are some lessons you can learn from the whole issue.

Lesson 1: Software should aim to be OS and Application agnostic

5. After a comprehensive review, D&T identified various deficiencies and gaps in the system. The main issue, however, was that the system was becoming obsolete and unmaintainable. It had been built in 2003, on Microsoft Windows XP and Oracle Financial 11 platforms. By 2010, Windows XP had been superseded  by Windows Vista as well as Windows 7, and Oracle would soon phase out and discontinue support to its Financial 11 platform.

We are well aware that that Windows and Oracle changes OS and software versions quite often. The original software should have been OS and application agnostic.

Who was in charge of building the original software? Was the question of Windows OS and Oracle upgrade/change considered during the building of the original software?

Ignoring the agnostic approach would lead this types of issue cropping up when a new version of an OS or application is launched.

Lesson 2: Give yourself more than two years head start to evaluate expiring IT contracts


4. In 2010, the NCS contract was going to expire. The TCs got together and jointly appointed Deloitte and Touche Enterprise Risk Services Pte Ltd (“D&T”) to advise on the review of the computer system for all the TCs. Several meetings were held with D&T.

With the contract with NCS expiring in Oct 2010, PAP Town Councils only gave themselves less than one year to evaluate the software.

If possible, give yourself a two years head start or more if you can to evaluate your software contract. This will give you time to evaluate and even create a new contract for IT services, especially for mission critical applications.


Lesson 3: Ensure your IT contract allow room for size variation.


22. Under the contract with AIM, the TCs could terminate the arrangements by giving one month’s notice if the TCs were not satisfied with AIM’s performance. Similarly, AIM could terminate by giving one month’s notice in the event of material changes to the membership of a TC, or to the scope and duties of a TC, like changes to its boundaries. This is reasonable as the contractor has agreed to provide services on the basis of the existing TC- and town-boundaries, and priced this assumption into the tender. Should this change materially, the contractor could end up providing services to a TC which comprises a much larger area and more residents, but at the same price.

Just as in life, data size, such as town boundaries, is bound to change and at most of the time, it is beyond your control. Make sure your IT contracts cover changes so that you will be charged a hefty bill at the end of the day.

• 0 comments »

The latest in the war of words between AIMS and Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) over a fiancial system had AHTC Chairman Sylvia Lim issuing a press release yesterday.

Wrote AHTC Sylvia Lim,

"As for developing an alternative replacement IT system for town management for AHTC, AIM reportedly said that AHTC had indicated sometime in June 2011 that it was developing its own system to serve residents.  At the time, the Workers’ Party (WP) MPs who became the incoming management of AHTC were acutely aware of the possible termination of the computing and financial systems at short notice by AIM, hanging over AHTC like the proverbial Sword of Damocles."

So what is this Sword of Damocles? 

As always, Wikipedia has all the answers.

From Wikipedia,

"Damocles exclaimed that, as a great man of power and authority surrounded by magnificence, Dionysius was truly extremely fortunate. Dionysius then offered to switch places with Damocles, so that Damocles could taste that very fortune firsthand. Damocles quickly and eagerly accepted the king's proposal. Damocles sat down in the king's throne surrounded by every luxury, but Dionysius arranged that a huge sword should hang above the throne, held at the pommel only by a single hair of a horse's tail. Damocles finally begged the tyrant that he be allowed to depart, because he no longer wanted to be so fortunate.

Dionysius had successfully conveyed a sense of the constant fear in which the great man lives."

In modern days, "it is used to denote the sense of foreboding engendered by a precarious situation,especially one in which the onset of tragedy is restrained only by a delicate trigger or chance".

There are arguments from some that AHTC was going to build their own financial system and was eventually going to reject AIMS software.

From my point of view, AHTC had no choice but to build their own financial system because AIMS had a contractual clause highlighting that it could terminate their service with one month notice.

As such, that is where lies the "Sword of Damocles". If AHTC were to continue using AIMS, AHTC would be at the mercy of the directors of AIMS, which had directors made up of ex-members of an opposing political party.

All AIMS needed to do was invoke the clause of "material indifference" and terminate their service in one month.

There is no way a financial system could be completed, evaluated and tested, within a month. Without a proper financial system, AHTC would then be questioned by the Housing Development Board on why there isn't a proper financial system in place since AIMS terminated their service.

AHTC, thus, had to build their own financial system to advert such a "tragedy".

This is why Sylvia Lim highlighted that the possible termination of AIMS in short notice was like the "Sword of Damocles" hanging over them.

• 0 comments »

Days before the resignation of Michael Palmer, Singapore Speaker of Parliament, one of the biggest Chinese newspaper in Singapore headlined 2012 as the year of lust.  With the Michael's resignation, Bloomberg said it caps the year of lust totally.

So how can a politician have safe extramarital sex? Here's learning from past mistakes.

1. Keep your lovey dovey off digital and analog.

It seems the media here is quick to blame Michael's confession to his party leaders because of tip off of the love emails and sms between him and the unfortunately lady.

So the lesson here is that as much as the digital revolution has allowed for more communication, keep your lovey dovey stuff off any form of digital and analog materials and only for her/his ears only.

Pent it all up and on the day of your rendezvous, let it all out for her/his ears only.

2. Keep your rendezvous meeting on a Monday evening

Monday evenings for secret meetings looks like the best time to escape. Doing it on Monday's allow you to beat the Monday's blues, plus everybody will think Mondays you are just having a night cap or having a summary meeting.

3. Find somebody like 10 degree of separation from your organisation

Make sure the person you are romantically linked to is as far as possible from your organisation as possible even if the bosses deny the relationship between the two organisations.

If your romantic partner is part of the IT company that sells you IT products, stay far far away.

4. Sleep with somebody from the opposition camp.

You can sleep with somebody from the opposition and nobody will believe you when found out. Even if  you are caught sleeping with the enemy, you have the perfect excuse that despite your difference, both of you have found a common ground. Make sure the ground is carpeted too as it could be tough on the knees. 

5. Go to an expensive and high class hotel

If you are going to get caught, as least be caught in style. Don't be seen as a miser who choose to do the deed in the car to save money.

Get caught in the most expensive hotel. Nothing beats going out with a bang.

Do you have any suggestions for politicians to practice safe extramarital sex? Please share them. 

• 0 comments »

Michael Palmer's resignation from the PAP meant that the Punggol East SMC is up for grabs. While the Prime Minister keeps Singaporeans guessing on when the by-election will be, there are already media and online speculation to who will be contesting Punggol East SMC.

People's Action Party (PAP)

The only question for PAP will be who be contesting. No names have officially been offered. Online speculation threw out some names like Ong Ye Kung and Desmond Choo.

Ong Ye Kung was part of the losing Aljunied GRC team in the last General Elections. However, his recent departure from NTUC to the private sector has threw out more cons than pros.

Desmond Choo contested recently in Hougang by-election but online gossip is saying that he should be staying put in Hougang to contest in the next General Elections.

It is also expected that PAP will throw in a heavy weight into the ring to get a confirm win. With the elections just over a year ago, it might be someone needing to come up of retirement.

Worker's Party (WP)

WP contested in Punggol East SMC in the last General Elections and garnered 41% of the votes for its candidate Ms Lee Li Lian.

Online speculation is that Ms Lee will be the candidate but some are saying that the by-election is a once in a 50 years opportunity to contest, someone more senior might be the candidate.

Punggol East SMC sits next to Aljunied GRC and a win for WP would extend their boundaries towards Pasir Ris - Punngol GRC where some are saying would be the next battleground between WP and PAP in the GE 2016.

Others

Reform Party's Kenneth Jeyaretnam has told the media that he is "strongly considering" and Ben Hwee, who last contested in GE2011 under the SPP banner, has said he "intending" to contest the SMC but as a independent in the same article.

Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan, who was just recently discharged from bankruptcy thus making him available to contest this by-election, only issued a statment calling for a quick date for the by-elections and have not clearly indicated of contesting the seat.

Online speculation is that Mr Chee will not particpate in this as he recently called for unity within the opposition. Contesting will only affect his credibility in GE2016.

and The One Who Is Interested To Contest Any Electin..

No official statment yet made from this possible contender whom popular Singapore blogger, mrbrown, once highlighted that he will join simisai election, Tan Jee Say has popped up online as a possible contender.

A multi horse race at Punggol East SMC might split the votes for the opposition parties involved so a two horse race would provide a better chance for an opposition party to win.

The last by-election of parliamentary seats held by PAP was in 1992 for Marine Parade GRC.  3 opposition parties went up against the team lead by then Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong,  and lost miserably. Of the 3, 2 lost their election deposit of $6000 per candidate for failing to garner at 12.5% of the votes.

• 0 comments »

121212 will be the date remembered for the resignation  of Singapore's Speaker of Parliament, Michael Palmer, from the PAP over an extramarital affair. This was reminisce to the sacking of then Worker's Party Yaw Shin Leong over alleged extramarital affairs too.

Mr Low Thia Khiang of the Worker's Party has responded in a gentlemanly manner to the resignation of Michael Palmer.  Mr Low was quoted to say ""He's well balanced giving both front and back benchers sufficient time to debate. He also has given members of the Opposition sufficient time to engage the front bench. Personally I quite like him as a Speaker so it's unfortunate that he has resigned."



In comparison, the People's Action Party wasn't as graceful as Mr Low when Mr Low had to sack his protege over alleged affairs.

Said Mr Khaw Boon Hwa then in February, "The Workers' Party needs to come clean with the people what information have they got about Mr Yaw and in particular, what did they know about him prior to the May election. And if they know, why did they field Mr Yaw. I think it is sad that the voters have been misled by the Workers Party."

In today's media conference with Mr Michael Palmer, Deputy Prime Minster Mr Teo Chee Hean said (at the 7:30 mark), "..no selection system will be full proof. Sometimes problems will emerge even many years after the selection and appointment.."




Yes.. karma's always a bitch in politics..

• 0 comments »

Singapore Minister of Transport, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, had a "Show me the money" episode when he was quoted to say ""Any fare adjustment will allow the two operators to have more resources, in time to come, to make further salary adjustments to their drivers. We recognise that the drivers need to be paid more. (The) question is, where is that money coming from? "

This quote sparked speculation that public transport fare is set to rise again in 2013 though a fellow member of parliament blamed the media for creating an  "illusion" of this public transport fare increase.

Blog, Transitional Eternity, however pointed out that the money to raise wages of the drivers can come from within and not from the public.

The blogger, XuYun74, discovered through SMRT annual reports that the SMRT director fees cost the public transport operator $9.6million alone in 2011.

Wrote XuYun74, "By 2012, directors’ fees have grown to a whopping 970% in a span of 11 years. Contrasting the generosity of SMRT on its directors, the growth of staff costs (excluding directors) is a mere 67%."

XuYun74 also suggested that if SMRT took out $1million, either from the directors' fees or from the profits, which was at a whopping $119 million in fiscal year 2012, could help pay for the increase in wages for the bus drivers by $500 per annum. 

I hope our Transport Minister do visit XuYung74's blog at http://xuyun74.blogspot.sg/2012/12/mr-lui-tuck-yew-money-is-over-here.html to go through the well-detailed research on "where to get the money" to cater to the demand to increase bus drivers' wages.

• 0 comments »

Mr Gan Thiam Poh, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, in his answer to a question posed by Mr Andrew Loh, editor-in-chief of Public House, highlighted that the Singapore media created an "illusion" that public transport fares will increase in 2013.



At the 6:25 mark, Andrew asked if the the media misreported the price increase. MP Gan replied that from the headlines he saw, the media has created an "illusion" of the price increase in 2013.

The headline from AsiaOne, one of the many online sites of Singapore Press Holdings, shouts "Bus fares may go up to help improve drivers' pay" by By Royston Sim And Maria Almenoar. In comparison, Channel NewsAsia titled "Public transport fare review to take into account bus drivers' wage increase" by Dylan Loh.

MP Gan clarified that the the Transport Minister, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, the drivers' wages component might be now considered as part of the formula for public transports fares.

On 18 May 2012, Cedric Foo, Chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport, when asked from the media if pay rise would mean increased fares, Mr Cedric Foo was quoted to say "I don't think there's a direct correlation between drivers' wages and bus fares."

This contradiction in the relationship between wages and the public transportation formula is a replay of when then Minister of Transport, Raymond Lim, said there was "no direct link between public transports fare and oil prices" in respond to a question on why transport fares did not decrease even when oil prices dropped.

Yet, the public transport companies continued to use oil prices as a reason for the need for the fare increase. In a press release on SBS Transit Website, a press release on September 2008 wrote that "the fare adjustment, which will yield $5.9 million for a full year, will only provide partial relief for the increased cost pressures the Company faces. Fuel and electricity costs rose by 64%, or $36.0 million, to $92.5 million in the first six months of this year".

If you listen to the video in its entirety, MP Gan highlighted the word "misunderstood" five times. Does this mean that there is some form of miscommunication between the government and the public because of bad reporting from the local gatekeepers at SPH?

• 0 comments »