We would like to share that the Town Council has several modes of feedback channels for residents to contact us. They are:
1) iFeedback System where it leverages on SMSes and MMSes to engage residents on estate maintenance. Residents could text us at 97849305 with photos taken from their phones and provide information on the estate matters such as spotting defects or irregularities.
2) Town Council's website www.mptc.org.sg comes with a mobile version that has been created for the convenience of our residents where they can contact us via the embedded feedback form.
3) Email us at internet@mptc.org.sg or contact us at 6241 6044 (Marine Parade Office) or 62820551 (Serangoon Office) for urgent matters.
4) 24-hour essential maintenance hotline: 1800-2755555.
We welcome residents' feedback and look forward to hearing from them.
Thank you.
Congratulations to all our winners of Marine Parade Town-wide 4G Competition!
The 4G Competition was held to encourage a greater sense of participation from residents in keeping the environment clean and building a 4G Home - Great, Gracious, Generous & Green!
Under this competition, there are 2 categories, namely the 4G Home & 4G Food Centre.
We are proud to announce the following winning blocks and food centres:
TOP 4G Home
Block 5 Pine Close
MERIT 4G Home
Block 126 Aljunied Road
Block 803 Chai Chee Road
Block 202 Serangoon Central
Block 72 Marine Drive
Block 5 Haig Road
TOP 4 4G Food Centre
Block 50A Marine Terrace
Block 4A Eunos Crescent
Block 4A Jalan Batu
Block 80 Circuit Road
MERIT 4G Food Centre
Block 84 Marine Parade
Block 14 Haig Road
Block 51 Old Airport Road
Block 117 Aljunied Ave 2
Block 89 Circuit Road
Block 79 / 79A Circuit Road
PAP Town Councils Coordinating Chairman Dr Teo Ho Pin's statement
1. On 28 December 2012, I issued a press release in response to Ms Sylvia Lim's statement on the website of the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council. Ms Lim had made various assertions in her statement. However, her statement was made without citing the relevant facts. I now make this further statement to set out fully the relevant facts.
2. I am the co-ordinating Chairman of all the PAP-run Town Councils ("the TCs"). The PAP TCs meet regularly and work closely with one another. This allows the TCs to derive economies of scale and to share best practices among themselves. This improves the overall efficiency of the TCs, and ensures that all the PAP TCs can serve their residents better.
3. In 2003, the TCs wanted to harmonise their computer systems. Hence, in 2003, all the TCs jointly called an open tender for a vendor to provide a computer system based on a common platform. NCS was chosen to provide this system. The term of the NCS contract ("NCS contract") was from 1 August 2003 to 31 October 2010. There was an option to further extend the contract for one year, until 31 October 2011.
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.
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.
6. The TCs were aware of and concerned about the serious risks of system obsolescence identified by D&T, and wanted to pre-empt the problem. In addition, as the NCS Contract was about to expire, they sought a solution which would provide the best redevelopment option to the TCs, and in the interim would allow them to continue enjoying the prevailing maintenance and other services.
7. As Coordinating Chairman of the TCs, I had to oversee the redevelopment of the existing computer system for all TCs. It was clear to me that the existing computer software was already dated. The NCS contract would end by 31 October 2011 (if the one year extension option was exercised). However, assessing new software and actually developing a replacement system that would meet our new requirements would take time, maybe 18-24 months or even longer. We thus needed to ensure that we could get a further extension (beyond October 2011) from NCS, while working on redevelopment options.
8. D&T also raised with the TCs the option of having a third party own the computer system, including the software, instead, with the TCs paying a service fee for regular maintenance. This structure was not uncommon.
9. We decided to seriously consider this option. Having each of the 14 individual TCs hold the Intellectual Property (IP) rights to the software was cumbersome and inefficient. The vendor would have to deal with all 14 TCs when reviewing or revising the system. It would be better for the 14 TCs to consolidate their software rights in a single party which would manage them on behalf of all the TCs, and also source vendors to improve the system and address the deficiencies.
10. The TCs thus decided to call a tender to meet the following requirements:
11. Under the tender, the TCs sold only the IP in the old software. The ownership of the physical computer systems remained with the individual TCs. We wanted to sell the IP rights in the old software because it had limited value and was depreciating quickly. Had we waited until the new system was in place, the IP to the superseded old software would have become completely valueless.
12. The TCs advertised the tender in the Straits Times on 30 June 2010. Five companies collected the tender documents. These were CSC Technologies Services Pte Ltd, Hutcabb Consulting Pte Ltd, NCS, NEC Asia Pte Ltd and Action Information Management Pte Ltd ("AIM").
13. I am aware that NCS considered bidding but in the end, decided not to do so as it was of the view that the IP rights to software developed in 2003 on soon to be replaced platforms were not valuable at all.
14. Another company withdrew after it checked and confirmed that it was required to ensure renewal of the NCS contract without an increase in rates. The company did not want to take on that obligation. The others may also have decided not to bid for similar reasons.
15. In the end, only AIM submitted a bid on 20 July 2010.
16. We evaluated AIM's bid in detail. First, AIM's proposal to buy over the software IP would achieve our objective of centralising the ownership of the software, consistent with the model suggested by D&T.
17. AIM was willing to purchase our existing software IP for S$140,000, and lease it back at S$785 per month from November 2010 to October 2011. The lease payments to AIM would end by October 2011, with the expiration of the original NCS contract. Thus after October 2011, the TCs would be allowed to use the existing software without any additional lease payments to AIM, until the new software was developed.
18. This meant that the TCs expected to gain a modest amount (about S$8,000) from the disposal of IP in the existing software.
19. Second, AIM was willing to undertake the risks of getting an extension of the NCS contract with no increase in rates. This was the most important consideration for us, as it protected the TCs from an increase in fees.
20. Third, we were confident that AIM, backed by the PAP, would honour its commitments.
21. Given the above considerations, AIM had met the requirements of the tender on its own merits. We assessed that the proposal by AIM was in the best interests of the TCs, and thus awarded the tender to AIM.
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.
23. Since winning the tender, AIM has negotiated two extensions of the NCS contract until April 2013, at no increase in rates. The first extension was from November 2011 to October 2012, and the second from November 2012 to April 2013. The TCs received a substantial benefit in terms of getting the extensions from NCS beyond the original contract period, without any increase in prices.
24. AIM has also been actively working with several vendors to explore new software options and enhancements for the TCs. AIM has identified software from a number of possible vendors, and has invited them to make presentations to the TCs in order for a suitable option to be chosen.
25. Following the expiry of the initial lease arrangement for the software from AIM on 31 October 2011, no further lease payments for the software were made to AIM. During the period of its contract extension from November 2011 to April 2013, the management fee payable to AIM for the whole suite of services it provided was S$33,150, apart from what was payable to NCS for maintenance. In the end, inclusive of GST, each TC paid slightly more than $140 per month for AIM to ensure continuity of the existing system, secure the maintenance of this system at no increased costs, and identify options for a new system to which the TCs could migrate.
26. We entered into the transaction with AIM with the objective of benefitting the TCs. Over the last two years, the intended benefits have been realised. There is thus no basis to suggest that the AIM transaction did not serve the public interest, or was disadvantageous to residents in the TCs.
Dr Teo Ho Pin
Coordinating Chairman
14 PAP Town Councils
The Ministry of National Development (MND) has announced the fourth Town Council Management Report (TCMR) results. Our Town Council has achieved Green in 4 categories; cleanliness, lift performance, S&CC arrears management and Corporate Governance and Amber for Estate Maintenance.
We would like to thank our residents for helping us to achieve the results!
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Cleanliness |
Maintenance |
Lift Performance |
S&CC Arrears |
Corporate Governance |
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Besides the routine maintenance conducted by the Town Council, you can help us further by providing us with feedback on your estate. Help us to achieve a better score for the maintenance category by keeping your common corridors clutter-free, refrain from installing any unauthorized structures and refrain from littering or placing items at the common area which may endanger your neighbours and your loved ones.
Together, we can make Marine Parade Town a cleaner, safer and more beautiful home!
Recently, it was reported that seven Town Councils will be revising their S&CC for flats, shops/offices and market/cooked food stalls from September 2012. Each and every town are different in terms of age and profile of the properties, facilities and amenities provided. Hence, each Town Council determines the increase based on their needs and financial position.
We are pleased to inform you that Marine Parade Town Council will NOT be revising the S&CC for at least 1 year from September 2012. Residents will continue to pay the same S&CC rates, which remain unchanged since 2004.
Like all other organisations, our Town Council has to deal with rising costs and inflation. The increase in electricity tariffs, lift servicing and maintenance costs and contractual costs are factors and challenges facing the town council operations. With government grants, Marine Parade Town Council managed to stay financially healthy at this moment. Nevertheless, we will continue to monitor our finances closely and to hold off increasing S&CC rates for as long as possible while serving our residents effectively.
There are hundreds of fires in HDB common areas every year. It is important not to obstruct the common corridors and fire fighting equipment such as dry risers and hose reels as this can seriously hamper the fire fighting efforts and prevent a smooth evacuation during an emergency.
For you and your loved ones, pls do your part to keep the common area clear and safe!
Following are the guidelines on the usage of the common areas in HDB estates:
1) While SCDF does not permit the storage of combustible materials along common corridors, the placement of shoe rack is allowed for the sole purpose of keeping shoes whereby it would not constitute a substantial fire load;
2) A minimum clear escape passage of 1.2m clearance is to be maintained from the parapet wall where the shoe rack is to be allowed
3) No objects are to be placed along common corridors less than 1.2m wide
4) No placement / storage of objects at staircases and its immediate landing is allowed.
5) No storage of items within dry / wet riser compartment
Marine Parade Town Council iFeedback System leveraged on SMS and MMS to create a new feedback channel for Marine Parade Town Council to engage residents on estate maintenance.
You may SMS/ MMS* us anywhere. Please text us at 9784 9305 in the following format:
space space space
space space
Example: Block 19 #01-01 ABC Road Blown out fluorescent light
* Please check with your service provider for any telco charges incurred.
* In addition, you may share your feedback with us via the following channels:
Arising from the water tank incident at Block 686B Woodlands Drive 73, many residents have raised concerns on the security system of water tanks.
Since then, the 14 PAP Town Councils have met up with PUB several times and deliberated on the measures imposed.
We would like to assure our residents that there is a proper security system in place.
Implementation of a Three-Pronged Strategy to further tighten security of water tanks
(1) Introduced standard operating procedures for authorised roof acess
(2) Tender called for enhanced lock / restricted key control system to replace to non-duplicable locks
(3) Securing with bolting or festening of steel brackets over water tank covers
The Town Council will continue to look into ways to enhance the security of the water tanks and roof access to better serve our residents.
Should there be any enquiries, please contact us at 1800 241 6487.
Thank you.
The Town Renewal Plan has been launched!
As the theme suggests, “Quality Living in Our Town”, the Town Council aims to continue implementing programmes to improve the physical environment of the Marine Parade Town. The proposed town renewal plans are developed based on every estate’s unique demography, features and feedback from residents.
For more information, please refer to the Town Renewal Brochure .