What we know about AIM

First, let’s take stock of what we know at this point.

From Teo Ho Pin and Chandra Das, director of AIM, as reported in Straits Times 25 December 2012 and Today online 24 Dec 2012:

1. The 14 PAP town councils had jointly developed a computer and financial system prior to the end of 2010, with the aid of National Computer Systems Pte Ltd — which a check with their website indicates is a subsidiary of Singtel.

2. The 14 town councils decided to sell the software in 2010; a tender was called. Five parties took up tender forms but only Action Information Management Pte Ltd (AIM) submitted a bid.

3. AIM is fully owned by the People’s Action Party (PAP). The two shareholders must be holding the shares in trust for the party.

4. “AIM offered to buy the developed application software for S$140,000″, Teo said, but didn’t disclose whether $140,000 was eventually what it paid — a strange way of phrasing the statement.

5. AIM’s successful bid was to “manage the system for a monthly fee of S$785 per town council, for an initial term ending 31 October 2011″. However, Teo was silent on what the monthly fee was after 31 October 2011 — again a very strange omission.

6. After getting the deal, “AIM engaged NCS to further maintain and develop the system” (Straits Times, 25 Dec 2012).

We also know from Sylvia Lim, chair of Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC), that:

7. AIM issued a termination letter to AHTC effective 1 August 2011, citing the clause in the contract about “material change” in the composition of the town council. We know this from AHTC’s statement of 28 Dec 2012: “AIM had issued notice of termination of the systems, effective 1 Aug 2011. The new management at AHTC had requested an additional month, from 1 to 31 Aug 2011.”

Teo Ho Pin confirmed that it was AIM which decided to terminate. In his media statement 26 Dec 2012 (but published by Straits Times 25 December) he wrote: “After GE2011, the software contract with AIM remained in place for the PAP TCs. However, AIM decided to end the contract with the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC).” Chandra Das, in his statement to the media did not deny that it was AIM which initiated the formal termination, though he made as much as he could about AIM being very helpful with extensions of time.

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