Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh has called for a definitive end to the politicisation of community upgrading funds in Singapore, declaring it is “time to draw a line” under the long-standing hurdles opposition Town Councils have faced in accessing Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) funds.
In a Facebook post on 9 April 2025, the Workers’ Party (WP) Secretary General welcomed procedural reforms made to the CIPC framework in 2021, which now allow opposition Town Councils to nominate projects for funding without requiring the support of grassroots advisers affiliated with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
“For residents of opposition Town Councils, it was decades in the making,” Singh wrote. “I am sure the ballot box played its part.”
Singh recounted how, for years, projects in constituencies like Aljunied GRC were held back due to the procedural requirement that the Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs), helmed by losing PAP candidates as Grassroots Advisers, had to endorse and appoint personnel for CIPC-funded projects.
This practice, he noted, created an incentive misalignment: unsuccessful PAP candidates were tasked with approving proposals from elected opposition MPs — a situation that predictably led to delays or project inaction.
Among the examples cited was a barrier-free access ramp in Eunos that took seven years to be completed, and a recently finished linkway that had been in the works for nearly a decade.
Although these practices have formally changed, Singh’s tone reflected a desire to move past what he characterised as a deeply entrenched form of political gatekeeping. The reforms, implemented by the Ministry of National Development (MND) in 2021, now allow non-PAP Town Councils to initiate projects directly, provided they meet criteria of value-for-money and community benefit.
But yet, PAP-aligned CCCs are still permitted to submit their own project proposals in non-PAP wards. If these involve land managed by a Town Council, they must now obtain formal consent from the Council.
Singh said the WP-Members of Parliament are prepared to support such proposals, particularly where the CCC contributes the required 10% co-funding portion.
“Residents in opposition Town Councils benefit directly from two different stakeholders… without unnecessary political red-tape,” Singh wrote.
Despite his appreciation for the policy shift, Singh’s post marked a culmination of years of criticism over how CIPC funds — roughly S$40 million annually — have historically been used. In previous posts, including one in 2019, he described the process as a “political tool” that entrenched the presence of losing PAP candidates while denying opposition MPs meaningful access to public funds for local upgrades.
He pointed out that such arrangements allowed PAP Town Councils to maintain better surpluses or avoid deficits by leaning on generous CIPC injections, while opposition wards had to fund upgrades from limited routine funds.
Parliamentary exchanges over the years — including questions Singh raised as early as 2013 — show a consistent pattern of requests for transparency in CIPC allocations. In one 2015 debate, Singh challenged the MND on why Town Councils like Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East had not received allocations since 2012, despite earlier receiving S$12 million between 2009 and 2011 under PAP management.
Government ministers, including Dr Maliki Osman and Mr Khaw Boon Wan, have reiterated that CIPC funds are allocated to CCCs and not Town Councils. They defended the model as one that promotes community bonding through grassroots-led engagement.
Nonetheless, the opposition has long questioned the neutrality of this arrangement, particularly since CCCs operate under the People’s Association — an entity overseen by the Prime Minister’s Office, and often staffed by party-affiliated individuals.
Three new projects in Eunos were announced in his post: a drop-off point at Block 112, and two upgraded playgrounds at Blocks 620 and 629, both situated in front of PAP Community Foundation (PCF) kindergartens. He also mentioned that work at a fitness area near Blocks 604/607 is nearing completion.
These initiatives, submitted by the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council, exemplify how the revised CIPC rules are now enabling direct service to residents without partisan bottlenecks.
Singh expressed gratitude to Singaporeans for their role in pushing for change and reiterated his belief that electoral accountability — and democratic resilience — played a role in bringing about reform.
“The changes to the CIPC processes are to be welcomed,” he wrote. “Singapore and Singaporeans deserve better.”
He also shared archival materials from the Workers’ Party, documenting years of appeals, rejections, and debates in Parliament over access to the CIPC funding pool — framing the 2021 reforms as a significant political and civic milestone.
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