Desmond Lee
Singapore
“The Leadership, Enrichment, Achievement, Participation and Service (LEAPS) 2.0 is a framework for recognising student participation and achievement in secondary school co-curricular programmes.”
“The Ministry of Education (MOE) is mindful of the impact that rising temperatures may have on our students, teachers and officials taking part in the National School Games. Matches are scheduled only after students have had the time to train and become progressively more heat acclimatised.”
“As shared in Parliament in March 2026, the proportion of students with special educational needs (SEN) in mainstream schools has remained stable, at around 7% of the overall student population. This stability is observed across both primary and secondary schools.”
“The Ministry recruits and assesses applicants based on merit and suitability for the teaching profession, regardless of gender. We look for individuals with a passion for teaching, a belief in the potential of every child, and who possess the values and character to make a positive difference in students' lives.”
“Over the past five years, an average of 750 teachers resigned from the Education Service annually, representing a resignation rate of around 2%.”
“MOE has also progressively strengthened open access within the Primary 1 Registration Framework through Phase 2C, which is open to students regardless of whether they have prior connections to the school. MOE had increased the number of reserved Phase 2C places from zero to 20 in 2014; and from 20 to 40 in 2022.”
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“The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) has a robust regulatory and enforcement framework in place to ensure that property agents and agencies uphold high professional standards. Property agents who commit disciplinary breaches, including breaches of duties in respect of advertisements, may be subject to the following disciplinary actions. For serious disciplinary breaches, property agents may be referred to a Disciplinary Committee (DC). The DC can suspend, revoke, attach or vary conditions on a property agent’s registration and impose financial penalties of up to $100,000 per case. For less serious disciplinary breaches, CEA may issue warning letters or Letters of Censure with financial penalties of up to $5,000 per case. In addition to the above penalties, CEA will publish the property agent’s disciplinary records in CEA’s Public Register. Besides taking enforcement action on property agents for advertisement breaches, CEA also engages the real estate agency industry regularly to remind property agents and agencies of their duties in respect of advertisements and works with the industry to promote best practices, such as through the Alliance for Action, on accurate property listings.”
“This question has recently been addressed in the written reply to the Parliamentary Question for the 10 September 2024 Sitting. We are currently reviewing both schemes and will provide updates when ready. [Please refer to "Effectiveness and Relevance of Central Business District Incentive and Strategic Development Incentive Schemes", Official Report, 10 September 2024, Vol 95, Issue 141, Written Answers to Questions section.]”
“There are 11 Housing and Development Board (HBD) coffee shops in Hong Kah North Single Member Constituency. Of these, seven are rented out by HDB and four had been sold to private owners. As of 4 October 2024, 22 (or 21%) out of 105 stalls in these coffee shops are halal stalls. HDB does not have data on the number of stalls that have given up their tenancies because such stall tenancies are managed by the coffee shop operators. Since 2005, HDB rental coffee shop operators are required to provide at least one halal stall under their tenancy agreement with HDB. Should any halal stallholder cease operations, HDB requires the coffee shop operator to find a replacement within the current tenancy period. HDB conducts onsite checks regularly and if the operator fails to find a replacement, HDB may decide not to renew the tenancy or, as a last resort, terminate the tenancy.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) requires professionals who handle animals involved in enforcement cases under the Wildlife Act and the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act to be certified through NParks’ Animal Management Certification Programme to ensure that they have the necessary expertise. This includes non-enforcement officers, such as employees of animal management companies, assisting in the specialised handling of animal species. The annual breakdown of the involvement of such non-enforcement officers for the past five years is in Table 1 below.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) is committed to safeguarding animal welfare. Injured or sick animals involved in investigations for animal cruelty and welfare offences are promptly assessed by veterinarians and sent for necessary treatment. Under section 44(1)(a) of the Animals and Birds Act (ABA), the Court may order an injured or sick animal to be taken to a veterinary centre or other specific places to be treated upon conviction of the offender. Further to the Court order under section 44(1)(a), a person is liable under section 44(2) to pay for the animal’s maintenance and treatment until it is fit for release. As there is usually a time lapse between the start of investigation and conviction of the offender, no Court order has been made under sections 44(1)(a) and 44(2) of the ABA over the past five years. NParks bears the costs and expenses involved in the treatment of injured or sick animals seized during investigations. NParks will continue to explore means of recovering costs from offenders.”
“Under the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS), the household will sell part of their remaining flat lease to the Housing and Development Board (HDB), after retaining a lease that is sufficient to cover the owners until at least 95 years old. The LBS proceeds is computed based on the market value of the flat at the time of application for LBS, less the value of the lease retained by the household and any outstanding monies due to HDB. Hence, the LBS quantum received would vary, depending on the age of the flat, the duration of the lease sold back to HDB, and prevailing market conditions. The LBS proceeds will be used to top up the owners’ CPF Retirement Accounts, to boost their monthly CPF LIFE payouts. Additionally, the household may receive an LBS bonus of up to $30,000 for 3-room and smaller flats, $15,000 for 4-room flats, or $7,500 for 5-room and bigger flats. From 2019 to 2023, the average LBS proceeds plus the LBS bonus received per household was about $261,000 for 5-room and bigger flats, $212,000 for 4-room flats, $168,000 for 3-room flats, $153,000 for 2-room flats and $98,000 for 1-room flats.”
“This notwithstanding, HDB will continue to study and address feedback received from Town Councils in upcoming building projects.”
“Maintainability is considered upfront as part of our Housing and Development Board (HDB) Build-To-Order (BTO) designs. This includes requirements for maintenance accessibility, choice of materials and construction detailing. For example, in HDB’s provision of greenery to enhance quality of living, hardy plant species are selected to reduce maintenance costs, and plants are placed in areas with safe and easy maintenance access, such as at entrances, gathering spaces or in planter boxes on the facades of multi-storey car parks. HDB actively seeks feedback from the Town Councils via regular dialogue sessions and regularly reviews its design guides in response to the Town Councils’ feedback to support and enhance maintainability in HDB estates. HDB has been responsive to feedback from the Town Councils that plants in shaded courtyards face difficulty thriving and required frequent replacement. In response to such feedback, HDB has begun providing dry landscapes for these areas. Another example is gondola landings, which are provided in all HDB precincts to facilitate gondola operations for facade maintenance and repainting works. Following feedback from the Town Councils on insufficient landing space, HDB enhanced its technical requirements to allow for a wider obstruction-free landing area for gondolas. The Ministry of National Development does not project the projected operating expenses for new HDB estates. As the common property in HDB estates are managed and maintained by respective Town Councils, they are best placed to estimate and project their own operating expenses. For example, Town Councils might enjoy economies of scale when grouping maintenance contracts within their towns.”
“Upon discovering the inaccuracy in CNA’s report on 27 August 2024 about the Lease Buyback Scheme, the Housing and Development Board informed CNA, which promptly corrected it. This is in line with established practice for mainstream media outlets.”
“The Government is committed to the development of Jurong Lake District (JLD) as a model for sustainable development, integrating business, residential and recreational spaces, outside of the city centre. The Urban Redevelopment Authority will continue to engage with industry stakeholders for feedback on JLD’s plans and review the approach for the Master Developer site. Meanwhile, the JLD Master Developer site is placed on the Reserve List, to allow interested tenderers to activate the launch of the site under the Concept and Price Revenue Tender approach, subject to a minimum price that is acceptable to the Government. Land valuation depends on many factors, such as prevailing macroeconomic and property market conditions, proposed land use and site-specific conditions. The bidders would also have their own perspectives of how these factors may impact the development proposals and factor them into their corresponding land valuations. Hence, we are unable to comment on developers’ land valuation approach.”
“The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) conducts the Annual Return of the Construction Industry survey to obtain information to monitor the structure and performance of the construction industry. The survey is required by the Department of Statistics for the compilation of national accounts, which entails similar surveys of companies in other economic sectors. For the annual survey, BCA selects companies that perform general building and civil engineering works, and larger companies that perform certain types of specialised construction-related activities, such as piling works and precast production. Other companies are also selected at random across the construction industry. BCA has been providing companies with support and guidance in completing the annual survey. For example, those that need additional time to complete the survey can request a deadline extension, while those that face difficulties with the survey can also reach out to BCA for assistance.”
“Today, the Housing and Development Board sets aside at least 40% of its public supply of 2-room flexi flats for eligible seniors. With the new Build-To-Order flat classification framework from October 2024, half of this supply in Standard and Plus projects, and a quarter in Prime projects, will be set aside under the Senior Priority Scheme for those who wish to live near their current home, or live with or near their parent or married child. Seniors aged 65 and above can also purchase a Community Care Apartment (CCA), which integrates senior-friendly housing with care services. Access to CCAs is, therefore, prioritised for households with at least one applicant or essential occupier with care needs, regardless of the location of their current home. If the model of care provision proves to be effective and scalable, we will continue to build more CCAs across Singapore. This will enable more seniors to age well within their communities.”
“Today, married children and their parents buying new flats to live with or near one another, get priority access to Build-To-Order flats. As announced at the National Day Rally in August 2024, from mid-2025 onwards, we will extend such priority access to all parents and their children, married and single. The Ministry of National Development will share more details when ready.”
“From 2021 to 2023, there were about 600 escalator-related incidents reported to the Building and Construction Authority each year. Of these, about 97% were due to user behaviours. For instance, the majority of incidents arose from escalator users losing their balance when walking on the escalators without holding onto the handrails or when carrying bulky items on escalators. More than 40% of the incidents involved users who were older than 60 years. Since 2010, all new buildings comprising five or more storeys have been required to have one or more lifts. Owners of eligible existing buildings may tap on the Accessibility Fund, which co-pays up to 80% of the construction cost of basic accessibility features, such as lifts. To improve the accessibility for seniors and commuters with mobility challenges, the Land Transport Master Plan 2040 also includes the installation of more lifts at existing pedestrian overhead bridges and older Mass Rapid Transit stations.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) has in place a comprehensive tree management regime that enhances the resilience of its tree population against intense rains and winds. This includes a rigorous tree inspection and maintenance regime that is aligned with the best practices of the International Society of Arboriculture, and complemented by the use of technology to improve diagnostic capabilities and enhance inspection processes. In tandem, NParks implements pruning to remove weak, dry or overgrown branches, to improve their structure and balance and ability to withstand severe weather conditions. Prior to seasons of wet weather, NParks also undertakes targeted crown reduction on mature trees. NParks has also been replacing diseased and storm-vulnerable tree species with hardier species which are more suited to Singapore’s weather and urban conditions. For example, the population of Sea gutta (Planchonella obovata) and Shore Laurel (Neolitsea cassia) in parks, gardens and roadside verges managed by NParks has increased from around 25,400 to around 46,500 from 2017 to 2023.”
“The Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment (Code) recommends for buildings to have at least one power-operated or automatic door at the main entrance to a building. Where possible and practicable, buildings should provide sliding or swinging automatic doors instead of manual doors. The Code also stipulates that interior hinged doors of new buildings and existing buildings that undergo addition and alteration works with plan submission to the Building and Construction Authority should have a maximum initial opening force of 30 Newtons. This is similar to the requirements in some jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom. We will consider the suggestion to reduce this to 22 Newtons in our regular reviews of the Code.”
“The Building Control Act and Regulations set out the requirements for the structural design and installation of cladding works, including panels and their attachments. These requirements have taken into account wind loads and other environmental factors to minimise dislodgements. Under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act, building owners are required to maintain the exterior features of their buildings. The Government also introduced the Periodic Façade Inspection regime in January 2022, which requires inspection of certain older buildings once every seven years. This provides early detection of deteriorating façade materials and connections. To date, more than 2,000 buildings have undergone periodic façade inspections. Amidst changing weather conditions, we will continue to review our regulations and inspection regimes regularly, to future-proof our buildings and ensure the structural safety and resilience of buildings in Singapore.”
“Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) seeks to achieve higher quality and more efficient facilities management (FM) services by integrating various services, such as maintenance, cleaning, security and landscape management, under a single contract. Typical key performance indicators used by Government Procuring Entities (GPEs) to measure quality and efficiency of FM services include response time for resolving issues, energy and water savings and manpower productivity. With IFM contracts, FM companies can avoid duplicative efforts between functions. They can also deploy workers to handle a wider range of tasks, instead of having separate systems and teams for different FM functions. IFM also brings about better coordination across various FM services, so that service requests can be managed in a more timely and responsive manner. Government procurement guidelines allow GPEs to insert provisions in their contracts to adjust the Schedule of Rates, if they are found to be grossly excessive or inadequate after a tender is awarded. GPEs, such as Housing and Development Board and JTC Corporation, have clauses in their IFM contracts that allow the awarded Schedule of Rates to be updated to fair market rates where needed or cater for regular reviews to assess the need for such adjustments. FM companies may also raise rate adjustment requests and accompanying justifications to their respective GPEs, who will assess these requests accordingly.”
“The Council for Estate Agencies (CEA) takes a serious view of errant behaviour by property agents and will take agents to task for breaching their professional and ethical obligations. Today, there are about 36,800 registered property agents in Singapore. Property agents who commit offences under the Estate Agents Act 2010 (EAA) or its subsidiary legislation may be prosecuted in Court or issued composition fines by CEA. Between 2019 and 2023, 19 property agents were convicted in Court and fined for offences under the EAA, with none sentenced to imprisonment, 38 property agents were issued composition fines and 23 property agents had their registrations revoked for not being fit and proper to remain registered. Property agents who commit disciplinary breaches may be subject to disciplinary proceedings before a Disciplinary Committee (DC) or disciplined under the Letter of Censure (LOC) regime, depending on the severity of the breach. Between 2019 and 2023, 101 property agents were given financial penalties and some of them were also suspended by a DC. Since the introduction of the LOC regime in 2021, CEA has censured a total of 38 property agents in 2022 and 2023, of which 16 were also given a financial penalty. In 2021, to strengthen deterrence, CEA raised the maximum financial penalty that a DC can impose from $75,000 to $100,000 per case for property agents and $200,000 per case for property agencies. Disciplinary actions taken against property agents are also published in the CEA Public Register for added deterrence and transparency. CEA will continue to monitor and recalibrate the enforcement framework where necessary.”
“The Urban Redevelopment Authority, the Housing and Development Board and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) Institute of Human Development and Potential have recently embarked on a three-year study on the impact of the urban environment on mental well-being, which will inform the way that we plan for a healthy living environment in Singapore. This study will build on current research, such as the benefits of greenery on mental well-being. We will share the findings when ready.”
“From 2021 to 2023, about half of co-owned flats that underwent transactions due to divorce were sold on the open market, while the other half was transferred to one of the divorced parties. A very small number of flats were surrendered to Housing and Development Board (HDB) as neither party was willing and able to retain the flat, and the flat was not eligible to be sold on the open market. In the same period, about 12,800 divorcees bought a resale flat or booked a new flat, either with their children or on their own. HDB does not track whether they had previously sold a matrimonial flat.”
“The Housing and Development Board (HDB) works closely with the Land Transport Authority to provide electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at HDB carparks, as part of Singapore's transition to cleaner energy vehicles. HDB multi-storey car parks (MSCP) are designed to cater primarily for passenger vehicles not exceeding an unladen weight of 2,000 kilograms and are built according to the prevailing building codes. While EVs tend to be heavier than internal combustion engine vehicles, due to their batteries, the loading provision of HDB MSCPs is generally able to support the increasing EV adoption in Singapore. Nonetheless, HDB and the relevant agencies are monitoring EV adoption and are jointly studying how to facilitate the parking of heavier EVs without compromising building safety.”
“Zebra crossings are allowed in the Housing and Development Board (HDB) carparks, provided they can be implemented safely. For example, pedestrians and motorists should have good visibility of one another for a sufficient distance. Where the implementation of zebra crossings is not feasible, HDB will enhance road safety by providing courtesy crossings or traffic calming measures, such as road humps, to reduce vehicle speed. Safety is a shared responsibility and all carpark users should exercise caution when driving or walking in a carpark.”
“The Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA's) Central Business District Incentive Scheme (CBDI) is intended to encourage the conversion of existing older office buildings into mixed-use developments in selected areas of the CBD, to inject a larger live-in population and greater mix of uses to rejuvenate the CBD. URA's Strategic Development Incentive Scheme (SDI) encourages the redevelopment of older buildings and precincts in strategic areas across Singapore to positively transform the surrounding urban environment. To date, URA has received 17 outline applications under CBDI – 13 applications have been given in-principle approval, of which, three are under development. URA has received nine outline applications under SDI – seven applications have been given in-principle approval, of which, two are under development. We will continue to monitor the market trends and engage developers and industry professionals as part of Draft Master Plan 2025 to ensure that these schemes stay relevant.”
“Over the past five years, the National Parks Board has not received any reports on veterinarians carrying out procedures to debark dogs without due justification.”
“I would like to assure Members that HDB will continue to look into ways to make HDB estates and blocks more accessible, to help residents with mobility challenges, such as the elderly, pregnant women and persons with disabilities. I encourage households with accessibility needs to approach HDB to explore suitable options.”
“The Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) was introduced in 2001. Since then, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has successfully implemented LUP in more than 5,000 blocks, which were originally built without direct lift access to every floor. Today, around 99% of all HDB blocks are either built with direct lift access or have benefitted from LUP. There remains about 1% of blocks, comprising around 2,000 flats, which have not been offered LUP due to high costs or technical constraints. In some cases, the cost can be more than $200,000 per benefitting household. HDB has explored numerous alternative lift technologies, including vertical platform lifts, pneumatic vacuum elevators, wheelchair stair lifts and portable equipment, such as stair climbers. However, they were assessed to be unfeasible for heavy residential use or unsafe to be operated independently by residents already facing mobility challenges. Furthermore, some of these solutions will also encroach into staircases and impede evacuation routes in the event of a fire. HDB will continue to explore new technologies and adopt them, where feasible. In the meantime, residents who are in need of direct lift access due to medical conditions or mobility reasons can apply for the Lift Access Housing Grant (LHG) of up to $30,000 to help them buy another flat with direct lift access. Since the implementation of LHG in 2020, HDB has received 60 complete applications. Of these, 49 applications were approved, while five are currently under evaluation. Some residents have used the LHG to purchase units available within the same neighbourhood, so that they can continue to enjoy the familiarity of their neighbourhood and community.”
“The Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) provides funding support for community-led improvement projects in Housing and Development Board estates for the benefit of local residents. Such estate enhancements include covered walkways, footpaths, cycling tracks and playgrounds. Over the past five years, an average of $47 million per year was set aside for all towns. The amount of funding varies across towns and from year to year for each town, depending on the number and cost of proposals submitted by the Town Councils and Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs). The amount of CIPC funding subsequently disbursed to each Town Council each year is based on works completed by the Town Council as the Implementing Agent. This disbursement is reported in the respective Town Councils’ annual financial statements. The annual disbursement to the Town Councils includes CIPC projects approved over multiple years as projects may span across a few years and excludes CIPC projects implemented by CCCs.”
“The impact of COVID-19 and rising Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale prices have led to an increase in demand for Build-To-Order (BTO) flats, including from singles. Amongst first-timer singles, application rates for BTO flats increased from 2.4 times in 2019 to a peak of 10.4 times in 2022. This has since come down to 4.8 times in the latest June 2024 BTO exercise. The moderation in application rates was the result of a series of measures to address the housing needs of singles and stabilise the property market. First, we have ramped up BTO supply significantly. Since 2021, HDB has launched more than 74,000 flats, including 14,000 2-room Flexi flats. Second, we increased the singles’ quota for 2-room Flexi flats in non-mature estates from up to 50% to up to 65%. Third, we introduced four rounds of cooling measures to stabilise the property market, and increased both the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Housing Grant and the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant, to make resale flats more affordable to home buyers, including singles. From the upcoming October 2024 BTO exercise, singles will be able to apply for new 2-room Flexi flats in all locations, instead of just in the non-mature estates, thus giving them wider options to meet their diverse housing needs. We expect singles’ demand for new 2-room Flexi flats to increase as a result. We will continue to monitor the market closely and adjust our policies where necessary.”
“In this regard, the offender will not be able to purchase a new cat or dog from a pet shop for the duration of the disqualification order. Breaching a disqualification order issued by the court is a criminal offence under section 43B of the Animals and Birds Act. There are penalties in place for animal-related businesses or individuals who contravene a disqualification order. Members of the public can inform NParks of animal welfare offences and breaches of disqualification orders via NParks’ website. NParks will investigate the matter fully and take the necessary action against the individual or individuals involved.”
“Under section 41C of the Animals and Birds Act, a person who is found guilty of an offence relating to the failure of duty of care for an animal will be liable to a fine and/or imprisonment term. Under section 42 of the Animals and Birds Act, a person who is found guilty of an animal cruelty offence will similarly be liable to a fine and/or imprisonment term. The penalties for both types of animal welfare offences under these sections of the Act, are more severe for individuals working in animal-related businesses. Such individuals are expected to uphold higher standards of animal welfare in a professional setting. Penalties are also heavier for individuals committing second or subsequent animal welfare offences. In addition, the Court may issue a disqualification order to an individual or business that is convicted of an animal welfare offence under section 43B of the Animals and Birds Act. This disqualifies the offender from owning or being in charge of any animal, or carrying on any animal-related business for up to 12 months. The disqualification order, if issued, is over and above the penalties for the animal welfare offences mentioned earlier. Animal-related businesses, such as pet shops, which are issued a disqualification order will have to cease their operations for the period stated in the disqualification order. The National Parks Board (NParks) will revoke the company’s pet shop licence, and will not issue new pet shop licences to companies that are serving out their disqualification order. If the offender is an individual, they will have to surrender or rehome all pets under their care. In addition, NParks will withhold issuance of pet-related licences that are required by regulation for an individual to own a cat or dog.”
“The Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) offers a subsidised temporary housing option for families with income of $7,000 and below while they are awaiting completion of their new Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat. In 2019, 27% or 207 eligible applicants were unsuccessful in their PPHS applications due to flat supply limitations. This increased to about 77% at the peak of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021. With HDB’s efforts to more than double the PPHS supply from 800 flats in 2021 to 2,000 flats today, the proportion of unsuccessful PPHS applicants has moderated to 62% in 2022 and 43% in 2023. We expect the success rate for PPHS applications to continue improving as HDB further doubles PPHS supply to 4,000 flats by 2025. In the meantime, eligible families can also tap on the PPHS (Open Market) Voucher scheme to defray the cost of renting in the open market. HDB does not accord families priority to choose a PPHS flat in the same area as their booked Build-To-Order (BTO) flat. Not all BTO flats have PPHS flats nearby. Prioritising by proximity to the booked BTO flat will unfairly disadvantage those whose booked BTO flats do not have PPHS flats in the vicinity. Instead, we accord priority to married couples with at least one child aged 18 and below, as these families have greater need for temporary housing. In the last eight PPHS application exercises, all such families who applied were invited to select a flat.”
“This question has been addressed in the reply to Parliamentary Questions on the residential property market and housing affordability, which was issued on 9 September 2024. [Please refer to "Impact of Housing Grant Increase on HDB Resale Flat Prices, and Trend for Resale Flat Prices By Flat Type", Official Report, 9 September 2024, Vol 95, Issue 140, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“This Question has been addressed in the written reply to Parliamentary Questions on lift upgrading matters, for the 10 September 2024 Sitting. [Please refer to "Addressing Lift Accessibility Needs of HDB Residents", Official Report, 10 September 2024, Vol 95, Issue 141, Written Answers to Questions section.]”
“From 2019 to 2023, the National Parks Board (NParks) investigated an average of about 1,200 cases of alleged animal cruelty and welfare cases annually. Majority of the cases involved dogs and cats. Among the cases investigated, an average of 50 cases resulted in enforcement against the offender, such as the issuance of warning letter, composition fine or court prosecution. The annual breakdown is shown in Table 1 below. The remaining cases resulted in no further enforcement action due to a lack of evidence or were unrelated to cruelty and welfare. Such cases were often associated with disputes or disamenities caused by pets or community animals, or deaths of community animals due to unrelated reasons, such as accidental falls from height. * Enforcement action refers to the issuance of a warning letter, a composition fine, or to court prosecution. Investigations for some cases are ongoing and have not been included in the count.”
“Flat buyers who need a housing loan can apply for one from either the financial institutions or the Housing and Development Board (HDB). In the last five years, HDB granted about 265,000 housing loans. Over the same period, HDB also received 14,000 appeals for a housing loan, of which, one in five was successful. The majority of rejected appeals did not meet the eligibility conditions to apply for an HDB loan, such as those that have exceeded the income ceiling or had already taken two HDB housing loans in the past.”
“From 2020 to 1H2024, only about 1% of HDB flats were transacted at $1 million and above. Given the year-to-year fluctuations, we have provided the aggregated analysis for such transactions that: (a) almost all sellers were Singapore citizen households; and (b) the annual proportion of Chinese sellers ranged between 86% and 93%. Accordingly, the proportion of sellers from other ethnic groups ranged between 7% and 14%.”
“This question has been addressed in the reply to Parliamentary Questions on the residential property market and housing affordability, which was issued on 9 September 2024. [Please refer to "Impact of Housing Grant Increase on HDB Resale Flat Prices, and Trend for Resale Flat Prices By Flat Type", Official Report, 9 September 2024, Vol 95, Issue 140, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]”
“Commercial pet boarders, breeders, pet shops and veterinary clinics require licences to operate. Under the respective licensing conditions, key personnel are required to have the relevant accreditation and certification. For instance, licensees and employees responsible for the day-to-day management and care of animals at commercial pet boarders, breeders and pet shops must attend mandatory training on pet care and management at a teaching institution approved by the National Parks Board. In addition, all individuals working in animal-related businesses, including pet groomers and trainers, are expected to uphold higher standards of animal welfare, given that they are entrusted with the care of their clients' pet animals. Under the Animals and Birds Act, any person who is found guilty of animal cruelty or failure of duty of care will be taken to task. Penalties are more severe for individuals operating or employed by an animal-related business. The Code of Animal Welfare (for the Pet Industry) also sets out minimum animal housing, management and care standards for pet service providers and failure to meet minimum standards stipulated in the Code may be used as evidence to support enforcement action.”
“The National Parks Board's (NParks) contractors are required to take necessary precautionary measures when working in close contact with birds. These measures include, wearing protective equipment, such as disposable gloves and masks, and the double bagging of carcasses in biohazard bags before disposal. Contractors are also required to wash their hands thoroughly and disinfect or dispose of equipment to prevent cross contamination. To further mitigate the risks of disease transmission, animal rescue services have implemented vaccination policies for their workers. To date, there are no confirmed human or animal cases of Avian influenza, including influenza A (H5N1), in Singapore.”
“The Building and Contruction Authority's Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment requires residential developments to provide at least one accessible and sheltered passenger alighting and boarding point with direct access to every block. This requirement applies to new buildings, and existing buildings undergoing major retrofitting works, where the building plans are submitted for regulatory approval on or after 1 April 2014. In addition, the Land Transport Authority's (LTA’s) Code of Practice on Vehicle Parking Provision in Development Proposals recommends the provision of sufficient waiting or holding areas to meet the needs of logistics services for all residential developments. LTA has published technical guidelines for alighting and boarding points, loading/unloading bays and vehicular access points that developers should incorporate in their design plans. As part of the development control process, LTA reviews the development’s vehicular circulation plans and guides developers to provide features in accordance with the technical guidelines. Both the Housing and Development Board and private developers must comply with the technical agencies’ regulations for residential developments. Review of the respective codes are conducted from time to time, and the Government welcomes suggestions to enhance the provisions for waiting or holding areas and estate road planning.”
“To enhance the user experience along our Park Connector Network (PCN), the National Parks Board (NParks) commenced pilots of a revised typology that segregates selected stretches of PCN into pedestrian-only paths and shared paths in 2022. This has been rolled out for park connectors that are used primarily for recreation, such as along canals and coastal routes, and where there are contiguous stretches that are wide enough to accommodate segregated paths. A total of approximately 30 kilometres of park connectors in Changi Beach Park, East Coast Park, Pasir Panjang Park and Changi Bay have since adopted the revised typology. In the next phase, NParks will roll out the revised typology for another 14 kilometres of park connectors, incorporating feedback received so far. Thereafter, NParks will engage stakeholders again and assess the feasibility to implement the revised typology for more park connectors.”
“The income ceiling of $14,000 to buy a flat from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) ensures that the limited supply of new flats and significant subsidies that come with such flats is prioritised for those who need them more, such as lower- to middle-higher income families. The current income ceiling covers about eight in 10 Singaporean households. Households whose monthly incomes fall between $14,000 and $16,000 are not limited to just Executive Condominiums. They can also choose from a wide range of resale HDB flats, for which there is no income ceiling. If they are buying a resale HDB flat to live with or near their parents or child, they will be eligible for the Proximity Housing Grant of up to $30,000. There are no plans to create a new category of Build-To-Order flats for them.”
“Management Corporations Strata Title (MCSTs) are the managing bodies of strata-titled private properties, such as condominiums. Under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act, MCSTs are empowered to manage their condominiums and enact by-laws. It is for the MCSTs to decide on access to their property, like other private property owners. The Ministry of National Development does not impose any requirements on MCSTs regarding access by Members of Parliament.”
“The National Parks Board was notified of the death of a dog at a pet grooming salon on 24 July 2024. As investigations are ongoing, it is inappropriate to comment on the case at this juncture. There is currently no licensing regime for pet groomers. Notwithstanding this, all individuals working in animal-related businesses, including pet groomers, are expected to uphold higher standards of animal welfare, given that they are entrusted with the care of their clients’ animals. Under the Animals and Birds Act, any person who is found guilty of animal cruelty or failure of duty of care while operating or employed by an animal-related business, will face up to two years' imprisonment or a fine of $40,000, or both, for a first offence. Penalties will be more severe for reoffenders. For second or subsequent offences, such individuals will face up to three years of imprisonment or a fine of $100,000, or both. The Court may also issue a disqualification order to an individual or business that is convicted of an animal welfare offence. In addition, the Code of Animal Welfare (for the Pet Industry) sets out minimum animal housing, management and care standards for pet businesses, including pet grooming facilities. Failure to meet minimum standards stipulated in the Code may be used as evidence for enforcement action. We are currently reviewing the Animals and Birds Act to enhance legislative powers to safeguard animal health and welfare. Under this review, we are studying the penalties for animal cruelty and failure to fulfil duty of care and will share more details when ready.”
“Mr Yip Hon Weng raised concerns about the impact of the lower LTV limit on low-income households, such as those transitioning from rental housing to home ownership. Lower-income first-timer families need not be worried, as the increase in EHG will more than offset the reduction in loan quantum from the lowering of LTV limit for these families. In other words, when the two measures are stacked together, their total housing budget has actually increased, hence making home ownership more attainable than before. There may be a small number of low-income families, including second-timers, who are affected by the lower LTV limit but are not eligible for EHG. I encourage them to approach HDB proactively to discuss their housing options. HDB has dedicated support schemes for low-income second-timer families, such as the Step-Up CPF Housing Grant or Fresh Start Housing Scheme. These latest changes reflect the Government’s commitment to provide a diverse range of affordable housing options for Singaporeans. We will continue to watch both the PRP and HDB resale markets closely and will not hesitate to act decisively to ensure prices remain in line with economic fundamentals.”
“Most flat buyers who take HDB loans are already prudent in their flat purchases, with almost nine in 10 already having LTV ratios of below 75%. They will, therefore, not be affected by the LTV limit reduction. For those with higher LTV ratios of between 75% and 80%, we have observed that these buyers disproportionately bought larger flat types and paid higher prices. In 2023, amongst resale flat buyers who took HDB loans (a) about nine in 10 with LTV ratios above 75% bought 4-room and larger flats, compared to about seven in 10 for those with LTV ratios of 75% and below; and (b) depending on the flat type, the median resale buyer with an LTV ratio above 75% paid about $20,000 to $60,000 more than the median resale buyer with LTV ratio of 75% and below who bought the same flat type. The lowering of LTV limit will, therefore, encourage more prudent borrowing and dampen demand at the higher end of the market, which should, in turn, have a knock-on effect of stabilising the rest of the resale market. History tells us that the property market moves in cycles, and those who buy at higher prices with larger loans are also hardest hit when the market cools. We will monitor the market after these latest moves and will take action if necessary. Impact of the increased EHG. EHG is means-tested, progressive and targeted. The latest round of enhancements is tiered such that lower-income first-timer households will receive more support. This reduces the risk of fueling the wider resale market. Furthermore, sellers may not be able to size up the grant amount that flat buyers receive, as HDB does not share the personal information of flat buyers with flat sellers, including the grant amounts that buyers are entitled to. Impact on low-income families.”
“My response will also cover matters raised in the question by Mr Yip Hon Weng scheduled for a subsequent Sitting. On 20 August 2024, the Ministry of National Development (MND) implemented two measures: (a) the Loan-To-Value (LTV) limit for Housing and Development Board (HDB) housing loans was lowered from 80% to 75%; and (b) the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) was increased to help lower- to middle-income first-timers purchase their homes. Let me first provide an update on the state of the residential property market that led to these measures before elaborating on the impact of each measure on home buyers. State of the residential property market. MND has been closely monitoring both the private residential property (PRP) and HDB resale markets. Following a ramp-up in the supply of Build-To-Order flats and private housing in the Government Land Sales programme, as well as three earlier rounds of cooling measures in December 2021, September 2022 and April 2023, both the PRP and HDB resale markets showed signs of moderation in 2023. In the first half of 2024, the PRP market continued to remain stable. However, the resale price index (RPI) for the HDB resale market rose by more than 4%. We are unable to provide a breakdown of RPI by flat type, due to the small transaction volume and fluctuations over time for some flat types. Broadly speaking, prices have increased across all flat types, in sync with the wider market. As a proxy, the Member can refer to the HDB InfoWEB for the quarterly data on the median resale price by town and flat type. Impact of the lower LTV limit. Mr Louis Chua asked about the LTV profile of those taking up HDB loans and the flat types they purchased.”
“The Resale Flat Listing (RFL) service on the HDB Flat Portal provides a transparent and reliable marketplace for the listing and transactions of Housing and Development Board (HDB) resale flats. HDB monitors listings on the RFL service to protect public interest and ensures that information published on flat listings is accurate. HDB will remove listings with inappropriate or inaccurate content, such as misleading or false advertising, as well as claims that violate HDB’s policies. HDB will also remove flat listings with unrealistic prices. HDB will explain to the flat sellers or their appointed salespersons the reason(s) for removing their listings. Listings that were removed can be reinstated on the RFL service, after the reasons are addressed, for example, after flat owners or their appointed salespersons revise the unrealistic listing price, or correct the misinformation. These efforts contribute to a stable and sustainable property market and ensure that the RFL service remains a trusted listing marketplace for serious sellers and buyers.”
“As flats age, building materials will naturally deteriorate. Town Councils are responsible for maintaining the common property, while flat owners are responsible for the maintenance of the interior of their flats and for undertaking repair works where needed. For flats that are around 30 years old, the Home Improvement Programme (HIP) systematically and proactively addresses common maintenance issues and provides improvements within flats, including repairing spalling concrete and structural cracks, and replacing the waste / soil discharge pipes if necessary. Outside of HIP, flat owners who encounter issues with the main soil pipe can approach their Town Councils for assistance. For all other piping or sanitary issues, flat owners should engage licensed plumbers to carry out the repairs. Minor wall cracks inside flats do not affect the structural integrity and safety of the building. Flat owners can patch up and repaint their walls. For exterior and facade walls, the Town Councils carries out inspections and upkeep of these walls. Notwithstanding, HDB also supplements with regular inspections, and will immediately repair if the crack could potentially compromise the structural integrity of the building. To help flat owners maintain their homes in good condition, HDB has developed a Home Care Guide, which is published on the HDB InfoWEB. Flat owners are encouraged to refer to this useful resource for the necessary information to keep their flats in good condition.”