Khaw Boon Wan
Singapore
“Motor vehicle dealerships and showrooms have been closed since the start of the circuit breaker. As COE bidding is done mostly by the motor vehicle dealers on behalf of prospective owners, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) suspended COE bidding for the months of April and May.”
“Though stressed by the financial pain, they press on with the immediate priority of fighting the virus and supporting essential services. Post-pandemic, we will see how public transport evolves. Will demand for public transport services simply return to the pre-pandemic level?”
“Under our rail financing framework, the Government fully pays for the cost of building new rail lines. In other words, we do not recover the cost of building the Cross Island Line (CRL) from commuters through fares. The CRL project is being implemented and the final costs will depend on tender bids.”
“There are around 5,000 private bus operators with a combined fleet of 13,500 private buses. As we do not track the number of private bus trips and passengers, we do not have data on their carbon emissions.”
“There are nursing rooms at 50% of our bus interchanges. We will provide nursing rooms at all new bus interchanges and integrated transport hubs. For the MRT network, we will provide nursing rooms at all new interchange stations. We will also explore providing such facilities when MRT stations undergo upgrading.”
“Over the last three years, Singapore carriers have reported a total of 20 incidents of food allergies on board their flights. None required the use of epinephrine or emergency flight diversions.”
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“In 2012, HDB received 19,600 applications to buy a new HDB flat under the Fiancé/Fiancée Scheme. Two percent of Fiancé/Fiancée Scheme applicants cancel their bookings before key collection each year due to a breakdown in the relationship between the applicants. This cancellation rate has remained unchanged over the last five years. Such couples who cancel their flat booking will forfeit their Option Fee, or 5% of the purchase price of their flat if they have already signed the Agreement for Lease. This is substantially lower than the usual 20% forfeiture fee imposed by the private developers. The forfeiture fees are necessary to ensure that applicants are serious about buying a flat, and are not depriving others with more urgent housing needs. Nonetheless, we do consider appeals for waiver of the forfeiture fees on a case-by-case basis.”
“We stopped letting out 3-room public rental flats more than 30 years ago. This is to encourage home ownership for the vast majority of Singaporeans, while we focus on helping the lower income group who cannot yet afford a sold flat, to rent 1- or 2-room rental flats. The highly subsidised rental rates for these 1- and 2-room rental flats keep the rent burden low for tenants. This helps them, especially larger families with higher expenses, build up their savings and progress to home ownership when they are ready. Currently, there are still about 600 public rental households in 3-room rental flats. HDB continues to help these tenants upgrade to home ownership or move on to a smaller rental flat to save on rental expenses. The vacant 3-room flats are then put to alternative use, or conversion to smaller rental flats. We have a set of eligibility criteria to safeguard rental flats for the truly needy. However, where there are genuine hardship cases, HDB does exercise flexibility, even if they do not fulfill the eligibility criteria.”
“Every month, on average, URA and HDB receive about 430 requests for season parking at their heavy vehicle car parks. LTA will only register a heavy vehicle if the owner has access to a licensed parking lot. This ensures adequacy of supply. Across the island, there are about 40,650 licensed heavy vehicle parking lots to cater to the parking needs of about 33,800 registered heavy vehicles. We expect heavy vehicles to park in industrial areas. That is why the majority of these parking lots are privately operated. For the convenience of some drivers, URA and HDB operate 10,200 heavy vehicle parking lots near some housing estates. Inevitably, the take-up rate for such parking lots is high. Agencies are exploring new ways to provide heavy vehicle parks where demand is high and where location is suitable. For instance, URA recently sold an industrial site in Woodlands, near Woodlands housing estate, where the developer is required to provide at least 80 additional heavy vehicle lots beyond the usual number required by LTA. Nevertheless, there are practical difficulties in locating heavy vehicle parks in residential estates, due to potential noise and safety concerns. Sites in residential estates are limited as such land is needed for housing and other community uses. Business owners should ensure that they have parking solutions for their vehicles and not leave the decision to the drivers. They should, for example, have effective transportation arrangements for their drivers between the designated parking lots and the drivers' homes. Page: 144”
“The Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG) Scheme is meant to help lower- and middle-income families to buy their first subsidised home. As a home purchase is a long-term financial commitment, a 12-month continuous employment is required for at least one flat applicant. This serves as a check that the household is able to service their housing loan through steady employment. Full-time National Service (NS) is a duty to the country performed by all male Singaporeans. It is not a salaried job and, therefore, does not fulfill the employment requirements of the AHG Scheme. MINDEF is, currently, examining ways to further recognise the contributions of National Servicemen.”
“HDB is committed to helping Singaporeans, particularly first-timers and low-income families, own a home. The income ceiling ensures that the Government's limited housing subsidies are prioritised for those who need them most. At $10,000, the current income ceiling covers eight in 10 households. Nonetheless, for households who exceed the income ceiling but face difficulties, such as heavy financial commitments to support family members' medical and household expenses, we are prepared to review their case.”
“There are 714 eating houses in HDB estates, of which 429 are sold and 285 are on rental. Whether sold or rental eating houses, the rents of individual stalls are negotiated between the eating house operators and the stallholders. The operator has to set the stall rental price carefully to ensure good take-up rates whereas the stallholders have to ensure the rents are not too high as to render Page: 120 their businesses not viable. These are business decisions in which HDB does not intervene. Although the transacted prices of eating houses have gone up, the average number of transactions is 33 cases per year for the past three years. They form less than 8% of the total number of sold eating houses. With HDB constructing about 30 new eating houses currently and NEA building 10 new hawker centres, the upcoming supply of new cooked food stalls should help to keep overall stall rentals in check. We will, nevertheless, closely monitor the commercial properties market. If necessary, we will intervene to prevent speculation and excessive price increases in this market.”
“The two-month export ban of five species of fish by Malaysia has not threatened our food security. It has minimal impact on our fish supply. Imports of these species constitute less than 4% of the total amount of imported fish in 2012. Our fish importers have been able to increase imports of these species from other countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam, to meet our consumers’ demand. This episode highlights Singapore's food supply resilience through a robust source diversification strategy. For instance, Singapore imports over 100 species of fish from more than 60 countries. This ensures that we are better buffered against potential food shortages and price volatility.”
“For the purchase of HDB flats, applicants need to submit their income documents for verification to ensure that they qualify under the income ceiling. HDB does not track the number of applicants who are unsuccessful in their flat applications due to a lack of employment or income records. However, this is generally not an issue as HDB does accept alternative documents as proof of income. For the Additional CPF Housing Grant (AHG), about 2% of applications each year, or 200 cases, are unsuccessful due to the lack of employment or income records. There is no sign of an increasing trend. We require applicants for the AHG to be employed for a continuous period of a year prior to their flat application and to remain employed at the point of flat application. This is to demonstrate that they are able to service their housing loans and sustain ownership of their flats over the long term. Nonetheless, HDB assesses each case carefully and exercises flexibility for job breaks on a case-by-case basis. We will continue to monitor the situation and will review the eligibility criteria if necessary. Page: 139”
“The Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) provides funding support for infrastructural and recreational facilities, including general amenities for the benefit of residents in the whole constituency. Such facilities include covered walkways, footpaths, cycling tracks and playgrounds. CIPC funds are disbursed through the Citizens' Consultative Committees (CCCs) as they are close to the ground and will be better able to decide on the projects which will be most useful for the local residents. We give the CCCs flexibility to assess the relevance of any proposal and to prioritise them for implementation so that the CIPC funds are optimally utilised. The operating principle for the CCCs is to ensure that the approved CIPC projects are useful, functional, represent value for money, freely accessible to the community and properly planned. Page: 138 Town Councils may approach their respective CCCs if they have other queries.”
“We have completed the review of the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) limits for HDB rental flats. EIP limits are set based on Singapore's ethnic mix. As the ethnic mix has remained stable over the years, we have decided to retain the existing EIP limits. However, we note that there are vulnerable families whose waiting time for a rental flat may be severely prolonged if we apply the existing EIP limits strictly. We have, therefore, decided to administratively add up to 10 percentage points to the block limits for HDB rental flats, so that we can exercise flexibility and allocate more rental flats to such vulnerable families where needed.”
“My Ministry does not have the data as requested by the Member. The tax authority also does not track how long a property is vacant, as property tax is levied regardless of whether or not the property is vacant.”
“Currently, there are 12 food establishments in Punggol East. These comprise four eating houses/foodcourts and eight cafes/restaurants. HDB will provide more food establishments in Punggol East, in tandem with its future public housing developments there.”
“The Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) scheme does not include the upgrading of toilets as this is already covered under the Home Improvement Programme (HIP). Toilet upgrading involves fairly Page: 136 extensive works and is less costly if carried out under the larger-scale HIP, as compared to doing it on an ad-hoc basis under EASE. Meanwhile, we are accelerating the pace of HIP so that residents can enjoy the benefits of HIP earlier.”
“Indiscriminate pasting of stickers in common areas in the HDB estates is dealt with by the local Town Councils (TCs). Under the TCs' by-laws, they can take action against any person for damage to or defacing of common property. Upon receiving such feedback, TCs would, typically, warn the advertisers against such actions. TCs may also remove the stickers or ask the advertisers to do so. The Ministry does not compile statistics on the number of such cases. If stickers are pasted on a resident's flat, the affected residents may seek help from their respective TCs.”
“HDB takes a long-term view in planning the supply of the various flat types. In 2006, we resumed building 2-room flats to help lower-income households own their home. 2-room flats also provide an affordable housing option for those seeking to right-size from a larger flat, because of changes in family or financial circumstances. From the BTO launch later this month, 2-room flats will also be made available to single Singaporeans. In planning the supply of 2-room flats, HDB takes into account demand from the various buyer groups as well as longer-term socio-economic and demographic changes. While demand for new 2-room flats may be lower initially at BTO launches, take-up rates tend to improve subsequently when the flats are nearer completion. This is because they cater partly to buyers who are rightsizing and are, hence, looking for nearly completed or completed units which they can move into quickly. For example, the take-up rate for 2-room flats in Fernvale Crest increased from 48% at its June 2009 launch to 97% after its completion in 2013. HDB reviews its policies regularly to ensure that they remain relevant. Last year, we raised the monthly household income ceiling for the purchase of 2-room flats in mature estates from $2,000 to $5,000. We are currently reviewing the income ceiling for the purchase of 2-room flats in non-mature estates and Page: 135 will finalise the review soon.”
“HDB subsidises up to 95% for the provision of ramps for flats with one-step difference under the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme. Due to space constraints, building a ramp for flats with more than one-step difference is more difficult technically, though not impossible. The issue is cost. HDB continues to explore with industry partners to come up with affordable solutions to suit the various types of flats. Meanwhile, residents who wish to install ramps not covered under the scope of EASE may engage contractors to install them at their own cost, with Page: 134 the approval of the HDB and the Town Council. Residents requiring financial assistance can apply to ComCare or Volunteer Welfare Organisations. Residents who wish to change premises could consider selling their existing flat and buying a resale flat from the open market.”
“There is no plan to include a food centre in the Rivervale Delta BTO project as there are adequate food and beverage (F&B) facilities nearby. For example, there is a cluster of shops at Block 182A Rivervale Crescent, right next to the new BTO. The shops include one eating house, one minimart and one cake shop. In addition, Rivervale Mall is about a five- to 10 minute-walk away. It has a wide range of F&B outlets, including an NTUC Foodfare foodcourt.”
“External walls of HDB flats are common areas and are managed by Town Councils (TCs). Any seepage from the external walls is hence under the purview of the TCs. If necessary, HDB can extend assistance to the TC to investigate into the source of leakage, before the TCs undertake the necessary repairs. Page: 123 As residents would contact their local TCs directly on such problems, HDB does not have the statistics requested by the Member.”
“There are currently about 200 First-Timer (FT) applicants who have three or more unsuccessful attempts for BTO flats in non-mature estates. With the significant ramp-up in new flat supply in recent years, we have been steadily clearing the backlog of FT applicants. These 200 FT applicants will have at least four ballot tickets in their next BTO application in the non-mature estates. Their chances will be further enhanced if they apply under the Married Child Priority Scheme or the Parenthood Priority Scheme. We are confident that these 200 FT applicants will likely be successful should they apply again for a BTO flat in a non-mature estate.”
“For singles who are orphans, HDB has flexibility to allow them to buy a new or resale flat, of any flat type, if they are at least 21 years old. Last year, 36 orphaned singles below the age of 35 had booked a new flat or bought a resale flat. HDB also exercises flexibility for singles who have been granted protection orders from abusive family members to buy a resale flat, even if they are below 35 years of age. There was one such case last year.”
“Singles aged 35 and above who earn up to $5,000 per month will be able to buy new 2-room HDB flats in non-mature estates from the Build-to-Order launch later this month. We will be sharing the details soon.”
“In March 2012, MND launched the Car Parks Lift Installation Programme to install lifts, where technically feasible, in all HDB Multi-Storey Car Parks (MSCPs) that do not have lifts currently. All installations will complete by 2017. Sengkang West has 14 MSCPs without lift access. Lift installation will be carried out in two phases. HDB will consult the local grassroots on the staging of the MSCP lift installations.”
“There are 597 heavy vehicle parking lots located in Choa Chu Kang today. The waiting list for the heavy vehicle parks managed by HDB and URA are at 116 and 138 respectively. The private heavy vehicle park operator, TM Corporation, provides 181 heavy vehicle parking lots and does not keep a waitlist. There are practical difficulties in locating heavy vehicle parks in residential estates. Sites are limited as the land is needed for housing and other community uses. Heavy vehicle parks can also pose potential noise and safety concerns to residents living nearby. Nevertheless, where there are opportunities, URA will provide interim heavy vehicle park sites to meet some of the demand. LTA's licensing condition requires owners to have secured a designated heavy vehicle parking lot before their heavy vehicles are allowed to be registered. These owners must ensure they have parking solutions for their vehicles and not leave the decision to the individual drivers. They should also consider arranging transportation of drivers between the approved parking lots and the drivers' homes.”
“Over the past three years, about five cases of encroachment were reported to the URA and/or BCA annually. Plans for renovation works are evaluated by the URA to ensure that the proposed works indicated on the submission plans do not extend beyond the boundary line of the property. However, rare occasions of encroachment may arise when there are disputes on the exact location of a structure in relation to the boundary line, which could lead to neighbours having the impression that the structures being built have encroached on their land. Such disputes are civil matters relating to the private property rights of the home owners concerned. When such disputes are brought to MND's attention, we would advise the affected parties to engage a registered surveyor to determine the exact location of the structure in relation to the legal boundary line. The survey would establish if there is a legal encroachment. The landowner whose land is being encroached on can seek recourse through the courts, or reach an amicable resolution with the neighbour through mediation. Mediation services are available at the Community Mediation Centre under MinLaw.”
“LTA, not the Controller of Housing, determines the minimum number of car park lots required in each private residential development. Although LTA requires developers to provide a minimum of one car park lot per dwelling unit, developers may provide more than this stipulated number and are encouraged to provide enough lots to meet the needs of their developments. LTA will continue to monitor the car parking situation in private estates, and review if it is necessary to change the parking provision standards. In the case of residential areas with narrow access roads, URA has imposed additional guidelines on the allowable number of dwelling units for flat and condominium developments. These guidelines ensure that developments are carried out with due consideration for the capacity of local roads. Such guidelines were introduced in Telok Kurau, Kovan, Joo Chiat and Jalan Eunos estates.”
“In the past two years, all 28,000 HDB flats scheduled were completed and obtained temporary occupation permits (TOP) ahead of the schedule communicated to buyers. All 42,300 HDB flats scheduled in 2013 and 2014 are currently on track to be completed on schedule.”
“Between January and April 2013, AVA received 37 complaints of monkeys entering homes. AVA does not have comparative data in previous years. The complaints were filed mostly by residents living near the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve which are the natural habitats of the monkeys. Some monkeys are drawn out of the forests and, being innately curious, they may visit people's homes, especially where food sources are easily accessible to them. AVA works with NEA to use garbage bins that are lockable to prevent monkeys from rummaging through garbage in search of food. Residents living near the fringes of the Nature Reserves are also given advisories on what they should do if they encounter monkeys. When monkey nuisance cases become severe, AVA's additional measures may include trapping and euthanising the trapped monkeys. Residents can loan traps from AVA and AVA officers will advise them on how to properly set up a trap within their compound. The Government cannot deal with this problem alone. Residents and the public have to play their part by not feeding monkeys and keeping food out of sight of the monkeys. When monkeys do not have easy access to food, the incidence of monkeys entering homes will come down.”
“The number of flat buyers who have to dispose of their existing flat upon completion of their new BTO flat this year is 2,500. In the next three years, the corresponding number of such flat buyers is 5,600 in 2014, 5,600 in 2015, and 3,300 in 2016. In the past three years, 46,700 private home-buyers had an existing HDB address. We do not have data to the second part of the question. In the past three years, 65,800 private home-buyers owned at least one residential property at the point of purchase. Likewise, we do not have data to the second part of the question.”
“The Enhanced Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) and the Silver Housing Bonus (SHB) were implemented on 1 February 2013. To date, we have received 265 applications for the Enhanced LBS, or an average of 88 applications per month. This is higher than an average of 18 applications per month before the enhancements. For SHB, we have received 15 applications and 170 requests for financial counselling. The numbers are lower, as SHB has just been implemented and the process of selling and buying of flats to right-size and qualify for SHB takes time. We will continue to reach out to elderly Singaporeans to raise awareness of the schemes. The Enhanced LBS and SHB are part of a range of monetisation options for elderly Singaporeans who wish or need to unlock the value in their HDB flat asset to enhance retirement income. Elderly Singaporeans who have adequate finances or family support may not feel the need to take up the schemes. Nonetheless, as our population ages, we will look into more ways to help the elderly who wish to monetise their flats. This topic will be discussed as part of MND's "Our Singapore Conversation on Housing". We invite Singaporeans to join the discussions and suggest ways to further enhance the monetisation options. The recent property cooling measures are intended to manage investment demand, rein in property purchase by non-citizens, and instil greater financial prudence. The measures should not have any impact on LBS and SHB response rates because only Singapore Citizen households who do not concurrently own a second property are eligible for the schemes.”
“The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) promotes Universal Design concepts, such as the provision of family or nursing rooms in public buildings, through public outreach and educational programmes. Such provision in public or office buildings is currently not mandatory. BCA has just completed a public consultation exercise on the proposed amendments to the Code on Accessibility. We received positive feedback to provide family-friendly features, such as designated parking lots for families with young children on strollers, and nursing or lactation room in buildings frequented by families. These buildings could include public transport interchanges and terminals, sports complexes, community clubs and large shopping malls. We are studying if it is practical to mandate such provisions in all public or office buildings, as the users of these buildings have different profiles and needs. Meanwhile, we will continue to encourage the employers to provide family-friendly facilities. MOM can co-fund the employers up to 30% of the development cost for lactation facilities in office buildings and workplaces under its WorkPro Programme.”
“It will be integrated with the new mixed development for the convenience of commuters. There will also be appropriate road widening works. HDB is working out the conditions needed to ensure that the facade of the development is well designed and that there is good connectivity to the surrounding areas, such as the Yishun MRT Station, Yishun Town Garden and the existing Northpoint Shopping Mall. HDB is also finalising the requirements for the new town plaza, which will offer a sizeable new community space for Yishun residents. With the completion of these preparation works, we have scheduled to launch the site for sale under the Government Land Sales programme in June this year.”
“We are transforming Yishun Town Centre into a vibrant hub under the Remaking Our Heartland programme for Yishun. The project comprises many proposals which are in their various stages of implementation. The majority of the proposals have been completed. Some completed projects include the Northpoint Shopping Centre, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital and the dedicated cycling track connecting Yishun and Khatib MRT stations. The next significant proposal is a new mixed development which will include a new bus interchange, a town plaza, residences and commercial retail spaces. The development of this mixed development project has, however, experienced some delay because it is within an existing heavily built-up town. Given the scale of the project and the need to ensure that it meets the interests of all the stakeholders, we have stretched out the consultation period in order to ensure that the project, when completed, will meet their needs and expectations. The preparation phase is making good progress. First, we have successfully relocated the heavy vehicle parking lots and demolished the buildings. Second, we will soon be clearing the rest of the site for development. The site clearance process has to be carefully phased to minimise disruptions to users. For example, a temporary bus interchange will be built nearby, so that the residents will not be inconvenienced when we close the existing bus interchange. Third, relevant agencies are finalising the tender requirements to ensure that the integrated development will complement the surrounding environment and best serve the Yishun residents. LTA is finalising the terms and conditions for the public concourse portion of the air-conditioned bus interchange.”
“The Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) was implemented in 1989 to ensure a balanced ethnic mix and to prevent the formation of ethnic enclaves in public housing estates, which house more than 80% of our resident population. We have no plans to introduce the EIP for private condominium developments. Similarly, the EIP is not applied to Executive Condominiums (ECs), as ECs are essentially private condominiums with initial eligibility and ownership restrictions.”
“Prices of office and shop space increased by 1.4% and 2% respectively last year. This is significantly slower than the 13.8% and 5.3% increases for the two sectors in 2011. In the first quarter of this year, prices rose by 2.1% in both sectors. These price increases are driven mainly by the sales of strata office and shop units in new project launches. In the rental market, however, both the office and shop space segments declined by 1.3% and 0.3% respectively last year. They have continued to decline by 0.2% and 0.6% in the first quarter of 2013. The softening rental market, together with a large supply of new commercial space in the pipeline, should help keep overall commercial property prices and rentals in check. We will continue to closely monitor the market. If necessary, we will introduce appropriate measures to prevent speculation and excessive price increases in this market.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) manages over 1.4 million trees. In 2012, there were 1,050 incidences of tree failures, most of which were broken branches and uprooted trees. As at April this year, there were 438 cases of tree failures, which is 5% lower compared to the same period last year. Over the last 10 years, there were four fatalities and 62 cases of injuries caused by failure of trees under adverse weather conditions. Since June 2012, NParks has stepped up its inspection frequency of mature trees significantly. Trees in flood-prone areas are also inspected before the onset of the Northeast monsoon season when heavy rains and strong wind gusts are anticipated. NParks will remove defective trees and prune the dense crowns of big trees to reduce their weight and to enhance tree stability during rainstorms. In addition, NParks has identified storm-vulnerable trees for removal. These are tree species which tend to be self-sown and fast-growing. Last year, NParks removed more than 4,000 storm-vulnerable trees, such as the Albizia, Wild Cinnamon and African Tulip. NParks also advises other land owners to do the same if they find such trees growing on their land.”
“About 4,500 new and 1,700 resale private residential properties were sold between 12 January and 31 March 2013. Figures for April will only be available later this month. Seventy-six percent of the purchases were by Singaporeans. PRs and foreigners constitute the other 15% and 9% respectively. Buyers who owned no properties at the point of purchase accounted for 65% of the transactions. The rest of the buyers owned one or more residential properties at the time of purchase. The latest round of cooling measures has helped to moderate the housing market. Overall private home prices increased by 0.6% in the first quarter of 2013, significantly less than the 1.8% rise in the previous quarter. While the number of new units sold by developers increased in the first quarter of 2013, the number of resale units sold fell substantially. As a result, the overall number of transactions in the first quarter of 2013 has declined from the previous quarter. Sub-sales as a proportion of all private housing transactions, which is a proxy for property speculation, fell to 5.6% in the first quarter of 2013 from 6.9% in the previous quarter. We continue to monitor the market closely. If necessary, we will not hesitate to act again to ensure a stable and sustainable property market.”
“The Segar Grove and Senja Gateway contracts with Poh Lian Construction Pte Ltd were terminated in early April. HDB called for open tenders for new contractors to complete the two BTO projects a few days later. The tender for Segar Grove and Senja Gateway closed on 3 May and 10 May 2013 respectively. HDB is, currently, evaluating the bids received and expects to award the new contracts for these projects by mid-June 2013 under a fast-track tender process. HDB assesses that the flats can still be completed by the Estimated Completion Dates (ECDs) communicated to buyers. In terms of quality, the two projects will be subject to the same rigorous quality management system and testing and commissioning processes that HDB has in place. HDB will continue to monitor the two projects closely.”
“Studio Apartments (SAs) are purpose-built housing for elderly Singaporeans. They are conveniently located near community facilities and come in ready-to-move-in condition with elderly-friendly features, such as grab rails, alert alarm systems, built-in wardrobes, and kitchen cabinets complete with gas stoves and cooker hoods. These features are not provided in a standard BTO flat. HDB offers SAs on 30-year leases in various estates, in two sizes of 35 square metres and 45 square metres, to cater to different budgets and needs of the elderly. Like other BTO flat types, SAs are priced taking into account such unit attributes of location, internal features, lease period, size, terms and conditions of sale, as well as the market conditions. The SA Scheme helps elderly homeowners to realise the value of their existing homes for their retirement needs. For example, those right-sizing from a fully paid-up 3-room HDB flat to a SA are generally able to receive net proceeds of about $200,000. Second timers also do not need to pay a resale levy when they buy a SA. This further reduces their financial outlay. Elderly HDB homeowners who right-size their flats may also apply for the Silver Housing Bonus and receive a cash bonus of up to $20,000 from the Government.”
“There are two reasons why we need to seek majority consent for the Home Improvement Programme before implementing it. First, most of the essential improvement items require the works to be carried out within the resident's flat. Second, some of the works, such as the replacement of waste pipes, will affect other residents in the block. We think it is a good practice to continue with this approach.”
“Our pork supply consists of live pigs and chilled and frozen pork. Singapore does not import live pigs or chilled pork from China. As for frozen pork, we import most of it from Brazil and the Netherlands. Frozen pork imports from China make up 1.6% of our total frozen pork imports. Our other pork imports from China are in the form of canned pork and luncheon pork. Such processed pork has undergone proper heat treatment processes to kill any dangerous micro-organisms. The incident of putrefying pigs in the Huangpu River does not pose a threat to our food security or food safety. AVA's integrated food safety system ensures that all pork imports come only from sources which are approved by AVA. In addition, AVA has strict requirements for all its accredited pork processing plants to receive their raw materials only from AVA's approved sources.”
“Okay. I thought that was already mentioned in my reply.”
“On the point about off-the-shelf software, we have noted his comment. But my key point is that AIM did not ask to terminate, so the one-month clause was built in, it is their legal right to do so; they never intended to do so; they were prepared to extend but they were not asked, no request and, therefore, nothing happened. On the Horizon history, honestly, I am not familiar. We are just focused on this 2010 transaction and related issues. The past, I was not involved myself, so I cannot add value to this particular comment. What was the first point? I cannot remember now.”
“It is very simple, because I made that point earlier too. If you want sophistication, if you want bells and whistles, of course, not for the fun of doing it, but because it does improve productivity and efficiency, then you have to build it up, which is what we have been doing. Please. We have been running Town Councils for 20-odd years and have so many Town Councils.”
“Mdm Speaker, I did not want to say this but the Member is really trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. This big name – "TCMS" – when you dive into it, what is it? These are common financial packages. Every organisation has to charge fees, has to collect revenue and there will be bad debts to deal with, account receivable, account payable and then there are purchase orders they have to settle. And, of course, out of this, you need to settle your chart of accounts so that you can put up your monthly statements for balance sheets, for your P&L, for auditing purposes. And, of course, some add in other things like human resource packages because you need to recruit staff, HR management, how many staff do you have, what grade, salaries so that you can pay payroll. All organisations have that kind of requirements and there are standard software programmes available.”
“Thank you for the suggestion. I am sure Senior Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan will be talking to you to get more views from you.”
“I had replied very indirectly in the way I handled the NUH project. If you want, there are standard software programmes available in the market. So, indeed, if it is one month, there are available software programmes which you can buy into. But in this case, the key point is not that. The key point is AIM was most willing to extend if only you asked. You did not.”
“Mdm Speaker, the point about S&CC is precisely one of those great concerns of MND because when Town Councils for political reasons wanting to be populist and reduce fees or set low fees when they are not appropriate, they are sacrificing long-term financial viability of the Town Councils. So, that is one point. The second point is, Mr Pritam Singh, of course, wants to define party affiliation narrowly which I disagree. We are the policy owners and we have good reasons to define party affiliation, why they cannot be so narrow as just "party-owned". And FMSS shareholders are not ordinary Singaporeans. Mr Pritam Singh said by widening this definition now, it covers the whole of Singapore. It does not. They are strong, clearly long-term supporters of the Workers' Party. To the question about AIM and PAP companies, AIM is the only PAP company.”
“Mdm Speaker, I really do not intend to go point by point because they are all related issues. FMSS transaction, I am not saying that it was wrong. The current Town Councils Act allows it. My main point was to point out, that there is no major difference in the nature of these two transactions, FMSS and AIM. Ms Sylvia Lim chose to define "party affiliation" very narrowly to refer to only party members. I am saying "no". Party affiliation is the key point. And the shareholders of FMSS, while they are not party members of WP, they are clearly strong supporters of Workers' Party. When we talk about related parties, they definitely have to come within this ambit. The point about the management agency rate and so on, we can always produce those data for her to compare.”
“I call on all, including our Workers' Party colleagues, to work closely with my Ministry to improve our Town Councils for the interests of our residents moving forward. [Applause]”
“Different political parties, different opinions, but that should not prevent us from still working together for the larger good of Singaporeans. Madam, MND embarked on this review in January in the interest of transparency and maintaining trust in the system. The review team has done a thorough job. They have satisfied themselves that the AIM transaction had complied with the Town Councils Act and Town Councils Financial Rules. There was no misuse or loss of public funds. The residents' interests were not compromised. The Report and its findings have been made public for all to see. The facts are set out in the Report. Members are not disputing or contradicting the facts; they are clear. It is then wrong to try to find some other basis to cast doubts when you realise that the facts do not help you in the arguments you want to make. If any Member has any information or evidence which the MND team has not uncovered or considered, please surface it. Just a while ago, the Permanent Secretary (MND) passed me a message – handwritten − to say that all that has been said this afternoon in relation to the AIM transaction has also been said directly or indirectly to the review team. There is no new information or new argument that they have not considered before they drew the conclusions and wrote their Report. In the process, they have pointed out some lacunae in our current Town Councils Rules and recommended a review of Town Councils. This has given this House the opportunity to revisit the origin of Town Councils and our roles and responsibilities as MPs and as Town Councillors. As MPs, we are given a lot of latitude to run Town Councils. This is a significant responsibility, but it is also a very rewarding one.”