Lawrence Wong
Singapore
“Sir, we will provide more information. I see the value of getting Ministries to put out more information, to share more about how their resources are being used and what outcomes they have achieved.”
“Sir, I agree fully with Mr Azhar that human capacity, human capital is critical. In fact, I would say the long-term potential of Singapore, how far we go really depends on us being able to maximise our human potential. That is key and that is why we have long invested in education. And it is not just about the investments.”
“Sir, we have been maintaining that commitment of 1% for some time now. I do not think it is about saying that we just have to do more and spend more. As many have highlighted, we want to ensure good outcomes from our R&D spending as well. So, we will continue if the outcomes are good.”
“This has never been the case. Temasek, when it started, was always very clear about its mandate from the very beginning – commercial, not doing national service, focused on commercial outcomes.”
“Sir, the MOF economists when they look at fiscal projections use Government's forecast of the economy, which is also published. We would typically use the mid-point of the range and then, of course, because these are in nominal terms, you have to factor for that. And the projections are done on those basis.”
“Sir, I was relieved that Mr Loh said he only has one question, but he asked the most difficult question. To answer the question, we will continue to monitor cost of living across all segments of society.”
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“We are also expanding car-free zones to streets all over Singapore. Currently, if you look at our city centre, there are 18 streets which are closed for pedestrians to use on a regular basis, such as during weekends. These are marked out in the map, in addition to our car-free zones on Sunday. With more support from the community, we can do more in other areas as well. In fact, recently, additional roads have been closed for car-free events – Jalan Pisang, Keong Saik Road and Armenian Street. We want to do more, not just in the city but also beyond the city, so that we can have more pedestrianised and car-free zones in our HDB estates as well. How do we decide which roads to close or which streets to activate? It is not done centrally by URA. It is really based on ground-up feedback and proposals. For example, I visited Kampong Glam recently on one of the car-free weekends, trying to revisit my childhood with the kids skipping. I think I can still keep up with the kids because if you look at the picture, I am the one who is jumping among the highest. [Laughter] This is a completely ground-up initiative by the business owners and stakeholders in the area. It is a completely ground-up initiative by the stakeholders there, the business owners. They decided to do it and URA supported them. The feedback has been very positive. The business owners reported an increase in sales due to higher footfall and the public also enjoyed the bustling street life. We want to support more of such ground-up initiatives, not only to activate our streets, but also our public spaces in the city and in our HDB estates.”
“It can be through electric vehicles (EVs), as suggested by Mr Ong Teng Koon. Our agencies are studying this, as well as the charging infrastructure that may be needed to facilitate the take-up of such EVs. Car park charges are another important lever that we can use. I know Mr Lim Biow Chuan has called for more free parking in car parks. But free parking is not really free. Free parking is a subsidy to the motorists that is paid for by non-motorists. It is not really free parking. It is a subsidy to motorists. In fact, our car park charges are generally lower than most other major cities. Perhaps, we should not be thinking about lowering car park charges or making them free, but we may even have to look at raising car park charges if we want to move in the direction of a car-lite city. But the specific concerns raised by Mr Lim Biow Chuan are, I think, about the availability of lots which are being used up for commercial vehicles today, or it is really about how we can provide for more lots for commercial vehicles in residential areas, so that they will not have to park next to his residents' homes. We have to look at that more specifically and find other ways to address this issue. Madam, I recognise that it will take time to bring about this mindset shift towards a car-lite Singapore. That is why we have started by pedestrianising our vehicular roads, where possible, to create car-free zones, be it on weekends or even on a permanent basis. It is our attempt to show how car-free streets can become attractive public spaces for all to enjoy. We have held our first Car-Free Sunday. In fact, we have had two editions of it so far. We have it at the Civic District and the CBD area and there has been a tremendous response to this.”
“So, this is just one possibility of how something can be done to bridge the gap. The picture on screen shows a bridge across Serangoon Road, a potential bridge that you can cycle through. So, if we are able to smoothen out these different kinks in the route, say, with potential links like this, then residents staying in Bishan, Bidadari, Toa Payoh would have a more direct and seamless travelling experience, whether it is through walking, cycling or any other personal mobility device, from their HDB towns to the city centre. This is an example, conceptually, of what we are looking at, how we can enhance connections from HDB towns to the city centre. We will also look at active mobility routes within the city centre itself. And here we can have potential for wider pedestrian sidewalks and dedicated cycling and walking paths as well. These will connect to the major office developments. Some of these pathways in Marina Bay have already been implemented and we will continue to do more in other parts of the CBD. These are some of our ideas and plans to make Singapore a more attractive city for walking, cycling and active mobility. URA will hold a major exhibition later this year. They will seek the public's views on these different active mobility routes and the types of enhancements needed to make them more useful. The infrastructure is important, but we must certainly go beyond infrastructure planning to embrace a car-lite mindset. I think Miss Cheryl Chan spoke about this and highlighted the need for more basic awareness and education. I fully agree with her. MOT will be sharing more about this in its COS later. We also need strategies to better manage the use of cars. One way is to facilitate more car sharing schemes.”
“Intra-HDB towns, new ones, we will do it upfront; existing ones, we will do so through upgrading progressively. We will have a very well-connected route of dedicated walking, cycling paths within each HDB town. Next, we will also have active mobility routes that connect our residential towns to our city centre. This will enable people to get to their workplaces without having to drive. For a start, we are looking at towns that are within a 30-minute cycling distance to the city. So, we have identified six possible routes to the city, as shown in the map. These cover connections from towns and estates in various regions: from the east, such as Geylang and Marine Parade; northeast, such as Hougang and Macpherson; and the west, such as Queenstown and Bukit Merah. These routes are largely already in place today. These are not new routes because they are largely in place today through our Park Connectors. If you actually travel or take a cycling ride through one of these routes, you will realise that they are not fully seamless and there are some gaps along the way. We intend to plug these gaps, so that the routes can be seamless, and they can better connect our HDB towns to the city centre. I give an example of the Bishan to City route which runs along the Kallang River. Today, if you take that route, as a cyclist or jogger, you will have to traverse several pedestrian overhead bridges and underpasses, and the biggest obstacle is that you have to cross the Pan Island Expressway (PIE). So, it is very difficult if you want to cycle down that route to the city. You have to dismount, go up the pedestrian overhead bridge, underpass, and then you have to find some way to get round the PIE. URA has initiated a consultancy study to look at possible solutions to bridge these gaps.”
“This is especially critical for developments with high footfall like our schools, shopping malls, office buildings and business parks. Through these requirements, we will ensure that our built environment is more conducive for pedestrians and cyclists. Besides new developments, I agree with Mr Ang Wei Neng that we need to do more for greater connectivity in existing buildings. In fact, I am not sure if Mr Ang heard this earlier, because we had a debate when Dr Tan Wu Meng moved an Adjournment Motion on this. I had shared earlier in the House that we are studying and reviewing legislation to allow us to mandate existing developments to receive new elevated and underground links. Once this is in place, we plan to get more pedestrian connections along Orchard Road and other areas as well. What do we hope to achieve with all of these changes? How can we be a better, more attractive city for walking and cycling? Let me paint a picture of what we can see in the future. First, within every HDB estate, we will have more dedicated paths for active mobility, be it walking, jogging, cycling or the use of other personal mobility devices. This will enhance our first-mile/last-mile connectivity to MRT stations. Our newer housing areas, such as Bidadari, Punggol and Tampines North, are already designed with these paths. For existing towns, we will progressively improve the infrastructure through our upgrading programmes. Here is one example in Bedok Town, which I will show on the slide, where a comprehensive cycling and walking network of approximately 14 km will be completed next year. This will allow better connectivity to MRT stations, major employment areas, parks, schools as well as the Neighbourhood Centres.”
“But they are, first and foremost, places where people meet, interact and connect with one another. That is even more important for us in Singapore, where we only have one city, which is our country and our home. As we transform our city, we must make this place more sustainable, more beautiful and more invigorating to the human spirit. That is why we emphasised clean and green from the outset, and we are making progress as a City in a Garden. In our next phase, we must focus on our public spaces, streets, squares and footpaths. We must make sure that these developments, these public spaces, are well designed, they relate to the human scale and are well-connected and conducive for walking and cycling. Several Members, including Miss Cheryl Chan, Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Mr Darryl David and Mr Louis Ng spoke about this, and I fully share their views. I am also glad that Mr Saktiandi Supaat shared the example of the Novena Health City. I think this is one area which we have planned for a comprehensive coverage of underground pedestrian links, street-level walkways and elevated link-bridges. It is a good example of what we are striving to achieve. Indeed, we have similar plans for other areas too – in the CBD, Jurong Lake District and all our regional centres. To further bolster these efforts, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and URA will be introducing a new requirement for developers. This new requirement will make sure that developers incorporate the needs of pedestrians and cyclists upfront in their development plans. For example, developers will have to review the locations of the vehicular access points to minimise conflict with pedestrians and cyclists, taking into account key pedestrian and cyclist access routes and the location of bicycle parking facilities.”
“It is easy to criticise our civil servants for "poor town planning", as Mr Dennis Tan said earlier in the Budget debate. But I think that is not being fair to them and the work that they do. At the end of the day, what is important is the ability to continually update our urban plans to keep pace with the needs of society. That is the approach we take in our HDB estates. For existing towns, we are continually upgrading and rejuvenating them through various upgrading programmes. Senior Minister of State Desmond Lee will elaborate on them later. For new housing areas, we learn from our past experience, and we are developing HDB estates and towns with distinctive character. We pay attention to the history and heritage of the place, we provide for beautiful greenery, beautiful blue spaces, and neighbourhood amenities. And we can see these in all our new projects, be it in Bidadari, Punggol or Tampines North. Soon, we will be opening up a new HDB town called Tengah. That is next to the Jurong Innovation District. Members have seen the slides and the video that Minister Heng Swee Keat showed on the Jurong Innovation District. Tengah will be just next to it. It is an area surrounded by greenery. We will plan this as a "Forest Town". It will be integrated with nature and also the nearby Jurong Innovation District. I am not going to do an extended sales pitch here in Parliament. Members can see a picture of what Tengah can be. I have seen many more plans, pictures and visualisations of what our planners are doing. I think it will be a very exciting place to live, work and play. HDB will release more details in due course. Finally, a key priority for us is to make Singapore a more car-lite and people-friendly city. Cities are centres of economic activity.”
“We have the second central business district (CBD) at Jurong Lake District which will also be the site for the high-speed rail terminus to Kuala Lumpur. We have a new Creative Cluster at Punggol, together with the new Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) campus. We have a new Northern Growth corridor at Woodlands and Sembawang, with many opportunities to transform the waterfront for new jobs and homes. We are also looking at new and innovative infrastructure solutions, for example, exploring autonomous vehicles, infrastructure needed for driverless cars, smart power grids and underground options for electrical substations and drainage reservoir systems. There is a lot to do, there is a lot of potential for us to move forward and we are studying all of these ideas in the Committee on the Future Economy, in particular, in the subcommittee on the Future City which I co-chair. We are also planning ahead for our HDB towns and estates. In the early years, priority was just to get the blocks of HDB flats completed. But over the years, much more attention has been paid on planning the entire HDB town − the amenities and facilities that come with it, as well as ensuring that there is access to greenery and public spaces. 4.45 pm Planning work is not easy, but we are trying very hard to have a range of facilities and shops in our housing estates ready when residents move in. HDB will ensure that there will always be some shops built in tandem with new flats, so that residents will always have access to some facilities, greenery and public spaces. But development plans that are based on assumptions may not always pan out or the assumptions may not always pan out, or they may take time to be staged.”
“We must consider how we want to build our future city over the next 50 years. In some ways, it will be a more difficult journey because we are starting from a higher base with more biting resource constraints. The competition is also becoming more intense. We are in a new era of city competition. There are more than 400 cities in the world, each with at least a million people. Among them are many emerging world cities, all vying for talent and investments. There is intense competition. We are starting from a higher base, but we cannot afford to stand still. We should take comfort that we are moving from a position of strength. Despite our limitation of size, we are far from saturation. There are still many possibilities for urban development and transformation. Members will know that we are consolidating our port at Tuas, and this would free up more land for redevelopment at the Greater Southern waterfront. How much land will it free up? That parcel there is about three times the size of Marina Bay. I am not saying that we are going to build three Marina Bays there, but it is to give a context that it is three times the size of Marina Bay. We are expanding Changi Air Hub with a new Terminal 5 and relocating Paya Lebar over at Changi. Again, this will free up 800 hectares of prime land for mixed-use development. What does that mean? Again, in comparison, that is equivalent to half a Jurong Industrial estate, one Ang Mo Kio Town and two Tampines Regional Centres. I am not saying we are going to do that. But this is the perspective of what kind of scale we have, and the mix of uses can vary because we have to plan and think through what plans we want to do with this land that is freed up. Over the next 10-20 years, we will be building up several regional nodes.”
“On the slide are Mr and Mrs Tan. They have a son and are now staying in a rental flat paying rental of $240 a month. With Fresh Start, they will be able to buy a new 2-room flat with a 60-year lease. They will have a monthly instalment of about $300. It is slightly more than their monthly rental. But the key is this: they can now pay for this largely through their CPF. If you look at the illustration, the bulk of it will now be paid through CPF and their cash outlay is $10 a month. Ultimately, this will be their flat. It is not a rental flat. They will own this place. It is a comparable amount that they have to pay overall, but a large part of it is paid through CPF now and they would be able to own their own flat eventually. We plan to implement the scheme by the end of this year. If you look at the profile of those living in rental flats today – those who are second timers, with school-going children, based on the demographic profile that we are aiming for and who do not have excessive rental arrears with HDB presently – the estimate is that this group is about 1,000. Not all of them may choose to take up the scheme. It will depend on their individual finances and circumstances. The numbers may not be very big, but I believe the scheme can and will have a meaningful impact on the families that we are reaching out to. That is our first priority on home ownership and the different ways in which we are strengthening home ownership. Our next priority is to transform our urban landscape and build our city for the future. Over the last 50 years, we have succeeded in making Singapore a modern global city. This did not happen by chance. We had bold and innovative plans for urban renewal. We did it through systematic implementation over many terms of Government.”
“But at the same time, we are making a major move for these families by giving them another grant. So, it is fair that they must be able to show a certain level of commitment towards homeownership. And I want to assure Members that our approach is one where we will handhold the families closely and walk this journey with them. We will be working with MSF on this. So, MSF officers will check in with the families regularly to ensure that they are doing well and they will link them up with partners for social support where needed. If along the way, some families encounter difficulties, the social agencies will be there to help them. We will consider their individual circumstances and the effort that they are making to meet the conditions. In doing so, we will not rely on just a single matrix or single criterion because we will exercise judgement and discretion and will look at it case by case. We hope this approach will keep the families motivated, so that they can make the most of this opportunity to get a fresh start and own their own homes again. How will the Fresh Start Scheme help a rental family? Mdm Chair, if I may have your permission to show a worked example for illustration?”
“The flat will come with shorter leases, ranging from 45 to 65 years, to keep the price affordable. It will also come with a longer MOP, I think Mr Gan Thiam Poh also suggested this just now. The longer MOP will be 20 years to ensure a stable home for the children. Second, we will give them another HDB concessionary loan, regardless of the number of HDB loans they have taken before. They may have taken two loans before from HDB, but we will give these families another HDB concessionary loan. They can use their CPF for the downpayment and also for the mortgage payments. Third, we will help them with a Fresh Start Housing Grant of up to $35,000. The amount of grant will be prorated according to the lease of the flat they buy. Together, I believe these measures provide significant help for second-timer families in rental flats to own their own home again. The scheme is not just about buying a new flat, but also about integrating financial assistance with personal responsibility and social support. To qualify for the scheme and receive the full grant, families will have to show commitment to remain in stable employment, manage their finances well and ensure their children are attending school regularly. These are conditions that we have worked out through our consultations, and they were also highlighted by several Members, including Mr Alex Yam, earlier. In line with the efforts they make, the grant will correspondingly be disbursed in tranches over time: $20,000 will be given out when they collect their keys, and the remainder will be disbursed annually over the next five years. Mr Saktiandi Supaat expressed some concerns about the conditions attached to the grants. I am very mindful that these conditions should not be onerous.”
“But it is too early to declare victory and unwind the measures. Any relaxation of the measures now may risk a premature market rebound and I am sure that is an outcome we all want to avoid. Nevertheless, we recognise that the property market is affected by the broader economy and global events. We are also very mindful that the property market, in turn, can have a broader impact on other sectors of the economy. We are keeping a close watch and will be prepared to respond where needed. While we have made progress in housing, we know that there are some families who may not be able to afford a home. Many Members spoke about this, including Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap and Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, and they asked about how we can help these lower-income and vulnerable families. We will exercise flexibility and compassion and do all we can to help the families in need. For those in need of housing, we have ramped up our rental flat supply to ensure that they have a roof over their heads. We will continue to build more rental flats to accommodate this demand. Minister of State Koh Poh Koon will say more about this later. Besides providing rental flats, we want to do more to help second timers in public rental buy a home. For many of them, second-timer families in the rental flats, they are no longer eligible for housing grants; they are probably unable to get a bank loan and so they will face greater difficulties in moving out of their rental situation to have a home of their own. That is why we are introducing the Fresh Start Housing Scheme. It is aimed at parents with school-going children, so that their children can grow up in a stable home environment. Let me share the key features of the scheme. First, the families who qualify will be able to buy a new 2-room flexi flat.”
“For example, Mr Gan Thiam Poh suggested giving Singaporeans the chance to buy a third BTO flat. I understand why people would like to buy a new flat from HDB. That is why we are allowing them to do so twice. We also have short-lease 2-room flexi flats for seniors to buy a third flat from HDB. But I do not think we can go beyond that. To allow a "third bite of the housing cherry" for all is not sustainable. And we have to be realistic. Our land is limited; our financial resources are finite. We must, therefore, prioritise among various home buyers. It is easy to give in to the demands and accommodate all the immediate requests and build as much as we can today and not think about tomorrow. But this would not be a responsible thing to do. We must consider the impact of our actions today on the next generation. We must always be mindful of the implications of over-building and consider how a glut of flats will have a negative impact on the value of homes for all Singaporeans So, we need to strike that balance. And that balance includes looking at resale and new flats. This year, we are building 18,000 new flats. This is more than the previous year, and we have done so to accommodate the increased demand from recent policy changes. But we cannot continue at this rate perpetually. We intend to gradually taper down our building programme to achieve a more sustainable level over the medium term. Likewise, we are monitoring the property market very closely. Several Members spoke about this and called for a lifting of the cooling measures. Mr Christopher de Souza mentioned this earlier in the Budget debate. Mr Alex Yam and Mr Chong Kee Hiong suggested this earlier as well. Madam, our cooling measures have been effective in stabilising the property market.”
“In considering their home options, home buyers will have to do their homework, and they should evaluate carefully the different factors before making the purchase. Mr Chong Kee Hiong mentioned one concern about the lease of existing flats. He is right that, like all leasehold properties, the value of an HDB flat will decline as leases run down. Flat buyers and home buyers have to take this into account in their financial planning. But for now, a large majority of flats have more than 60 years of lease remaining. They continue to be highly liveable and the neighbourhoods will benefit from upgrading from time to time. There is still value in our resale flats. We will continue to find ways to help our elderly Singaporeans monetise the value of their flats in an orderly fashion and we will also publicise the schemes for doing so, as Members like Mr Alex Yam, Mr Faisal Manap and Mr Chen Show Mao have highlighted. Minister of State Koh Poh Koon will elaborate on this later in his speech. At the same time, whether buying a new BTO flat or a resale flat, there is a need to be financially prudent. We have homes for every budget – 3-room flat can vary from $180,000 for a BTO in Bukit Batok to $368,000 for a resale flat in Queenstown. My message to home buyers is this: we will do whatever we can to support you in your home ownership goals. But please choose a home that meets your needs and is within your means. I understand the desire to buy a large flat or one with a central location, but this should not come at the expense of a huge debt burden overwhelming the entire family. Having cleared the backlog for first timers and made progress for singles and second timers, we are now getting more requests for new flats to accommodate other buyer groups.”
“They looked at several housing options and, eventually, they managed to find a 4-room resale flat in Bukit Batok on the same floor, just down the corridor from her parents' place. So, with the Proximity Grant, they were able to buy the resale flat for about $324,000. This is, in fact, comparable to what they would have had to pay for a new 4-room flat from HDB as second-timers. In fact, they are better off by going to the resale market. The amount they pay is about the same as a BTO after the grant. They get a flat closer to their parents and get to move in earlier as well. So, for both first timers and second timers, the softening of the property market and the introduction of the new Proximity Grant and enhancements of all the various grant that we have had mean that there are many more attractive options to consider for purchasing a home. 4.30 pm Likewise, there are also more housing options for singles. In 2013, we made a significant policy shift to allow first-timer singles to buy a new 2-room flat from HDB. Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked about this and I would like to assure her that we have launched more 2-room flats to meet this new demand from singles. We also increased the quota for singles from 30% to 50% last year. As a result, the BTO application rate among singles has been steadily improving. It started out very high, over 30 when we made the move in 2013. It came down to 8.5 last year, and it was 7.7 in the most recent BTO exercise. I intend to bring down this application rate further. It will take time, but we will make it happen. The move to open new flats to singles is a significant one and has met with a strong demand surge. We will need some time to clear the bulk of this demand, but we will bring down the application rate.”
“I recognise that some want a flat more urgently or would prefer specific locations for good and practical reasons, for example, to live near their parents. In the current market, they can consider buying a resale flat. Resale prices have moderated and are more affordable now. For example, we can compare HDB resale prices against household income. At one time, prices were rising faster than income. But this is no longer the case. Between the last property market troughs in 2009 and 2015, HDB resale prices increased by 35% but median household income increased by a higher 44%. So, housing affordability has improved and there are many attractive options available in the resale market. In addition, we introduced the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) which helps families who wish to live near or with their parents or married child to buy a resale flat. This means that a young couple can enjoy up to $90,000 in housing grants to buy their first home from the resale market – $30,000 in the CPF Housing Grant, up to $40,000 in Additional CPF Housing Grant, and $20,000 in the Proximity Housing Grant. Miss Cheryl Chan asked if we can do more to help young married couples to get their flats early and live nearer to parents. I share her desire to do so and we will continue to study ways to help them further. We have also managed to reduce the queue for second-timer families and they, too, can benefit from the Proximity Grant. Here, I would like to share the experience of one couple, Mdm Nur Liza binte Roslan and Mr Yulandi bin Abu Bakar. They bought their first flat which was a 4-room flat at Taman Jurong from HDB. As their family grew, Mdm Nur Liza wanted to move out and move closer to her parents who are living in Bukit Batok so that they can help look after the children.”
“Besides housing grants, we have also shortened the queues considerably for first-timers. One measure of this is the application rate of first-timer families for new BTO flats in non-mature estates. It is an indicator which we monitor very carefully. This has remained stable at about 1.6 last year. In practice, it means that most will be able to select their new BTO flat within their first or second application, and definitely on their third try. I understand Members have shared concerns about newlywed couples who have repeatedly applied for an HDB flat without success. I have heard similar experiences during my Meet-the-People Sessions (MPS). In fact, one couple told me at MPS that they had applied more than five times! So, I asked for their details. I went back to HDB and asked for a check. I found out that they were, in fact, interested in flats near the city centre and so all their applications were for flats in mature estates around the city centre, for example, in Ang Mo Kio and Toa Payoh. I have already announced that HDB will offer more flats in mature estates this year. For example, we have new projects in Bidadari and Tampines North. But there is a physical limit to how much more we can build in these already developed areas. I would encourage first-timer couples to consider applying for flats in non-mature estates. As I have mentioned earlier, if you look at the application rate, there is a very high chance of them getting it within their first and second try, and definitely within their third try. And the flats, in these estates are also more affordable. While waiting for the flats to be completed, they can consider renting a flat under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS).”
“They booked a 3-room flat in Bukit Batok in the BTO exercise last November. They were eligible for $60,000 in housing grants. So, they were able to buy the flat for less than $140,000. This meant that the mortgage loan was completely paid for or will be completely paid for using their CPF. There is no need for any cash outlay and so they end up having more savings. I hope this gives them confidence to plan for the next step – to get married and hopefully start a family soon. Our housing subsidies are rightly focused on the lower and middle-income households, but we have not neglected those in the higher income groups as well. Last year, we increased the income ceiling to enable more households at the higher end to buy a subsidised flat. Mr Gan Thiam Poh suggested that we do away with the income ceiling altogether. I appreciate his intent to allow all Singaporeans to buy an HDB flat. That is something we would like to do as well. We want to move in this direction and that is why the income ceiling has been progressively moved up over time. But we have to calibrate these moves. Firstly, there are fiscal constraints to manage and, secondly, having just made a move last year, we will need time for the increased new demand to flow through the system without adversely affecting the interest of the rest who are already in the queue. At the same time, I want to assure Mr Gan that we will continue to take steps to ensure that Executive Condominiums (ECs) remain affordable. We already do so through various measures and that is why ECs today, are more affordable than comparable private properties. Indeed, if you look back over the past few quarters, EC prices have remained relatively stable. We will continue to monitor and take necessary action if needed.”
“There is a common thread across all that we do in MND, about building a better home in partnership with Singaporeans and for all Singaporeans. As Mr Alex Yam said, it ultimately is about building communities, and it is our people who shape our sense of community and our sense of home. That is why over the past years, we have stepped up our engagement with Singaporeans to "inform early, consult early, discuss widely", as suggested by Mr Yam. We did this with "Our Singapore Conversation" in 2013, continued with engagements on public housing over the past two years. We started our SGFuture dialogues this year to shape our next phase of development. Today, I will share some of the key priorities we have identified for MND based on these engagements. First, we will strengthen our home ownership programme to meet the needs of Singaporeans, especially the more vulnerable groups. Second, we will transform our urban landscape to invest in new infrastructure for our future economy and to build a future city that we can be proud of. Third, we will create a quality living environment for all to enjoy and make Singapore a more car-lite and people-friendly city. Let me elaborate on each of these in turn. Firstly, in terms of strengthening our home ownership programme. This has always been the hallmark of our public housing system and we must and will continue to strengthen this key pillar of our social compact. Our focus is to help young couples own their first flat. Our pledge to young Singaporean couples is that we will always keep new BTO prices stable and affordable for them. That is why we enhanced our housing grants last year, and since then, many more homebuyers have benefited. One such couple is Mr See Cheng Long and his fiancée Miss Felicia Poh.”
“Mdm Chair, I thank Members for their many comments and suggestions on MND issues. When I came to MND last year, many people told me I was going to a hot seat and wished me good luck. Indeed, housing has always been a hot-button issue, and as I was preparing for this Committee of Supply (COS) debate, which is my first COS for MND, I went back to the Hansard to look at the records of previous years' debates. So, I did some extra homework. Indeed, from the start of our housing programme, going back to the 1960s, there have been lively debates on the MND Budget and on housing issues. It is no different this year, if you look at the number of cuts we received. But in fact, sentiments on housing have improved considerably after 2011. We ramped up the BTO supply and cleared the first-timer backlog. We made new flats more affordable, and we have managed a soft landing in the property market and HDB resale prices. Here, I would like to acknowledge the work of the MND team, especially the HDB officials who have worked very hard to ramp up our building programme over the past few years. And I also want to recognise all who have partnered us in this effort – our consultants, contractors, construction workers, as well as the many members of public who participated in our focus groups to give us feedback and help shape our policies. I think this demonstrates the importance of partnerships in the work we do. It applies not just to public housing and HDB, but also to the rest of our MND work, including our other Statutory Boards – the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA), Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Council of Estate Agencies (CEA), National Parks Board (NParks) and URA.”
“In 2015, about 300 flat buyers requested to defer collection of keys when their Build-To-Order (BTO) flats were ready. Of these, about two-thirds or less than 200 flat buyers did so because they were unable to sell their existing flat. This was less than 1% of the 22,000 buyers who had collected their keys in the same year. BTO flat buyers generally have up to six months after collecting the keys to their BTO flat to sell their existing flats. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) may exercise flexibility and grant an extension of time for buyers to collect keys to the BTO flat. However, HDB is not able to hold on to the completed flat indefinitely as there are holding costs involved. Buyers who intend to use the sales proceeds from their existing flat to finance the purchase of their BTO flat should aim to finalise the sale before the estimated completion date of their new flat. HDB helps by keeping buyers updated on the likely completion dates of their new flats as the date draws nearer. For those who have submitted a resale application to sell their existing flat and need help with their cashflow situation, HDB will also be prepared to extend a temporary loan, which would be fully redeemed from the sales proceeds of the existing flat when it is eventually sold.”
“The Additional Central Provident Fund (CPF) Housing Grant (AHG) Scheme was introduced in March 2006 to help low-income families own their first home. AHG can be used to buy a new flat from the Housing and Development Board (HDB) or a resale flat from the open market. We have enhanced the AHG twice: first, in August 2007 and then in February 2009, to benefit more households and to increase the subsidy amount. Today, first-timers earning up to $5,000 a month can apply for AHG of up to $40,000. Since the scheme was introduced, $1.6 billion has been given out to more than 83,000 households. There are no immediate plans to further enhance the AHG scheme. Page: 111 On top of AHG, first-timers buying a new flat can also receive the Special CPF Housing Grant (SHG). We recently enhanced SHG in August 2015 to include households earning up to $8,500, and doubled the maximum grant quantum to $40,000. This means that eligible first-timer families can now receive up to $80,000 in housing grants when they buy a new flat from HDB. Meanwhile, we also introduced the Proximity Housing Grant (PHG) of $20,000 in August 2015 to help families buying a resale flat live closer to their parents or married child for mutual care and support. Together with AHG and the CPF Housing Grant of $30,000, eligible first-timer families can now receive a total of $90,000 in housing grants when they buy a resale flat. We will continue to ensure that public housing remains affordable, and are prepared to do more if necessary. Page: 112”
“From 2013 to 2015, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) received requests from around 8,700 appellants a year for public rental flats. These included appeals made through Members of Parliament and appeals made directly to HDB. Over this same period, a total of 6,900 households were successful in their requests for public rental flats. Another 510 households were assisted with Interim Rental Housing. HDB assesses each appeal on its own merit. For needy households which do not meet the eligibility criteria, HDB will exercise flexibility and offer public rental if they are unable to buy a flat and have no other housing options or family support. HDB may also refer complex cases to a Family Service Centre (FSC) for a social worker’s assessment if the client consents. Apart from exploring their housing options, HDB will then work with the social service agencies to help the families with counselling, financial assistance and employment support to address the underlying causes of housing instability.”
“Portable toilets are also set up at the end of each working day in flats undergoing upgrading works, for residents' use at night. In addition, an air-conditioned study room and rest area are provided for residents' use. Residents can also provide feedback, make enquiries and seek assistance at the Information Centre. Should there be any service or quality lapse, HDB will take enforcement action against the contractor. This includes imposing administrative charges and demerit points. If a contractor performs poorly, the contractor may be precluded from tendering for future HDB projects.”
“The Home Improvement Programme (HIP) seeks to enhance the safety and functionality of our older flats and help residents to resolve some common maintenance issues that they may face within their flat, such as ceiling leaks or spalling concrete. The Housing and Development Board (HDB) adopts a multi-pronged approach to ensure the quality of HIP upgrading works. First, HDB has a stringent procurement process to engage capable and financially-sound contractors and consultants. Second, HDB maintains a list of recommended building material suppliers for contractors to use in HIP projects. Third, HDB requires contractors to provide sample units before mass production. Once these sample units are approved, they serve as the quality benchmark. Fourth, HDB engages consultants with full-time staff on site to supervise upgrading works. Fifth, HDB institutes a robust quality audit and enforcement regime. Sixth, HDB has regular dialogue sessions with the contractors' senior management to share the expected quality and workmanship standards and alert them of the quality issues that require their remedial action and pre-emptive measures. Seventh, HDB and consultants carry out functional tests to check on electrical services installed and the water-tightness of the upgraded toilets. Finally, HDB and the consultants conduct a final inspection on completed upgrading works prior to the handover to residents. Residents do not need to move out of their flats when HIP is underway. Understandably, there will be some inconveniences when the works are in progress. HDB seeks to keep these to a minimum and to complete work on the interior of each flat within 10 working days. When work is in progress, temporary common toilets/bathrooms are provided at the void deck.”
“The Fresh Start Housing Scheme aims to help second-timer families with young children living in public rental housing to own a home again. In November and December last year, the Ministry of National Development (MND) and Housing Development Board (HDB) held a series of focus group discussions to better understand the challenges that public rental tenants face in owning a home again, and seek views on how to support them in a meaningful way. We consulted former rental tenants who have successfully moved on to home ownership, current rental tenants, as well as social workers and frontline public officers who work with rental tenants. Most of the participants agreed that the Fresh Start Housing Scheme cannot just be a housing scheme but must include guidance and support for families along their journey to home ownership. There was also broad agreement that the families benefiting from the Scheme must also do their part to get their lives and finances in order. This means that they must show the commitment to find a job and maintain a stable income. At the same time, there was a strong view that the Scheme should focus on the children and ensure that they are attending school regularly, so that the next generation can make progress and secure a better future. More detailed summaries of the consultation are available on MND's website. Based on the feedback received, we are now working out the detailed parameters for the Fresh Start Housing Scheme. What is clear is that the Scheme must be more than just the provision of another housing grant and a new flat. It is about supporting the families in need and helping them to solve their problems holistically. We continue to welcome feedback and will announce more details about the scheme soon.”
“Parking charges are levied to recover part of the cost of providing and maintaining Housing and Development Board (HDB) car parks. As it costs more to provide and maintain multi-storey car parks (MSCPs) compared to surface car parks, the monthly season parking rate is generally higher for MSCPs. Some precincts are served by both surface car parks and MSCPs. As the surface lots are generally nearer to the flats, they are understandably more popular. In some instances, this imbalance in demand has resulted in congestion in some surface car parks while the MSCPs are underutilised. In these car parks, one of HDB's measures to regulate and even out the parking demand is to equalise the monthly parking charges between the surface car parks and MSCPs. However, HDB has no plans to implement islandwide equalisation of season parking charges as there is no widespread imbalance in parking demand today.”
“The National Parks Board (NParks) carries out quarterly checks of the amenities within nature parks and repairs them if necessary. NParks also replaces their lights and footpaths every 15 years and will consider accelerating the replacement cycle if the conditions warrant it. In addition, NParks responds expeditiously to replace or repair damaged amenities when ad hoc feedback is received. For Bukit Batok Nature Park, NParks recently completed an extensive series of maintenance works to improve the amenities. For instance, in 2015, NParks upgraded the existing lamps and implemented measures to reduce soil erosion near footpaths. Moving forward, NParks also plans to install a fitness corner with senior-friendly exercise equipment to make Bukit Batok Nature Park even more friendly to users of all ages.”
“Since the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) was launched in 2000, the Ministry of National Development (MND) has selected 63 private estates through nine batches of EUP, benefiting more than 46,000 households. There are about five to nine estates selected in each batch. In selecting estates for EUP, we consider the age of the estate as well as the physical conditions. We prioritise the older estates, which have greater need and more opportunities for significant improvement through the upgrading works. These works include installation of park furniture and playground equipment that provide a more conducive environment for community bonding, and footpath improvement to provide better connectivity and accessibility. With the nine batches of EUP, we are making good progress in upgrading the estates that are more than 30 years old. MND aims to offer EUP to more estates. There are slightly more than 20 estates which are more than 30 years old and have yet to be selected for EUP. We will continue to prioritise these older estates for EUP. The pace of the programme will depend on the resources available. We will also coordinate with other Government agencies that are also planning upgrading works, so as to minimise inconvenience to the public.”
“When the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) was introduced in 2001, there were more than 5,300 blocks that did not have direct lift access. Almost 1,000 blocks exceeded the LUP cost cap then. However, over time, HDB developed various cost-effective technical solutions so that more blocks could benefit from LUP. These efforts have reduced the number of ineligible blocks to around 150. Despite HDB's best efforts, there will still be some blocks where the LUP cannot be offered due to excessively high costs or technical constraints. By necessity, we have to set a financial cap on how much we can build and spend on each benefiting unit. This is so that we spend prudently. For blocks that have failed the LUP polling previously, HDB will evaluate appeals on a case-by-case basis. Key considerations are whether the circumstances have changed since the last polling and if there is at least 75% support from residents before appealing for LUP to be re-offered. This is regardless of whether there has been any change in owners of the benefiting units. Singaporean flat owners are the eligible voters for LUP. Even if they have rented out their flats, they remain eligible to vote for LUP. As such, the rights of the owners of the benefiting units to ballot will not be withdrawn. If the eligible voter is unable to cast the vote for LUP, he can appoint a proxy to vote on his behalf during the polling period.”
“Madam, as I mentioned just now, HDB already does that in its procurement and selection of lift manufacturers. So, it will and already looks at breakdown rates of different lift models, as a quality measure in selecting the new lift model for installation in new HDB blocks. I want to emphasise what I said earlier, that the maintenance part is equally important, and what I said earlier was that BCA is looking at enhancing its regulations as well as enhancing and strengthening capabilities in this area. So, BCA will also be looking at performance-based maintenance because, today, I think many Town Councils get a lift contractor to maintain the lifts, but you have not a lot of oversight over the performance regime that is in place for the lift contractor. How exactly does the lift contractor go about doing his job? So, BCA is also looking at a performance-based regime for lift contractors to maintain the lifts well. 3.00 pm”
“Madam, HDB is aware of some particular lift models where, perhaps, the manufacturers may no longer be operating in Singapore. Parts may not be so easy to procure. So, HDB will work with the Town Councils to assist them in looking at appropriate replacement for these lift parts, in particular.”
“Madam, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is, indeed, looking at the whole lift industry − the technicians, the people who are in charge, the authorised examiners − to see how we can strengthen the capacity of the technicians, the authorised examiners with regard to the Member's first question. So, BCA is, indeed, looking at this area to see how capabilities can be increased and strengthened. The second point on the procurement and installation of lifts, HDB already does that. Whenever it procures a lift for installation in new HDB blocks, HDB already looks at quality in terms of the procurement process. Beyond installation, the rest of it really depends on maintenance − regular good checks and a proper inspection regime. That is beyond HDB because, as I said earlier, it is the responsibility of every Town Council. So, we hope that the Town Councils will have that in place, pay attention to this area, make sure that there are quality checks and regular maintenance done once the lifts are installed.”
“Given that lift replacement is a major Sinking Fund expenditure, we are also considering ring-fencing part of the Town Councils' Sinking Funds to cater for such expenditures.”
“Madam, Town Councils have the statutory responsibility to carry out proper maintenance and cyclical replacement of lifts in Housing and Development Board (HDB) estates, to ensure that lifts are well-functioning. Under the Town Councils Act and Rules, every Town Council is required to set aside a minimum of 30% for 1- to 3-room flats, or 35% for 4-room or larger flats. This is 30% or 35% of the service and conservancy charges (S&CC) collected and grants-in-aid received in a separate Sinking Fund. This fund will be used to fund the cyclical works, which include the replacement of lifts and lift parts. The recommended replacement cycle of 28 years for lifts serves as a guide to Town Councils in planning and budgeting for the cyclical work. Town Councils should, in consultation with their appointed lift maintenance contractors and their Authorised Examiner, assess whether their lifts should be replaced, taking into consideration their working condition and state of repair, as well as their performance at the regular servicing and annual lift inspections. Town Councils are ultimately responsible for managing their finances and should take the appropriate measures to ensure that they have sufficient funds to carry out their statutory responsibilities. They can choose to contribute a higher percentage of their S&CC collections and grants-in-aid beyond the stipulated minimum to their Sinking Funds, or increase S&CC rates where necessary. The Ministry of National Development (MND) is currently reviewing ways to help Town Councils plan ahead and better monitor their long-term financial sufficiency. For example, we are looking at having Town Councils do their own projections and put in place plans for financial sustainability.”
“The estimated populations of stray dogs, stray cats and wild monkeys are about 7,000, 60,000 and 1,900 respectively. AVA is the first responder agency on animal matters. When there are safety concerns from the public, AVA has to impound the stray animals. AVA works closely with animal welfare groups to rehome the animals, if they are deemed suitable. Those which are not rehomed, including the aggressive and sick animals, will be humanely euthanised as a last resort. The AVA annual report contains the number of stray animals that are impounded and rehomed annually. Last year, AVA euthanised 942 dogs, 888 cats and 623 monkeys. At the same time, AVA rehomed 265 dogs and 129 cats. AVA will continue to work with animal welfare groups to rehome stray animals.”
“There are currently two broad categories of public rentals – those who apply as a family unit, and those who apply as singles under the Joint Singles Scheme (JSS). For the families staying in rental flats, HDB will typically exercise flexibility in allowing the tenant to stay on as sole occupant in the event of the passing of a family member. For the JSS, the tenant will have to find another person to stay together, if his co-tenant passes away or withdraws from the tenancy. However, on a case-by-case basis, HDB does make exceptions for JSS rental tenants to live alone. These are mostly due to medical reasons, for instance, having illnesses that leave them with low immunity to infections. There are currently about 2,000 flats occupied by only one tenant under the JSS. Their co-tenants withdrew from the tenancy for various reasons, including marriage, death or having found alternative accommodation and not necessarily due to disputes. HDB does not keep specific records of the reasons for the co-tenants' withdrawal. Tenants are given six months to find another co-tenant. We encourage them to look for someone they know, like a relative or friend. HDB also provides them with a list of single applicants, or introduces them to other single tenants of a similar profile, whom they may contact before mutually agreeing to jointly rent a flat. If a rental tenant creates a living environment that makes joint occupation difficult, HDB can take action against the tenant under the Tenancy Agreement, including not allowing further renewal of their tenancy and recovering the rental flat as a last resort.”
“HDB shops are an integral part of public housing estates. They play an important role in serving the needs of residents by providing convenient access to various goods and services. The last published Business Expectations Survey of HDB shopkeepers in 2013 found that more than eight in 10 shopkeepers intended to continue with their business in the next five years. This proportion has also been on the rise since 2007, suggesting a relatively positive business outlook. The Revitalisation of Shops (ROS) scheme was also introduced since 2007 to help enhance the vibrancy and improve the competitiveness of HDB shops. HDB ensures that the rents of HDB shops are determined fairly. For new shops, the rent for the first tenancy is determined through open bidding by shopkeepers. At tenancy renewal, the rent is adjusted to the prevailing market rent. The market rents are assessed by licensed valuers, taking into account recent lettings of comparable premises in the vicinity. Adjustments are also made for the location, size and age of the premises, among other factors. HDB also allows flexibility in tenancy periods of between one and three years. Tenants who prefer more certainty can opt for a two- or three-year tenancy. HDB also has in place assistance measures to stagger rental increases.”
“Currently, there are 33 electrical transmission sub-stations located near housing estates. The main function of these sub-stations is to step down high-voltage electricity to low voltage suitable for usage by households. The electromagnetic field radiation from these electrical sub-stations is extremely low, at about 100 times below the exposure guidelines recommended by the World Health Organization for the general public. The Energy Market Authority and NEA have been monitoring and will continue to closely monitor developments in this area and work with MOH and other relevant authorities to evaluate any new findings from scientific studies on this matter.”
“The URA has planned for a series of underground pedestrian links along Orchard Road. These linkways provide a convenient passageway for shoppers, visitors and commuters to connect between major commercial buildings and the underground MRT stations. The URA has been imposing the requirement to build these linkways on new developments along Orchard Road and also on existing developments when they undergo major works or redevelopment. So far, about 2.5 km of underground linkways have already been implemented.”
“Since 2003, the URA has been offering gross floor area incentives to building owners and developers to provide spaces for community uses in their commercial developments. Besides incentivising developers to provide public plazas and rooftop gardens which can be enjoyed by the community, developers are allowed additional floor space of up to 2,000 square metres or 10% of the maximum allowable floor space for the site, whichever is lower, for community use. To date, there are 33 commercial developments in highly accessible locations that have tapped on this scheme to provide a wide range of community facilities, such as childcare centres, eldercare centres, libraries, community clubs and family service centres. URA reviews the scheme regularly to ensure its relevance to the community and will consider the need for further incentives to building owners or developers. For HDB towns, HDB will continue to work with the relevant Government agencies to ensure that the community spaces within each town are adequate and well-distributed, including at the Town Centres near to transport nodes. The respective agencies will assess the demand for the social communal facilities under their purview at the site of each new development, taking into account the population catchment, demographics and existing facilities in the vicinity. For example, in Sengkang, there is a standalone integrated hub located near to the Sengkang MRT station that houses community facilities. The upcoming Bedok Integrated Complex located at Bedok Town Centre will also house various community facilities, such as a community club, library, polyclinic, eldercare centre and sports centre.”
“HDB introduced the Selective Lift Replacement Programme (SLRP) in September 2014 to help Town Councils replace about 750 old lifts that did not come with key safety and security features, such as vision panels and doors with infra-red motion sensors. Following the announcement of SLRP, all Town Councils were informed of the eligible lifts within their estate. This included 56 lifts under the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council. Beyond this list, there are no more lifts eligible for SLRP. Town Councils have the statutory responsibility as well as the duty to residents to carry out the maintenance and cyclical replacement of lifts in HDB estates. This includes the replacement of lifts when they are due, as well as regular monitoring and proper maintenanc,e to ensure passenger safety and prevent frequent lift breakdowns.”
“From 2011 to May 2015, about 13,300 divorcees applied for a flat from the HDB under the Build-To-Order (BTO) or Sale of Balance Flats exercises. These translate to between 1,900 and 3,700 applicants each year. Overall, about two in three were invited to select a flat. From 2011 to 2015, about 13,600 divorcees bought a resale flat in the open market. This translates to between 2,300 and 3,000 transactions each year. In the same period, about 12,100 divorcees applied for rental flats. This similarly translates to between 1,500 and 3,700 each year. Overall, about one in two were successful in their application.”
“That is why we have to make progress towards such a goal and we are trying to sensitise and get people used to such a mindset. That is why MND and MOT have launched more road closures over the weekends and we have recently started a car-free Sunday in the civic district on the last Sunday of the month. You can come to the civic district, the roads are closed, you can walk, you can cycle, you can jog, you can enjoy the streets, for people. I would welcome Members to participate and join us on the last Sunday of the month to experience what car-free Sunday is about. In conclusion, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Government has always adopted a people-centric approach in urban planning. That is why, despite our constraints, we have today a city in a garden and we have people from all over the world coming to MND, URA and MOT to learn about our experience. The nature of urban planning is such that it is really long-term work. The results do not happen overnight. It takes good planning; it takes systematic implementation over many years and even decades. So, you cannot look at urban planning over just one or even two electoral cycles. You have to think and plan long-term and then implement and deliver the results systematically and progressively. That is what we have done in Singapore and that is what we will continue to do. With the support of all stakeholders, I am confident we can build an even better Singapore. We can build a Singapore that is not just the greenest and most beautiful city in the world, but, potentially, one of the best cities for walking and for active urban mobility.”
“We are, indeed, studying how legislation needs to be enhanced, potentially, to give us the ability to compel building owners to provide such pedestrian links. It is a complex issue and we are studying this very carefully. It may or may not be legislation of powers needed in the Building Code. There could be other forms of legislative levers that we can apply and, so, that is a matter being studied and the details will be announced in due course. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have summarised some of the efforts that we are undertaking to push for better pedestrian connectivity. All of this is work-in-progress and it is a long-term effort. It requires support and understanding from all stakeholders. Dr Tan Wu Meng spoke about having a "design language" in which we can think about designing our streets better for pedestrian connectivity and I fully agree with him. Having such a design language, in fact, requires us to think about taking some hard decisions because designing a city for people and for walkability potentially means reducing car parking norms; it means, shrinking road sizes; it means pedestrianising more roads. Those are the hard decisions that we may have to make. Other road users would have to make adjustments. I note that we have received – both the Ministry of National Development (MND) and Ministry of Transport (MOT) – many requests from the public, including from Members of this House, from time to time to have more car parks, not just more car parks but more free car parks, which will just add to road users but for cars, not for pedestrians and sometimes to expand the roads for cars. These are issues that we have to balance. If we truly want to embrace a more pedestrian-friendly culture, it is really about adopting a more car-lite culture in Singapore.”
“LTA is continuing with efforts to install lifts at pedestrian overhead bridges to improve barrier-free access to public transport nodes and popular destinations. On the issue of lifts, Dr Tan Wu Meng highlighted the case at Clementi MRT where LTA provided the lift and then the lift only works during MRT operating hours. I checked with LTA and I think they have also done their checks. As Dr Tan Wu Meng mentioned, they have been hard at work with SMRT. And I am happy to announce that LTA and SMRT will be adopting his suggestion to provide all-day barrier-free access to and from the overhead bridge. So, he can convey the good news to his residents in both English and Mandarin. It is not just in Clementi, because LTA will be learning from this example and experience to make sure that solutions are available not just in Clementi but in other towns as well. So, that is the second point about enhancing the pedestrian experience. Thirdly, as highlighted by Dr Tan Wu Meng, the private sector also plays an important role in realising our people-centric vision of pedestrian connectivity. This is already done today – Government agencies work with developers to safeguard pedestrian access through private developments. Wherever feasible, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will impose this as a land sales condition on developers that they have to build underground at-grade or elevated linkways connected to their developments and to enhance the pedestrian experience. It is possible for new developments; it is harder and more complex to do so for existing ones. And Dr Tan Wu Meng shared some of his experience in Clementi with difficulties getting some of the existing malls to put in place connections. I understand the difficulties.”
“I would like to share that LTA will be constructing a covered walkway from Little India MRT station to KK Hospital later this year and this will be completed around the middle of next year. For Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, it is slightly further away from the MRT station because the hospital was built in a mature estate where there was not an available site near to the MRT. So, the hospital is now about 700 metres away from the MRT station, about a 15-minute walk. Nevertheless, to provide better connectivity, we have bus services from the MRT station to the hospital and we are going to make sure that, as far as possible, for most of the stretch when you walk from the MRT station to the hospital, there will be sheltered walkways provided as well. Within our housing estates, HDB is also working on a more integrated network of pedestrian connectivity. So, this will be done for all new estates. The walkability features will be incorporated into the design of all new estates. For existing estates, the improvements can be done as part of our upgrading programmes. HDB has a Remaking Our Heartlands programme. We also have the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) which estates can make use of to enhance pedestrian connectivity. And as all Members in this House are involved in the NRP implementation process through the Town Councils, I would encourage everyone to think about how you can prioritise the use of your NRP funds towards enhancing pedestrian connectivity within your estates. So, all Members in this House have the responsibility and also the ability, through the NRP funding, to enhance pedestrian connectivity within your own towns. Another way of enhancing pedestrian experience is to better meet the needs of the elderly and the vulnerable members of our society.”
“These are more costly to do than at grade linkways, the above-ground and underground linkages, but we will do so in areas with higher pedestrian volumes, such as in our town and regional centres. You can already see some of these taking shape, say, in a town like Jurong. If you come out from the Jurong East MRT, you will see elevated walkways which allow commuters direct access to the nearby malls like JEM and Westgate and, potentially, to other key developments that are coming up in the future Jurong Lake district. So, that is the first point – that we are going to have more pedestrian connections. Second, we are going to improve the walking experience. So it is not just about having more connections but, as Dr Tan Wu Meng has highlighted, about having better-designed walkways so that we can create a more comfortable and a more user-friendly walking environment. One important priority is to enhance the linkages to MRT stations and bus interchanges with better covered walkways. LTA has a scheme to do this, called the Walk2Ride scheme, and I am happy to share that they will be extending the covered linkway network under this scheme to about 200 kilometres of sheltered walkways by 2018. So, there will be an expansion and there will be more covered walkways linking to MRT stations to enhance the walking experience and the last-mile, first-mile connections. Dr Tan Wu Meng mentioned that there are covered walkways from MRT Stations to most public hospitals but he highlighted two in particular, that are not directly connected – the KK Women's and Children's Hospital and the Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.”
“It was a strategic imperative and one which we set about doing deliberately year after year, and putting a lot of attention to details. As Mr Lee Kuan Yew had always emphasised, having public access to greenery is nothing less than a matter of a social equity. It is about creating a sense of social equalness in society so that everyone, regardless of where you stay, be it a flat, a condominium or a landed property, everyone in Singapore can have equal access to greenery and public spaces. So, the point I wanted to highlight, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, is that we have always put people first in our planning considerations and this will continue to be our approach as we think about planning our city going forward. We will have to continue with our long-term plans to make good use of spaces, we will have to continue with our greening initiatives and, indeed, as we look forward to the next phase of urban planning, we want to make significant enhancements to pedestrian connectivity. So, one key priority for us is to improve our pedestrian connectivity, to improve first-mile, last-mile connections and to ensure that our environment is highly walkable in Singapore. This is a long-term effort which will require many stakeholders and involve many implementation details. But let me just share some broad areas of emphasis and also, in doing so, respond to some of the suggestions that the Member has highlighted. First, we will provide more pedestrian connectivity from residential estates to key amenities and transport nodes. Some of these connections will be in the form of ground-level direct crossings, because that is the most direct way of getting from point to point and some will be involving above-ground or underground linkages to enhance connectivity.”