Lim Hng Kiang
Singapore
“The company has made commitments to recycle the ash, and as for renewable energy, the gasification project is not an energy project, it is not a generation company (genco). It is to produce hydrogen and carbon monoxide or, essentially, carbon. Because as feedstock to the petrochemical sector, you need more C and more H2.”
“The Government will continue to recover the IIA awarded if the company fails any conditions or breaches the legislative amendments. I would like to highlight that there are no errant cases in the last five years for IIA and the current amendments are, therefore, not reactionary in nature, but are being made for legislative clarity.”
“In addition, the IIA scheme will be extended till 31 December 2022. Clauses 10 to 13 give legislative effect to this change. The remaining legislative changes arising from our periodic review of the income tax system are either administrative or technical in nature.”
“Data on household and individual savings rates by income groups are not available. However, data on the aggregate level of household financial assets can be obtained from the Household Sector balance sheet compiled by the Department of Statistics.”
“The aggregate level of financial assets owned by Singapore’s household sector6 in each of the past five years is provided in Table 1 below. Data on the amount of financial assets owned by households and individuals in the different income percentiles is not available.”
“The Second Review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (Second CECA Review) is ongoing. The review is taking some time as both countries have our respective interests to work through, such as in the area of labour mobility. Our agencies regularly engage Indian counterparts to work through issues collaboratively.”
The complete record
Every one of 2,677 lines we hold for Lim Hng Kiang, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 43 of 54.
“We have to understand the overall planning process. The URA, as the planning authority, looks at Singapore and tries to fit the various land uses in the various areas. On the Development Guide Plan for this area, for example, looking at the physical attributes of the area, they feel that the land presently occupied by the terrace workshops should be better optimised for residential use. This is the planning intention. HDB, as the landlord of the terrace workshops, knows the planning intention. As the landlord, whether it redevelops in accordance with the planning intention or it continues with its present land use which is also approved by URA, is something for HDB to decide. As he knows, some time last year, I announced that the Government is looking at the overall provision of industrial premises by HDB. We are looking at how some of these industrial premises can be sold to the tenants. At the same time, those industrial premises which are not optimising the land properly would be redeveloped. HDB is still studying the overall redevelopment plans of these industrial premises. Essentially, those which are in high density premises make good use of the land. Industrial shops in multi-storey premises would be retained. As for single-storey terrace workshops, some would be retained because we need terrace workshops to repair cars, etc, and some would be redeveloped. So HDB has not decided whether the particular terrace workshops he is referring to will be redeveloped or not.”
“Sir, the Development Guide Plan designates the land use that we want to earmark for different locations and sites in the medium and long term. So it is a planning intention that the industrial workshops that the Member mentioned will eventually be redeveloped for residential use. But, as I said, right now, we do not have immediate plans to redevelop the area. But if the Member raises it and wants them to be demolished, I am quite prepared to demolish them.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are currently no plans to redevelop the area at Hougang Avenue 3 in the Old Punggol Estate.”
“The Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) is a 15-20 year programme involving more than 300,000 HDB flats of above 17 years old when the policy was announced. The objective is to eventually upgrade all these flats. However, HDB blocks with high redevelopment potential will be excluded from MUP and redeveloped under the Selective En-Bloc Redevelopment Scheme. DAY ACTIVITY CENTRES FOR THE ELDERLY 8. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Community Development to give details on the Day Activity Centres for the Elderly with respect to (i) the number run by Government and by voluntary welfare organisations; (ii) the adequacy of the number of centres and of the quality of service to meet the needs of the present aged population; and (iii) the future plans for expansion of these centres.”
“Blk 770 , Yishun Ave 3, #01-253 is a converted void deck completed in January 1990. It is let out to the Peoples' Association (PA) for use as a temporary community centre. When PA moves to Blk 749 Yishun St 72, the premises will be allocated to the Nee Soon Central Citizens' Consultative Committee for use as a study centre for the residents. LIST OF FLATS QUALIFIED FOR UPGRADING 7. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for National Development whether he will list out by (i) location, (ii) block number, (iii) number of blocks and (iv) number of units all those Housing and Development Board flats which are 20 years or older and which have qualified for the Main Upgrading Programme at the time when the policy was decided.”
“The unit #01-126 of Blk 848 Yishun St 81 was approved to be used for the sale of cooked food in 1991. The floor area of the above shop is 213.5 sq m, which is within the acceptable range for such commercial trade. Concerning the Member's feedback on the tables and chairs found in front of the above shop, I have asked the Ang Mo Kio/Yishun Town Council to look into it. MINISTRY'S PLAN FOR BLOCK 770 YISHUN AVENUE 3 6. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for National Development what are his Ministry's plans for the premises at Block 770 Yishun Avenue 3 when the Nee Soon Central Community Centre moves from that premises to Block 749 Yishun Street 72.”
“When we progress with estates or towns, this is also made known. For example, in Toa Payoh, we work closely with the town councils and grassroots organisations and we subdivide Toa Payoh into various precincts. In each of these precincts, they know when the flats were built and therefore if there is a selection of precincts for upgrading, the town councils know in which sequence the flats will be selected for upgrading. Hougang is not due for upgrading for many, many years. So there is no need for us to consult the town council to designate the precincts and do the ranking. CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN (Terms of ratification) 10. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (i) what terms have been ratified in, (ii) whether there are reservations on, and (iii) what are the national plans to comply with, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women.”
“I think the age of flats is common knowledge to everybody. We just go according to the age of the flats. We look at every estate and we rank the precincts according to the age of the flats. And we generally proceed with the upgrading of the oldest flats in the estate first, unless, of course, the precinct just had an R&R and there is no point to go back and upgrade it one year after it has had its R&R. So we will make certain adjustments to make sure that there is no wastage of public funds. But the age ranking is quite clear to everybody. Everybody knows when their flats were built. Everybody knows whether their flats are older or built later than their neighbouring flats.”
“And one of the reasons why this programme has to proceed year by year is that the programme will only go ahead if there are significant budget surpluses to fund it. This is a $1 billion programme per year and we do not want to commit ourselves to a 5-year programme without making sure that there are budget surpluses to pay for these projects. So this is the reason why we cannot have a 5-year rolling plan.”
“As I have explained earlier, all the flats are ranked based on age, and the Member will notice that in the last seventh or eighth batches, precincts in Queensway which are older have been systematically shortlisted for upgrading. Similarly, flats in Toa Payoh, which are more than 25-30 years old, have also been shortlisted for upgrading. If we just maintain age as the sole criterion, then the upgrading would have been very lopsided in just these two areas. So we want to spread it out and therefore we gave one or two precincts per regional zone - one in the east, one in the north, one in the west and one in the central area. Again, if the Member checks through the seventh and eighth batches, he will notice that there is always a geographical spread. We also want to give priority to the 3-roomers because, as I have explained earlier, one of the objectives is not only to improve the environment but also to enhance the asset of the flat owners. So among the flats which are oldest, we also target the smaller flats. And now we are including the criterion of cleanliness. We also work closely with town councils because when we identify a precinct, we want it to dovetail with the R&R programme of the blocks. So we also consult the town councils on the major improvements that they are doing in their town councils to make sure that if there is an R&R for the precinct and it coincides with the upgrading, then there are savings for the town council. There is a method for identifying the precincts. We are reluctant to announce the precincts five years or 10 years ahead of time because there will be many changes. The programme is a rolling programme. There is an annual budget for it. There is an annual schedule.”
“Sir, there is a method for identifying the precincts.”
“So those residents who keep their precincts clean would be slotted for upgrading ahead of those who persistently dirty their precincts.”
“Without having to belabour this point, I think the first criterion which most Singaporeans would know is the age of their flat. So knowing the age of their own flat, they know when would be the approximate time of their upgrading. If you are living in a very old flat in Queensway, the chances of your flat being upgraded would be higher than if you are living in a flat in Bedok or Hougang. Second, there are other criteria. We do not want to just upgrade all the flats in Queensway because they are more than 30 years old. We want to make sure that the benefits of upgrading are spread out geographically in Singapore. If we go strictly, mechanically, robotically and automatically by age, then upgrading will just be concentrated in the older estates, like Queensway and Toa Payoh. So we want to have a geographical spread. Each time when we announce the batch, we make sure that Singaporeans living in all sectors of Singapore do benefit from the upgrading programme which is also ranked by the age of the flats in that sector or area. Third, of course, we want to know whether there is support for the programme. There is no point in announcing and identifying a precinct for upgrading, go through one year of design and only to receive less than 75% endorsement of the programme. It is a waste of the residents' time. It is a waste of the architects' time. So we want to know whether there is support for the programme before we announce or identify the batch. As at January this year, we have decided to also include cleanliness as a criterion. By including cleanliness, we have a mechanism where the level of cleanliness of the precincts is shortlisted and monitored.”
“The current estimate is very good. If a flat is above 25 years, the chances are very good. If it is above 20 years, the chances are not so good. In the next few years, if it is below 20 years, there is no chance.”
“As I have explained in my answer, one of the criteria is age. So if a flat is more than 20 years old, the chances of it being upgraded in the next few years are very good. However, there are also other considerations in choosing flats which are more than 20 years old. We want to make sure that they are all geographically spread out. We want to make sure that there is a high level of support and we want to make sure that the residents do take care of their precincts in the level of cleanliness. So we have got to check on these precincts and we will decide on the precincts batch by batch and year by year.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Main Upgrading Programme is very transparent. First of all, in announcing the programme we said that this is a 15 to 20-year programme to upgrade all HDB flats which are more than 17 years old. These constitute 370,000 flats. We intend to upgrade something like 15,000 to 20,000 flats every year and we have to identify these flats batch by batch. When each batch is announced, the criteria are explained. People will vote on it. The funds are provided for in Parliament. We have debated on it every Budget year. I do not see how transparent you can get.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Main Upgrading Programme is an extensive programme which requires deliberate planning and careful scheduling. Besides the age of the flats, the criteria for selecting the precincts for each batch depend also on other factors, such as the geographical spread of the flats, the level of support for the programme as well as the cleanliness of the precinct. HDB will continue to adjust and fine-tune its schedule so that precincts deserving upgrading more are given priority. The selected precincts will be announced progressively.”
“Currently, there are on-going programmes to upgrade and improve the private housing estates done by the various agencies in different Ministries, whether it is Parks and Recreation Department in planting, landscaping, improving the neighbourhood parks, or the Roads Branch in improving the roads, or the Ministry of the Environment (Drainage Department) in improving the drains. So money has and is spent all the time on the private housing estates. What this committee tries to do is to see how these can be integrated and, in so doing, add other items to the upgrading programme. The committee has not completed its deliberations yet because this is an inter-Ministry committee. When it is ready with its report, we will announce the findings. SINGAPORE TELECOM (Guideline on toll rate charged by service providers of audio lines) 7. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for Communications (a) whether Singapore Telecom has set a guideline on the toll rate charged to the public by all service providers of audio lines (1900) and (b) whether - in the light of many children making calls on the audio lines without their parents' consent and resulting in excessive telephone bills - he will consider making Singapore Telecom provide security codes without charge to all households.”
“Mr Speaker, last year, my Ministry set up a committee to look further into what can be done to improve private housing estates. However, this programme that is being studied is, by no means, equivalent to the upgrading programme that we are carrying out for HDB flats. What the committee is doing is to see whether all the current improvement works on the roads, planting on the verges, lighting, neighbourhood parks, etc, can be better coordinated so as to achieve a better result. In doing so, there may also be scope for further improvements. The main thrust of the programme being considered for private housing estates is therefore to see what can be done to the common areas outside the individual homes. Similarly, for private apartments, the upgrading will be carried out outside the apartment blocks. Apartment developments which can form part of a cluster with a housing estate will be included in the upgrading of that housing estate. The difficulty is that many private apartment blocks are stand-alone developments which do not form part of a cluster within a housing estate. Such cases will have a much more limited scope for upgrading. I must, however, stress that the Government's priority remains with the upgrading of the older smaller HDB flats. One of the objectives of upgrading HDB flats, besides improving the environment, is to enhance the value of these flats. As the value of private property has appreciated significantly over the past few years, we will continue to place our efforts and emphasis in the HDB estates.”
“As I have explained, there is extra work to be done by HDB when an individual submits an application. Some portion of the work is done by the agent. If an individual does it, he is not doing that segment of the work. So that part is done by HDB, and HDB takes an extra one week. SIMEX (Protection against future crises) 3. Assoc. Prof. Walter Woon asked the Minister for Finance - in the light of the Minister's statement in Parliament on 1st March 1995 that SIMEX would appoint experts from the global futures industry to advise it on protecting itself against future crises like that involving Barings Futures - (a) what recommendations (if any) were made by the experts; (b) whether these recommendations have been implemented by SIMEX; and (c) what other steps (if any) have been taken by SIMEX to prevent a recurrence of the problems that caused the collapse of Barings Futures.”
“That is why we appreciate the Member raising this question here for us to clarify the situation and to explain that HDB does run these seminars. These seminars will also in time be conducted in Mandarin so that the ordinary persons can do these transactions on their own. But if they want to hire an agent, the agent does provide a service by linking a willing buyer and willing seller. We hope the agents would provide that level of service as required.”
“As I explained in my answer, there is additional processing time required by HDB. The agents do provide a certain level of service and because of this additional processing time individuals will require five weeks whereas the listed agents require four weeks. One week does not make that big a difference. In fact, HDB encourages individuals to do the resale transactions on their own. HDB has been running seminars on Saturday afternoons and they intend to run seminars now on every first Saturday of the month. So individuals who are planning to buy or sell resale flats can book into one of these seminars. HDB will explain the procedures clearly and what is required, and they are welcome to do the transactions themselves. But those who want to engage housing agents must be prepared to pay the commission and we hope the housing agents will provide the level of service expected in earning that commission.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, HDB's target for resale transactions by private individuals is five weeks. In other words, private individual applicants will be given their first appointment about five weeks after the submission of their applications, provided they submit all relevant documents and valuation report together with the application form, as in the case of applications submitted by the listed agents. Such transactions require one week more than the four-week target for the listed housing agents because HDB will need to do additional checks to ensure that all the documents and valuation reports are in order. In the case of the listed agents, HDB expects these agents to do all these checks before submission to HDB. On the second part of the Question, listed housing agencies who are found to have misrepresented the resale prices will be: i) prosecuted under the Penal Code for making a false statutory declaration. The penalty is an unlimited fine and a term of imprisonment not exceeding three years; ii) debarred from handling resale transactions for a one-year period; and iii) dropped from the list. HDB will also publicise the delisting of the agency in the mass media.”
“As the overhead pedestrian bridge is maintained by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), my Ministry will refer the MP's suggestion to the LTA for their consideration. As regards covered linkways and shelters for existing HDB blocks, it is the Town Council's responsibility to maintain and manage the common property of the HDB housing estates, including making improvements such as providing linkways and shelters. Therefore, HDB does not carry out such improvement works. The Town Council will need to seek approval from the relevant authorities before commencement of such works. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PILOT PROJECT (Counselling) 14. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Acting Minister for Community Development if he will give the number of (i) abusers and (ii) victims who attended and completed the counselling sessions in the domestic violence pilot project that was carried out between April and September 1995. Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: (i) For the period 17th April till 16th October 1995, 68 cases of domestic violence were reported to the police. Of these, 18 cases were willing to be referred to the social service agencies for counselling and support services. (ii) Among the 18 cases: (a) 10 victims are still attending counselling; (b) 4 victims and their spouses are still attending counselling; and (c) 4 of the victims decided not to proceed with counselling. (iii) Fifty of the victims in the pilot project were not referred for counselling for the following reasons: (a) 28 refused any intervention; (b) 13 did not see the need for intervention as they had filed/were filing for divorce; (c) 6 had already reconciled with their spouses; and (d) 3 were already receiving help from other agencies.”
“Vasoo asked the Minister for Health what further plans are being made to strengthen community care programmes to assist family members with aged sick.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, HDB does not have plans to phase out all the existing dry markets in HDB housing estates. These dry markets were built from 1982 to 1992 to replace the wet markets which at that time were found to be messy and unhygienic, caused primarily by poultry slaughtering. What we commonly refer to as dry markets are actually market-produce shops, meant to be operated within the shop in a dry and clean manner, in accordance with the standards set by the Ministry of the Environment. However, over the years, many market-produce shops have become wet, messy and dirty. These shop tenants have been operating their market-produce shops like wet markets, which the shops are not designed for. Some of them have even extended their stalls onto the common passageway, causing serious obstruction. Residents have complained about the environment created by these tenants and the obstruction caused to the common passageway. The Government reverted to building wet markets in new HDB estates after the phasing out of poultry slaughtering in wet markets in 1992. These new wet markets have better drainage facilities to make them less wet and less messy. They are also sold en bloc to commercial operators so that they will be well managed. As for existing HDB estates, the decision to replace the existing market-produce shops with wet markets will depend on the feedback HDB gets from residents and the CCC Advisors. These premises can continue to serve as market-produce shops so long as they are kept clean and hygienic to safeguard the interests of consumers and residents. COMMUNITY CARE PROGRAMMES TO ASSIST FAMILIES WITH AGED SICK 3. Dr S.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as I have explained in this House before, residents in Phase III and IV HUDC estates were in an anomalous situation before the announcement of this change in policy. Before this change, they were allowed to apply for HDB flats without having to pay a levy, whereas HDB flat owners have to do so. At the same time, they did not have to wait for a 30-month period, whereas Phase I and II HUDC flat owners have to comply with it. To change the situation, the HDB could decide either to put them together with the HDB flat owners, in which case we ought to impose a levy, or at the same time classify them together with the Phase I and II HUDC flat owners, in which case we have to impose a 30-month debarment period. HDB decided that, for the purposes of application of new HDB flats, it would treat them the same as those in Phase I and II HUDC estates, ie, impose a 30-month debarment period. DRY MARKETS IN HDB ESTATES 2. Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for National Development whether it is the Government's intention to phase out all neighbourhood dry markets in Housing and Development Board estates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in selecting the various estates for privatisation, HDB considers the following three criteria. (1) the age of the estate; (2) the support expressed by the residents through their Advisor; and (3) a mix of Phase I and II as well as Phase III and IV estates so as to even out the workload. For Shunfu estate, I believe it is under Phase III and so it will be among the earlier batches.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the announcement of the conversion of HUDC leases to strata titles in May 1995, the pilot projects at Gillman Heights and Pine Grove Estates have been progressing according to schedule. Residents in these two designated estates conducted their voting for the privatisation in July and August. The results showed that both estates have exceeded the minimum of 75% support which is required: 93% in Gillman Heights and 79% in Pine Grove. HDB is now executing the processes required for the privatisation of these two estates. As these are pilot projects, HDB needs some time to establish the working procedures with the various agencies involved in the processes. HDB expects that the date these two estates will be legally transformed to private estates to be in August 1996. In response to the keen interest by some HUDC residents to privatise their estates, HDB has decided to bring forward additional HUDC estates for the privatisation exercise in 1996. They will be split into two batches. The first batch for 1996 will be Jurong East, Hougang South, Lakeview and Farrer Court Estates. The second batch for 1996 will be announced in the middle of next year. With regard to the privatisation of Shunfu Estate, HDB will take note of the interest expressed by the residents there when it designates other HUDC estates for the privatisation exercise in the subsequent batches.”
“The answer had already been given in a written answer to the same Member of Parliament during the Parliamentary sitting held on 7 July 1995. ELDERLY, SPOUSAL AND CHILD ABUSE 12. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Acting Minister for Community Development if he will give the number of cases reported to his Ministry of elderly abuse, spousal abuse and child abuse for the period 1990 to 1994.”
“The residents' desires have been noted and HDB will do its best to accommodate the request when planning the subsequent batches under the Sale of Flats to Sitting Tenants Scheme. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - COURT ORDERS 1. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Law if he will give the number of Protection Orders, Expedited Orders and Domestic Exclusion Orders issued by the Courts from 1990 to 1994 with a breakdown for each year.”
“During such contacts, Joel and the parents were observed to be adjusting well and there was no indication of difficulty expressed or experienced by the parents. Neither was Joel observed to be anxious or withdrawn in the presence of his parents. The case was subsequently closed on July 1994 on the following grounds: (1) the parents were financially stable; (2) they had a proper home; and (3) they showed interest in Joel and Joel in turn was observed to be adjusting well at home. In our assessment, the follow-up visits and procedures subsequent to the return of Joel to his parents were adequate. I am not sure what the Committee of Inquiry is supposed to do or achieve, as asked by Dr Kanwaljit Soin. Frankly, I do not see the need for a Committee of Inquiry. If the Committee of Inquiry is to investigate into the murder of the said child, this is the task of the police and they are already investigating the case. To discuss the case further will be sub judice.”
“The Ministry sought the assistance of the police to locate the parents. As the parents could not be located and the babysitter did not want further responsibility, Joel was placed under the care of a foster mother registered with the Ministry's Fostering Scheme on 5th February 1993. The parents were subsequently traced on 30th April 1993. Our investigation revealed that the parents stopped making contact with the babysitter as they were in financial difficulty and could not pay the babysitter. Although the parents requested the return of Joel on the grounds that the father had found employment and claimed to be financially secure, the Ministry still did not return Joel to them as they had a housing problem and the mother was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. They were advised that Joel would be returned to them when they had resolved their housing problem and the father's employment was more stable. This was also to allow the mother time to take care of the birth of Joel's sibling. In November 1993, the parents requested the return of Joel again as they had settled their housing arrangement. Joel was subsequently returned to the parents in March 1994, that is, about five months after the request, after the Ministry was satisfied that the father was really gainfully employed and their housing problem resolved. The parents' relationship with Joel was also observed to be good during the visits arranged by the Ministry for the parents and child. Upon Joel's discharge back to his parents, regular visits were also made by MCD officers to their residence to observe Joel's adjustment. The parents also came down to the Ministry for discussions with my staff.”
“Sir, the gross weight calculated in this manner was found to be 395.98 grams. There was a difference of 78.13 grams as the gross weight of the seven bundles taken by CNB at the time of the arrest was 474.11 grams. The trial judge was unable to determine the reason for the discrepancy. However, what is important is that the trial judge was satisfied that there was no break in the chain of evidence and that the correct exhibit was sent for analysis. Equally important is the fact that Lim Swee Seng was convicted of the charge of trafficking in a nett weight of 32.28 grams of diamorphine, way above the minimum 15 grams which attracts the capital punishment. This weight was determined by the Department of Scientific Services using stringent analysis protocol which is internationally recognised and not based on the gross weight of the seven bundles of exhibits. MURDER OF JOEL MATTHIAS PETER (Setting up of Committee of Inquiry) 12. Dr Kanwaljit Soin asked the Minister for Community Development if he will give the background information on (i) the case of the murdered 2 year-old Joel Matthias Peter in relation to his custody and with special reference to his Ministry's assessment of the suitability of returning the child to the parents' home and (ii) the evaluation of the follow-up visits and in relation to this matter, whether his Ministry will consider the setting up of a committee of inquiry. Mr Abdullah Tarmugi: Mr Speaker Sir, let me start with the background on Joel's placement with the Ministry of Community Development (MCD). Joel was referred to the Ministry on 15th January 1993 by his private babysitter as his natural parents defaulted payment of fees and did not contact the babysitter for 1 1/2 months previous to that.”
“Ho Peng Kee (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, Lim Swee Seng was arrested by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for drug trafficking on 31st May 1991. When he was arrested, Lim was found in the possession of 53 packets of granular substances. Six other packets of the same substances were recovered from his flat in a cigarette box. Immediately after the arrest, the investigating officer weighed seven bundles which contained the 53 packets of granular substances in plastic sachets wrapped in newspapers in Lim's presence. The bundles were weighed in their newspaper wrappings and plastic sachets to retain the original state of the exhibits. The seven bundles' gross weight was found to be 474.11 grams. The bundles were then marked and sent to the Department of Scientific Services (DSS) for analysis on 1st June 1991. Lim was charged on 1st June 1991 in the Subordinate Court for two counts of trafficking in diamorphine weighing 474.11 grams in the 53 packets and 58.56 grams in the six packets respectively. On 2nd June 1992, the DSS' analysis confirmed that the 53 packets of granular substances contained a nett weight of 32.28 grams of diamorphine. When Lim was tried at the High Court, the charge relating to the 53 packets of granular substances was amended to one of trafficking in nett weight of 32.28 grams of diamorphine. Sir, during the cross examination of the scientific evidence at the trial, the defence counsel recalculated the gross weight of the seven bundles which contained the 53 packets of granular substances. This was done by adding (a) the weight of the granular substances (325.3 grams); (b) the weight of the 53 empty plastic sachets (30.68 grams); and (c) the weight of the seven pieces of newspaper (40 grams).”
“Under the Lift Surveillance System and the Integrated Security System, they make use of closed-circuit TV. The Lift Surveillance System has a TV camera in the lift itself. It tapes whatever is going on in the lift and if a crime is committed, the Police will then just run through the tape. In the Integrated Security System, the camera at the entrance shows who is coming into the block and that is piped to the resident's TV set. So if he is free, he can always tune on to his TV set and he will know who is coming in and out of his block. All these provisions are available to the residents. And we leave it to the residents to decide for themselves whether or not they want to spend money on such features when they undertake the various items for upgrading during the upgrading programme. So we leave it to residents, depending on the situation in the blocks, whether they prefer to spend the money on such features or on other features. So the technology is there and the funds are available. It is up to the residents whether they want to incorporate these features or do other things. CRIMINAL CASE NO. 34 OF 1993 AND APPEAL NO. 53 OF 1993 (Discrepancy in weight of heroin seized) 11. Mr Cheo Chai Chen asked the Minister for Home Affairs, in respect of Criminal Case No. 34 of 1993 and Appeal No. 53 of 1993, why there is a discrepancy between the weight of heroin seized at the time of the arrest of the accused Lim Swee Seng ie. 474.11 grams and the weight of it as found by the Department of Scientific Services ie 395.98 grams, the weight difference being 78.13 grams, and whether there was any investigation into the cause of the discrepancy. Assoc. Prof.”
“The number of snatch thefts was also reduced from 57 in 1991 to 28 in 1994. Incidences of outrage of modesty, however, remained high. HDB will work harder with the Police to prevent this.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, all HDB lifts are fitted with an anti-crime siren, which will automatically sound when there is an attempt to force open the lift door. This helps to deter crime in lifts. Since October 1992, lifts in new HDB blocks have been fitted with glass vision panels on the lift doors. Older lifts are also being fitted with this feature when the blocks are upgraded under the Main Upgrading Programme. This deters crime as assaulters would risk being seen by people at the lift lobbies as the lifts pass by them. Lifts in new HDB blocks also stop on every floor. This enhances security because there is less time for crime to be committed in the lifts. HDB has also recently tested two new lift-crime prevention systems: the Lift Surveillance System and the Integrated Security System. With the Lift Surveillance System, crimes in lifts will be captured on tape by a video camera installed in the lifts. In the Integrated Security System, residents can only enter their block at one entrance point by using an access card. A visitor will have to call the resident via a call panel at the entrance and the resident can screen the visitor through his television set before opening the entrance gate. HDB has included these security features in the list of upgrading items for selection by residents for the Main and Interim Upgrading Programme. In addition to these physical measures, HDB has worked with the Police, particularly the Neighbourhood Police Post, to deter crime in HDB lifts. The number of cases of robbery, vandalism and snatch theft in HDB lifts has been decreasing over the years since 1991. Lift robberies fell from a high of 381 cases in 1991 to 51 cases in 1994. The number of vandalism cases fell from 173 in 1991 to 63 in 1994.”
“If indeed a senior citizen says that he cannot afford to buy a new flat, HDB will help him buy a 3-room flat in the same vicinity and let him enjoy some of the monetary benefits of selling the rights to a new flat in that area. So we assure all senior citizens that if they just want to continue living in a 3-room flat in the same area, they will still end up with a net cash surplus, and HDB will help them buy another 3-room flat in the area. So there is no problem. But if they say that they cannot afford to buy a 5-room flat, then there is a problem. But if they say, "Look, I am staying in a 3-room flat today, and I am prepared to stay in another 3-room flat in the same vicinity.", HDB is prepared to help them buy a 3-room flat from the resale market. I can assure Members that by selling off the benefits of a brand new flat in the same area, they will still end up with a cash surplus. CENTRAL PROVIDENT FUND ACT (Amendment to incorporate minimum protection to spouses) 3. Mr Chng Hee Kok asked the Minister for Labour, in view of recent court rulings on the division of Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings upon divorce, if he will consider introducing legislation to amend the CPF Act so as to incorporate minimum protection to spouses of CPF contributors irrespective of the contributors' nominations.”
“Again, there is this myth of older Singaporeans who cannot take advantage of this scheme and would be left out. Let me assure Members that older Singaporeans are as shrewd as younger Singaporeans and they know how to benefit from the scheme by combining with their children to buy the biggest flat available. There is a danger here - I must explain to the House - when we carried out the surveys we asked each and every resident what type of flat they hoped to purchase in the end. If they indicate that they cannot afford it and they only want to buy a 4-room flat, then we will build more 4-room flats than 5-room flats. But in the end, you may find that the 5-room flats give them more returns than a 4-room flat. And if they do not fill up the survey form accurately, they may find that there are not enough 5-room flats to go round. So there is this myth that senior citizens may not be able to afford it. Many of them are, in fact, planning to combine with their children to buy a bigger flat. They have lived with their children in the housing estate in which their children have grown up. This is a development that we would like to encourage. I am confident that when the project is completed, they will find that it is a worthwhile project for them to participate in.”
“At the same time, to be fair, we have designed a package in which they share in the redevelopment benefits. The simple way to look at the sharing of the redevelopment benefits is if you own a old 4-room flat today, under SERS, you will get a brand new 4-room flat with 99 years lease plus $30,000 cash. That I think is a fair compensation.”
“Now we are getting into the nitty-gritty. For example, in Boon Tiong, there is a misconception that there is a lot of money to be made when Government acquires the flats and redevelop the site. As we had tried to explain to the residents of Boon Tiong, if they look at the redevelopment of the site, the first redevelopment is on an old school. That is state land. That land does not belong to the HDB residents. To start the programme, we have to build flats to rehouse them. The first lot of flats are built on current state land. Secondly, there is another strip of vacant land between the Boon Tiong blocks of flats and the Bukit Ho Swee blocks of flats. That is currently state land. We could have gone in and build more HDB flats. When they read the newspaper report that there is a net increase of so many units, they were under the impression that this arose out of the redevelopment of their sites and we had to explain to them that this was not so. In fact, the net increase includes sites which are currently state land, the old school as well as the vacant land north of the existing site. Mr Chng Hee Kok's point that the residents do not own the land is a legal point, ie, right now the common properties are still the properties of HDB. So the residents only have ownership of the title to the units which they live in, but not the common property. That is why it is not possible for us to let the residents negotiate with the private developer to redevelop the site. The land technically still belongs to HDB. But we are not pursuing that technical and legal point. Basically, we want to tell residents affected by SERS that there are redevelopment benefits that accrue to the country at large.”
“It does not necessarily follow because when we sell a piece of land to private developers and the density is lower, in fact, the net return is sometimes lower than if we had built HDB flats where we can build to a higher density. The net proceeds of the land sale could be higher under the HDB programme or it could be lower under the private housing programme. It depends on the density and location.”
“It all depends on the circumstances. In the case of Boon Tiong specifically, we have explained the redevelopment programme. In Boon Tiong, we will sequentially rebuild the site for HDB flats. But this does not preclude other areas where, having built enough flats to rehouse the existing residents and if there is land left over, there is no reason why we should not consider either building HDB flats or tender it out for private housing. But our undertaking to the residents there under the SERS scheme is that we understand their wishes to continue living in the area and we would try to build enough flats to meet their needs. Once that is met, then it does not make very much difference whether we continue to build more HDB flats or we sell the land for private housing. The net result is we get more flats in the very prime and very attractive areas for all Singaporeans.”
“We have to explain to the singles that this is a fair sharing of benefits that a family who buys a new flat enjoys a $30,000 discount but a single is allowed to buy a 4-room flat, so the benefits should be less than that enjoyed by a family. With that explanation, Mr Dhanabalan is still proceeding on a door-to-door basis to explain to the various residents. Depending on the individual circumstances, he is confident that the residents affected in Toa Payoh are fully in support of the programme.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, let me explain that Mountbatten is different. In Mountbatten, we are building new flats to encourage existing residents there, who are primarily tenants of rental flats, to buy their flats under the home ownership scheme. So Mountbatten is not under the SERS programme. In Boon Tiong, after the first two dialogue sessions, we have managed to explain the benefits more thoroughly to the residents and we have run an informal survey. Out of the survey returns we have received so far, 75% said that they support the scheme. We are still going door to door to explain the scheme to the individuals because how they respond depend on the individual circumstances. Some want to buy a bigger flat, some want to combine with their children and others want to sell their flats to recoup the monetary benefits. So there are many combinations depending on the individual circumstances. It is better for us to explain the options clearly to the residents so that they can understand the scheme better. But so far, the informal survey in Boon Tiong shows that 75% are keen to participate in the scheme. Meanwhile, we are still conducting the door-to-door explanation of the scheme to the Boon Tiong residents. In Toa Payoh, Mr Dhanabalan had two dialogue sessions with the residents affected. The feedback so far has been very encouraging. All the residents are happy to be given this opportunity to join in the SERS scheme. The singles who bought 3-room flats in Toa Payoh are a little disappointed. Although they can buy a 4-room flat in the new development they are not given the $30,000 discount.”
“When we redevelop a site under SERS, there are benefits that will be recovered. The redevelopment will provide the country with more units built on the same site. At the same time, we are able to share these benefits with the existing owners of the flats. Let us say, for example, in Boon Tiong, we are able to ensure that the owner of a 4-room flat is not only able to buy a new 4-room flat with 99-year lease, as compared to his present 4-room flat which has got 70-plus years lease, but he also ends up with a cash outlay of $30,000. So from an old flat with 70-odd years lease, he gets a brand new flat with 99 years lease in the same locality and ends up with cash of $30,000 to help him with his renovation. I think that is a fair sharing of benefits and we hope that owners who are affected by SERS will see it in this light and support the scheme.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme, or SERS, is implemented in sites where the current land use is sub-optimal, and the potential for redevelopment is high. It is therefore not dependent on the level of support shown but on whether the site itself meets the above criteria as identified by HDB.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, first, I would like to clarify that these are not HDB Executive Condominiums. These are Executive Condominiums to be built by the private sector. Second, the mortgages will be provided by the banks. There will be some covenants which allow the Government to take back the Executive Condominiums if the purchaser violates the condition of staying in it during the first five years or if he violates the condition that the flat can only be sold to Singaporeans and permanent residents in the next five years. Other than that, these flats will be, for all intents and purposes, private properties with strata titles. We will be taking action to amend the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Act to take over these Executive Condominiums and the financing arrangements by the banks should be sorted out before the first launch of the Executive Condominiums in June next year. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD ESTATES (Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme) 2. Mr Chng Hee Kok asked the Minister for National Development whether the Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme is dependent on the level of support in selected estates.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Executive Condominiums are introduced to provide Singaporeans private housing at a lower cost. It is therefore appropriate that this form of housing be developed by the private sector. Like other private housing, the sale of Executive Condominiums will be governed by the Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Act. They are different from HDB Executive Apartments which are governed by the Housing and Development Act. To maintain similar treatment with other private properties, HDB will not be financing the mortgages for Executive Condominiums. The Government will, however, be providing a $40,000 CPF Housing Grant for first-timers to assist them in buying their homes.”