Mah Bow Tan
Singapore
“The previous generation of Singaporeans overcame huge odds together to create this improbable nation which we call home. Let this generation work as one to define our country for the next lap of our journey. Sir, on this note, I fully support the amended Motion. Page: 143”
“Like all upgrading programmes, there is a certain budget, and a certain pace at which we will build. We have completed the LUP and now we are going on towards the HIP. The Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) is ongoing.”
“For those who cannot afford home ownership, we will provide rental flats. For the rest where there is hardship involved, that is where the safety net comes in. I do not think we should make the safety net so wide as to bring in everybody.”
“Building a studio apartment is no different from building any other HDB flat. If a person applies now and the building works start now, he can get it in two-and-a-half years to three years. We have stepped up the building of studio apartments over the last couple of years.”
“Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Health (a) how many people have signed an Advance Medical Directive (AMD) and how many have revoked them since; and (b) whether there is a need to review the current rules on AMDs which do not require a person who has revoked the AMD to inform the Registrar, thus causing uncertainty for hospitals t…”
“Parents who wish to exert more control over the maximum mobile service charges incurred by their children may consider service options such as mobile pre-paid cards. IDA is aware of the public's concerns on mobile subscriptions, and will continually review policies and look into measures to further protect the interest of consumers.”
The complete record
Every one of 3,030 lines we hold for Mah Bow Tan, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 2 of 61.
“Dr Ahmad Magad asked whether we can increase the frequency of the sale of balance flats exercise. This is a separate exercise to sell those flats that have not been selected under the BTO exercises, or flats which are unsold as a result of previous exercises. I must remind him that the main source of new flat supply is still BTO projects in non-mature estates. These balance flats are only sold when HDB has accumulated enough flats from previous sale exercises. They are always in great demand, because they are either near completion or in mature estates. There will always be long queues and high application rates. Because of the large numbers, HDB takes quite a long time to process them for eligibility and so there can be a long delay in the selection process. Home buyers who wish to have greater certainty should continue to heed the advice of HDB, which is to apply for BTO flats in non-mature estates, and these are launched every month. Second, higher income earners can also look forward to a greater supply of DBSS flats and Executive Condominiums (ECs). I announced last year that we are going to launch more sites this year for DBSS flats and ECs. We have raised the income ceiling from $8,000 to $10,000, for DBSS. This year, we are going to offer land sites for about 4,000 DBSS flats and 4,000 ECs – 8,000 flats in total. Again, a very significant amount. Mr Teo Ser Luck asked when the DBSS flats would be launched. Developers would typically take six to nine months to launch the projects after tender award. We sold about five DBSS sites and eight EC sites in 2010. So, 13 sites in all in 2010. This year, I believe these sites are going to be launched.”
“They need not pay cash for their downpayment and monthly instalments. And they now have a new flat. Mr A’s case is not unique. Eight in 10 new flat buyers needed to use 25% of their monthly income or less to pay for their flats last year. After their CPF contributions, they pay little or no cash for their mortgage payments. What can flat buyers look forward to in 2011? Plenty of housing options for different first-time buyers. First, HDB is going to offer up to 22,000 BTO flats. This is the largest supply of BTO flats in recent years. Of these, we will be offering 14,000 new flats in the first half of 2011. This will be spread in different locations all over Singapore – east, west, north, and etc. To answer Mr Liang Eng Hwa, I assure him that there will be plenty of new flats available in all these areas. I also want to reassure him that the ramp up of new flats will not have a negative or adverse impact on the infrastructure in the towns because the various agencies, HDB, URA and LTA, will be taking this into account as part of their town planning exercise. Let me reassure him of this. Some other specific points. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked if we could set aside more flats for couples with more children. Yes, there is a scheme called the Third Child Priority Scheme. Should they have three children or more, 5% of new flats are set aside for these families. So far, the number of flats set aside for these families are more than enough to cater to buyers who are eligible for this scheme. In fact, I am told that half of those who were eligible for the scheme and were asked to select under this scheme, did not do so. So, there are enough flats available under the scheme. But we will monitor this closely and expand it if necessary.”
“If you look at the 3-room flat column, he can choose to pay $150,000 for a new flat in Woodlands or $330,000 for a resale flat in Queenstown. If his family income is $3,000, look at the $3,000 row, he can comfortably afford the 3-room new flat in Woodlands at $150,000, or Punggol at $185,000 or a 4-room new flat priced at $250,000 in Yishun. But if he wants to buy a 5-room flat in Sengkang priced at $385,000, he would find it a stretch. He would find it unaffordable if he has no other savings. Those figures are only based on the loans that he can get from HDB based on DSRs of 30%. Sir, HDB has a flat for every budget but each buyer must consider the trade-offs between price, size of flat, and location, and then choose a flat that best suits his budget. Let me illustrate this with an actual example. Mr A and his fiancée, both 22 years old, have worked for about two years and have a household income of around $2,800 a month. Taking advantage of HDB’s Fiancé/Fiancée Scheme, they selected a 3-room flat from the October 2010 BTO exercise at Bukit Panjang. The subsidised flat cost them $190,400. On top of the price subsidy, they were given an Additional Housing Grant (AHG) of $25,000. They used this amount to fully cover their 5% down-payment, so they did not have to come up with any cash at all. The Government gave them AHG, which went straight into the downpayment. With the grant and their CPF savings which they have built up, they needed a loan of $148,800 from HDB. This loan will have to be repaid with a monthly instalment of $596 per month, which is 21% of their salary. Their CPF Ordinary Account contribution is $644, and they can service the mortgage fully through CPF, without any cash outlay.”
“In other words, if you bought a new BTO flat in a non-mature estate, you would need to use 23% your income to pay the mortgage loan. What does that mean? Basically, that means you pay no cash, because all of it is paid up by the CPF. This is the average for all the first timers who bought BTO flats in non-mature estates in 2010. This is up 2% from 21% in 2008. In 2008, the figure was 21%. But even then, all this is still well within the affordability benchmark that we use of 30% to 35%. Why 30% to 35%? Again, this is a much stricter benchmark that what is commonly used by others. For example, local banks are prepared to extend credit up to 40% DSR. When I was in Hong Kong, they told me that their DSR benchmark for public housing is also 40%. Here, we are talking about a benchmark of 30% to 35%, with an actual figure of 23%. Yet, some buyers maintain that flats are "unaffordable". Why is this so? I can only speculate. But I guess that some would define "affordability" relative to flat prices in the past. So we hear, from time to time, comments such as "My parents paid only $30,000 for their flat 30 years ago, now today I have to pay $300,000", or some such figures. The question is: are we comparing apples with oranges? The flat their parents bought 30 years ago is not the same flat that they are buying today. Lifts at every floor, sheltered linkways, MRTs – many of these facilities were not available in the past. Secondly, as HDB caters to 80% of the population, it has to offer a range of flats for different budgets, as shown, if Members would look at the figure on the screen [Figure 5* ]. Take a first-time buyer looking for a 3-room flat.”
“But having said that, I recognise that there will be some upgraders who will be affected, and for that, we seek their understanding. Overall, the supply and demand measures have started to show signs of stabilising the public housing market. Resale price growth and transaction volumes have moderated. Quarter-on-quarter growth in resale prices slowed from 4% in the second and third quarters of 2010 to 2.5% in the last quarter. The latest figures for 2011, month-on-month, resale price growth has slowed to 0.6% in January and 0.7% in February. The trend is still downwards. Likewise, quarterly resale volumes fell by 21% to about 6,500 transactions in the last quarter of 2010. The average monthly resale volume in January and February this year has fallen further by another 16%. Again, resale transactions have also come down. For the new flat market, our BTO application rates have also shown signs of moderation. In the first seven months of 2010, applications rates averaged six times. In other words, for every flat put on sale, there were six applicants. This decreased to three and a half times in the second six months. The latest BTO exercise in January saw application rates of only two times. Two times application rate more or less means that almost everybody in that list will get a chance to select a flat because there is quite a number who drop out. Let me now address the issue of affordability. Mr Cedric Foo, Mr Sin Boon Ann and Dr Ahmad Magad have spoken about affordability of HDB flats, given the recent run up in prices. For the whole of 2010, the Debt-Service Ratio (DSR) for first timers who bought BTO flats in non-mature estates was 23%.”
“As we increase supply of new flats, we have to dampen non-urgent demand for resale flats to reinforce the principle that HDB flats are primarily for owner-occupation, not for speculation or investment. We raised the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) for resale and subletting of whole flats in two steps in March and August 2010, from one and two-and-a- half years, to five years for the resale of flats and three years to five years for the subletting of whole flats. *Cols. 3591-3592; 3593-3594. At the same time, we disallowed concurrent ownership of private properties and HDB flats within the MOP for both subsidised and non-subsidised flats. 2.15 pm Mr Sin Boon Ann spoke about the lower LTV rules for HDB upgraders. Yes, I understand that there are people who want to upgrade for very legitimate and genuine reasons. But I have to explain that the intent of these measures is to dampen non-urgent demand and to prevent prices from overheating. That is why we had to cut back on credit while minimising impact on those who need that first home. First-timers and upgraders who are eligible for HDB concessionary loan can still get an LTV of 90%, and sell their existing flat up to six months after buying their next flat. So, upgraders who are able to get a HDB loan would have absolutely no problems. But a subset of HDB upgraders are ineligible for a HDB loan either because their income has gone up, they are PRs, or they have taken many HDB loans already, this subset of people who need to take a bank loan can still get 80% LTV if they discharge the first loan and show the approval for the sale of their earlier flat. We have tried to narrow the restrictions, such that genuine homeowners, first-timers, and even those who wish to upgrade, are not affected by the new measures.”
“Mr Liang Eng Hwa alluded to this when he asked if we could have an oversupply of flats in the future, with the current ramp-up. Members will recall that flat demand literally vanished overnight when the Asian financial crisis struck in 1997. The Auditor-General at that time queried the Ministry about the high cost of holding vacant flats. To clear the surplus stock of flats, HDB had to reduce prices, convert large flats into small flats, and hold walk-in-selection of ready-made, unsold flats. Homeowners paid a price for the oversupply then. Members may recall residents in near-empty new HDB blocks in Sembawang, Jurong West and Sengkang expressing their concerns about safety and theft. There was a news article at that time in 2001, where they called these precincts "HDB Ghost Towns". To fill these blocks, HDB had to reduce prices. When they reduced prices, some flat owners were not happy because their neighbours had bought their flats at a lower price. Residents from Sembawang, Jurong West and Woodlands petitioned HDB for a price reduction. Mr Cedric Foo would remember this well because I received one petition from his residents. The low prices also meant that those in mortgage arrears had difficulty selling off their flats and many others were in negative equity. Oversupply is as bad as undersupply. Our continual challenge is to find that "sweet spot". Not too much, not too little. We implemented the BTO system to try to prevent overbuilding of flats. We will only build if demand is confirmed for most units in a project. Conversely, if demand picks up, to keep pace with the higher demand, we will adjust the number of BTO launches in a dynamic and responsive manner, as we are doing today. The other step, other than increasing supply, is to dampen non-urgent demand.”
“Some have asked why HDB does not build new flats according to the number of marriages per year. On average around 15,000 marriages are eligible for subsidised housing each year. But the take-up of new flats by first-time buyers was lower than the number of households formed due to marriage over the years. There are two reasons for this. First, not every new family buys a new flat from HDB. Figure 4* shows that a significant number of first-timers buy resale flats versus new flats. They do so because they are only interested in a particular location where there are no BTO flats for sale or they cannot wait for the new BTO flats. So, they go for resale flats. Secondly, not every couple who gets married buys a flat immediately. The total annual take-up of new and resale flats was lower than the household formation in the earlier years. This is because home buyers adjust their purchases, depending on the economic outlook and market sentiments. When sentiments are weak, some buyers hold back. Others turn to the resale market because resale flat prices are low. This was the case in the early to mid 2000s. Conversely, when the outlook improves and prices begin to rise, more buyers come forward – some feel more optimistic and confident about keeping their jobs or having better jobs; others worry that they may miss the boat. This adds up to increased demand as prices pick up. This has been especially stark over the last two years. Given this very volatile nature of housing demand, HDB has to take into account market conditions and sentiments when it plans its building programme. In our desire to meet the strong housing demand today, we should not forget lessons of the past regarding the volatility of demand.”
“In this buoyant market, this is a matter of immediate concern and I can understand this. To ensure this, we have adopted a two-pronged approach – one is to raise supply and, two, is to dampen non-urgent demand. And let me explain each of these later. On the supply side, we have ramped up all categories of public housing for households across the income spectrum. When demand started to pick up in late 2009 after the financial crisis, we very quickly increased our planned Build-To-Order (BTO) flat supply by 50%. New flat supply in 2009 was 13,500. Then in 2010, as sentiments soared with the sharp economic rebound, we further increased new flat supply to 17,700 – 13,500 to 17,700 – this is a huge supply because 17,700 is equivalent to half of Toa Payoh. We were building half a Toa Payoh last year. To increase housing options for higher-income households, we also raised the income ceiling for the purchase of new Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) flats from $8,000 to $10,000. Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked specifically whether we could have built more flats in the earlier years. Let me begin by explaining that new flat supply in past years was low – Members can see this in Figure 3* [indicating ] – not because we had constrained supply but because the demand was weak. Take 2006 for example, when HDB offered a relatively lower number of new flats – 8,100. Even then, about 1,100 remained unsold – as shown in the red bar. In fact, there were flats that were unsold and not taken up in the past decade every year. In 2003 and 2004, we even had to cancel some BTO projects because of low application or take-up. In other words, if HDB had built more flats in the earlier years, it would not mean more flats sold but more flats left unsold.”
“However, to ensure affordability for first-timers, HDB sets the price for first-timers at a subsidy to the market price. In this way, HDB prioritises new flats for first-timers. Because we priced it at a subsidy to the market value, we make sure that it is affordable. To make it even more affordable, we have also introduced, over the years, grants for first-time buyers to make it even more affordable. The third principle is homes for the masses. Unlike other countries where public housing is often seen as poor quality housing catering to the poorest minority in the society, HDB's mission is to house the masses so that we can build an inclusive nation. Already, eight in 10 Singaporeans stay in HDB flats, and 90% of them own their homes. New schemes like the Special Housing Grant (SHG), which I will elaborate on later, will help even more low-income households become homeowners. Mr Cedric Foo is right in calling it "universal housing". He asked specifically whether I can make a commitment that, "if an eligible Singaporean family remains in the workforce, that family will get a flat eventually". My answer to him is "yes, most definitely". It may not always be a flat of the type, size, location or time of their choosing, but if that family remains in the workforce, has a steady job and plans ahead, it will get a flat sooner or later. Indeed, our policies are specifically tailored to make it possible for every Singaporean who is prepared to work hard and to make prudent flat choices to own his or her own home. Sir, these principles of home-ownership have guided us to achieve one of the highest home-ownership rates in the world in a sustainable way. Let me re-affirm that our commitment and our priority is to ensure HDB flats stay within reach of first-time buyers.”
“With the sharp economic recovery, prices for HDB flats have also risen and caused concern among some Singaporeans. We all share these concerns. But as Mr Cedric Foo suggested in his opening speech, while we tackle the immediate concerns at hand, we must not lose sight of what we have achieved and how we have done so. In a series of articles on public housing in the TODAY newspaper last year, I explained the three key principles which underpinned our public housing programme. Incidentally, I would be compiling these articles into a booklet for wider circulation soon. In these articles, I touched on not just the key principles but also hot issues such as affordability, waiting time, rental flats for low-income families, and so on. In response to Mr Cedric Foo's request, I would like to reaffirm that these three key principles have served us well and will continue to guide our public housing programme going forward. What are these key principles? First, home ownership. Today, we enjoy one of the highest home-ownership rates in the world. I have said this many times and I think we probably do not appreciate how important and how significant this is. Ninety percent of those who are staying in HDB flats own their homes. We provide homes for ownership, not rental, so that Singaporeans have a clear, tangible stake in our country's growth. This has been our key commitment since independence. It is a promise that has been delivered. It is a commitment that we will continue to uphold. The second principle is home as an asset. Tied to the idea of the HDB flat being a stake in the country, we must allow its value to appreciate over time as the country grows. We therefore allow homeowners to resell their flats at market value.”
“The third is targeted – our measures are targeted to hit those who are speculating for short-term gains or those who are inclined to over-borrow to invest in property, it is not intended to affect the first-time genuine home buyers. *Cols. 3589-3590. 2.00 pm Sir, Mr Christopher de Souza asked if we should restrict Permanent Residents (PRs) from buying landed properties. As he knows, the Ministry of Law already restricts the purchase of landed properties by PRs and foreigners. They have to satisfy certain strict criteria that are imposed by the Ministry of Law. I will relay this request to the Ministry of Law to see whether they can review the criteria to make it even stricter. The point I would like to make is that as far as Singaporeans are concerned, because there is a large public housing market, we will, first of all, assure Singaporeans that they will be able to buy the first homes. Landed property is not a free market. We restrict the purchase of landed properties to Singaporeans and to PRs who fulfil very strict criteria. But we can, of course, relook at those criteria. Mr Lim Biow Chuan also suggested doing away with the Reserve Price of sites so as not to set any floor to the tender prices. I want to explain that the Reserve Price is set because the Government's duty as the custodian of state land – and as Members know, all proceeds from the sale of land revert to past reserves – we must ensure that we get a fair price for the sale of state land. The Reserve Price is only a guide. It is not a strict criterion. In fact, the Government has awarded sale sites in the past even when the top bid was below the Reserve Price. Sir, let me now move on to public housing.”
“Together, the efforts we have made so far have prevented prices from spiralling out of control. I have asked the Clerk to circulate a set of charts and figures, and if Members would refer to Figure 1*. Figure 1 shows that the rate of price increase has reduced quarter-on-quarter and it continues to fall since the first set of measures were introduced in September 2009. Figure 2* shows that the subsales have been kept in check. Subsales are usually used as a proxy for speculation. In fourth quarter 2010, subsales were 7% of all transactions, compared to 13% in second quarter 2009 when we started to introduce cooling measures when the market picked up strongly. But how the market moves in the next few months will depend on many factors – state of the economy, interest rates, liquidity, and external factors: what is happening in the Middle East, oil prices, etc. So we have to keep a close eye on the market and if there is a need to act, we will do so. Some people say that our measures have added uncertainty to the market. I beg to disagree. In fact, it is very certain that the Government is determined to do whatever is necessary to maintain market stability. I use three words to describe our approach – pre-emptive, calibrated and targeted. Pre-emptive in the sense that we act before the prices run away and before a property bubble is formed. Calibrated – meaning we intend to cool but not to crash the market. We apply the brakes gradually and consistently so that we do not have to slam on the brakes and cause either the car to stall or, worse, people to fall out through the windscreen.”
“But others were speculators out to make a quick buck. High property prices make some Singaporeans happy. But others worry that they have missed the boat, and that prices will go up even further. It is hard for both groups to be happy at the same time. Property prices and economic growth go hand-in-hand. Property prices cannot be expected to stagnate while the economy is powering ahead as it has done. But what the Government can, and will try its best to do, is to stabilise the market and moderate price increases amidst this extraordinary economic growth. We acted early to pre-empt a bubble from forming. I remember sounding the alarm some time in mid-2009 when I saw property prices starting to move up. We introduced the first set of cooling measures in September 2009. Since then, three more sets of cooling measures were introduced, in February and August last year, and just recently in January of this year. At the same time, we ramped up the supply of private housing through the Government Land Sales programme to meet demand. As at fourth quarter 2010, the latest figures that I have are that 33,000 units of private property remained unsold. This is equivalent to three years of supply based on the average annual take-up over the last five years. And to answer Mr Lim Biow Chuan – I have mentioned this figure many times, URA has included this figure many times in every of its press releases. But I guess when the market is hot, such inconvenient truths are conveniently ignored. Yes, to answer Mr Lim Biow Chuan again, we will be supplying even more under our Land Sales programme. So I agree with him that there is absolutely no need to rush into the market. Mr Christopher de Souza and Mr Sin Boon Ann asked about the impact of these measures.”
“Mr Chairman, Sir, 2010 was an exceptional year for Singapore. We had record growth. Our cityscape was transformed. Marina Bay took off. We had record tourist arrivals. Many new jobs were created, and the list goes on. While we rejoice at these positive developments, we are also now preoccupied with new worries – worries about inflation, about cost of living, productivity, longer-term growth. Sir, inflation has also hit my Ministry. Members have filed a total of 55 cuts – the highest among Ministries for this COS. This is also the highest number of cuts for MND in the past five years. So I think we have been hit by double-digit inflation. But I thank Members for their questions because they reflect concerns on the ground and I welcome this opportunity and the time that has been given to me to address these concerns fully. I will respond to them under three broad themes. First is stability in the public housing and private property market. This will remain a top priority for us, especially in the current volatile conditions. The second broad theme is security in housing for vulnerable families. This is an area of concern because not all families will benefit immediately from the economic recovery. The third broad theme is sustainability of the recovery. This is a long-term goal. Even as we address Members' immediate concerns of market stability and housing security, we must press ahead to make our homes and economy future-ready. First, let me talk about how we wish to maintain a stable market. Everybody knows the property market was very hot last year due to various factors: low interest rates, high liquidity, and jobs growth attracting many buyers back into the market. Some of these buyers were upgraders and investors.”
“Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Health (a) how many people have signed an Advance Medical Directive (AMD) and how many have revoked them since; and (b) whether there is a need to review the current rules on AMDs which do not require a person who has revoked the AMD to inform the Registrar, thus causing uncertainty for hospitals that wish to act on these AMDs.”
“Industries on Jurong Island are also encouraged to use cleaner fuels such as natural gas (NG) for their energy needs, as NG has negligible sulphur content. As for the Member’s query on coal-fired power stations, these tend to emit more pollutants than a natural gas-fired plant. Hence, NEA has required the proposed coal-fired power station on Jurong Island to use higher quality coal that is low in ash and sulphur content. In addition, NEA has imposed stringent pollution control systems on the power plant to minimise pollutant emissions. The power plant is also required to install a continuous emission monitoring system that will provide real time data to NEA on the emissions from its chimneys. OPERATION HOURS AT POLYCLINICS 6. Mdm Halimah Yacob asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider opening some polyclinics on Sundays to cater to the needs of working people who are unable to bring their children or elderly parents to the polyclinics during weekdays and which can also help to reduce the pressure and backlogs on Mondays. Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Primary healthcare is well provided in Singapore, with easy access, of high standard and affordable. Our Polyclinics serve 22% of all primary care attendances. The other 78% are spread out over 2,400 General Practitioner (GP) clinics across the island. Most GP clinics are within housing estates and many operate extended hours including Sundays and public holidays. More than 600 GP clinics have partnered my Ministry under the Primary Care Partnership Scheme to provide subsidised care for needy patients. Tapping on this wide network of private primary care providers is more efficient than extending the polyclinics beyond their current operating hours. ADVANCE MEDICAL DIRECTIVE (Regular reviews) 7.”
“5 in its Air Quality Guidelines to protect public from the adverse health effects of fine particles. Three interim targets of 35 µg/m3, 25 µg/m3 and 15 µg/m3 were set to guide countries as they work towards achieving the long-term air quality target of 10 µg/m3. Singapore’s PM2.5 level in 2010 of 17µg/m3 meets the first two interim targets, and compares well with other major cities like Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, London, Paris, Vienna, Zurich and Sydney which are currently also not able to meet the WHO long-term target. One of the key targets set by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Sustainable Development (IMCSD) is to reduce the PM2.5 levels in our ambient air to 12 µg/m3 by 2020. We will periodically review our target based on international benchmarks and our national circumstances. As with many countries, industries and motor vehicles are the major sources of PM2.5 in Singapore, which account for 30% and 50% of the local sources respectively. In 2006, we tightened the emission standards for new diesel vehicles from Euro II to Euro IV. We will consider tighter emission standards such as the Euro V emission standard when it is timely and cost effective to do so. My Ministry has also been working closely with relevant Government agencies and industry partners to mitigate air pollutants of concern from the emissions of refineries on Jurong Island. To control SO2 emissions, the quality of fuels used by the industries has been tightened over the years – sulphur content in diesel was lowered to 0.005% (by weight) in December 2005 and sulphur content in fuel oil was lowered to 1% in December 2000. In addition, major emitters are required to cap their total emissions of SO2.”
“As at 31st January 2011, CEA has granted licences to 1,386 estate agents and registered 31,169 salespersons. Six hundred and eleven applications for salesperson registrations were rejected. Of these, 392 were rejected because the applicants had neither taken CEA-endorsed examinations nor completed at least three property transactions over the last two years before 22nd October 2010. These applicants can apply to register with CEA when they meet the necessary requirements. The remaining 219 applications for salesperson registrations were rejected because they did not fulfil CEA’s "fit and proper" criteria, eg, they had previous convictions for serious offences such as fraud, illegal money-lending, drug-trafficking or outrage of modesty. These criteria are in place to protect consumer interest. In evaluating whether the applicants can be allowed to work as salespersons, CEA will take into consideration the severity of the offences and when they were committed. SINGAPORE'S EMISSION STANDARDS 5. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) whether the level of fine particulate matter in Singapore exceeds the standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO) and, if so, what is being done to ensure that WHO standards are met; (b) how harmful are the fuel emissions from the refineries on Jurong Island and what is their impact on our environment; (c) whether the operation of Tuas Power's coal-fired power station will aggravate the air quality; and (d) what are the Ministry's plans for monitoring the emissions released by the coal-fired power station once it begins operations. Assoc. Prof. Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: The World Health Organization (WHO) has set interim and long-term targets for PM2.”
“It is not the intention of the latest measures to crash the market, certainly, but rather to cool the market. Given the current situation of strong economic growth, low interest rates and a lot of liquidity in the market, it is not unnatural to expect that property prices would remain strong. But we do not wish to see prices shooting up so fast as to be unsupportable by the fundamentals in the market. At the same time, we also do not want to see a lot of short-term speculation in the market. Our measures in January were pre-emptive in nature because we wanted to act before a bubble forms. They were calibrated so as to cool the market and not to crash the market. They were very targeted at the short-term speculators and not at genuine home-buyers. If we meet these objectives, then I think the measures would have done the job. It is a little too early to say at this point in time what the outcome of these measures are, what the results are, because it has only been slightly over a month since we introduced the last set of measures. We will continue to monitor the market closely and as I have said, if necessary, we will take further measures. FEE INCREASES AT POLYTECHNICS 3. Mrs Josephine Teo asked the Minister for Education what are the reasons for the consecutive fee increases in 2010 and 2011 for local students studying in polytechnics.”
“Er Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to ask the Minister what is the intended end-result of the latest cooling measures. Would the Minister like to see property prices stabilise or go down?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the property market was very buoyant last year. To meet the strong demand, the Government had increased the supply of land for private residential development. In 2010, the Government sold land that can potentially yield about 13,300 units. For the first half of 2011, the Government launched sites under the Government Land Sales programme that can yield another 14,300 units. As at the beginning of this year, there were about 33,000 unsold units, or roughly equivalent to three years’ take-up of private residential units, if we go by the average annual take-up rate over the past four years. Despite the large supply in the pipeline, market sentiments had remained bullish, with signs of renewed exuberance in the market towards the end of last year. The majority of the buyers were Singaporeans. We were particularly concerned that low interest rates plus excessive liquidity in the financial system, both in Singapore and globally, could further drive up demand for private housing. This, in turn, could cause prices to overshoot economic fundamentals. The interest rates would also not continue to stay low. Purchasers who over-extended themselves financially could be caught when interest rates eventually rise, and they could be forced to sell their properties at an inopportune time. Therefore, the Government introduced additional measures in January to pre-empt a property bubble from forming. These measures aimed to temper demand, encourage greater financial prudence among property purchasers and discourage short-term speculation. We will continue to monitor the property market closely and take further steps, if necessary, to promote a stable and sustainable property market.”
“Parents who wish to exert more control over the maximum mobile service charges incurred by their children may consider service options such as mobile pre-paid cards. IDA is aware of the public's concerns on mobile subscriptions, and will continually review policies and look into measures to further protect the interest of consumers. APPENDICES Section Name: ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS Title: CASINO EXCLUSION ORDERS Filename : Annex on Exclusion Statistics MP Name: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan”
“It is estimated that buyers of typical BTO projects launched in mid-2011 onwards will generally need to wait for 2.5 years to collect their keys after booking their flats. HANDPHONE BILLS (Setting limits) 3. Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts whether he would consider more protection for consumers by directing telephone companies to allow consumers to set a limit on handphone bills for their children. RAdm [NS] Lui Tuck Yew: Currently, the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) requires all operators to clearly publish the prices, terms and conditions of their services, so that mobile users could make an informed choice on the service providers and the types of services to use. IDA also has in place the Premium Rate Services ("PRS") Code to promote responsible service provision by PRS providers and further safeguard the interest of consumers against misleading advertisements and wrongful charges for unsolicited services. To address the concerns of minors subscribing to mobile services without their parents' consent, mobile operators have voluntarily set a minimum age limit of 16 or 18 years old for service subscription. In some cases, a guarantor may be required before operators approve a service subscription for youths. Mobile operators have also introduced bill caps for roaming and IDD services, as well as SMS alerts when users hit certain data usage thresholds. We understand that parents may also subscribe for mobile services under their names but allow their children to use the services. We would suggest to parents to educate their children that services signed up through the mobile phone may incur additional charges, and adequately supervise their children's use of mobile services.”
“Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for National Development (a) how confident is HDB of its ability to complete the building of flats in two and a half years when some projects took more than five years to complete; (b) how much room does HDB have to change strategy by concentrating on building flats without frills; and (c) for the last 20 Build-To-Order (BTO) projects completed by the HDB, what were the shortest and longest time taken to complete building the new flats. Mr Mah Bow Tan: Typical Build-To-Order (BTO) projects comprising five blocks of not more than 20 storeys took an average of 32 months to complete in the last two years. Taller blocks will generally take more time. Construction may also take longer if it is affected by factors such as poor soil conditions, site constraints or complex design features. While the longest construction time for a typical BTO project over the last 20 BTO projects was 42 months, the shortest construction time was just 26 months. HDB flats are already highly standardized and functionally-designed to facilitate buildability. Nonetheless, HDB is working with its contractors and suppliers to shorten construction period through other means. By increasing resources, enhancing and streamlining work processes, and raising site productivity, HDB is confident that its contractors will be able to build and deliver most of the flats in about 2.5 years (30 months), without compromising quality and structural safety. Beyond shortening construction time, HDB has explored other ways to help flat buyers to get their new flats faster after booking their flats. For example, HDB will bring forward activities such as preparing building designs for tender so construction can commence soon after the project launch.”
“The policy disallowing concurrent ownership of an HDB flat and private residential property during the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) of the flat is not new. In fact, buyers of subsidised flats have always been subject to this rule. When HDB extended this rule to non-subsidised flats on 30th August 2010 alongside other policy measures, it put in place comprehensive public communication plans to explain this policy to the media and the public. On the day of the announcement, MND held a press conference and issued a press release to facilitate media coverage. HDB also updated its InfoWEB to help the public understand the changes. In addition, HDB briefed Advisors, grassroots leaders and housing agents so that they can explain these policies to their constituents and clients respectively. HDB also conducted Resale Seminars and public talks to reach out to interested HDB flat owners and flat buyers. To ensure that resale flat buyers with private residential property are aware of the requirement to dispose of their private property, they are required to sign an undertaking to do so within six months from the purchase of the resale flat at the first resale appointment. Upon completion of the purchase of their flats, HDB also reminds the lessees to comply with the timeframe to dispose of their private property in writing. Members of the public can contact HDB's Sales and Resale Customer Service Line at 1800 866 3066 or HDB's Branch Office Service Line at 1800 225 5432 for further clarifications. BUILDING OF HDB FLATS (Duration of BTO projects) 2.”
“FEASIBILITY STUDY OF RETROFITTING OVERHEAD BRIDGES NEAR MRT STATIONS WITH LIFTS (Update) 34. Er Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Transport if he would provide an update on his Ministry's study on the feasibility of retrofitting overhead bridges in the immediate vicinity of MRT stations with lifts.”
“The $250 million Construction Productivity and Capability Fund, also known as the CPCF, was launched in June last year as part of the Government's efforts to improve productivity and build the capability of the construction industry. To date, more than 430 companies, mostly contractors, have benefitted from the Fund. The CPCF comprises schemes that incentivise workforce development, technology adoption and capability building. For example, the Mechanisation Credit scheme under the CPCF helps companies to defray the cost of purchasing and leasing machines and equipment, so as to encourage companies to make use of technology to improve their productivity and reduce the reliance on labour. Designers such as architects and engineers can also tap on the BIM Fund under the CPCF to adopt Building Information Modelling (BIM). BIM is a 3D parametric technology that allows building professionals to perform digital modeling and visualisation before the building is built. It also enables the integration of architectural, structural and M&E designs, which allows design conflicts to be detected early and this will avoid costly rework during the construction phase. To aid companies in this productivity journey, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has set up a Construction Productivity Centre (CPC) to promote and educate the industry on the technology available to improve productivity. The CPC also engages individual companies, from contractors, design consultants to prefabricators, to educate them on the schemes, facilitate their application for funds and support them in their productivity journey. MND/BCA will closely monitor the take-up of the CPCF to ensure it is effective in supporting the industry to improve productivity and building capability.”
“Elderly households need to consider carefully their circumstances and preferences in deciding the most appropriate monetisation option for themselves. (2) In April 2010, the LBS was extended to elderly who previously owned a 4-room or bigger flat but are currently living in a 3-room or smaller flat. The Government subsidy for such lessees is $5,000. MODAL SHARE OF CYCLING IN SINGAPORE 28. Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the current penetration rate for bicycles in Singapore; (b) how does this compare to other large cities; and (c) whether the Government has a target proportion given the highly beneficial effects of pro-cyclist policies.”
“We introduced the Lease Buyback Scheme (LBS) in 2009 to help lower-income elderly with an additional monetisation option. Elderly flat owners of 3-room and smaller flats can sell the tail-end of their flat lease back to HDB, thereby unlocking value from their flats. Elderly lessees who take up the LBS also receive a $10,000 subsidy from the Government(2). As at 31st December 2010, HDB has received 677 applications for the LBS scheme. 338 cases have been approved. Of these, 321 have started receiving their monthly payouts, while the remaining 17 will receive them by January 2011. The average monthly payout is $622. One hundred and twelve applications were rejected because the applicants did not meet the prevailing eligibility criteria. Another 50 applications were cancelled by the flat owners after re-consideration. The remaining 177 applications are under processing. The LBS is an additional monetisation option for lower-income elderly flat owners in 2- and 3-room flats who may not have the option to right-size to a smaller flat or Studio Apartment. LBS allows them to unlock equity from their flats and purchase an annuity from CPF Board, which will provide them with a lifelong income stream. At the same time, they can also sublet a room if they need extra income for their retirement needs. Besides monetary benefits, the LBS also allows the elderly flat owner to age-in-place in a flat and neighbourhood that he is familiar with. HDB has put in place an array of monetisation options for elderly households in different circumstances, ranging from right-sizing to Studio Apartments, to subletting of flats and rooms to Lease Buyback Scheme.”
“The Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) was introduced in 2001 to offer direct lift access to HDB flat owners. Of the 5,000 blocks selected for LUP so far, 54 blocks did not obtain the minimum support of 75% required from residents during polling. These include blocks that were offered lift upgrading under LUP as well as LUP carried out together with earlier programmes such as the Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) and IUP (Interim Upgrading Programme) Plus. Blocks that did not achieve the requisite level of support are given another chance, where possible. Of the 54 blocks that earlier failed polling, 32 blocks (or 60%) have been re-offered the LUP so far. Of these 32 blocks, 22 blocks have re-polled successfully, while the other 10 blocks have yet to re-poll. The remaining 22 blocks that earlier failed polling can be re-offered the LUP. Advisers can work with HDB to do so. The Government is committed to complete the LUP by 2014. Therefore, we urge residents to exercise their polling options carefully within this timeframe, taking into consideration the benefits that the LUP will bring to them and their families. CHANGI AIRPORT'S FUTURE PLANS 14. Dr Lam Pin Min asked the Minister for Transport with the strong positive growth in Changi Airport's passenger traffic over the past one year (a) what will be the projected growth for the next three years; (b) whether the current three terminals will be able to cope with the projected increase; and (c) what will be the long-term plan for Changi Airport to remain as an aviation hub in the region.”
“Interim Rental Housing (IRH) was introduced in January 2009 to help citizen families in financial hardship and need temporary accommodation while they work out or wait for more permanent housing solutions. HDB appointed Operator of the IRH scheme manages the IRH flats and let them out on a sharing basis. Tenants pay below market rates, at about $300 to $400 monthly for a room, including utilities and service and conservancy charges. As of 31st October 2010, about 1,318 families have benefited from this scheme. Of these, 311 families have since moved out of their IRH flats. In the IRH scheme, two families are required to share one 3-room flat. Such an arrangement is necessary to keep rents low for these families in financial difficulty. The Operator will ensure that families sharing an IRH flat are suitably matched. In cases where the family size is large, the Operator may exercise the flexibility to rent them an entire 2-room flat, or two rooms in a 4-room flat, where available. LIFT UPGRADING PROGRAMME 13. Mr Baey Yam Keng asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many HDB blocks have not obtained the minimum support level for the Lift Upgrading Programme since the programme was rolled out; and (b) for these blocks, whether they will be offered another chance as some flat owners and their sentiments would have changed over the years.”
“With the formation of the Council for Estate Agencies (CEA), a new regulatory framework will be introduced for the real estate agent industry. Under this framework, CEA will prescribe a dispute resolution scheme to help property agents and consumers with contractual disputes, such as those involving payment of commission. The parties will be asked to go for mediation to resolve disputes amicably. For disputes which cannot be settled through mediation, the parties can choose to resolve it through arbitration. This dispute resolution scheme will be put in place in early 2011. CEA's prescribed dispute resolution process involving mediation and arbitration provides a cost-efficient and convenient avenue for resolving disputes between property agents and consumers. Nevertheless, those who do not wish to make use of the prescribed scheme are free to consult their own solicitors on other recourses that they can take. AUDITS OF NURSING HOMES 3. Assoc. Prof. Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Health (a) if there are regular audits conducted to assess the performance of nursing homes; and (b) if there is a current recommendation for the ratio of patients to nursing staff and what is the compliance rate.”
“A low income, single person without any housing option may apply for a rental flat with another eligible single under the Joint Singles Scheme. As public rental flats are heavily subsidised and limited in number, HDB requires the pairing of two singles for a rental flat in order to help as many of the needy as possible. The pairing also enables co-tenants to provide care and support for each other. For these reasons, HDB requires the remaining tenant of a public rental flat to include another eligible occupier upon the demise of the original co-tenant. HDB will provide the remaining tenant sufficient time to find an eligible occupier. If the tenant has difficulty in doing so, HDB can assist to pair him with another single person so that he is able to continue to rent a subsidised rental flat. We seek the Member's understanding that HDB needs to optimise the use of public rental flats to help as many needy persons as possible. PALLIATIVE CARE FOR AGEING POPULATION 24. Mr Laurence Wee Yoke Thong asked the Minister for Health in view of our rapidly ageing population (a) what further challenges and issues are faced in palliative care; and (b) what is being done to increase community support services in the end-of-life care sector.”
“Those are the three fundamental reasons we are acting the way we have. We want to take careful, calibrated steps. We do not want to make it one big bang. How many steps we have taken previously and in the future really depends on how the market reacts to this particular adjustment. Finally, I submit that what we are doing will benefit everybody – those who are in the market today, those who are already homeowners as well as those who are thinking of buying because a stable property market will benefit everybody concerned. SINGAPORE'S CLIMATE CHANGE COMMITMENTS 11. Mr Viswa Sadasivan asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources in light of the next UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference in November 2010 (a) whether detailed carbon emission reduction measures have been drawn up or implemented for the various sectors in Singapore to meet the 16% target committed to at the 2009 Copenhagen Conference; (b) whether Singapore is on track to meet the target; and (c) what innovative measures or approaches have been employed.”
“But what it did do was to dampen the demand from those who already have a private property so as to prevent them from competing in the same market with the first-time home owners. By not competing with the young couples, by holding back their purchases, we are actually reducing the demand for resale flats at this point in time. I think we are beginning to see the impact of that. Resale transactions are coming down. I believe that the prices are starting to stabilise and, in fact, coming down slightly. The COVs are also coming down. That is as far as the HDB market is concerned. The third reason is that we want to prevent this property bubble from forming in the overall market. We have done this in several calibrated steps. We do not want to slam on the brakes straightaway but we want to just tap on the brakes gently as we see the property market starting to heat up. That has helped people to understand or at least be a little more careful and cautious about their property purchases. Being prudent about property purchases is not a bad thing. In fact, many of the people who are complaining, who are upset with the new property measures, are those who feel that they are being prevented from joining the party. They think there is a party going on, so why are we preventing them from making money, but they forget that that party may end. It is better for us to add a dose of caution to let people be more careful about their purchases. We are not preventing people from upgrading. You can continue to do so. You can continue to get a loan. But instead of getting a loan for 80% of the purchase value, you now get 70%. If residents can afford the 30% downpayment and take a loan of 70% of the property value, they can still upgrade.”
“Let me take one step back to explain what are the fundamental reasons for these changes. There are three reasons I would like to offer to the House for the measures that we have taken. Two of the reasons pertain to the HDB market and the third, the broader property market. For HDB, the first point is that we really want to reinforce this policy objective that HDB flats are primarily for long-term owner-occupation, not short-term investment, not speculation. By increasing the Minimum-Occupation Period (MOP) from one year, then to three years and to five years recently for non-subsidised flats, we reinforce this point. What this does is to discourage people or prospective buyers whose interest is to buy for a quick capital gain or for rental yield, and not for long-term owner-occupation, not to stay in for the long term. The second fundamental reason we introduced these measures is to help first-time buyers to buy their first flat. First-time homeowners, I think Members would agree, are in more urgent need of a home or a flat to start a family. Currently, we have rules that govern subsidised flats. I have mentioned one of them earlier which is the no concurrent ownership rule. For subsidised flats, if you buy a new HDB flat, you are not allowed within that MOP period to concurrently own that flat and private property. What we did was simply apply that same rule – no concurrent ownership – to buyers of non-subsidised flats. It was a very straightforward move to align the policy for both subsidised and non-subsidised flats. But when we did that, of course, there were people who were affected or people who were, as the Member suggested, inconvenienced.”
“I do not think the Member is suggesting that we totally close off the market to the PRs and foreigners. What I think the Member is asking is: what are the criteria we use to monitor the purchase of properties by PRs and foreigners? For landed properties, the Residential Property Act is supervised by the Ministry of Law, which restricts the purchase of landed properties by PRs to only those who make a contribution or significant contribution to Singapore. The rest of the market for non-landed properties is open to all. We are a cosmopolitan city, and I think it is important for us to remain so. So, foreigners and PRs should be allowed to buy properties. Many of them work and invest here. It is not a question of not allowing any purchases by foreigners or PRs at all. It is to monitor how much of the market is actually made up of foreigners and PRs. In fact, our statistics show consistently that even at the height of the market, the majority of the buyers in the private property market are Singaporeans. Sir, we have had from time to time taken measures to try to calibrate this if we see that the numbers are going up. We have made changes to the stamp duty by imposing a seller's stamp duty. We have changed the period whereby the seller's stamp duty applies from one year to three years. We had, in the past, implemented other measures as well, for example, the taking up of loans by foreigners. So, we will continue to monitor the market closely. I think that is the best we can do at this stage and where we see that there is a danger of the market heating up further or not moving in a healthy direction, we reserve the right to take the appropriate action.”
“That is the reason we have taken this calibrated approach. Of course, each time we do this, some people would be affected. But it is far better for us to take this approach and to make sure that people are aware of the implications of a bubble forming rather than to have a big-bang approach where many people would be hurt and the unintended consequences of that may be even more severe than what we wanted to have.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the way the market behaves depends on many, many factors. The current situation is not unique to Singapore. Many other economies in the region are also very concerned about a property bubble forming. Members would be aware that recently the governments in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan concerned about a property bubble forming, in fact, have implemented various measures to cool the market, somewhat similar to ours but in varying degrees. It is very difficult for anyone to predict or determine what the market is going to be like in a year's time. In fact, in my reply, I mentioned that even for this year, for September, when we implemented the measures in end of August, it is still too early for us to tell what the full impact of these measures is. The market is a dynamic one and how the market reacts to these measures will depend not just on the measures themselves but also on what happens elsewhere – what is the liquidity in the market, what is the interest rate like, what are the kinds of funds that are coming in, what are the alternative investments and the psychology of the market. Given these many factors involved in shaping the market, I think it would be presumptuous or even foolhardy of me to predict what the market would be like in one year. Will we be announcing more measures? It ultimately depends on the situation. We have taken an approach of having few calibrated steps rather than one big-bang approach to try to cool the market. By taking these calibrated steps one at a time, we are able to let the air out of the bubble as it were gradually, rather than to prick the bubble and let it burst. Because when the property bubble burst, a lot of people would be hurt, not to mention the economy as a whole.”
“I do not have the exact number of appeals but in terms of appeals from PRs – I presume the Member is asking about PRs – we have so far received a few hundred appeals, which is not large in comparison to the total number of transactions. HDB is assessing each of these appeals and it will make an appropriate decision on each case, as merited by the details of the case.”
“The proportion of landed residential properties purchased by PRs and foreigners has also been relatively low, accounting for less than 6% of all landed housing transactions in the past two years. The majority of sub-sales of uncompleted private residential properties are also accounted for by Singaporeans, rather than by PRs and foreigners, who together accounted for about 27% of all sub-sales over the last two years. Sir, in conclusion, the latest property measures will promote a more stable and sustainable market over the longer term. This will benefit all parties. By dampening demand from those who are not in urgent need of housing as well as increasing our total housing supply, we will also help more first-timers to buy their first homes. We will continue to monitor the market closely to ensure that our policies stay relevant. Er Lee Bee Wah: Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister, since the introduction of the new HDB policy, how many cases of appeals has the HDB received and how many of these appeals are successful.”
“If the false declaration is discovered after purchase of the flat, HDB can compulsorily acquire the flat. For practical reasons, HDB adopts different approaches to check on private property ownership in different countries. I am unable to disclose the details to avoid hampering HDB's enforcement work. Mdm Cynthia Phua wants to know the market reaction to the measures. As they have been introduced less than two months ago, it is too early to assess their full impact. So far, there are signs of greater stability in the market. Based on URA's flash estimate of the Property Price Index (PPI), the increase in prices of private residential properties moderated to 3.1% in the third quarter from 5.3% in the previous quarter. The take-up of private residential properties has decreased in September this year as compared to August, and the recent level of sub-sales has also been relatively low. In the public housing market, the number of resale flat transactions in September has decreased by 25% compared to August. Mdm Phua has also asked what the property market will be like in five to 10 years' time. Sir, I wish I knew what the market will be like next year, let alone in five or 10 years' time. While we cannot foresee the future, we can monitor the market closely and we can act fast to pre-empt problems along the way. Next, Mdm Ho has asked about property purchases by foreigners. Local buyers make up the vast majority of purchasers of private housing in Singapore. In the second quarter, Permanent Residents (PRs) and foreigners accounted for 13% and 12% respectively of all private residential transactions. These figures are close to the average of 12% for PRs and 10% for foreigners over the past two years.”
“Sir, the Government introduced the recent set of property measures to pre-empt a speculative bubble from forming, to encourage greater financial prudence and to reinforce the objective of long-term owner occupation for public housing. Er Lee Bee Wah has asked about the policy rationale to disallow ownership of overseas properties for HDB flat buyers. Under current HDB policy, subsidised flat buyers are not allowed to concurrently own a HDB flat and private property, local or overseas, within the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP). This ensures that those who can afford private property anywhere do not compete for limited public housing subsidies. With effect from 30th August this year, HDB also subjects buyers of non-subsidised flats to the same rule. This aligns the treatment for all buyers of HDB flats within their MOP. It also dampens demand from those who are not in urgent need of housing. Owners of private property can buy a non-subsidised HDB flat if they dispose of their private properties within six months of flat purchase. Specific to Er Lee's question, HDB is unable to allow exemptions for those who inherited these overseas properties as a general policy. However, I will ask HDB to look into the circumstances of special cases, on appeal. At the point of purchase, HDB flat buyers are required to declare any interest or ownership in private property, local or overseas. False declarations carry serious consequences. Anyone found guilty shall be liable to a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for a term of up to six months or both. If the false declaration is discovered before the completion of the purchase, HDB can cancel the application. HDB will conduct spot-checks, both local and overseas.”
“Recently, we were in Beijing together for an official meeting. The car journeys were long as the traffic was heavy but they were never boring. We discussed everything from contemporary Chinese politics to ancient Chinese history, from Chinese opera to modern Chinese architecture. He did most of the talking. Dr Balaji was a good and loyal friend to those who knew him. They in turn cherished his friendship. His medical classmates have set up a fund – the Balaji Sadasivan Fund for medical undergraduates – to honour his memory. They have also set up a blog in remembrance of him. We know from the touching eulogy of his son Dharma what a loving family man he was, his sense of humour, his strength in the face of adversity, his courage in facing up to his illness, and his care and concern for his family in preparing them for life without him. Sir, we have lost a dear friend and colleague, and an outstanding Singaporean. On behalf of this House, I wish to express our deepest condolences to the family of the late Dr Balaji Sadasivan – to his wife Swan Hoo, his son Dharma and his daughter Anita. I wish to acknowledge the presence of his family and relatives in the House today.”
“Dr Balaji, the office-holder, served many Ministries in his nine years in Government – Health, Environment, Transport, Information, Communications and the Arts and, finally, Foreign Affairs. He applied his mind and dedicated himself diligently to all his responsibilities. He was an invaluable member of the SARS task force which tackled the crisis when we were hit by SARS in 2003. He helped to explain to the international community how Singapore was dealing with the disease, especially some of the difficult decisions we had to make. I recall being with him in Switzerland to address the Saint Gallen Symposium on how Singapore responded to the threat of SARS. Recently, I received a note from the Saint Gallen Foundation for International Studies, conveying their condolences. Allow me to read an extract from this note: "We still have strong memories of Dr Balaji's most vibrant lecture 'Successfully fighting SARS'. He was a highly distinguished person whom we greatly admired." He had obviously made an impact on the international faculty and audience. Dr Balaji also played a major role in efforts to prevent and control the spread of HIV in Singapore. It was a cause he was deeply passionate about. He took bold steps, many in the face of criticism. He engaged the gay community to win their support for the things he wanted to do. He was convinced that he was doing the right thing and, patiently and calmly, did it. Finally, Dr Balaji, the man. Highly intelligent, witty, selfless, humble, caring, courageous. These words and more have been used by those who knew him best. I recall every time I talked to him, the conversation was never dull. His thoughts ranged far and wide and took you to many new fields of knowledge.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to pay tribute to Dr Balaji Sadasivan who passed away three weeks ago. Dr Balaji distinguished himself in many ways – as a Member of Parliament, representing the people of Cheng San Division in Ang Mo Kio GRC, an office-holder appointed to many different portfolios, a dedicated and accomplished neurosurgeon before he entered public office and a learned intellectual and caring family man. Dr Balaji, the Member of Parliament, served his constituents well, right till the end. I asked Mr Inderjit Singh, his fellow GRC MP in Ang Mo Kio who worked closely with him and knew him well. Despite his illness, he made it a point to attend most grassroots functions. At the last major event – Cheng San's 30th anniversary celebrations in August – he was there for the whole event and dinner. Those who were there knew he was in pain but he never let that dampen the mood of the celebrations. In April this year, he called his fellow GRC MPs for help to cover his Meet-the-People Session (MPS) as he was starting a new round of chemotherapy. After half an hour, to everyone's surprise, he called to say he was coming to conduct the MPS himself. This, after a difficult chemotherapy session. The last time most of us saw Dr Balaji was when he came to Parliament on 15th September 2010. He was here to see the Prime Minister to discuss plans to cover Cheng San. He explained that he had little time left and worried about how his residents would be supported in his absence. Even at this late hour of his life, he still put his residents before himself. On that day, Dr Balaji also celebrated Minister Mentor's birthday together with other Members. Little did many of us realise that that would be the last time he would set foot in Parliament.”
“Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Education (a) how many applications were received annually for places in Special Education (SPED) schools for the past three years and how many of these were allocated places; and (b) what is the total number of Government and private SPED schools and the total number of school places available currently.”
“Prospective resale flat buyers should exercise due diligence, and check on the flat attributes carefully before making a purchase. They can also check with neighbours of the flat they are buying whether there were previous harassment incidents. In the case of loan shark harassments, the fact that a Police report was lodged does not always mean that the flat owner is a debtor. According to the Police, there are cases where harassment was targeted at multiple households to pressurise the real debtor to pay up. The National Registration Act already requires Singapore residents to report their change of address to the Singapore Police Force (SPF) or the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) within 28 days. In addition, HDB and the Police have worked together to prevent such persons from falsely reporting a change of address, or from hiding behind the address of an innocent household. HDB requires flat sellers to provide forwarding addresses. Lessees who sublet bedrooms must also register with HDB within seven days. These measures facilitate the Police's tracing of individuals involved in illegal borrowing. With the amendment to the Moneylenders Act in January 2010, borrowers who deliberately provide false addresses face imprisonment for up to a year. Flat owners who face harassment by loan sharks should make a Police report. The Police will take appropriate action based on the circumstances of the case. SPECIAL EDUCATION (SPED) SCHOOLS (Number of applications and school places) 21. Assoc. Prof.”
“Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB will consider allowing prospective buyers of resale flats to request for information pertaining to police reports made of loan shark activity for the flats they intend to purchase; and (b) what measures are in place to protect prospective resale flat buyers from sellers who suppress information which may affect the security and safety of the next owner.”