S. Dhanabalan
Singapore
“Mr Speaker, Sir, on a point of clarification. I said in my intervention on Tuesday that the general election is the right forum to determine the electorate's support because it puts the issue in a total and correct context.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, with hindsight, of course, we can be very wise. But since one of the three islands was excluded, it was a substantial reduction in the scope of works. The assessment then, which I agreed with, was that if you called for a re-tender, you would get a substantially reduced tender.”
“To the extent that we can, we should work with countries that have a common interest, to come together and form economic groupings targeted at trade liberalisation. We have started this process within ASEAN under the AFTA Scheme. Economic linkages in groupings like APEC are also growing in significance.”
“Mr Speaker, all these questions make a lot of sense when the events are finished, and you look back. But the officer looking at the case at that time had to deal with the facts as they were at that time.”
“ASEAN countries agreed to publish all the Inclusions and Exclusions lists, as well as the full list of actual tariff reductions. The ASEAN Secretariat had since followed up and released, as scheduled, on 1st November 1993, the publications showing these lists.”
“Kallang Theatre was closed for five months in 1992 for cyclical maintenance and upgrading costing $3 million. This included a major upgrading of the toilets, recarpeting the auditorium, rewiring and repainting.”
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“Season parking tickets will not be attractive to those who do not need to park regularly in a particular car park. HDB's season parking tickets catering to the parking needs of HDB's residents who would park at designated car parks on a regular basis are sold for periods from one month up to 12 months. Similar season parking tickets at specific car parks valid for three months, six months or one year are available at a number of URA parking stations and some off-street car parks. But unlike HDB's season parking tickets, URA's season parking tickets are not popular. In the case of stand-alone parking stations, the Ministry is studying the possibility of privatizing them. For a start, it was decided to free private car parking rates from Government control to allow the rates to be determined by market forces. EDGAR D'SOUZA (Australian permanent residence) 3. Mr Heng Chiang Meng asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he has followed up on the request by the Minister for Home Affairs to check on whether Edgar D'Souza has obtained Australian permanent residence and, if so, the grounds for it. The Second Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr Wong Kan Seng): We did follow up on the Minister for Home Affairs' request for the information required by the Member. On 1st December 1987, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to the Australian High Commissioner in Singapore to ascertain whether Edgar D'Souza had applied for permanent residence in Australia and, if so, whether the application was granted, and under which scheme. In a letter dated 21st December 1987, the Australian High Commissioner replied that he was unable to provide the specific information requested.”
“Sir, in every case that I have come across, the tenant or lessee wants to make partial payment only after he has accumulated arrears of a large amount, and after repeated reminders to the tenant or lessee concerned to pay up. Once the amount accumulated reaches a very high figure and court action is taken or compulsory acquisition action is taken and the process is in train, if the tenant or lessee comes along and says, "Look. I want to pay 10% or 20%", HDB would normally not allow it. The whole process only starts after many attempts to get the person concerned to pay up. Once the process starts, I think the HDB will insist that a substantial amount be paid, which is at least 50% or 75%, in order to ensure that we do not unravel the whole process and then find that the person does not pay and we have to start the process all over again. But if the tenant or lessee has accumulated three or four monts' arrears and he wants to pay up by instalments, that would always be welcomed provided action has not started yet through the court or compulsory acquisition process. COUPON PARKING (Alternative Systems) 2. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority will consider replacing the coupon parking system with season parking for periods of 6 and 12 months for the car parks under their charge or, alternatively, privatising these car parks. The Minister of State for National Development (Dr Lee Boon Yang) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, to manage car parks efficiently and to minimize the cost to the users, a distinction must be made between regular parking at specific car parks and short term parking.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have already mentioned some of the measures. One way out for the family, if the family is occupying a leased flat, ie, a purchased flat, is to give up the bigger flat and buy a smaller flat or even give up the purchased flat and rent a flat. HDB will make the arrangements. But what cannot be done after repeated attempts to help the family, is to allow the family to continue to live in the flat when there seems to be no way for the family to pay the instalments.”
“In addition, lessees are also given the following assistance: (a) extension of loan instalment payment period up to 25 years; (b) easy repayment scheme(Ballooning Scheme, which is lower amount in the initial years and a bigger amount in the subsequent years); (c) return of home-ownership flat in exchange for 1-room rental flat; and (d) inclusion of third or even fourth co-lessees. The HDB takes compulsory acquisition action of a home-ownership flat or court action on a rental flat only as a last resort. Before a notice of such an action is served, the lessee or tenant concerned will have received at least three written reminders and several personal advices to pay up the arrears.inders and several personal advices to pay up the arrears. HDB will also arrange for him to pay his arrears over a reasonable period. It is only when all these measures have been taken and failed that the Board takes compulsory acquisition or court action. In many cases such action is only taken as a last resort after the lessees or tenants have repeatedly broken their undertaking to pay their arrears by instalments.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, for the past one year, 759 lessees who were in arrears of mortgage instalments and service and conservancy charges were served with notices of compulsory acquisition. Of these, 16 had their flats recovered by the Housing and Development Board. In addition, 845 tenants in rent arrears were served with Court Judgments and 48 flats were recovered. Lessees and tenants who are in arrears fall into one or more of the following categories: (a) those who lost their sole-breadwinner; (b) families which suffer a loss of income owing to prolonged illness of a family member or the loss of employment by the head of household; (c) families who depend on a sole-breadwinner to support many young dependants; (d) delinquent cases who mismanage their finances; including those who are gamblers and alcoholics. The HDB makes a great effort to help lessees and tenants to settle their arrears. For those who would be eligible for assistance, the Board refers them to social agencies and the Social Welfare Department. The Board also helps lessees and tenants who are in financial hardship by the following measures: (a) allowing payment of arrears by instalments; (b) allowing subletting of rooms; (c) allowing resale of home-ownership flat (owned for more than five years) and purchase of smaller flat for a lessee or transfer from a bigger to smaller flat for a tenant; and (d) approving home-based work in the flat.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I disagree with that completely. The reason why these shops have failed and had to be tendered and retendered is that there are just too many shops and they cannot make a success of their business. OLD LOW-RISE CITY FLATS (Replacement programme) 2. Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board has formulated a programme to replace the old low-rise flats in the city with better quality flats and if he will elaborate on it; and what measures the HDB will take to alleviate hardship to families to be relocated.”
“Sir, I think we should not be discussing about this subject as though it is something new. We have been resettling people for many many years, for more than 20 years. From time to time, we have revised resettlement policies to keep up with changes in circumstances and in situations. In fact, I would say that we are almost at the tail-end of our resettlement programme, because most of the squatter areas have been cleared. So it is not as if it is a new problem that we are confronted with and we need to come up with new policies. The revised policy was just a change to an old policy in order to cope with the new situation - the new situation being one where we just do not have enough shops to go round.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the compensation was fixed on the basis of an average advantage that a shopkeeper had by way of his paying 50% of the market rate. And this was calculated over a number of years and the figure arrived at was $26,000. As to whether we should give him more compensation, of course, Mr Speaker, Sir, it is easy to give away money. But somebody has got to pay for it at the end of the day. We think the figure that we have fixed is fair. I do not really see much reason for us to reopen this issue. If Members can make out a very clear case, I will look at it. But I have already looked at the figures and they seem fair. But if Members want to bring up new facts, I am open to look at their new facts.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there was a committee in fact which made a number of recommendations. Many of the recommendations of the committee have been accepted and implemented. To be fair to the committee, the committee recommended a cash option of $26,000 or a shop. In other words, in addition to the previous policy of just offering only a shop, the committee recommended a cash option. But when the Ministry studied the figures, it was just not possible to implement the recommendation and that is why we had to change the policy. I do not want to repeat what I have already said previously. So we have had a committee. The committee has looked at this whole subject thoroughly. It has made a number of recommendations. Most of the recommendations have been accepted. As to whether we can have a committee to settle what should be a fair rent, I think that is not possible. Fair rent is what the market is prepared to pay and the best way to decide that is by tender.”
“In the past, in the case of those shops which were in temporary premises, they did not have cash option but they had the option of tendering for a shop, and they paid 50% of the tender price of shops in particular areas. In other words, they paid 50% of the market rate, and it graduated up 10% per year over a period of five years. But not all were successful in getting shops. That also must be made clear. More than half or about half the shops in temporary premises did not even bother to tender for shops, because they knew they could not survive, even paying 50% of the market rate. Many of them survived because they were paying very low rentals in shops or premises which were rent-controlled. And that is how they kept going. They could not have survived under a fair economic price situation even at 50% of the market rate. Now they get $26,000. Previously they would not even have got that.”
“It is not a paltry sum as compared to the zero that they got previously. We have to try and work out --”
“Sir, I think the figures speak for themselves. Sir, we want to try and reduce as much as possible all the trauma of being dislocated, of being removed from businesses that they have been engaged in for a long long time. But we cannot also hold up development. We need these areas. And if we had not moved in the way that we did, Singapore would not be what it is today. It is because we want to try and reduce the hardship that we changed the policy and now allow a cash option which was not there before. In fact, many of these cases under the previous scheme would just have not got any shops, neither would they have got any cash. In order to alleviate their hardship, we offer this cash option. We have to work within the constraints of the numbers that we have and we just cannot squeeze more shops out of the numbers that we have to offer to all resettlement cases.”
“We seem to be going round in circles. We cannot go back to the old system because we do not have shops.”
“Sir, regarding the first part of his question: whether we can increase the number of shops. I think it must be made very clear what shops are built for. They are built to cater for the needs of residents and, of course, they must be built in numbers that will make those shops viable. We cannot just build shops to cater for resettlement cases. As I mentioned in my answer to the first supplementary question, we already have shops in HDB estates which fall vacant all the time because people tender, they get the shops, and they find they cannot make a go of it, because there are too many shops in these areas. So to build more shops merely to cater for resettlement cases will not resolve the problem. In fact, it will make it worse for the resettlement cases. It is better for them to take the cash and do something else.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are no plans to give a higher preferential margin. In fact, I looked at the terms of tenders by resettlement shopkeepers, and I find that even giving them a 20% margin will not make any difference. A 50% margin, I think, is just unthinkable. Mr Speaker, Sir, we are dealing with property on behalf of the public and there is a responsibility on the part of the Government that we get the best for the taxpayers.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the details for the sale of some 100 new shops are being finalized by the HDB. The Board will make a press announcement on this as soon as the details are ready. The shops will be sold by public tender, on 99-year leases. Besides selling these new shops on tender, HDB will let out another 600 shops over the next 12 months, by tender on fixed-term tenancies of one to three years. Under the current resettlement policy, effective from 28th July 1987, resettlement shopkeepers are paid a cash grant. Those who wish to rent HDB shops will have to tender for them. To help the resettlement shopkeepers in their tenders, a preferential margin of 10% will be given to resettlement shopkeepers who are sole occupiers of affected premises. In the case of resettlement shopkeepers who share premises, a preferential margin of 5% is given. This policy has not changed. There were 2,075 shopkeepers affected by clearance as at 28th July 1987 when the resettlement policy was revised.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, there is already a very elaborate and extensive system of checking of HDB, JTC and URA buildings, and that system will continue. LONG-TERM RATES OF CPF CONTRIBUTION FOR PENSIONABLE EMPLOYEES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR (Statement by the Minister for Labour) 12.27 pm”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it should not cause any delay since the checkers will be also from the private sector, as I mentioned in my Statement. The checking can take place from the very first design of the building. It is not necessary for the whole building to be designed and the full set of drawings be submitted to the DBCD for checking and, if there are changes to be made or if there are errors, then the whole set has to be re-prepared. Under the system proposed, the checker can work with the designer right from the very beginning, and as the building is designed at every stage the checking can be done. So I think it should not lead to any delay. In the case of those particular designs on which DBCD chooses to do a counter-check, there could be a small delay. But even then I do not expect it to be a serious delay.”
“To be registered as an engineer, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, all that one needs to have is, I think, a degree and a minimum of working experience and you can start designing structures. For those who are going to check, the approach is that such engineers should have had at least ten years' experience because they are going to check on the work done by others and they should not be people who have just been registered to practice as engineers. There is therefore a need need to separate the requirements for checkers from those who design. The system that is recommended is actually taken from the practice in Germany where not all engineers are selected as checkers. Checkers are those who fulfill certain minimum requirements which are higher than those required for just normal engineers who do designs. We do not want a fresh graduate who has just been registered as an engineer to be checking the work of another fresh graduate. I do not think we will get any better work done.”
“Moreover, condominiums are required by law to be managed by management corporations. The proposal for maintenance, I must emphasise, is only an interim proposal. We are not certain yet whether it is necessary over the long term to insist on five-yearly inspections. We have to run the system for five to ten years and make the necessary adjustments. Dr Arthur Beng Kian Lam (Fengshan): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I would like to seek clarification from the Minister as to the need to have accredited professional engineers. I see that all engineers, if they are professional engineers, would be certified by the Board. So why is there a need to have two standards of engineers, one accredited and the other non-accredited?”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, we have exempted the private residential houses because most of these are not more than two storeys high and are individual properties. I think owners can be expected to look after their properties. If there are any cracks, I am sure they will take immediate action to get somebody to look into the cracks. The use of the building is also not likely to change and it is also unlikely that the owner will make structural changes which will endanger his life. The responsibility, of course, must rest basically with the owner-occupants in the case of residential properties. If they detect any cracks, I am sure that they will seek the necessary advice. In the case of commercial buildings, it is quite different. They are rented out usually and very often changes or structural changes take place - partitions are removed, partitions are put in, and there is not the same close scrutiny and sense of ownership. That is why we have accepted the recommendation that these buildings should be inspected once in five years. In the case of residential apartments and condominiums which are highrise, the recommendation is that they should be inspected once in ten years. Most of these apartments are occupied by the owners. Of course, some are rented. And even where they are rented, they are not on very long leases, maybe two or three years. The owner then has an opportunity to go back, inspect, refurnish or restore the place before he rents it out again. So there is constant supervision by the owner of his property, and the owner can be expected to act responsibly. The occurrence of alterations and additions affecting structures is also less likely to take place in the case of residential premises as compared to commercial premises.”
“Yes, but it does not mean in all respects. That is why I started off the answer by saying that in respect of this job that we have for them, it will be considered as equivalent.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I have mentioned in my Statement that the Working Committee looked at this recommendation which has been made by the Commission of Inquiry and they came to the conclusion that it was not necessary to register contractors. The registry of contractors now maintained by the CIDB is for Government as a consumer of supplies and services, and contractors are assessed according to the kinds of work they can do. When Government wants to call for tenders, they use this list. Private developers have to make their own assessment. Of course, they can select from the list that the Government uses on the basis that such contractors already have passed through the scrutiny of Government. There are contractors who do basically priva sector work. If they want to be registered, of course they can apply and provide all the details. In other words, they will be applying as though they want to bid for Government tenders, and if they pass the scrutiny of the relevant authorities, they will be listed, and even though they do not bid for Government tenders, they would have at least passed the scrutiny for Government jobs and the private sector can always use such contractors.”
“The consultant engineer in charge of the job is the one who is responsible, and it is up to him to employ competent people to execute the work. In any architect's firm or in any professional engineer's firm, the consultant engineer cannot say, "Well, somebody else did the job, therefore, I am not responsible." In the same way, in this case of clerks-of-works the engineer cannot disclaim responsibility. It is up to the consultant engineer to make sure, whether he employs a resident engineer or a clerk-of-works in the job, that such people are competent and carry out the job competently.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the course that will be organized, ie, the National Construction Supervisors Course, is an upgrading course for those who are already engaged in the industry. Applicants must have had sufficient experience, at least two years' minimum experience in the industry, before they can take this course. In other words, it is not a course for newcomers but for those who already have some practical experience. The course, as drafted by the CIDB, should meet the requirements of any competent clerk-of-works. It consists of four modules which will cover all the fundamental requirements that the clerk-of-works should have to do his job properly. The curriculum was planned with major inputs from the construction industry as well as from the professional bodies and the Polytechnics. Depending upon the background, how much education he has had and how much experience, the course can be completed within a period of six to 12 months. The course will be held in the evenings. So it will not interfere with the work of the clerk-of works. Of course, there are some who already have some qualifications which may not be directly relevant but some part of their courses may be relevant. For such people, there will be exemptions from certain parts of the course. We are convinced that the course will be sufficient to make the clerks-of-works competent in their job. As to the question of registration of clerks-of-works, this matter was dealt with by the Working Committee, and I think they quite rightly came to the conclusion that there should not be a separate board of registration for clerks-of-works. It is a question of how far down the line we want to go.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not expect any special problems. The Deputy Director who is now the Building Authority as defined in the law actually is one of the Deputy Directors working under the Director-General of Public Works. But there are other Deputies who are responsible for other aspects of public works and their resources and their expertise can be used. If the Director-General is the Building Authority as defined in the law, then he can call upon any one of the Deputies to participate in the evaluation of projects or in the implementation of the Act.”
“The Building Authority would carry out selective checking to audit the internal checking systems of PWD and the statutory boards. The above measures will be implemented in phases in the coming months as and when the required procedures, legislation and manpower are in place. The Government is grateful to the Building Control Working Committee for their effort in coming out with the above practical preventive measures to enhance structural safety of our buildings.”
“Therefore, it is inappropriate for CIDB to register and, in the process, to grade contractors for the purpose of private sector projects. It should be up to the private sector developers to make their own assessment on the contractors for their projects. Developes could, if they wish, also pick from amongst those registered with CIDB. However, users of the registry should note that the registration system by itself does not guarantee the quality and performance of the registered contractors. On the contractors' side, they can, in practice, also register with CIDB even if they do only private sector projects. (5) Legislation and Staffing Requirements New legislation will be introduced to enable DBCD to perform the new functions. DBCD will expand its professional staff strength to cope with its enhanced role in the design, construction and maintenance of buildings. The responsibility of the Building Authority will be transferred from the Deputy Director of DBCD to the Director-General of Public Works, who is in a better position to marshall the necessary technical resources within PWD when required. Finally, I would like to add that although the aforesaid measures as recommended are aimed primarily at buildings in the private sector, they would also be applied to public sector buildings, where these measures are applicable. Statutory boards with in-house design expertise will be required to institute proper internal checking systems, ie, all structural plans and calculations must be certified by two qualified engineers, one as the designer and the other as the checker. This internal checking system is currently being practised by PWD as the Government Engineering Authority and responsible for all Government buildings as well as the HDB as the Public Housing Authority.”
“However, in order not to affect the livelihood of the many clerks-of-works who have no formal qualifications and who are currently working in the industry, we will not impose this requirement for three years. Within three years, these people should upgrade themselves. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) will organize a 6-month National Construction Supervisors' Course for these unqualified clerks-of-works. Other control measures to be introduced during the construction stage include: (i) various tests to be carried out under the supervision of the professional engineers; (ii) laboratory tests to be conducted by SISIR's accredited laboratories; (iii) test results, schedule and record of supervision of the main structural elements to be maintained at the site office for DBCD's inspection and information; (iv) quarterly reports to be submitted to DBCD; (v) spot checks of construction sites by DBCD; and (vi) major structural amendments during construction to be submitted for DBCD's approval. (3) Maintenance of Buildings On the maintenance of buildings, mandatory inspections by professional engineeers will be required for non-residential buildings at 5-yearly intervals. The frequency of inspection will be reviewed 5-10 years after impl ementation with a view to reducing it. Residential apartments and condominiums will be inspected once every 10 years. Private residential houses will be exempted from such mandatory inspection. (4) Registration of Contractors The purpose of the CIDB Registry of Contractors is to serve the needs of Government. Such a system of compulsory registration was introduced to ensure that only bona fide tenderers with the ability to provide a satisfactory level of supplies and services could participate in Government tenders.”
“The checker will submit an independent set of calculations and analyses to DBCD. DBCD will also carry out its own selective checking to make sure that the system is effective. The proposed checking system by accredited checkers has several advantages: Firstly, checking can be done in stages as each structural sub-system is designed. Consultations between the checker and designer can proceed expeditiously at every stage. Secondly, fees paid to the checker by the developer can be based on actual work performed by the checker. Thirdly, independence is ensured by requiring the designer and checker to be from different firms and by DBCD's own selective checking. The Committee estimated that the proposed checking system would cost developers a marginal increase of 0.11% to the total construction cost or 1.6% to the total consultancy cost for a building project. To give Members some idea of what this would represent, if we take a workload equivalent to 70% of the annual value of building projects approved by DBCD during the period from 1982 to 1986, the checking work will represent $6.5 million annually in fees to private consultants. (2) Construction Supervision On construction supervision, the Government agrees that DBCD should enforce proper supervision by full-time qualified persons at the construction sites. For major projects costing $10 million and above, resident engineers will have to be engaged. A full-time clerk-of-works will be required for minor projects costing less than $10 million. However, only "standing supervision" by clerk-of-works during concreting and piling will be required for conventional residential projects costing $2 million and below. Clerks-of-works will have to be formally qualified with at least a Polytechnic Diploma or equivalent.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in May this year, I announced in Parliament that a Working Committee comprising Government and private sector representatives had been set under the chairmanship of the Director-General of Public Works, who is also the President of the Professional Engineers Board, to look into the recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into the collapse of the Hotel New World. The Committee has finished its study and has submitted its recommendations to the Government. A copy of the Committee's Report has been circulated to Members. In the course of its work, the Committee visited Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom and West Germany to study their building control systems and practices which are similar or relevant to the recommendations made by the Commission. The views and recommendations of the Working Committee cover five main areas, ie: (i) checking of structural design; (ii) control during construction stage; (iii) maintenance of buildings; (iv) registration of contractors; and (v) DBCD's legislation and staffing requirements. The Government has accepted the recommendations of the Working Committee with very slight modifications and will proceed to implement them. I will now comment on each of the recommendations. (1) Checking of Structural Designs On the checking of structural design, the Government agrees with the view that structural plans and calculations should be independently checked. We will implement a checking system proposed by the Working Committee under which DBCD will accredit registered professional engineers as checkers. Under the system, the developer will engage an accredited checker, who must be from a different firm from the designer, to check the structural design.”
“In any case, MUIS will try its best to ensure that the services it provides and the services provided by certain agencies in Saudi Arabia will satisfy to the pilgrims. With regard to the second question, I think it would be best for prospective pilgrims who have hitherto registered with pilgrimage agents to contact MUIS to resolve this matter. Encik Abbas Abu Amin (Pasir Panjang)( In Malay): Sir, in view of the increasing responsibilities of MUIS in coordinating these new functions, does it have sufficient staff to cope with this, or has it sought the people who can really give better service than the pilgrim brokers? Dr Ahmad Mattar( In Malay): As the hon. Member for Pasir Panjang knows, during Haj seasons MUIS requires the services of Welfare Officers and this practice will, of course, be continued by MUIS in the next pilgrimage season when it takes over the function of Haj administration and management from the pilgrim brokers.”
“MUIS will be responsible for:- (i) negotiating directly with airlines for a reasonable fare; (ii) negotiating directly with the various agencies in Saudi Arabia for accomodation for Singapore pilgrims; (iii) approving the itinerary and services offered by the pilgrim brokers and the tour fares which they will charge; and (iv) ensuring that pilgrim brokers provide a sufficient number of experienced helpers to look after the welfare of the pilgrims under their charge. Following the spate of advertisements by tour organisations, MUIS called a meeting of interested pilgrim brokers on 27th October, 1987 and asked them to cease advertising their services for the forthcoming Haj season. MUIS also issued a Press Statement on 28th October, 1987 advising the Muslim public not to register with the pilgrim brokers until they have been officially appointed by MUIS. Encik Ibrahim Othman (Tanah Merah)( In Malay): Sir, is it true that if MUIS takes over the running of Haj affairs, the fees incurred in performing the Haj will be reduced? Secondly, what steps will be taken by MUIS to help prospective pil- grims who have already registered with pilgrimage agents before the MUIS made its announcement recently? Dr Ahmad Mattar( In Malay): Mr Deputy Speaker, expenses incurred by a pilgrim depend on several factors and this has nothing to do with the taking over of Haj management by MUIS from the pilgrim brokers. Apart from airfares, the quality of the pilgrim's accommodation is another important factor that will determine the expenses the pilgrim will incur. For example, if a pilgrim wishes to stay in a five-star hotel, such as the Ajyad Hotel in the Holy City of Makkah, this will automatically increase his expenses, compared with that of a pilgrim who only needs moderate accommodation.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, whether they are an objective or not will ultimately be shown by whether people are prepared to pay the premium. HAJ PILGRIMAGE (Organization and management by MUIS) 26. Encik Ibrahim Othman asked the Minister for the Environment whether the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura has finalised its plans to undertake fully the organisation and management of the Haj pilgrimage for Muslims and what steps MUIS is taking to prevent confusion among future pilgrims arising from advertisements by tour organisations inviting bookings for the coming Haj season. The Minister for the Environment (Dr Ahmad Mattar)( In Malay): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in 1986, the Establishment for Southeast Asian Pilgrims (Muassasah), an organisation under the Saudi Ministry of Pilgrimage and Endowments, informed the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) that they would deal only with MUIS on pilgrimage matters affecting Singapore pilgrims. Following the receipt of this decision, MUIS has been working towards taking over the management of pilgrimage matters from pilgrim brokers. MUIS is hopeful that this can be achieved by the end of 1988. For the coming Haj season, MUIS will continue its present arrangement of having licensed pilgrim brokers assist in the pilgrimage exercise. However, MUIS will assume greater responsibility and control in many areas previously left to pilgrim brokers to manage independently.”
“I suggest the Member file a question which can be considered.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, Yishun already is priced much less than estates near town. Whether or not they will be taken up depends, I think, upon the amenities that will be put in.”
“Sir, there is no such thing as a whole estate being less popular. HDB prices already reflect differences in locations of estates. For example, estates which are near the city are priced much higher than estates in new towns much further away. So there is already a gradation of prices which reflect the location. We are now talking about differences within estates and within new towns.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I would have thought that those who filed the question should know whether the question has been answered or not. But anyway, Sir, I will answer the Member for Potong Pasir. The differential pricing will be in the range of 2-6%, depending upon the various features either in terms of premium or in terms of discount.”
“The existing categories of flats will continue to be available for selection to both public and resettlement applicants. As a general pricing policy, HDB will continue to price flats within an affordable range to applicants. We want to encourage a full home-owning society, so prices must be affordable. However, this does not mean that all flats must cost the same. Flats which enjoy special features must naturally cost a little more than those without such features. Differential pricing of better located flats will not put home ownership of HDB flats out of reach of the people.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, flats with a scenic view such as those facing town gardens, parks, reservoirs, etc, and those close to public amenities are in greater demand and should be priced at a premium. There are also a small number of flats with unfavourable features which should be sold at a discount from the prevailing posted price. However, the current pricing system does not reflect these factors for flats within the same estate or within the same new town. These different factors are presently reflected in the prices of HDB flats in the resale market. The HDB will implement differential pricing of flats within the same estate or new town and add a premium to reflect the extra value for those flats with favourable factors. In the first instance, premia will be added for flats with easy accessibility to MRT stations and town centres, and for flats with scenic views. Flats in less favourable locations will be sold at a discount on the prevailing selling prices. These will be mostly flats very near refuse bin compounds, or those which have been repeatedly rejected for various reasons. For other flats, there will be no adjustment to their prevailing selling prices. The proposed differential pricing is expected to be implemented before the end of this year. About 2,500 flats will be affected by this change. This represents about 6% of the flats sold in this financial year. For the next few years only about 5-10% of HDB flats will be affected by such differential pricing. There will be no change to the existing system of allocation. Public applicants will continue to select flats according to their registration numbers. The existing priority given to resettlement applicants will remain.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, can I have your permission to deal with Questions Nos. 23, 24 and 25 together as they cover the same subject?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, this is a group that we pay particular attention to, the old people, two single people sharing a flat and other similar cases. We give them special attention and we try and rehouse them as far as possible in the same neighbourhood or very near their present abode. CHOLERA AT PELANGI HOME (Measures to prevent recurrence) 5. Mr Abdullah Tarmugi asked the Minister for the Environment what was the cause of the cholera outbreak at Pelangi Home recently and what measures are being taken to prevent further occurrences in this and other welfare institutions. 6. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for the Environment (a) what caused the cholera outbreak at Pelangi Home resulting in the death of one inmate and 17 others being warded; (b) whether this was the first outbreak in the Home; and (c) what steps have been taken to ensure that there will be no further outbreaks in Homes.”
“Sir, the intention is to clear all these blocks and they have been given notice. They will be persuaded to move out to other flats, either rental flats or persuaded to buy flats. The same procedure will be adopted as and when we clear any area. If necessary, they will be physically removed.”
“Sir, speaking from memory, I think it is $500 and $1,000.”
“Sir, the HDB Relocation Programme is planned to be carried out in phases. About 20,000 tenants in 357 blocks are affected under the first phase of the exercise. The target date for the completion of this phase is the last quarter of 1988. The other phases are under review to take into account the experience gained in the current exercise. As at 30th September 1987, 20,363 tenants had registered for alternative accommodation under the Relocation Programme. Of these, 10,624 (52%) opted for alternative rental flats and 9,739 (48%) opted to buy flats. So far, 12,216 have already accepted alternative accommodation comprising 6,226 who accepted rental flats and 5,990 who accepted home ownership flats. In addition to the payment of removal allowance for those who cannot afford to buy flats, the HDB will try to rehouse them in rental flats either within the neighbourhood or in adjoining estates wherever this is possible. This should help to minimize the difficulties faced by such tenants.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since Questions 3 and 4 deal with the same subject, may I have your permission to deal with them together?”
“A sports complex will be built in Serangoon New Town. The proposed location of the complex is the site bounded by Yio Chu Kang Road, Yio Chu Kang Link and Boundary Road as shown in the attached plan (Cols. 1621 - 1622). Design work will commence in September 1987. The complex is scheduled for completion by early 1990. plan - SERANGOON NEW TOWN (Cols. 1621 - 1622) ILLEGAL HAWKING (Increased Enforcement Action) 2. Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for the Environment whether there has been an increase in the number of offenders booked for illegal hawking in line with his Ministry's recent call for public alertness following the increase in the number of cholera cases.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the experience so far shows that about 50% of the tenants affected by the relocation exercise take the opportunity to buy flats whilst the other 50% want to continue to rent HDB flats. For tenants who want to buy flats, the HDB will offer them new flats according to their preference in the Outer Suburban and New Town Zones where the majority of the new flats are available. As for tenants who want to continue to rent, vacant flats may not be available in the areas which they prefer. HDB will try its best to allocate the affected tenants alternative rental flats within the same estates. Where alternative rental flats in the same estate are fully taken up, the tenants will be allocated rental flats in neighbouring estates. The record to date shows that HDB has managed to allocate rental flats in the same or nearby estates to about 75% of the tenants who wanted to continue renting flats. The rest were allocated rental flats further away. PRIMARY 1 REGISTRATION (Enrolment Limit for Malay pupils) 4. Encik Zulkifli bin Mohammed asked the Minister for Education what problems were encountered during the recent Primary 1 registration exercise pertaining to the 25% limit for Malay pupil enrolment and what steps his Ministry will take to rectify anomalies that have arisen, for example, parents not given the opportunity to register their child in the school where their elder child is studying.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as at 31st December 1986, there were 80 shopkeepers in temporary structures who had been resettled and who were waiting for shops which they had requested. These 80 shopkeepers were offered HDB shops over the first seven months of this year. Fifty of them accepted shops which were allocated to them. The other 30 either did not respond to the letters asking them to select from a list of shops or they responded but were unsuccessful in obtaining the shops of their choice. They were given a last chance to accept an offer of shops prior to the policy announcement on 28th July 1987, but they turned it down. The new policy of cash compensation will not apply to these cases. Besides these, there are no other cases which fall into the category described by the Member. All other resettlement cases who were still staying on site on 28th July 1987, will be subject to the new policy, ie, they will be given cash compensation and no alternative shops on priority will be offered to them. They will, however, enjoy a preferential margin of 5% or 10% when they tender for HDB rental shops. It has always been the practice, whenever a change in Resettlement Policy is introduced, that the change is applied to those on whom clearance notices have been served but who are still on the site. HDB RENTAL FLAT RELOCATION EXERCISE 3. Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Minister for National Development whether, during the present rental flat relocation exercise, the Housing and Development Board was able to relocate all the tenants to nearby neighbourhood, as promised by his predecessor.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pointed out in a diplomatic note to the British High Commission in Singapore that the British authorities had not taken action to deport Tan Wah Piow after it was known that he had entered the United Kingdom on falsified documents. The Ministry has requested an explanation of the reasons for this position and the present status of Tan Wah Piow which allows him to continue residing in the UK. A reply to the note is expected soon. CASH GRANT FOR RESETTLED SHOPKEEPERS The following question stood in the name of Mr Heng Chiang Meng. 2. To ask the Minister for National Development whether the new policy of giving a cash grant of $26,000 per premises to shopkeepers in temporary structures will be applicable to those shopkeepers already resettled but who are currently awaiting allocation of alternative shop accommodation.”