Teh Cheang Wan
Singapore
“The Board does not propose to reinstitute the procedure for the resale of flats at the respective Area Offices in Ang Mo Kio New Town. As a pilot project, the Board has centralised the resale of Ang Mo Kio flats at Sales Section, Maxwell Road.”
“At the contract price or whatever it is, and this is due to the mistake made by the HDB, the HDB has been quite generous. If the mistake made by the HDB staff has been to sell the flat at lower than the posted price, then the owner has the benefit of this mistake.”
“The Member for Potong Pasir is asking a question which I have to check for an answer. I do not carry with me the millions of accounts of HDB flat-owners with me. So I cannot give him an immediate answer. But I can assure the Member for Potong Pasir that those people will be refunded.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the announcement by HDB on 4th July 1986, 49 HUDC lessees appealed to the Board to buy their flats. All were unsuccessful. As at 20th September 1986, 27 HUDC flat owners had sold their flats in the open market. Twelve of them sold their flats above their original purchase prices.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the implementation of the policy, HDB has resold 13 HUDC flats from among those flats HDB bought back from the HUDC owners. In addition, HDB has sold 44 new HUDC flats. The slow sale of HUDC flats is due mainly to the depressed property market.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I have no figures readily available as to how many of these 49 HUDC flat-owners who requested the Board to buy back the flats have committed themselves to buying other property.”
The complete record
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, the 232 units of HUDC flats in Pine Grove Phase 11 are expected to be ready in October 1984. A children's playground will be provided in the Estate. DEFU INDUSTRIAL ESTATE (Arrears of rent) 11. Mr Sia Kah Hui asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many owners/lessees in Defu Industrial Estate are in arrears in land rent as at 31st May, 1984 and what is the total sum outstanding; (b) what are the shortest and longest periods for which rent is outstanding; and (c) how many factories are vacant and since when.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the traffic congestion along Pasir Panjang Road will be greatly relieved when the Ayer Rajah Expressway currently under construction is completed in 1986. The Expressway will provide an attractive high speed route for vehicular traffic between the City and Jurong, thus diverting traffic away from Pasir Panjang Road. Meanwhile, the Public Works Department has also implemented several traffic management measures to improve the flow of traffic along Pasir Panjang Road between Alexandra Road and South Buona Vista Road. These include improvements to the right-turn lane near Jalan Pelepah, adjustment to the pedestrian signal crossing near Boon Leat Terrace, installation of new traffic lights outside the PSA Multi-Storey Complex. Traffic signals along this road will also be linked in the near future to provide green waves for the main traffic flow. PINE GROVE ESTATE (Recreational facilities) 10. Encik Abbas Abu Amin asked the Minister for National Development when Phase 11 of the Pine Grove Estate will be ready for occupation and whether recreational facilities, such as a children's playground and a jogging track, will be provided in the Estate.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the PWD will be implementing the Central Expressway project from Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 to Yio Chu Kang Road in two phases. The first phase will be from Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 to Avenue 5 and the second phase from Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 to Yio Chu Kang Road. Tenders for the first phase will be called this year and work should commence early next year. This phase of the expressway, which would include flyovers at Avenue 1 and Avenue 3, is scheduled for completion by mid-1987. The northward extension of the Central Expressway to Yio Chu Kang Road will be undertaken in late 1985 or early 1986 and is scheduled for completion in late 1987. TRAFFIC FLOW ALONG PASIR PANJANG ROAD (Improvement) 9. Encik Abbas Abu Amin asked the Minister for National Development if there are any plans to improve the flow of traffic along Pasir Panjang Road between Alexandra Road and South Buona Vista Road.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, as at 1st January, 1984, 109,327 flat-owners have redeemed their loans. It normally takes six months for the HDB to release title deeds to flat-owners after they have redeemed their loans. The present procedure for the issue of title deeds is satisfactory. It takes two months for the HDB to prepare the necessary documents and to seal and stamp the title deeds at the Stamp Office. Another three to four months are required for the Registry of Land Titles and Deeds to register the documents. The total period of six months for the issue of title deeds is considered reasonable. Lessees who are eligible to sell their flats to buyers of their own choice would be able to do so during this six-month period, even without their title deeds. SAF CAMP IN DOVER ROAD (Removal) 13. Encik Abbas Abu Amin asked the Minister of Defence and Second Minister for Health whether there is any plan to move the Singapore Armed Forces Camp in Dover Road to another location as this Camp is situated in the midst of a Housing and Development Board Estate.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the income ceiling for eligibility to purchase HDB flats is reviewed regularly. Last increased in 1981, the present ceiling of $3,500 per month for HDB flats and $6,000 per month for HUDC flats already brings public housing and middle-income housing within the reach of approximately 96% of the population. There is no necessity to increase the income ceiling at present. The HDB will review the ceiling again at the appropriate time. ISSUE OF TITLE DEEDS TO HDB FLAT-OWNERS (Expediting of procedure) 12. Mr Yeo Toon Chia asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many flat owners have redeemed their housing loans so far and how long does it take to issue title deeds to the owners; and (b) will the Housing and Development Board take steps to expedite the present procedure for the issue of title deeds to owners of HDB flats.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB currently has no plans to extend the boundary of Hougang New Town. Major recreational facilities being planned for Hougang New Town include a swimming complex, a sports complex and a town garden. Work on the swimming complex is expected to begin in September 1984 for completion by end 1986. The sports complex and town garden will be developed at a later date. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD FLATS (Raising of income ceiling) 11. Mr Yeo Toon Chia asked the Minister for National Development, in view of the rise in workers' incomes as a result of the National Wages Council's wage increases and the increases in the selling prices of Housing and Development Board flats, whether his Ministry has plans to raise the income ceiling for eligibility to purchase HDB flats.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, yes, I can give the assurance that the buildings are safe. HOUGANG NEW TOWN (Extension of boundary and recreational facilities) 10. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board intends to extend the boundaries of Hougang New Town and what recreational facilities are planned for this Estate.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB has completed its investigation into why part of the ceiling of a flat in Hougang Estate dropped off. The piece of concrete that fell off the ceiling was used to cover up an unwanted service pipe opening. This was executed without the knowledge of the Board's engineer. The building contractor who patched up the opening did not bond the surfaces of the old and new concrete properly. Reinforcement bars were also not provided to take the floor load. As a result, when renovation work was carried out on the floor above, the hacking and the vibration caused the patched-up portion to drop off. The ceiling has since been properly repaired. The HDB has conducted a thorough check of the nine blocks of buildings built under the same contract. 279 units were found to have similar patched-up unwanted service pipe openings. These are being repatched. All HDB building contractors and HDB supervisory staff have been given specific instructions on the proper detailing and construction of service pipe openings and the method of patching up unwanted holes.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the PWD will construct three more pedestrian overhead bridges across the Pan-Island Expressway in addition to the existing 11 bridges. One of these new bridges will be in the vicinity of Neighbourhood 6 of Bedok North HDB Estate. CRASH OF CEILING OF FLAT IN HOUGANG ESTATE (Investigations) 9. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board has completed its inquiry into the cause of the crashing down of part of the ceiling of a flat in the Hougang Estate on 11th January, 1984, and what measures are being taken to prevent a recurrence of such mishap.”
“Could you please supply the names of "they" to me, so that we can get down to who are "they"? We can then get in touch with those people. Then we will see what is the problem. BEDOK NORTH ESTATE NEIGHBOURHOOD 6 (Pedestrian overhead bridge across PIE) 8. Encik Saidi Haji Shariff asked the Minister for National Development if he will consider the construction of an overhead bridge across the Pan-island Expressway, facing the flats in Neighbourhood 6 of Bedok North HDB Estate, for the convenience of residents who have to go daily to the schools and factories on the other side of the expressway.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the industrial estates are built as part of the HDB estates. In HDB estates, the management is handled by the Area Office. So if the industries have any problems they can just go to the Area Office to sort the problem out with HDB. But if these estates were to be handed over to JTC, then they will have to go to Jurong to sort the problem out because JTC will not have an Area Office in every HDB estate.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB adopts a comprehensive approach in the planning, development and management of its housing estates. Besides housing, HDB estates have com- mercial, educational, social, recreational as well as industrial facilities. Land set aside for light, clean industry in HDB estates serve a dual purpose: to create employment opportunities for residents, and to allow entrepreneurs to tap the plentiful supply of labour in the estates. Like the commercial and shopping areas, the industrial areas are part and parcel of HDB housing estates. They will continue to be managed by the HDB as an integral part of the estates. Nevertheless, to maintain consistency, the HDB adopts, wherever possible, the JTC's policies and practices in the administration and management of its industrial land.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, at present residents at Telok Blangah Crescent can cross Henderson Road using the signalized crossing at the junction of Telok Blangah Way and Henderson Road. Nevertheless, the PWD will monitor the pedestrian movement in the area. A pedestrian overhead bridge will be provided in FY 84 if the pedestrian traffic justifies it. HDB INDUSTRIAL ESTATES (Transfer to JTC) 7. Mr Sia Kah Hui asked the Minister for National Development, since the Jurong Town Corporation flats have been transferred to the Housing and Development Board (one of the reasons being that the HDB has the expertise and capacity to handle), will it not be possible to consider transferring the HDB's industrial estates to the JTC which is the recognised authority managing the light and heavy industries.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, all bus stops along Lower Delta Road have been provided with bus shelters except for a new one near Bukit Purmei Estate. The bus shelter for this bus stop will be erected by PWD in May this year as promised. TELOK BLANGAH CRESCENT (Construction of overhead bridge) 6. Mr M.K.A. Jabbar asked the Minister for National Development whether he will consider the construction of an overhead bridge across Henderson Road at Block 1, Telok Blangah Crescent, for the benefit of pedestrians who cross this road at that point.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, work will commence in mid-March on the construction of a sheltered link between the Telok Blangah Crescent Market and its nearby shops. It will be completed by the end of the month. LOWER DELTA ROAD (Construction of bus shelter) 5. Mr M.K.A. Jabbar asked the Minister for National Development if he is aware that so far no bus shelter has been erected at Lower Delta Road, although the Public Works Department had agreed to do so, and when the shelter will be erected.”
“Arising from this study, the Ministry has drafted a Bill which is now being discussed with the Attorney-General's Chambers and other Government bodies. As my Minister has said in the Budget Debate last year, legislation on restrictive trade practices are intricate and complex. It has taken countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and the United States of America, many years to draft and o refine the system of legislation to make hem comprehensive in scope and practicable in enforcement. Similarly, we should take great care in the drafting of our own legislation in order not to disrupt the free market mechanism that has been the basis for our economic well-being. Nevertheless, I would like to assure the Member that my Ministry is as concerned as he is with the problem and will introduce the Bill as soon as it is ready. MAIN AND DEVELOPMENT ESTIMATES OF SINGAPORE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 19 TO 31ST MARCH, 1985 Order read for resumed consideration in Committee of Supply [4th Allotted Day]. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 2.50 pm Head K (cont) - Resumption of Debate on Question [15th March 1984], "That the sum to be allocated for Head K be reduced by $10 in respect of Subhead KB-01 of the Main Estimates." - [Mr Rohan bin Kamis]. Question again proposed.”
“According to the BCS examiners, one of the main reasons for the lower success rate of commercial school candidates is that many of them are over-ambitious. More than 60% attempted all papers at one sifting as compared with 35% for UK candidates. Moreover, many candidates have relatively little working experience and, therefore, have insufficient knowledge of the applications of computer technology and data processing methods in business and industry. As the National Computer Board has a statutory responsibility to establish and maintain standards of computer education in Singapore, it is closely monitoring the performance of all candidates sitting for professional computer examinations, including those from the commercial schools. The NCB is of the view that the teaching standards in the commercial schools need to be upgraded. Towards this end, NCB will be organizing a seminar for instructors of these schools to upgrade their teaching skills and thereby improve the success rate of candidates. Further measures will be taken as and when necessary. PRICE-FIXING ACTIVITIES (Legislation to curb) 8. Mr Goh Chee Wee asked the Minister for Finance and Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Ministry of Trade and Industry has made any progress in the preparation of legislation to prohibit the formation of cartels and to curb price-fixing activities. The Minister of State for Trade and Industry (Dr Wong Kwei Cheong) (for the Minister for Finance and Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Trade and Industry has made further progress in the preparation of legislation to prevent price-fixing by trade associations. The Ministry has completed a study of legislation on restrictive trade practices in other countries.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board plans to replace a total of 160 old and problematic lifts in its various housing estates with priority given to older lifts which are most prone to breakdown. The 66 problematic lifts in Telok Blangah Crescent are, on average, about 10 years old. They are scheduled to be replaced from December 1984. Replacement work will take six to seven months. COMPUTER COURSES IN COMMERCIAL SCHOOLS (Upgrading of teaching standards) 7. Mr Goh Chee Wee asked the Minister for Finance and Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Ministry of Finance or the National Computer Board has any specific plans to upgrade or regulate the standard of teaching of the commercial schools which offer computer courses, in particular those which prepare the students to sit for examinations leading to certification or professional qualifications. The Minister of State for Finance (Mr Lee Yock Suan) (for the Minister for Finance and Minister for Trade and Industry): Mr Speaker, Sir, at present, there are 12 commercial schools which train students for the joint National Computer Board - British Computer Society (NCB-BCS) professional computer examinations. These schools, like all other commercially-run schools, are required to register under the Education Act which prescribes that such schools must have proper facilities and qualified teachers. The success rate of commercial school candidates in the NCB-BCS examinations has been relatively low. For example, only 14.8% of these candidates passed the 1983 Part I examinations as compared with a 37% success rate among candidates employed at Government computer installations.”
“The secondary roofs of nine of these blocks require repairs. HDB Will commence work on these blocks in mid-1984. The work is expected to be completed in three months' time. TELOK BLANGAH CRESCENT (Replacement of faulty lifts) 6. Mr M.K.A. Jabbar asked the Minister for National Development why the old and faulty lifts in Telok Blangah Crescent have not been replaced in spite of repeated representations ma de by residents to the Housing and Development Board officials.”
“Sir, the Member's suggestion of puning the number of the plan is within my jurisdiction. I will ask the Building Control Division to look into it.”
“Sir, as I have stated earlier, the authority in charge of the water supply and electricity supply is the PUB. When the licensed plumbers and the electricians submit the plans to PUB, I think it is for the house owner to keep a set of these plans for his own reference because quite often the house owner does not keep a set of these plans and the licensed plumber later on might pass away or disappear or does not do plumbing any more. Then the house owner may run into this problem. Nobody knows where is the piping or where is the wire. Therefore, to give a good piece of advice, I think the house owner should keep a set of the plan for his own protection and for his own reference. 7.00 pm”
“May I explain. In any HDB tenancy agreement, the tenancy agreement is signed between the occupant of the flat and HDB. Therefore, there is no question of a third party who is not living in the flat coming in to sign the tenancy agreement.”
“I have stated very clearly that the two persons have not been allocated the HDB flat because they cannot sign the tenancy agreement. You are saying that to overcome the tenancy agreement, they can get the mother or father to sign. Am I right?”
“I think the more we talk with the Member for Anson, the more he is getting confused.”
“I would suggest that the HDB should not allocate flats to teenagers getting married. We as a Government would like to discourage teenage marriages for a very simple reason. If we encourage teenagers to marry, then they will rent 1-room flats, and before they are 25 or even 30 years old, they will have a large number of children. This is totally against Government policy. We would like to see the people marry later. When they marry later, they will be able to save money before they get married, so that when they get married at a later age, say, at 25 or 26, they will be in a position to purchase HDB flats and they will also be able to practise family planning. So we will not change the policy of allocating flats to teenagers because pan of the Government's policy is not to encourage teenage marriage. Maybe the Member for Anson has a different opinion. But this is Government's policy. On his second point about the two brothers,I would suggest that the Member for Anson advise these two brothers to see their MP and I am quite sure the MP will write to the HDB which will look into their case. All the Members of Parliament on this side of the House, ie the 74 PAP Members of Parliament, will definitely write on behalf of their constituents. 6.45 pm”
“As expected, the Member for Anson is not aware of the purpose why MND Holdings has been set up. When I explained it in the House last year, I think either he has forgotten or he just simply refused to listen. I have explained the purpose of having MND Holdings. MND is a company specially set up to manufacture building materials, run a quarry and to modernize the construction industry. The Member has seen some big lorries. This is an indication because previously the transportation of building materials was done by very small lorries which required a lot of drivers. MND is taking the lead by purchasing a fleet of big lorries thereby reducing the need for a large number of lorries and this has achieved three purposes on just that point alone. One, you require fewer lorry drivers to drive the lorries to carry the same amount of materials. Two, you require fewer lorries to carry the same amount of materials because if you are considering using a three-ton lorry or a 15-ton lorry, obviously you can see that the 15-ton lorry is carrying five times more building materials than a three-ton lorry. So the transportation cost will be lower. The third purpose is that it will reduce traffic congestion because we do not want too many lorries on the road. And I can go on and on relating what MND is doing. MND is trying to modernize, to industrialize the building industry, and therefore the money invested in MND is for the benefit of the building industry. I hope this time the Member for Anson will listen and will not repeat the broken old record again. On the other questions which the Member raised at the beginning, I would like to give him the answers. He was talking about 18-year olds getting married and therefore HDB should give them flats.”
“Unless I am wrong, I am afraid that the statement made by the Member for Anson is incorrect under the Companies Act. I would like perhaps to add my own observation since the hon. Member has made so many observations on the HDB's accounting system. I would like to add that from reports in the press, I have the impression that the Member for Anson is not exactly an expert on accounting. If he knows anything at all about accounts and financial statements, his Party would not be in the state it is today, i.e. it is on the verge of bankruptcy and on its knees begging for funds.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Anson is once again playing the same old tune, i.e. harping on the HDB accounting system. The change of the HDB's accounting system is progressing smoothly. A steering committee is overseeing the progress. The committee comprises the Auditor-General, the Accountant-General, the Chief Executive Officer of the HDB and representatives from the Ministries of National Development and Finance. In April 1983, the steering committee appointed Price Waterhouse from among five reputable accounting firms to design a fully integrated and computerized accounting system. As the HDB is operating on an enormous budget and its activities are becoming increasingly complex and voluminous, the change in accounting system is complex and time-consuming and require careful planning and implementation. The new accounting system is expected to be fully operational from April 1985 and the financial year 1985-86 accounts are expected to be reported under the new system. The HDB is in the midst of changing its accounting system and the Auditor-General is a member of the committee and he is satisfied with the arrangements. The Member for Anson is talking about the Companies Act and the HDB is flouting the law. I would like again to say that he is a lawyer and I am not a lawyer. I am advised that HDB being a statutory board is not governed by the Companies Act. However, even assuming that HDB prepares its accounts according to the Companies Act, it would not be necessary for HDs to consolidate its profits from MND Holdings in its accounts. This is because HDB does not hold more than half of the issued share capital of MND Holdings. It holds only 49.9%. And under the Companies Act, HDB does not have to consolidate the accounts.”
“Not all wrong. The HDB will not take any action. The reason is that we do not want someone whose request had been turned down to make another similar request. For example, he goes to see his Member of Parliament who writes to the HDB. The HDB gives an answer saying no, because under the HDB regulations it is not allowed. He then goes to see the remaining 74 Members of Parliament. The HDB does not like to receive another 74 letters and send 74 similar replies. If every letter has to be repeated 74 times, then the administration of the HDB will slow down and the allocation of flats will slow down. Everybody will appreciate that HDB is very conscious of efficient administration and the HDB is very conscious that all Singaporeans should get their flats quickly. The HDB staff are working overtime on Sundays to allocate the flats. And then we have a Member here suggesting that every letter should be repeated 75 times. I think we have a different concept of productivity, we have a different concept of efficiency and we have a different concept of how best the people can be served. We believe that Singaporeans deserve a good administration and get their flats quickly and not be bogged down by the unnecessary writing of useless and wasteful letters.”
“The Member did not say that. On the question of the two brothers, I would suggest that if they are not his constituents, then he should tell them to approach their own Member of Parliament who can write to the HDB and it can then look into it. If they approached you which--”
“It is not practical because the HDB flat is rented out to the occupant and there is a tenancy agreement between the HDB and the tenant. That is a legal document. Now, I think it has been clarified by the hon. Member that if a person is below 21 years old, the legal document which he signs is not worth the paper it is written on.”
“On the Member for Anson's question, in HDB there is a tenancy agreement signed by the HDB and the tenants. So no other people can sign on behalf of the tenants. The suggestion by the hon. Member that the father or someone else can sign on behalf of a tenant is not practical.”
“Sir, I am sorry that I did not answer the point about the TV antennae. I missed that one out. The HDB first learned about the SBC's intention to transmit a third channel from press reports in March last year. After confirmation received from the SBC, the HDB proceeded to design equipment to receive Channel 12 and to prepare tenders for the installation of the additional equipment. But before the HDB could call the tender, the HDB again saw reports in the press about the proposal to introduce subscription TV by the SBC. The Telecoms has also proposed to transmit Teleview. So the HDB thought that with all these new things, we had better not install the equipment just for Channel 12. We had better install something that could cover everything. But after some correspondence and further clarification, the HDB discovered that the subscription TV will not be introduced soon and the Teleview will also not be introduced soon. The HDB then reverted to its decision to call the tender to install the equipment for Channel 12 only. But the HDB has more than 4,000 blocks of flats. We must understand that in Singapore no businessman in his right mind will have 4,000 sets of spare parts required for Channel 12 and waiting for HDB to call the tender. After the HDB has called the tender, all the spare parts will have to be ordered from overseas. At times we may have to wait for the manufacturers to make the parts and wait for them to be sent to Singapore before they can be installed. In fact, the contract has been awarded and installation has been going on. I was informed by the HDB that they are hoping that if weather permits, by the end of next month, most nf the 4.000 blocks of HDB flats will be able to receive Channel 12. So there is some delay, but this is no fault of the HDB.”
“Oh, I see! So it is not worth the paper it is written on, is it? [Laughter].”
“For this reason, among the biggest allocation in the financial year 1984 budget is the sum of $4,000 million for public housing programme. In the face of this, how can anyone claim that this year's budget is the rich man's budget? Because for the simple reason the rich man does not qualify for public housing.”
“Sir, I am pleased to inform the House that in line with the Government policy to promote home ownership, the increase in selling prices of HDB flats from 1st July, 1984, will only be 21/2%. This quantum of increase will apply to all types of HDB flats from 1 -room to executive apartments. It is the lowest rate of increase in HDB selling prices since 1979, and it is sufficient only to absorb increases in the labour cost. Public housing, therefore, continues to be heavily subsidized. The bulk of 3- and 4-room HDB flats is presently built in the outer suburban zone, ie, in Jurong New Town, Hougang, and Tampines area. According to the 1982-83 HDB Annual Report - a copy of which is circulated to Members of the House - the construction cost of a 3-room new generation flat in this zone is $38,000 and that of a 4-room new generation flat in the same zone is $51,930. With 21/2% increase, the selling price of a 3-room new generation flat will be about $33,400. The construction cost is $38,000. Our selling price is only $33,400. For the 4-room flat, the construction cost is $51,930. The selling price is $51,000. Both are well below the construction cost. Apart from subsidizing the construction cost, the Government has to pay for the land, the resettlement costs, the financing and overhead costs for the professional supervisory expenses. This public housing subsidy is clearly very substantial and very heavy. The Government will continue to subsidize public housing as it is the policy to ensure that the selling prices of HDB flats are kept within the reach of most Singaporeans. It is also the Government policy to ensure that the benefits of the economic prosperity are shared by Singaporeans.”
“The dustbin compound is essential, There is no way we can do without the dustbin compound. So the dustbin compound must be near some blocks, whether it is Block 136 or Block 145 or Block 100, it has to be located somewhere. The architects and planners of HDB plan it in such a way that the dustbin compound is sited in a locality where it causes the least offensive smell or the least undesirable effect. But the compound must be somewhere. It is unavoidable. Sir, I think I have covered most of the points and I would like at this stage, perhaps a convenient point, to make a statement on the future selling price of HDB flats. HDB is in the midst of its most ambitious and biggest five-year building programme. In 1983, the Board has completed 40,000 dwelling units, the highest in its history. This record, however, will be surpassed by the number of units expected to be completed this year, ie, 48,000 units. In 1985, HDB is likely to complete another 40,000 to 45,000 units of flats. With this pace of construction, the majority of applicants currently on the waiting list will get their flats by the end of 1985. Concurrent with the increase in the number of flats, the population residing in public housing is also growing. As at the end of February 1984, 77% of the total population of Singapore live in public housing. By the end of 1984, this will increase to around 80%. Today, 70% of public housing is sold to residents. The proportion of sale flats will increase to 74% by end 1984. The Government's goal is to have every Singaporean own his home. I believe this goal can be achieved if our economy continues to perform well, keeping the Government in a position to continue shouldering heavy subsidies for public housing.”
“On the question of the breaking down of lifts which the Member has pointed out, the lifts are serviced at fortnightly intervals. From the records of the breakdown of lifts, it has been shown that there is a constant improvement on the maintenance of lifts. In other words, there is a continuous reduction in the number of breakdowns. But it may well be that in a particular block of flats, for some reason a particular lift has more breakdowns than usual. In that case the HDB will send engineers to investigate the cause of the breakdowns and will take appropriate action. If necessary, the HDB will even change the lift. In each block of HDB flats there are a minimum of two lifts. If one lift breaks down the residents should immediately let HDB know so that repairs can be carried out. But quite often the residents have this bad habit. Nobody bothers to inform HDB until both lifts break down and there is no lift to use. Then there will be plenty of complaints. I think this inconvenience can be easily avoided because it is most unlikely that two lifts or even three lifts in the same block will break down together at the same time. When one lift breaks down and if HDB is informed, this inconvenience could have been avoided with the cooperation of the residents. On the question of construction of the dustbin compound in front of Block 136, I want to make a general observation. In all the housing estates nobody likes the dustbin compound to be constructed in front of his block. Nobody wants it. But, unfortunately, in our housing estates we must have a dustbin compound. The collection of rubbish from the estate has to be done at one point, ie, at the dustbin compound where the Ministry of the Environment lorries can come and pick up all the rubbish.”
“If they are above 21 years, under the rule they can buy a flat. As I mentioned earlier the hon. Member can write to me and I will look into the case. And if they are not entitled to buy an HDB flat I will let the Member know why they are not entitled to do so.”
“But this family will not be permitted to buy two flats. By breaking it up, father and mother, two persons, buy one HDB flat; and then two children, that is, two brothers buy another unit of HDB flat, they will not be allowed to do so. There is a possibility that the brothers mentioned by the Member may be in this category. But if there is evidence that the two persons constitute a family, ie, they do not have a father and mother and they do not have any other relatives, in other words, the whole family consists only of the two brothers, then in this case if one of them is above 21 years old.”
“All the supervising officers of the HDB are well aware of this problem and they have been keeping very strict supervision on the contract labourers. If their performance is not up to a satisfactory standard, action will be taken against them, such as deducting money from their contract, and sometimes even more severe action is taken. Their contracts can be terminated and the contractors can be debarred from tendering for work again. On the proposal to use plastic covers for refuse, I will ask the HDB to look into it. But I have my doubts that this is a workable suggestion because we might end up with the plastic covers being torn and the plastic cover disappearing. I think it may not be a practical suggestion. And if we have to employ one worker to look after one plastic sheet, I think that plastic sheet is going to be very expensive. The Member for Anson raised several points. One is on the rental flats. He said that one of his constituents who was below 21 years old wanted to register to rent an HDB flat but was not permitted to do so. As we all know, for the HDB flats, there is a tenancy agreement signed between HDB and the tenants. I am not a lawyer. The Member for Anson is a lawyer. I was told by the legal officer that under the law in Singapore anybody below the age of 21 years cannot legally sign the tenancy agreement. He is a lawyer but I am not. Maybe I am wrong, I do not know. But if he is wrong, I will be very surprised. He said that there were two brothers affected by clearance and HDB would not allow them to buy flats. Under the HDB's rules, one family is allowed to buy one flat. I will just give you an example. 5.30 pm A family unit comprises a husband and wife and two children. Under the HDB's rules, this family of four persons can buy one HDB flat.”
“In 1969 the rental of $30 is about 20% of the average monthly income of 1 -room flat tenants. Today the average monthly income of the 1 -room flat applicants on the waiting list is $473. So the rental of $40 is only 81/2% of the average monthly income. So, as you can see, the figure speaks for itself. Both in absolute terms and as a percentage of earnings, this rental of only 81/2% of their monthly income must be among the lowest to be found in the big cities of the world. In addition to this, the waiting period today for the 1 -room rental flat is the shortest, that is, only two years. If applicants are waiting for other types of flats they have to wait longer. Therefore, Sir, I do not need to say any more to show that the Government, in fact, is looking after the housing of the lowest income group very well. As for the people who Want to rent 2- and 3-room flats, my advice is still, "please buy, don't rent." For their long term benefit it is better to buy and not to rent a flat. The hon. Member for Kaki Bukit raised the matter about contract workers and workers directly employed by the HDB. The Member said that the HDB workers on direct employment do a better job than the contract workers. I agree generally with the Member's observation that the HDB labourers are doing a better job because they are on the job for many years and they are experienced workers. For the contract workers, quite often some of them are not experienced. So they will not be able to do the work as well. But the supervising officers of the HDB always keep a careful watch on them. I must say that the HDB is trying very hard to recruit cleansing workers but we are not able to recruit sufficient cleansing workers. So we have to make-do with the contract labourers.”
“A few weeks ago I have shown that among those tenants who rent HDB flats, almost 10,000 of them own motor cars. A person who can afford a motor car certainly is in a position to buy an HDB flat. But they prefer to own a motor car and live in an HDB rental flat rather than buy a flat. But the Government's policy is to encourage them to own their own homes because it is good for their families to own the flat. I wish to assure the House, particularly the Member for Anson, that the lowest income group has always been very well looked after by the Government. As a demonstration, let us just take the rental charges of the 1-room improved flats. These are for Singaporeans in the lowest income group. When we built these 1-room improved flats in Toa Payoh and in Queenstown in the late 1960s, that is, about 20 years ago, the monthly rental for such a flat was $30. This comprised $23.50 for basic rental and $6.50 for the service and conservancy charges. In other words, total rental was $30 at that time, that is, 15 to 20 years ago. Today the monthly rental for the same flat is $40, of which $26 is for rental. In other words, over so many years we have increased the rental by $2.50 only. The balance of $14 is for conservancy charges. Even though the conservancy charges have been increased from $6.50 to $14, it is still not sufficient to pay for the increase in labour cost because in the last few years the income of Singaporeans has increased considerably and the wages for cleansing workers have increased three to four times. So the rental increase for this lower income group is $10 over a span of 15 to 20 years. During the same period, the national income has increased by three to four times on the average.”
“Lately, however, because of the improvement in incomes, the income of the people who are applying to rent 3-room flats is relatively high. They are earning more than $600 a month. Usually, those who apply to rent the 3-room flats are earning between $600 and $800 a month. With this income they are in a position to purchase a 3-room flat. However, quite often they do not have enough money for the down payment. What is required of them is personal discipline. Quite often, these are people in the self-employed group, like hawkers, taxi drivers and small time businessmen. They have 20% down payment of $6,000 to $10,000 for the flats but they are using it for other purposes. If they could just stop smoking, stop drinking, or stop gambling, they will be able to save enough money to pay for the down payment, with their usual income of $600 to $800 a month. What I would like to advise them is to exercise some self-discipline. As for the lower income group, the Government is, in fact, looking after them very well. The cornerstone of the Government's public housing policy is home ownership. Our goal is to get every Singaporean to own their own home. At present we have already achieved 70% of this target. In other words, 70% of the residents in HDB estates are home owners. This is mainly due to the Government's policy of keeping selling prices of public housing within the reach of the people, with the exception of a very small minority of the very low income group. I do not wish to repeat the statistics again because a few days ago I have given the hon. Member for Anson the statistics. The point is quite clear: the majority of Singaporeans can afford to buy flats, even among those who prefer to rent them.”
“On the question of St. Michael's Estate, I have some good news for the hon. Member. The HDB has demolished five blocks of old emergency flats. The land is available now and the HDB proposes to build 225 units of 4- and 5-room flats. This will enable the estate to achieve a better balance. Because in the old estates, it is mainly l-, 2- and 3-room flats. Now we are introducing 4- and 5-room flats. The second piece of good news is that the hawker centre at Jalan Tenteram which has a high vacancy rate will eventually be demolished. The HDB will redevelop the neighbourhood centre in St. Michael's Estate at Jalan Bahagia incorporating a new cooked food centre. The hawkers in Jalan Tenteram will be resettled into this new cooked food centre. 5.15 pm Thirdly, after the construction of the Central Expressway by the side of St. Michael's Estate, HDB will build a new road system in St. Michael's Estate for better access into the Estate and also to enable buses to run within the Estate. The hon. Member also mentioned another two points. One is whether the HDB will demolish the terrace houses there. HDB has no proposal to demolish the terrace houses. As regards the rental flats, I would like to clarify this position on the rental flats, which was also raised by the hon. Member for Anson. HDB is stopping the building of flats for rental, for the simple reason that there is a constant upward movement of the tenants living in 1 -, 2- and 3-room HDB flats. As these tenants move upwards to bigger flats, the vacated flats are sufficient to meet the demand of the applicants. So in the last few years the HDB has not built flats for rental because there is no need for that.”
“The first point is that he is puzzled by two figures, One figure is that the HDB has said that in 1984 it will complete 48,000 units of flats while the Budget Statement states that the HDB will build 64,800 units of flats. Both the figures are correct. The figure of 48,000 units is the figure for the calendar year, ie from 1st January to 31st December 1984. This would be 48,000 units. 64,800 units is the figure for the financial year, ie from 1st April 1984 to 31st March 1985. During this period the figure would be 64,800 units. This is a bit peculiar. The HDB has launched a big building programme. It happens that a large volume of flats will be completed from April this year. From next month onwards, you will find that every month 5,000-6,000 units of flats will be completed up to March 1985. From March 1985, the completion figures will taper down. From 1st April 1984 to 31st March 1985, there will be a huge bulk. So both the figures are correct. An hon. Member: Sell it cheaper!”
“I will ask them to hurry up. His third point is about changing the steel windows into aluminium windows which I mentioned earlier. If the aluminium windows look like steel windows, then I think the HDB will permit the changing of the windows. The main objection is the external appearance. If the windows have a uniform appearance and if we allow the people to change the windows according to their whims and fancies, then we may end up with 30 or 40 different types of windows. Then it will make the external appearance of the block of flats very unsightly. If the aluminium windows look like steel windows, I think the HDB will allow them to replace the windows. The hon. Member for Telok Blangah raised the point about season car parking tickets. In line with the present Government policy of curbing the ownership of private cars, the parking charges are now under review. I expect the review to be finalized by the middle of the year. Once this is finalized, I think the HDB will continue the sale of the car parking tickets up to a one year period. There is this fear that at the end of the year, during the month of December, 100,000 car owners will be rushing to the Area Office to get car parking tickets causing a tremendous congestion. I can assure the House that this fear perhaps is not likely to occur. As I have said, this matter will be finalized in the middle of the year and sale of the tickets will be resumed. The hon. Member for Pasir Panjang has raised the point whether the HDB will extend the Dover Road Estate. The answer is positive. The HDB will extend the Dover Road Estate. But the present position is that the land is occupied by other Authorities. Once the land is made available to the HDB, it will extend the Estate. The hon. Member for Whampoa raised two points.”
“If the cause of the fire was due to the PUB's fault and not the residents' fault, then the residents will not be asked to pay. The hon. Member for Alexandra has raised three points. The first point is about aluminium flashing strips for the kitchen windows. The HDB has assured me that they will carry out the repairs very soon. The work to provide these aluminium flashing strips will be completed within this year. His second point is about rectifying the floor level of the refuse bin centre in Mei Ling Street Market. This is a point which has been mentioned several times. The Minister of Defence was also told of this when he toured the constituency. The HDB says that the work will be carried out and it will be completed within this year.”
“He complained that the hawker centre is quite old and require renovation. I was told by HDB that renovation of the Toa Payoh hawker centre will be carried out. In addition to the renovation of the hawker centre, some of the empty vegetable stalls for which there is no demand will be converted into cooked food stalls to meet the high demand for these stalls. His second point is about the changing of windows in HDB estates. This matter has been repeatedly discussed in the House. Some of the residents would like to change their timber windows into aluminium windows. The HDB has always maintained the point that the external appearance of the flats should be uniform. If changes are to be carried out for the windows, it should be done for the whole block so that the external appearance would be uniform. I think the HDB will maintain this policy. As regards the problem of the particular block of flats mentioned by the Member for Toa Payoh, I will ask the HDB to look into it and advise the residents accordingly. The third point the Member raised is about fire occurring in HDB estates. In the event of a fire occurring in HDB estates, the HDB will liaise with the Fire Service and the Police to establish the cause of the fire. If the fire is caused by the negligence of the tenants due to misuse of the flats or because of their carelessness, then they will be responsible for the reinstatement cost of repair of the flats. But if the cause of the fire cannot be established, then the HDB will carry out the repairs and reinstatement work and the HDB will pay the cost. The Member for Toa Payoh mentioned that in the particular case, the cause of the fire was due to the PUB and not the residents. I will ask the HDB to look into the case.”
“The HDB has also introduced various other measures. But unfortu- nately, although these measures have been introduced, some of the flats on the top floors are still experiencing low water pressure. Some of them may be using pressure water heaters. This requires quite a considerable water pressure for it to work. Anybody who installs this type of appliance usually finds that the water pressure is not good enough, if he is at the top floor. For this reason, the HDB engineers have made several studies. Eventually we have come to the conclusion that the only way to increase the water pressure is to introduce a new system. The HDB will introduce very expensive measures to increase the pressure not only in the topmost floors but also for the whole of the building by installing booster pump systems. This system will operate during the peak hours to increase the water pressure when a large number of residents are using water. 5.00 pm The HDB is now carrying out an experiment in the various housing estates to test this new booster pump system to boost the water pressure. I was told that the booster pump system installed in the various areas has worked quite satisfactorily. A scheme will be prepared by the HDB to instal this booster pump system in all the high-rise flats so that during the peak hours, ie, at a time when most of the residents are using water, the booster pump will be switched on and it will enable the water pressure to be substantially increased. This pumping system will allow the whole block to get this additional boost in the water pressure. I hope that by then the complaint of low water pressure would be a thing of the past. The hon. Member for Toa Payoh has brought up several points. The first point is about the hawker centre in Toa Payoh.”