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.”
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“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am unable to give an accurate estimate of the number of Singaporeans who are not eligible for HUDC housing as they have exceeded the income ceiling, because there is a lack of comprehensive family income data in Singapore. The Government is not agreeable to the removal of the income ceiling of what is essentially Government-built housing for the middle-income group. However, the income ceiling is periodically adjusted upwards in the light of rising incomes. The ceiling was last revised in April 1980 from $4,000 to $6,000.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, five blocks of flats, namely, Blocks 63 to 67 at Ganges Avenue have been earmarked for demolition. Demolition will be completed by the end of 1982. A 4-storey block of industrial shops will be built on the site. HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT COMPANY (Income ceiling) 7. Dr Yeo Ning Hong asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether he can give an estimate of the number of Singaporeans who are not eligible for the Housing and Urban Development Company residential accommodation because of the ceiling on income; and (b) whether the HUDC will be able to cope with the increase in applications if there is no income ceiling.”
“Sir, 10 persons in a family do not arrive suddenly. Previously, the waiting time for HDB flats, both for transfers and for public applications, was 2 1/2 years and now it is about three years. Before the 10 persons arrive, the family should have applied for a transfer earlier. If the family is going to wait for all the 10 persons to arrive before applying for a transfer, then I presume they are able to accommodate themselves somehow. KIM SENG CONSTITUENCY (Building of shops and flatted factories) 6. Dr Yeo Ning Hong asked the Minister for National Development whether, in his redevelopment programme for Kim Seng Constituency, he will consider building shops and flatted factories to provide employment opportunities.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there are more than 70,000 applicants on the waiting list for HDB flats. A large number have not yet had the chance to live in an HDB flat. It would be unfair to these applicants if priority to purchase is given to existing HDB tenants who are already enjoying the benefits of subsidized housing. Owing to the shortage of flats, it is also not possible to give priority to existing tenants of one-room flats for transfer to larger rental flats. I want to add that in my Meet-the-People sessions, a large number of my constituents have asked me to help them get an HDB flat earlier. I want to reiterate here that the HDB's allocation policy is based on registration priority, i.e. first come, first served. No queue jumping on whatever grounds will be allowed even if such requests are made through Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Secretaries, Ministers of State and Ministers. If seeing an MP meant getting an HDB flat earlier, all the 70,000 applicants on the waiting list will do so, and it is not possible for HDB to grant priority allocation of flats to all of them. As the one-room improved flats are still popular, there is no proposal to convert them to larger flats. However, the emergency one-room flats built in the early Sixties are unpopular and many of them are vacant. These flats are now being progressively demolished for redevelopment.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB will redevelop the Jalan Eunos area. Development is expected to start in mid-1983. The affected residents will be re- settled in accordance with the existing policies of the Resettlement Department. SURCHARGE ON PUB BILLS 13. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister f6r Health whether he will review the policy of the Public Utilities Board in imposing a 50-cent fine on consumers for the late payment of water and electricity bills as such payment can be a further burden on those who are already unable to pay their bills on time because of financial hardship.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir: (a) the current average waiting period for the purchase of HDB flats is three years, against the normal waiting period of 21/2 years. The longer waiting period has been caused by the recent slowdown in the HDB construction programme. The slowdown has been primarily due to the smaller number of HDB contractors tendering for jobs because of losses incurred in past projects as a result of high inflation. They are also refraining from tendering because of the uncertainties of rising costs. The HDB on its part is taking steps to ensure the availability of basic building materials, such as sand, granite and bricks. The HDB is also studying possible modifications of its contracting system, such as cost-plus tendering, to encourage more contractors to tender for projects. (b) There are no advantages in having a scheme to allow applicants to pay for their flats prior to allocation. The selling prices of HDB flats have to be revised periodically to meet rising construction costs. Otherwise, the subsidy for public housing will reach unacceptably high proportions. Costs invariably rise during construction because of escalation clauses in building contracts. If applicants pay for their flats before allocation, the HDB will have to provide for builtin allowances for price escalation during the construction period. Applicants will, therefore, not necessarily pay less by paying earlier. JALAN EUNOS MALAY SETTLEMENT (Development) 12. Encik Saidi Shariff asked the Minister for National Development, in view of the revocation of the Rules for the Occupation of Land in the Malay Settlement, Jalan Eunos, whether there are plans for development of the land, and, if so, when the development will be carried out and how it will affect the residents.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, tenders for remedial work to prevent rain-water seepage into the flats at Eunos Crescent have been called. Repair work is expected to be completed by the third quarter of this year. HDB RESIDENTIAL FLATS (Shortening of waiting period) 11. Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the current waiting periods for the purchase of the different types of Housing and Development Board residential accommodation and what steps have been taken to shorten them; and (b) whether he will consider working out a scheme whereby applicants on the waiting list may opt to commence paying prior to allocation so that they will not be affected by any price increase.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Urban Development Company regularly analyses the data it collects on applicants at the time of registration. As at 31st January, 1981, HUDC had a waiting list of 6,256 applications. About 46% of the applications were from single persons. An analysis of the characteristics of single-person applicants revealed that 72% earned less than $2,500 per month at the time of registration. The majority are young. About 29% are below 25 years old. Another 51% are between 26 and 30 years old. Most single-person applicants indicated their intention to live alone. 1,981 applicants or 69% of single applicants listed only one occupant. There is a rising trend of single persons applying to the HUDC for housing. In 1977, the number of applications from single persons was only 209. This figure rose to 1,451 in 1980, an increase of almost seven times in three years. The Government believes in preserving the family unit to promote social cohesion. Many HDB policies have been revised to encourage families to live together so that the children can take care of their parents. The rising number of young single persons wanting to live on their own is, therefore, an undesirable trend. We do not wish to encourage this trend by making it easy for single persons to obtain HUDC flats. EUNOS HOUSING ESTATE FLATS (Water seepage at gable-end walls) 10. Encik Wan Hussin Zoohri asked the Minister for National Development, in view of the longstanding problem of water seepage at gable-end walls in Housing and Development Board flats, how soon the affected flats in Eunos Housing Estate will be repaired.”
“Sir, that is not so because the income limit for rental flats has been fixed at $800 per month. We have not revised this ceiling for the simple reason that we want to encourage,people to own their own homes. If we allow the ceiling for rental flats to be adjusted upwards, then some people may prefer to rent rather than buy their flats. The ceiling of $800 per month has not been revised for a long time because it is our policy to encourage people to own their own homes. As hon. Members are aware, the income ceiling for ownership of HDB flats has been constantly adjusted upwards, that is, from $800 to $1,200; from $1,200 to $1,500, and recently from $1,500 to $2,500. Most probably we may have to further adjust upwards to catch up with inflation and the increase in the price of HDB flats. HUDC APARTMENTS (Ownership by single persons) 9. Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi asked the Minister for National Development what specific surveys were done and what evidence was obtained to indicate that ownership of Housing and Urban Development Company (HUDC) apartments by single persons should be curbed in view of its "disturbing and undesirable trend".”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the income ceiling for rental flats is under constant review. The present ceiling of $500 per month has already been relaxed for two groups of applicants. First, existing tenants who have occupied their present flats for at least two years may be allowed a transfer to a 2-room flat, even if the family income exceeds $500 per month. Secondly, resettlement cases in urgent need of accommodation are allowed to rent a flat, even if their income exceeds the income ceiling. However, because of a shortage of 2-room flats, the HDB is unable to allow other public applicants with a family income exceeding $500 per month to be allocated such flats.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the new Punggol Fishing Port and Market will be built on a 3-hectare site located at the North-eastern coast, opposite Coney Island. The project, which is scheduled to be completed in 1982/83, is estimated to cost more than $5 million. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Raising of income ceiling) 8. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development, in view of the fact that the income of Singapore workers has considerably increased in the last decade, whether he will now consider revising upward the combined family income ceiling of $500 to a more realistic figure so that those who earn more than $500 a month will be able to rent two-room flats or to transfer from one-room to two-room flats.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Hou Gang New Town falls within the constituencies of Paya Lebar and Punggol. When completely developed in 1986-87, it will have a population of 130,000 people housed in 26,000 units of flats. These include 3,000 existing flats in Punggol Estate which will form part of the New Town. Hou Gang New Town will be divided into four neighbourhoods, each with its own neighbourhood centre. In addition, a sports complex, schools and other amenities will be provided. Approximately 4,700 dwelling units, 140 shops and eating houses and a market-cum-cooked food centre are presently under construction.”
“In fact, on the HDB waiting list, 17,000 applicants, who are living in one-room, two-room and a small number in three-room rented flats, are waiting to buy larger flats. So the HDB, in fact, has created mobility and we enable our people who may have started very humbly in one-room flats to move up to two-room, three-room and four-room flats. And we are hoping that those people who are living in HDB four-room and five-room flats will eventually be able to move out of HDB flats to HUDC flats and, if possible, to live in condominiums where the hon. Member has a great admiration for that type of flats. On economic matters, perhaps it is more appropriate for either the Minister for Finance or the Minister for Trade and Industry to answer. I must confess that this is beyond me. 4.16 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I must confess I have not studied Economics. But I am a bit doubtful that a government can create boom conditions. If all governments can do that, then I think we would not have so many governments in Africa and other developing countries crying for help, because all they need do is to study Economics and say, "create all the boom conditions" so that they can have plenty of money. But I do know that governments can create serious depression, can create depressing conditions by all sorts of rules and regulations, controls and other things. On the question of housing, as I have said just now, the Government has the responsibility to provide a decent standard of housing for our people. The hon. Member was talking about people stuck in one-room flats. I do not think that is true because in the HDB estates, there is a tremendous mobility of our population. And the hon. Member himself knows that, in Whampoa, at one time about 1,000 units of one-room emergency flats in his constituency were converted when the people moved out of these flats because they were not going to be stuck in one-room flats. The majority of them, in fact, were moving out to three-room, four-room and five-room flats. The First Deputy Prime Minister yesterday spoke about the difference in the Singapore society, and that is we permit mobility. In HDB flats, this mobility has been going on all the time.”
“This is a very large volume for private housing because if we look at the figures for the last two decades since 1960 up to now, the demand for private housing was about 2,000 or 2,500 units per year. So if the Government releases land for the construction of 5,000 units and coupled with the 8,000 to 10,000 units of private housing now under construction, they will all add up to 15,000 units, and this figure represents the normal supply for 7 1/2 years. So this is an enormous figure and I believe that with this volume of housing, the shortage will be over soon. 4.05 p.m.”
“More than 99% of the population are qualified under income ceilings to apply for HDB and HUDC flats. Therefore, only 1% are not qualified. Of course, this 1% include persons like the Shaw brothers and Wee Cho Yaw. They are not qualified. Already, more than 70% of the population have been housed by the HDB, HUDC and the JTC. A good number of those earning more than $6,000 per month own property. To many, therefore, the purchase of private property is a form of investment, not a roof over their heads. I agree fully with the hon. Member for Whampoa that very few Singaporeans live in condominiums. They buy condominiums to rent to foreigners. The Government has a responsibility to provide housing to our citizens but it cannot assume the responsibility of providing cheap properties for investment. Some speculative activity in the property market is not harmful. However, excessive speculation should be discouraged. The Ministry of National Development recently disallowed the transferring of options. Other measures are now being considered to discourage speculation. The escalation of property prices is due to many factors. The most important factor is the slump in the property market during the period 1974 to 1978 when the construction activity in the private sector slowed down. This has resulted in the present shortage, not only in housing units but also in commercial office space. The Government will, therefore, be releasing through the URA very large amounts of land to meet the demand. For housing, the Ministry will be releasing land sufficient for the construction of 5,000 units in 1981.”
“The Minister of Defence and the Minister for Foreign Affairs will be able to tell Members that for years the DBS condominium at Ulu Pandan could not be sold, notwithstanding the lifting of the control over foreigners buying condominiums in 1976. In other words, having lifted the control in 1976, they were still not able to sell many of their flats at Ulu Pandan. Even with the very favourable condition of just 10% down-payment and 90% loan available, and with airconditioning and other things thrown in, people just do not buy property in a depressed market. The announcement of a reduction in property tax in 1978 also had little effect. This clearly shows that there are other factors responsible for the ups and downs in the property market, and that it is not just the control over foreigners buying property alone which can do the trick. However, my Ministry is following the property market situation closely. While there are foreign purchasers of private properties, the majority are Singaporeans. Statistics as at December 1980 from the Controller of Housing show that 77.5% of the purchasers of new housing units are Singaporeans. Only 22.5% are foreigners. Control over foreigners buying private properties can never be fully effective. Foreigners can always buy through Singaporeans. I firmly believe that the solution lies not in instituting elaborate controls but in increasing the supply of housing. It is necessary to dispel the impression created by both hon, Members for River Valley and Whampoa that many Singaporeans are deprived of a roof over their heads by the escalation of property prices. The present property market situation attracts a very small percentage of the population.”
“In our experience over the last two decades, I must say that in general most of the people have been able to adapt well to their new environment. As regards the compensation paid to those affected, the rates have always been periodically reviewed. The last review was carried out in March 1979 and compensation rates, in general, have increased. I would like to assure Members that, if necessary, further reviews will be made. The Member for Kebun Baru and the Member for Chong Boon spoke about the lack of coordination between the HDB and the various Government departments. The HDB regularly informs the relevant departments of its plans and the facilities that have to be made available in new towns. As the First Deputy Prime Minister mentioned yesterday, the main problem lies in the delay in the provision of funds. A procedure is now being worked out to ensure that all the required facilities will be provided as soon as a new HDB town is ready. I come now to the last point touched on by both the Member for River Valley and the Member for Whampoa about speculation in properties. The Member for Whampoa seemed to imply that prices of properties are within Government's control and can be determined by the Government at will. For example, he suggested that by allowing or disallowing foreigners to buy condominiums and high-rise flats, the Government can create either boom conditions or depressed conditions for the property market. If it were that simple, then I think life for the Government would be very easy. The depressed property market between 1974 and 1979 would have been avoided if the Government really had the control.”
“The main reason was that most of the HDB contractors who had accepted HDB contracts in 1978 and 1979 suffered substantial losses and some even went into bankruptcy. Even though in the HDB contracts allowance was made for NWC wage increases and increases in some of the building materials, actual wage increases were much higher than the NWC recommendation for the building industry. As for the increases in the building materials not covered by the HDB contracts the contractors had to pay for those increases themselves. For these reasons the contractors have decided to reduce their commitments. In other words, those contractors who were able to build, say, 2,000 flats a year ago now play safe and build only 1,000 flats. The more prudent contractors simply do not tender for the contracts and adopt a wait-and-see attitude. The HDB is now studying ways and means to encourage more contractors to tender, including the provision of coverage in the contracts for the escalation of prices in most building materials. Another important step is that the HDB is also forming a construction company to undertake some of the public housing projects to supplement the work of HDB contractors. The Member for Kebun Baru spoke about the dislocation of the people's livelihood as a result of resettlement. In fact, resettlement has been going on for the last two decades, that is, since 1960 when we set up the Housing Board. Large resettlements have taken place since then. We are now in the last phase of our resettlement programme. It is most probable that the resettlement programme in Singapore is likely to be completed by the end of this decade. I would say that about 70% of the resettlement work has already been done in Singapore. An hon. Member: The problems are still there.”
“Coming to the Member for Telok Blangah, I disagree with his complaint about the poor planning and poor supervision on the construction of roads. The roads in Singapore are well planned and the traffic jams are the minimum as compared with the other major cities. I speak with full conviction. If hon. Members go to Bangkok, Manila, Jakarta and other cities and see the traffic situation there, they will find that our traffic, in fact, flows more smoothly. I would like hon. Members to let me know which city with the same population and the same number of cars as Singapore has a better plan for traffic. Our roads are constructed in accordance with American and British standards of specification adopted to suit our local soil and climatic conditions. Therefore, the quality of our expressways is as good, if not better, than any other developed countries. Our Pan-island Expressway is comparable to the highways in England which hon. Members admire very much. Perhaps the difference is that in England an hon. Member can drive along an expressway for hundreds of miles but if he does that in Singapore he will end up in the sea. On the question of the seepage of water through the walls, as pointed out by the hon. Member for Telok Blangah, the HDB will look into the problem. I can assure him that appropriate remedial action will be taken. On public housing, the hon. Member for River Valley pointed out that the HDB last year missed its target of 25,000 units by 5,000 units because there were not enough contractors willing or able to tender for HDB projects. He implied that a large number of HDB contractors gave up public housing projects to undertake the more lucrative private housing projects. This is not the case.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to comment on the various matters under my jurisdiction which have been raised by the hon. Members in this House. First, the Member for Radin Mas has objected to the HDB allowing owners of HDB flats to resell their flats at a profit. While our public housing policy is to provide housing for the people, it is also to encourage Singaporeans to buy their flats as a form of investment and a hedge against inflation. The HDB, therefore, allows flat owners who have lived in their flats for more than five years to resell their flats at the market price to eligible buyers of their own choice. The Government's policy is also to encourage mobility of HDB dwellers so that they can both upgrade themselves and live in bigger and better flats and also live closer to their parents and children. Allowing them to resell their flats will, therefore, enable existing HDB dwellers to upgrade themselves. There will also be flats available in the old estates for sale to those who like to live there, perhaps to be closer to their parents and children. Regarding the lifts in HDB estates, statistics show that the general performance of lifts in the HDB estates has been continuously improving in the last decade. This is due to the installation of better quality lifts and better maintenance. The frequency of breakdowns of lifts has decreased. On the average, the breakdown rate of HDB lifts last year is about one lift per month. This is not a high figure compared with the lifts installed in private flats or those built by other housing authorities. The HDB will look into the repeated breakdowns of lifts complained by the hon. Member for Radin Mas, and appropriate remedial measures will be taken to rectify the defective lifts.”
“Section 10 (b) has therefore been amended to exempt only buildings which have both certificate of fitness and strata titles. The Controller of Housing will review all commercial buildings sold before 20th July, 1979, which are without strata titles and direct developers to obtain titles by stipulated dates or to take such other steps as may be necessary. In normal circumstances, the developer having obtained separate strata titles must, under the agreement, proceed to complete the sale. If this is not the case, the Controller of Housing may direct the developers to complete the sale. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Teh Cheang Wan]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ECONOMIC EXPANSION INCENTIVES (RELIEF FROM INCOME TAX) (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 4.10 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The purpose of this Bill is to introduce a number of amendments to the Sale of Commercial Properties Act, 1979. The Sale of Commercial Properties Act came into operation on 20th July, 1979, in response to complaints about the inequitable manner in which some developers conducted the sale of their commercial units. Rules made under the Act prescribe the terms and conditions for the option and the sale of commercial units and generally the rights and obligations of vendor and purchaser. However, the Act does not apply to commercial properties sold before the coming into operation of the Act. There have been numerous complaints by purchasers of these commercial properties of delays by developers in obtaining strata titles. At present, there are 34 commercial buildings whose developers have not obtained strata titles. Since the Act does not cover these old cases, the Ministry can only apply administrative pressure on the developers concerned. This is not satisfactory. The Act is being amended to empower the Controller to direct developers inter alia to obtain strata titles by a stipulated date. This will apply to commercial properties sold before 20th July, 1979, that is, prior to the coming into operation of the Sale of Commercial Properties Act, 1979. The sale of commercial properties with certificate of fitness but without strata titles is not covered by the Act because under section 10 (b) such buildings which have been physically completed are exempted. Since strata titles are of primary importance to purchasers, the sale of properties without strata titles should be brought within the provisions of the Act.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, to check crimes and vandalism committed inside lifts, the Housing and Development Board started a pilot project on 1st May 1979 to install closed-circuit TV in the lifts of seven selected blocks of flats. The HDB is still monitoring the effectiveness of CCTV. To enable a better assessment of CCTV to be made, the Housing Board is also studying alternative systems of security in lifts. Results of the study are expected to be ready by the end of next year. ABORTION (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read. 2.46 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, developers who deliberately delay construction after obtaining planning permission are invariably those who indulge in speculation. It is not unusual for such properties to change hands many times. My Ministry has for some time now tightened up approval for renewal of planning permission which has lapsed. Any planning permission which has lapsed with no evidence of construction work in progress will not be renewed. We are also looking into the possibility of acquiring lands for which development has been approved but not implemented, for sale through the Urban Redevelopment Authority. However, consideration will be given to developers who are genuinely unable to proceed with their plans for development because of factors beyond their control. MOUNT WASHINGTON (Conversion into a park) 6. Mr Rohan bin Kamis asked the Minister for National Development what is the progress of the study by the Parks and Recreation Department to convert Mount Washington in Telok Blangah into a park with various amenities. Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Parks and Recreation Department has prepared a concept plan to develop the neighbourhood of Mount Washington into a regional park with look-out points, a refreshment kiosk, a car park, pedestrian walkways and a fitness park. Development work can begin next year, if funds for the project are approved. HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD LIFTS (Installation of closed-circuit television) 7. Mr Rohan bin Kamis asked the Minister for National Development what progress has been made in the study to install closed-circuit television in Housing and Development Board lifts.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The existing provisions in the Professional Engineers Act, 1970, restrict registration of engineers to those who have passed the pro- fessional practice examination set by the Professional Engineers Board, after they have obtained two years' professional practical experience. This requirement of passing local examinations may have deterred good foreign engineers from seeking registration in Singapore. The amendment Bill therefore seeks to provide for the registration of engineers without the need of passing a professional examination if the engineer has at least - (1) five years' post-qualification professional experience, of which two years are in Singapore; or (2) 10 or more years' post-qualification professional experience of such a standard as may be recognised by the Board. Singapore can then better attract good foreign engineers to augment the local pool of engineering talents to meet the needs of our construction and other industries. In addition, the Bill also seeks to provide for the registration of a person holding a degree of Bachelor of Engineering from the National University of Singapore which was recently incorporated. Sir, I beg to move. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Teh Cheang Wan]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. JURONG TOWN CORPORATION (AMENDMENT) BILL Order for Second Reading read.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I am afraid this is not possible. I will quote a simple example. In a new town, you will find that the expressway runs through an HDB estate. All these expressways are owned by the State. In fact, the trees along the expressways are planted by the Parks and Recreation Department. But in the public housing estates, they are maintained by the HDB. So it is not possible for the HDB to take over all the functions of the Government department. INFLATION IN SINGAPORE (Targeted rate) 17. Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what is the targeted rate of inflation in Singapore for the next 12 months; what factors will determine the rate of inflation in Singapore during that period; and what Singaporeans should do to ensure that they will succeed in maintaining a low inflation rate.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer is yes. In fact, there are many areas where you can find that one part of the land is owned by the State and the other part is owned by the Housing and Development Board. This is, in fact, very common.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the field next to Block 5 at Old Kallang Airport Estate is partly owned by the State and partly by the HDB. The State land portion which is at the junction of Mountbatten Road and Old Airport Road will eventually be affected by the Kallang Expressway. In the meantime, the Parks and Recreation Department has been planting trees and landscaping the area as a temporary measure. In any case, the Housing and Development Board and the Parks and Recreation Department have jointly ensured that the field is well maintained. Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng: Mr Speaker, Sir, can I ask the Hon. Minister whether there are other areas in Singapore that are similarly controlled?”
“Sir, this question shows the conflicting aspects in the design of the bus shelters. If the passengers are to got into the bus easily, we should not put up barriers at the bus shelter so that when a bus stops the passengers can get into the bus straightaway. On the other hand, when there are too many passengers at the bus stop, especially during the peak hour, they may scramble to get into the bus, and in pushing one another there is the possibility of an accident occurring, as mentioned by the hon. Member, i.e. a commuter may fall into the path of the bus and be run down. The PWD has always been bearing this safety aspect in mind. In fact, this safety barrier has been erected at some bus shelters where we expect a lot of passengers, as for example, the bus shelter in front of the Victoria Concert Hall, which is not very far from Parliament House. FIELD IN OLD KALLANG AIRPORT ESTATE (Jurisdiction of two Authorities) 16. Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng asked the Minister for National Development what is the rationale for two departments, namely, the Housing and Development Board and the Public Works Department, each controlling its own half of the field located at Block 5 in the Old Kallang Airport Estate.”
“Sir, the design of the bus shelter is constantly being improved. Any shortcomings found in the old bus shelters will be rectified. So if we find that certain shelters have a leaky roof, they will be replaced with a better design. Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi: What about the safety measures to prevent commuters from falling into the path of buses which drive into these stopping bays?”
“Sir, in FY 1978, the Public Works Department constructed 128 bus shelters. This number increased to 221 in FY 1979. For the first half of the current financial year, i.e. from April 1980 to September 1980, the Department has been able to maintain its momentum and has constructed a total of 107 bus shelters.”
“Sir, the Housing and Development Board has already provided two children's playgrounds to serve the residents of Blocks 74 to 83, Bedok New Town. They are located in front of Block 83 and between Blocks 78 and 79, and are within short walking distance. There is no necessity to provide an additional playground. The vacant land adjacent to Blocks 74 to 77 is to be allocated to the PUB for use as a water-collection pond. BUS SHELTERS (Number constructed and adequacy of protection) 15. Encik Mansor Haji Sukaimi asked the Minister for National Development how many bus shelters were constructed or renovated during the past two financial years.”
“Sir, the factory building was formerly used for the construction of prefabricated HDB flats. It was bought over by HDB when the contractor failed. The building will be dismantled and transferred to a new site at Tampines by the end of 1981 to be used by a new contractor for prefabricated flats. The present site is earmarked for the construction of a school. VACANT LAND IN BEDOK NORTH ROAD (Conversion into playground) 14. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board will convert the vacant land in the vicinity of Blocks 74 to 77, Bedok North Road, into a children's playground, complete with recreational facilities such as slides and swings, for the benefit of children residing in Blocks 74 to 83 as presently they have to cross the road to use the nearest playground.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Public Works Department has a plan to build an overhead pedestrian bridge at New Upper Changi Road near the Bedok Sports Complex. Construction is scheduled to commence in April 1981, subject to the availability of funds. Our field observations show that pedestrians can cross without difficulty New Upper Changi Road in the vicinity of Changi Theatre, as there are gaps in the traffic flow along this stretch of New Upper Changi Road, which are created by the traffic lights at Bedok South Road and Bedok North Road, A signalised pedestrian crossing at this location is therefore not recommended, as it will only reduce the traffic capacity of New Upper Changi Road. UNCOMPLETED FACTORY BUILDING AT BEDOK NORTH ROAD/ NEW UPPER CHANGI ROAD (Demolition) 13. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the uncompleted factory building fronting Blocks 74 and 78 at the junction of Bedok North Road and New Upper Changi Road will be demolished as it is an eye-sore and a breeding ground for mosquitoes and when; and (b) what plans the Housing and Development Board has for the site.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the opening in the divider at New Upper Changi Road and Bedok South Avenue 1 junction was closed recently as it was hazardous for motor traffic to turn right from Bedok South Avenue 1 to New Upper Changi Road, in view of the heavy traffic along New Upper Changi Road. The installation of traffic signals at this junction was not recommended as it would reduce the traffic capacity of New Upper Changi Road, considering the fact that there were already four sets of traffic signals between Bedok South Road and Bedok Road. After the closure of the divider, traffic wishing to turn right from Bedok South Avenue 1 can still do so at two other signalised junctions at Bedok South Road and Bedok South Avenue 3. Bus services 31 and 401 have not been curtailed. The closure of the divider has only resulted in the rerouting of bus services 31 and 401 from Bedok South Avenue 1 to Bedok South Road. The congestion presently experienced along New Upper Changi Road between Bedok South Road and Siglap Road is not due to the closure of the central divider at Bedok South Avenue 1. It has come about because the traffic volume has exceeded the capacity of the two-lane dual carriageway road. There are plans to widen this stretch of New Upper Changi Road, including improvement to its junction with Bedok South Road, to increase its capacity. Construction work is expected to commence early next year. Making an opening in the central road divider along New Upper Changi Road opposite Apartment Block 24 is not recommended as it will interfere with the free movement of vehicles along New Upper Changi Road. It is also hazardous for vehicles to turn right from New Upper Changi Road into the car park, or to make a U-turn. NEW UPPER CHANGI ROAD (Pedestrian crossing facilities) 12.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board will provide an indoor stadium at Bedok New Town. However, due to its heavy construction programme, work on the stadium will only commence in 1982. The project will take about two years to complete. ENERGY CONSERVATION (Measures to introduce) 4. Haji Sha'ari bin Tadin asked the Minister for Trade and Industry whether he plans to introduce energy conservation measures to encourage the people to save energy.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, about 16 blocks of the existing Norfolk Estate will be affected by the widening of Norfolk Road into part of the Central Expressway and will have to be demolished. The project is scheduled to be implemented in 1982. The HDB will study the redevelopment of the remaining parts of Norfolk Estate after the completion of the road widening project in 1984. INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN CHANGI 10. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for Trade and Industry what sites within Changi Constituency are earmarked by the Jurong Town Corporation for light industries and when those sites will be acquired.”
“No, Sir. In the case of private developers, after they have given us their undertaking, they may sell the houses. Their undertaking will, therefore, become invalid. As regards HDB flats, the HDB continues to exercise control after the sale of the flats. Therefore, there is this difference between the HDB and the private developers. NORFOLK ESTATE (Redevelopment plans) 9. Dr Lee Chiaw Meng asked the Minister for National Development whether there is any proposal to re-develop the old Singapore Improvement Trust housing estate on both sides of Norfolk Road, and, if so, whether he will consider increasing the number of storeys of flats to be built in order to maximise the use of this prime piece of land.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think most private housing units have false ceilings. Sometimes they install air-conditioners, and quite often they do install ceiling fans and other appliances. In the case of the HDB flats, however, any additional installation is under strict control. We can, therefore, allow the HDB to build flats with a lower ceiling height.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the ceiling height of HDB flats in the initial years was 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 ins). It was increased to 2.6 metres (8 ft 6 ins) in 1973 upon metrication. As part of an overall pro- gramme to improve HDB flat designs, the ceiling height was further increased to 2.7 metres (8 ft 10 ins) in 1979. This is considered adequate and there are no plans to increase it further.”
“Sir, I will ask the PWD to look into the request.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the traffic lights at the filter lane from Mountbatten Road into Nicoll Highway were installed in 1973 and used during the 7th SEAP Games to enable pedestrians to cross to the Stadium. From experience, it was found that operation of the lights created traffic problems along Mountbatten Road. As a result, the Ministry constructed a pedestrian overhead bridge across Nicoll Highway, near the People's Association, to enable pedestrians to cross Nicoll Highway to the Stadium. The traffic lights are, therefore, redundant and will be removed.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, construction of the pedestrian overhead bridge across Telok Blangah Road near Kampong Jagoh Malay School will start in early July 1980 and will be completed by the end of November 1980. TRAFFIC LIGHTS AT MOUNTBATTEN ROAD/NICOLL HIGHWAY AND IN ANG MO KIO NEW TOWN 7. Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng asked the Minister for National Development how long ago were the traffic lights at the filter lane into Nicoll Highway from the Mountbatten Road end installed and why they are not put to use.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, existing tenants of HDB rental flats can apply to purchase new flats. There are about 15,000 such applicants on the HDB's waiting list. These HDB tenants are already enjoying subsidised public housing unlike other applicants who are still waiting for their flats. There are no grounds to give priority or concessionary prices for the purchase of new flats to existing HDB tenants. However, HDB tenants can buy their present 3-room flats as sitting tenants if the majority of the tenants in the block want to do so. They will have to pay only $200 as downpayment compared to 20% of the purchase price required for public applicants, and so far 18,574 flats have been sold to sitting tenants. TELOK BLANGAH ROAD (Overhead pedestrian bridge) 6. Mr Rohan bin Kamis asked the Minister for National Development when the planned overhead pedestrian bridge across Telok Blangah Road opposite Kampong Jagoh Malay School will be completed.”
“Sir, I wish to thank the Member for Punggol for supporting the Bill. On the question of ownership of temporary buildings, HDB does not consider owners of temporary buildings as property owners, provided they do not own the land as well. On the question of income limit for the resettlement cases, HDB has been quite flexible on this. For those families affected by resettlement, if their family income exceeds the limit for eligibility to purchase HDB flats, the Allocations Committee chaired by my Parliamentary Secretary, who is usually very flexible, would generally grant exemption on the income limit. I know that quite a lot of resettlement cases have been submitted by the various Members of Parliament to him. He has considered them favourably and has allowed those families to purchase H D B flats, although their family income exceeds the income limit. I can assure the Member for Punggol that if he comes across similar cases, he can send them to my Parliamentary Secretary, and I am quite sure he will consider them favourably. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. - [Mr Teh Cheang Wan]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. MR PHEY YEW KOK MEMBER FOR BOON TECK (Tenure of Office) (Announcement by Mr Speaker)”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time." The main purpose of the Bill is to enable penalties to be prescribed for infringement of conditions covering the application, sale and usage of Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats where the Board does not proceed to compulsorily acquire the flat. The other aspect of the Bill enables any notices or other document to be served on the owner of a flat, house or building sold by the HDB by affixing it on some conspicuous part of the flat, house or building. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Sir, I beg to report that the Committee of Supply has made further progress on the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1st April, 1980 to 31st, March, 1981 and ask leave to sit again tomorrow.”
“Sir, we are reviewing the farming policy. In fact, the Member has quite rightly pointed out that previously we have not had a definite agricultural policy, and the pig farmers have to move from one place to another. At present we are looking into a more permanent agricultural policy. So these two experiments carried out by the Primary Production Department will be taken into consideration in the formulation of this farming policy. I hope this policy will be ready in three to six months' time. Then we will have a more firm basis on the allocation of farmland. Mr Ho Kah Leong: I take the word that a more firm agricultural policy will be formulated in three to six months' time. On that note, I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $201,377,700 for Head T ordered to stand part of the Main Estimates. The sum of $1,485,063,100 for Head T ordered to stand part of the Development Estimates. COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY REPORTING PROGRESS (Suspension of Standing Orders) 6.59 p.m. With the consent of Mr Deputy Speaker and the general assent of Members present, Question put, and agreed to. Resolved, "That, notwithstanding the Standing Orders, progress be reported now and leave be asked to sit again tomorrow." - [Mr Teh Cheang Wan]. Thereupon Mr Deputy Speaker left the Chair of the Committee and took the Chair of the House.”
“Sir, land and labour are scarce resources in Singapore. We must ensure that both are put to maximum productive use. The Ministry of National Development is currently reviewing its agricultural policy to ensure that the land to be allocated for agriculture is put to maximum efficient use. This will require the farms to be organised on a commercial scale with minimum plot size and maximum output. At present there are farmers in Singapore who are eking out a marginal livelihood on their farmland. In view of the manpower shortage in other sectors of our economy, it would be better and more profitable for the farmers to convert to other means of livelihood. Alternatively, they may get together to reorganise their farms on a larger and viable commercial basis. Otherwise it is unlikely that they can compete effectively with the modern production methods of commercial farms. A farm licence is an important document conferring enhanced resettlement benefits on those who may be affected by clearance schemes. Stringent control is, therefore, exercised on the issue and transfer of farm licences. However, where existing licensees are too old to continue farming or who have died, the Primary Production Department will consider the transfer of farming licences to their next-of-kin. The following are the criteria for the transfer of farm licences. The farm lots should lie within an agricultural or rural ares. The applicant should be a member of the immediate family concerned, residing at the site and working full time on the farm and dependent on the farm for a livelihood. The type of farming carried out on the lot must be acceptable to the Primary Production Department, that is, no pig farming or duck-rearing unless the area is designated for such a purpose.”