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, shopkeepers' requests for change of trades, inclusion or change of partners, are usually approved subject to increase in rentals to prevailing market rates for that area. However, total assignment of the premises will not be allowed. In this case, the registered tenants will have to terminate the tenancy and return the shops to the Housing Board.”
“Sir, to question (a), the answer is yes. The Public Works Department is considering the widening of Lorong Chuan, the stretch of one-lane traffic at the junction of Lorong Chuan and Braddell Road. And to question (b) on the installation of a traffic light at the junction of Lorong Chuan and Serangoon Garden Way, it is not practicable because Serangoon Garden Way is only a two-lane carriageway, that means one lane in either direction. If a traffic light is to be installed there, then Serangoon Garden Way will have to be widened to a four-lane carriageway, that means two lanes in either direction, otherwise the traffic light will not function effectively. Installation of a traffic light will involve the acquisition of properties, sometimes taking away the front gardens of residences for the widening of the road. We consider that to be undesirable. It would be better to wait for the new roads to be completed than taking away the front gardens of residences in that area. HOUSING BOARD SHOP PREMISES (Rent increase on changes in tenancy) 4. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development whether there is a limit to the increase in rent of Housing and Development Board shophouses when tenants of such premises are involved in the change of ownership of business and names of tenants.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in reply to a question raised by the hon. Member for Serangoon Gardens in January 1978, it was explained that there were no proposals to widen Lorong Chuan. The construction of two new roads in the vicinity, namely, the North-South Arterial Road between Thomson Road and Avenue 1, Ang Mo Kio, and the extension of Avenue 1, Ang Mo Kio, from Lorong Chuan to Boundary Road would relieve the peak hour traffic congestion along Lorong Chuan. These roads are scheduled for completion by December 1979 and October 1980 respectively.”
“On the 2nd of March, the Muslim, Religious Council had already published the answers to the Questions set down for him today. Has the Muslim Religious Council and the Ministry of Social Affairs the right to release to the public the answers to the Questions before they are asked in Parliament?”
“These were the pilgrims who responded to MUIS' invitation through the press to the discussion held on 16th January, 1979. On the whole, Sir, the pilgrims who attended the discussion were satisfied with the arrangements made by MUIS. We have ascertained from them that owing to climatic conditions and the crammed living conditions in Mecca and the other holy cities, many of the pilgrims contracted influenza, cough, cold, sore eyes and diarrhoea. These pilgrims, however, were able to overcome these minor ailments by taking patent medicines which they had brought along with them. We do not, therefore, consider it necessary at this stage to appoint medical officers to accompany the pilgrims during their pilgrimage. There are hospitals in Mecca and the other holy cities where pilgrims can seek medical attention if their illnesses become serious. The Pilgrimage Welfare Officers are there to assist them in gaining admission into hospitals, if hospitalisation is necessary. However, my Ministry is exploring the possibility of inviting Muslim male or female nurses to serve as Pilgrimage Welfare Officers for the next pilgrimage. We have written to the Ministry of Health for assistance in identifying Muslim officers in the Nursing service, as well as those who have retired from the service, who would be interested in taking on the job of Pilgrimage Welfare Officers. With their training and experience, we feel that these nurses will be able to diagnose the common ailments and treat the pilgrims accordingly. Suitable arrangements will be made as soon as the information from the Ministry of Health is available. Haji Rahmat bin Kenap (Geylang Serai)( In Malay): Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to seek some clarification from the Acting Minister for Social Affairs.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the $500 income limit has been set because if a person's monthly income is $500 he is likely to make a CPF contribution of $150 per month. Now, the monthly instalment for the purchase of a three-room flat is about $100. Therefore, the income limit has been set in such a way that a person with an income of $500 per month is in a position to buy a three-room flat. If he is not prepared to buy a flat, then he will have to rent a three-room flat. He is not allowed to rent a one-room flat. The difference in size between the one-room improved flats and two-room flats is not so great. Moreover, we know that the people who live in the one-room improved flats usually partition off the area into two-room flats. In fact, those who have been denied one-room flats have moved into two-room flats. So really there is no cause for complaint of hardship. But if he wants to move to a better flat, then we encourage him to purchase a three-room flat. PILGRIMAGE TO MECCA (Request for medical officers) 19. Haji Rahmat bin Kenap asked the Minister for Social Affairs if he will consider arranging for two Medical Officers to accompany Singapore Muslims on pilgrimage to Mecca as the three Welfare Officers sent by the Singapore Muslim Religious Council cannot help those pilgrims who fall sick. The Acting Minister for Social Affairs (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Speaker, Sir, the hon. Member for Geylang Serai may be interested to know that recently officials of the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) and the Ministry of Social Affairs held a meeting with pilgrims who went on the Haj in 1978, to find out the shortcomings, if any, of the pilgrimage organised by MUIS and whether the Pilgrimage Welfare Officers played a useful role during the trip.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the introduction of the income ceiling of $500 per month, there have been 30 cases of tenants living in 1-room flats whose applications for transfer to 2-room flats have been rejected because their monthly income exceeded this limit. Tenants whose family income exceeds $500 per month should have no difficulty in using their CPF savings to pay for the downpayment and the monthly instalments for the purchase of 3-room flats. As it is Government policy to encourage home ownership, it is not proposed to raise the income ceiling. However, in genuine hardship cases, special consideration will be given on the merits of each case.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board is reviewing the existing facilities in the older estates. Where space permits or suitable land is available, these facilities will be upgraded to standards close to that of New Towns. A sports complex consisting of one competition pool, one teaching pool. one wading pool, a football field with spectators' stand and one multi-purpose indoor hall for indoor games, like basketball and badminton, is being built along Alexandra Road by the Housing and Development Board to provide recreational facilities for the surrounding constituencies, including the Delta Constituency which is just on the other side of Alexandra Road. There are at present 504 units of 4-room flats in the Delta Constituency. The Board has no proposal at the moment to redevelop part of the Delta Constituency to build more 4- and 5-room flats. APPLICATION FOR HDB TWO-ROOM FLATS (Raising of income ceiling) 18. Mr Ho See Beng asked the Minister for National Development whether he has figures of one-room flat dwellers whose applications for two-room flats were rejected because their combined family income had exceeded the ceiling of $500, and, in view of the current inflation, if the Housing and Development Board will consider removing the $500 ceiling so as to accommodate the requests of those applicants who cannot afford the higher rental of three-room flats.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Housing and Development Board proposes to build a point block and two slab blocks of flats at the fire site behind Yock Eng High School. Piling work commenced in mid-1978 and is now completed. The Board will invite tenders for the building works in March 1979. Construction is expected to commence in mid-1979. DELTA CONSTITUENCY (Improved facilities and redevelopment plans) 17. Mr Yeo Choo Kok asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board has plans (i) to improve the existing facilities and provide new facilities, which are enjoyed by residents of new housing estates, in old estates in constituencies such as Delta; and (ii) to redevelop a part of Delta Constituency in order to build a few blocks of 4- or 5-room flats for sale.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the buildings in the Changi Civilian Quarters are quite old. The occasional complaint of leaky roofs has always been attended to immediately. There has so far been only one complaint of termite infestation. This was promptly remedied by the Housing and Development Board's termite contractor. The Board also carries out regular inspection of flats to ensure protection against infestation of termites. HDB HOUSING PROJECT BEHIND YOCK ENG HIGH SCHOOL (Suspension of piling work) 16. Haji Rahmat bin Kenap asked the Minister for National Development (a) what are the masons for stopping the piling work, which started some time ago, for the Housing and Development Board's housing project on the vacant fire site behind Yock Eng High School; and (b) whether the project will be proceeded with in the immediate future, and, if so, when construction work will resume.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there is no plan to build additional flats in Changi Constituency besides those already built in Changi Village. CHANGI CIVILIAN QUARTERS (Improvements) 15. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for National Development what steps the Housing and Development Board will take to improve the condition of the Changi Civilian Quarters whose occupants have complained that the lack of maintenance has resulted in termite infestation and leaky roofs in those Quarters.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Lorong Kundang area which is largely occupied by temporary dwellings will be cleared over the next five years in connection with the cleaning up of the Kallang River Catchment. Plans for the redevelopment of this area are now being worked out. Under the present policy, hawker stalls will be offered to small-time traders affected by Government's clearance schemes, or to licensed street hawkers affected by development. Ordinary residents affected by development schemes will not be offered hawker stalls. However, where hawker stalls are available for allocation, consideration will be given to hardship cases, such as those who are in receipt of public assistance, or physically handicapped, or unemployed and above 40 years of age. CHANGI CONSTITUENCY (Building of HDB flats) 14. Mr Teo Chong Tee asked the Minister for National Development whether the Housing and Development Board proposes to build flats in the Changi Constituency besides those already built in Changi Village.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, Avenue 6 Ang Mo Kio, from Sungei Kallang to Thomson Road, is scheduled for completion by the end of 1979. However, the stretch between Jalan Pemimpin and Thomson Road will be completed earlier, by August 1979, so that the traffic congestion at the junction of Upper Thomson Road, Braddell Road and Lornie Road can be eased as soon as the new road is ready. DEVELOPMENT OF LORONG KUNDANG AREA (Hawker licences for affected residents) 13. Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for National Development what plans he has to develop the Lorong Kundang area and whether he will consider issuing hawker licences to those affected residents who apply for them.”