Don't cast protest vote: MM

[louisoh]

The Government, Mr Lee (above) said, has to price the flats at a level which is fair, not only to current buyers but past and future buyers, as it will affect property prices. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

THE current contentious issue on the affordability of public housing was given another airing by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew who cautioned Singaporeans not to cast a protest vote against the ruling party over this.

As Singaporeans lament rising flat prices, he said they ought to understand that the Government sells them at a subsidised price, below market rate, so that they can own an asset that will appreciate in value over the years.

It adds to their wealth and this is an asset-enhancing policy Mr Lee believes citizens should not find fault with.

If they do, they must be 'daft', he said, at a dialogue during a housing conference as part of a series of events to mark the Housing and Development Board's 50th anniversary.

And if National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan is unable to defend this policy, 'he deserves to lose' at the next general election, he quipped, to laughter from the participants, including a chuckling Mr Mah.

But if Mr Mah loses to the opposition, he warned that Singaporeans better sell their flats fast as they would no longer be of any value.

[louisoh]

HDB considering imposing a quota on PRs in resale flats

By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 27 January 2010 2113 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Housing & Development Board (HDB) is considering imposing a quota on Permanent Residents buying resale HDB flats. This could be done in the same way that racial quotas are imposed to prevent ethnic enclaves.

The issue came up in a dialogue session on public housing with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew where questions on affordability and aspirations were brought up.

Public housing has come a long way from where it started 50 years ago. Still, issues remain. This includes how foreigners are perceived to affect pricing of flats.

Mr Lee said over the next five years, the intake of foreigners will slow down but that meant Singaporeans would have to increase their productivity.

Going further, dialogue moderator Professor Tommy Koh asked if more could be done to integrate those already here, in much the same way that the Ethnic Integration Policy was introduced in 1989 in public housing estates to get races mingling.

MM Lee said: "Could the same approach be adopted towards integrating new Singaporeans? We are not allowing new Singaporeans whether from China, India, Malaysia or whatever to congregate in the same tower blocks which they are already beginning to do. They buy second hand flats and they congregate. So we have a record of how many new citizens living where and we keep their numbers dispersed. It's a very valuable tool of communal harmony."

HDB later clarified that a quota policy on PRs for resale flats was being considered.

One other issue that came up during the dialogue is that of affordability which has come up repeatedly. One suggestion was to have HDB provide more rental housing units.

MM Lee said: 'I completely disagree with that policy. It will lead us into all kinds of problems. You are getting a dependency group - dependent on the government on constant subsidies, whereas our philosophy is ‘I give you this asset, I will increase the value of the asset as the economy grows but it is yours and you look after it. And we do not have run down public housing like other countries which are rental.’”

Mr Lee was also asked for his take on a recent media report that at least three opposition parties were eyeing National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan's ward with the aim of making public housing affordability an election issue.

He explained: “What is affordabilty? From the point of view of the buyer? And the government that is subsidising you? The government has to price it at a level that is fair to the revenue it is collecting and fair to the individual, not only the present buyer but past and future buyers. If Mr Mah is unable to defend himself, he deserves to lose.

“No country in the world has given its citizens and families an asset as valuable as what we have given every family here. And if you say that policy is at fault, you must be daft."

Mr Lee was speaking before some 500 delegates from 20 countries at a housing conference. - CNA/vm

[Fred_Tan]

"daft", "grumblers", "not hard-driving", "lesser mortals", "sheep" and "donkeys"

Maybe yes, maybe no, who am I to judge meself?
Whatever.....

I hope Mr Chiam & his team will win Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC or whatever name Singapore Election Dept wanna delinearize it into.
My best wishes to him & his team, may their paper submission & campaign goes smoothly & may they win with good majority to give opposition the 1st GRC.

It's paramount that Mr Chiam do not contest in SMC given his poor health cos if touch wood something happen to him, there'll be an election & Potong Pasir on any SMC he won maybe lost.

All the best to Lina Loh, Chiam's wife who'll take over Potong Pasir ward fight from her hubby.

I hope their daughter Nina will also contest the upcoming election like her mum & dad.

It's hope that Mr Lau leave Hougang & contest in a GRC & I pray he'll take the opportunity to follow & fight it out in any GRC that Marlboro will try to run & hide in.
Marlboro is not that popular and I think it'll not be hard to get at least 40% vote to be NMP if Lau loses touch wood which is a worst case scenario.

May Sylvia Lim & her team win Aljunied GRC as they are pretty close last election.

That'll wake some one high up if one or two GRC are lost, otherwise we will be grumbler

[Watcha]

asset given? why I got to pay loan until retirement then?

if lose = valueless?

fair price?

[Nooch]

Fred, I support ur statements well said!! Lot of us are frustrated at their lack of empathy.

[surestik]

The old man is also suffering from knee-jerk reaction syndrome.

[pet]

aiya, sure got protest vote 1 lah...food, elec, transport necessity increase, ppl still squeeze abit manage, roof over ppl head not affordable, ppl sure tu lan....

last election, see some of the opposition, wow lau, so jia lark, yet some grc they still win 30+% ... wow lau wei, tht shows loh.. Now with hdb price increase, tis will get ppl more fedup... gov need to arrest tis problem...

[triton]

then can cast void votes can or not?

[seiko.citizen]

but in politics all monkey is equal. talk simi cock to get your vote. in oz, every so often we change parties, but we still get sama crap

[Tomaski33]

It's time locals voice out our unhappiness against the current situation we are in
"Rising housing costs where u pay till retirement (CPF finish) and jobs insecurity (vs Foreigners)
The garment is good at sweeping all the problems under the carpet or look the other way...That's why this country is sooo clean

[116520]

I think property prices up and increase in foreign workers is not really a bad thing. Singapore is small, if population remains small, it is very hard to expand its economy in order to stay competitive with other countries... we should consider ourselves lucky as our neighbouring countries are...

[4Dvisor]

Who in SG-ROC never vote before in GE (not presidential) ?

Most of us dun have a chance to vote.......... esp .. the post 65ers

[pet]

me vote once nia for pap...

rest walk over

anyway, pap gov also know tht lotsa complain...esp housing and also work ( FT etc ) .. so they wanna remind u all mah... pap still the best, i agree, but housing need to address.

[DM101]

I think property prices up and increase in foreign workers is not really a bad thing. Singapore is small, if population remains small, it is very hard to expand its economy in order to stay competitive with other countries... we should consider ourselves lucky as our neighbouring countries are...

If our neighbouring countries are NOT ... u think have Singapore today meh

In the land of the blind the 1 eye man is king hehehe

[Mille]

Honestly, as much as i dislike PAP, we still need PAP as the leaders of the country.

PAP, they are there for half a century, they know whats the correct protocol, the correct methodologies to run a country efficiently and effectively..


But over the years there are issues which has snowballed from minor to quite major issues and they have continued to sweep the issues under the carpet..


We need to address some issues like FT, HDB pricing, and rising cost of living...and some issues like accountability as well.

No doubt PAP has performed well from 1950s to 1990s...but from 2010 onwards, its a different ballgame.

We are aware of the shortcomings...we're no longer dumb kids..