ST : 'No right to make demands on HDB'

Feb 14, 2010

special report: rental flat neighbors

'No right to make demands on HDB'

No link between presence of rental flats and crime rate, say MPs, experts

By Irene Tham and Shuli Sudderuddin

On another plot of land. Eight storeys instead of 14. Build a condominium instead.

Some Singaporeans are dishing out such orders to the HDB about how and where rental flats ought to be built and their common refrain is, as far from my flat as possible.

While they may be customers of the Housing and Development Board (HDB), do these HDB home owners have the right to make such demands? And at whose expense should their demands be met?

Political observers say residents do not have such rights.

'Their rights are limited to their own units and do not extend to common property,' said former Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong, a corporate counsel.

MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Indranee Rajah echoes that view. 'It is HDB's call,' she said.

But the recent clamour in Tampines and Pasir Ris is the result of the Government getting what it is asking for, said Mr Siew. That is, to make Singaporeans 'stakeholders' in society.

'Naturally, they would want to have a say in matters that could potentially impact them and their immediate environment - this is not a bad development,' he added.

Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Manpower, said 'it is not an issue of rights, but consultation'.

'There is a need to inform and consult, and assure residents that potential problems can be managed,' he said.

Even then, said some, allowing the majority of Singaporeans to feel a sense of ownership cannot come at the expense of the low-income group.

'They need a roof over their heads,' said Jurong GRC MP Halimah Yacob.

Ms Indranee concurs. 'It is wrong to say 'not in my backyard'. Where are we going to house the poor who cannot afford to buy an HDB flat?'

She also questioned the safety issues raised by home owners, and said this suggests that those living in rental homes are 'lesser-value human beings'.

'What is the correlation between rental flat stayers and safety?' Ms Indranee asked.

Sociologists say there is no evidence that disproportionately more crimes are committed by those living in rental flats.

The prejudices that people may have against the poor are 'almost always exaggerated', said Professor Chua Beng Huat of the National University of Singapore's (NUS) department of sociology.

'Saying that crime will increase because there are rental flats in the neighbourhood is a prejudice of those who have a vested interest in property values rather than social security,' he added.

Most fears spring from prejudices towards and stereotypes of the poor rather than actual negative encounters, said Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser of NUS' department of sociology.

As for whether rental flats lower the prices of property in the surrounding area, most of the housing agents The Sunday Times spoke to said this was not the case.

'Most people buy a property for access to amenities and parents. Closeness to rental flats has not been a deterrent,' said Mr Alex Foo, an ERA housing agent.

Popular property districts include Ang Mo Kio, Toa Payoh, Bedok and Bukit Merah, and these areas have a large number of rental flats, agents said.

Some one-room-one-hall rental flats have such good locations that even they are being snapped up in the resale market, he said.

There are units going for $200,000, even higher than prices of some three-room flats.

Launched in 2000, the HDB's Special Housing Assistance Programme allows existing tenants to buy over their rental flats that have been upgraded at a $15,000 discount.

itham@sph.com.sg

shulis@sph.com.sg