ST : HDB raises $2.38m for charity

Nov 14, 2010

HDB raises $2.38m for charity

By Jessica Lim

As part of its 50th anniversary this year, the Housing Board (HDB) has raised $2.38 million for charity.

Canvassed over two years, it is the highest amount the HDB has contributed to charity at any one time. The sum was announced at its first charity dinner last night, attended by President S R Nathan and his wife. A commemorative book - Our Homes: 50 Years Of Housing A Nation - was launched at the same event.

Most of the amount raised ($2.3 million) will go to charities under the Community Chest, including the AWWA Community Home for Senior Citizens and the Ang Mo Kio Family Service Centre. The rest will go towards a mini-van and herb garden for the Canossaville Children's Home, which was adopted by the HDB in 2001.

The amount raised far exceeded the target of $500,000. The top sums came from the charity dinner itself, where close to $830,000 was raised, and the HDB Charity Golf tournament on July 18, which raked in about $675,000.

HDB chairman James Koh Cher Siang said last night that numerous charity bazaars and online donation drives were held to raise the record sum.

Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan thanked donors and HDB staff at last night's dinner at The Ritz-Carlton.

In a speech, he spoke of HDB's achievements over the years and contributions from leaders like Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and the board's founding chairman, the late Mr Lim Kim San. It was MM Lee who started the Home Ownership Scheme.

Touching on the importance of HDB's role in community building, Mr Mah said it should strive to meet the rising aspirations of Singaporeans but also keep in mind the importance of building cohesive communities.

'If we all live in nice-looking flats but lose our cohesiveness as a community, and as a society, then we are in trouble,' he said, adding that there must be more initiatives to 'green' estates in Singapore and develop more eco-precincts.

Another key achievement on the horizon, he said, is when the board hands over the keys to the owner of Singapore's 1 millionth public flat.

'Five decades, 1 million flats. No other country in the world has matched what Singapore has achieved in terms of housing a new nation from scratch,' he said.

Our Homes: 50 years Of Housing A Nation, which includes personal accounts from people who were instrumental in shaping our public housing, will be available at the HDB Hub from Tuesday at $50 a copy.