TR EMERITUS

After living in a state of denial for the last few months, PAP National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan finally admits that immigrants do contribute to the rising housing demand, though they are "not solely to blame". Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Mr Mah said that "while the influx of new immigrants has been higher than usual, and has contributed to housing demand, it is only one of many demand-determining factors." Earliar in March this year, Mr Mah had said that PRs made up only one in five resale flat buyers and therefore they have "minimal" impact on resale flat prices. Last month, Mr Mah claimed that the property market boomed "unexpectedly" in 2007, leading to sky-rocketing flat prices: “Unexpectedly in 2007, the property market boomed leading to HDB prices to climb which resulted in the BTO scheme adapted by HDB today to build flats according to housing needs,” he was quoted as saying in Lianhe Zaobao. Back in 2007, Mr Mah indicated clearly that the PAP regime plans to grow Singapore's population to 6.5 million people: “Ever since I first mentioned that we are planning for a population of 6.5 million people, many Singaporeans have reacted with concern, some with alarm, at the thought of more people living and working in Singapore…..Do we need a larger population? Most definitely. To grow and create more and better jobs, Singapore must remain open, competitive and relevant to the global market place,” Mr Mah wrote in the April issue of PETIR. He also stated clearly that he has no doubts that we will have enough land to meet the needs of a 6.5 million population if we start planning now (back then in 2007): “A recent review of our long-term land use and transportation plan concluded that we have enough land to cater to a population of 6.5 million, if we are creative and careful in using our limited land, if we plan for such growth now and if we invest in the necessary infrastructure.” Unfortunately, Mr Mah did not build more HDB flats to meet the expected increase in population with the number of flats built between 2006 – 2008 being the lowest in the history of Singapore. Only 3,183 flats were built in 2008 when Singapore accepted 20,000 new citizens and 90,000 PRs who were allowed to purchase resale flats in the open market by the PAP regime. [Source: HDB Financial Report 2008/2009] As there are insufficient new flats being built to meet the demands of both Singaporeans and the new citizens, many have to purchase flats in the resale market, thereby jacking up prices in the process. Below is a graph illustrating how the rise in the prices of resale flats coincides with the rise in the number of foreigners in Singapore between the years 2000 and 2008, courtesy of Kojakbt, the moderator of 3in1kopitiam: While Mr Mah has admitted he had been “caught off-guard” by the astronomical prices of HDB flats, he is adamant that they are affordable to Singaporeans and chided home-buyers for being “fussy” and having “unrealistic” expectations. Though there is still a lack of public housing to meet the demands of Singaporeans, Mr Mah said it would have been 'foolhardy' to continue pushing out flats or land for housing at an increased rate when there was talk of the world entering a depression or a prolonged recession in the first half of last year. "We take a long-term view, but we also need to be cognizant of the short term... We have to be very flexible and view our housing supply in a very pragmatic manner," he was quoted as saying in the Straits Times. Had Mr Mah taken a "long-term" view in 2007 and built more flats then instead of now, we would not be in such dire straits today.     Debunking official myths of HDB flats series: 1 Myth 1: Singaporeans are “owners” of their HDB flats 2. Myth 2: HDB flats are “affordable” to most Singaporeans 3. Myth 3: Rising prices of HDB flats “generate” wealth for Singaporeans   Related articles: >> Proposed housing rules for Singaporeans and foreigners >> Errant buyers of resale flats now face jail term >> New property rules a ploy to get foreigners to settle in Singapore >> Mah Bow Tan: Property boom in 2007 was “unexpected” >> Singaporeans complain about new housing rules to curb speculation >> HDB releases 3,000 flats in a single day >> Mah admits there is a property “bubble” evolving >> New rules to prevent private property owners from speculating in resale flats >> Mah blames Singaporeans for strong demand in public housing >> Mah: 16,000 BTO flats next year >> Median COVs hit a record high >> $300,000 for four-room BTO flats in Punggol >> Mah Bow Tan: HDB flats are still affordable to first time flat buyers >> Why Mah Bow Tan’s policy of high HDB flats is wrong >> Letter to Mah Bow Tan on HDB policies >> Singaporean want govt to allay anxiety over HDB leasehold >> Mah Bow Tan embarrassed by Reform Party’s Hazel Poa >> Mah Bow Tan: “Unrealistic” expectations to blame for unhappiness about flats >> Taiwanese PR paid record $ 650,000 for 4-room resale flat >> Grace Fu: PRs are helpful to HDB flat owners selling their flats >> HDB launches “traveling exhibition” to trumpet its achievements in the heartlands >> PAP to upgrade 12,000 HDB households ahead of next election >> Mah Bow Tan: We do not want flat prices to go down >> Prices of resale flats to rise further as PR quota reached >> Taiwanese PR offers $50k COV for resale flat >> Mah Bow Tan: PRs have minimal impact on resale flat prices >> No empirical evidence to suggest that public housing is affordable in Singapore >> When will Singapore’s property bubble burst? >> Why HDB is unable to reveal break down costs of new flats now >> HDB to consider introducing rules to curb property speculation >> HDB blames Singaporeans for not selecting flats when given the chance >> Singaporeans worried about retirement after depleting CPF to pay for over-priced HDB flats >> Mah Bow Tan acknowledged that rising HDB flat prices has sparked “fresh concerns” >> PM Lee: Govt does not have control over prices of resale flats” >> COVs of resale flats shooting through the roof >> HDB resale price index hit record high in 2009 >> Singaporean wants PRs to live in rented flats instead of buying resale flats >> Singaporeans wants PRs to be banned from selling HDB flats at a profit >> Shanmugam: Singaporeans likely culprits for driving up HDB flat prices >> Mah Bow Tan: HDB flats remain affordable >> Means testing for PRs to buy resale flats >> Immigration and public housing: should the govt or people plan ahead? >> Grace Fu: hard to predict demand for housing >> Indonesian PR bought 4-room flat at $653,000 >> Mah Bow Tan asks home buyers to be realistic >> PAP MP blames young couples who cannot get a flat for not planning ahead >> Home affordability: HDB versus the public >> Demand vs supply: so many applicants, so few flats >> Number of applicants exceed number of flats >> HDB to increase supply of flats >> Mah: don’t compare with prices in the past >> ERA: 40 per cent of HDB flat buyers are PRs     Please join our Facebook discussion on this article here and invite your friends to do so as well to raise awareness among fellow Singaporeans.  Read More →

Despite public disquiet and unhappiness at the abrupt and arbitrary manner in which the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) stepped in to terminate the free shuttle bus services to Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) Integrated Resort, PAP minister Dr Vivian is adamant that the decision to do so is the right one. Defending himself in Parliament yesterday, Dr Vivian said: "Even with the best preparation, casinos would still 'test the boundaries' from time to time. The authority's handling of the recent violations demonstrated its ability to act decisively and quickly." The RWS shuttle bus service which has been running without a glitch for the last four months, was terminated suddenly without warning by MCYS, causing inconveniences to commuters and bus drivers alike. Most of the commuters interviewed by the papers claimed they are taking the free ride to Sentosa not to visit the casino, but to enjoy its other amenities there. One irate 36 year old woman Alicia Phua told Sunday Times: “The Government should have considered the enjoyment of the citizens first before trying to decide what is good for us.” Bus companies which spent millions of dollars on the buses are now left in the limbo with the prospects of folding up if they are unable to get a new contract elsewhere. There is no compelling reason for MCYS to act so "decisively and quickly" since an internal survey by RWS shows that more than 60% of the commuters do not visit the casino and the news also reported that only 2 out of 10 commuters are visiting the casinos. MCYS could have conducted further studies to determine if there is an increase in the number of Singaporeans visiting the RWS casino as a result of the free shuttle bus services or at the very least, impose a moratorium on the service till its investigations are complete. Furthermore, there is no harm in giving a month or two's notice to the public even if the services are to be terminated eventually. After the embarrassing YOG fracas, the embattled Dr Vivian may be using RWS as a smoke-screen to divert public attention from his incompetence and ineptitude which may explain why the stoppage of the shuttle bus service is timed so perfectly to coincide with his lame defence of his handling or rather mishandling of the YOG in Parliament yesterday.   Related articles: >> Rebuttal to reasons offered by MCYS for termination of RWS shuttle bus service >> MCYS stopping of IR shuttle bus service is a conspiracy >> Singaporeans pissed off by stopping of RWS shuttle bus service     Please join our Facebook discussion on this article here and invite your friends to do so as well to raise awareness among fellow Singaporeans.  Read More →

OPINION It was a wrong estimate, but still there are "no regrets" because the event was "value for money". That is all embattled PAP minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan has got to say after splurging $387 million dollars of taxpayers' monies to host the most expensive "sports day" for children in the world. Of course he has no regrets because he is not footing the bill and neither will he be held accountable for his reckless spending spree. For all the excuses Dr Vivian has come up with to defend his utter incompetence, not a single one holds. There is simply no excuse in burst the YOG budget by more than three times. Dr Vivian blamed the underestimate on his ministry's "lack of experience" in organizing a sports event on such a grand scale, but then Singapore has hosted regional events like the SEA Games before and he could have waited for others to host the event first and send his officials to study how they run it before rushing into the decision to bid for the YOG. The onus lies on Dr Vivian and his team to assess for themselves if Singapore is ready to host the YOG. Even Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong admitted in 2007 that Singapore may not be quite ready to bid for it. Why is there an urgency to host the inaugural YOG when we still lack the experience to do so? It is not as if there will only be one YOG Dr Vivian added it was the first YOG and 'both the International Olympic Committee and us were starting from scratch', but YOG does have a precursor to it - the World Youth Games which was held in Moscow in 1997 whose main objective was to involve young people in the Olympic movement. More than 7,500 young athletes under 17 years of age representing 140 countries competed in a variety of sports that included basketball, soccer, volleyball, handball, tennis and table tennis, track and field athletics, swimming, synchronized swimming, gymnastics and modern rhythmic gymnastics, fencing, judo and Greco-Roman wrestling. Did Dr Vivian send a team to learn from Moscow's experience in hosting the World Youth Games? The breakdown of the expenditure was also scanty and incomplete at best. (source: STmedia) The bulk of the budget goes to "technology for score-keeping" which costs us $97 million dollars, or nearly the entire initial budget of $104 million dollars. Will these new technologies be deployed for local sporting events in the future? Live broadcast via multiple media and the opening and closing ceremonies cost another $45.5 million dollars. If the YOG is indeed a world class premier sporting event as proclaimed by the organizers, shouldn't we be getting paid for its broadcast rights instead of the other way round? $14.3 million dollars was spent on language translation, laundry and catering services. It was reported in the media that the athletes enjoyed a daily buffet spread of up to 42 meals. According to some volunteers, there is plenty of wastage of the food and a few athletes even bought fast food to eat at the premises of the Youth Olympic Village. Is there really a need to provide so much food for a youth event spanning only 12 days? Lastly, the international "journey" of the Youth Olympic Games costs an eye-popping $7 million dollars. How does the journey help to develop local sporting talent? Dr Vivian can continue to boast about the intangible benefits of YOG such as "laying a strong foundation for Singapore's sporting culture, especially in spectatorship, community involvement and volunteer engagement," but without any concrete evidence or statistics to show, these are mere empty words. He claimed that Singapore will "recoup" its investments in the YOG without quoting any figures of the amount we have earned so far as a result of the YOG. Using the Beijing Olympic Games as a yardstick to justify the over-blown budget of the YOG smacks of utter desperation on the part of Dr Vivian. According to international market research firm Nielsen, the Beijing Olympics attracted 4.7 billion TV viewers worldwide. The figure, based on data from 37 viewing markets from August 8-24, surpassed the 3.9 billion who watched the 2004 Athens Games and the 3.6 billion of the 2000 Sydney Games, Nielsen said.How many people watch the Youth Olympic Games? Is the publicity we are getting worth the money spent? For the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony alone, Nielsen estimated that almost one-third of the world’s population, or about 2 billion people, watched the event.   As we can see for ourselves, the YOG received little attention from the international media unlike the Beijing Olympic Games. In fact, it hit the headlines for the wrong reason - the arrest of a YOG critic by the Singapore police which reinforced Singapore's poor reputation as a repressive one-party state. Dr Vivian should offer a public apology to Singaporeans for the numerous YOG screw-ups such as the ticketing glitches, poor attendance, mistreatment of volunteers, mass food poisoning outbreak and safety lapses at the venues instead of glossing over them to make himself look good. Unfortunately, with no genuine opposition in parliament to check on the ruling party, Singaporeans have no choice but to accept Dr Vivian's lame explanation that he has been "caught off guard" again like many of his other PAP colleagues.     Please join our Facebook page here and invite your friends to do so to create awareness of the current affairs affecting Singaporeans. Please use our online web form to contact us.  Read More →