TR EMERITUS

Errant buyers of HDB resale flats who do not declare about properties they own overseas may face jail term, warns HDB. Making a false declaration could bring fines of up to $5,000 or up to six months in jail. Under the new regulations unveiled by HDB lately, buyers of resale flats will have to sell of any private properties they own here in Singapore or overseas. "To ensure parity in the treatment of all HDB flat buyers, we subject buyers of non-subsidised flats to the same rule with effect from Aug 30 this year. This helps to reinforce the long-term owner-occupation objective of HDB flats. All flat owners are allowed to buy a private property after their MOP," a HDB spokesperson was quoted as saying in Straits Times. The new rules came about following a massive outcry among Singaporeans at YPAP leader and new citizen from India Sinha Shekhar who boasted on Facebook that he owns both a condominium and HDB flat which he is subletting for an income. However, there are some concerns among Singaporeans that they will be penalized at the expense of the PRs and new citizens who own properties back in their homelands since it is almost impossible for the authorities to find out, especially when they are likely to have extended families. Firstly, they may own properties in some obscure parts of vast countries like China and India which is unheard of even to HDB officials and secondly, they can simply transfer the ownership of their properties to their parents or siblings, thereby enabling them to continue to enjoy the "best of both worlds" in Singapore. Instead of causing inconveniences to genuine Singapore buyers and to itself, HDB should impose the new regulations only on PRs and new citizens which make it easier for it to enforce them as well.   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: >> 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 →

作者/来源：新加坡文献馆 自少年时代就热爱观看国庆演说的 Andrew Loh （30-7-2010）说：‘现在，每当我看到他出现在电视上，我会把电视关掉，或者走开。此人一无是处，除了炫耀自我。’李光耀在新加坡牢牢的掌权半个 世纪，如今在一名新加坡公民的心目中却落得如此的下场；这怎能不是一个可悲的景象？ 那么，新加坡公民又是如何看待李显龙，这位李光耀政权的新接班人？ 阅览新加坡网民对李显龙国庆演说的反应就可以知晓个中乾坤，明了人民对李显龙与人民行动党政府的看法与感受。 且分别看看中英网站言论有些什么样的说法。 大马论坛李显涛（31/08）《国庆群众大会四题》指出：‘…他必须站在高处，反思他一年来的治理，提出一些哲理性的探讨议题，对于今后说明他忧心和关心的 所在，形塑全民的思想境界。但是自从李显龙接手后，境界是一年比一年低，每次都好像是小学生在炫耀自己的成绩册，不好的科目要嘛不谈，要嘛就把它合理化， 真的是把全民当白痴吗？…李显龙的演讲终究没有达到一定的高度来动摇人们的固有看法，说的白一点就是：搔不着痒处。…你李显龙是不是全民的总理，还是只是 亲PAP人士的总理？’。 诚然，这篇流水账演说补镬多过前瞻，让人民觉得一年不如一年，一蟹不如一蟹，看来金銮殿的紫光之气已经日渐消散。这是不是另一个可悲的景象？ 白马非马 (01/09)《弱智兮？白痴兮？难矣哉！》：‘…这个阿斗愈来愈不像样…很仔细的想瞧瞧这个阿斗能弄出什么苗头出来…有三个资政扶持的阿斗，就算是总理 公署再多加几个不管部长，看起来也是江郎才尽，银样腊枪头，中看不中用。老实说，我是越看越灰心，长篇大论，篇篇除了缴功之外，还是缴功…’。 阿斗的江山，新移民有福啦！关公走麦城，新加坡人有难了！哀哉乎？ 英文网singaporedaily.net收录了好多篇精湛的评论，表达了民间意见领袖对演说的理性评价，这些论述表达了人民对政策与事件的另类观点与建 议。尾随着这些评论后边的热烈读者回应，其中有理性的，也有感性的，亦相当全面的反映了普通市民对社会现状的看法与感受。 yawningbread (01/09) 置疑李显龙对新加坡经济表现的评论。认为在没有提升生产力的状况下，新加坡GDP增长只是更多资源投入的结果；人均收入并没有增长。因此，新加坡只是在更 拥挤的环境下原地踏步。新加坡只关注GDP的数据增长，因为这是政府部长的薪金指标，而不是经济素质上的进展，更不关心人民生活素质的改善。另外，也置疑 政府突然决定大兴土木兴建组屋的智慧以及可行性。沙石供应的短缺已经是一个长久以来无法有效解决的行业问题，对土地与劳工的需求也会造成生产因素价格的飙 升，对压抑产业价挌的目的而言正是适得其反。 Singaporedesk (01/09) 对李显龙的外劳只是一个过渡现象的说法提出反驳：小学生都知道外来人口占据了新加坡人的生活空间，地铁的座位，工作空缺，学校，学院和大学的学额。他们长期的停留在新加坡，他们是每3张陌生面孔中的1张。 Under The Willow Tree/utwt.blogspot.com（31/08）说李显龙的演说激起了许多负面的反应。这确实是一篇糟糕的演说，所提出的一些应对措施是愚笨 的，这反映了在当前的网络时代，人民怨声载道的时候，人民行动党还是懵懵懂懂的不知所以然。为此，越俎代庖替政府提出5点建议：1、肯定国民服役人员所做 出的牺牲，2、确保新加坡公民的利益排在第一，3、确保新加坡政府是为新加坡人民服务（不是替外来人口服务），4、纾缓人口增长率的问题，5、控制房价以 维持价位在一个新加坡人民都可以承担的水平。最后，呼吁新加坡人有必要以行动来确保政府是为他们自已而不是外来人口服务。 SPOTLIGHTONSINGAPORE/rogerpoh（31 /08）认为REACH要收集公众对李显龙演说的回应，只不过是一个公关作业，公众的意见对已经制定的政策起不了作用。国会对预算案的讨论就说明了国会辩 论改变不了总理与内阁的决定，许多人有这样的一种看法。对REACH作出的回应只会流去一个无底黑洞。 tankinlian （31/08）发表了一名愤怒公民的书函：我故意在李显龙演说的时候离开住家因为我不要砸烂我家的电视机。单是他那高傲的笑脸和笑声就足于使我怒火中烧。 过后，我看了他的讲稿，我庆幸我当时没有在家。跟我的想象一样，他假装‘了解’一般新加坡人的困境。他说‘你可以稍等一下，下一趟地铁只是几分钟而已’这 出卖了他的伪装。新加坡人所要忍受的不仅仅是非常拥挤的车厢，整个基础建设都要挤爆了，中小学校，初院和大学都让外来人口侵占了，要知造新加坡人都渴望一 个好教育…医院病床不足，诊疗所的候诊时间更长了，小贩中心也座无虚席，政府部门也挤满了人，等等。几百万年薪的部长都没有这些困扰，他们和家人都享有优 先权，他们可以到高档的餐馆用膳，有一流的私人医疗，有辜加兵守卫住家，等等。 Howard Lee（31/08）说：遗憾的，我没有观看今年的国庆演说，我原本可以玩味李显龙的遣词用字。无所谓，我看了免费的 今日报，同青奥运一样共有13页的报导，其中5页是有关移民课题…谈论新移民是对的因为这件事挑逗了许多人的神经，但是他采取的处理方式是错误的，首先， 他既没有适度的解释人民的焦虑，其次，他亦没有提出适当的解决方案。后面的这个错误并没有让人感到惊讶因为他完全无法掌握这个问题的根本，你不明白问题是 什么，那你又如何能够去妥善的解决问题？给服役人员的那9000元奖金在表面看来可以区分公民与非公民，但是，当他服完兵役后要进入就业市场时，他就会立 即感受到外来人口的竞争。奖金解决不了这个问题。演说是口惠而实不至，他把老早就应修订的政策改头换面变成解决新移民的方案…我感到悲哀，国庆演说己经沦 为提高士气的场合。基本上，他叫我们不要大呼小叫，接纳新移民因为这是世界趋势，然后给我们一点小甜头。这是彻头彻尾的胡说八道… Singaporemind (01/09) 认为新加坡移民政策和其他国家不一样，人民行动党政府的政策是极端的。比如，在美国移民课题也是火爆的，但外国出生的人口只占16%。人民行动党领袖经常 叫我们更开放，把我们看成是恐惧症病患者，这种说法不公平。当外来人口达到16%时人民还是默默接受，因为他们相信了人民行动党政府和媒休所传达的观点。 没有其他国家会忍受这种人口比例。一直到外来人口占25%时，人民才发现情况不对劲。这时出现了严重的失业，一家之主面对养家糊口的危机，这时他们恍然大 悟。…现在大选即将到来，选民也醒悟人民行动党政府干了些什么，这时总理才告诉大家，政府的所作所为都是为了他们的利益。真是荒谬，有多少人会去相信他。 真正的悲剧是许多低收入家庭己经变成赤贫，新加坡网民都关注这些受苦受难的同胞。 Singaporeanskeptic (01/09) 比较了新加坡人口比例每况愈下的快速改变。2010年新加坡总人口是508万人，新加坡公民是323万人，即新加坡公民占总人口的63.8%。而在20年 前的1990年新加坡人口比例却是86%；2007年新加坡人口比例是70.2%；2009年新加坡人口比例是65.3%。当人口庞大了之后，要减少人口 就变得相当困难，这也就是说越庞大的人口越是难削减人口的数量。按这个趋势发展下去，到了2020年新加坡公民将只占新加坡总人口的55%。言下之意是到 时新加坡公民在自已的国土上已经没有了立锥之地。 singaporealternatives（31/08）针对李显龙演说中 600亿元的10年地铁发展经费提出3个问题：其一，这笔经费从何而来？其二，会否把消费税提升到10%，又或者是增加其他税务来取得经费？会否增加公共 交通费用来取得经费？其三，可否保证10年的期限？因为政府曾经因推迟发展计划如医院与地铁市区线而导致成本上涨，政府可否保证不会超出预算？因为青奥运 就是一个超支的个案。作者在结论时指出总理提出的解决方案是不足够的。 从网络言论得知的新加坡人民看李显龙国庆演说回应，在大体上来说是批评多于赞扬。这应该是理所当然的，不因为什么特别的原因，只因为这类言论只能在不受官方管制的平台才有表达的机会。 这些言论中的一个最大共同点是：这些言论都是作者从爱国主义的道德制高点来表达自已的观点。这些作者既不为名更不为利，相反的，他们都冒着一定的个人风险去谈论不受人民行动党政府欢迎的观点。 从这儿可以肯定一个认知：批评人民行动党政府的新加坡人都是爱国的新加坡公民；爱国行为是祟高的精神文明，不是刑事犯罪行为。不就是这样的吗？ 备注：节录文章的过程中难免会出现偏离原文思想的情况，请参阅原文以了解原作者的思维。  Read More →

The Reform Party will be conducting a walkabout at Jurong tomorrow morning at 9am at Blk 962, Jurong West Street 91. This is the third walkabout the party has conducted in less than a week. Last Sunday, the Reform Party conducted a joint walkabout with the Singapore People's Party at Toa Payoh followed by another one in Jurong West on Wednesday. The fledging alternative party has seen an increase in support especially among young Singaporeans for its forward-looking young leadership, liberal political views and feasible economic proposals for Singapore. It has a few credible leaders within its ranks such as Cambridge-educated economics Mr Kenneth Jeyeratnam, former SAF scholar Mr Tony Tan Lay Thiam, a former high-ranking civil service in the Ministry of Education Ms Hazel Poa and an accomplished flim director Mr Alec Tok. With the next election due to be called anytime soon, the Reform Party leaders and volunteers are working hard on the ground to solicit support from Singaporeans which has been very encouraging so far. A rising number of Singaporeans have invited the Reform Party to contest in their constituencies to challenge the PAP incumbents who have clearly lost their support. During a recent REACH dialogue session, 60 out of 100 grassroots leaders expressed dissatisfaction with the PAP regime's pro-foreigner and ultra-liberal immigration policies which is reflective of the genuine sentiments on the ground. Being a "new kid on the block", the Reform Party requires large numbers of volunteers, prompting its Secretary-General Mr Kenneth Jeyaretnam to openly appeal for help from netizens on Facebook. Kenneth opined that voicing concerns online will only perpetuate the present status quo and netizens need to come forward and help out if the Reform Party were to stand any chance of snatching a GRC from the PAP in the coming general election: “Because one can have the former but it will still be one party system. Those who came to our recent volunteer meet up saw the maps for the constituencies and how much ground the RP will need to cover block by block. Do you know the size of a GRC? If you want to see the first GRC snatched from the PAP and if you want RP candidates in parliament then RP need a lot of ground support from you!” According to RP volunteer Irene Ho, the party requires ground support for the following: “There are other areas that you can help too. For example during the 9 days of campaign, we need many volunteers too. This period is the most crucial period. Even if the Reform Party did their homework by doing walkabouts etc now, this 9 days of campaign is aka to the “exam period”. If you are keen to meet the Reform Party or to help out at the event tomorrow, please email James Teo at [email protected] or Jeisilan at [email protected] to enquire.   Related articles: >> Kenneth Jeyaretnam asks netizens to step forward to fight for democracy >> Netizens express support for Reform Party >> Reform Party leader voices concerns over police harassment of netizens >> Favorable response from Toa Payoh residents to RP/SPP walkabout >> Reform Party's response to PM Lee's National Day Rally speech >> Reform Party calls for a more rational labor policy >> National Day message from Reform Party >> Kenneth Jeyaretnam: 45 percent of Singapore's GDP goes to foreigners >>Proposed strategem for Reform Party for next 10 years     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 →