Delay in Sports Hub: Vivian pleads for patience
Written by Our Correspondent
Minister for Community, Youth and Sports Dr Vivian Balakrishnan had made an impassioned appeal to Singaporeans to be patient with the proposed Singapore Sports Hub whose construction was delayed repeatedly due to financial reasons.
The proposal to replace the aging National Stadium with a world class iconic Sports Hub was first announced by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan in 2005. Till today, the construction has not begun.
In an undated article shelved inside the Singapore Sports Council’s (SSC) online archive, (read article here) it was stated that construction on new Kallang Sports Hub was initially scheduled to begin by February 2008.
The completion date has since been pushed back repeatedly from next year to 2011, 2012, and then 2013.
Singapore’s hosting of the South-east Asia Games in 2013 is now uncertain, as the biennial event was supposed to showcase the Hub.
“I understand Singaporeans’ impatience to get this iconic project off the ground. I also want to see a wonderful new Sports Hub for all Singaporeans.
But I also ask for your understanding to let me do this properly, carefully and get value for money. Then, in due time, this is something which we can all be proud of,” Dr Vivian said.
A concerned Singaporean wrote in to the Straits Times Forum on Friday claiming that the delay is unfair to the two unsuccessful bidders as the reason appears to be the Singapore Sports Hub consortium’s failure to secure a bank loan to finance the project.
He asked if the Singapore Sports Hub consortium had made an “unrealistic” bid for the project in the first place.
Dr Vivian did not elaborate on the details surrounding the delay in the construction except that it was caused by the global financial crisis:
“The delay is unfortunate. It’s not something we wanted to happen. It was caused by, first, inflation in construction costs. Secondly, the fact there is a global financial crisis, credit became a problem. I decided and deliberately delayed it in order to get the best deal possible for Singapore.”
It is not known if the delay has anything to do with the F1 racing which the government had invested heavily to bring the sports to Singapore.
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The Patriot on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 1:59 pm
Whenever the Ministers screw up, they ask the populace for patience, understanding, compassion and sacrifice. And worst, when the policies they implemented have adverse effects on the Singaporeans, they blame the Singaporeans for being complacent, risk-averse ane ungrateful. Every which way, they always win and win huge with million dollars a year.
stan on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 2:00 pm
well gov got the money to pay ministers multimillion dollar salary, organised multimillion dollar apec, use tax payers money to integrate FT in sg but cannot spare some cash to build sports hub.
Craps again on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 2:01 pm
Look, if you ‘deliberately’ delay the construction and try to save cost,it should be ‘fortunate’ So how come ‘the delay is ‘unfortunate’? I don’t see the pieces sticking together!
IMH, the construction of this project and its magnitude should have gone ahead when the economy was dipping down.
Reasons-1.It will generate jobs, lots of them. this in turn will activate the groomy economy and boost up the domestic construction sector.
2.During the downturn, most sub-contractors are hungry for works,thus they will bid for jobs at lower competitive prices.
To start the Sports Hub when the economy is on the upturn has the reverse effectas mentioned above.
So how it’s possible ‘to get the best deal possible for Singapore’by repeatedly delaying the project, beats me!!
WHY THEY 'PROTECTING' THE COMPANY? on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 2:15 pm
Tt’s a business venture, why are they ‘protecting’ the company?
someone sad for singapore on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 4:01 pm
I have a feeling they have no money to build anything anymore at the rate they are going.
Temasek lose so much money, projects have to stop.
And maybe carry on with the projects when they suck the last bits of money from the citizens to fill in the losses.
VivianHsu on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 4:09 pm
“Tt’s a business venture, why are they ‘protecting’ the company?”
CORRUPTION, duh~
kuku on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 4:57 pm
haha, minister with a woman’s name is not man enough to complete a manly project like sports hub
CUT HIS SALARY
Vivian cannot make it on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 5:35 pm
The writing’s on the wall, National Stadium’s wall that is.
And it says that Vivian Balakrishnan may be going the way of fomer minister David Lim. That is if this sports fiasco continues to drag on.
Why is the government left with the baby if a company cannot deliver on the tender it won ? Aren’t there tender terms and conditions that stipulate the penalties and other actions the Vivian can take if the said company reneges on the tender conditions, come economic financial crisis or tsunami or other excuses ?
A man brought into PAP for his contrarian and non-PAP stream view, Mr Balakrishnan faces the fight of his political life.
The longer thre public has to see the eyesore national stadium , day by day, week by week, month by month, the greater the certainty the public has about his inability to get the job done.
Does public opinion matter. Not one iota. But the power that be in PAP may not be so pleased either.
fckupap on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 5:40 pm
Singapore Sport Hub canbe delayed repeatedly due to financial reasons, but the IR can’t. It shows that gambling is more important than sport.
sgcynic on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 5:43 pm
I only hope that Vivian is patient towards his subordinates when they once or repeatedly “ask for [his] understanding to let [them] do this properly, carefully and get value for money. Then, in due time, this is something which we can all be proud of”.
The Gal called V on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 5:46 pm
Is this another Freak accident?
Lets move on?
sicktothebones on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 7:59 pm
can someone give more transparency on why the sports hub has been repeatedly delayed? if the company can’t deliver the goods then why is the ministry protecting it instead of giving it to the second bidder? what is happening here V?
rc on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 10:18 pm
i would certainly like to see the new sports hub up and running soon. i think it would add to the whole vibrancy of Singapore, along with the new IR and other things that are happening at the Marina area.
cy on Sun, 22nd Nov 2009 10:40 pm
i am on the side of vivian this time. call me sentimental, but i like “the grand old lady”, it just need some make-up.
beijing’s 鸟巢 was also a public-private partnership project and now it has run into financial difficulties after the olympics. As usual, big plans are not always good.
pio on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 1:33 am
“add to the whole vibrancy of Singapore” ??
Hahaha… what vibrancy? Oh you mean the earthquakes in Indonesia ah..
Mee Siam Mai Hum on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 1:39 am
The delay was probably a “freak” event….one that occurs once in 50 years?
fpc on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 2:13 am
Yeah, thank you turncoat for confirming that Singapore govt has no monies.
atan on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 4:46 am
This is S’pore. Not some third world SE Asian country.
Patience is not a virtue in the face of incompetence. Heads shld roll.
Time for Change on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 10:50 am
Time for Change. Enuf said.
smallfly on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 11:55 am
Pleading for “patience” when they “mess-up” major-national-project but, these “million-dollar miw ministers” have no patience to hang-on to their already exorbitant annual remuneration package and demand the immediate increment of over 300,000.00/= to justify their claim of “whole-hearted service” to the nation. Shall Singaporeans be-patient with these bunches of ungrateful mercenary hypocrites? Judge for yourselves, my dear Singaporeans! If this is not the time for change, when is the right time for change? The longer you delay, the more millions of dollars they will packet! Mind you, further delay, they will even counter your voting-powers with the so-called fts turned Singaporeans! Good luck to all Singaporeans!
bornloser on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 12:00 pm
At the time of winning the YOG, we were estatic and should have built the Sports Hub for the event. Alas, they failed to take into account the shortage of sand which severely hampered the construction industry.
Whose fault is it? They went public that all the governments around us are corrupted and that is why they should themselves millions in salaries. So there is a new paradigm in remunerations: Pay yourselves millions for your honesty (perceived)!!
With such blinkered vision, they call themselves world class? It is a joke, or pure greed!
jiangbao on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 2:25 pm
i do not really care much about the sports hub. but its delayed so they should tell us why at least. Vivian does nothing but talk and talk and talk. no action.
And Justice For All on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 4:01 pm
You guys want to know why the building of the sports hub has been delayed ?
They are waiting for the Wing Tai to submit their tender !
cy on Mon, 23rd Nov 2009 4:55 pm
to And Justice For All on Mon
what has wingtai go to do with sports hub. all i know is that wing tai is building condo at the kallang riverside.
Mark on Thu, 26th Nov 2009 4:13 pm
If, the successful bidder cannot start by January 2010 then the two other bidders should be given the chance.
You will have all of these other world class faciities in Singapore opening next year but will be let down with no major sporting venue. How about retro fitting the existing stadium and building around it the other needed facilities?
It would work out cheaper and faster.