PAP MP blames young couples who cannot get flats for not “planning ahead”
Written by Our Correspondent
With more and more young couples missing out on the homes of their choice due to sky-rocketing prices of public housing, the state media is spinning stories to lay the blame squarely on Singaporeans instead of the government.
The prices of HDB flats have reached a record high in June this year caused partly by the continuous inflow of foreigners into Singapore and limited supply of new flats.
According to a report by real estate agency ERA, 40 per cent of the buyers of resale flats are PRs. An Indonesian PR “spoilt” the market of late by forking out $653,000 for a 4-room HDB flat in Queenstown.
Despite rising resentment on the ground, HDB is adamant that public housing remains affordable in Singapore. National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan castigated first-time home buyers for being “fussy”.
Now, PAP MP Dr Muhammad Faisal has an another explanation and as usual the government is absolved of all responsibilities for its ill-thought polic.y
Dr Muhammad, an assistant professor of real estate at the National University of Singapore, feels that couples who run into trouble with housing often fail to plan ahead.
‘I’ve met residents who are often in distress and can’t get a flat because they apply six months or a year before their wedding date, without thinking it takes three years to build the flat,’ he noted.
The HDB scheme, which was started in the 1960s, carries with it the risk of a couple’s relationship turning sour while they wait for the flat to be built. They will also have to forgo the downpayment – 5 per cent of the flat’s selling price – if they give up the unit, as is the case with married applicants.
The Sunday Times quoted the example of a young Singapore couple who paid the downpayment for a 5-room flat in Punggol when they are planning to get married 4 years later in 2013.
The government should ensure that HDB flats are readily available for young Singapore couples in the first place rather than to ask them to plan well ahead when nobody can guarantee that their relationships will stay intact for the next few years.
Singaporeans should not be asked to pay the price for poor government planning. It is HDB which should plan ahead and increase the supply of flats in the last two years when the rate of immigration is at the highest.
According to Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, there are over 20,000 new citizens and 90,000 PRs last year. A quick check on HDB infoweb reveals that the number of new flats built between 2006 – 2008 annually numbered less than 20,000 which is grossly inadequate to meet the housing needs of the population.
It is deplorable that the state media chooses to ignore the truth and deliberately distort the facts to deflect attention away from the role of the government.
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cy on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 4:22 pm
can you really plan ahead for “matters of the heart”?
even pap can’t plan ahead with their immigration and hdb, transport policy, how dare they ask ppl to plan ahead for “matters of heart”
NB on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 4:29 pm
What does the escape of Mas Selemat got to do with the citizen ? When such obvious case of who were responsible, the shameless government can still put the blame on it’s citizen for being complacent. So don’t be surprise when they blame on young couples on the HDB issue. PAP government is the only government in the world who is faultless because they think they are the most intelligent government in the world !!!!
stan on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 4:34 pm
oh… They did planned for the flood too.. look what happened? They planned not to do anything. People do plan to settle down buy a house and start a family. That is in everyone’s context of settling down unless the person prefer to stay with his/her parents. Kind of common sense.. oh yeah.. I forgot. They are not commoners so they would not understand what we are talking about.
Bird Talk on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 4:43 pm
MBT doesn’t know what WKS is doing.
IF the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing, our Singaporean young couple suffered. Despite having to pay a much higher price for HDB flat, these young couples were also being blame for not planning ahead.
How could they plan ahead when the govt suddenly opens the floodgate without any warnings or allowing these young couples any preparation.
Peter Su on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 4:48 pm
The blame should be rested on the govt. Young male Singaporeans served fulltime NS to protect the nation but yet, they were not given a place to live.
communication lapse on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 7:38 pm
It seems like your dear overly paid prime minister LHL has forgotten to communicate with housing development minister MBT when he gone ahead with the absurd 6.5m population targetting. Now Singaporeans are suffering with all the skyrocking prices.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/lower-hdb-valuations-or-build-more-affordable-hdb-housing-for-singaporeans
Get Real on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 8:09 pm
I have got a great suggestion.
Ask our super genius MP Dr Muhammad Faisal to propose, in the next Parliamentary sitting, the restoration and enhancement of inheritance tax of 95% for any amount exceeding $200,000 DISTRIBUTABLE, NOT RECIEVED, in the hands of all beneficiaries except public charity. That means that any money NOT earned by own efforts but passed on from parents, whether dead or alive at the time of transfer, will be taxed at this steep rate except where it is part of the first $200,000 inheritance.
Let us than watch how their children of MPs and Ministers going to plan for their great futures buying HDB flats if they have to fight among themselves for a share of maximum of $200,000 from their parents’ wealth accumulation.
There are great virtue of steep inheritance tax like in Japan. It forces each generation to find their economic bread and butter and encourages enterprises. And it is fair – everyone starts from the same base or near equitable base to some extent.
Would the most distinguished Dr Muhammad Faisal and his MIW battalion support this motion to give substance to his preaching that each of us plan for your futures and if failure to plan suffers consequences accordingly?
He and his MIW troops have ample warning on this motion of suggestion.
Anyone here clapping me for a BIG SMELLY fart chance that he and MIW will support this great idea?
Truth Be told on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 9:45 pm
He can talk a lot because as a university assistant professor his salary is $10,000 abd above per month, so in 3 years he can save enough to buy a new HDB flat. But he fail to see that other people do not earn that much and they have to take 15 – 20 years to save the same amount that he can. And that is why I say PAP MPs cannot represent the common people because they live their standard of living is different from the common man in the street.
Besides collecting his >$10,000 a month salary he is also collecting MP’s allowance of another $13,000 per month, so of course he can buy save and buy that new HDB flat within one year.
ir_ri on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 10:30 pm
When young, there was this 1-year, 3-year & 5-year corporate plan and most, almost all, of the plans never went according to plan.
In this testing time where jobs are more hard to come by and housing prices are going up up and away, new couples are lucky if they can get it right just for the next one year.
If public housing board cannot plan and build ahead for the demand of locals, PRs and foreigners, why blame locals for not “thinking it takes three years to build the flat” especially when it is much trumpeted about the best brains (long term & forward looking) that the governmental institutions are staffed, more than the calibre (often ignored) of the average Joneses.
rc on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 10:59 pm
i think there is no doubt that planning ahead certainly will help. but what’s NOT helping is the fact that there is indeed a spike in demand for HDB flats which may be attributable to the rise in PR numbers. a case of too many PRs in too short a period of time while not planning for the fallout in other areas (e.g. HDB flats).
Den on Sun, 29th Nov 2009 11:41 pm
Rising property prices + stagnant low income wages = future generations needing to work more to pay up for the profit of the previous property owner.
Wake up on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 12:06 am
Before the influx of immigrants, a normal Singaporean couple would plan 6mths or 1 year ahead for wedding plans, just like Dr Faisal had mentioned. These couples got their flat. So no one was to blame.
Now that the immigrants floodgates are opened, SUDDENLY it became the couples fault of poor planing!!!
How much more illogical, absurd and stupid excuse can the ministers REALLY give?!?!?
Elfred on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 12:25 am
Which PAP MP??? Lim Kim San? Did he say that?
I thot when PAP first built those HDBs, many many many more people not ready…
Was that the motto for building HDB so that people ‘without planning’ can’t have a roof???
Anyone can enlighten me?
fair and square on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 12:27 am
if the professor sounds less than intelligent as denoted by some of the comments i read here,i must add that he really lack basic “EQ” and isn’t that a minimum requirement for
people who aspire to be MPs?
by the way,in the same light,may i ask the “prof” whether
workers should also be blamed for lack of planning for
being inconsiderately “retrenched”,even if they are far
from the recommended age of 62-67?
Let’s get real and stop “hunting” for all kinds of stupefied
reasons even though we may not be considered “talents” by your
measurement and opionion,we are not “suckers”!
“stand up singapore,WE ARE ONE”,aren’t we?
assff on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 12:29 am
In the first place why should HDB allows foreigner to buy HDB flats on equal terms as a local? HDB is an institution thatv should look after the Singaporean welfare. Locals should be given priority n not foreigner with cash. Dear govern, you are voted to look after your people and not to allow cash rich foreigner to take away our houses. No wonder, locals are migrating if possible. Take world class salary, blame local world class, dress world class but do n talk like brainless.
MeeSiam on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 12:59 am
Putting blames on it’s citizen without any logically reason is not new in Singapore. When Mas Selamat escaped from the detention center, Singaporean were blamed for being complacent despite the fact that it was the obvious fault of WKS and his elite MHA team. To summarize PAP approach to problem, blames it all on the citizen and claim all credits in the view of increasing their salary!!!
citizenofSG on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 2:45 am
We the people of Singapore paid good money in employing this government and we expect some decent respect from our executives.
Lets show them who the boss of the country on polling day. Lets teach them how to respect people of this country. How dare they keep getting paid by our taxes and call us stupid.
Why should we do the planing? Aren’t they suppose to plan for us? After all we already paid top money to them in the very first place.
The government that is worthy to be paid by our tax money is one that is subservient to the people and work for the people and carry out the people wishes.
To achieve that of course we need opposition to the ruling party in the ratio of 40:60 at the very least.
Work hard people, its for you and your children’s sake. The day of reckoning for these dimwits is near.
fpc on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 4:30 am
//Elfred
Yeah, if only that was how Lim Kin San works, half of us will still be without root over our heads.
fpc on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 4:34 am
PAP get a real estate assistant professor to “explain” but in fact, they are trying to get him to turn the public opinion.
Elfred is right. How come Lim Kin San didn’t have the problem?
Bird Talk on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 7:19 am
When someone has a much smaller brain than me, then he/she is talking nonsense.
Peter Su on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 7:22 am
Is PAP MP Dr Muhammad Faisal living in a HDB flat?
Or ever apply for HDB flat b4?
citizen on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 8:46 am
The future for me and my young family looks bleak.
MenInBlue on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 9:08 am
How do u plan ahead in getting a steady gf? steady enough for marriage? Even if we’re early boomers (relationships last from teenage till adulthood), do we have the calibre to ‘plan ahead’ and apply for HDB flat while we’re still schooling (or guys still NS-sing…)?
There’s this $10 application fee which they dun even refund if ur number is too huge to be invited. Even if u’re invited, u need to pay $2000 option fee. Thats $2010 for a school kid. Then they’ll ask u to sign agreement for lease… 5% of total unit price. With the skyrocketing HDB prices… how to “plan ahead” to pay the $15k (assuming the now 5% of 300k 4 rm hdb flat) in cash or CPF while u’re still schooling?
Then u talking abt graduation…. poly guy graduates at age 20+2 NS = 22 years (20 for girl)… sounds good to ‘plan ahead’ because still some years before age 30? Poly average pay: $1.5k-1.8k. CPF ordinary accc contribution is $330 (22%). How long to reach 15k? U need almost 4 years! By then u’ll be 26 years old (and capable of paying the 5% from cpf) and ‘plan ahead’ to get married when u’re 30 years old (4 years to build HDB? IR takes less than that… wondering why..). Then we’re blamed for late marriage… Low birth rate… To add to matters worse… Renovation costs? Delay further? 4 years seem a lot to save up but when u earn mediocre salary… u go do the maths… Wedding cost? How? Loan? Dear govt, please think about it…
The above scenario is for a poly grad.. how about uni grad? +3-4 years to above… mind you… most uni grad need to pay their school loan of $20-30k…
Then u ask me, why not take 3 rm flat? The govt ask us to ‘plan ahead’ and we do plan ahead… to have 2 or more kids? to fulfill the govt dream of increasing birth rate? of coz its for the purpose of kids… then wat do we do with the empty rooms?
The multi-million dollar minister failed to realize the root of the problem of the viscious cycle of late marriage and low birth rate. In summary, Poly grads delay marriage/birth because it takes them longer to save up for hdb/wedding/children while Uni grads delaying marriage/birth because they graduate very much later and most of them have a loan to pay and saving up for hdb/wedding/children at the same time seems tougher than said.
Another Million Dollar question: Why doesn’t our parents (1965-1990 era) face the same problem as us? They can buy hdb/marry/give birth to us (many brothers and sisters) and having father as our sole breadwinner… Is our father more capable or academically more qualified that they earn more? Are they happier then? Probably… U put them in our era… are they happier now? Give them the degree scrolls… will they be able to achieve what they did in their era? Think about it…
I’m just a commoner living in HDB flat and getting married/buying hdb flat soon… I am a degree grad… I face the same problem that everyone faces. I cant imagine the lives of people who doesn’t have a degree. I can analyse and tell the details of the “viscious cycle” and wonder why govt cant… shame on them
smallyfly on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 10:35 am
Oh! My god, are the state-media and the mp getting senile like their mentor, ===”the-dirtiest-oldest-man”, in this world???? Everyear, ten of thousands of married couples divorced, is this bunch of stupid and idiotic imbeciles imply that those devoiced couples also planned ahead to divorced during the time they tie the knots? May be, over the years of relentless glorifications of the miw’s talents and “IQ”, which make them resemble “GODS” who can predict the unforeseen circumstances!!!! What a good laugh!!!!
bornloser on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 10:38 am
This govt screws up and screws the people for their own screw-up. Only an idiot will not know that increasing demand of flats by letting in a flood of PRs, the price of flats will go up. Yet they shamelessly call themselves world class. They have so much money they have gone stupid.
Whatever it is their responsibility is to ensure affordable housing. Please remember that sooner or later they will get kicked out of the government so don’t be too confident.
Instead of taking the people’s feedback seriously they ridicule it. Again, is this an ASSISTANT PROFESSOR giving his opinion? Habeas, la!
Zone Trooper on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 10:51 am
I am sure that individuals do plan ahead before entering into matrimony..but by the time the future plans becomes the present, the price of the HDB flat is also different.
Once again the citizens gets the blame for the blunders created by the upper echelon.
Student Union on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 1:06 pm
Imagine what sort of students the uni is going to produce for singapore.
Local citizen on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 1:06 pm
As usual, we have another boot-licker talking thru’ his arse!
Plan ahead? Of course we do! Yes we young couples are serious about wanting to get the flats before we get to settle down.But our plans are all being turned up-side down due to those idiotic policy of the sudden influx of foreigners which have caused the prices of HDB flats to sky rocketted and in short supply!
So who is the main cause of this problem? Is it not the HDB has failed to envisage the numbers? Is this not called planning? Before you preach about planning, take a look at your(govt.)backyard.
1.Education: not enough places to cater for our own citizens
2.Medical. crowded policlinics and wait long long for appointments, even for critical illnesses
3.Transportation. overcrowded trains and buses and jam roads.
The list goes on.
So before you open your mouth next time,open your eyes wide wide first!!!
fair and square on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 1:33 pm
Did the “teenaged” drivers plan ahead when he “zips” his
sports car down CROWDED ORCHARD ROAD or shenton way when a
young father of two and his wife carrying backpacks and an umbrella in the rain need to queue for a bus or a cab ?
policies,my ‘MP”,policies,…perhaps you wanna have a talk
with the Public Finance professor about SOCIAL COSTS N SOCAIL BENEFITS?
pee arr on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 3:30 pm
According to Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng, there are over 20,000 new citizens and 90,000 PRs last year. A quick check on HDB infoweb reveals that the number of new flats built between 2006 – 2008 annually numbered less than 20,000 which is grossly inadequate to meet the housing needs of the population.
so.. that’s why all the flats are so expensive…
did wong kan seng make another mistake again? if not him, then is it the immigrations side that didn’t calculate properly?
citizenofSG on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 3:36 pm
Hail local citizen, Give it to them, these idiotic monstrous boss lifting maniacs talk through every conceivable holes in their body.
These arse men are selfish, greedy sycophantic individual whose interest lies in themselves and nobody else.
I help you to kick sand into their face on polling day.
Once they sense the wrath of the citizens, they will know who exactly is the boss.
fpc on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 4:00 pm
//MenInBlue
Yeah, as if all the girls in Singapore will wait for the man to plan 3 years down the road.
This MP is a clown.
We don’t have any fighting scenes in Singapore parliament but the things these clowns say in parliament give a new meaning to circus.
These are all clowns except the opposition mps.
pee arr on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 4:43 pm
By the way, i heard 2007 numbers are more than 2008. is that true?
someone also told me 2006 numbers … anyone got a clue?
TL on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 8:16 pm
How to plan ahead when different ministries are not talking to each other. Ah Loong is not doing his job to make WKS communicates regularly with MBT. While WKS is happily getting more people into Singapore, MBT is still clueless about the need to build more flats. In the end, Singaporean suffered and then are blamed for the miscommunication between WKS and MBT.
nocolour on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 10:29 pm
Did the PUB get 50 years to plan ahead for the Bukit Timah flood?
Elfred on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 11:50 pm
FPC,
Lim Kin San not no have problem, he problems bigger and more~
But he pushed it through, and my daddy and mummy can house themselves, my siblings and me…
Sigh… The new generations of leaders… …
Elfred.
smallfly on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 11:15 am
My dearest “TL on Mon, 30th nov, 2009, 8:16pm,”, million-cheer to you for being so insightful, so, next election, ah loong out right, for not doing his job and ah hean take over, good promotion long overdue for ah hean, miw’s most famous slogan “party renewal by injecting new blood”!!!!!!
btan on Tue, 1st Dec 2009 10:24 pm
Seriously, who voted these clowns into parliament? Anyone?
qussl3 on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 12:06 am
@btan
We did.
By being too afraid to take a chance.
By being too timid to take a stand.
By being too naive to not plan ahead.
nathan on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 12:29 am
I was happy visiting the HDB HUB thinking that I am eligible for a 2nd time subsidized flat and enquired about the procedures to have a 5rm flat in Punggol and was told that because I had sold my earlier 4rm flat that was given the 1st subsidy I have to forked out 20 percent of the house value and if it is 300,000.00k I need to top up 60,000.00k and on top of that as I am applying for a bank loan as this will be my third house , I need to pay 5percent of the house value in cash and the other 5 percent from CPF if I managed to get a 90percent loan from the bank. My god what kind of system is this , in the past it was told that for a 4 room flat the RESALE LEVY is 40,000.00k and it seems to be a kind of procedures for the new immigrants who becomne citizens to buy the house than a frustrated Singaporean like me as the new citizens and prs are coming with hefty money. I pray that ALL SINGAPOREANS look into having a NEW GOVERNMENT which will be CARING in WORDS AND DEEDS and chase away the FOREIGNERS or else our future children will never have a PEACE FUL PLACE TO STAY OR BUY.
Fed up with HDB's incompetence on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 12:35 pm
The ballot result to the Oct half-yearly HDB sales is just out. And no prizes for guessing what is the result of my balloting…
I’m so fed up with the current hdb policy and incompetence. let’s exercise some people’s power and see the once in a 50 yrs freak election results!
fpc on Wed, 2nd Dec 2009 5:25 pm
//qussl3
I didn’t votes these pigs in Parliament.
If there is no electoral fraud, I wonder how these fat pigs got in.
wat? on Fri, 4th Dec 2009 10:10 am
See lah. its all your fault lor. who ask you to question them wise men. Sgeans are dumb, fools and dunno how to plan. Its all our fault. everything wrong with singapore is our fault.
fpc on Fri, 4th Dec 2009 11:45 am
Yeah, all our fault for letting pigs run our life.
anon on Fri, 4th Dec 2009 1:37 pm
if i know 3 years in advance that I will get married to my partner
…………..
why wouldn’t i just marry now?
qussl3 on Fri, 4th Dec 2009 2:40 pm
@fpc
Pigs?
Now wheres my damn lipstick?
fpc on Fri, 4th Dec 2009 8:03 pm
//qussl3
Ask the pigs for one.
They can always ask L’oreal to give them a free one.
But I don’t think they would bother: what else are pigs interested in besides eating and sleeping.
Maybe sex to a small extent but I doubt they bother about putting on lipstick.
That’s what I see in a farm.