6/22/2009
Is building 2 and 3 rm flats a sign of progress?
How many of you agree that building more 2 and 3 rm flats is a sign of progress? To me it is the clearest indicator that we are going down, getting poorer as a people. For those who are living in private properties, good luck to them. They are the people who are living well and progressing.
What on earth is happening that we keep crowing about how rich we are and how much reserves we have and we are now launching a new batch of smaller and smaller flats? The uplifting of the lives of the people must be across the board, not just for the elite and the well endowed.
As I have mentioned earlier, we went through a phase when everyone is thinking of buying the next bigger flat. There were hopes and aspirations. HDB even had to put into the back burner its building of smaller flats. The aspirations of the people is for a better and comfortable life, better and bigger housing. Today, the sentiment is reversed. A number of people are thinking of downgrading and many are actually downgrading. Even Wally Buffett is thinking of downgrading. And at the same time, people are buying their 10th or 11th property for their grandchildren or grandchildren's children. The divide is getting wider and wider.
Many factors contributed to the people being unable to afford better housing. We all know why. Land is the most precious part of our limited resources. And if we keep on building to sell to foreigners and leaving the 2 and 3 rm flats for out citizens, will this lead to our own people being displaced or feel displaced in their own country? Are we for the betterment of our people or foreigners? What is the point of selling land and properties to foreigners, more profits for what?
PS. Wally, the hell in Jalan Kukoh is not just the structural design. It is social, the people who are being displaced, who are desperate and with a mentality that can be dangerous to you and your family. Not all are like that, but all you need is a few and your life will be turned into hell. And in this modern slum of our first world city, the proportion of desperados are more than in other areas.
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8 comments:
We do progressed much in time, from less public housing to MORE SMAller Public Housings. From no queue to longer queue even just for breakfast fried meehoon. From no toll to more ERPs. From Income Tax to CONSUMPTION TAX and many, many other progresses. From English Language to International Languages. From local pimps to international pimps etc !!!
from kopi soh
And forgot from fishing village to no fish !
kopi soh
Redbean, take a step back and look at the whole thing from an economic standpoint. This island has no natural resources. The factories are mostly gone to China or India. So what we have left is the miniscule land in a developed country with outstanding infrastructure, world class medical facilities and top notch security with our state of the art Defense capability and our super courteous but thoroughly professional police not to mention superb education facilities. In short, this is a very wired, secure and stable society to set up home and raise your kids if you were previously living in the shark infested lands East starting from India. Thus, as more people relocate here, more condos and "good" bungalow land needs to be set aside for this new nouveau riche. Consequently, HDB apartments will need to get smaller. We are not doing anything new, just emulating Hong Kong. Land and properties sold to foreigners is an invisible export resulting in an inflow of foreign exchange to make up for the loss in other revenue areas. Thus we will retain our global rankings in terms of national reserves. Good for the country. Good for everyone.
When Jet Li bought his $20 million bungalow, it was a tactical move that will net him a big capital gain besides relocating his family to a safe zone so that he can duel on celluloid in peace. His takings are in US$ from Hollywood. Now, the US$ is still strong but it will weaken starting from 2010. Buying a S$ property now and with the expected recovery in the property sector in 2010 will net him some healthy gains. Blimey! he's not only good in martial arts but agile in investments as well. Bravo. Wished I have that kind of money. Then, come 2010, I will be laughing all the way to the bank!
I recently paid a visit to a dear ex primary school classmate of mine who had recently fallen on hard times. He is staying in one of those 1 room rental flats in Tampines with a corridor running in front of his flat like those of the 3 roomers. The block was recently renovated. Brand new lifts opening on every floor of the four storey block. New tiles on the floor and a bathroom rivaling a condo studio. I don't see any graffiti, his neighbours are your everyday uncle/aunties. He loves staying there. When I left, I slipped him a cheque for $5,000 for old times sake. That will pay his rental plus conservancy for the next 100 months. Where in a developed country can you find this kind of charges for a near condo studio quality abode? It is fallacious to stereo-type.
Jalan kukoh is an apparition. All it needs to be cleaned up is more proactive and concerted action from their elected representatives to make their habitat on par with my friend's at Tampines.
I talked too much. Thanks for your indulgence Redbean.
hi kopi soh, welcome to the blog. like to analysis.
wally, what a nice guy like you. if a 1 rm estate is filled with friends like yours, or rich retirees downgrading as they don't need a huge place, things will be quite different.
unfortunately most 1 rm estate will degenerate to jalan kukoh standard in a matter of time.
one of these days singaporeans will wake up and find all the choice land and properties are owned by foreigners and they living in HDB flats.
Didn't I say that the cabinet may be comprised of all our foreign talent nationals and the NMPs, those who "jiak leow Bee" will be us Singaporeans?
The most sensible thing to do is to DECREASE the lifestyle.
If I were the govt, I would be making living in 2 room compulsory for single couples. Afterall, they don't "own" their HDB. The state can take it off them, refund some of the money (if necessary), and forcibly re-locate these "the world owes me a living" dead shits to somewhere more in keeping with the principles of state-subsidised housing.
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