There was a time when govt policies were enlightened, or were they policies initiated by enlightened men? Housing was a big issue when the colonial govt did not build enough for the people. Families were squeezed into little cubicles, and made do with the squalid conditions, sharing kitchens and toilets with neighbours and everyone.
Housing became a top priority of the govt, to provide every citizen with a roof over their heads, a stake in the country. The govt went further, to provide housing quarters for their employees in the civil service and the uniformed group. Then to encourage home ownership and loyalty to the service/country, priority schemes were launched to help uniform officers to own their HDB flats. Normanton Estate was specially built to house SAF officers as an employment benefit, as an important arm of nation building and the defenders of the country. The uniformed groups were seen as vital to nation building and the security of the country.
Somewhere along the way policies changed. No pension for armed services and no more housing priorities. They were treated just like any organization and will have to bid with everyone for public housing. Are the uniformed personnel less important today than the past? Is housing no longer that important to the people than the past? When prices were really reasonable, and when one could walk into HDB and get a flat within months, everything was fine.
Somewhere down the road, things changed, and policies changed. The new policies must be better and more enlightened, by more talented men. And the people must be happier.
8 comments:
"... schemes were launched to help uniform officers to own their HDB flats."
Red Bean. You also kena brainwashed.
HDB owns our HDB flats. Singaporeans do not own their HDB flats.
Singaporeans only own the lease (like the car COE) that gives them the right to stay in the HDB flat.
We probably have the lowest home ownership in the world.
Thanks for correcting me. Yes we are all paying long term rentals.
/// HDB owns our HDB flats. Singaporeans do not own their HDB flats.
Singaporeans only own the lease (like the car COE) that gives them the right to stay in the HDB flat. ///
Many countries in the world have leasehold properties. Some are even 60, or 30 year leases.
Technically, yes - we don't own leashold property. But so what? It is reflected in the prices.
Do you own that 99-year leasehold condo unit?
Why single out HDB?
The earlier people came to this enlightenment the better. The lease of a 99 yr property is only 10x the life of a COE. It will expire.
Many flats in Queenstown and Redhill has only about 50 years left. With so many flats reaching ROD, a new scheme may be out soon, lease top up scheme, to extend the lease by another 30 or 50 years on condition the flats are still structurally sound.
Mr Bean might had been misled liked another blogger who thought that the $2(Two) Health Screen for those above 40 year old is an 'enlightened' move by our rulers.
Me thinks some bloggers should look deeper into the many schemes that sound, look and appear benign or ARE SEEN TO BE MADE FOR PIETY. These Schemes had been made for decades and are getting more sophisticated now.
Singaporeans cannot afford too be too Sinfully daft for too long, else the end will come fast.
patriot
PART
Ah Patriot,
All these $2 schemes reminded me of the free medical checkups we organised for the oldies and those in the homes. They ignored us. They feared to come for the checkups.
They knew that after the checkups there would be the followup recommendations and medicine that they could not afford.
The oldies are not daft: )
/// Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...
Many flats in Queenstown and Redhill has only about 50 years left. With so many flats reaching ROD, a new scheme may be out soon, lease top up scheme, to extend the lease by another 30 or 50 years on condition the flats are still structurally sound. ///
Mr Bean - under which rock have you been hiding? :) - joking lah.
The new scheme (or rather old scheme) is already introduced long ago - and it is called SERS - Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme. Structurally sound or not - they will be demolished - and those affected moved to new flats with 99 years lease refreshed.
Hi The, SERS can only work a few blocks at a time. When tens of blocks or hundreds of blocks are due, SERS cannot work. Too massive relocation and reconstruction.
Post a Comment