Singapore's hawker culture added to UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage

Hawker Culture Is Singapore’s first Inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List Of The Intangible Cultural Heritage Of Humanity

By Clement Yong, The Straits Times, 17 Dec 2020

Singaporean to the core, conjuring up sights and smells instantly recognisable to locals everywhere, the nation's hawker culture has been officially added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In virtual proceedings that took place last night, a 24-member international committee unanimously accepted Singapore's application to have this tradition be internationally recognised.

The process took all of three minutes, after nearly three years of work by the National Heritage Board, the National Environment Agency and the Federation of Merchants' Associations. As Singapore's application fulfilled all criteria, it was decided that there was no need for debate on it at the 15th session of the intergovernmental committee.

🔴 BREAKING

Hawker culture in #Singapore🇸🇬, community dining and culinary practices in a multicultural urban context, has just been inscribed on the #IntangibleHeritage list.

Congratulations! 👏

ℹ️https://t.co/6FWrydUPUO #LivingHeritage pic.twitter.com/Z6p2CfED85

— UNESCO (@UNESCO) December 16, 2020

The successful nomination means Singapore now has its first item on the intangible cultural heritage list, which currently has more than 460 entries, including yoga in India and Belgian beer.

It is also the country's second entry to any UNESCO list, with the first in 2015 when the Singapore Botanic Gardens was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, in a pre-recorded video, told an international audience after the announcement last night: "Singapore's hawker culture is a source of pride for Singapore and all Singaporeans. It reflects our living heritage and multiculturalism, and is an integral part of the daily lives of everyone in Singapore regardless of age, race or background.

"I thank all our hawkers and Singaporeans for their overwhelming support of this nomination... We pledge to do our part to safeguard our intangible cultural heritage."

Having hawker culture on the list commits Singapore to protecting and promoting it. The country has to submit a report every six years to UNESCO, showing the efforts made to safeguard and transmit hawker culture to future generations.

Both President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong took to Facebook to thank those involved in the nomination process.

Madam Halimah said hawker culture has shaped Singaporean identity in many ways, and contributed to the diversity of Singapore's multicultural society.

PM Lee said the nomination journey had been a fruitful one. "The biggest thanks must go to the generations of hawkers for nourishing a nation's stomach and spirits. This recognition would not have come without their sweat, toil and dedication to their profession," he said.

The development is timely for the hawker sector here, which has in recent years found it difficult to attract young people to a trade that calls for 16-hour work days in hot, cramped stalls.

The authorities have sought, through traineeship programmes and monetary subsidies, to lower the barriers to entry for young aspiring hawkers. Since 2013, the median age for new entrants has been lowered to 46, although the overall median age for hawkers nationwide remains 59.

Singapore's submission - Hawker Culture In Singapore: Community Dining And Culinary Practices In A Multicultural Urban Context - was made in March last year, although preparations began earlier, in February 2018.

To celebrate the global recognition, the authorities said a three-week SG HawkerFest will be launched on Dec 26.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, activities will mostly take place online, including treasure hunts and quizzes that can be completed and then used to redeem vouchers that can be used at 29 participating hawker centres.

More Singaporeans to benefit from higher healthcare subsidies under revised income criteria by October 2019

More than 365,000 people will benefit from revised healthcare subsidies like CHAS by October 2019
Income ceilings for subsidies to be raised by October; those paying less to get extra help
By Salma Khalik, Senior Health Correspondent and Vanessa Liu, The Sunday Times, 28 Jul 2019

By October, more people here will qualify for healthcare subsidies, and many of those who are already entitled to pay less will get additional help to offset their medical expenses.

At least 365,000 Singapore residents will enjoy more healthcare subsidies after the Health Ministry's revision of income eligibility criteria for various schemes, ranging from basic medical insurance to clinic visits.

Each person in a household can earn an average of between $100 and $300 more per month and still qualify, following the latest review "to ensure that healthcare remains affordable for Singaporeans", Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said yesterday.

For example, a family with a per capita monthly income of $1,200 will qualify for up to 50 per cent subsidy of their MediShield Life premiums. Previously, it would have been up to 45 per cent.

Premium subsidies will also be available for a new group of people: those with a per capita family income from above $2,600 to $2,800. This translates to a total cap of $11,200 for a family of four. By October, they will be eligible for subsidies of between 15 and 40 per cent, depending on their house type and age of the person.

Another group of beneficiaries is set to grow: seniors aged 60 years and older.

When the per capita household income ceiling for the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund is raised from $1,800 to $2,000, more will enjoy up to 90 per cent subsidy for devices such as wheelchairs, pressure relief mattresses, hearing aids and spectacles. They will also be able to get up to 80 per cent subsidy for consumables, including adult diapers and milk feeds.

With Singapore's high rate of diabetes and kidney failure, subsidies for a number of patients with these conditions will also rise, depending on their household income. More than 7,000 people are on dialysis, which they must routinely do for the rest of their lives.

The changes will not affect people from households with no income. Their eligibility remains dependent on the annual value of their homes.

More than two million Singapore residents are currently receiving means-tested subsidies for at least one healthcare scheme or service.

In all, the changes will call for an additional $65 million per year, increasing the yearly budget for the schemes in question to about $2.17 billion, the Ministry of Health told The Sunday Times.

"No one will be denied appropriate healthcare because they cannot afford to pay," said a spokesman.

People who qualify will automatically enjoy the higher subsidies and they do not need to take any action, Mr Gan said when announcing the new income criteria at a carnival to raise awareness of the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) at Toa Payoh HDB Atrium.

Another significant move is the introduction of a new tier to CHAS which subsidises people who see specified private general practitioners or dentists. This is the Green tier for Singaporeans with chronic ailments, a change Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had announced at last year's National Day Rally.

To be launched on Nov 1, it has no income criteria, unlike the existing Blue and Orange tiers which are means-tested.

The new tier "is a major shift towards universal subsidies for chronic conditions under GP care", said Mr Gan, who noted that as the population ages, more Singaporeans will need help to manage their chronic ailments.

Businesswoman Rena Lim, who has diabetes, is looking forward to paying less and has applied for the Green CHAS card to help offset the cost of regular check-ups at the polyclinic near her home. "Having the same doctor monitoring my condition is good," said the 59-year-old.

The per capita monthly household income to qualify for the existing CHAS subsidies will also go up by October, Mr Gan announced. The ceiling for the Blue tier will be raised from $1,100 to $1,200, and for the Orange tier, from $1,800 to $2,000.

Existing CHAS cardholders who qualify for a higher tier will get replacement cards by October. There are now about 1.2 million existing CHAS cardholders, including Pioneer Generation members.

From Nov 1, higher annual subsidy limits for CHAS also take effect.

In the same month, about 500,000 Singaporeans in the Merdeka Generation - those born in the 1950s - will start getting subsidies at over 1,000 specified private GP and 700 dental clinics. Their subsidies will be higher than for CHAS card holders.

Mr Gan said the CHAS enhancements and the Merdeka Generation package will cost $200 million a year, or a third more than the $152 million disbursed last year under CHAS.

Underlining the importance of family doctors and dentists in Singapore's healthcare system, Mr Gan said: "Our regular family doctors and dentists are our first line of care when we fall ill, and provide continued care to help us manage our health conditions well. Through their advice, health checks and screening, as well as vaccinations, they also help us to stay healthy."

Rules on CPF usage and HDB housing loans updated to ensure homes for life

Buyers can use more from CPF, get bigger HDB loans if lease covers them till age 95; rules will kick in on 10 May 2019
By Rachel Au-Yong, Housing Correspondent, The Straits Times, 10 May 2019

As society ages, there is a risk that some people could outlive their home leases. Rules have now been updated to strike a balance between giving property buyers more flexibility, while ensuring their leases are long enough and their retirement funds sufficient.

Buyers can now use more from their Central Provident Fund (CPF) and get bigger Housing Board loans for ageing flats, so long as the property's remaining lease covers the youngest buyer till the age of 95.

The changes, announced yesterday by the ministries of Manpower and National Development, mark a shift in how the Government regulates CPF usage and disburses public housing loans. Instead of looking only at a flat's remaining lease, the focus is on whether a property can last its home owner for life.

But restrictions will still be in place to ensure buyers have sufficient funds for retirement: HDB flats must have at least 20 years left on their leases - down from 30 years - for CPF monies to be used for the purchase. HDB flats are sold with 99-year leases.

Also, CPF members aged 55 and older must have properties with leases that cover them till age 95, before they can withdraw their CPF savings in excess of the Basic Retirement Sum. This effectively means their property must have a remaining lease of at least 40 years, up from the old requirement of 30 years.

"The updated rules will provide more flexibility for Singaporeans to buy a home for life, and will apply to both public and private properties," Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said in a Facebook post last night.



The announcement comes on the back of many public discussions about depleting leases of ageing HDB flats. Apart from announcing steps like a second round of improvements for ageing flats, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said last August that the Ministry of National Development (MND) is looking to "improve the liquidity of the resale market, making it easier for people to buy and sell old flats".

OrangeTee & Tie research head Christine Sun said the move would widen the pool of buyers who can use CPF to buy an older flat, and increase demand for such flats.

Some older buyers, who had not been able to use CPF for buying homes, might now be able to do so, she said.

It may also deter younger buyers from purchasing flats whose lease they may outlast.

MND said most buyers will not be affected by the changes, as 98 per cent of HDB households and 99 per cent of private property families have a home that will cover them to age 95. But older buyers can now buy ageing flats and face less restrictions on CPF usage.

Singapore submits UNESCO bid to recognise hawker culture

Hawker Culture In Singapore Submitted For Inscription On UNESCO’s Representative List Of The Intangible Cultural Heritage Of Humanity
By Melody Zaccheus, Heritage and Community Correspondent, The Straits Times, 29 Mar 2019

The Republic's nomination to inscribe hawker culture in Singapore on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was submitted on Wednesday.

The nomination includes letters, photographs and videos demonstrating community support for the bid, the organisations behind the attempt said in a joint statement yesterday.

The photographs feature an Indian Muslim hawker preparing briyani, a Chinese hawker demonstrating a chicken rice recipe, and a father and his children enjoying the chendol dessert, among other snapshots.

A 10-minute video was also produced to give a 12-member UNESCO evaluation body - including six experts qualified in various fields of intangible cultural heritage - a better understanding of hawker culture in Singapore.

The nomination documents, to be available for public viewing from July, were submitted jointly by the three organisations driving the bid. They are the National Heritage Board, the National Environment Agency and The Federation of Merchants' Associations, Singapore (FMAS).

Using the evaluation body's assessment and recommendation as a guide, a 24-member intergovernmental committee will then decide on the suitability of inscribing Singapore's hawker culture.

The results will be announced at the end of next year.



Mr Low Hock Kee, 50, a second-generation hawker and co-chairman of the hawker sub-committee of FMAS, believes that if the inscription is successful, the profile of the country's rich cultural heritage will be boosted. "The nomination also helps elevate the status of hawkers and affirms our role in Singapore."

If successful, hawker culture will join 429 cultures of other countries which have been inscribed since the list was established in 2008. These include Belgium's beer culture, Indonesia's bamboo musical instrument angklung, China's shadow puppetry, and kimjang, or the making and sharing of kimchi in South Korea.

Unlike the evaluation of world heritage sites, assessments of intangible cultural heritage do not require evaluators to make site visits.

Countries whose bids are not successful can reapply in subsequent UNESCO evaluation cycles.

Singapore's first such submission in the category of intangible cultural heritage comes after the Botanic Gardens was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015.

Singapore's hawker culture bid has drawn some criticism from across the border. Some Malaysians have claimed their country is a street-food paradise, and that Singapore's hawker version is not that special.



However, the list is not intended to define the origins and ownership of cultural practices. For instance, both Arabic coffee and Turkish coffee were inscribed in the UNESCO list.

Instead, Singapore's attempt will be assessed based on the criteria of meeting UNESCO's definition of intangible cultural heritage; how the potential inscription will increase awareness of Singapore's intangible cultural heritage; how the existing and future safeguarding measures promote the continued practice of the culture; whether the nomination involved the community; and whether it is part of the country's intangible cultural heritage inventory.

The country's inventory, comprising 70 elements so far, includes pilgrimages to Kusu Island and Malay weddings, and was established last April.

Merdeka Generation Package unveiled at Singapore Budget 2019; benefits to be available from 1 July 2019

Merdeka Generation Package: What you need to know

By Nicole Chang, Channel NewsAsia, 18 Feb 2019

Healthcare subsidies, money for healthy activities and public transport – these are some of the benefits eligible older Singaporeans can look forward to as part of the Merdeka Generation Package.

First announced during Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally last year, the package is meant to express appreciation for the Merdeka Generation and help them with healthcare costs as well as to keep active and healthy.

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat on Monday (Feb 18) shared more details about this in his Budget 2019 speech.

WHO’S ELIGIBLE?

The package will benefit close to 500,000 Singaporeans. These include:

- Those born in the 1950s

- Those born in 1949 or earlier but who missed out on the Pioneer Generation Package

All beneficiaries must have obtained their citizenship by 1996.





HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?

The package is estimated to cost more than S$8 billion – in current dollars - over recipients’ lifetimes. A total of S$6.1 billion will be set aside for a new Merdeka Generation Fund. With interest accumulated over time, this will cover the full projected costs of the package, said the Finance Minister in his speech.





WHEN WILL THIS BE ROLLED OUT?

All eligible seniors will be notified by April 2019, and will receive their Merdeka Generation cards from June this year. A more detailed timeline and further information will be provided at the Committee of Supply Budget debate.

Here’s what’s on offer:

1. S$100 TOP-UP TO PASSION SILVER CARDS

Seniors will get a one-time S$100 top-up to their PAssion Silver cards. This can be used to pay for activities and facilities at community clubs, entry to public swimming pools and public transport, among other things.

2. MEDISAVE TOP-UPS

Starting this year, Merdeka Generation seniors will get a MediSave top-up of S$200 every year for five years until 2023, to help them save more for healthcare needs.

3. ADDITIONAL OUTPATIENT CARE SUBSIDIES, FOR LIFE

Special Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) subsidies will be available for package recipients, geared towards common illnesses, chronic conditions and dental procedures. All Merdeka Generation seniors will receive these regardless of income, including those without a CHAS card at the moment.

They will also get an additional 25 per cent off subsidised bills at polyclinics and public specialist outpatient clinics.

4. ADDITIONAL MEDISHIELD LIFE PREMIUM SUBSIDIES

Also for life.

These subsidies will start from 5 per cent of MediShield Life premiums and increase to 10 per cent after seniors hit the age of 75.

This translates to a discount of between S$31.50 and S$918, depending on the premium amount.

5. ANOTHER “PARTICIPATION INCENTIVE” TO JOIN CARESHIELD LIFE

Seniors who join CareShield Life will get an extra S$1,500 (when the scheme becomes available for existing cohorts in 2021).

This is on top of a previously announced S$2,500 sum, meaning that all Merdeka Generation seniors who join the scheme will end up getting S$4,000 of participation incentives.

Merdeka Generation Package to include those who missed out on Pioneer package, says Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

Those born in 1949 or earlier, and got citizenship by 1996, eligible for scheme that covers healthcare subsidies
By Tiffany Fumiko Tay, The Sunday Times, 3 Feb 2019

The beneficiaries of the Merdeka Generation Package will extend beyond the 500,000 Singaporeans born in the 1950s, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said yesterday.

Besides these men and women whose resourcefulness, determination and sense of duty played a key role in shaping Singapore, some of those who did not qualify for the Pioneer Generation Package will also receive help for their healthcare needs, he said.

The Pioneer Generation Package, given out in 2014, was for Singaporeans born in 1949 or earlier and received their citizenship by 1986.

The latest move extends benefits to those who obtained citizenship up to a decade later. There are no available figures for how large this group is. They will join the Merdeka Generation - Singaporeans aged between 60 and 69 this year - who are eligible for the latest multibillion-dollar scheme.

* Merdeka Generation Package unveiled at Singapore Budget 2019

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat and Health Minister Gan Kim Yong will announce details of the Merdeka Generation Package in Parliament later this month, PM Lee said at a tribute event for about 200 members of the Merdeka Generation at Gardens by the Bay's Flower Field Hall.



The package was first announced during PM Lee's National Day Rally speech last year, where he coined the term "Merdeka Generation" to refer to about 500,000 Singaporeans born in the 1950s.

The generation "lived through the battles and upheavals of the Merdeka struggle", accepting hardships and making sacrifices to help shape post-independence Singapore, he said then.

The men of the Merdeka generation were among the earliest batches to do national service, while many women had to cut short their education to support their families and siblings in the early years of independence.



Like the $8 billion Pioneer Generation Package, the Merdeka Generation Package will cover subsidies for outpatient care, Medisave top-ups, MediShield Life premium subsidies and payouts for long-term care, but the benefits will be less.

This is because the later generation had more advantages in life in terms of education, lifetime earnings and Central Provident Fund savings, PM Lee had said last year.

He said yesterday, however, that the latest package would still be "substantial". Thanking them for their contributions, he said: "Our grandchildren enjoy educational opportunities beyond anything that our generation imagined.

"Our economy is more vibrant, our companies more prosperous, our jobs more fulfilling and rewarding, our social fabric is stronger... the Merdeka Generation played a big part in making all this happen."

He said members of the Merdeka Generation are now passing on the baton as Singapore faces new challenges, including keeping the economy competitive, preparing for an ageing population and maintaining social mobility.



More challenges will come, and Singaporeans cannot afford to take them lightly as success is never certain, warned PM Lee, who turns 67 on Feb 10 and is himself part of the Merdeka Generation.

"But neither have we any cause to be daunted, for as the Merdeka Generation has shown time and again, Singapore can and will come through, provided we pull together and tackle the challenges as one."

Passing down their life experience and survival values to future generations will do another great service to Singapore, he said.

"If future generations share your resourcefulness, determination and sense of duty - the Merdeka spirit - Singapore will continue to do well."

Singapore must ensure no one is left behind as country progresses: PM Lee Hsien Loong at PA Kopi Talk 2018

Safeguarding social mobility even more important than reducing inequality, he says, as it gives all a fair chance
Singapore must help all to get good start
By Yasmine Yahya, Senior Political Correspondent, The Straits Times, 23 Oct 2018

As Singapore progresses, it needs to also ensure the country's poor are not disadvantaged or left behind, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at a recent dialogue with Singaporeans.

Another important point he underlined is that in Singapore's meritocratic system, every effort should be made to bring everyone to a good starting point.

This would give everyone a fair chance to do well and compete, regardless of whether they are from rich or poor families, or whether their parents have connections or not, he added.

PM Lee was speaking to 530 grassroots leaders at a closed-door post-National Day Rally dialogue organised by the People's Association held on Oct 14.

Transcripts of his opening remarks and part of the question-and-answer session were released to the media yesterday.

A significant portion of his speech was on the hot-button issues of income inequality and social mobility, topics that have dominated the national discourse in recent years.

Inequality and the lack of social mobility are threats to the Government's objective of improving the lives of everyone, he said.

But inequality is not unique, he noted. It exists everywhere, and it has always existed in Singapore.

"In every society, there is a certain amount of inequality, and there is no society where the top and the bottom are the same," he said.

In Singapore, "if you look back 50 years, a lot of people were poor and lived miserably, and still there were rich towkays (business owners) and landlords. And there was a range from the rich to the poor".

Over the years, he said, the Government has worked hard to lessen the inequality through a progressive income tax system and high-quality and affordable housing, education and healthcare for all.



But PM Lee believes safeguarding social mobility is even more important than reducing inequality.

"Because people can accept that some are rich, some are poor, provided if I am poor I have a chance to work hard and get better off."

He added: "If I am poor, my children have a chance to study hard and improve their lives. And if they improve their lives, they will improve my life."

That is what happened in the previous generation, and many successful people today came from poor families, PM Lee said.

"But if it is not like that, if people are poor, say, there is no hope, the doors are closed, that they will always remain poor, and their children too, no matter what they do, then I do not think people will accept it."

For that reason, a lot of government policies are targeted at preventing social stratification from taking root in Singapore, he said.

Citing pre-school education for all, he said the move is to ensure that if parents cannot afford to send their child to a "posh place, you still have a good and affordable pre-school which will bring you to a good point when you reach Primary 1, and you are at a good point to start your formal education''.

Similarly, HDB towns are designed such that rental blocks and sold flats of various sizes are mixed, so that people of different income groups get to interact, he said.

"Because we want high-and low-income families to live together side by side, get along with one another, interact," he said.

PM Lee also outlined how, in the past few years, the Government has been tackling issues of concern to Singaporeans.

These include improving the frequency and reliability of public transport, increasing the supply of new flats, building more hospitals and polyclinics to reduce crowding and waiting times, and improving the education system and making it more affordable.



He spoke about these issues at the National Day Rally in August, and reiterated to the grassroots leaders two broad messages from his Rally address.

Firstly, whatever difficulties Singaporeans face, no one is facing it alone.

"The Government understands people's concerns. We are working with you to tackle the problems together," he said.

Secondly, even as Singapore tackles these immediate problems, it has to look ahead and plan for the future.

"We cannot tell what the next 50 years will bring. We have had decades of peace in Singapore, (the Singapore Armed Forces) has not had to go to war, but we live in a troubled world, and the world faces many intractable global problems," he said.

Aside from external pressures, Singapore also has internal tensions that could stress its social fabric, he added.

"We will have to work very hard to stay together and to make sure this good work is not undone."

HDB upgrading programmes: Staying in good shape

With Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong unveiling the latest HDB upgrading initiatives last month, Insight looks at the various programmes from the early days until now.
By Rachel Au-Yong, Housing Correspondent, The Sunday Times, 23 Sep 2018

On July 11, 1989, a seemingly innocuous question from Dr S. Vasoo in Parliament yielded a response that took many in the House by surprise.

The Tiong Bahru GRC MP had asked what improvement works might be undertaken in his constituency, which had some of the oldest HDB flats at the time.

But instead of a parochial scheme to address just one ward, then Minister for National Development S. Dhanabalan announced an upgrading programme he described as heralding a "quantum change in the quality and character of public housing".

Before that, MPs had frequently raised as a concern the state of ageing flats, many of which were approaching 20 to 30 years old, with only piecemeal solutions being adopted to fix problems such as cracks in walls or lift breakdowns.

Mr Dhanabalan's announcement marked the start of the Main Upgrading Programme (MUP), an ambitious scheme to improve the interiors of flats, their exteriors and entire estates.

And, rather than have the HDB dictate what works should be done, town councils would seek the views of residents to determine what upgrades they wanted.

The MUP proved to be the first of several upgrading programmes announced over the past 29 years.

The latest was announced last month by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his National Day Rally speech, and is an expansion of a scheme already in place, the Home Improvement Programme (HIP). HIP is the main upgrading scheme now, and Mr Lee said it will be expanded to include 230,000 homes built between 1987 and 1997.

He also unveiled HIP II, a second round of upgrading for these flats when they are around 60 to 70 years old, which will start in about 10 years; and the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS), which lets residents in selected older estates vote on whether they want to go en bloc as their flats near the end of their 99-year lease.

The schemes, ranging from MUP, which was completed in 2012, to HIP II, will have seen billions of dollars spent on upgrading Housing Board estates, with the work ranging from details such as grab bars for the elderly installed inside bathrooms to substantial infrastructure changes such as increasing the size of a flat and having lifts on every floor. The works were heavily subsided, with the Government fully funding some essential components too.

The inaugural MUP spruce-up kicked in in 1992, and since then, flats around 30 years old have been given a new lease on life, with the focus on fixing maintenance issues as the blocks inevitably age over time, and provision of additional amenities.

A total of 680,000 flats will have benefited from the major upgrading programmes - MUP and its successor, the HIP - and hundreds of thousands more from other estate renewal schemes.

Clearly, the maintenance of ageing HDB flats has long been a key government policy. Insight looks at how the upgrading programmes are a necessity to ensure the physical integrity of the country's public housing, and are also an important building block in terms of shoring up political support as part of the social contract between the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) and voters.

Factually and legally wrong to say HDB flat owners are merely renting the units: Lawrence Wong

Wrong to say buyers don't own flats: Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong
By Rachel Au-Yong, Housing Correspondent, The Straits Times, 5 Sep 2018

It is "factually and legally wrong" to claim that Housing Board flat buyers do not own their flats and are merely renting them, said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong.

That is because all buyers of leasehold properties - whether public or private - enjoy ownership rights over their properties during the period of the lease.

"They can also sell their properties and benefit from any upside, or rent it out if they choose to," he said at the Peak Forum for property industry professionals at HDB Hub yesterday.



Mr Wong reiterated the Government's view that the concept of leasehold property is neither unique to Singapore nor public housing. Since 1967, all government land sale sites for private residential parcels have been sold on leases not more than 99 years.

"We have limited space and we need to recycle land to create housing for future generations," he said.

Otherwise, Singapore runs the risk of becoming like some other cities where, because it is difficult to recycle the land, there is a land shortage and housing becomes "very expensive and unaffordable".

Mr Wong added that the Government welcomes all feedback and views on public housing, especially as the topic is one that Singaporeans care deeply about.

"But the debate must always be based on facts, not misinformation and half-truths," he said.

He did not name any commentators, but The Straits Times had published a commentary on Aug 14 by International Property Advisor chief executive Ku Swee Yong, who recommended "that we be honest with ourselves and recognise that we are merely lessees who rent the HDB flats for their terms".

Ten days later, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong refuted the notion that the lease is "merely an extended rental" and not a sale.



On Tuesday, Mr Wong said there are other aspects of housing policies where people may have differing views, and this is fine.

This includes how best to integrate rented and sold flats in HDB blocks, how much subsidies to give or how to ensure fiscal sustainability.

"These are policy issues with difficult trade-offs to manage, and we welcome diverse inputs so we can consider a diverse range (of solutions) to improve our housing policies," he said.

At the forum, Mr Wong announced a new design guide to ensure distinct town identities over the years to come.

He also gave about 400 participants a look at the first housing district for the upcoming forest town of Tengah and launched a refreshed exhibition on the HDB's milestones at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh.

99-year HDB leases: PM Lee Hsien Loong refutes notion that lease is extended rental, not a sale

Home ownership gives Singaporeans a stake in nation
It has improved lives for all, he says, refuting idea that 99-year HDB lease is just 'extended rental'
By Royston Sim, Deputy Political Editor, The Straits Times, 25 Aug 2018

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong set out yesterday why home ownership is a key national policy, saying it gives every Singaporean a stake in the country and has improved lives significantly for all.

On the issue of 99-year Housing Board leases, Mr Lee refuted the notion that the lease is "merely an extended rental" and not a sale.

He said he found the argument by some commentators "frankly amazing", as many private properties are held on 99-year leases but no one argues they are merely being rented.

"HDB lessees have all the rights over their flats that owners of such leasehold private properties have. You can live in it, you can transact it, you can bequeath it to your children - it is yours," said Mr Lee, at a book launch held at the National University of Singapore.



In fact, HDB owners enjoy extra privileges, because their flats get upgraded from time to time with generous government funding, he added.

While the Prime Minister did not name the commentators he was referring to, The Straits Times had published a commentary on Aug 14 by property agent Ku Swee Yong, who said people should "recognise that we are merely lessees who rent the HDB flats for their terms".

Public housing was one of the hot-button issues Mr Lee addressed at the National Day Rally on Sunday, when he announced several long-term housing initiatives in response to concerns over expiring HDB leases.



Returning to the issue yesterday, he said home ownership enables every Singaporean to share in the country's economic growth, because as the economy grows, so will the value of their homes.

Nearly every household - even low-income ones - has a substantial asset to its name. This has allowed Singapore to avoid the extremes of privation and poverty often seen even in affluent societies, Mr Lee said.

He noted that the Government could have adopted other policies to house the people, such as having controlled rents like in San Francisco or leaving housing largely to the private market like in Hong Kong.

"But none of these alternatives would have achieved the same economic and social results as home ownership," he said.

He also said rental housing creates a very different mindset from owning a home, as a tenant lives from month to month and has no interest in the property's long-term value as he cannot sell or leave it to his children.

In comparison, a home owner takes responsibility for his property, thinks long term and does his best to protect its value - including upholding the society and system on which the value of his home depends, he said. This is why HDB sells flats at highly subsidised rates, including to lower-income households, rather than offering them subsidised rental units, he added.