Daily Archives: 24 Oct 2009

Time for wet markets to go

Posted on 24 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on Time for wet markets to go

Untidy relics of the past less popular now, and can’t compete on price

IN RECENT weeks, Singaporeans of all ages have been bemoaning what they feared was the impending loss of several wet markets.

To recap: A few weeks ago, news surfaced that eight privately-run wet markets were to be taken over by large supermarket chains.

That sent lots of residents in the affected areas into a frenzy. Many wrote in to this newspaper’s Forum page, calling for the preservation of the markets and for the Housing Board to reject the sales.

The din grew so loud that a minister had to wade in to soothe frazzled nerves: At the opening of a Marsiling wet market two weeks ago, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan, who is also an MP for Sembawang GRC, assured residents that he understood how important such markets were to them, and that he was working to keep wet markets available to them.

But why this curious need to preserve an untidy relic of Singapore’s past? Why keep these wet, stinking, unhygienic monuments to yesteryear?

It certainly isn’t because many of us shop there. Take the privately-run markets. There are 19 here, and most, if not all, are struggling to survive. Business is so bad, it’s no wonder their owners are thinking of letting them go. Continue reading →

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Your Insights

Posted on 24 Oct 2009 | Comments Off on Your Insights

Last week, we asked if private property owners should be allowed to buy resale Housing Board flats, and if the $8,000 household income ceiling to qualify for housing subsidies should be lowered to prevent ‘buying distortions’. More than 30 readers responded. Eight said that private property owners should be banned from buying flats, while another four thought otherwise. Eight readers wanted the $8,000 ceiling raised instead of lowered.

‘The Housing Board should increase the income ceiling for Design, Build and Sell Scheme flats to cater to the ‘Sandwich Class First-Timers’ who can afford them and need a home. Now people buying these flats are first-timers in their early 20s who are paying through their nose.’

Ms Jessy Teoh in an e-mail

‘If private property owners can buy resale HDB flats, lower- and middle-income Singaporeans – especially singles – will find it difficult to do so. Under HDB rules, singles cannot buy new HDB flats, so they are the ones who suffer the most.’

Ms Toh Siew Peng in an e-mail

‘Public housing will be out of reach for future generations of citizens if it is viewed as an investment asset as all investments are expected to appreciate in value. And if we allow permanent residents to purchase public housing, future prices of public housing could become nightmarish.’

Mr Andrew Michael Teo in an e-mail

‘I asked HDB if it was possible to set income rules in a way which allows the sandwich class to buy flats of a minimum amount, so that we do not compete with the majority. But HDB has not acknowledged that it is willing to look into it. It is neglecting a pool of Singaporeans like me. If you have an income lower than $8,000, you have a chance to buy a new flat, and three to five years later sell it to make a profit from the sandwich class!’ Continue reading →

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Posted in HDB

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