HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Eviction of tenants)

Mr Lee Teck Him asked the Minister for Law and National Development (a) if he will ascertain from the Housing and Development Board whether tenants are, as a rule, evicted from the Board's flats for contravening any of the tenancy conditions or being in arrears in rent; and (b) whether he will issue a directive to the Board to adopt a more reasonable attitude in the eviction of tenants.

Mr Ho Cheng Choon (for the Minister for Law and National Development): (In Mandarin): Sir, normally the Housing and Development Board, in dealing with tenants who have infringed any conditions of rental or are is arrears in rent, will carry out investigations into these cases before action is taken. So far, the measures taken in dealing with these cases have been very reasonable. I am of the view that my Ministry does not have reason to believe that it is necessary to ask the Board to adopt a more reasonable attitude in dealing with these cases.

When a tenant contravenes any tenancy conditions or is in arrears in rent, the Board do not usually evict him immediately. As usual, the Board will issue a notice of warning to him and ask him to comply with the necessary requirements within 10 days. If after receiving this notice the tenant still persists in contravening the said regulations, then the Board will ask him to move out from his flat.

Mr Lee Teck Him (Ulu Pandan): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, in my opinion, there should be changes in the Board's regulations. For instance, when a family is starving, how do you expect it to pay the rent?

Mr Speaker: Order. Mr Lee, there are altogether 18 questions on the Order Paper, and if you have any criticism to make on this point, I suggest that you speak tomorrow in the Estimates debate on the Minister's salary. Do you have a supplementary question now?

Mr Lee Teck Him: (In Mandarin): Sir, I merely want to say that the action taken should depend on the merits of individual cases and should also take into account the financial condition of the tenants. The regulations should also be amended and harsh action should not be taken to force the tenants to move out. For instance, the Board ask a tenant to buy a flat at Toa Payoh Housing Estate and he says he is not able to buy it. Then the Board ask him to buy a flat in another estate and he is also unable to buy it. Then the Board kicks him here and there. This will cause inconvenience to the tenant. Does the Parliamentary Secretary not agree that as we are a democratic country we should not therefore adopt an imperialistic attitude?

Mr Ho Cheng Choon: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I will clarify certain points raised by the Member for Ulu Pandan on the action taken by the Housing and Development Board to evict tenants who have engaged in gambling and also those who have bought their own houses.

The Member should understand that the flats rented out by the Housing and Development Board are meant only for dwelling purposes. If they are used for any other purposes, the Housing and Development Board will take action to evict the tenants. This is expressly provided in the tenancy agreement. If the tenants of the flats have the financial means to buy their own houses, then they should give up their flats to the Housing and Development Board so that the vacated flats can be allotted to other applicants.

On the question of tenants not being able to pay their rentals and have been notified to move out, I must explain that the Board has to collect rentals from the tenants because it is not a charitable organisation. If the tenants are in financial difficulties or are unemployed, they should seek assistance from the Social Welfare Department.

Mr Lee Teck Him: (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Parliamentary Secretary has not given the correct answers to the questions I have raised. I was saying that we should not force a tenant to move out if he is unable to buy the flat he is occupying. I was not talking about tenants buying their own houses.

Mr Ho Cheng Choon: (In Mandarin): Sir, I missed the point about tenants, not being able to buy Housing and Development Board flats. The Board has always taken a very liberal attitude' in this matter. For instance, if a tenant is unable to buy the flat he is occupying, the Board will allot him accommodation in some other housing estate. Generally, the Board will not force him to buy the flat he is occupying.