HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Priority of flats for retired public officers)

Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon asked the Minister for Law and National Development, since the introduction of the grant of priority for the sale or rental of Housing and Development Board flats to retired public officers, (a) how many such persons have been successful in being allocated flats; (b) how many of them have had their applications turned down and the reasons therefor; and (c) if the Housing and Development Board will consider according the priority to retiring public officers one year prior to their retirement.

The Minister for Law and National Development (Mr E. W. Barker): Mr Speaker, Sir, under the existing policy only retiring public officers who are required to vacate Government quarters upon retirement are granted priority for the purchase or rental of Housing Board flats. Up to the 31st March last, a total of 374 such officers were granted priority. Not one qualified applicant has, in fact, been refused such priority.

It is not considered necessary to accord priority to such retiring public officers one year prior to retirement because they are only required to vacate their quarters when they retire.

Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon (Tiong Bahru): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I feel that it is very necessary to give priority to retiring public officers one year before their retirement, because some of them have lodged certain complaints to me on this matter.

Mr Speaker: Mr Ch'ng, would you convert that into a question?

Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon: (In Mandarin): Sir, in view of the fact that many officers have not been able to get Housing Board flats upon retirement, is it not necessary to advance their priority by one year?

Mr Barker: Sir, the answer I gave just now is that not one qualified public officer has been refused priority. In fact, they do not have to wait very long because they are granted priority. If they are not granted priority, then they would have to wait three or four years. Priority means that they get the flats before others do.

Mr N. Govindasamy: Sir, can the Minister clarify what he means by "public officers"? Would officers working in the statutory boards be considered public officers?

Mr Barker: The answer is no.

Mr N. Govindasamy: Sir, if a public officer does not retire but he has to vacate his quarters because it is to be taken over by the Government, would he be granted priority in the allocation of Housing Board flats?

Mr Barker: By "public officers", we mean public officers working in the civil service, and not officers in the statutory boards like the Port of Singapore Authority or the Public Utilities Board who have their own quarters. Their problems are really the problems of the particular authority concerned.

Mr N. Govindasamy: Mr Speaker, Sir, I am talking about the public officer who works for the Government. If the officer is not retiring but his quarters is being acquired for some purpose, would he be given such priority?

Mr Barker: Sir, it depends on who he is working for, what quarters he is occupying, and who is the acquiring authority.

Mr Ivan Baptist (Potong Pasir): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore provides quarters for their staff. Would a retiring officer from the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore be given priority?

Mr Barker: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member should direct his question to the Minister in charge.