HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD (Partitioning off a common corridor and building a doorway)

Mr Phey Yew Kok asked the Minister for National Development and Communications, in view of his recent announcement that the Housing and Development Board will allocate flats to parents and their grown-up children in as close proximity as possible, whether the Board will, as an additional inducement, consider allowing two such families -

(a) which have been allocated the corner unit and the adjoining unit in a slab block to partition off a portion of their common corridor on the same principle as a portion of the corridor which is annexed to an improved corner unit; or

(b) which have been allocated any two adjoining units to make a doorway in the wall between the units.

if the proposed alteration can be made without weakening the structural support or marring the aesthetic appearance of the flats and if the families undertake to rectify the alteration when they vacate or sell their flats.

Dr Tan Eng Liang (for the Minister for National Development and Communications): Mr Speaker, Sir, it is not advisable to allow the tenants to partition off a part of the common corridor as this would make the exterior of the building look irregular and unsightly and may in some instances affect the structure of the building.

The Ministry may agree to allow a doorway to be built in the walls between the two flats provided that the structure of the building is not affected, and subject to the condition that the families undertake to rectify the alterations when they vacate or sell their flats.