BLAIR PLAIN (Alternative Accommodation for PSA Employees)

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Communications and Minister for Labour what progress has been made by the Port of Singapore Authority in finding suitable alternative accommodation for their employees at present housed in Blocks A, B, C and E Blair Plain.

The Minister for Communications and Minister for Labour (Mr Ong Teng Cheong): Mr Speaker, Sir, since March last year, about one-third of the 640 tenants in the Blair Plain slab blocks have found alternative accommodation and moved out of the flats. There are now 404 PSA employees still staying in the Blair Plain blocks A, B and E. They have to vacate the flats by the end of May this year. I am surprised that the Member for Anson should ask about Block C, He should have known that the block was completely demolished in December, 1980, almost 2?, years ago.

The Singapore Port Workers' Union and the PSA have been doing what they could to help the Blair Plain residents to obtain HDB flats quickly. They have been encouraging those who have applied for HDB flats to change to other zones from the Central Zone and not to be too choosy in accepting their HDB flat allocation.

Of the 404 employees, 65 will be moving out shortly as they have accepted HDB flats or found their own alternative accommodation. Of the remaining 339 employees, a majority of them have registered with HDB but are not due for allocation of HDB flats as yet. The PSA is under no obligation to provide these employees with alternative accommodation. PSA as a good employer is arranging for those who are willing to move to other PSA housing estates temporarily until their HDB flats are allocated to them. Those who eventually reject the HDB offers will be asked to move out of the temporary accommodation.

Let me reiterate what I said in the House last year. Since 1970, the Singapore Port Workers' Union and PSA had advised the residents of Blair Plain to register for the purchase of their own HDB flats, Those who had heeded the advice would have obtained homes of their own by now, probably before inflation caused the prices of HDB flats to go up. When the PSA decided that Blair Plain flats had to be demolished by 1983 to make way for port development, all affected PSA employees were given two years' advance notice in June 1981 to find their own alternative accommodation.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Sir, as I understand the Minister, there are about 339 employees who are still to be found suitable alternative accommodation. Would the Minister assure the House that no steps will be taken to evict these persons from their present accommodation until a suitable alternative accommodation has been found for these 339 people? And would the Minister also assure the House that they will be found accommodation as near as possible to their work place, i.e. the dockyard and the dock areas?

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have already replied in my answer earlier that PSA will arrange temporary accommodation for these employees, who are affected, in other PSA housing estates, and they will be there until they are allocated HDB flats. But should they reject HDB flat allocations, then they will have to be evicted. I cannot assure that PSA or HDB will find accommodation near their work place for these employees.

Sir, I have explained this at length last year and I do not intend to repeat this in this House, that there is no employer in the world who provides life-long housing for his employees. The Member for Anson himself is also an employer. I do not know whether he provides housing for his employees. Obviously not; he is shaking his head.

Mr Jeyaretnam: It depends on the conditions of service.

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Conditions of service. I have already explained, Sir, last year, that these are not staff quarters. It is not in the conditions of service. These were let out to these employees on a monthly tenancy basis and one month's notice to quit. This is a contractual agreement between PSA employees and PSA. PSA has been more than good enough to give them two years' notice to quit.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Would the Minister be good enough to accept that it is imposing undue hardship and inconvenience to these employees if they are asked to move out temporarily, and then move out again? Some of them told me that over the past two years they have been moved from pillar to post. They were moved out of Everton Block sometime ago, and even before that they had been moved out. This is causing a lot of dissatisfaction and unhappiness to the employees. What is wrong with his Ministry or the PSA arranging with the HDB for permanent accommodation for these employees?

Mr Ong Teng Cheong: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have already answered that point. If these employees of PSA affected by the scheme had heeded the advice of PSA a long time ago, they would have found their permanent accommodation. I hope the employees, the tenants of Blair Plain, will act sensibly and take heed of PSA advice because otherwise they are the ones who are going to suffer, and not the Member for Anson. The Member for Anson has his own political ends in advising the tenants to stay put to reject HDB flats or other PSA temporary accommodation. But I am confident, Sir, that common sense and reason will prevail.

Mr Jeyaretnam rose -

Mr Speaker: Are we getting anywhere, Mr Jeyaretnam, by repeating your questions?

Mr Jeyaretnam: All right, Sir [and resumed his seat].