TOWN COUNCILS (Status)

Dr Aline K. Wong asked the Minister for National Development what is the status of the proposed Town Councils.

The Minister for National Development (Mr Teh Cheang Wan): Mr Speaker, Sir, a team of officers in the HDB has been working on the proposals for the formation of Town Councils. However, as this is a new concept in the management of HDB estates, the team has to examine very carefully the complex issues involved and the legislation required. The study is now nearing completion and the proposals will be submitted to Cabinet for consideration soon.

If the proposals are accepted, an experiment will be carried out in the Ang Mo Kio New Town in the middle of this year to test the proposed model. The results of this experiment will be studied and the model fine-tuned before the Town Councils are set up.

Dr Aline K. Wong (Changkat): Supplementary question, Sir. Will the Minister, even at this stage, inform the House a little as to what would be the areas of responsibility of the Town Council? Secondly, what would be the financial basis or the kinds of finances it commands in order to carry out these areas of responsibility? And thirdly, who would be represented on the Town Councils?

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, this proposal is being worked out. But roughly, much of the responsibilities of the Town Councils would be fairly similar to that of management committees of condominiums at present in the private sector. The management committee is responsible for looking after the maintenance and services to the flats as well as for paying cost of management of the estates. As for the people who are to be represented on the Town Councils, we envisage that the Member of Parliament for the Constituency should take the lead in its management.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I say that I am amazed this morning to hear from the Minister for National Development saying that the proposed Town Councils will be no more than management committees of housing estates.

Mr Speaker: Are you asking a supplementary question, Mr Jeyaretnam?

Mr Jeyaretnam: May I ask him if he is aware that there is already provision in the Housing and Development Board Act for housing estates to have their own management committees? Why are we going through all this mumbo-jumbo about Town Councils then?

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the Member for Anson did not hear me carefully. I said that the responsibility for maintenance and management of the estates is similar to the management committees. But there are other areas which are not similar to that of the management committees.