HDB NEW FLAT ALLOCATION SYSTEM (Number of selections and withdrawals)

Dr Wang Kai Yuen asked the Minister for National Development how many applicants have selected their Housing and Development Board flats since the HDB changed its allocation system in 1989; and how many applicants have withdrawn their applications after failing to get the estates of their choice.

Dr Lee Boon Yang (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, when the booking system was implemented on 3rd July 1989, there were about 40,000 applicants on the waiting list for 4-room, 5-room and Executive flats. These 40,000 applicants have been dealt with as follows.

First, 30,000 of them have been successfully assigned to New Towns of their choice. They are being invited in batches to book flats. So far, 2,200 applicants have been invited to book flats in the Towns of their choice. out of these, 1,800 have selected their flats. The balance of 400 will be presumed to have withdrawn their applications if they do not select a flat.

That leaves us with another 10,000 applicants. Out of these 10,000 applicants, 4,000 applicants did not get a New Town of their choice either because they did not indicate a sufficient number of New Towns or they put all their choices in one or two popular New Towns. These 4,000 are considered to have withdrawn their applications. They can apply for flats under the new booking system or buy one under the Walk-In-Selection Scheme or from the resale market.

3,000 out of the 10,000 withdrew their applications and dropped out completely from the waiting list.

Finally, another 3,000 have either purchased flats under the Walk-In Selection Scheme or from the resale market.

Sir, all those who have decided to withdraw their applications will have their down-payments refunded completely.

Dr Wang Kai Yuen (Bukit Timah): Sir, what are the options available to those applicants who either withdrew voluntarily or were forced to withdraw their applications, in particular those applicants who no longer qualify to apply for HDB flats under the income ceiling rules?

Dr Lee Boon Yang: Mr Speaker, Sir, those who dropped out or withdrew from the waiting list because they have not succeeded to either select a New Town or a flat will have to re-apply to purchase flats under the new booking system when these flats are offered for selection. Amongst these applicants, there may be some, as the Member has indicated, who find that their present income level has now exceeded the permitted limit, which is $5,000 per month. I will ask HDB to consider exempting this group of applicants from the income ceiling when they subsequently re-submit applications under the new booking system.