PRIORITY IN HDB FLAT ALLOCATIONS (Inclusion of citizens doing charity work in voluntary welfare organisations)

The following Question stood in the name of Dr Kanwaljit Soin

Dr Kanwaljit Soin: To ask the Minister for National Development if he will define which grassroots leaders are given priority in Housing and Development Board flat allocations and whether the definition can be broadened to include citizens who do charity work in voluntary welfare organisations.

Dr Lee Tsao Yuan: Question No. 6, Sir.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Mr Matthias Yao Chih) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, HDB grants priority allocation of flats to grassroots leaders under the Grassroots Organisations Priority Scheme. At present, 5% of the flats offered in HDB estates are set aside for the Scheme.

Under the Scheme, the grassroots leaders must meet the HDB eligibility conditions on citizenship, income ceiling, family nucleus and non-ownership of private property. In addition, they must have at least three years of continuous service, immediately prior to their flat applications, in the Citizens' Consultative Committee (CCC), Community Centre Management Committee (CCMC), Youth Executive Committee (YEC), Women Executive Committee (WEC), Residents' Committee (RC) or Boys' Club Management Committee (BCMC).

At the time the grassroots leaders take possession of the flats that they have selected, they must still be serving members in the grassroots organisations. They also cannot transfer their flats which are allocated under priority to another family member or sell them in the open market within five years.

As at August of this year, there are about 130,000 applicants for HDB flats. HDB does not intend to broaden the Grassroots Organisations Priority Scheme. Those who do charity work in voluntary welfare organisations would be recognised in other ways.

Mr Low Thia Khiang (Hougang): Sir, may I confirm with the Senior Parliamentary Secretary that the 5% allocation to grassroots leaders is based on every quarter of the new flats, including the mature estates. Secondly, I would like to know what is the rationale for granting the grassroots leaders such an advantage or priority in allocation of HDB flats.

Mr Matthias Yao Chih: The answer to the first question is yes. As to his second question, priority allocation of flats to grassroots leaders is part and parcel of their work in the community. Those who get priority allocation of flats within the constituency they serve or nearby to the constituency they serve will continue to work within the constituency. They get priority allocation so that they do not have to move far away and have to travel long distances to get back to the constituency to serve. Those who opt to go to new estates are then contacted and they set up the RCs and CCCs in the new estates that they have moved into. We do not then have to gather people who have no experience in grassroots work to start off those organisations.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary says that the reason is that it is part and parcel of the work and the regulations allow grassroots leaders who move to another estate to join the grassroots organisation in the new constituency. So would that not be inconsistent with the original purpose of justification that it is part and parcel of their work, they live and serve in the constituency and therefore they should be given priority allocation for flats within the constituency?

Mr Matthias Yao Chih: Sir, I am afraid Mr Low did not understand my answer. I will say it again. For those who move to new estates, these are brand new estates, and there were no residents before, but now there may be 10,000-20,000 new residents coming in over the years, so they need grassroots organisations to serve the community there. How best to then form those organisations? From among those people who have no experience in grassroots work or should we not get people who have many years of grassroots experience to start off those community organisations? Therefore, those people who have served before in their old constituencies, who have opted to move to new estates, get the priority to go into those new estates and they are then invited to kick off those community organisations there, thereby continuing their work as well as bring experience to the new organisations that they start.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, how does the Senior Parliamentary Secretary define "new estate"? I understand that most new flats are built within an established constituency. So do you define that as a new estate?

Mr Matthias Yao Chih: Sir, nearby to Mr Low's constituency, he may find large tracts of land being cleared and flats that are being built, for example, in the Punggol area and Sengkang area. When the new residents move in, they need grassroots organisations to serve them too.

Dr Lee Tsao Yuan: Sir, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary gives the reason of proximity for priority allocation for those doing constituency work. Will the same reason of proximity not also apply to those doing volunteer work in welfare organisations in the vicinity?

Mr Matthias Yao Chih: Sir, the priority allocation of HDB flats to grassroots leaders is not a reward. It is not to recognise their voluntary work. It is part and parcel of the role of grassroots leaders in serving the whole community within which they live or serve. Grassroots leaders have to spearhead Government campaigns, gather feedback from the residents to be passed on through the various channels to the Government Ministries, organise events to celebrate traditional and cultural events, festivals and many other things of this sort. Where they live is important. There are many other voluntary organisations and they are doing very good work. We should appreciate them, but recognise them in other ways rather than to give them priority for flats.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Sir, is the Senior Parliamentary Secretary saying that people who do charitable work are not important to be able to know the community which they live in so that they could better assist the community in need of charitable work? One example of a charitable organisation which is basically community-based is the Family Service Centres. So Family Service Centres would need charitable workers who live around the constitutency so that they would understand the problems and needs of the constituency. Therefore, in terms of proximity, I think they should be granted the same priority as the grassroots leaders.

Mr Speaker: Mr Low, are you making a speech or asking a question?

Mr Low Thia Khiang: I am asking the opinion of the Senior Parliamentary Secretary.

Mr Speaker: The question is out of order. Questions shall not solicit opinions.

Dr Lee Tsao Yuan: Sir, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary said that the reason is that grassroots leaders have to do work in that particular area. My point is that it would seem to me that priority allocation for HDB flats is perceived as a reward. Is it not possible also to give that same kind of reward to those who do volunteer work in the vicinity in the same way as for grassroots work? I would again ask for the Senior Parliamentary Secretary's opinion as to whether one views charity work on the same level as that of grassroots work.

Mr Matthias Yao Chih: Sir, it is incorrect to perceive priority allocation of HDB flats to grassroots leaders as a reward. If it is so perceived, then it is a wrong perception. It is part and parcel of community development within their housing estates. I have never made a comparison between charitable work and grassroots work. It is incorrect to say one is more important than the other. They are both important and they are both recognised in many ways, for example, in National Day honours, in various other events organised to appreciate their contributions. Priority allocation of HDB flats is not a reward. So I do not think we should put them together and discuss them in the same manner.

Dr Lee Tsao Yuan: Sir, would the Senior Parliamentary Secretary and the Ministry care to review the basis for the allocation of priority housing for grassroots leaders in the light of his comment regarding charitable welfare organisations? It would seem to me that those working in volunteer welfare organisations would also deserve proximity to their place of work in the charitable welfare organisations on the same basis as for grassroots leaders. Would the Senior Parliamentary Secretary care to comment on this, please?

Mr Matthias Yao Chih: Sir, grassroots work in the community is location specific. Charitable work takes many forms. There are those which happen in the centres set up in various parts of the island and many volunteers go to those centres to do their work. There are also centres which are set up within different constituencies which not only serve those constituencies but other people who are in need. It is very difficult to say who deserves what kind of reward. Again, may I say that it is not a reward for grassroots leaders and I think we should separate the two issues.