HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD FLATS (Married applicants under 21 years of age)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Encik Harun Bin A. Ghani asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many married couples under the age of 21 have applied to purchase or rent Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats from 1998-2000; (b) how many such applications were rejected; and (c) whether the HDB will relax its rules to enable such couples to buy or rent the flats in the future.

The Minister of State for National Development (Dr John Chen Seow Phun) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Speaker, Sir, the HDB does not allow married couples under the age of 21 to purchase HDB flats on their own. This is because persons below the age of 21 are deemed not to have the legal capacity to enter into any contract for the purchase of a flat. Such couples can consider applying for HDB flats with their parents as co-applicants, or staying with their parents until either one of them attains the age of 21 years. HDB does not keep records on the number of flat applications that were rejected due to both parties being underage.

Likewise, an applicant applying to rent a HDB flat must be at least 21 years old. Between 1998 and 2000, HDB rejected seven applications to rent HDB flats from married couples who are both below 21 years old.

As the legal age of majority in Singapore is still 21 years old, HDB has no plan to lower the minimum age criterion for the purchase or rental of a HDB flat.