Air-conditioned HDB flats in Toa Payoh converted to worker dorms for foreign employees of Sentosa IR
December 19, 2009
Singapore’s pro-foreigner government has lent a helping hand to Resort World Sentosa (RWS) to secure two blocks of HDB flats in Toa Payoh for its foreign employees working at the soon to open integrated resort.
It was reported earlier that RWS is hunting for flats in the Telok Blangah area for its foreign workers which includes hotel service staff and casino pit supervisors.
There is no official statement on the number of foreigners that RWS could hire. Overall, it will employ about 10,000 people when it opens next year.
RWS spokesman Robin Goh told Business Times earlier that “it remains committed in recruiting Singaporeans and Singapore permanent residents.”
However, Filipino President Gloria Arroyo said in April this year that around 5,000 new jobs would be made available to Filipinos in the island resort of Sentosa in Singapore which means that about half of them will go to foreigners. (Source: GMA news)
According to the Straits Times, the two flats designated to be converted into worker dormitories are blocks 32 and 33 in Toa Payoh Lorong 6.
They contain more than 300 units. Each flat houses four to six workers, who pay below market monthly rents ranging from $140 to $260 each. (which means there are between 1,200 to 1,800 foreign workers).
The flats appear to be better furnished than some flats of locals. The bedrooms are air-conditioned and they come with furniture like dining tables and beds. Fridges and washing machines are also provided.
It is not known if these foreign staff of RWS will be offered Singapore permanent residency whose criteria is so lax that even cleaners and masseurs can qualify.
Despite rising resentment and anger on the ground at the large number of foreigners in Singapore which now make up 36 per cent of the population, the ruling party is adamant that they are “essential” to Singapore’s continued growth.
With the opening of the two IRs next year, Singapore can expect a flood of foreigners including some unsavory characters like prostitutes.
December 21, 2009
Mr Mah Bow Tan
Minister for National Development
I refer to the Straits Times article “Two Toa Payoh blocks converted to dorms” on December 19, 2009. It stated that 2 HDB blocks were being used as dormitories for employees of Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).
I would like the following queries answered:
1. Under which HDB scheme were the 2 blocks of flats rented out to RWS?
2. HDB rents out flats to the needy Singapore Citizens under the Public Rental Scheme (PRS). HDB had tightened the criteria for eligibility for the PRS citing “strong demand for rental flats” in a press release in Feb 2009. Why are these two blocks of flats not rented out to the needy Singapore Citizens? Does the welfare of foreigners have a higher priority than providing housing for needy Singapore Citizens?
3. The ST article states that “each flat houses four to six people who each pay between $140 and $260″. This amounts to a rental ranging from $560-1560 per flat per month, which is generally below the median subletting rents for 2-room and 3-room flats in Toa Payoh in 3Q 2009. Why are these flats rented out to RWS at such a cheap rate? Was the intention to rent out the 2 blocks of flat made public to attract the highest bidding tenants? If not, why?
4. The HDB website states: “The Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) is aimed to promote racial integration and harmony and to prevent the formation of racial enclaves, by ensuring a balanced ethnic mix among the various ethnic communities living in public housing estates. EIP is applicable to the purchase of new flats, resale flats, SERS ( Selective En-bloc Redevelopment Scheme) replacement flats and DBSS (Design, Build & Sell Scheme) flats as well as the allocation of rental flats in all HDB estates.”
What are the ethnic ratios of the occupants in the 2 blocks of flats rented out the RWS? In renting out 2 entire blocks of flats to a single tenant (RWS) to house foreigners, HDB could have violated the Ethnic Integration Policy. Why is EIP not applied in this case? What is the rationale for waiving the EIP quota for foreigners when all other Singaporean HDB flat dwellers are subject to EIP limits?
Regards,
Aurora Long
HDB reply to Ms Aurora Long’s letter on conversion of two HDB flats in Toa Payoh into worker dorms
December 28, 2009
Dear Madam,
1. I refer to your email of 20 Dec 09.
2. The blocks that you have mentioned (Blocks 32 and 33 Toa Payoh Lor 5) were announced for Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS) as part of the Government’s Estate Renewal Strategy. After they are vacated, SERS blocks are demolished according to the redevelopment plans. Pending demolition, the flats are put to interim short-term use.
3. As these flats will be demolished eventually, they are less suitable for HDB’s Public Rental Scheme as the tenants would then have to move in a few years time. To meet the demand for rental flats under the Public Rental Scheme, HDB will be building 7,500 units of new 1-room and 2-room rental flats in the next 3 years.
4. Besides the 2 blocks mentioned, there is another vacated SERS block (block 28) which has been set aside for Interim Rental Housing (IRH). IRH provides temporary housing for citizen families with financial difficulties, in particular, those who are moving from their current flat to another flat that is financially sustainable for them. The IRH flats are offered to these households below the market rent.
5. The managing agent, EM Services Pte Ltd, rents out all other flats at market rent, except for IRH. There are no special rental concessions. The average monthly rent for each flat is about $1,500, which is the market rate.
6. These blocks are leased out on a short term basis, pending the future redevelopment of the site. Hence the Ethnic Integration Policy is not applicable to this site. This is no different from flat lessees who sublet their individual flats.
7. Thank you.
Yours Sincerely,
Kee Lay Cheng
Deputy Director (Land Administration)
Properties & Land Department
These are lame explanations. More reasons not to vote for PAP.