PAP MP Ho Geok Choo against “quota system” to ensure even distribution of PRs in HDB estates
October 27th, 2009 | 
Author: From our Correspondent
PAP MP Ho Geok Choo has cautioned against introducing a quota to prevent the congregation of permanent residents following a question asked by her parliamentary colleague Lim Wee Kiat on the total number of PRs who own own HDB flats and the distribution of PRs in various public housing estates.
The rising numbers of PRs and new citizens living in the HDB heartland has raised concerns about the formation of “ethnic enclaves” as they tend to congregate in their own groups with little or no socializing with locals.
Madam Ho is adamant that a quota system is unnecessary at this stage:
“The numbers (of foreigners) are not so intimidating or threatening yet. We have to share the need to house these foreign residents among us in Singapore,” she said.
While foreigners are not subjected to the quota system, Singaporeans have been subjected to a racial quota which limits on who they can sell their flats to.
HDB maintains that all flats must be occupied by a fair mix of Chinese, Malays and Indians.
For example, if a Malay family wants to sell their flat, they can only sell it to another Malay family to maintain the racial quota though another Chinese family may offer a higher price.
PRs are allowed to purchase resale HDB flats which they are permitted to sell after a few years for a hefty profit though like citizens, they are subjected to a 10 per cent resale levy on subsequent transactions.
The rising number of PRs in the resale market has contributed to sky-rocketing of prices of HDB flats in recent weeks.
A ERA report reveals that 40 per cent of the buyers of resale HDB flats are PRs.
PRs who are able to afford resale flats are usually middle-aged professionals who earned a decent wage. Therefore, it will be difficult for young couples to compete with them in the resale housing market.
Some PRs have no intention of settling in Singapore and are rewarded with a handsome profit when they sell their HDB flats after they return to their motherlands.
The government should only allow PRs who have lived in Singapore for a minimum of two years to purchase resale flats.
A time limit should be imposed for PRs to take up Singapore citizenship, e.g. five years after which their PRs will be revoked.
A first-time capital gain tax of 20 per cent or more can be slapped on PRs selling their resale flats to prevent capital outflow from Singapore when they leave the country.
There is no reason why PRs should not be subjected to the same racial quotas as citizens.
At the rate they are “invading” the HDB heartlands, it is only a matter of time before a little “Hunan” or a little “Mumbai” emerges in one of the estates.
Posted in Editorial
Ha ha !
because I own a bungalow in Bukit Timah,
so no quota like the HDB.
Money and wealth is everything to enjoy life in singapore.
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Can Goddess Mdm Ho come down to earth and live amongst us mortals in HDB to experience for herself, is there is truly any congregation of a particular nationality in our HDB Heartlands?
OR would our Gods and Goddesses continue to brush off the concerns of our their devout mortal worshippers from their high and mighty heavenly palaces, built with millions of dollars of offerings from the stupid worshippers.
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http://ww.pap.org.sg/html_wwadmin/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=69
Wah … we got a bunch of really caring MPs, we are in very good hands …..
Long live PaP … Long live PaP ….
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Quota system itself should be abolished.
It was setup as a form of tyranny of majority to the minority races in Singapore.
What is so wrong to have estates which have a Malay or Indian cultural feel? It will make Singapore a more vibrant place rather than drab uniformity.
More importantly, it is designed to suppressed the political aspiration of the minority such that they can never form a substantial number of voters enough to push for their issues and agendas.
Rather than artificially introduce minority candidates in GRC system (which really is just an excuse to create a barrier-to-entry for opposition parties), removing quota system will ensure estates with a majority in minority races will received the appropriate candidates who will fight for their rights.
PAP should stop controlling everything or else they will suffer a backlash in the coming election as people get fed up with being controlled here and there.
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if the numbers are not yet intimidating, then what sort of numbers are intimidating!?!
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“Ethnic enclave” is a likely problem down the road if the govt takes no action now.
A Hong Kong friend told me there is a district called Tin Shui Wai in the northwestern part of the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong where PRC immigrants from mainland China congregate. No native HongKonger wants to live in Tin Shui Wai if they could afford higher property price or rental fee elsewhere in Hong Kong.
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Richie said: “because I own a bungalow in Bukit Timah,
so no quota like the HDB. Money and wealth is everything to enjoy life in singapore.”
So what if you are rich? If Mdm Ho (don’t even talk about her boss) wants you to lick her shoes, do you dare to say no?
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“The numbers (of foreigners) are not so intimidating or threatening yet,” she said. We have to share the need to house these foreign residents among us in Singapore,” she said”.
this kind of sick logic from MP – why are citizens subject to racial quotas but foreigners( PR) exempted?
why are male citizens forced to waste their lives doing NS and reservist while foreigners PR do not?
So citizens need to be controlled by quotas because our numbers are already `too intimidating or threatening’?!!
How can this kind of out-of-touch people be MPs?
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In fact, PR has become government weapon to suck more money from the citizen by letting them to drive excessive demand for public housing and thus the resale price. This resale price is then used by the government to price their new HDB flat and also the land sales !!! The problem does not lies on PR but on our government!!!
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If they do not want to hae a quota system for PR’s in HDB housing estates, then the MND and Ho should explain why they have q uota system in the first place?
btan has explained precisely what the government is using this quota system for…
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Hi, in regards to quota on Pr foreigners in HDB estate is definitely a necessity. It should be implemented imediately.
The welcoming of foreign workforce to Singapore should also have a quota. Just like COE and other systems of mediating demand and supply it is a desired virtue to put in place.
Not done, implotion will happen and the cost too high a price to pay for idealism. Singapore is too small a place to take risk that are silent and faceless. Do the right thing.
A good leader know the consequences. politic are not useful
in such matter.
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Madam Ho is adamant that a quota system is unnecessary at this stage:
“The numbers (of foreigners) are not so intimidating or threatening yet,” she said. We have to share the need to house these foreign residents among us in Singapore,” she said.
- Is she dumb or what? What have to wait until there is a problem then try to solve it while now we already foreseen the problem will be coming up sooner or later. If we can proactive why wait to be reactive?
Always said Foreigner helps the ecnomic of singapore, etc. Yes it helps but helped who? Help to push up property value so that those who already owned property can sell at higher price to PR?
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Well, during the ancient dynasties like the Qing and the Ming, they used to say Long Live The Emperor! But what eventually happened to those Dynasties anyway?
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As I said, how many MPs or Ministers live in HDB houses or take MRT to work??? They do not seem to realise that national integration which took off since independence has not been totally completed! Yet, these foreigners with their enclaves and group congregating are the greatest hindrance to it. Already, if you sit in an MRT or A bus, you can hear them talking in their linguo loudly without due care for those around, and if they are not carefully sited in their residence you will find enclaves or towns filled with one ethnic group. Look at Sydney, the Vietnamese congregate and live together in Hurtsville, and the Koreans in Ashville and so on.
National integration will never be completed as long as they continue to hold on to their old values, behavoir etc.
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How many HDB dwellers know their neighbours? Do they mix around with the the neighbours? I think that as long as you don’t irritate your neighbours nobody really cares.
The quota system should not be too rigidly enforced in the first place.
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They have to wait till there is riot, then they said is intimidating. So they will be more happy to seen this riot.The police & army will call in! Don’t need to have a fake election.They have plenty to said!
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I guess it really doesn’t matter. The MIW will be bringing in another 2 or 3 million PRC citizens. They will soon form the majority here. Singaporeans have no choice but to leave.
It is only a matter of time before they form the next government.
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@anonymous,@ALL
AGREED!
PLS KINDLY REFER TO THE BLOG ON THE PRC BULLIED LOCAL CLEANER!
this is a social issue that need proper and due consideration,
THEN,IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPEN,AGAIN BALME THE “UGLY?” SINAGAPOREANS> HEY,AS IF OUR MINISTERS AREN’T SINGAPPOREANS.
IF SO,THEN,BY SIMPLE LOGIC SOME AMONG THEM,MIGHT WANNA TO
HOLD THEIR TONGUE B4 THEY WANNA ACUSE ALL SHITTY THINGS LIKE
POLLUTION ETC TO THE “UGLY SINGAPOREANS”?
i also sincerely think that ST owes an apology to sinagporeans
for costantly miscontrueing???
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Maybe Ho Geok Choo is not concerned as the proportion of foreigners in public housing have not hit 30%, a magical figure that Mah Bow Tan is also fixated with in his dominion. Btw, Ho also once put forth the view that those Singaporeans who have too few babies are irresponsible.
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” not so intimidating or threatening YET”
Are we waiting for the threat to be very obvious?????
For Mdm Ho who is so far away from our tiny HDB home, she is not feeling anything YET…
I feeling that the number of PRC here is more than our minority race, Indian. If this swamp of PRC continue to grow in this rate, I wonder if native Singaporean will become minority in the near future. SADDEN by the way that my government is handling this issue. All because of $$$ ??
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wow, i din know PR can be arranged to be distributed in estates leh.
can new citizens be distributed to 1 particular ward ?
what could be the effect, if any?
i not sure leh.
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What do you expect from ASS HOLE ?
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Someone please tell this CCB to go stay in HDB flat first before venturing to open her CB mouth. How do you expect a person who has lived in landed property all her adult life to really know what life is like in HDB estate nowadays.
She said the numbers are not so intimidating yet. How does she know if the statistics are not known at the moment??? To the PAPies in charge of social engineering, they are only concerned about ethnic enclaves. To the average Sinkie, just a few of them with their stinking habits are enough to make your HDB life a nightmare.
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If, the Indonesians did not go down to the streets, Suharto wouldn’t be thrown out. And there wouldn’t be DEMOCRACY in the country.
WE THE CITIZENS OF SINGAPORE STAND UNITED AS ONE PEOPLE TO BUILD A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY
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“PRs are allowed to purchase resale HDB flats which they are permitted to sell after a few years for a hefty profit though like citizens, they are subjected to a 10 per cent resale levy on subsequent transactions.”
fyi, PRs do not enjoy ’subsidies’ so they do not need to pay resale levy. plus most of them can sell after minimum 1 year since they usually don’t get subsidies or hdb loans.
trust me. gahmen is considering to implement a quota for PRs hence the sudden publicity in the press. pls support the quota for prs and lobby for a more restrictive pr quota by writing in to the press or authorities (cos the PRs WILL protect their benefits by doing the same).
one Ho is enuff to lose billion$. dun support the other Ho unless you want international (yes, no more racial) riots.
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The government, by controlling public housing projects, decide on the demographics of each constituency, the breakdown between public and private housing.
In addition, by enforcing the racial quotas of the various ethnic groups, it ensures a homogeneous distribution of population across Singapore.
This essentially means that each and every constituency’s composition and make-up is essentially the same and will mimic the overall support that the PAP has in Singapore, thereby reducing the number of oppositions to the bare minimal.
As PRs do not have any voting rights, it would therefore not be a priority for the PAP to enforce quotas against them, given that they are already bounded by the ethnic quotas that are presently in place.
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@btan on Tue, 27th Oct 2009 4:45 pm
I’m not a supporter of PAP and have no current desire to be one – but i do see the rational of establishing racial quota within the heartlands.
Let us not forget that Singapore had experienced racial riots in the not too distant past. As witnessed all over the world (i.e. Malaysia, Indonesia, UK, Australia, Middle-East….) – racial cards were often an easy tool for “aspiring” individuals to manipulate the masses, often for their own selfish means.
Being a small country, with sizeable portions of various races – such is the critical importance of directing the racial interact of each community.
Nothing in life is free – all benefits comes with a cost attached. If racial harmony and cultural understanding can be achieved at the cost of individual cultural diversity – then so be it (*note* this is my personal opinion).
Less us forget, prior to you being a Malay, Chinese, Indian or Eurasian – you are first and foremost a Singaporean.
Yes, it is true that the communituies have matured tremendously since the past few decades – but all that’s needed to set us back, is just one small spark – to set mistrust and misunderstanding amongst our communities.
Yes, racial quota may be a breach of our civil rights – but let us look beyond the utopian picture. How many of us would choose to interact with members of another ethicinty, if we spent most of our childhood/lives in a specific ethinic enclave? Touch your heart and answer this truefully – don’t believe me? Just look beyond our shores at our northly neighbour – M and you will see.
Further on my above arguments, I sincerely believe that PAP MP Ho Geok Choo has been misinformed and is wrong.
In the same light as promoting social and cultural understanding amongst citizen ethic communities, quota should also be imposed upon PRs – to promote social integration and understanding between the foreigners and local populace.
Without such implementation, PRs will tend to congregate among themselves (who wouldn’t? Its only our human nature as social beings, to desire living and interacting with people of whom we are familiar with…) and put another sword on the current Singaporeans-PRs divide.
Would such a quota-implementation work?
Well it sure did on the racial harmony issue. People of our generation did indeed interact, communicate and understand more with our brethen of another ethic origin; as compared to our parents’ generations….
If it worked for that, why shouldn’t it work for the Singapore-PR divide?
Don’t you think so?
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@K. on Tue, 27th Oct 2009 10:42 pm
DEMOCRACY is a path that should never be rushed.
Let us start by giving the oppositions a fighting chance to grow and mature – there’s so many online forums/blogs in the cyberspace, highlighting the frustrations of the people; let them have to strategize and formulate their attacks – by offering a better alternative for the people.
Give them the backing (i.e. votes, financial aid – for those who can afford and for those talented few – walk the path of the brave and join the opposition parties) – so that they can improve their calibre, grow their strength+numbers (in the parliament) and offer a viable alternative against the PAP.
A controlled+steady maturity is needed and definitely supported by the people – last thing we all need is stikes/chaos/riots (i.e. Taiwan / Thailand / Indonesia….)
How fast the above process would take….. months??? years?? decades??? That will utimately boil down to the hearts and minds of the masses – the average Singapore Joes.
We are talking the talk (which have been happening all these years), now let us start walk the walk.
Elections 2010 is coming.
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Ms Ho Geok Choo as the daughter of the late PAP MP Ho See Beng must have led a privileged lifestyle. I doubt if she truly understands the feelings of the lower income Singaporeans. Her brother, Mr Ho Cheow Teck is also rewarded by being Honorary Consul to Morocco.
I think we shold ignore her comments as coming from someone who is out of touch with reality.
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I agree that the quota system should stay and it should apply to PR as well. But enforcing could be a problem, end of the day, the problem will still be around as PR/FT still rent flats and it would be unfair to impose quota for rental as well.
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Ethnic enclave? Consider the size of Singapore. Singapore itself is an enclave, overrun by mainland Chinese folks. Just look around you and be honest.
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Racial lines in Singapore are drawn up by the Government to divide the people.
The education system and Government policies perpetuate this. It is religious tolerance and practice, not race tolerance, that must be encouraged.
When a foreigner is natualised, it is a misnomer to classify them as Filipino, or Javanese, or even Indian, Chinese, etc as these are essentially geographical boundaries and associated with nationality rather than race.
As an example, China has 56 ethnic groups, with Han being the dominant (and ‘Chinese’ is not one of them).
In a globalised world, race is history. Today, 4 in 10 Singaporeans that get married, marry a foreigner.
Unknown to most, ICA allows a choice when it comes to race. This is not highlighted. Families of mixed marriages should therefore elect for themselves and their future children to be classified as ‘others’ under our archaic system of segregation and we will then be one Nation, one Singapore within a generation.
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subsidies are not subsidies when you have to pay them back ( with interest?)
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Isn’t Chinatown already turned into a Chinese enclave ? I just wonder how many Malays or Indians can you find living in the Kreta Ayer constituency ?
But in reality what is exactly wrong if the majority residents of a block turns out to be either Malay or Indian or any other race. The Chinese race themselves already forms the majority of most HDB flats. Does anybody has a problem with that ?
The only problem that I can see in imposing ethnic quota is that the minority eg Malay resident is being penalised by being limited to a smaller pool of potential buyers of the minority race, meaning a small selling price of his/her flat.
The way I see it, all this ethnic quota is just one of the political tools used by PAP to manipulate election results so that no minority races can ever become a force to be reckon as a threat to PAP’s authoritarian rule.
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PR should be banned from purchasing HDB. If they are the so-called “foreign talents”, they should be able to afford a private house.
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WHEN THEY ARE REMOVED FROM POWER TELL HO CHOO AND HO CHING TO GO CLEAN TABLES AT A HAWKER CENTRE. Since according to LKY’s lawyer its a ‘dignified’ job.
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Just speak the truth instead of spouting bullshit. They’re afraid the PRs wont be able to get their flats if such a quota system is in place. Approx 2+ million SIngaporeans in a population of 5 million??
So how should the quota look like for the PRs?
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## I love my country on Tue, 27th Oct 2009 4:11 pm
http://ww.pap.org.sg/html_wwadmin/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=69
Sorry to go off topic…
but she’s quite appealing with that ‘come-and-get-me’ smile.
If you had a bad day at the office stressing yourself out thinking of all the wrongs of the PAP… and your boss, it will be sweeter to have her in your dreams rather than that shrivelled up 86 year old Dracula boss of hers… or your very own.
I knew there was something redeeming about Ms Ho Geok Choo, but just couldn’t figure it out till now.
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I as a PR from neighbouring countries believed that there should b a quota for the PR n other foreign professional on
permit.
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In all area of life,there are quota everywhere. Without it
things will start breaking down. Certain control in critical area are necessary. for example if no traffic light can you
imagine what will happen? And for human if no limit, they want
more and more, is that right? Idealism and romantic is the worse, they want the best without paying and no responsibilities, and when things go wrong, they move over the other side of the fence. Is this right or not ?
Thank you
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I find nothing remarkable about Ms Ho. She was only Vice President Human Resources at SIA Engineering Company (SIAEC) when she became an MP.
What was so special about her that the MIW asked her to serve as MP after their infamous tea sessions, other than that she is the daughter of the late PAP MP Ho See Beng.
Most of the time, she doesn’t have a clue about what she is saying. As someone who benefited from the crony system, she is divorced from reality.
Her questions in parliament leave many scratching their heads.
I feel it is time to give the better and more qualified opposition members a chance, even it they are not relations or close friends of the father and son.
I will do my part and vote opposition. Others will have to do their part too.
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//I love my country
yeah, right. as if they have come up with any sensible policies or defence for the last 10 years.
and 10k a month to help you write a letter is “cheap”
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Why are we correlating racial quota (which is supposed to be applied across the board) and what MP Lim Wee Kiat was proposing?
What he wanted was to spread out the PR population more rather than allow them to congregate. Clementi has a mini Burmese community sprouting. Woodland area is seeing a larger number of PRC nationals. That is the thing that is worrying MP Lim. While MP Ho Geok Choo’s response is a bit on the “I am not impressed side”, there is also a concern that the naturalized PRs will also prefer to live in a certain area because of more people from their hometowns living there. Just brushing it off by saying their numbers are not threatening is
This works against our integration policy and as a member of the majority race in Singapore I think that is important. Racial quota does cause some minor issues, why not HDB do away with both the new applicant subsidy and the racial quota? Then the NDB cannot hide behind their veil of affordability due to removal of the grant.
If we really want change, then its time we change our mentality of let the other people vote the opposition in. Do it ourselves and weed out the opposition members who cannot do their work properly. No voiding parking fines for people do not count.
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@Tony P on Tue, 27th Oct 2009 10:55 pm
Racial riot is just another boogie man used by PAP to scare us into supporting their minority-race policies.
In wanting freedom for ourselves, we must not forget that this freedom cannot be bought at the expense of suppressing minority races.
We are afraid that native Singaporeans will eventually be supplanted by foreigners, especially PRC Chinese, but haven’t we supplanted the local born Malays in the past?
Now that we are a nation, we should lived together as equals and that means they too should have a voice. If they desire to have their “enclave”, what right do we the majority Chinese have to deny them?
One day, when we are supplanted by PRC Chinese and this country becomes a mini-China, would you want the PRCs to tell you to prevent this country from being too Singaporean, Singaporeans will be forced to mixed with PRC Chinese to maintain a China-feel. Would you like that?
Think about what we ask for and what we are or will be facing and what the minority HAVE been facing.
We need political freedom for ourselves so we can control our destinies. This start with abolishment of racial quotas in HDB area.
The problem of foreigners forming enclaves will not be a problem at all if their numbers are limited. Expants having been forming enclaves for decades and we are better for it with places like Holland Road and other areas.
We already have Chinatown, Serangoon Roads, Kreta Ayer areas with distinct Chinese, Indian and Malay flavour and we did not have racial riots.
Besides, please read up the true reason of racial riots. It was mainly due to Lee Kuan Yew’s bid for power in the Malaysian parliament. He wanted to control Malaysia back when Singapore was part of it. The racial riot was politically motivated more than anything else.
Artificially suppressing minority race is not going to prevent future racial riots but will in fact make it more likely. The best way to prevent racial riots is to give the minority race equal political and culture freedom and let them have a say in this homeland together.
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