February 26, 2004
Gates must envy HDB's solution
By Soh wen Lin The Straits Times
IT looks like the Housing Board (HDB) is facing a windows problem,
and this one has nothing to do with Microsoft.
HDB's windows problem, however, also threatens what techies call
"the blue screen of death" - that scenario when one's PC software
interface rolls over and dies - but in HDB's case this threat is to
whoever happens to be walking at the bottom of a block of flats
with, it seems, suicidal windows hanging high above.
If I were Microsoft founder and richest man in the world Bill
Gates, known the world over for my business genius, I'd still be
extremely envious of the way HDB gets to manage its windows
problem.
Because while the Mac and Linux software camps may rant constantly
about Microsoft's death grip on the market, it just doesn't seem as
all-consuming as the power HDB has over its customers.
After a gamut of viruses wreaked havoc across the global market of
Microsoft Windows clients, the company had to take responsibility
for the workmanship on its software -admitting that it could be
improved to fend off sabotage attempts from vicious virus
programmers.
It also provides clients with ongoing diagnostics and patches for
free on the Internet.
Or else, it could, in the longer term, risk losing customers to its
Mac and Linux rivals.
But in the case of the HDB windows, even if high-rise windows were
installed by HDB during an upgrading programme between 1987 and
1998, which was co-paid for by the flat owner, the flat owner still
has to come up with more cash to upgrade his window rivets if they
are not up to industry standards, which HDB changed after it
installed those windows.
And the responsibility of providing diagnostics, in this case
inspections, will be borne largely by private contractors, and paid
for largely by flat owners.
And if some weakness fails to get caught, and a physical "blue
screen of death" incident occurs, the penalty of a fine or jail
term sits squarely on the shoulders of HDB's customers.
Contractors are now worried sick that they will also be held liable
for such incidents if they were involved in the inspection of that
suicidal window.
The reasoning for introducing the new window laws was that a
similar law worked well for crashing air-conditioning units.
But, as unhappy flat owners are saying in letters to the
newspapers, air-conditioning units are always individual additions
and so logically are the sole responsibility of the
individual.
But when it comes to the windows that HDB installed, how come part
of the buck still gets passed on to the individual? And even if
such inspection and upgrading fees are waived or subsidised for
needy flat owners, unhappy residents counter that such an offer
still doesn't address the principle of the matter.
In Microsoft's case, one could simply tell such rabidly unhappy
customers to vote with their wallets and switch to some other
software system.
But in HDB's case, which caters to an overwhelming majority of
Singapore's residents, where can unhappy customers possibly
go?
Unfortunately, the "switching cost" in this scenario could be more
dire.
Fed-up residents who can't afford private property units may
instead opt for the long-term rental market, which might dilute the
residents' sense of rootedness in Singapore, or worse, another
country, with their talents, children and CPF accounts.
It may seem petty, threatening to switch out just because of a
window.
But for some it could be another frustrating episode after
witnessing so many upgrading programme contractors go bust and
disappear, leaving behind debris, rats, bugs and potentially
dengue-inflicting mosquitoes.
Or waiting for a seemingly endless period of time for a new home in
a block which unfortunately didn't prove popular enough to get
built.
But it's not too late.
I think most people believe that since the construction industry's
representation group as well as the law got roped in to put this
new windows management system in place, HDB has the resources and
influence to be more magnanimous in the matter.
The investment by HDB would be worth it, to avoid a fallout
involving more than metal frames and glass.
