by Jessica Cheam
THE Government has moved quickly to scrap a scheme that allows
siblings whose parents live overseas to buy HDB flats, after
unhappiness surfaced online recently over how it seemed to favour
permanent residents over citizens.
Senior Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu on
Monday told Parliament that the Housing Board would discontinue the
scheme with immediate effect as it "is no longer necessary".
It was introduced in 1990 to enable unmarried Singaporean and PR
siblings to buy an HDB flat. To qualify, their parents cannot own
another HDB flat and must reside overseas.
"This was necessary then because the sublet market for HDB flats
and rooms was limited, and there were few viable housing options
for these siblings," Ms Fu said in response to Marine Parade GRC MP
Lim Biow Chuan's question.
Under the scheme, Singaporean siblings could buy a new or resale
flat while PR siblings could buy only a resale flat.
Ms Fu also revealed that only about 300 such cases got the
go-ahead each year. That is less than 1 per cent of total flat
transactions.
