The home ownership programme is the success story of Singapore, shared by all Singaporeans: Lee Kuan Yew
The site where the Pinnacle@Duxton stands was where HDB built the first rental blocks in Tanjong Pagar in 1963. At the key handover ceremony for the Pinnacle@Duxton on 13 December 2009, Mr Lee Kuan Yew said the transformation of Singapore’s landscape has been breath-taking. As Mr Lee recounted, in the 1960s, most Singaporeans lived in over-crowded shop […]
In what context did Mr Lee Kuan Yew say that the value of HDB flats would never drop?
It is important to understand the context in which Mr Lee Kuan Yew made that statement. Mr Lee Kuan Yew spoke at the Launch of Tanjong Pagar Town Council’s Five-Year Masterplan and Opening of ABC Waters at Alexandra Canal on 19 March 2011. He spoke to his residents in Tanjong Pagar, a very mature estate with many […]
Is your BTO less affordable today? Let’s dive into the math for the answer.
If we compare the prices of HDB flats today with the prices of HDB flats built 20 or 30 years ago, of course prices have gone up. But so has income. The rise in the prices of HDB flats are in line with income growth. The question is: is the BTO less affordable today? Let’s dive […]
If the Government does nothing, litigation could change societal norms very quickly, says Shanmugam
We should not assume that the Courts will never strike s 377A down just because the Government chooses to retain it, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in Parliament. The CA has said that legal standards do still exist, and may be applied, to judge the legality or constitutionality of Section 377A. “Our […]
Not taking a party position so WP MPs can freely support all sides is ‘wanting to speak without taking responsibility’: Shanmugam
Mr Pritam Singh, as Leader of the Opposition, says the WP does not take a position on s377A, whether to repeal or not. As a Party, the WP has no official position. It does not want to be seen as supporting the repeal. At the same time, it also does not want to be seen […]
Should land for public housing in Singapore be priced at a nominal rate?
You’ve heard this before: that land for HDB flats should be priced lower, even at a nominal fee of $1 because it is land for public housing. After all, land assets, as part of the reserves, belong to the people. The problem with this line of reasoning is that public housing in Singapore has taken […]
Studies show strong support for using the Death Penalty for the Most Serious Crimes.
Under Singapore’s laws, the death penalty is used as a punishment for the most serious crimes. To better understand Singapore residents’ views and perceptions on the death penalty, the Ministry of Home Affairs (“MHA”) commissioned and conducted the following three studies: Survey on Singapore Residents’ Attitudes towards the Death Penalty, conducted by the MHA Research […]
What does it take for Singapore to be a ‘narco’ state like the Netherlands? Apparently not much.
You know the rule of law is being threatened when journalists covering the Marengo trial were asked to sign agreements not to name judges or prosecutors, for fear of them being targeted. This is the Netherlands. “I call The Netherlands a ‘narco-state 2.0’,” says Jan Struijs, chairman of the Nederlandse PolitieBond police union. “We aren’t […]
MHA responds to Pritam Singh’s death penalty commentary and points out errors
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has on Tuesday (6 September) responded to a commentary by the Leader of the Opposition, Pritam Singh, on the death penalty in Singapore, which was published by Today (“Death penalty for drug trafficking should stay, but certain aspects of drug law can be improved”) Broad agreement MHA noted that […]
India Supreme Court’s decision on definition of marriage illustrates the risk of legal challenge to current definition of marriage: Shanmugam
The recent ruling by the Indian Supreme Court to widen the definition of families to “atypical” households like same-sex couples has starkly illustrated the risks of a legal challenge to Singapore’s current definition of marriage, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said in a Facebook post on 1 September. Mr Shanmugam noted that the […]