New flats are affordable.
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Yeaps, affordability is subjective (:
Of course it it affordable, I would say new flats are very cheap. I will buy more than 1 if it is possible, how else am I going to spend my civil service pay that the electorate do not complain about.
PAP should define affordability and not use it as a political rhetoric.
affordable is like complacent
can be use easily without them placing any thoughts before handling it to us.
It seems that these words are more directly relating to them and not us.
affordable for them but not us. are we the complacent one or is it them who are complacent?
Every word that come from this damn short elite’s mouth is affordable because he is earning mil$$$, to him there is no such word as poor from his dictionary.
‘Affordability’ is definitely within Minister Mahs’ Income
and it should be way way beyond that.
‘Affordability’ is chicken to Minister Mah whose Public
Housing Ministry must be making tons of money for him
to be remunerated with Million SIN Dollars per year.
patriot
The prices of HDB has risened so high that it is only affordable because of the huge and easy bank loans. Look at the sub-prime loans in US, these loans were given to people who normally cannot “afford” a house so that they can now “afford” the house. That didn’t end well right?
By tweaking the tenor of the loan; it is possible to ‘afford” something not within your means.
Surely it is very “affordable” for the government to remove clowns like WongCan’tSing, Lim’s Sweet Say, Marlboro Tan, Clown Prince, Senile Old Fart, HoJinx, Woody Pecker etc and save billions !
Well, he is using affordability as the shield…and of course, somehow I feel the discussion is going at it the wrong way. instead of questioning him about affordability, they should question him on the profiteering…
but of course, his reply will goes ” we are subsidizing, so how can we be profiteering,”
Astronomical price for a flat, and he call it affordable?! well, perhaps the people can pay for it, just that they will have to slave their lives away
What do you expect from the millionaire Minister MBT = S.O.S
Ps. S.O.S = Same Old Story
Affordable? Of course. In fact, the price of a new flat is… peanuts.
Now there’s another loose term.
agree with #9 Yamamoto…minister mah should futher back his term of affordable housing with figures like salary incomes, buyers’ profile, etc
To me , the situation is similar to a family of four (with 2 kids) visiting Sentosa.
U walk around the island, enjoy whatever is free (clean air, drink water from
the cistern or toilet taps etc) and that’s it for the kids, no going to the Underwater
World or other attractions as it wld be too expensive for their parents to spend
that sort of money. To the operators, the entry fees are fair & affordable and for
those parents who can’t afford, either wait for family members/friends/relatives
to bring their kids to these places of attraction and let the kids hv a good time while they are young (but for those who are not fortunate to be in such position, too bad). Another option, these kids just hv to wait till they themselves start work, earning $ and can afford to go but then it’s a different feeling altogether. Thus,
affordability is very ‘subjective’.
Previously, I used to chase after HDB flat allocation, now I have to
contend also with chasing after HDB prices as well.
We can all also ‘afford’ to do away with high-up-on-ivory-tower-doesn’t
-know-the-ground-feelings people like him in Govt soon.
OMG! Is that a voice from heaven?????????? Then Im reminded again this is still the 7th month afterall…when is his last day? Can we afford to keep all this goons on earth?
Of course it is affordable to him… he can buy 3 – 4 flats a year on his salary….
New flats are affordable. Here he goes again, this kateh ayam. Every new HDB flat the government put on the market. The profit margin said for a 250,000 flat, the HDB (i.e. govt.) made 110,000 dollars on it. almost 100% profit. do we call this subsidised flat. Yes! we subsidise the government and pay exorbitant price.
Why cannot the HDB be transparent and publish the cost of construction (materials used) all inclusive anddo not put us in the dark that HDB is not making money on the new flats.
Utter rubbish from a trash mouth.
We can afford a new government too. Believe me, we can.
it’s all smoke & mirrors. they spew up numbers and figures to confuse the general public on the “affordability” of HDB flats. living costs are only going to skyrocket in years to come – and i’m betting that they’ll be increasing GST to 10% and then tell us we have it so much better because we don’t pay inflated taxes like in Australia, and shuts us up with more “handouts”.
why doesn’t anyone remind the govt the original purpose of CPF? i.e retirement funds.
those people who keep harping on the “affordability” of HDB flats don’t have to worry about working their fingers to the bone until 67 while the rest of us have to think about how to keep our jobs even after we reach retirement age.
a little respect to the people on the ground, please. i’m very disappointed with the govt.
gov is supposed to make money from investments and ensure citizens have affordability. but now the reverse trend is citizens are paying exhorbitant prices for basic neccessities such as hdb, transport, electricty/water/petrol to fund their losses and million dollar pay?
A Statement of Mass hypnotism….”Look into my eyes everyone…
New flats are affordable.”
Affordable….only if there are enough flats built in the first place.
Who is accountable for the shortage of 3-4 room flats that new couples need now?
Could this shortage been avoided by the planners 3 years ago, given the population growth projections, immigration trends and exisiting unsold units?
Affordable, of course to the ministers and their pedigrees. To majority of Singaporeans it is hardship. Something is very very wrong, we are in recession, we hear of retrenchment, but why the price of housing continue to shoot up ?? Is it manipulated by the govt. Pls the 2 opposition MPs, query them ??
A PR friend just bought a 4 rm flat (91 sq m) for $400,000 at Jurong area. Do you think is affordable ?
Maybe we can set this question for General Paper.
New flats are affordable. Discuss.
“Of course it is affordable, its only a few hundred thousand. Oh wait, you mean for the lesser mortals… “
It’s time we change the government and cut those pay of ministers to $10,000 per month. Still, these papstard minsters will find it very affordable to stay in HDB !
so affordable???
give all of us here 5 room hdb flat, for free with ur salary.
As usual, higher hdb prices benefit the rich developers and property spectulators. Where is the nation building where people just want a home?
ERP rates into city $3.50+2.50+$1.50 -> isnt this crazy and keep going up!
$1.1B loss – where to recoup? from commodities such as hdb, erps, electricity/water, transport etc.
Mah is probably one of the meanest ministers what with the ERP and COE implementation when he reigned as Transport Minister.
At Housing, he continues his relentless pursuit for profits for the government.
Without doing too much but simply raising the prices of HDB prices and lifting up the property prices in Singapore, he has helped Singapore makes billions.
From $200,000 for a brand new HDB 4-room flat before he came on board, he has rasied prices to around $350,000 even in Punggol area.
Singapore government can be proud that they will try to provide a flat for each married couple but how many can afford it now? It is no longer that affordable anymore even though you may have dual income.
I have seen rows of unoccupied brand new HDB 4 and 5 room flats at Bkt Panjang, CCK and Jurong as people simply shy away from far away places and the high cost that comes with it. They later have to conduct sales so that people will buy them. Some went on unoccupied for more than 3 years after TOP.
What a waste!
yes it affordable as long as you are employed with stable cpf contributions
however onced you reached 40s…IF you are not classified as over the hill and get retrenched..that affordablilitiy just become your libilities…asked wongcantsink till today he can still afford as his income is unbreahable no matter what mistakes he makes…
People have to vote those bloody papstards out because after next election, these papstards could as well raise GST from current 7% to 15% and tell you that even thing with GST is still AFFORDABLE because you can pay for it.
Imagine MRT transport increase to $4 per trip, and as long as you can pay, it is affordable by government standard. In the end, what is not affordable if you can still pay ? In HDB, it is still affordable because u can pay even though u struggle to pay up ?
Yes, we should vote those bloody as#sholes because we no longer can AFFORD not to do so.
20) BG@ bg.com on September 15th, 2009 12.24 pm ,
to them no such things. it is all about PROFIT AND FAT PAY!!!!
This is why they are paid so much. This is brilliant and one of the pillars to remain in power. They have created such a situation that people are at their mercy. So people argue that new flats are too expensive and the opposition takes the line. All they have to do is go to every older estate and claim that the value of their HDB flats will drop as the opposition wants to lower the price of new flats. When that happens, the value of resale flats will free fall. Next threaten to take away the subsidy and the price of resale flats drops further. That would be financial ruin for those who are waiting to sell their flats to retire and those who bought the flats at high prices. There are more HDB flat owners then those wanting to buy new flats. Get your GRC boundaries right and its a no brainer
GUYS, it will be very ‘affordable’ to vote them all out this coming election. that’s for sure!
Wow…. housing go up like mad, and now any Singaporean with house to live in is wealthy by government standard because the house’s value has increased (but strangely they will not mention that cost of living has increased significantly as well !)
It’s time the Singapore’s national anthem song be changed ! No more “Mari kita” that is just aspiration ! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majulah_Singapura
Instead, the song should reflect the government’s money greedy policy and exploitation. What better national anthem song to use than “Money Money Money” by Abba !
Look at the lyrics, I’m very sure it make a very extraordinary National Anthem Song. Our clowns will definitely agreed.
MTV
Singapore’s version :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62NOErWc0sA
Money, Money, Money by Abba
==================================
I work all night, I work all day, to pay the bills I have to pay
Ain’t it sad
And still there never seems to be a single penny left for me
That’s too bad
In my dreams I have a plan
If I got me a wealthy man
I wouldn’t have to work at all, I’d fool around and have a ball…
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man’s world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man’s world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It’s a rich man’s world
A man like that is hard to find but I can’t get him off my mind
Ain’t it sad
And if he happens to be free I bet he wouldn’t fancy me
That’s too bad
So I must leave, I’ll have to go
To Las Vegas or Monaco
And win a fortune in a game, my life will never be the same…
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man’s world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man’s world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It’s a rich man’s world
Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man’s world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man’s world
Aha-ahaaa
All the things I could do
If I had a little money
It’s a rich man’s world
It’s a rich man’s world
================================
So next national day, broadcast this song rather than some propaganda song of the state.
Yes, more good years and golden period ahead .
mwah…hahahahahahahahahahahaha………………………
For whom?
New flats are affordable, and pigs can fly
New flats are affordable? Based on what range of income intake? I think I rather own an old flat.
he’s not lying.
hdb flats are perfectly affordable to him and his gang.
but not for u & me.
New or resale, its affordable when the young ones take a 30 year loan.
In fact, anything is affordable with a long term loan, its a matter of the
tenure.
affordable?
why not “bigger, cheaper, better”?
I feel that HDB should be privatised in future, it has gone from providing basic housing to achieving maximum profits, and trying to showcase to the world its outstanding achievements.
Housing grants can be given as shares to provide a dividend as a source of income to the residents. More solar panels should be installed to reduce costs of electricity and community centres should be upgraded with country club style facilities for the residents.
or sell HDB (leased) homes by psf, dun cheat S’poreans money by building newer units smaller & smaller. why should HDB sell by the number of rooms, while private properties sell by psf?
living room, restroom, storeroom, also is room, but does MBT sleep there? lol….
MBT what say you?
I think losing him in the next GE is VERY ‘affordable’ too.
Those in Tampines GRC.. If he stays there, you have a way to let him know if you agree with all he had done all these years.
1) COE
2) ERP
3) DBSS for HDB and
4) 25% in cost of HDB ppty while the median income remains stagnant.
Thank him for all these.
monopolizing home ownership is the best form of political control without resorting to violence. I think the right to have a shelter over one’s head without having to be a slave to paying for it should be a basic human right.
Those Greed Gods in parliament have forgotten that HDB are meant for mere mortals.
I suspect that at least 90% of these greed gods are multi-millionaires—including all front benchers.What is not affordable to them?.
Stop profiteering from your own citizens!
In the 80s our family land of 28 acres (1.2M sq ft) was acquired for few dollars shy of $1m. By selling 2 units of 5rm flat would have covered the land cost. You go and figure out how many blocks could be built.