Government slams blogger over ‘misleading’ Pulau Ubin article

Nurul Azliah Aripin, SingaporeScene Yahoo News 20 Apr 13;

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has criticised a blogger's post regarding the recent developments happening among Pulau Ubin residents as "inaccurate" and some of its facts “misleading”.

In his article entitled, “Pulau Ubin: Rent will increase at 35% p.a.?” published Thursday on news site The Online Citizen, economist and statistician Leong Sze Hian said the government had forgotten to compensate residents for 20 years since the state’s development plans on the island began in 1993.

But in a statement to Yahoo! Singapore on Friday, SLA slammed this as “false” and explained that those who did not receive compensation were tenants and their owners have been renting out the properties since 1993. Therefore, these tenants are “not entitled to compensation from the government”.

However, SLA also stated that resettlement benefits were still provided to these tenants on an “ex-gratia basis” in terms of “money” and “priority for HDB flats”.

In the same article, Leong highlighted the 5-year increase in rent for Pulau Ubin residents and regarded the annual increase of 35 per cent per annum as too much, describing this as a “whopping” rate.

SLA said this was “highly misleading” as Leong had “ignored” the fact that the government" did not charge any rental in 1993 and for 20 years the tenants have been enjoying that”. The SLA statement added that “even now the Government has chosen to phase in the rentals over five years to mitigate the impact on the residents”.

The SLA also said the writer's formula in calculating the rent Pulau Ubin residents could have paid in 1993 as “factually wrong".

The government agency then reiterated that the census survey currently being conducted in Pulau Ubin and its residents aims to find out which other households are eligible for resettlement benefits offered in 1993, as well as to regularise property rents in the form of a Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) fee on those who wish to remain on the island.

The census survey is being conducted from 3 April until June and Pulau Ubin residents have been informed of this through a notice letter sent last month.

The notice letter which was headlined as “Clearance of structures previously acquired for development of adventure park on Pulau Ubin”, sparked concern among Pulau Ubin residents as well as those on Singapore’s mainland who thought that it was an eviction letter, said the SLA.

But the SLA and Housing Development Board (HDB) have since clarified it was a misunderstanding and admitted they should have “carefully worded” and “updated” the language used in the letter, adding that the “adventure park” was a term used back in 1993 when referring to developments such as recreational facilities.

SLA clarifies regularisation of Pulau Ubin
Channel NewsAsia 20 Apr 13;

The Singapore Land Authority has described Mr Leong Sze Hian's article on the recent developments concerning residents on Pulau Ubin as inaccurate.

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has described Mr Leong Sze Hian's article on the recent developments concerning residents on Pulau Ubin as inaccurate.

In his article published by The Online Citizen, Mr Leong said the government had forgotten to compensate residents for 20 years since the state's development plans on the island began in 1993.

SLA said this is false and all owners have been compensated.

However, some owners were renting out their properties at that time to their tenants.

These tenants are not entitled to compensation from the government.

But the government, in 1993, as a matter of goodwill, also provided resettlement benefits to these tenants on an ex-gratia basis.

SLA said the government also allowed the tenants to stay on, as long as development plans did not require them to move out.

SLA also said Mr Leong's claim about the percentage increase of the rent is highly misleading.

It said the government did not charge any rental in 1993 and for 20 years the tenants have been enjoying that.

Even now the government has chosen to phase in the rentals over five years to mitigate the impact on the residents.

Under this approach, the rent payable will increase over five years.

For the first year, nine out of 10 residents will pay less than S$20 per month.

After year five, they will still pay less than S$120 per month.

Mr Leong seems to think this is an unreasonable amount to charge.

SLA said Mr Leong's extrapolation that the rent was one cent in 1993 is factually completely wrong and untrue.

It added that it is regrettable that such statements are made.

On the census, SLA said it’s now being conducted to determine the households which are eligible for the benefits offered in 1993.

Some of the residents have been staying in the properties since 1993 without a Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL).

SLA wants to regularise this as the TOL provides the basis for their continued stay on State land.

- CNA/ck