HDB AND PUBLIC HOUSING: THROUGH THE AGES

Abstract

This exercise intends to shed light on the history of public housing which is one of the integral aspects of our nation-building process. One of the key objectives of this exercise is to highlight the astounding success of Singapore's public housing programme in relation to the Singapore Improvement Trust and other programmes elsewhere, while revealing the many salient reasons behind them, chief of all being that of the government throwing its political muscle behind its own creation. The next section of the exercise attempts to highlight the costs and drawbacks that lay behind the success of the HDB's housing programme. Much of the criticisms leveled against the public housing programme were political in nature and one of the allegations that cut to the core issue of minorities (which is the emphasis of this exercise) is that the government and the HDB were insensitive in resettling Malays, sparking off riots. In examining how far such allegations hold true, this exercise also sets about to examine if enough have been done for the Malays with regards to public housing. This exercise then argues that both the HDB and PAP have been consistently sensitive to the needs of the Malays and that the Malays upon being under public housing, while most of them have lost the close-knit kampong atmosphere, they have most probably gained within their new identity as HDB dwellers, a more progressive outlook to life. Lastly, while re-enclaving of the Malays in certain areas is a testimony to the resilience of their close-knit ties, it also resulted in the government imposing a quota system on resale flats, indicating the governments readiness to use public housing as a social engineering tool to bring about its objectives. Also it shows that while the government has made the most concessions to Malays with regard to public housing, aspects like racial integration cannot be compromised.