Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): I thank the Minister for the response. I am wondering if you could just elaborate a little bit on the reason why the stipulation that an original member of the application has to be included. I say this because I have had residents that have made a request because they no longer ended up with the original intended partner, actually try to apply with another new partner – and all the parties involved agreed with the process – but because of course the new partner is not listed in the original application, this was rejected.
Ms Indranee Rajah: Essentially, with a break-up of the fiancé-fiancée relationship, there is a breach of the fundamental eligibility condition of the family nucleus to buy a flat. Hence, the retention of the flat is not allowed and the flat is to be surrendered to HDB. If the flat owners refuse to surrender, then of course HDB will compulsorily acquire the flat.
And then, specific to the question that Assoc Prof Lim raised, the only exception to allow one party to retain the flat is with parents who were originally listed in the application for purchase of the flat as the retaining party with his or her parents would have qualified to buy the flat as a family nucleus even without the couple’s marriage. So, that is the idea because with the other family member, they would have qualified on their own even without marriage.
Ministry of National Development
21 March 2023
https://sprs.parl.gov.sg/search/#/sprs3topic?reportid=oral-answer-3169
Office of the Leader of the Opposition 