Latest news with #BTO
New Paper
13 hours ago
- General
- New Paper
Sole registered voter in Tampines Changkat SMC polling district gets verbal advisory for old address
A man who was the sole registered voter in a polling district within Tampines Changkat SMC received a verbal advisory for failing to update his address as required by law. He had previously listed his business premises in an industrial park in Tampines as his residential address but has since updated the information. In a joint statement on June 3, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Elections Department (ELD) said the man registered his business address as his residence in 2020 because he had resided there temporarily during that period. But after moving to a new residence in 2022, he did not update his address within 28 days, as required by law. ICA investigated and found no evidence to suggest any malicious or criminal intent. Taking into account that this was the man's first offence under the National Registration Act, it decided to issue the verbal advisory. The Registers of Electors will reflect his updated address when they are next revised. The case came to light after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) released its report on March 11, ahead of General Election 2025, which was held on May 3. The report, based on the provisional Registers of Electors as at Feb 1, indicated that there was a single registered voter listed under the East Coast 42 polling district within the new Tampines Changkat SMC. But checks by The Straits Times found that there was no known valid residence in the polling district at that time, as it comprised only four upcoming Housing Board Build-To-Order (BTO) projects and an industrial estate. Three of the BTO projects remain under construction, and the Tampines GreenEmerald project was recently completed, with the first batch of residents getting their keys only on Feb 23. The anomaly raised questions about who the person was and how he was able to register an address in the area. News website AsiaOne later reported that the man is a 53-year-old business owner, who wanted to be known only by his surname Yeo. Mr Yeo said he had changed his residential address from somewhere in central Singapore to that of a unit in Tampines Industrial Park A, where he runs a family business. He added that he does not live in the unit. ST has contacted JTC Corporation, which manages Tampines Industrial Park A, for comment. Under the National Registration Act, all identity card holders are required to report a change of address within 28 days of moving into a new residence, whether local or overseas. The change can be done online via ICA's change-of-address e-service. Those who fail to report a change of address or falsely declare their residential address may be fined up to $5,000 and jailed for up to five years.
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Sole registered voter in Tampines Changkat SMC polling district gets verbal advisory for old address
A man who previously registered his residential address at an industrial park in Tampines in 2020 was given a verbal advisory following investigations by the ICA. ST PHOTO: AQIL HAMZAH Sole registered voter in Tampines Changkat SMC polling district gets verbal advisory for old address SINGAPORE – A man who was the sole registered voter in a polling district within Tampines Changkat SMC received a verbal advisory for failing to update his address as required by law . He had previously listed his business premises in an industrial park in Tampines as his residential address but has since updated the information. In a joint statement on June 3, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and Elections Department (ELD) said the man registered his business address as his residence in 2020 because he had resided there temporarily during that period. But after moving to a new residence in 2022, he did not update his address within 28 days, as required by law. ICA investigated and found no evidence to suggest any malicious or criminal intent. Taking into account that this was the man's first offence under the National Registration Act, it decided to issue the verbal advisory. The Registers of Electors will reflect his updated address when they are next revised. The case came to light after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC) released its report on March 11, ahead of General Election 2025, which was held on May 3. The report, based on the provisional Registers of Electors as at Feb 1, indicated that there was a single registered voter listed under the East Coast 42 polling district within the new Tampines Changkat SMC. But checks by The Straits Times found that there was no known valid residence in the polling district at that time, as it comprised only four upcoming Housing Board Build-To-Order (BTO) projects and an industrial estate. Three of the BTO projects remain under construction, and the Tampines GreenEmerald project was recently completed, with the first batch of residents getting their keys only on Feb 23. The anomaly raised questions about who the person was and how he was able to register an address in the area. News website AsiaOne later reported that the man is a 53-year-old business owner, who wanted to be known only by his surname Yeo. Mr Yeo said he had changed his residential address from somewhere in central Singapore to that of a unit in Tampines Industrial Park A, where he runs a family business. He added that he does not live in the unit. ST has contacted JTC Corporation, which manages Tampines Industrial Park A, for comment. Under the National Registration Act, all identity card holders are required to report a change of address within 28 days of moving into a new residence, whether local or overseas. The change can be done online via ICA's change-of-address e-service. Those who fail to report a change of address or falsely declare their residential address may be fined up to $5,000 and jailed for up to five years. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Independent Singapore
4 days ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Two speeds, one city: Singapore's divergent property markets
Resale flat prices in Singapore's public Housing and Development Board (HDB) market are expected to moderate, but the island's 'two-speed' private property market presents a mixed scenario. The good news comes from the government — and the less upbeat from international media. HDB resale prices are likely to ease as more flats reach their minimum occupation period (MOP) starting next year, Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said on Wednesday (May 28) in his first media comments since assuming his role. The five-year MOP is the minimum time new flat owners must wait before selling. This coming wave of resale flats, combined with the steady launch of Build-to-Order (BTO) flats — 19,600 planned for 2025, and 102,300 launched between 2021 and 2025 — is expected to relieve upward pressure on prices. Signs of this cooling are already apparent. HDB data for Q1 2025 showed resale prices rising just 1.6 per cent — the slowest increase since Q4 2023. Public resale transactions rose 2.6 per cent to 6,590 in Q1 2025, up from 6,424 in the previous quarter. Year-on-year, however, sales were down 6.8 per cent. According to a February report by property agency OrangeTee, the number of flats reaching MOP will fall for a third straight year — from 30,920 in 2022 to 6,974 in 2025. That's the lowest in 11 years, with only 5,301 units hitting MOP in 2014. Still, analysts believe a sharp spike in resale prices is 'unlikely', thanks to the continued supply of BTO flats. In contrast, Singapore's private housing sector is running at two speeds. While demand for mass-market suburban homes remains strong among locals, the high-end condo segment — once buoyed by foreign money — is more sluggish. A split market Bloomberg columnist Andy Mukherjee notes this divergence began two years ago, when Singapore doubled stamp duties on foreign buyers to 60%. The move cooled the once red-hot luxury segment, especially among Chinese investors. As a result, luxury condo prices rose just 19% over five years, while mass-market homes jumped 46%. Still, new private home sales fell slightly in April, dipping to 663 units from 729 in March. Much of this is due to the heavy supply of high-end city-centre units, which lack the pull of more affordable suburban offerings. Indeed, earlier in the year, launches in the east and northeast posted striking take-up rates of 90% to 95%. Fuelled by HDB gains The resilience of suburban private housing is closely tied to the thriving HDB resale market, according to Mukherjee. Prices of HDB flats have outpaced private homes since the pandemic, enabling many Singaporeans to unlock capital gains after meeting their five-year MOP. These gains are often reinvested in private property. Forecasts differ — Savills projects up to 7% growth in private home prices this year, while Bloomberg Intelligence suggests a more modest 3%. But underlying demand remains strong. Singapore's low unemployment (just over 2%) and a 20% rise in median household income since the pandemic support this trend, says Mukherjee. Buyers are now accustomed to paying over S$2,000 ($1,550) per square foot even in outlying areas, particularly where infrastructure and amenities are improving. One-bedroom units outside the central zone are in high demand — a sign of a healthy appetite for investment and rental properties. Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Independent Singapore
6 days ago
- General
- Independent Singapore
‘The reno worker just let them in': Woman horrified as neighbours invade her new BTO unit
SINGAPORE: A woman was shocked to find a group of neighbours had entered her newly renovated BTO flat without her knowledge or consent. Among them were two children, a domestic helper, an elderly woman, and two other women. According to the woman's colleague, who shared the incident on the r/SingaporeRaw subreddit on Wednesday (May 28), the flat had just been fully renovated and professionally cleaned, ready for move-in. The woman and her husband had been eagerly anticipating starting their new life there, but were caught completely off guard when they turned up to find unfamiliar faces inside their home. The unexpected visitors, who live on the same floor, had apparently been curious about the renovation works and were let in by a renovation worker who happened to be there at the time. 'The worker didn't want any trouble, didn't know how to say no (I'm guessing they were being pushy too), and just let them in,' the colleague said. When the couple arrived and saw what was happening, they were understandably furious. They immediately confronted the group and told them to 'Get out!'. One of the women reportedly went pale and pleaded with them not to scare the children. Curious about how other locals would handle the situation, the colleague asked in her post: 'What would you do when nosy neighbours trespass into your new BTO unit without your presence?' 'This is not worth bothering about.' Rather than confronting them harshly, many commenters felt that taking a more understanding and friendly approach would be better. One Redditor suggested, 'Just be friendly and do a house tour for them. Can ask to see their unit as well. Will be seeing them for the next five years at least. How to face them after screaming at them?' Another echoed this sentiment, stating, 'Considering you plan to stay there for the foreseeable future, it doesn't make sense to antagonise your new neighbours (however kpo they are). Benefit of the doubt, they're just interested in getting design ideas, or are just born with no boundaries. Suggest to just chat them up and discuss your reno.' A third wrote, 'Nothing. This is not worth bothering about. If they were there with an old lady and kids in tow, they were obviously not there to create trouble, steal your stuff, or harass you (they were obviously not expecting the owners to be home). They were just there to look-see/kaypoh as if it was a new shop being built, and they didn't even realise that it would offend anyone.' Trespassing In Singapore, trespassing is considered a criminal offence. Under Section 447 of the Penal Code, any individual who unlawfully enters another person's property with the intent to cause annoyance or harm may be charged with criminal trespass. The offence carries a maximum penalty of three months' imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,500, or both. Read also: 'Am I the bad guy?' — Worker says his colleague got retrenched after he automated 90% of her tasks Featured image by freepik (for illustration purposes only)
CNA
6 days ago
- Business
- CNA
National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat to prioritise building more HDBs, renewing older towns
Newly minted National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat wants to prioritise building more flats, improving transport links at new estates and refreshing older towns. He was at BTO project Toa Payoh Ridge this morning for his first site visit since assuming his new role. Kate Low reports.
