Low Soo Peng Living in Singapore

1. Singapore
Citizens, Family,Housing Economics

2. The Model Singaporean
• Fully committed to the Country
• Highly educated
• Tolerant
• Highly productive and disciplined
• Of any race
• Thrifty
• Gracious and polite
• “Be the best that you can be!”

3. Aspiration for the 5 C’s
• Cash
• Credit Card
• Condominium
• Car
• Career
• Are these aspirations different among young
people here?

4. How to Create a National
Identity
• Multi-ethnic country
• People were originally immigrants from
China, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Europe
with their own traditions
– Lee Kwan Yew had special interest in elevating
the position of the Malays who had had lower
status during the colonial period.
Each ethnic group was to value and keep his or her
original ethnic identity and to learn the ethnic
language.

5. Ethnic Groups

6. Your opinion counts!
• Should the new country be a melting pot (e.g.
Americanization of immigrants here) or a
puzzle put together of various pieces?
• Which makes more sense to you: the melting
pot idea or the puzzle piece idea? What are
the advantages and disadvantages of each?

7. The Singaporean Family
• Highly valued and strongly committed;a
manifestation of Asian values
• Obligation to care for the elderly
• Marriage of similarly intelligent and educated
people encouraged
– Wanted brighter children
– No guarantees that would happen
– Lots of resistance from the people
• Government can’t legislate love!

8. Declining Birth Rate
• The birth rate of Singapore needs to be at 2.1
children in order for the population to replace
itself.
• Singapore’s birth rate is 1.4 and declining
• There is an increase in DINKS--double
income no kids--families

9. To Increase the Birth Rate
• Incentives for larger families
– Tax relief for parents
– “Birth Bonus”--family allowance for the first and
fourth children deposited at birth by government
– Children’s Development Fund for 2nd and 3rd
child
• Government will match parents ﾕ deposits annually,
dollar for dollar, up to S$1,000 for the second child and
S$2,000 for the third child. (S$=$.63US)

10. More Incentives
– Cheaper mortgages for large families
longer maternity leave (from 8 - 12 weeks)
– holiday entitlement for mothers
– Decreased maid levy for large family
• Family has to pay a monthly levy of S$345 for a
foreign maid.

11. Your Opinion
• What are the problems of a declining
birthrate?
• Is it ok for the government to push its
people to have more children when the
birth rate is declining?

12. Economy of Singapore
• Successful free market economy in which the
government plays a significant role
– Stable prices
– Transparent economic policies
– Little corruption
– Very high gross domestic product
• Major industries
– Trade and export through the world’s busiest port
– Refining of goods imported from neighboring
countries and reexported.
– Electronics manufacturing; biotechnology and
development of chemicals are priorities

13. • Well educated and highly skilled work force.
• Knowledge based economy
• Significant spending for education and
technology
– 4% national budget in America, 21% in Singapore
• Foreign investment provides tax base
– Housing and wage incentives to encourage foreign
business to be set up in Singapore

14. Household Income
• In the year 2000
• Income (S$) Percent of Population
– <$1000/month 12.6%
– $1000-$1999 14%
– $2000-$2999 14.7%
– $3000-$3999 13.1%
– $4000-$4999 10.3%
– $5000-$5999 8.2%
– $6000-$6999 6.2%
– $7000-$7999 4.6%
– $8000-$8999 3.5%
– $9000-$9999 2.5%
– >$10,000 10.3%

15. The Younger Generations
• Have never known poverty
• Have never known corruption
• Have never known a lack of safety
• Have had their material needs met
• Have had good housing options
• May not recognize the need to strive to keep
the economy and government strong and
corruption free.

16. Housing in Singapore
• After so much was destroyed during the
Japanese invasion and not rebuilt for
the people during colonialism, housing
was a major problem for the
government.
• People were living in squatter
settlements.

17. Creation of the Housing
Development Board
• The HDB was born in 1960 to address
an acute housing shortage.
• Current population is 6,066 persons per
square kilometer.
• Vision=“Affordable Homes, Vibrant
Towns, Cohesive Communities.”

18. Goal of Home Ownership
• In what ways is home ownership preferable to
home rental?
• HDB how ownership plan began in 1964 to
encourage the people to have a stake in the
nation.
• People in Singapore have compulsory
savings accounts in the Central Provident
Fund. They were allowed to use this money
to buy their apartments.

19. HDB has constructed 972,840
apartments for people
• 84% of the population owns their own
apartment
• HDB’s job is to
– Plan, design and provide affordable housing
– Provide an integrated living environment to
encourage social interaction and community
development
– Have policies to promote nation building, family
formation, mutual care and support and preserve
community and kinship ties.

21. Creation of Communities
• HDB creates whole towns consisting of
5-7 neighborhoods
• There are transport systems to move
the people from neighborhood to
neighborhood
• Older neighborhoods are upgraded to
keep pace with newer ones

22. Social Issues in Housing
• Quotas for each ethnic group in
apartments requires mingling
• Creation of green and social areas for
interaction between people
• 3 generational playgrounds
– Play apparatus
– Fitness apparatus
– Apparatus designed for the elderly

23. In Order to Buy a Flat from
HDB with Housing Assistance
• Singapore citizen
• >21 years old
• >35 if single
• Income limitation
– $3000mo for 3 room flat
– $8000/mo for 4 room or bigger flat
– $12,000/mo for extended family buying big flat
• Can’t own other residential property

24. Other Activities of HDB
• Upgrading existing apartments with 93%
subsidy to owners
• Elevator upgrading program to give all
residents access on their floor
• Property management of whole
neighborhoods
• Creation of prefabricated bathroom
construction for new dwellings and upgrading.

25. Housing Pragmatics
• Apartment sizes
– Studio 4 room
– 1 room 5 room
– 2 room executive
– 3 room
• Apartment prices--average
– 3 room=S$81,000
– 4 room=S$165,000
– 5 room=S$183,000
• Price depends on location and age of the flat