SINGAPORE: Hazel Poa, first vice-chair of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) and candidate for West Coast–Jurong West GRC, delivered a pointed critique of the government’s housing policies, highlighting rising HDB prices, supply constraints, and what she called misleading affordability claims by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
Speaking at Jurong West Stadium on Wednesday night (1 May) to residents of West Coast-Jurong West and Pioneer constituencies, Poa argued that HDB flats have become increasingly unaffordable under the stewardship of National Development Minister Desmond Lee.
“Minister Lee has been assuring Singaporeans that HDB affordable, but when we speak to residents, the feedback is always the same — flats are too expensive,” she said.
Poa pointed to the supply of flats as a root cause of the price hikes. Between 2021 and 2025, 102,300 flats were launched — an average of 20,460 per year.
However, Lee recently announced that only 15,000 flats would be launched annually in 2026 and 2027.
Poa questioned whether this was sufficient, citing Singapore’s 24,000 annual citizen marriages and the intake of approximately 20,000 new citizens each year.
“Is 15,000 enough to meet this demand?” she asked, warning that shortfalls push buyers into the resale market, thereby driving up prices.
She noted that from 1981 to 1985, HDB had built an average of 38,000 flats annually — more than double today’s future projections.
“Do you think the Government is incapable of building more flats now, with all its current resources?” she asked the crowd, suggesting the issue lies with political will rather than logistical capability.
Poa criticised the Government’s response to long wait times for flats, noting that “Shorter Waiting Time” (SWT) flats are being rolled out at a sluggish pace, with only 3,800 such units planned for 2025.
She argued that more SWT flats would help couples start families earlier, calling the current pace “hugely inadequate.”
Affordability Claims ‘Misleading’
On the matter of affordability, Poa took issue with Lee’s use of selected data, such as comparing 4-room BTO prices in non-mature estates with median wages.
“Not everyone buys in non-mature estates. One-third of first-timers end up in the resale market,” she said.
Resale prices, she added, have surged 53% from 2020 to 2025, while wages only rose around 21% in the same period.
As land acquisition costs rise with resale values, HDB must pay more to acquire land from the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), which in turn inflates the Government’s housing grants.
In last financial year, she noted, $6.8 billion in grants were issued — equivalent to around 3–4% of GST. “More tax revenue will be needed if prices continue to rise,” she cautioned.
She reiterated PSP’s position that the Government should either increase flat supply or moderate the inflow of new citizens, arguing that the state’s duty must be to “meet the housing needs of its own citizens first.”
Turning to the issue of lease decay, Poa criticised the PAP for failing to provide details on the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (VERS) even eight years after its announcement.
She also defended PSP’s “Affordable Home Scheme,” which proposes not charging buyers for land costs unless they sell their flats on the resale market.
The PAP has claimed the scheme constitutes a raid on the reserves, but Poa dismissed this as “a technicality.”
Poa Presses Government for Transparency in PAP-PSP Volunteer Dispute
Poa also addressed what she referred to as “Gombakgate” — an unresolved incident involving a PSP volunteer who allegedly assaulted a PAP supporter.
She criticised the Government’s lack of transparency in releasing police investigation results before polling day, stating that PSP “has nothing to hide.”
Poa revealed that the police had completed their investigations over a month ago and submitted the findings to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
Yet, she said, no information has been made public.
“At our rally five days ago in Bukit Gombak, I called on the Government to release the result of the police investigation. A member of PSP still has an unsubstantiated assault allegation hanging over him,” said Poa.
She reiterated the call at a media interview the day before and again at the rally, adding, “If we still hear nothing from the Police or AGC, dear voters, we will have to ask you to draw your own conclusions, and perhaps give the opposition some benefit of the doubt in future.”
She further questioned whether grassroots volunteers linked to PAP candidate Shawn Huang had planned to disrupt a PSP walkabout in Taman Jurong, calling for Huang to clarify the matter.
This followed the circulation of leaked chat messages allegedly showing plans by these volunteers to interfere with the PSP’s GE2025 campaign activity.
“Don’t Worry for PAP, Worry for Singaporeans”
Poa addressed common PAP warnings that opposition victories could lead to the loss of ministers.
“Look at Minister Ong Ye Kung. He lost in GE2011 but returned in the next election. So don’t worry for PAP. Let’s worry about ordinary Singaporeans instead.”
Poa ended her speech by expressing disappointment that PAP candidates declined PSP’s invitation to a public debate on national policies, choosing instead to focus on local municipal issues.
“They talk about the importance of unity in times of uncertainty. But is this unity if we care more about our own gains than what happens to other Singaporeans?
No. Unity is us, Singaporeans, caring for all Singaporeans, looking out for all Singaporeans.”
PSP and the PAP will face off in a high-profile rematch in the redrawn West Coast-Jurong West GRC on 3 May 2025.
PSP’s slate includes Tan Cheng Bock, Leong Mun Wai, Hazel Poa, and newcomers Sani Ismail and Sumarleki Amjah.
PAP’s team is led by Desmond Lee, with Ang Wei Neng, Shawn Huang, and new faces Hamid Razak and Cassandra Lee.
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