Someone who had stayed and worked in Australia made a comment that Singapore is “better” than Australia.
It is said that housing is “comparably cheaper” in Singapore. The comparison is made between Sydney and Singapore HDB.
Why Sydney and not other second or third tier cities? Why compare public housing HDB with private apartment or condominium in Sydney?
The definition of “comparable” is actually skewed and slanted. They are really NOT comparable just for one simple reason, can you provide any Strata Titles for HDB which private housing in Australia has?
Many Singaporeans are pretty superficial and ignorant when they tried to make comparisons.
What so important about Strata Titles? It specifically means you own a certain part or percentage of the whole land which your apartment or condo is built on. You can do enbloc or decide on whatever things to be built on this land.
But you can’t do that for HDB. because legally and technically you don’t own that land and you don’t have any Strata Titles.
Someone had tried to apply to do enbloc of their HDB flats before and they went to court and fight it out. Eventually they lost, expectedly. They didn’t know they don’t really own that land without Strata Titles.
So next time when someone come up to you to make such “comparison”, just ask them for their HDB strata titles.
We must make comparable comparisons, remember?
Goh Meng Seng
