S1E29: Young people say new housing classification addresses concerns better

Aug 23, 2023

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Our guests have regularly attended Forward SG engagement sessions to air their views.

Synopsis: Every second and fourth Monday of the month, The Straits Times takes a hard look at social issues of the day with guests.

At the National Day Rally recently on Aug 20, 2023, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced an overhaul of the current housing estate classification system.

The current mature and non-mature system will end by the second half of 2024, and from then on, new Build-To-Order (BTO) flats will be split into three categories - Standard, Plus and Prime - under a new framework with tiered buying-and-selling restrictions.

In this episode, ST's podcast editor Ernest Luis finds out the sentiments of two unattached singles. Mr Mohamad Arshad is a 26-year-old sales development executive and Mr Cho Ming Xiu, 36, runs a non-profit mental health organisation for youths and young adults, called Campus PSY.

Highlights (click/tap above):

3:45 Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong emphasises affordability, good social mix. fairness, as the ideals underlining the reasons for the change; Arshad's and Cho's views

7:12 PM said more Singaporeans are choosing to be single; new system more flexible for singles such as Cho at the age of 36

9:45 Entire flat rental restrictions for future Plus flat owners: Too strict or good to deter those who simply want to profit?

13:30 On the new 30-month wait-out period for private property owners who wish to buy a resale Prime or Plus flat

Produced by: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg), Hadyu Rahim & Paxton Pang

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

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