After visits to a Buddhist temple in March and to the Parliament of Singapore in May, SAS members got to experience yet another quintessentially Singaporean institution last August. On 24 August, approximately 15 SAS members and interested parties left their gated expatriate communities temporarily behind and took a plunge into the Singaporean mainstream when they visited a Housing and Development Board estate located near Circuit Rd., a 20-minute walk northeast from the Aljunied MRT station.

Public housing in Singapore is synonymous with the Housing and Development Board (HDB), which was set up in 1960 in order to address the acute housing crisis faced by the country at the time. Singaporean public housing is 'public' not only because of the financial subsidies involved, but also because of its architectural layout (by Western standards, surprisingly little privacy is afforded to dwellers) and the fact that about 85% of Singaporeans live in HDB-flats. It is thus no wonder that much of the life of most Singaporeans is centred on the purchase and sale of HDB-flats and that public housing has been an important instrument for social engineering and securing political influence over the past four decades of accelerated economic and social change.

The visit was made possible thanks to Amy Tan, who introduced the group to her sister-in-law who lives with her family in a typical 4-room HDB-flat in one of the earliest HDB estates. The 42-year-old estate has undergone a number of upgrading projects, and being located in a 'mature' township it is within reasonable reach of all the standard amenities like food centres, a wet market, small shops, primary and secondary schools, a community library, a neighbourhood police post, and a public swimming pool.

Amy shared some insights regarding life in an HDB estate and answered our questions. The group learned about the intricate rules and regulations for purchasing and selling an HDB-flat, the ethnic quotas and income requirements, the monthly 'meet the residents' sessions held by a Member of Parliament and the aspirations of most HDB-dwellers to eventually own an apartment in a private condominium.

After having been treated by the host to some local delicacies, Amy took us to the second destination of our visit. Her parents-in-law run a small corner shop in the vicinity, selling convenience goods and Chinese medicine. We learned, like in many other cities, the Mom-and-Pop stores find the going increasingly hard as they face stiff competition from the bigger grocery chains and are left to cater to an aging population in the neighbourhood. It was also interesting to see that the shop houses provide convenient living quarters on the second floor of the premises and to learn that the HDB was willing to reduce the rent for the shop house in view of the economic difficulties.

Unfortunately the excursion was cut short by the onset of rain, and thus the group did not get to visit common HDB fixtures such as a wet market, a food centre and a makeshift shrine for the Hungry Ghosts festival of the seventh lunar month. However, those who opted for a walk through the HDB heartland in search of the nearest MRT station would still have caught further glimpses of everyday HDB-life: children in school uniforms walking home; aunties returning from the market, pulling shopping trolleys replete with produce; domestic workers taking care of elderly Singaporeans in wheel chairs; foreign workers sweeping walkways and pruning trees; toddlers being introduced to the art of rhythmically bowing in front of a shrine and waving joss sticks without getting burnt themselves; retirees watching TV or practicing karaoke songs in public.

For those interested in learning more about the role of the HDB in Singapore, the official website provides some useful information (www.hdb.gov.sg). For a scholarly analysis of public housing in Singapore see, for example,  B. H. Chua's Political Legitimacy and Housing: Stakeholding in Singapore, New York: Routledge, 1997.

Swiss Association Member
Bruno Trezzini