No flat = No wedding = No kids = More PRs?

Nov 17, 2007

No flat = No wedding

Newly-weds who find it hard to get a flat amid buoyant property market are putting off their weddings

By Tan Hui Yee

AS PROPERTY prices rise, some newly-wed couples are postponing their traditional ceremonies while they wait for a new Housing Board flat.

Many have been priced out of the resale market while others want to buy a new home, which means joining the hordes trying their luck at ballots in HDB sales exercises.

It is leaving couples in a dilemma. While they have registered their marriages officially, they are reluctant to hold the customary ceremony that legitimises the union in the eyes of the community, until they have a home to call their own.

Members of Parliament say they are getting more appeals from distressed couples.

Aljunied GRC MP Cynthia Phua, who raised a question on the availability of flats in Parliament this week, told The Straits Times that one or two such couples bring up the problem at her Meet-the-People session every week.

Although technically married, many of them live apart, in their family homes, while waiting to get a flat together.

Madam Phua said: 'For us Asians, once you hold back your customary wedding, you can't live together, and you can't even have babies.'

Before I state my opinion, below is HDB's vision and mission.

Vision

• Affordable Homes
• Vibrant Towns
• Cohesive Communities

Mission

• We provide affordable quality homes
• We create and rejuvenate our towns
• We promote The building of communities

At the rate the market is moving, HDB already couldn't fulfill 66% of it's vision and mission. How would this affect us as we move along? For one I'm sure the price of a flat will not depreciate anytime soon. It would be too much of an impact for all existing owners to have your asset devalue just to make it easier for others to buy them.

Our national birthrates should continue to set new records. Even though we have manipulated our PR policy to issue anyone who can barely pronounce "Singapore" the blue IC, the government should not see it as a permanent solution.

When these group of people acclimatize here and get their citizenship, they or their future generations would be faced with the same amount of stress and issues that had limited most existing couples to consider 2 kids at most.

And what do we do then? Remove all barrier to PRship?

I believe the root of the problem could be related why many thinking Singaporeans move to places like Australia and never come back. It's the work/life balance. I added "thinking" as my consideration did not factor in couples who would still go ahead to have 10 kids even though they know very well they can't afford it.

Many people still believe that you live to work, not work to live. And unfortunately most of these people reside in top management. With that kind of expectation, how is a subordinate not give in to that for the sake of money and future?

And when all the time you have are devoted to work, you still have the time for babies and to take care of them and with all the minimal efforts, expect them to walk on the right path?

Our grandparents could willingly have 10 over kids. I'm quite sure the right conditions would prevail over any amount of baby bonus.