Debated in Parliament on 12 Nov 2012.
Mrs Lina Chiam asked the Minister for National Development if the Ministry can clarify the role of Town Councils and constituency Members of Parliament in approving the specific uses of community spaces, such as void decks, by voluntary welfare organisations.
Page: 1047
Mr Speaker, Sir, HDB may allocate void deck spaces to Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) for them to set up non-profit social communal facilities. HDB will require the support of the VWO's supervising Ministry, which will assess the need for such a facility in that area, in consultation with the local grassroots leaders. HDB will also check with the local Town Council. The Town Council's role is to provide information on existing or planned improvement works, such as residents' corners and linkways, which would be affected by the VWO's proposal. HDB will also inform the Constituency Office of the proposal, so that it can highlight to HDB any feedback it may have on the proposal. HDB will assess all these inputs and work with the supervising Ministry before taking a decision on the allocation of the space to the VWO for the proposed facility.
Page: 1048
I would like to ask one question. Who exactly are these "VWOs" and how long have they been operating these welfare organisations in other places? Why is it that only now they choose Potong Pasir to put up these facilities, when Mr Chiam was in Parliament for 27 years? May I ask the rationale behind this?
My second point is that I want to emphasise that SPP is not unhappy that Block 108 is taken by a VWO for residents' welfare, but rather residents should be consulted and an explanation given to them about why the void deck was being taken over. They are stakeholders of their units and, after all, they have been staying there for 30-over years. And will his Ministry make it as an exception and that, in future, whenever they want to take over any void deck for any of these VWOs, could they have this policy to inform and explain to the residents?
I want to assure Mrs Chiam that the request for this void deck space is not unique to Potong Pasir. We have seen VWOs operate in many void deck spaces all over Singapore, and it is really on the basis of need – the need for residents to have access to such services. So, it is not peculiar to this area. Why now? Perhaps, the services are required now because, as I understand it, these services are for day care facilities for elderly residents. As Mdm Halimah just highlighted earlier, there are a lot more services for the elderly that are required. And I really do not think it is peculiar to Potong Pasir.
On whether we consult the residents, whether we engage the residents, I think the process ought to be one of engagement. But at some point in time, the decision will have to be made to serve the larger community. The process is what I had mentioned earlier. The supervising Ministry will have to endorse or support that request. Sometimes, it comes both ways. The Ministry thinks that there is a service that is required in that area. They engage VWOs to operate it. In this case, the VWO came forward and suggested that they wanted to provide a facility. MCYS then, as the parent Ministry, agreed that there was a need for such a service, and then they would engage the grassroots leaders who are residents themselves. And grassroots leaders often times are also encouraged to engage the residents.
Page: 1049
I think the process has been in place and, over time, we want to continue to engage Singaporeans on really the need for social services within the midst of the community.
Sir, may I just state that the VWO was, indeed, there when Mr Chiam was the Member of Parliament for Potong Pasir. The VWO was there for 10 years.
Let us move on. Mr Lim Biow Chuan.
Page: 1049
PAPERCUTS