Singapore
Government issues POFMA correction against Leong Sze Hian’s FB post on HDB resale flat grants
The Ministry of National Development has issued a POFMA Correction Direction against Mr Leong Sze Hian for a Facebook post claiming no income means-test for HDB resale flat grants. MND clarifies that the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant and CPF Housing Grant are both means-tested.
The Minister for National Development, Desmond Lee, directed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office to issue a Correction Direction to Mr Leong Sze Hian over a Facebook post he made on 21 August 2024.
The Ministry of National Development (MND), in its clarification, claims that the post contains misleading statements about the means-testing of housing grants provided to first-time buyers of resale flats.
In his post, Mr Leong asserted that there is no income means-test applicable to HDB grants for resale flats. However, he also acknowledged within the same paragraph that an income ceiling of S$14,000 applies, with a lower ceiling of S$9,000 to qualify for the maximum grant of S$230,000.
Despite this caveat, the MND has labelled his statement as inaccurate.
According to the MND, the Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG) and CPF Housing Grant (CPF HG) provided to first-time buyers of resale flats are indeed subject to income means-testing:
- Enhanced CPF Housing Grant (EHG): The MND clarified that the EHG is progressively tiered to ensure that lower-income buyers receive more substantial support. The grant offers up to S$120,000, with the amount determined based on the applicant’s household income. This tiered approach, according to the Ministry, is designed to provide more targeted assistance to those who need it most.
- CPF Housing Grant (CPF HG): The Ministry also explained that the CPF HG is available to first-time home buyers of resale flats, but only to those with a monthly household income not exceeding S$14,000. The grant amount varies, offering up to S$80,000 for buyers of 2-room to 4-room resale flats, and S$50,000 for those purchasing 5-room or larger flats.
As a result of the Correction Direction, Mr Leong is required to include a notice on his original Facebook post, directing readers to the government’s clarification.
The MND’s response has been published in a Factually article titled “Corrections regarding Means-testing of HDB Resale Grants in Facebook post by Mr Leong Sze Hian on 21 Aug 2024,” which provides further details on the issue.
Mr Leong’s original post also questioned the fairness of Singapore’s public housing policies, particularly the apparent disparity in support between buyers of Build-To-Order (BTO) flats and resale flats.
The MND’s correction, however, focuses primarily on addressing the specifics of the means-testing process, without directly engaging with the broader concerns raised in Mr Leong’s post.
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Not exceeding $14,000 income? Combined household income and HDB is giving out taxpayer’s monies to this family as grants? Can this family be considered poor and needy? Do they need help from the State to have shelter above their heads? A sheer waste of taxpayer’s monies. DL please don’t follow the guidelines set by the 3G or you will lose your Parliamentary seat. It is their policies that have caused Public Housing and costs to skyrocket. Nothing is going to change if the only solution you can think of is more grants and at the same time increase GST. You… Read more »
Fat fuck kenna sued one time still back side itchy?
Fucker himself is staying at his old parents landed somewhere at Serangoon but back side itchy go poke those staying at HDB ah?
And low ses HDB fuckers like many here, still think ‘he is fighting for them, for them on public housing policies,ah?
Wake the fuck up lah low ses Sinkie, he is strring shit becos he has a axe to grind with the PAP ,not GRINDING AXE TO FIGHT FOR YOU!😆😆😆😆🤣🤣🤣
Actually this particular POFMA against Leong is syndical. It does address only a minor abberation which is NOT the MAIN THRUST of Leong’s article and the subject of his writing.
The POFMA directive itself is 2 fold.
1. to achieve a psychology One Upmanship.
2. to impress upon readers esp this who don’t have time to nudge the details, the generalfeeling of PAP Administration highlighting anti PAP as falsehoods regardless of anything debatable.
Small untruth so not negate the backbone of any debates. And this PAP Administration is attempting to MAGNIFY it’s image as only they speak truths.
S1
Is there something wrong with his statement? It is highly probable that increasing the amount of free money (grants) will benefit HDB flat sellers by allowing them to sell at a higher price.
If you have the means to sell your HDB flat (Not a small or cheap feat) you are definitely wealthier by a fair bit. Of course, exceptions do exist.
DL should issue POFMA to himself for saying that the high prices of resale flats are partly due to “psychological” factor.
At this rate, soon POFMA will be issue for typo error or grammatical mistake.
Ridiculous!
SOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! who is white & who is black,the white is stained with SHIT!!!!
A very very petty MND that is being clearly manipulated by the Administration to achieve non partisan political goals that’s only for the benefit to enhance PAP power at the very very bad expense of SG as a whole when critical debates shd be the order to make SGpns wiser and more informed.
When I served NS, pay is miserable. Only SGD10 extra compare to Admin NS staff who need to work from 8am to 5pm.
We combat fit must stay in 2359. Kana all types of non sense abuse. We keep quiet.
Now, SG has imported RUBBISH INDIAN like Puthucheary, never serve a SINGLE day of NS; yet Puthucheary has no significant contribution to SG.
Puthucheary is PROMOTED to be A MINISTER.
F the PAP. If I were to VOTE PAP in my LIFE, I be AN IDIOT!
Stop Lying to Singaporeans, PAP. WE are professionals and WE WANT you OUT!
I said already
Call it Land Costs Grant