To: cc: (bcc: NHB NASReg/NHB/SINGOV) Subject: (Embargoed) Speech by Dr Ow Chin Hock, 20 Feb, 8.30 am Government PRESS RELEASE Media Division, Ministry of Information and the Arts, #36-00 PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119963. Tel: 3757794/5 ======EMBARGO INSTRUCTIONS The attached press release/speech is EMBARGOED UNTIL AFTER DELIVERY. Please check against delivery. For assistance call 3757795 ======SPRInter 4.0, Singapore's Press Releases on the Internet, is located at: http://www.gov.sg/sprinter/ ======

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SPEECH BY DR OW CHIN HOCK MINIISTER OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MAYOR OF TANJONG PAGAR CDC, MP FOR TANJONG PAGAR GRC AND CHAIRMAN OF TANJONG PAGAR-WEST COAST TOWN COUNCIL AT THE SELECTIVE EN BLOC REDEVELOPMENT SCHEME (SERS) CEREMONY TO CELEBRATE THE SUCCESSFUL MOVE FROM MARGARET DRIVE AND FORFAR HOUSE TO STIRLING ROAD ON SUNDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2000, 8.30AM AT BLK 182A STIRLING ROAD

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1. We are indeed honoured to have Minister Mah to grace this function. This morning we are gathered to celebrate the successful move of residents from Margaret Drive and Forfar House to Stirling Road.

2. Tanjong Pagar GRC has many estates which are more than 20 years old such as those in Tanjong Pagar, , and Queenstown. Some estates even have old Singapore Improvement Trust (SIT) flats which are as old as 45 years. To raise the standard of living environment of these older estates, the Government has over the years implemented a number of upgrading programmes and redevelopment schemes for the residents. These schemes have led to a major rejuvenation of the Town’s physical landscape.

3 In the last eight years, there were altogether 19 precincts with 19,351 flats that have benefited from the HDB’s Main Upgrading Programme (MUP) and another four precincts with 4,927 flats were under the Interim Upgrading Programme (IUP) in Tanjong Pagar GRC

4 Complementing these programmes, the Selective Enbloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS), announced in 1995, has also been implemented in Tanjong Pagar GRC. Eight precincts comprising a total of 7,307 flats at Alexandra Road, Outram Park, Boon Tiong Road, Kim Tian Road, Forfar House, Holland Drive and Redhill Road in Tanjong Pagar GRC have been selected for SERS, and they are in various stages of completion.

5 Under SER scheme, selected apartment blocks in older estates that are functionally not viable or economical for upgrading like those mentioned earlier would be demolished for new, better and more intensive developments. Affected flat-owners would enjoy attractive compensation pegged at prevailing market rates as at the date of announcement of SERS. More importantly, they would be provided assured allocation of new replacement flats at a nearby estate. This scheme has been received very favourably by affected flat-owners. You are one of the privileged few who have benefited from this scheme. The SERS, MUPs and IUPs are various schemes under the Assets Enhancement Programme of the government. The programme enables HDB dwellers to share our nation’s wealth, when our economy is doing well.

6 While HDB provides the hardware and reshapes the physical landscape of our Town, the Town Council, Community Development Council and Grassroots Organisations should provide the software in helping new residents to settle down and integrate into our community quickly, and minimize the effects of dislocation.

7 I welcome the 300 families from Margaret Drive and Forfar House to our constituency. I hope you will be able to get to know your new neighbours and social organizations in our Town better and also foster a greater sense of belonging to your new community. 8 Finally, let me thank the HDB, Town Council and Leng Kee grassroots organizations for organizing this morning’s function.

9 I look forward to the grassroots organisations, Town Council and Community Development Council working closely to organise more of such events to help minimise the effect of the dislocation and help the residents integrate into their new community.

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