- Joined
- Jul 24, 2008
- Messages
- 33,627
- Points
- 0
<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>
Coffeeshop Chit Chat - HDB: Sinha ok to own&sublet public flat</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>teh_si <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>6:22 pm </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 4) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>35173.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Why is PAP member Sinha allowed to hold HDB public flat for investment and to sublet it out for rental income?
==
Jun 26, 2010
Netizens bay for blood but HDB clears PAP activist
Comments on feedback portal led to probe into his property dealings
<!-- by line -->By Rachel Chang
<!-- end by line --><!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
A SPEECH therapist, accused by netizens of illegally subletting his Hougang flat, has been cleared of wrongdoing by the Housing Board (HDB).
Mr Sinha Shekhar, 41, found himself at the centre of a cyberspace firestorm after comments he made on the government feedback portal Reach led some to charge that he was acting against HDB rules.
Mr Sinha, in his comments on Reach's Facebook page on the topic of changes to property tax, had disclosed that he owned both a condominium and an HDB flat which he was renting out. He found his property tax burden to be too heavy.
His comments, first posted on June 16, were seized upon as evidence of wrongdoing: resale flats bought with grants cannot be rented out unless the owner has stayed in the property for at least five years.
Within hours, a Facebook page petitioning the authorities to repossess Mr Sinha's flat sprang up. As of yesterday, it had 340 members.
A netizen by the name of 'KojakBT' lodged a complaint on the matter with the HDB on Tuesday.
Yesterday, the HDB told The Straits Times it had checked Mr Sinha's subletting case and 'found it to be in order'.
Said a spokesman: 'He has met the minimum occupation period for the subletting of the flat and approval has been given (for him to rent it out).'
When contacted by The Straits Times, Mr Sinha said he had stayed in his Hougang flat for nine years before moving to his condominium.
Contrary to furious comments online fingering him as an example of permanent residents inflating the price of HDB flats, Mr Sinha said he has been a Singapore citizen since 1994. He joined the People's Action Party (PAP) in 1998.
He is the latest in a line of PAP activists who have clashed with anti-establishment netizens online.
Multiple incidents, including one in March when Mr Sinha told a fellow PAP activist to 'ignore the dogs' in a reference to some commentators, had led to a visceral dislike of him on several forums.
When the furore erupted, he initially wanted to defend himself. 'But then I thought, why should I clarify?' he said.
Indignant at the anonymity of his accusers, he found it unfair that a faceless and nameless netizen could catalyse an investigation into his property dealings.
He pointed out that he had no option of reprisal: 'If I want to sue this guy (KojakBT) for slander, will HDB give me his details? They can't!'
The HDB told The Straits Times the identity of those who lodge complaints with them is confidential.
Asked about taking action based on anonymous tip-offs, the spokesman said such feedback, when 'genuine and valuable', has helped the HDB in its investigations.
'Hence, we do not ignore anonymous feedback completely, especially if they pertain to matters on misuse of HDB flats.'
'However, we recognise that not all anonymous feedback is genuine,' she added. 'Where possible, we will carry out preliminary checks, without causing inconvenience to the parties being complained against. This will help us assess the reliability of the information given, before proceeding with a full investigation.'
She did not specify if preliminary checks were carried out in this instance.
From January 2008 to last December, the HDB acted against 56 flat owners found to be subletting their flats without approval.
Mr Sinha remains unbowed, despite what he perceived as xenophobia displayed online: 'I am a Singaporean. My son is going to serve national service. I made the decision to be here, and I will be here forever.'
[email protected]
</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
==
Jun 26, 2010
Netizens bay for blood but HDB clears PAP activist
Comments on feedback portal led to probe into his property dealings
<!-- by line -->By Rachel Chang
<!-- end by line --><!-- end left side bar --><!-- story content : start -->
A SPEECH therapist, accused by netizens of illegally subletting his Hougang flat, has been cleared of wrongdoing by the Housing Board (HDB).
Mr Sinha Shekhar, 41, found himself at the centre of a cyberspace firestorm after comments he made on the government feedback portal Reach led some to charge that he was acting against HDB rules.
Mr Sinha, in his comments on Reach's Facebook page on the topic of changes to property tax, had disclosed that he owned both a condominium and an HDB flat which he was renting out. He found his property tax burden to be too heavy.
His comments, first posted on June 16, were seized upon as evidence of wrongdoing: resale flats bought with grants cannot be rented out unless the owner has stayed in the property for at least five years.
Within hours, a Facebook page petitioning the authorities to repossess Mr Sinha's flat sprang up. As of yesterday, it had 340 members.
A netizen by the name of 'KojakBT' lodged a complaint on the matter with the HDB on Tuesday.
Yesterday, the HDB told The Straits Times it had checked Mr Sinha's subletting case and 'found it to be in order'.
Said a spokesman: 'He has met the minimum occupation period for the subletting of the flat and approval has been given (for him to rent it out).'
When contacted by The Straits Times, Mr Sinha said he had stayed in his Hougang flat for nine years before moving to his condominium.
Contrary to furious comments online fingering him as an example of permanent residents inflating the price of HDB flats, Mr Sinha said he has been a Singapore citizen since 1994. He joined the People's Action Party (PAP) in 1998.
He is the latest in a line of PAP activists who have clashed with anti-establishment netizens online.
Multiple incidents, including one in March when Mr Sinha told a fellow PAP activist to 'ignore the dogs' in a reference to some commentators, had led to a visceral dislike of him on several forums.
When the furore erupted, he initially wanted to defend himself. 'But then I thought, why should I clarify?' he said.
Indignant at the anonymity of his accusers, he found it unfair that a faceless and nameless netizen could catalyse an investigation into his property dealings.
He pointed out that he had no option of reprisal: 'If I want to sue this guy (KojakBT) for slander, will HDB give me his details? They can't!'
The HDB told The Straits Times the identity of those who lodge complaints with them is confidential.
Asked about taking action based on anonymous tip-offs, the spokesman said such feedback, when 'genuine and valuable', has helped the HDB in its investigations.
'Hence, we do not ignore anonymous feedback completely, especially if they pertain to matters on misuse of HDB flats.'
'However, we recognise that not all anonymous feedback is genuine,' she added. 'Where possible, we will carry out preliminary checks, without causing inconvenience to the parties being complained against. This will help us assess the reliability of the information given, before proceeding with a full investigation.'
She did not specify if preliminary checks were carried out in this instance.
From January 2008 to last December, the HDB acted against 56 flat owners found to be subletting their flats without approval.
Mr Sinha remains unbowed, despite what he perceived as xenophobia displayed online: 'I am a Singaporean. My son is going to serve national service. I made the decision to be here, and I will be here forever.'
[email protected]
</TD></TR><TR><TD> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
:oIo:
