Yishun Greenwalk BTO Quality Assurance Clarifications

We, mainly future residents of Yishun Greenwalk BTO, are concerned about potential systemic risks in the construction process of our BTO project in light of the current ramping up of supply of BTO projects. We understand the urgent need of housing our nation currently.

However, consistent with Minister of National Development, Mr Khaw Boon Wans call to reduce irritants in daily HDB living, we believe this is better addressed at the construction phase when quality can be managed proactively rather than only reacting to them after the flats are completed. As such, we would also like to be in dialogue with HDB in order to obtain clarification on the construction process which would ensure that quality is maintained even as urgent deadlines are pressed on construction companies to finish BTO projects ahead of time to house our nation. Below are our concerns:

We understand China Jingye Engineering is the lowest bidder for the construction of Yishun Greenwalk BTO. We also know that they are also the construction company for Punggol Emerald that had its application period closed in April 2010, just a mere 8 months before our BTO was open for application. Their related company, MCC Land is also the developer for The Canopy which is also currently under construction. We wonder:

1. What quality assurances will be in place to ensure that construction companies (particularly the construction company appointed for Yishun Greenwalk) maintain construction quality (e.g quality of materials used) especially of Yishun Greenwalk even when they have competing deadlines from other projects including BTOs?

2. How these construction companies with multiple building projects will manage in view of the foreign worker squeeze in view of recent manpower measures and how does that affect their attention on standard BTO projects like ours? We understand that foreign workers form a significant part of the workforce in the construction industry.

3. In times when construction firms are juggling multiple construction projects, what are their guidelines in prioritising premium projects vs standard projects e.g Yishun Greenwalk? For e.g how are materials like sand required to make cement managed for standard projects as compared to premium projects?

4. What are the quality standards of materials used e.g ceilings and walls? These are important as they affect neighbours relations as inconveniences like ceiling leakages or irritants from daily living can become straws that break the proverbial camels backs.

5. We at Yishun Greenwalk with its application period ending 1st Dec 2010, are already waiting 6 months longer than other BTO projects with application periods between Jan Mar 2011. How is the extra time used for quality assurance checks?

Our drive in seeking to be in dialogue with HDB about our upcoming estate comes from our care about our future homes for our FAMILIES, our CHILDREN and OURSELVES. We hope to stay in a neighbourhood that we can be proud of and thus form a STRONG, OTHERS-CENTRED community when we feel secure in our own homes. We are seeking to be active, responsible future residents in giving constructive feedback for improvements when things are still possible to be changed rather than being the typical whiny Singaporeans who only complain after things are finalised when less can be done and probably more expensively.

We seek your support in arranging a face-to-face dialogue session with HDB to discuss this. Thank you.