Don’t make applicants pay again and again in futile bidding for Duxton flats

I REFER to the report, ‘Pinnacle in name, and in pricing too?’ (Sept 6).

I read with mixed feelings when HDB launched the Pinnacle@Duxton flats for the third time. As a first-timer, I have balloted for the flats, not once but twice. In the first balloting exercise, my queue number was over 4,300 and I was not given a chance to select a flat at all. This is despite the fact that HDB had more than 1,000 surplus flats in last year’s balloting exercise.

I decided to ballot again and I was given a queue number of over 900. We were overjoyed when we received the HDB letter inviting us to select a flat. But the joy was short-lived as HDB sent us a last-minute SMS to say the selection exercise was cancelled because the ethnic quota had been reached.

Now HDB is relaunching the sale for the third time.

With each ballot, I have to pay an administration fee, only to have my hopes dashed.

HDB said that people who were invited to the exercise eventually did not book a flat and thus there was surplus. But in our case, we were not even given a chance to select a flat.

HDB should review its internal procedure to ensure that all applicants in the queue are given a chance to choose a flat if there is a surplus, instead of starting another round of exercise and another round of administrative fee collecion.

Anna Lee (Ms)


Source: Straits Times, 8 Oct 2009