THE privatisation war at Shunfu Ville is heating up again and residents are in a fix. In the latest twist to the saga, 67 per cent of the residents at the HUDC estate located in Marymount Road voted for privatisation during the mass signing exercise held last weekend.
This latest exercise was organised by the pro-tem committee, led by chairman Philip Liau.
Its aim was to secure the 75 per cent votes needed for the committee to gain the Housing Board's approval so that Shunfu Ville can be privatised. This would unlock the restrictions set by the HDB, including the right to go en bloc, as well as to purchase a second property.
However, not all were pleased with the idea.
Leaflets titled "Say 'No' to privatisation!" were even distributed to the residents' mailboxes.
Said Madam L.N. Ong, 74: "We're all retirees, and don't have income. The $30,000 (to privatise Shunfu Ville) is a lot of money. Even if we get a bank loan, how are we going to service the loan?"
Having lived there for 18 years, Madam Ong added that "the en bloc that comes after privatisation might take five or 10 years" to realise.
Others like Ms A. Chew, 18, are simply comfortable with where they are now. She said: "We don't want to move because the money from the en bloc sale (if any), would not be enough to pay for a house of the same size and at such a convenient spot."
Still, some residents beg to differ.
Mr V. Tay who is in his 60s, said he switched to the pro-privatisation camp as he felt that this was the way to upgrade their flats.
"The official caretaker (the Toa Payoh-Bishan Town Council) of our sinking funds are conservative in setting aside (a large sum of) money for upgrading here.
"We might as well (privatise), seize our own funds, so that we can do what we want with it."
But residents like Madam Ong question the likelihood that maintenance fees may be raised once Shunfu is privatised.
Mr Liau, 57, denied this instantly.
Last July, the committee tried to launch a privatisation-cum-collective sale concurrently but was rejected by the HDB, which said Shunfu Ville had to be privatised first.
This latest exercise is the 358-unit estate's fourth attempt at privatisation.
Mr Liau, a director of a local firm, said they "would continue to garner more votes from residents until they reach their (75 per cent) target".
This article was first published in my paper on Mar 7, 2008.
