PAPsmearer has raised many interesting points and explained the legal issues.
However the reality is that 80% of sillipore have no choice (like in not enough money) but to buy HDB and retire in one.
Even if you can afford an EC , the next level, the price is 3 times more (eg 5 rm HDB $400k, EC 5 rm $1.2m)-so is it worth to pay 3 times more for essentially the same type of property (99 years lease) in around same location except that in EC you have condo facilities and pay 3 x the conservancy ($70 vs around $200 ++). The value of EC becoming private after 11 years is the subject of a separate argument.So I won't waste time talking about condos(leasehold/freehold) or landed .In fact I suspect most of these HDB dwellers do not even understand what document they have signed when they paid for them and the smarter ones hope to upgrade to condos/migrate ect2 when the chicken comes to roost.
End of day 80% have no choice but to buy HDB and accept whatever the HDB (or rather PAP ) decides -unless the political situation change.
Its good to highlight the potholes/weaknesses in the ministers argument (WP sleeping?)-but unless the political equation changes, it will alas be in vain.
