“Where did you go, my Singapore of old?”, a statement made by Paul Carthigasu in reference to the destruction of almost everything in Singapore as a result of change and development. He believes that much of Singapore’s soul has been lost because of its ongoing redevelopment policy.
According to Mr. Carthigasu, in the recent years, Singapore has lost its character due to its aspiration for progress, and many of Singaporeans have been forced to leave their condominiums and strata-titled properties, of which many are freehold. These people, according to him, grieve to the lost of their dwellings through collective sales, giving them discomfort in transferring to new homes.
Carthigasu also claimed that concomitant to this is the blatant vandalism and acrimony of court cases, which may jeopardise the ‘kampung spirit’ that has been arduously built up over the years. He suggested that authorities must revise the rules regarding collective sales during this quiet period in the property market, and one aspect that they must consider is the physical status of a development, despite its age. It is awful to see a new development demolishing an old development in excellent condition, Mr. Carthigasu added.